News

Alleged fraud: EFCC goes hard on Yahaya Bello, Sirika

Published

5 months ago

April 24, 2024

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) intensified its efforts to prosecute the former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, and former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, for alleged embezzlement of public funds on Tuesday.

Bello, who has been declared wanted by the EFCC, is accused of misappropriating approximately N80 billion from the treasury of Kogi State. The anti-graft agency is pursuing charges against him related to money laundering, breach of trust, and misappropriation of funds amounting to N80.2 billion.

Last week, the EFCC attempted to arrest Bello at his residence in Abuja to bring him to court for his alleged offenses during his tenure as governor. However, the operation faced resistance from Governor Usman Ododo, who was accused by the commission of aiding Bello’s escape.

The situation became further complicated by conflicting court orders regarding Bello’s arrest. While a Kogi State High Court issued an injunction restraining the EFCC from arresting him, a Federal High Court in Abuja granted the EFCC permission to arrest him for arraignment.

During the planned arraignment in court, Bello failed to appear, prompting the EFCC to accuse him of evading trial. The EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, expressed determination to prosecute Bello and emphasized his commitment to resign if Bello is not brought to justice.

Olukoyede revealed that Bello allegedly withdrew $720,000 from the government account to pay for his child’s school fees in advance, which he described as an abuse of public funds.

In a separate development on Tuesday, the EFCC interrogated former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, over an alleged N8 billion fraud related to contracts awarded to a company owned by his brother. The investigation into Sirika is part of a broader probe into the Aviation and Humanitarian Affairs ministries.

The sudden action by the EFCC has been attributed to public pressure following recent arrests and convictions, including that of Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky. This has led to renewed scrutiny of the EFCC’s activities, with some observers criticizing the agency for targeting individuals perceived as soft targets while neglecting corrupt politicians.

Additionally, there have been reports of individuals seeking to hire senior lawyers to defend Bello on national television, highlighting concerns about the role of lawyers as paid enablers in such cases.

News

We’ll be forced to export 97% of our petrol – Dangote Refinery warns

Published

5 days ago

September 12, 2024

ARS NEWS

Dangote Refinery has announced that it will need to export 95-97 percent of its Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) due to low interest from Nigerian marketers. The refinery, which processes 650,000 barrels per day, revealed that only 3 to 5 percent of petrol marketers are purchasing its fuel.

Devakumar Edwin, Vice President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, shared these details during an X Space session hosted by Nairametrics on Wednesday. He highlighted the challenges facing both the Dangote Refinery and Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

Edwin explained, “I’m selling 2 to 3 percent to small traders who are willing to buy, while the remaining 95 to 97 percent has to be exported,” referring to the local sales of the refinery’s products.

This situation arises as the NNPCL’s deadline for adjusting the Dangote Refinery’s fuel distribution approaches without a clear plan in sight. It is worth noting that while Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group, has announced the refinery’s initial petrol rollout, its distribution to marketers is contingent upon NNPCL’s decisions.

News

FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup: Round of 16 fixtures confirmed [Full list]

Published

1 week ago

September 9, 2024

ARS NEWS

The final sixteen teams for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia have been determined following the conclusion of the group stage.

In recent matches, Ghana triumphed over New Zealand with a score of 3-1, and Japan secured a 2-0 victory against Austria.

As a result, Japan has advanced to the Round of 16, joining the other 15 teams in this knockout stage.

The Round of 16 matches are scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

The full lineup for the Round of 16 is as follows:

Spain vs Canada
Brazil vs Cameroon
Colombia vs South Korea
Mexico vs USA
North Korea vs Austria
Germany vs Argentina
Netherlands vs France
Japan vs Nigeria

News

Nigerian Army debunks reported mass resignation of soldiers

Published

1 week ago

September 9, 2024

ARS NEWS

The Nigerian Army has refuted claims of widespread resignations among its soldiers due to issues like corruption and low morale.

In a statement, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, dismissed these reports as unfounded.

A news outlet had alleged that numerous Nigerian soldiers were resigning because of corruption and low morale. However, the statement condemned these allegations as misleading and a deliberate attempt to create discontent and undermine the Nigerian Army’s reputation and the dedication of its personnel.

Major General Nwachukwu clarified that, similar to other military organizations worldwide, service in the Nigerian Army is voluntary rather than mandatory. This means that personnel have the freedom to resign following established procedures.

He explained that the resignation process allows personnel to prepare and manage their entitlements, including pensions and gratuities, as outlined in the Harmonized Terms and Conditions of Service (Officers/Soldiers).

Contrary to the report’s implications, the statement emphasized that Nigerian Army personnel are highly motivated, and their welfare is a priority under the leadership of Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja.