Kalu rejects transfer of N3.2bn scam trial to Lagos

A former governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu, has rejected the transfer of his trial on money laundering charges from the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court to the Lagos Division of the court.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had on September 27 arraigned the ex-governor and his co-accused persons before Justice Anwuri Chikere of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on amended 34 counts of money laundering.

The charges, originally instituted in 2007 but stalled by interlocutory appeals at the instance of the defendants, involved the diversion of a cumulative sum of N3.2bn from the Abia State Government’s treasury allegedly by the defendants while Kalu was the governor of the state.

Those charged alongside Kalu were Jones Udeogo, and the former governor’s company, Slok Nigeria Limited.

In an ex parte motion, Kalu sought the leave of court to apply for an order of mandamus to compel the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to return the case which was transferred to Lagos back to Abuja for continuation of hearing.

He also prayed that if the order was granted it should operate as “a stay of all actions, matters or issues ancillary to or relating to or pertaining to or connected with the case, pending the hearing and determination of the suit.”

His prayers were predicated on the provisions of Order 34(1)(a) and 3 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules, 2009 and section 6(6)(a) of the 1999 Constitution.

The ex parte motion was filed along with the substantive suit which was numbered, FHC/ABJ/CS/845/2016.

The EFCC, the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami, and the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, are the respondents to the suit.

The processes were filed by Kalu’s lawyers led by Chief Awa Kalu (SAN).

In a 16-paragraph supporting affidavit  and an affidavit of urgency deposed to by a lawyer, Mr. Ikechukwu Njoku, it was stated that Kalu was aware the case had been transferred to the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court following a request by the prosecution.

The affidavit added that the case against the former governor and others started in 2007 after he left office as the governor of Abia State, but that it suffered delay because parties went on appeal up to the Supreme Court.

The affidavit added that due to the case brought against him by the EFCC, he temporarily relocated to Abuja to face trial alongside others charged with him.

It added, “In 2016, the Supreme Court ordered that the case be returned to the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court for trial.

“Acting in strict compliance with the judgment of the Supreme Court, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta (3rd), assigned the case to Justice Anwuri Chikere for trial.

“It is the case of the applicant that all parties appeared before Justice Chikere on two occasions and the matter was adjourned due to pending appeal before the Supreme Court.

“On the third occasion, the court ordered that the defendant (Kalu) alongside others should take their plea which they did and were admitted on bail.

“The court alongside the prosecution and defence team agreed for three clear dates and the matter was adjourned to October 6, 7, and 8, 2016 for definite trial, thereafter, all the parties left the court to prepare for adjourned dates.

Source: Punch.

ABIA STATE PDP CHAIRMAN, JOHNSON ONUIGBO ACCUSED OF COLLECTING BRIBE TO INFLUENCE PARTY PRIMARIES

The heat generated via the Abia State local government election PDP primaries seems not to be cooling off as accusations and counter accusations is building everyday as gathered by AFN.

Chief Johnson Onuigbo, the Abia State PDP Chairman is being accused of  collecting bribe from some aspirants to influence the final decision of all the primaries conducted.

Formal Chief whip of Abia State House of Assembly, Dr. Ikechukwu Nwabeke has come out to accuse Chief Onuigbo of collecting bribe to influence who will emerge chairmanship flagbearer of PDP in Osisioma local government area during the forthcoming local government election in Abia State.

Dr. Nwabeke is resisting any attempt to thwart the wish of delegates who will vote on the primary day.

“During the councillorship primary our political structure won, but they trying to cancel it, we will resist it” he said.

AFN had earlier reported widespread conflicts relating to the PDP primaries.

Source: Abia Facts News

Senate okays reintroduction of tolls on federal roads

The Senate on Tuesday passed a motion seeking to revive collection of tolls on federal highways across the country.

It said collection of toll, from motorists was the only way to construct and maintain roads and enhance their efficiency.

The upper chamber of the National Assembly recalled that tolls were abolished by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2004, who argued that the revenue for road maintenance should rather be generated from an increased pump price of  petrol.

A member of the Senate representing Bauchi-North Senatorial District, Suleiman Nazif, who moved the motion titled, ‘Need for the re-establishment of tolls on our federal highways,’ however, said the Senate was alarmed that the state of the country’s infrastructure, including roads, was worrisome, “particularly due to corruption and mismanagement of resources over the years.”

He stated that maintenance of roads could be taken seriously instead of constructing new ones.

Nazif said even though the reintroduction of tolls was coming during economic recession, more lives were being lost due to the bad state of the roads.

He added that he was mindful of the current situation in the country, “where times are hard and resources are scarce.”

He added, “When we talk about tollgates, the major and critical issues are: one, what is the amount that will be fixed for tolls? Two, who are those that will be the collectors of the tolls? Three, what will the money be utilised for? These are the major reasons and problems of the average Nigerian.”

Nazif, in the motion, said, “The Senate notes that the main purpose of the tollgates is for revenue generation, which will aid effective and efficient maintenance of federal highways; observes that the deplorable state of roads in Nigeria has certainly become a national shame and an unnecessary embarrassment.

“The Senate notes that the re-establishment of tollgates is a solution to saving the nation’s generally dilapidated road networks; observes that besides revenue generation, the presence of tollgates, which are normally managed by armed security agents, provides a level of safety for road users; notes that government alone cannot fund road construction.”

The lawmaker further said the Senate was disturbed that the poor state of roads in Nigeria had remained for many years, posing “a great source of risk for travellers and transporters.”

He also said the upper chamber of the National Assembly was worried that cases of road accidents being reported daily in the news painted “terrible and pathetic pictures of this ugly development.”

“The Senate observes that the use of tollgates provides Nigeria with an excellent strategy to improve its road and bridges for the benefit of Nigerians,” Nazif added.

All the senators who spoke supported the motion. They included the Senate Leader, Ali Ndume (Borno-South); the Deputy Minority Whip, Abiodun Olujimi (Ekiti-South); Abdullahi Gumel (Jigawa North-West); Sabi Abdullahi (Niger-North); Albert Bassey (Akwa Ibom North-East); James Manager (Delta-South); and the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary.

Ndume, while seconding the motion, said the resources for constructing and maintaining roads had been limited by the current economic crisis.

Olujimi, in her remarks, said states, which had invested in the reconstruction of federal roads, could not maintain the roads, as the law empowered only the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency to collect tolls on such roads.

Ekweremadu said the construction and maintenance of roads had become an issue of concern to all Nigerians. He, however, noted that due to past experiences on tolling, there was a need for the Senate to do a thorough job on the reintroduction of the system.

The Senate, therefore, unanimously granted the prayer that, “The (Senate) Committee on Works should liaise with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission and other relevant stakeholders to develop policy and technology to facilitate the construction, maintenance and tolling in Nigeria.”

Source: Punch

Abia State: I sacrificed human head as advised by mad woman —Suspect

A 20-year-old man identified as Emmanuel Effiong has said he beheaded a woman at the Aba park on the instructions of a mad woman, who allegedly advised him to throw a human head into a river or he would go mad.

“I gave a mad woman money one day in Aba and she told me to look for a skull or human head and throw inside a river or I will go mad.

“One morning, when I saw a lifeless body in front of the park, I decided to cut off the dead woman’s head for the exercise. I threw the head into the Aba River to remain a normal person,” he said.

Effiong made the confession while in the custody of the police. He had been arrested by police operatives in Aba, Abia State in connection with a threat to kidnap and kill one Ikechukwu Udogu.

It was gathered that the search for Effiong started when the police got the information that an unknown person, through a phone text, threatened to kill one Udogu, if he failed to pay him a N15m ransom.

It was learnt that police operatives attached to the Central Police Station, Aba, swung into action and arrested the suspect with the mobile phone number used in sending the threat message.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Adeleye Oyabade, who confirmed the arrest of the suspect, said he confessed to the crime.

Oyebade added that the suspect also confessed that he was behind the headless woman found on September 29, 2016 at the Aba main motor park.

He said three knives and a phone were recovered from the suspect, adding that investigation was in progress to unravel the mystery behind the dastardly act.

Speaking with newsmen, Effiong, who said he hails from Ikot Edet in Akwa Ibom State, accepted that he demanded the ransom from Udogu for refusing to pay him his salary since September 2009.

He said, “I served Mr. Udogu for many years as his gateman, but he stopped paying my salary since September 2009. So, I decided to send him the threat message to get my money from him.”

Source : Punch