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The Joint Task force on Anti-Pipeline vandalism Wednesday handed over five suspected pipeline vandals to the Nigerian Securities and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Also handed over were nine motorcycles and 23 vehicles allegedly used for vandalism as well as two dane guns and 23 live ammunitions recovered from the vandals.

The suspects, Afeez Isiaka, Nurudeen Fatai, Oladele Godfrey, Ogbonna Agbo and Kayode Ademola were nabbed by the Joint Taskforce on Anti-Pipeline vandalism operating from Ikorodu through Mosimi to Atlas Cove.

They were alleged to be members of a notorious pipeline vandalism syndicate that has continuously sabotaged the nation’s economy through siphoning Petroleum products from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipelines at Wawa, Arepo.

Their arrest was sequel to a tip off by concerned residents, who alerted the JTF on their activities


According to security operatives, the suspects were not easily arrested as there was a fierce gun battle between the parties, during which other gang members fled.

They were said to have loaded stolen petroleum products in three mini vans as well as a waste disposal truck belonging to a firm, Ganiu Ventures.

Speaking at the event, the Commander, 9 Brigade Nigerian Army, General Bulama Biu said there was a renewed vigour in the fight against pipeline vandalism.

He said: “The army dominates this place on foot patrol to ensure that the area is kept safe and it let to the success of this present arrests.

“There is a renewed vigour in this fight against pipeline vandalism and I can assure you that we there will be no hiding place for these vandals.”

While briefing reporters, the Maritime Component Commander of the JTF, Navy Captain Chinda Yahaya said the suspects were nabbed on January 10.

He said: “Our troops were deployed for patrol on Sunday, January 10, based on intelligence report about the activities of vandals at Wawa area.

“The patrol team arrived the area and on approaching, the vandals opened fire against the troops and this led to an exchange of gunfire between our troops and the vandals.

“We however overwhelmed the vandals and arrested five men with two Dane guns and 23 live cartridges, while others escaped through the forests.

“Additionally, 23 different types of vehicles and nine motorcycles were arrested and several containers filled with stolen products, as well as empty containers were equally secured.”

In his remark, the state Commandant, Nigerian Securities and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Gabriel Abafi said the various agencies in the Taskforce were working towards a common goal.

“This is one of the things bugging the economy of the country and as this is done, investigation and prosecution will commence immediately,” he said.

Among the vehicles recovered were a Toyota Camry marked Ex487ABC; Honda Odyssey with registration number EX957GGE; Toyota Corolla marked CW477LND, Peugeot Wagon (DC556FST), and Ford bus marked FKJ396XP.

Others are Mercedes Benz bus, Toyota Avalon, Renault bus and Mercedes Benz bus with registration numbers YA39AKD, BD875AKD, EPE954XA and XC481ABC respectively.

Also recovered were Toyota Hiace bus, Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, Volkswagen Transporter, Toyota Camry, Vanagon bus, Peugeot Turbod, Nissan Quest and Mitsubishi SUV marked SMK615XC, MUS227DA, GGE546DP, XZ04GGE and KTU262DE, AAA625XL, SMK634BA, FKJ489XP, HW537AAA, CX2444LSR, respectively.

Abductors of Inengite Nitabai, the septuagenarian cousin of President Goodluck Jonathan, have requested a whooping N500m ransom to set him free.
The outrageous demand, it was learnt, had unsettled members of Nitabai’s family who were said to be running from pillar to post to find a solution to the matter.
A security source told The Nation that the abductors threatened to kill their victim if the family failed to produce the money.
The source, who pleaded anonymity, said the family had constituted a committee to evaluate the wicked demand, establish negotiations with the abductors and facilitate his release.
He said the kidnappers as usual warned against the involvement of security operatives in the matter.
“The kidnappers contacted the family four days after and demanded a whooping sum of N500m. It is believed that the family of the victim has begun negotiations with the hoodlums,” he said.
Distraught family members and sympathisers had shortly after the incident weighed the motives behind the dastardly act.
The atmosphere became gloomier following refusal of the assailants to establish contact with the family of their victim three days after the abduction.
The kidnappers’ incommunicado, it was observed, created panic and heightened apprehension among members of the family.

WARRI—IJAW communities at Agge, along River Ramos, between Ekeremo in Bayelsa State and Bururtu in Delta State,  have issued a seven –day ultimatum to a Delta State-based oil servicing firm, within which to send relief materials, medications and pay adequate compensation to victims of oil spill that occurred last December.

The spill occurred when a barge allegedly carrying about 4,000 litres of crude oil sank in the river, polluting the environment, damaging fishing gears and causing death of aquatic lives and posing health hazard to the communities.

The barge is said to belong to Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production based at Okpai in Ndokwa axis of Delta State.

A Joint Investigation Visit, JIV, by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, led by  the Warri Zonal Office Director, Mr. Akindele, met with representatives of the communities to assess the damage and recommended adequate compensation.
A community representative, Mr. Mitchell Suwa, applauded NOSDRA for its prompt action, saying “now we know that they are working.”

Speaking on the mess that is oozing out of President Goodluck Jonathan's government, Sanusi Lamido told the AFP that Jonathan lacks the will to appoint truthful men and women, as he is surrounded by crooks. In the words of Sanusi: “His [Jonathan] greatest failing obviously is that he is surrounded by people who are extremely incompetent, who are extremely fraudulent and whom he trusts.”

Regarding the allegations against him, the suspended CBN chief said when he heard of a report condemning his performance, he wrote to Jonathan asking if an explanation is needed, but he received no reply.

He said, unfortunately, the first time he was formally notified of the allegations against him was the day he was suspended, that is Thursday last week. But Reuben Abati had lied to the media that Sanusi was queried for the alleged offences and he replied the Presidency.

    According to Sanusi, the so-called kerosene subsidy money spent by the Federal Government in fact pays for “private jets, yachts and expensive mansion (of top public office holders) in Beverly Hills (United States) and Switzerland.

”He added that, “Since 2009, I have been annoying the government… There are people who think I have the wrong friends; people who think maybe I have not distanced myself enough from people who are seen to be opposition figures.”

Sanusi argued that the extent of graft in the NNPC might have reached an historic high. “I think everybody has known that NNPC is rotten. I don’t think it has ever been as bad as this,” he said.

Reacting to plans to arrest and keep him out of circulation, Sanusi said: “If I am sacrificed in whatever way, my freedom or my life… if it does lead to better accountability, it will be well worth it.”

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State yesterday described as unfortunate, the claim by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that it lost the chance to produce the governor of the state in 2011 by mistake.

Addressing reporters last night in Government House, Owerri, the governor said the PDP has not really won any election in Imo since the time of the former governor Chief Achike Udenwa.

According to Okorocha, “I beat them in 2011 even though they controlled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the police and other security agencies”.

Imo PDP staged a sensitization/grand rally on Saturday to welcome defectors from other political parties to the party. The event was attended by President Goodluck Jonathan.

But in reaction to the defection of some members of the All Progressive Congress, APC, in the state state back to the PDP fold, Okorocha described the defectors as “expired politicians”, adding that “it is painful that the president spent over N5 million to buy a product that is not worth N1 million. They must have lied to the President. They didn’t want the president to travel by road, they would have seen what we have done. I am happy they didn’t say this government is not performing”.

He said, “If Achike had 15,000 followers as he claimed, he would have won the senatorial seat of Orlu. Udenwa is not even a registered member of the APC. The crowd that came there today was because of the presence of the President; none of the people joining them can attract any people to listen to them”.

The governor said it was sad that despite the 1.3 million votes that the state gave to Jonathan in 2011, the president has not taken time to thank the people of the state for their support. “Instead of thanking them, they have come to ask for more votes in 2015. What have we got to show for the votes we gave him? They have not thanked us and now they are asking for support in 2015. Three years after, they are telling us that what we are good at is voting. The projects that they are claiming that they did are our projects”, he fumed.

Government released N319 million for payment of compensation to residents of Baruwa Community, Abuja, whose farms are to be used for the development of the Centenary City.

The community, which is situated on Airport Road, Abuja, covers 1,200 hectares.

Mr Okechukwu Francis, Director, Resettlement and Compensation in the FCT, made the fact known at an official ceremony for the payment of compensation to residents of the community.

“For this compensation, what we have done is just pay them for the crops and economic trees that will be affected in the development.

“I want to assure residents that compensation would be paid to all those who will be affected in the area. I want to emphasise that we have been fair and just to the community, nobody has been short-charged.

“We engaged the services of registered professionals who are empowered to do the evaluation for the compensation and this was in accordance with the laws of the FCT.

“For this compensation, what we have just paid is for their crops and economic trees. Further discussions are ongoing for the houses that will be affected,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Olatunde Ayeni, a member of the board of the Centenary City, told the News Agency (NAN) that the project was huge.

“When completed, it will be the second largest city development in the whole world.

“This compensation is to ensure that the community people live in peace and cooperate with government.

“Peace in the environment is important. So we are taking time to follow due process so that we can take compensation to the community involved.

“Today`s ceremony is to ensure cooperation of the community and everybody involved to ensure that the development is free from any disturbance and trouble and everybody can benefit”, he said.

However, Mr Monday Kogi, the traditional chief of Baruwa community, said that the money given to the community as compensation was not enough.

Kogi, who received N132, 000 as compensation, said he expected to be paid not less than N1.5 million.

He appealed to the government to cooperate with the community. (NAN)

Farouk Ahmed replaces Reginald Stanley
President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the appointment of Farouk Ahmed as Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, with immediate effect.
Mr. Ahmed will take over from the incumbent Executive Secretary, Reginald Stanley, who is retiring after 35 years in service.
This was disclosed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati.
The incoming Executive Secretary, who hails from Sokoto State, is the current Managing Director of Nidas Marine Ltd., a subsidiary of the NNPC.
The statement said Mr. Ahmed comes to his new job at the PPPRA with “over 28 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry and a sound commercial and trading background having held senior positions in the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry including Manager, Crude Oil Programming,  Nominations, and Shipping and Terminals”.
Mr. Ahmed has also served as Executive Director (Commercial), Pipelines and Products Marketing Company Limited (PPMC).
“President Jonathan thanks the outgoing Executive Secretary of the PPPRA, Mr. Stanley for his meritorious service to the nation and wishes him well in his future endeavours,” the statement added.

Respite came the way of the erstwhile Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Dimeji Bankole, yesterday, as the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, discharged and acquitted him over allegation that he used fake companies and defrauded the federal government to the tune of N894 million while he was in office.



While upholding a no-case-application that was filed before the court by the former Speaker, Justice Evoh Chukwu, held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, failed to establish a prima-facie criminal case against the accused person.

Consequently, Justice Chukwu, quashed the entire 16-count charge against the ex-Speaker, saying he was satisfied that the accused person has no case to answer with respect to the charge.

According to the Judge, “The prosecution failed to prove that the accused person acted with the intent to defraud. There is no evidence that the accused unilaterally or in conjunction with anybody inflated prices of contracts. Evidence of the prosecution never showed that the accused entered into agreement with either the supplier or contractors.

“There is no justification for the continuation of this trial, the prosecution failed to disclose a prima-facie case to warrant the court to demand explanations from the accused person. There is no nexus connecting the accused with the alleged offence.

“Besides, none of the witnesses linked the accused with the award of the alleged contracts or showed that he entered into collusive agreement with anybody with regard to the offence contained in the charge.

“From the preponderance of evidence before the court, there is an agreement that the accused does not know any of the companies or any of the contractors. Prosecution witnesses testified that contracts within the upper-limit were only approved by principal officers of the House of the Representatives.

“The question the prosecution has failed to provide answer to remains, at the end of the contract, did the accused person enjoy any personal benefit? There was nothing in evidence so far laid that will require any further explanation by the accused. There is no evidence that he acted in breach of the Public Procurement Act.

“There is nothing to show that he selected or superintended over the bidding process, nothing to show that he is a signatory to the account or any of the companies that got the contract.

“What explanation does the court then require the accused to give based on evidence adduced by both the prosecution and the witnesses?

“It is my considered view that the prosecution has not disclosed any corrupt, unlawful influence, bribery or corruption by the accused in the award of the contracts.

“Section 35(6) of the 1999 Constitution placed the onus on the prosecution to prove the guilt of the accused person who by law is presumed innocent until otherwise proved.

“The no-case submission succeeds, accordingly, the accused is hereby discharged and acquitted,” the trial Judge held.

Specifically, Bankole who was on 11 November 2013, re-arraigned before the court on an amended 16-count charge preferred against him by the EFCC, had through his counsel Chief O.Akoni, SAN, maintained that the anti-graft body failed to establish his complicity in the alleged contract fraud.

Contending that he neither approved nor supervised the execution of the said contracts, the former Speaker, insisted that in the absence of evidence, there was no basis to allow him to pass through the rigours of trial.

Basically, EFCC, alleged that Bankole rigged bid for the purchase of 3 units of Mercedes Benz S-600 cars, 2 units of Range Rover vehicles (without bullet proofs) and 400 units of DSTV systems, by refusing to follow all the procedures prescribed for public procurements in Sections 17 to 56 of the Public Procurement Act No.14 of 2007, leading to a loss of value to the national treasury and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 58(4)(e) of the Public Procurement Act, No.14 of 2007 and punishable under Section 58(5) of the same Act.

It told the court that some of the alleged deals that formed the conduit pipes through which monies were pilfered by the accused person, included the purchase of 400 units of 40-inch Samsung (LNS. 341) television sets, 800 units of Desktop Computers (HP Compaq dc 5700), 100 units of Sharp Digital Copier 5316, 400 units of HP LaserJet 2600N, among others.

To prove the complicity of the accused person, EFCC, called six witnesses and tendered several evidences it urged the court to rely upon and convict the ex-Speaker.

Among those that testified included the Clerk of the House, Mr Mohammed Sani Omololu, investigative officers of the EFCC and BPE officials.

Some of the witnesses had narrated how bulk of the contract sum was lodged into an account maintained in the Kaduna branch of Zenith Bank by a company, Multigate Resources Services Limited, whose address could not be traced by EFCC.

The lead Investigator, Mr. Ibrahim Ahmed, told the court that whereas the contract funds were released via Cheques in the name of different companies, the monies ended up in the same Zenith Bank account in Kaduna.

The witness, who testified as Pw-1, insisted that spirited efforts by EFCC to trace the locations of the companies were futile as the addresses found on the contract award documents purported to belong to the companies, were non-existent.

He said the investigation was prompted by a petition that was lodged before the anti-graft agency by Bankole’s colleagues in the House of Reps, led by Mr Dino Melaye.

Ahmed said, “We wrote to the banks and requested for the statements of the accounts. We analysed them and discovered that the cheques were cleared with one account called Multigate Resources Limited with Zenith Bank, domiciled in Kaduna.

”We also collected the account opening packages and we doscovered that it had the same address with the company we could not locate.”