Omoyele Sowore reacts to Ahmadu Bello University VC affirming Dino Melaye

Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, has reacted to the statement by the Vice Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Ibrahim Garba, affirming that Dino Melaye graduated from the institution with a 3rd classin Geography in the year 2000. Sowore reacted on his Facebook wall.

"Folks: Let me quickly react to the farcical and highly tactical and well-choreographed declaration by the Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Prof. Ibrahim Garba while he was appearing before the Nigerian Senate earlier today.

Prof. Garba claimed that Senator Dino Melaye "graduated" according to "available records."

We knew and tweeted since last week that the VC rushed to the Geography Department to ask for records, and when he was told that the full records of the Department could not sustain a public claim that Melaye graduated, he cherry picked the 400 Level "3rd Semester" results.

In that results (record), Dino (formerly known as Daniel Jonah Melaye) and his former HOD David Okoro Ogbonna connived to get him graduated (discharged) after "clearing" carry overs courses he never wrote.

Those were Mr. VC's "available records" to make his declaration before the Nigerian Senate today. However, the authentic records in our possession shows that Melaye couldn't have graduated, he did not fulfill some core course requirements of which, for example, "Geog 307 (Long Field Trip)" handled by one Dr. Bello had to be met. I studied Geography and Planning at UNILAG, it was a compulsory course, and my colleagues and I did ours in Benue State. Daniel Jonah Melaye never fulfilled this core requirement, and further, several other carryovers were directly fixed for him by Ogbonna and some unscrupulous lecturers.

What the crooked Nigerian Senate want our citizens to celebrate today is that it is appropriate to cheat, lie and bully public resolve with dishonest and concocted parliamentary processes. What is in the public domain today is that "Dino" claimed he acquired 8 degrees including from Harvard and London School Economics. 

Those claims have been knocked off forever, as for the rest of his crooked degrees, the search for the truth continues until "moral philosophy" is attained. Thank you!

N19bn Paris Club scam: EFCC report indicts Saraki, aides, ex-bank MD

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has submitted a report to President Muhammadu Buhari linking Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and some of his aides to the diversion of about N19bn from the N522bn Paris Club refund.

The report also fingered Mr. Robert Mbonu of Melrose General Services Limited.

Mbonu is a former Managing Director of Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria, the commercial bank owned by the Saraki family which was later liquidated.

The Federal Government had, in December 2016, approved the sum of N522.74bn to be paid to the 36 states of the federation as part of the reimbursement of the over-deduction on the Paris Club loan from 1995 to 2002.

Magu: Saraki shouldn’t be Senate President, says Ndume

The EFCC had sometimes in January discovered that the loan refunds were illegally routed through the account of the Nigeria Governors Forum by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Upon receiving the funds, the NGF, in an alleged connivance with Saraki, began remitting huge sums to private consultants who then laundered about N19bn.

According to the report, apart from the NGF, others under investigation include the Relationship Manager to the Senate President in Access Bank, Kathleen Erhimu.

Some others under probe and identified as Saraki’s aides include Obiora Amobi, Gbenga Makanjuola, Kolawole Shittu and Oladapo Idowu.

Again, CCB arraigns Saraki over N77m lodgement

The report alleges that sometimes in December, Saraki introduced the ex-bank MD, Mbonu, to Erhimu.

Others at the meeting were Saraki’s aforementioned aides.

It added that sequel to the meeting, the sum of N3.5bn was lodged into Melrose General Services Company account number 0005892453, domiciled in Access Bank from the Nigeria Governors Forum on December 14.

The report stated that two of Saraki’s aides, Obiora Amobi and Gbenga Makanjuola, were introduced to Access Bank as representatives of Melrose General Services Limited by Mbonu to enable them to make cash withdrawals from the account.

It added that Amobi and Makanjuola made cash withdrawals in various tranches of N5m and N10m.

The report reads in part, “Based on the foregoing findings, it is clear that Robert Mbonu, the Managing Director of Melrose General Services Company and his company were used to help divert proceeds of unlawful activities under the guise of payment for contractual obligations with the Nigeria Governors Forum.

How Saraki operated, funded undeclared foreign accounts – Banker

“Suffice to apprise that all payments received by Melrose General Services Company from the NGF have hitherto been diverted directly via cash withdrawals and indirectly through transfers by Gbenga Peter Makanjuola, Kolawole Shittu and Oladapo Joseph Idowu, who are principal aides to the Senate President.

“Furthermore, other payments from Melrose General Services Company have also been linked to companies that Dr. Bukola Saraki has interest in and carries out transactions with.

“This includes the sum of $183,000, which was transferred to Bhaska Devji Jewellers, Dubai, a company Dr. Bukola Saraki had repeatedly made payments to.

“Also, the sum of N200m was transferred to Wasp Networks Limited that subsequently transferred the sum of N170m to Xtract Energy Services Limited, a company that routinely made deposits into Dr. Saraki’s Access Bank US Dollar Domiciliary account.”

The report concludes that a prima facie case of conspiracy to retain the proceeds of unlawful activities  and money laundering, contrary to sections 15(3) and 18(9) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2004, could be established against the aforementioned suspects.

“Additionally, investigation into their personal accounts is ongoing,” it adds.

When contacted, the Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, who spoke on behalf of Saraki, said he would not react except he sighted the report.

“Send the report to me and I will be able to read it and contact the necessary people. If I don’t see the report, I cannot react to it in abstract. Send me the report if you want our reaction,” he said.

The spokesman for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed that investigations were ongoing into the Paris Club scam.

He, however, said he did not know the specifics of the investigations.

“I can only confirm that there are investigations but I don’t have details,” Uwujaren said.

Nigerian man marries two wives same day.

A man from Isoko South area of Delta State on Sunday performed a rare feat in the annals of marriage in Nigeria.

The man, simply identified as Emamuzo, married two brides, Janet and Osioni, in a ceremony that attracted a lot of eyeballs after the wedding banner went viral online.

It is uncertain if the trio validated the wedding in any Nigerian marriage registry, however, there are photo evidence that there was a traditional ceremony which validated the rare union.

See photos from the ceremony which took place in Delta State below.

BREAKING: CBN introduces new FX rates N360 to $1

The Central Bank of Nigeria on Monday introduced new Forex rates and would no longer trade the naira at N375 per dollar for invisibles, such as school fees, medical bills and travel allowances.

The regulator said Nigerians can now get the dollar at N360 across all commercial banks within the country.

“The CBN [is] to sell forex to banks at N357/$1, while banks will sell to their customers at N360/$1 for invisibles (BTA, medicals, fees, etc),” the apex bank said on Monday.

“CBN directs banks to post new rates in the banking halls of their branches immediately. CBN examiners to visit banks to ensure the new rates are implemented.

“CBN prohibits banks from selling forex funds meant for invisibles to BDCs”

Gov. Ambode inaugurates Neigbourhood Safety Corps LNSC

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Monday launched the rebranded Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, with a pledge that the security of lives and property in the State is now non-negotiable.

A total of 177 Salon Cars and Vehicles equipped with necessary communication gadgets, 377 motorcycles, 377 helmets, 4,000 bicycles, metal detectors for ensuring that illegal weapons are not smuggled into public places, among other operational equipment were handed over to the Corps by the Governor. Speaking at the official launch held at Agege Stadium, Governor Ambode said the move was another giant step towards enhancing security all over the State and a vital part of the ongoing efforts of his administration to reform the security and justice sector.

The Governor, who on August 15, 2016 assented to the law that created the Neighbourhood Safety Corps, said the Corps had been designed to provide a second layer of policing in order to ensure that the State and communities are more secure. He acknowledged the fact that the Nigerian Police had been very supportive to the State Government especially in fighting crime, but that the need for the Neighbourhood Corps arose from the identified security challenges confronting the State due to huge population, adding that the members of the Corps would complement police especially in areas of community policing. “Let me, however, make it abundantly clear that the Neighbourhood Safety Corps is not in any way in competition with the regular Police Force.

 “In actual fact, they are expected to assist and complement the Police by providing useful intelligence for crime prevention and to facilitate the arrest of perpetrators of criminal activities in our communities,” Governor Ambode said. He added that in realization of the fact that nothing can be more important in law enforcement than educating the people in charge of enforcing the law, the rebranded Neighbourhood Corps have been trained and equipped with the requisite knowledge and skills to complement the good work of the Nigerian Police. He said in addition to the induction on orthodox community policing techniques, the Corps were also trained on how to mediate disputes and the art of negotiating for peaceful resolution; balancing communal interest in resolving disputes and proactive policing engagement instead of reactive policing. “Special hotlines have also been created direct to the Executive Secretary and senior management of the Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency for easy communication with our communities in the event of any crime.

 “Any valuable information given to the Corps will attract handsome rewards from the State Government. I therefore call on all Lagosians to join hands with us to say a final NO to crime in our State. “All these equipment have been made possible through the judicious use of tax payers money and funds from the State Lottery Fund for good causes. Please continue to pay your taxes for a better Lagos.

“I am very happy to state that through this Safety Corps initiative the State Government has created over 7,000 jobs for officers of the Corps, artisans and other support staff. Job creation is at the heart of economic prosperity and we remain fully committed to a more prosperous Lagos for our citizens,” the Governor said. The Governor, however, charged the Corps not to indulge in brutalizing citizens, but that they should exercise lot of restraint, patience, understanding and maturity while carrying out their duties. Besides, the Governor said in order to further strengthen security, a new executive bill to regulate employment of domestic workers and security guards would soon be forwarded to the State House of Assembly, explaining that the bill, among others, will prescribe regulations for the set of workers and other details to monitor their activities. While noting that there is no longer any room for child abuse or under aged workers, Governor Ambode said it had been discovered that domestic workers were largely undocumented and pose a grave security threat in the State.

He also said the recruiting agencies, under the bill, would be licensed and regulated to ensure safety. The Governor also handed over four vans fitted with Close Circuit Television Cameras (CCTVs) to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the State Police Command. Earlier, Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Mr Oluseye Oladejo said the launch of the Neighbourhood Corps and the handing over of several equipment to the agency was an eloquent testimony of a visionary government which had decided to move ahead of emerging challenges of crime.