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EFCC report indicts suspended REA MD, Salihijo Ahmad and co over N12.7b fraud

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The interim report of an investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) revealed details of the misappropriation of about N12.7 billion in the Rural Electrification Agency (REA)

The report indicts the former Managing Director of REA, Salihijo Ahmad and his management team who were suspended and replaced by President Tinubu last week.

37 bank accounts linked to Salihijo Ahmad’s BVN despite claims on his asset declaration forms with the CCB that he has only two accounts.

The BVN printout depicts irregularities as there are different dates of birth associated with the suspect.

The (37) bank accounts comprises (14) corporate accounts, (21) personal accounts, and (2) other accounts in the names of Bilkisu Salihijo.

– In June 2023, senior officials of the agency siphoned N300 million under the guise of a training programme.

Agency awarded contracts worth N300 million to two companies for same training programme.

The two companies, Cees Assist Resources Limited and Braintask Value Resources Limited, have the same owner, one Umaefulem Chibueze, who was used to siphon funds through the programme.

– A director in the agency, Alaba Netufo, was running a private business to which some contractors of the agency had on several occasions paid money.

– Gross misappropriation of N12.4 billion COVID-19 funds disbursed by the FG to the agency in two tranches of (N6.2 billion) each in 2020 and 2021 for mass rural solar power lighting.

– Agency was involved in coercing contractors executing zonal intervention and capital projects to pay 5% of the contract sum as ‘’monitoring and evaluation’’ charges, “which are usually paid in cash to senior/management staff of the agency and are, more often than not, embezzled.

– Payments totalling N728.9 million made by the agency to 15 contractors in 2023 for consultancy jobs were “channels for stealing and diversion of public funds majorly because by virtue of the job roles of certain staff of the agency being zonal coordinators, project department as well as monitoring and evaluation department, it was unnecessary, ridiculous and alarming that external consultants were still engaged to execute the same responsibilities.”

– N1.2 billion was siphoned between March and June 2023 through eight staff in the agency’s account department.

Payment of N1.2 billion bank by the Director of Finance and Accounts, Abdullahi Sambo to bank accounts of (8) staff of the department as well as himself for project monitoring.

Upon receipt of the said funds, the Director of Finance and Accounts instructed his allies to purchase various choice properties and assets being plots of land, houses and a car in his favour.

The Director of Finance and Accounts also directed one Usman Kwakwa to convert the total sum of (N159,608,464.38) to United States Dollars; this he did using two Bureau De Change Operators namely Laba Ibrahim and Ahmed Musa.

Usman Kwakwa also transferred various sums of monies totalling (N115,749,000.00) to some senior staff and management of the agency.

The Director of Finance and Accounts benefitted over (N414,346,343.51) from the loot.

RECOVERIES BY EFCC INVESTIGATORS

– For the training programme, N30 million have been recovered while four suspects have undertaken to refund the total sum of N201 million representing their share of the looted funds.

– On the looted (N1.2) billion, Recoveries are as follows: N246 million; a duplex building in Karsana Abuja: an uncompleted filling station along Kaduna road, Abuja; three landed properties in Kaduna State

Three plots of land in Lafia and one plot of land in Mararaba, Nasarawa State.
A landed property worth 46 million from one of the 16 suspects.

On the the (N12.4) billion Covid-19 Funds

EFCC established that contracts totalling N2 billion were never executed and they believe that N6 billion of the total sum could have been diverted owing to non-execution, under-execution, and poor execution of the contracts.

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Crime

UK serial rapist jailed 12 years

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Aiden Phipps, a serial rapist from Sutton, United Kingdom, has been jailed for 12 years and six months for assault and rape of five young girls.

The 18 years old was aged between 15-17 at the time of the attacks on the girls.

Derby Crown Court heard that several of his victims had tried to take their own lives since their ordeals and the youngest victim was aged just 12.

Judge Jonathan Bennett told Phipps he knew “very clearly” that the girls were not consenting to his advances “but that didn’t matter” to him and his victims were “just objects.”

The court heard how Phipps, aged 15 at the time, forcefully raped a 12-year-old girl having pursued her on Snapchat and persuaded her to meet him.

On another occasion in 2023, he “dragged” a girl aged 17 into an abandoned area before having forced intercourse with her.

Prosecutor Dawn Pritchard described how every time Phipps’ victim tried to get up, he “pushed her back down.”

In November last year, another girl aged 17 approached Police about Phipps, telling them he had groped her sexually over her clothing.

Phipps, the court heard, committed several of the offences while already on bail, having been arrested and interviewed by Police for previous ones.

In a statement read out to the court, the mother of one of the girls said since the assault, her daughter had “shut down” and no longer left the house, going into “shock” when she saw a male.

The young girl had tried to take her own life in November 2022, the court heard.

Judge Jonathan Bennett told Phipps he posed a “significant risk of serious harm,” adding: “You have devastated the lives of these five victims and caused what for some will be irreparable damage.

“To hear the effect your offending has had is distressing to all of us who heard it. It has also had a huge impact upon all the families of the victims.

“Even when on bail you continued to offend. That is a particularly aggravating feature. All of these young girls made it absolutely clear to you they did not consent to what was taking place.

“You knew very clearly these young girls were not consenting but that didn’t matter to you – what was important to you was what you wanted.”

The court was told by Phipps’ defence Barrister that he had suffered a “very difficult” childhood having been fostered from the age of four and having been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD.

However Judge Bennett told Phipps after reading a psychologists’ report he concluded the defendant posed “a significant risk” of committing further similar offences against young girls.

 

 

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Crime

Nigerian military kills notorious terrorist Halilu Sububu who trained Bello Turji

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A notorious bandit leader, Halilu Sububu who trained wanted terrorist, Bello Turji has been killed by the Nigerian military.

He was killed in an operation by the Nigerian Air Force, NAF alongside 38 of his foot soldiers.

Sububu and his men were killed in Zamfara state by NAF Special Forces on Thursday, near the Mayanchi area of the state.

The operation, according to a statement by a Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations NAF Headquarters, Group Captain Kabiru Ali, was part of an ongoing effort by NAF and ground forces to “exploit intelligence and secure the area” following contact with the adversaries.

The statement said: “NAF Special Forces of Operation HADARIN DAJI in the company of other ground troops initiated a follow-up exploitation mission after troops encountered terrorists in the vicinity of Mayanchi.

“During the mission, it was confirmed that 38 terrorists had been neutralized, with 4 bodies retrieved for verification.”

Sububu’s death was also confirmed by a lot security analyst and counterterrorism expert, Zagazola Makama.

Posting on X, Zagazola wrote: “Halilu is a notorious bandit kingpin who trained Bello Turji. He commands hundreds of bandits and also engaged in gun running activities. He also engaged in arms trade and owned a House in Niger Republic.

“The killing of Halilu is a biggest blow against the terrorists.”

 

 

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Crime

Three killed in Anambra communities

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Three persons have been killed in Nawfi and Enugwu-Ukwu communities of Anambra State.

Many people also sustained varying degrees of injuries inflicted on them by assailants. The incident happened at Isionye, aboundary between the two communities.

People from the Nawfia and Enugwu-Ukwu rushed to the scene of the crime when news broke out about the killing.

Sources claimed that the killing of the three victims may not be unconnected with tussle over Isionye land.

A source who pleaded for anonymity said that Nawfia and Enugwu-Ukwu communities have been on a dagger drawn over the ownership of the land.

Meanwhile, Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Nnaghe Obono Itam(CP) has ordered investigation into the murder of three persons.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the command, Tochukwu Ikenga (SP) said that the incident actually happened at about 2pm on Monday.

He confirmed that three persons were killed and five others seriously injured at Isionye land.

The PPRO said that preliminary information, revealed that the victims were lured by some individuals through a phone call to the land in guise of a land transaction and attacked them with guns and matchet.

“Meanwhile, the CP has sued for calm as police operatives have recovered the abandoned Sennia vehicle used by the murders. Also, the testimonies of the injured victims who are currently receiving treatment in the hospital is aiding the investigation while the bodies of the deceased have been deposited in the morgue,” Ikenga said.

 

 

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