Lagos Okada riders’ chairman shot dead in Oshodi

Chairman of Motorcycle Operators Association of Lagos State Chief Rasaq Bello, popularly known as Hamburger, has been shot dead.

Bello who was a member of the Lagos chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), was shot dead Monday during the councillorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held at Shogunle-Oshodi.

He was allegedly shot by members of a rival gang led by Samson Agbetoye, popularly called Golden.
Golden belongs to the MC Olumo faction of the NURTW in the state, Inside Mainland learnt.

Speaking to Inside Mainland, a source said “Hamburger was seen as a threat to some kingpins within the NURTW in the state as the chairman of Motorcycle Operators Association Lagos State.

His recent chieftaincy title as Akile of Ewuland and Akinrogun of Shogunle alongside his influence politically made him a target for election violence.”

Narrating the events that led to the death of Hamburger, the source disclosed that “earlier in the day, Hamburger was at home prior to the APC primary election to elect the flag-bearer for Shogunle Ward E.

When the election started, he went to the venue at Shogunle Town Hall which is very close to his new house with some boys.

While at the venue, some people engaged him verbally over the issue of Ariyo as returning Chairman and everything went peaceful until the election was cancelled and members were returning to their various homes.

“Suddenly, people noticed that there was a misunderstanding leading to fight among some supporters present. The elders including Hamburger all rushed there to settle the fight. On getting to the boys, the whole thing turned around. The boys were dragging with him.”

Speaking further, the source said “he was shot by one of the union guys who was not part of those fighting at the Ward.

The shooting dispersed people and Hamburger was left on the ground for some minutes while others ran for safety. After a while, people came to rescue him to the hospital for treatment where he was later pronounced dead.”

PM NEWS Report.

CAN takes over case of sacked Lagos Presiding Chaplain

The Christian Association of Nigeria has taken over the case of the sacked Presiding Chaplain of the Chapel of Christ the Light, Venerable Femi Taiwo.

PUNCH Metro gathered that executive members of CAN, The African Church, the CCTL Governing Council, held a meeting on the Lagos Island over the incident on Monday.

Although participants at the meeting kept silent on how the event played out, it was gathered that the Christian leaders resolved to hand over the case to CAN at the state level.

PUNCH Metro had reported that Bolanle, the wife of the state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, had attended an anointing service at the chapel on May 14, 2017.

She was reported to have become angry that she was not called first to be anointed and stormed out despite entreaties from the women leaders in the church.

Our correspondent reported that on the following day, Taiwo got the sack, with an instruction to vacate his official quarters within 24 hours.

The cleric was said to have been offered accommodation by some of his church members, who condemned the action of the wife of the governor.

Due to the backlash that trailed the incident, the state government changed the venue of its Lagos at 50 thanksgiving service from the chapel to the banquet hall of the state house, Ikeja.

It was reported that some of the chapel members did not show up for the Sunday service, while a two hour meeting was later held by the chapel’s leadership with registered members of the church.

PUNCH Metro also reported that some key members of the governing council, CAN, African church would be having a meeting on Monday (yesterday).
A source at the meeting said the matter had been handed over to the state chapter of CAN.

He said, “It was a meeting of the leadership of CAN. It was a peace meeting. Nobody is interested in creating unnecessary tension in the polity, especially at this time when Lagos is celebrating its 5oth anniversary.

“We have decided to hand over the case to CAN to handle. The church is waiting for CAN to mediate and do the appropriate thing. We will not speculate. We have decided to trust them.”

 This is just as the General Overseer of the Temple Rebuilder Ministry, aka Soul Winners Bible Church, Pastor Barnabas Otoibhi, said ministers ought to be treated with decorum.
Otoibhi, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone, condemned Taiwo’s sacking, calling for caution.

He said, “From the report, the chapel is owned by the government and they have their rules and regulations. Based on that, it is important for the minister to stick to the rules.
“However, the minister of God should have a level of reverence accorded to him.

To just sack a pastor within a few hours of ministration is very ridiculous. It is not proper for a pastor to be sacked by anybody. If there is a rule that he violated, he should have been given a chance to defend himself. But from your report, the man was not issued a query over the incident. He was just sacked.

 “If it is true that this was also about the anointing oil, it is important to state that in the house of God, there is no preferential treatment. Everybody in the house of God is equal before God.

It is wrong for anybody, be it governor, minister, or a governor’s wife to sack a servant of God. The servant of God is not a servant of men. Nobody has the power to sack a man of God.”

Punch Report.

Court declares LG marriage certificates illegal

A Lagos High Court has barred local government areas from conducting marriages across the country.

The court, in a judgment, declared that the Local Government Unified Marriage Certificate was unknown to law and therefore unconstitutional, null and void.

A Certified True Copy of the judgment by Justice I. O. Harrison of Court 37, General Civil Division of the Lagos Judicial Division, dated May 15, 2017, in suit no LD/1343GCM/2016, was obtained by our correspondent on Sunday in Abuja.

The plaintiff, Olamide Babalola, representing himself and other recipients of modified marriage certificates from the local governments, had dragged the Ikeja Local Government and Registered Trustees of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria before the court over the modified marriage certificate issued by the first and second defendants.

The plaintiff had sought a declaration that the first defendant did not have the powers to issue modified or customised marriage certificates different from the one provided in Form E under Section 24 of the Marriage Act Laws of Federation of Nigeria,1990.

Babalola also prayed for a declaration that the second defendant’s Local Government Unified Marriage Certificate was unknown to law and unconstitutional.

He equally wanted a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, officers, employees and representatives from further issuing modified or altered marriage certificates apart from the form as provided under Form E (1st schedule) and Section 24 of the Marriage Act, LFN, 1990.

Harrison, in her judgment, declared that the first defendant did not have the powers to issue modified or customised marriage certificates different from the one provided in Form E under section 24 of the Marriage Act.

She said, “The court thus orders as follows: declaration that the second defendant’s ‘Local Government Unified Marriage Certificate’ is unknown to our law, unconstitutional, null and void.

“A perpetual injunction, restraining the defendants their agents, officers, employees and representatives from further issuing modified or altered marriage certificates apart from the form as provided under Form E (1st schedule) and Section 24 of the Marriage Act, LFN, 1990.

“A perpetual injunction, restraining the second defendant, their agents, officers, employees and representatives from further issuing Modified Local Government Unified Marriage Certificates.”

Citing Imunze vs Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2014 LPELR 22354 (SC) and Onochie vs Odogwu, 2006 Nigeria Weekly Law Report, (Part 975) 65, Harrison stated that while registration of marriage is regulated by local government being under the concurrent list, formation of marriage is under the exclusive list within the domain of the Federal Government regulated by the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs-item 6 of 2nd schedule of 1999 constitution.

The judge pointed out that a marriage had been declared invalid by the Supreme Court on the grounds that it was not in line with Form E as provided by the Marriage Act.

“It is thus trite that the local and state government cannot make separate arrangements outside that provided for in the Marriage Act, that is Form E,” Harrison ruled.

The court however added that the marriages conducted by local governments and issued with the certificates, which are not in conformity with Form E, “will by virtue of Section 34 of the Marriage Act be regarded as good and valid in law to all intents and purposes.”

It “believes that there should be a re-issuance of the proper certificate to all persons in possession of the ‘invalid’ certificates.”

The judgment read in part, “The court will further consequentially order that all such modified marriage certificates issued by the first and second defendants be surrendered to the appropriate local government where the marriage was conducted and appropriate certificate, in line with Form E, should be reissued to the claimants herein and all other concerned persons.”

The judge said the second defendant and its branches issued their own form known as the Local Government Unified Marriage Certificate, which was also issued to the claimant by the first defendant.

Following the judgment, the Federal Government has written to the various embassies in the country not to recognise marriages conducted by local governments.

A director in the Ministry of Interior, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the embassies were asked not to issue visas to applicants with local government marriage certificates in line with the court order.

“Most of the marriages conducted by local government registries are sham and were merely used to obtain visas by desperate Nigerians. We have written to the embassies not to give out visas based on such marriage certificates,” he said.

The Director of Press, Ministry of Interior, Willy Bassey, described the court judgment as a welcome development, which he said had put paid to “the illegal acts by the local governments.”

Punch Report.

Man kills banker over dented car

■ I want justice over murder of my best friend –Wife

when Paschal Chukwuemeka Nnorom, a staff of Union Bank of Nigeria and his wife, Priscilla, woke from sleep on Saturday, May 13, 2017, they were full of life.

With zest, they prayed, had breakfast and got ready to attend the wedding ceremony of Pascal’s colleague in Elelewon area of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

Then they drove off from their Origwe, Elingbu Road residence in a Honda CRV SUV, (Sport Utility Vehicle).

Not even in her widest imagination did Priscilla think that her young husband she served breakfast earlier in the day was embarking on a journey of no return. No premonition, no dream.

Neither was it revealed during their early morning prayer that the angel of death had laid ambush for him on the way to the venue of the wedding ceremony. And suddenly, fate dealt her a deadly blow.

While she went back home heartbroken, without the usually warm company of her 28-year-old handsome husband she married in 2015, his body was being wheeled to the mortuary.

Pascal’s  journey  to  his untimely grave  began  when  a Toyota Camry car, driven by one Joseph Udoh, from Anang in Akwa  Ibom State,  hit  his vehicle  in Oil Mill area of the city, near the Eleme bridge.

The deceased, who hailed from Eziudo Mbaise, Imo State, was said to have alighted from his vehicle and walked over to meet the driver of the Camry. Sunday Sun gathered that he placed his hand on the door of the Camry, when Udoh allegedly refused to alight from his own car for them to resolve the matter.

Rather, Udoh quickly wound up the glass, trapping Pascal’s hand and then sped off.
Distraught and grieving Priscilla, who confirmed the incident to Sunday Sun poured out her heart, as she narrated how the tragic incident happened, resulting in the killing of her husband in her presence.

Her words: “After driving off from our home, we passed through Rumukrushi and turned at the Shell gate, before joining the MTN link Road where we saw the car trying to link the Oil Mill road.

The Camry hit and dented my husband’s Honda CRV and both of them stopped and my husband alighted from his vehicle and went to meet him. But Udoh refused to alight from his own car.

My husband’s hand was still in the door of Udoh’s car and he quickly wound up the glass with my husband’s hand trapped between the glass and the door frame. Then he sped off and dragged him several poles before he stopped.”

In the process of draging the victim, his body hit the hard pavement severally.
Satisfied, Udoh stopped the car, came down, opened the door and pulled the near lifeless body of the victim away and attempted to drive off. But luck ran out on him, as he was stopped by eyewitnesses, who stormed the scene and held him.

The mob was said to have tortured the suspect and was about to give him jungle justice before he was rescued by policemen from Elelewon police station, where he was being detained as at the time of filing this report.

Priscilla told Sunday Sun how the murder of her loving and caring husband had caused her world to collapse. She also described the husband as her best friend. “He was everything to me,” she added, sobbing profusely.

According to her, it was when her husband was being dragged on the express road by Udoh’s car that his spinal cord and legs were broken and he became immediately unconscious.

Continuing the heart-rending tale, she said: “Firstly, I rushed my husband to Saint Jude Hospital, Elelewon, Pano Hospital, and later, Saint Martin’s Hospital at Stadium Road. He was later referred to Braithwaite Memorial Hospital (BMH) and later, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) where he died.

According to the widow, one of the most painful aspects of the death was that her marriage to Paschal, the fourth son and the last of his parents’ nine children, was yet to produce a child before his death.

“When the mob was beating Udoh, he told them he was ready to die, as far as he had done what he wanted to do,” Priscilla said.

Sunday Sun gathered that soon after her husband was confirmed dead, Mrs. Nnorom fainted and had to be revived. Meanwhile, she has appealed to the government and the security agencies to bring her husband’s killer to book.

“I want justice, I want the government to intervene, to bring the killer of my husband to justice,” she said, wailing.

The elder brother of the deceased, Mr. Julius Nnamdi Nnorom, 50, told Sunday Sun that he had doubted the news of his brother’s death, when he was contacted on phone and only believed after he got to the mortuary. The Lagos-based freight forwarder said he boarded a night bus and arrived Owerri about 4am. The same Sunday, May 14, 2017, he came to Port Harcourt to see things for himself.

“We went to the mortuary to ascertain, if what I was told on the phone was true, only to find my brother stone dead and cold,” he said.

He disclosed that another problem confronting the family now is how to console their 70-year-old mother who lost her husband in 1997.

He said: “My mother is in a terrible condition now because, my late brother, being the last born, was very close to her. The shock is severe, the damage on her is unquantifiable, is like when her husband died in 1997.”

Julius also appealed to the security agencies and the government, to help the family to get justice.
Efforts by Sunday Sun reporter to get the views of the Nigeria Police on the issue were unsuccessful as the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Nnamdi Omoni, could not respond to the text message sent to him.

And when a call was put through to him, he aborted it and later sent a message to the reporter which read: “I’m in a meeting.”

Sunday Sun Report.

Dad from hell

Rage in Port Harcourt as man kills 7-year-old son over N1,000
It is one of those strange-but-true stories. An incredible, distressing story of a heartless father, who starved, brutalised and finally killed his seven-year-old son for allegedly stealing his N1,000.

In the early hours of Saturday, May 20, 2017, residents of Amadi-Ama community in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area woke to behold the gory corpse of a little boy identified as George Tamunoibuemie, who, until his untimely death, was a Primary 2 pupil.

Upon investigation, it was discovered that his father, Richard Tamunoibuemie, a.k.a. Oyibo, was the perpetrator of the heinous act. The little boy until his death lived with his father and stepmother.

Findings from Saturday Sun investigation indicated the boy’s mother left Oyibo because of a series of domestic violence in which she was reportedly turned into a punching bag. After she left, Oyibo married another woman from Akwa Ibom State. The woman bore him a son and is currently pregnant.

The absence of his mother put young George in great jeopardy as he was starved and maltreated by his father and stepmother on a daily basis.  Neighbours claimed the young victim fended for himself. That explains why he was sometimes caught stealing food.

Murdered at midnight

According to reports, after Oyibo allegedly killed the boy around midnight, he called a carpenter to construct a little coffin for him.  He allegedly told the carpenter his son was deceased and he wished to bury him quickly in the night.

Residents claimed his desperation for the coffin aroused the carpenter’s suspicion whose alarm attracted neighbours. Policemen from the Amadi-Ama station arrived shortly in the nick of time to arrest the suspect, saving him from being lynched by an angry mob. His wife, according to sources, escaped the wrath of the crowd by hiding inside a church where she was later arrested.

A concerned resident of the community, Martha (surname withheld) narrated this heart-wrenching story about the poor boy, George: “There was a day his hands were burnt in fire by his stepmother because he stole meat from the family’s pot of soup.

I met the little boy on Tuesday at a place where he stole doughnuts. The people he stole from understood he was driven by hunger, so they gave him more. From there, I took him to my house. He told me how he has been suffering.

After I gave him biscuits and a pencil, I took his picture. I promised to see his father within the week. I hoped to find a way to intervene. Therefore, I was shocked to hear on Saturday that his father had butchered him, claiming he stole N1, 000.”

She added: “Because of their maltreatment of the boy, many residents of the area are not on speaking terms with the couple. If you advise him (his father), he will quarrel with you and warn you not to interfere in his family matters.”

Another resident, Glory Samuel, observed that the man’s wife did not help the situation “as she takes care of her own son very well but treated the poor boy like a slave.”

Samuel painted a nauseating picture of a stepmother who made a seven-year-old work like an adult, and frequently subjected him to physical abuse for works not well done.

“Merely looking at the boy, you could see he was really suffering. He was a very sharp and intelligent boy.  The day I spoke with him, I knew he was clever.  When he was leaving, he told me he did not have pencil, and I gave him one.”

Another neighbour, Michael, recalled how elders in the neighbourhood had tabled Oyibo’s issues in their meetings a couple of times. On each occasion, he reportedly rebuffed them, warning them to not meddle in his family’s affairs.

A neighbour, who claimed she once gave poor George bread to eat when he was starving, said she incurred his father’s wrath. He poured insults on her and warned her severely not to give him any food again.

Mama Princess was one of those who told Saturday Sun she was not on talking terms with the man. She explained why: “There was a day he was dragging the boy on the road and I cautioned him against such a harsh treatment. He told me to mind my own business and to not interfere in his family affairs again.”

According to reports, Oyibo used to work with a multinational oil company in Rivers State, but was sacked after he allegedly tested positive to hard drugs.
He is currently in detention.

Saturday Sun Report.

Gunmen abduct six Lagos pupils three days after writing school

Gunmen took advantage of security lapses around creeks in Igbonla, Epe, on Thursday to abduct six pupils of Igbonla Model College, Epe, Lagos.

This came seven months after four pupils and two members of staff of the college were kidnapped in October 2016.

It was learnt that the gunmen gained entry into the school premises around 6am on Thursday through the creek at the back of the college.

They were said to have pulled down the school fence and headed for the boys’ hostel, seizing 10 Senior Secondary School pupils.

Our correspondent was told that four of the pupils were later released at the waterside by the assailants after profiling their parents’ details.

They escaped with the remaining six pupils, identified as Peter Jonah, Isiaq Rahmon, Adebayo George, Judah Agbausi, Pelumi Philips and Farouq Yusuf.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the gunmen had shot into the air around 8pm on Wednesday while the pupils were having a prep, but went back after policemen and soldiers fired back.
They struck after the operatives had left the school in the dawn.

A Senior Secondary School 2 pupil, who gave his name only as Daniel, said he was having his bath when the gunmen stormed the premises.

He said, “A friend saw two of them through the window and rushed to tell me that kidnappers had come again. Immediately we raised the alarm, they entered into our hostel, broke the doors and started dragged some pupils out. I hid in the bathroom.”

Another pupil, who did not want his name in print, said, the gunmen took their time to carry out the operation.

“Two of them broke down our doors and told us to lie down. They didn’t use masks and one of them wore a police uniform.

They asked if we had phones, but we said no. After picking some pupils, they packed some of our belongings, including sandals. Isiaq (Rahmon) resisted following them until they slapped him.

“While we were doing our homeworks on Wednesday, they shot into the air, but our teachers told us not to panic. They left because policemen and military men were on the ground,” he added.

A Junior Secondary School 2 pupil, who was ill and admitted to the school’s sickbay said, “When they came, they were shooting. I jumped from my sickbed and hid under the bed. Everybody was scared.”

Our correspondent observed as parents thronged the school to pick their children, ignoring the school authorities’ assurance that the pupils were safe.

Some parents of the abducted pupils were inconsolable as they broke down in tears.
One of them, Maruf Rahmon, said he was at work when his wife, Ikamat, called him that Isiaq had been abducted.

He said, “I have three children here; Isiaq is one of them. The school authorities had a meeting with us this afternoon (Thursday). We were told at the meeting that the kidnappers had written the school three days ago that they were coming. But they didn’t inform parents. I would have come to pick my children.”

Distraught Ikamat appealed to the government to ensure the release of the pupils on time.
Another affected parent, Isiaq Yusuf, said, “I am sad. Faruq (Yusuf) is in SSS1. I want to see my son. The school authorities are telling us to be patient, but a child is not a goat.”

Mrs. Riskat Odunukan, whose child, Jubril ¬– a SSS1 pupil – was freed by the kidnapper, decried the poor security in the college.
She lamented that the school had not implemented any of the security measures recommended by parents after the October 2016 incident.

Riskat said, “ There should be total demolition and reconstruction of the fence and it should be high. Bushes in the school’s surroundings should be cleared and there should be a police post around the creeks with Armoured Personnel Carriers.

“Jubril said those kidnappers asked him about his parents’ details and he told them that his father was late. He said they also asked if he knew my phone number, but he said no and they asked him to go.

“The school did not call us; we read the news on the parents’ platform. I thought I was daydreaming. I called some teachers to confirm, but their lines did not go through.

“When the last year incident happened, we advised the school to mount Closed Circuit  Television Cameras and clear the bushes. Nothing has been done.

The so called tricycles they bought for the school security men are not being used to patrol the surroundings. The kidnappers capitalised on those lapses.”

Our correspondent gathered that a child, who told the kidnappers that his father was a pilot, was among those taken away.

“The kidnappers came when military men guarding the school had gone. They took 10 pupils, but released four after profiling them. I think they took away those whose parents are rich,” another parent, Alhaja Amirat Alamorieda, said.

A driver and resident of the community, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the abdutors had been on the waterways since Monday.

The school authorities, including the permanent secretary in the state’s Ministry of Education, declined comments on the incident when approached by our correspondent.

However, the member of the House of Assembly representing Epe Constituency II, Mr. Segun Olulade, said the government would ensure the release of the pupils, adding that the school would be shut till Monday.

“The government is making efforts in terms of security. The incident is unfortunate. Parents who want to take their children home are allowed because of their emotional state. There is a mid-term break on Thursday and Friday. So, the school will resume by Monday,” he added.

Security men were the only people on the school premises as of 6pm when our correspondent left the college.

The Lagos State Police Command in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, said rescue operations had commenced.

The statement read, “Today (Thursday), at about 5am, kidnappers gained entrance into Igbonla Model School and abducted six pupils. Investigation and rescue operation have commenced with the visit to the affected school by a police team, led by the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State.

“From the visit, it was found that the criminal elements used the Imeru/Iji waterways to access the swampy forest bordering the school and bore a hole on a part of the school fence to gain entrance.”
Meanwhile, the representative of the Lagos East Senatorial District, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, decried the kidnap in a statement.

“I am aware that the Lagos State Government, ably led by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, is working with security agencies to ensure that the students are recovered safely in record time.

“I urge the residents of Epe and the staff and students of Lagos State Model Secondary School in Igbonla, to remain security conscious while assisting the security agencies with relevant information that will assist in the recovery effort. I also urge the parents of the other students who are currently in school not to panic,” the statement read in part.

Punch Report.

Power sector: No hope for Nigeria —Senate

…Says privatisation must be revisited …DISCOs bankrupt, can’t buy meters

ABUJA—AS the Senate began discussions on the power sector in Nigeria, yesterday, a very gloomy picture was painted by senators who came to the conclusion that there was no hope of Nigeria coming out of its present power crisis.

The Senate, which noted that the power sector was in dire need of emergency response, said Nigerians would not have steady power supply because the distribution companies were bankrupt and could not, therefore, procure meters. Consequently, the upper chamber asked that the privatisation of the sector be revisited without delay.

The Senate’s position came, following a debate and discussions on a motion moved by Senator Dino Melaye (APC Kogi West), entitled “DISCOs, electricity consumers and the burden of over-billing.” Senate chamber Melaye, in his motion, said the burden of over-billing shouldered by electricity consumers in the country, even in the face of epileptic power supply by Distribution Companies, DISCOs, was totally unacceptable.

He also urged the Senate to mandate the Committee on Power to look into the astronomical electricity billing by DISCOs across the country and asked the Senate to urge the National Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, to call DISCOS to stop forthwith the practice of estimated billing.

Melaye had at plenary on Tuesday, promised to present the motion after drawing the attention of senators to the exorbitant estimated billings being forced on consumers by the DISCOs. In his contribution, Senator Ben Murray- Bruce, PDP, Bayelsa East, made it clear that with the manner the privatisation was carried out, operators in the power sector, such as DISCOs, were in serious difficulty.

Therefore, he recommended that the Senate prevailed on government to revisit the privatisation. Murray-Bruce, who declared that Nigerians have a catastrophe in their hands as far as the sector was concerned, said those currently running the sector were technically deficient due to a lot of factors not envisaged at the time the privatization was executed.

He said: “They are technically bankrupt, unless we revisit the entire privatization process, unless we understand and dissect what went wrong, we will still get estimated billing. “We have a catastrophe on our hands, there will be no power in Nigeria until the current structure is reviewed.

“Those who privatised the sector did not imagine that naira will be devalued from N160 to about N400 now. Those who invested in the business thought it was like a company where they will make a lot of money.

‘’I believe they only had enough money to pay the federal government and make the initial investment; they did not have the capacity to run a power sector company in a modern economy.”

In his contribution, Senator Mustapha Bukar, APC, Katsina North, while lamenting the ugly situation of the power sector, said that going by realities on ground in the sector, the country was sitting on an emergency without any sign of immediate solution.

According to him, though the nation has capacity for generation over 12,000mega watts, only 4,000mw have been achieved at any time, out of which 1,800mw are paid for by consumers, making the providers to be in perpetual indebtedness.

Senator Bukar, who is the Deputy Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, said: “The problem we have is the inefficiency within the system which we have actually so far not decided to address. ‘’ I will give you a small example: Nigeria has an installed capacity of 12,522 Megawatts of power.

We have non-available capacity of 5,300; we have non-operational capacity of 3,180; meaning that the amount that is actually available is just over 4,000 Megawatts out of 12,500. “We have transmission loss of 228, we have distribution loss of 447 Megawatts.

At the end of the day, only 3,800 Megawatts reach the consumer. And we have commercial loss of more than 36 percent. “So, what is actually being paid for out of the over 3,000 Megawatts is only 1,800 Megawatts.

So unless and until we decide to look at these inefficiency within the value chain, there is no way we can have better electricity generation, distribution and also billing system in the country. ‘’So, I agree that the model they have used for privatisation has not worked.

And unless and until this inefficiency is looked at, it will not work. “If we have capacity to generate 4,500 Megawatts but we can only get less than 4,000, that is more than 75 percent of the capacity is not ulltilised.

It means that we are sitting on an emergency has to be attended to drastically to address this problem. ‘’The value chain is weakest at the DISCOs because they are the ones who collect the money. And you never know how much money is being collected because they have failed to install the metres that are needed.

We need millions of metres.” Chairman Senate Committee on Power, Enyinnaya Abaribe, told the Senate that a report on the matter was waiting to be laid, and requested that further debate on the matter be suspended until the details of his committee findings were considered. The Senate accepted Abaribe’s prayers.

Vanguard Report.

How a trusted pastor defrauded me of N918m —Titi Atiku

Mrs Titi Atiku Abubakar, wife of former Vice President Abubakar Atiku, on Tuesday told an Ikeja High Court, that she trusted a business partner who alleged defrauded her of N918 million because of his status as a pastor.
 
“I thought that the first defendant, being a pastor, he will not defraud me.

“I thought that he was being genuine with me during our business dealings “ Mrs Atiku said while being cross examined in the ongoing fraud trial against a pastor, Nsikakabasi Akpan-Jacobs, Abdulmalik Ibrahim and Dana Motors Ltd.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had slammed the accused with a 15- count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing and fraudulent conversion of property worth N918 million belonging to THA Shipping Maritime Services Ltd.

Mr Amos Ibe, the defence counsel to Akpan-Jacobs while cross examining Mrs Atiku, questioned why she used different monikers in company documents relating to the fraud.
“Before I start cross examining you Ma, should I refer to you as Your Excellency?

“Why was the name Florence Doregos used in the petition from the EFCC which is exhibit one, as well as other fake names in documents you used to transact business with the first defendant?,” Ibe queried.

Replying, Titi said: “I am Her Excellency forever, it was under my instruction and direction that the petition was written.

“My name is Florence Doregos, my name is Titi Amina Atiku Abubakar, the Mrs in the petition is a mistake made by my Lawyer.

“Florence is my name and it was easy for me to use Doregos while I was in state service.
“The name of my biological father is Dorego Albert, we are from Ilesha but I have cousins who are from the Republic of Benin.

“I can choose Doregos, I can choose Albert as my surname, they are all my names, even Dino Melaye, his name is Daniel but he calls himself Dino.
“I can twist my name anyhow I want.”

Responding to Ibe’s questions about her identity when she married the former Vice-President, she said “I married my husband at the Ikoyi Registry in 1971.
“I was a Christian before I married my husband, Angelina is my baptismal name, Florence is my confirmation name.

“When I got married to my husband, I converted to Islam and I have been called Amina Titilayo, Titilayo was what I was called at home,” she said.

Ibe, however, still questioning Mrs Atiku’s real identity, told her that a book written in honour of her husband titled ‘Atiku: The Story of Atiku Abubakar,’ claimed that she was from a Local Government Area in Adamawa.

“I am from my husband’s Local Government Area by virtue  of marriage.
“Whether I’m from the moon o, that’s not the matter on ground,” she said.

Ibe, sought to tender the book written in honour of the former Vice-President to the court but it was rejected by Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye.

“The document does not fall under the definition of a public document under the Evidence Act, it is a private document, it is therefore rejected,” Ipaye said.

NAN reports that THA Shipping Maritime Services Ltd, a company created in 2000 belonged to Mrs Atiku, Akpan-Jacobs and Fred Holmes.
She was allegedly to be the majority shareholder with 49 per cent shares, while Holmes and Akpan-Jacobs each had 25 per cent shares.

Akpan-Jacobs, who also doubled as the company’s Managing Director and Secretary, was accused to have gone to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and  altered the share holding in his favour and forging the company’s board resolution.

He allegedly under the new share arrangement allotted 70 per cent shares to himself and 15 per cent shares each to Titi and Holmes.

According to the EFCC, welding a fraudulent shareholding power, Akpan-jacobs sold a property belonging to the company to Dana Motors Nigeria Ltd for N918 million.
The property is located at Plot C63 A, Amuwo-Odofin Commercial Layout along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Lagos.

During Tuesday’s proceedings, the defence disputed Mrs Atiku’s claims that she invested over N1.2billion into the business transactions with the defendants.
“Your petition stated that you invested over N200 million and in another document it stated that you invested over N1.2billion, which fact is correct?

“Do you have accounting reports, did you hire an auditor to look at the accounts, how did you arrive at N1.2billion?
“N200 million is the money I spent in building the bonded terminal, by the time it was ready, it was worth N1.2billion.

“Akpan-Jacobs never gave me any records, I was in the state service, I did not get any auditor, Akpan-Jacobs has the evidence of the money I spent, I didn’t know that our business transactions will become a court case,” she said.

Mrs Atiku while in the witness box, accused Akpan-Jacobs of using her company property as a collateral for a bank loan that he sought when he wanted to run for the Akwa-Ibom gubernatorial elections.

“He used my bonded terminal as a collateral for a loan when he wanted to run for governorship of Akwa-Ibom, when he couldn’t refund the money the bank wanted to acquire the bonded terminal, he sold it to Dana Motors Ltd

“I was the largest shareholder of THA Shipping Company with 49% of shares, my German partner Fred Holmes had 26% and Akpan-Jacobs has 25%,
“Akpan-Jacobs never contributed a dime to the company, I couldn’t be involved in all the documentation because I was in service.

“He did the registration and promotion of the company, he brought all the papers to me at the villa to sign, he later fraudulently changed the shareholding powers of my shipping company to favour himself.

“He gave me 15 percent, Holmes 15 percent and he took 70 percent shareholding power for himself.
“I never entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with him to sell the company, that is why I’m in court, when he couldn’t repay the loan, he sold the company to Dana Motors Ltd.

“When the fraud happened, we initially agreed to settle out of court, but instead of settling, he went to sell the cranes and the company, giving the EFCC N16 million which I received, “ she said.

Akpan-Jacobs lawyer, asked the court to cancel the next court date slated for May 24 for continuation of the trial on the grounds of his Ill health.
“My Lord, I ask for the previously adjourned date of May 24 to be vacated because I am currently battling ill health,” Ibe said.

Mr Babatunde Sonoiki, the EFCC counsel however, opposed Ibe’s request.
“There have been four adjournments at the cost of the plaintiff, she flies in at great risk to her safety from Abuja for every court date and she is supposed to be helping take care of a newborn of one of her children.

“We have another witness who has travelled on four occasions for 15 hours by road from Yola and the case keeps being adjourned, I will like to request for a cost of N750,000 from the defendants to cover the financial expenses of the plaintiff,” he said.

Justice Ipaye granted a cost of N100,000 against Akpan-Jacobs and adjourned the case until July 5 and 6 for continuation of trial. NAN

Tribune Report.