Hushpuppi: 31 northern lawyers volunteer to defend Kyari against FBI by Friday Olokor

A group of 31 lawyers from northern Nigeria on Wednesday volunteered to render free legal services to the former commander of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team, Abba Kyari. Kyari, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, is facing allegations of corruption levelled against him by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States for which he was suspended by the Police. The spokesperson of the group, Sunusi Bappah Salisu, in a statement said the volunteer lawyers were drawn across all the 19 northern states and religions. According to him, the pro bono was in response to calls for support for Kyari by the Coalition of Northern Groups. The lawyers, he said, had volunteered to render free legal services for the preservation of Kyari’s fundamental rights that might be potentially jeopardized by his alleged indictment by a court in the United States of America. Salisu said they would critically review the procedures adopted by the FBI to get the US Court to indict Kyari on allegations of involvement in charges filed against a suspected fraudster, Ramon Abbas aka Hushpuppi. Hushpuppi: We’ll review honour conferred on Abba Kyari if found guilty, say Reps Hushpuppi and the unravelling of Abba Kyari He said, “We would raise questions involving the possibility of breaches to Kyari’s fundamental rights entrenched in Articles 6 and 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Right which essentially state that every individual shall have the right to liberty and to the security of his person and every individual shall have the right to have his cause heard.” “Also, the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence,” he added. PUNCH.

BREAKING: Elder Statesman Who Headed Buhari’s 2015 Transition, Ahmed Joda Dies BY SAHARAREPORTERS

An announcement from some friends and family members on Friday confirmed Joda’s death. A northern elder statesman who also headed the 2015 Transition Committee of President Muhammadu Buhari, Ahmed Joda, is dead. An announcement from some friends and family members on Friday confirmed Joda’s death. The elder statesman was a retired Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industries, and rose to become one of the super Permanent Secretaries under the military government of Gen Yakubu Gowon (retd.) in the 1970s. He served as chairman and board member of various companies including; the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Nigerian Communications Commission, Pastoral Resolve, Chagoury Group, and the Flour Mills of Nigeria. He was also a member of the 1988 Constituent Assembly which planned the constitutional transition of the Third Nigerian Republic. In 1999, he was appointed in the committee to advise the Olusegun Obasanjo’s Presidency on Poverty Alleviation and in 2015, he headed the Muhammadu Buhari presidential transition.

Inside the ‘Hushpuppi’ Operation That Indicted DCP Abba Kyari by Solomon Elusoji

In October 2019, a businessperson started looking for an investor who could provide a $15 million loan to build an international school in Qatar. By November, the businessperson was on a plane to Kenya, to meet a potential facilitator – Abdulrahman Juma, a 28-year-old parading as the ‘Chairman’ and ‘Funding Officer’ of Westload Financial Solutions Limited. Juma was able to convince the businessperson to sign a contract that mandated the payment of a $225,000 consultancy fee before the loan could be disbursed. Of course, there was no loan. But the businessperson didn’t know that at the time. After the businessperson wired a first tranche of $164,450, Juma provided a forged document showing a wire transfer of $15 million from a Barclays Bank account in the United Kingdom to the businessperson’s bank account in Qatar, according to documents from the US Department of Justice seen and reviewed by Channels Television. When the businessperson reached out to the bank to confirm the funds, there was no $15 million. The businessperson contacted Juma, who said the businessperson had to pay another “payment of release order” to release the funds. In early December, the businessperson wired another $150,000, hoping that would be the final payment for the release of the $15 million. The businessperson was wrong. Because the dance had just begun. Enter Hushpuppi On December 7, 2019, Juma reached out to Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi, an Instagram celebrity who took pictures with expensive cars and watches and wrote motivational captions before his July 2020 arrest in Dubai. Juma and Hushpuppi, apparently, belonged to a global fraud syndicate that has fleeced numerous individuals and organisations of millions of dollars. In July, Hushpuppi pleaded guilty to multiple counts of money laundering before a US Federal Court and now faces up to 20 years in jail. The December 2019 conversation, too, revolved around how they could siphon more money off the businessperson seeking a $15 million loan. Hushpuppi told Juma that he would pretend to be a Bank Director – with the moniker Malik – when communicating with the businessperson. The duo agreed on profit sharing and Hushpuppi created a new Whatsapp account, using an American phone number. A photo of Mr Abdulrahman Juma. Credit: US Department of Justice A photo of Mr Abdulrahman Juma. Credit: US Department of Justice Texting the businessperson, Hushpuppi introduced himself as Malik, “the director of the bank responsible for crediting you the funds” working with “Mr Rahman (Juma) from Kenya.” Juma and Hushpuppi shared, with each other, screenshots of their messages with the businessperson, as the conversations progressed. To begin to tempt the businessperson to part with more money, Hushpuppi said there was a need to open a bank account in the United States, to transfer the $15 million loan because Qatar had apparently been sanctioned by the US government. The initial agreement was that the funds will then be credited from the US account to the businessperson’s bank account in London. Apparently, Hushpuppi had a ‘white guy’ from America call the businessperson to boost the legitimacy of the scheme. The businessperson “is so happy”, Hushpuppi reported to Juma. Using the resources at his disposal, Hushpuppi created a fictitious business name statement (carrying the name of the businessperson’s company) in the US. He then used the business name to open a bank account, in the name of the businessperson’s company. He was also able to generate a ‘Durable Power of Attorney’ form. Fraudulent, of course. On December 20, Hushpuppi sent the account and online login of the Canoga Park Wells Fargo account to the businessperson, who must have felt, once again, that the loan was palpable. But when the businessperson sent Hushpuppi the information for a UK bank account where the loan funds should be deposited, the latter balked. A photo of Vincent Chubuzo sent by DCP Kyari to Hushpuppi. Credit: US Department of Justice. A photo of Vincent Chubuzo sent by DCP Kyari to Hushpuppi. Credit: US Department of Justice. Hushpuppi told the businessperson that it would not work to send funds to a “personal account” in the UK. Instead, the businessperson should open an investor’s account with his own private banking service. To open the account, Hushpuppi said, the businessperson would have to fund it with a minimum of 250,000 pounds. At this point, the businessperson started to smell a rat. But the allure of imminent victory was too strong. On December 23, after some back and forth between Juma and Hushpuppi, (the former apparently wasn’t convinced that it was the right time to ask for more money) the businessperson agreed to open the investor’s account. Game, set . . . match? American money launderers To receive and launder the proceeds of the Qatar operation, Hushpuppi relied on two other individuals living in the United States – Rukayat Fashola and Bolatito Agbabiaka. He also used part of the loot to purchase a luxury Richard Mille watch and St. Kitts citizenship. On December 24, Hushpuppi sent the businessperson two bank account details, one belonging to Agbabiaka, and the other to the Richard Mille watchseller. That same day, the businessperson transferred $330,000 to the accounts and sent Hushpuppi photographs of the wire transfer confirmations.

Now, the businessperson must have been agitated. “Can you please let me know when I can receive the fund as agreed and promised?” The businessperson said in a text to Juma after forwarding the $330,000. Juma forwarded the businessperson’s messages to Hushpuppi with a note: “I need your advice before I get back.” Hushpuppi must have smiled. He had another trick up his sleeve. The money call On January 4, 2020, Vincent Chibuzo, another of Hushpuppi’s associates, sent the Instagram celebrity a message containing a “telephone banking” number. This will “blow the client’s mind,” Chibuzo said in his message to Hushpuppi. The next plan had been to create a fake Wells Fargo bank website and a fake banking automated telephone number that could deceive the businessperson that, indeed, the promised funds had been deposited into the Canoga Park Wells Fargo account Hushpuppi had opened for the Qatar business. When the “telephone banking” information was eventually sent to the businessperson, it was so convincing that the businessperson wrote back to Hushpuppi: “OMG, I can’t believe it, it’s true.” After calling the businessperson, Juma sent Hushpuppi a voice note. The businessperson “can’t breathe,” he said. The businessperson “is really excited.” The businessperson “is crying tears of joy.” The businessperson “is thanking me.” In response, Hushpuppi said, “Are you proud of me or not? It’s a perfect job, bro.” The tax plan After raising the businessperson’s hopes, Hushpuppi reached out and claimed there was a need to pay a tax of $575,000 to have the loan cleared. “Sorry but this is too much,” the businessperson replied. The next day, the businessperson contacted Juma, asking him to find a way to avoid paying the $575,000 tax. Juma sent screenshots of this conversation to Hushpuppi. On January 10, Hushpuppi and Juma discussed reducing the amount the businessperson should be asked to pay. Later, they communed on how to stop the businessperson from flying to the UK to confirm that there were funds in the purported Wells Fargo account. Juma said he had told the businessperson to keep things quiet, and to not tell anyone or ask anyone about the status of the loan. On January 13, the businessperson agreed to pay $440,000 in taxes. The Kyari connection The saying that ‘there is no honour among thieves’ began to manifest among the Hushpuppi syndicate. First, Juma was able to secure $299,983.58 from the businessperson, perhaps as part of the tax payments. But he refused to share it with Hushpuppi because he (Juma) had not received a share from the earlier $330,000 sent by the businessperson. Then Chibuzo, who was based in Nigeria at the time, accused Hushpuppi of not paying for the work that was being done on the fake Wells Fargo website. As a way to get back at Hushpuppi, Chibuzo contacted the businessperson directly and, claiming he was “trying to help”, said Hushpuppi was a scammer. When Hushpuppi got wind of Chibuzo’s actions, he was livid. “I will deal with him,” he told Juma. Hushpuppi reached out to Abba Kyari, a Deputy Commissioner in the Nigeria Police Force, and sent him Chibuzo’s phone number.

In one text to Chibuzo, Hushpuppi said in pidgin: “I swear with my life that you will regret messing with me, you will even wish you died before my hands will touch you.” Now, Hushpuppi’s relationship with DCP Kyari is contested. The police officer has said he received no payment to arrest Chibuzo and that he was only responding to a violent threat complaint raised by Hushpuppi. But there is overwhelming evidence – including screenshots of receipts sent by Hushpuppi to Kyari – that the arrest of Chibuzo was influenced by DCP Kyari’s chummy relationship with Hushpuppi and not credible intelligence. (The Nigeria police has said it is investigating the matter) “Please sir, I want to spend money to send this boy to jail; let him go for a very long time,” Hushpuppi said in one text to Kyari. “Ok bro, I understand,” Kyari texted back. “I will discuss with my team who arrested him . . . we will do something about it.” Hushpuppi said he was ready to send money to the team, so they can deal with Chibuzo like an “armed robber.” Kyari said he would send the team’s account details. When Hushpuppi said “I want him to suffer for many years,” Kyari responded, “hahahaha . . . hahahaha.” Chibuzo was released about a month later after contracting a skin disease in jail. A litany of doubts Chibuzo’s whistleblowing had apparently not deterred the businessperson. Too much money had been sunk into acquiring the $15 million loan, the businessperson must have reasoned. Too late to now throw in the towel. But after paying Juma $299,983.58, the businessperson was beginning to doubt the Kenyan financier and turned to ‘Malik’, the Wells Fargo banker. The businessperson told Malik – Hushpuppi – that they believed Juma had been scamming them, after spending over $1 million to acquire the loan. “I know that you think I am stupid but I trust (Juma) and now I’m going bankrupt,” the businessperson said. Ever the conman, Hushpuppi said, “Wow, over one million?” Then he promised to help the businessperson. Later, he claimed to have spoken to his supervisor who was willing to reduce the tax amount that the businessperson would pay to $180,000. But he asked the businessperson to keep their discussions confidential, especially from Juma. “Try and get the $180,000 sent before the end of the month and (Juma) will be put to shame and God will deal with him also,” Hushpuppi told the businessperson. At the same time, Hushpuppi was deflecting enquiries from Juma about what the next move to get more money from the businessperson was. On March 2, 2020, the businessperson wired the $180,000 to Hushpuppi, a bulk of it to an account provided by Agbabiaka, the alleged American co-launderer. On March 11, the businessperson contacted Hushpuppi to ask about when she would receive the $15 million loan to build the international school. Hushpuppi claimed to have gone to the IRS to pay the tax and that his boss would be able to send the wire the next day. The next day, Hushpuppi told the businessperson that his boss, Yousif, would contact the businessperson. The bogus Yousif identity contacted the businessperson via Whatsapp and demanded payment for additional “transfer charges.” But the businessperson, exhausted and defeated, reached out to Hushpuppi instead. “Sorry Mr Malik but I’m not gonna pay more and I’m out of this game,” the businessperson said. “I’ll stop all my communication with you . . . You are doing what exactly Juma did . . . I’m now 100% sure that you and Juma and Yousif are all one team.”

Athletes disqualification: Administrators were busy fighting over power, says Okagbare by Segun Adewole

Nigerian athlete Blessing Okagbare has said that the sport system in Nigeria is flawed and that athletes are always at the receiving end of the damages. Lamenting that athletes are being neglected, Okagbare said those who are not passionate about sports should not handle the administrative positions. She said this after some Nigerian athletes were disqualified from competing in the Tokyo Olympics for failing to undergo mandatory tests ahead of the global sports event. According to her, “I have said it before and I will say it again. If you do not know the sport, not passionate about it/us (the athletes), then you have no business there as an administrator. The sport system in Nigeria is so flawed and we athletes are always at the receiving end of the damages. “They were busy fighting over power, exercising their pride over puma contract/ kits forgetting their major responsibility “THE ATHLETES”. It’s sad that this cycle keeps repeating its self and some people will come out to say I am arrogant for speaking my truth. It is my CAREER.” Okagbare is, however, not among the athletes disqualified from the Tokyo Olympics. The names omitted from the competition by the International Olympic Committee include Knowledge Omovoh, Ruth Usoro, Favor Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma, Glory Patrick, Yinka Ajayi, Tima Godbless, Chidi Okezie, Chioma Onyekwere and Annette Echikunwoke.

APC: Consensus ‘ll abridge political space, cause imposition – Ex-gov by Emeka Nze

Former governor of Cross River state and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Clement Ebri has faulted the recent consensus arrangements being mulled by the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee in the election of its candidates. According to the ex-governor, the arrangement is would abridge the political space, just as it would cause imposition of candidates. Ebri said this Wednesday in Abuja in response to the recent declaration by the Secretary of the Caretaker Committee, Senator John AkpanUdoedehe that the Presidential candidate of APC would emerge by consensus. AkpanUdoedehe had said that the party would present its Presidential candidate for 2023 by consensus why reacting to opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) allegation that President Muhammadu Buhari was plotting a “self-succession”. The position of the Caretaker Committee has attracted criticisms from party members. Ebri, in his reaction said “it will precipitate a crisis of monumental proportions. No organ of the party has the power to abridge the political space. “Note that the President did say only recently that a group of people cannot sit somewhere and decide zoning without mass participation. In the same manner no individual nor groups of persons have the right to opt for consensus without the inputs of the party membership. “Party members must have a sense of ownership around the party constitution. It is patently wrong for the party’s future to be determined and/ or defined by just one organ. “Consensus can also lead to a rash of promissory notes that end up keeping the beneficiary perpetually at the point of a spear owing to his or her inability to implement the terms agreed upon , to the letter.” Speaking further, he said, “Consensus is not a bad idea in choosing candidates if managed properly but it can also provide an avenue for a handful of privileged politicians to manufacture consent and call it party supremacy. The bane of our politics has always been our inability to provide for free and fair electoral contest. At the party level I believe that all that is required is for political parties to organise free, fair and transparent congresses, primaries or conventions. I am yet to see an aspirant who lost a free and fair election question the outcome. “So, for me I believe it is safer for parties to come to terms with perfecting internal democracy rather than shelter behind consensus to perpetrate more evil. “Every aspirant is a potential political athlete and so he or she must be allowed to test his or her popularity rather than remain in a holding pattern that sounds more like a lottery than a competition ground for our best. We must resolve to always put our best foot forward. As the ruling party, the APC must not shy away from parading its best. The younger generation must be given the opportunity to learn political organisation from the older politicians; learn the theatrics of campaigns, the rhetorics and political philosophies of the respective aspirants. That is the best way to grow politics. “A number of us joined politics because we were carried away by the oratorical skills of our forbears in politics. Some others were carried away by their philosophies and so on. That is democracy.”

Naira fluctuates in Abuja after CBN decision on Forex By Nduka Chiejina (Assistant Editor)

Twenty four hours after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) came down hard on Bureaux De Chnage for allegedly facilitating money laundering and other forex infractions, the Naira has been fluctuating against the dollar in the market in Abuja. Bureaux De Change operators told The Nation the Naira fell to dollar steadily after the announcement by the CBN. An operator Nura told The Nation that they “buy dollar around N507 and N510 while they sell around N512 and N513.” However he noted that it appears the reaction “is not strong as the value of the Naira has started to appreciate by evening time”. Professor Uche Uwaleke of the Nasarawa State university said: “The decision by the CBN to stop forex sales to BDCs has merits and demerits but I think it is in the best interest of the Nigerian economy. “On the positive side, it is consistent with the move by the CBN to unify exchange rates and bring more transparency to the forex market. “Exchange rate unification is in line with the IMF and World Bank’s recommendations and so improves the country’s profile and credit standing before International financial institutions. It signifies that the country is serious in her reform efforts” he said. The CBN decision, he said, “will slow down the rate of depletion in external reserves and will likely check round tripping of forex and reduce supply of forex in the parallel market”. Stopping the sale of Forex to BDCs, he added, “will reduce speculative demand for forex. I am aware that BDCs have been accused of being vehicles for bribery and corruption. This will likely reduce”. A more transparent forex market he stated “will improve confidence in the economy and could lead to increased foreign investments”. On the flip side, this measure he warned could “wipe out the employment opportunities created in the sector with over 5,000 BDCs and several others waiting to be licensed. There is no doubt that many of them will fold up. “Also, the gap between the AFEX rates and parallel market rates is likely to widen further with dollar shortages in BDC and parallel market segments”. Going forward, he urged the CBN to “ensure that purchase of forex via the banks which will now increase is made stress free with minimal documentation. “This is what pushes people to the parallel market. Overall, it is a bold and salutary decision that deserves commendation”.

Why Supreme Court allowed Akeredolu’s election by Abiolapaul

With a split decision of four-to-three, the Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the victory of Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last governorship election in Ondo State. Four Justices, out of a seven-member panel, agreed that the petition filed against Akeredolu’s victory was incompetent because chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State was not made a party. Justice Emmanuel Agim read the lead majority judgment, which was supported by Justices John Okoro, Lawal Garba and Tijani Abubakar. The other three, Justices Mary Peter-Odili, Ejembi Eko and Mohammed Saulawa, held otherwise in their dissenting minority judgment. The judgment was on the appeal marked: SC/448/21; including the cross-appeals marked: SC/501/21; SC/508/21 and SC/509/21. The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the election, Eyitayo Jegede and his party had challenged the competence of Akeredolu’s nomination/sponsorship for the election by the APC, claiming the letter conveying his nomination/sponsorship to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was incompetent, having been signed by Buni and others. They contended by the provision of Section 183 of the Constitution and Article 17 (4) of the APC constitution, Buni acted unlawfully by being the Yobe Governor and serving as APC’s Chairman at the same time, and as such the nomination/sponsorship letter of he signed for the APC, notifying INEC of the candidacy of Akeredolu and Lucky Aiydatiwa (as governorship and deputy governorship candidates) was void. In his lead majority judgment, Justice Agim held that, since Jegede and the PDP made Buni the centre of their allegation constitutional breaches, he ought to have been made a party in the case to enable him defend himself in line with the doctrine of fair hearing. He proceeded to uphold an earlier judgment of the Court of Appeal, to the effect that the petition filed by Jegede and his party a the election tribunal was incompetent because they failed to include Buni as a party. Agim said: “The appeal was based on the ground that Mai Mala Buni, the Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of the party, that is, the second respondent (APC) was holding office as the Governor of Yobe State, contrary to the provision of Section 183 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999). “All the issues raised revolved around Mala Buni. But, Mala Buni,who is at the centre of the dispute was not made party to the petition. It is obvious that the determination of the said issues will affect him. “Therefore, the court below was right to have held that he was a necessary party to this suit. Failure to join him render the determination of the matter impossible. To proceed to do so would have violated the fair trial of the case. “Therefore, we affirm the lower court that the petitioner was incompetent.” Justices Okoro, Garba and Tijani agreed with him. In the lead minority judgment, Justice Peter-Odili upheld the appeal and dismiss the cross-appeals by INEC), aPC Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa. Odili was of the view that since the APC, for which Buni acted, was a party in the case, there was no need to include him as a party. She added that having allowed Buni to act on its behalf in signing the nomination/sponsorship letter of its candidates in Ondo despite the clare provisions of section 183 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 17(4) of the APC constitution, the party should leave by the consequences of its lawlessness. “I do not agree with the majority judgment,” she said, noting that the APC, by Article 17(4) of its constitution has provided for how its affairs should be manage and what offices its memebrscab occupy at a time. “This Article draws strength from Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution. Therefore when the second respondent (APC) put up a person not qualified to author its nomination by virtue of the provision of Article 1z(4) of its constitution and Section183 of the 1999 Constitution to do so. Therefore, that document has no validity, and thereby void,” she said. She noted the implication was the nomination and candidacy of Akeredolu and his deputy was a nullity. She held that the person, who ought to be declared winner of the election ” is the first appellant (Jegede), who has the majority of valid votes.” Peter-Odili held it was unlawful and a violation of Article 17(4) of the APC constitution and Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution for Buni to be serving as the National Chairman of the APC and the Governor of Yobe State at the same time. Justices Ejembi Eko and Mohammed Saulawa agreed with Justice Peter-Odili in upholding the appeal and dismissing the cross-appeals by INEC, APC, Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa.