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Category: Investigation

  • Kebbi, Niger Abductions linked to killing of Terror Commander

    Kebbi, Niger Abductions linked to killing of Terror Commander

    Fresh intelligence has linked the recent abduction of schoolchildren in parts of Kebbi and Niger States to the killing of a notorious terror commander, Babangida, during Nigerian Air Force (NAF) airstrikes in Niger State.

    A credible security source told the Nigerian Anchor that residents of communities along the riverside axis of Shiroro have been celebrating after confirmation of Babangida’s death.

    According to the source, the slain commander was a key lieutenant to the feared bandits’ kingpin, Dogo Gideh.

    “Babangida died on November 18 while receiving treatment for injuries sustained during an air interdiction mission at the outskirts of Kurebe community, where several terrorists were neutralised,” the source revealed.

    The source added that the recent abductions were likely orchestrated by loyalists of the late commander as a retaliatory show of force, intended to reassert their relevance after suffering heavy losses from sustained military offensives.

    NAN gathered that following Babangida’s death, community leaders from Kwaki, Buresidna, Chukuba, Buwidna, Kuchidna, Banda, Shalupe and other surrounding villages visited the Palleli home of Gideh’s mother on November 19, where she was seen mourning her son’s fallen ally.

    A senior intelligence officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described Babangida’s death as “a significant blow” to the terror network but warned of possible reprisal attacks targeting vulnerable communities, schools, and security personnel.

    “Security agencies are on heightened alert,” the officer said. “Operations have been intensified to prevent further attacks and ensure the safe rescue of abducted students.”

    Residents in Shiroro expressed relief over the commander’s death, saying it had rekindled hope for reduced bandit activities in the area, which has been plagued by insecurity for years.

    Military authorities assured that coordinated land and air operations would continue until the capabilities of terror groups are fully degraded across the region.

  • UNICEF says Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara need $15m to give quality life

    UNICEF says Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara need $15m to give quality life

    UNICEF says Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara States will need $15 million to upscale the quality of  life of their citizenry.

    The UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Ms Christian Munduate, said this at a news briefing in Gusau on Wednesday shortly after holding an interactive session with stakeholders from Gidanwada Model Primary School in Bungudu Local Government Area.

    Munduate said that the governors of the three states needed to provide the matching grants to address the socio-economic challenges and provide quality life for their citizens.

    She regretted the prevalence of malnourished children and nursing mothers in the three states.

    She identified open defecation as a major cause of diseases capable of reversing polio epidemic to the states.

    According to her, children, mothers and other Nigerians deserve quality education, healthcare and nutrition, among other critical needs.

    Munduate urged the three states to collaborate with partners and stakeholders  to tackle the challenges and improve the living condition of their people.

    She further solicited for a strong partnership with all the stakeholders to address the needs of children, mothers and the entire people of the three states and other Nigerians.

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    She said that available record shows that there were at least 5.5million severe and acute malnourished children in Northern Nigeria.

    She further disclosed that no fewer than 40 million Nigerians practice open defecation that constituted major causes of diseases outbreaks.

    UNICEF, she said, had supported 50 Primary Healthcare Centers, in collaboration with the Federal and  Zamfara Government.

    “All the PHCs are functional. We believe that they can maintain them to serve the people’s needs

    ”We will be around to provide technical support to ensure sustainability,” Munduate said.

  • Defamation Saga: Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee asked to Debar Dele Farotimi

    Defamation Saga: Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee asked to Debar Dele Farotimi

    In an extreme measure to exterminate the enemy with no trace that it ever existed, Chief Afe Babalola has submitted a petition to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee seeking the removal of Dele Farotimi from the roll of Nigerian legal practitioners.

    This is in addition to the deluge of suits filed against Barr Dele Farotimi by associates of Chief Afe Babalola in support of the substantive case of criminal defamation filed by the senior lawyer and elder stateman.

    For instance, associates of Chief Babalola already obtained injunctions from the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja and Oyo State High Court barring Farotimi from further publishing, selling, circulating, advertising, or distributing the hard or soft copies of his book.

    In the 90-page petition, Chief Babalola alleged that Farotimi violated various provisions of the rules of professional conduct by lawyers.

    Dated December 6, 2024, the title of the petition is: “Petition against Tomilola Titus Farotimi (also known as Dele Farotimi esq), a Nigerian lawyer called to the Nigerian bar with his name on the roll of legal practitioners kept by the Supreme Court for violation of the extant Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners Rules 1, 15(1), 15(2b), 15(3a), 15(3g), 15(3i), 15(3j), 26(1), 27(1), 30, 31(1), (2) and (4) of the Rules of Professional Conduct 2023 by bringing the entire judiciary in Nigeria into disrepute with his unfounded allegations of corruption against eminent justices of the supreme court of Nigeria, judges of high court of Lagos state, Aare Afe Babalola san, Olu Deramola, SAN, Ola Faro esq, and the entire chambers of Afe Babalola & co in his book titled ‘Nigeria and its criminal justice system.”

    The petition contains a litany of accusations against Farotimi and was signed by Ola Faro, a partner at the firm, and who was also referenced in the book titled, “Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System.”

    Some of the accusations against Mr. Farotimi, as detailed in the petition include the following:

    “He joined his clients in committing misconduct and breach of law with reference to judicial officers by having unlawful access to a judicial officer. He gave service to his client which he knows is capable of causing a breach of law and disrespect and corrupting a judicial officer. He knowingly made a false statement of law and facts with respect to a case already decided by the Supreme Court.

    “He assisted his clients in a conduct that he knows to be illegal and fraudulent. Knowingly engaged in illegal conduct in the cause of his practice as a legal practitioner. Treated his fellow lawyers without respect, fairness, consideration and dignity, allowing ill feelings between opposing clients to influence his conduct and demeanour by distorting the facts of a case in the cause of his practice as a legal practitioner.

    “Failed to observe good faith and fairness in dealing with other lawyers in respect to a case already decided by the Supreme Court. Conducted himself in a manner that obstructed, delayed and adversely affected the administration of justice by taking steps to frustrate a decision of the Supreme Court for his personal benefit and the benefit of his client who lost at the Supreme Court.

    “Treated the court, particularly the Supreme Court without respect, dignity and honour by using uncouth, unprofessional, undignified and offensive language against the Supreme Court and the justices of the Supreme Court. Made defamatory statements against judicial officers rather than making a complaint to appropriate authorities.

    Mr. Faro also alleged in the petition that Mr. Farotimi “Indicated that he discussed a pending case with a judge trying the case in the absence of an opposing lawyer. The contravention of these rules by the Respondent (Farotimi) prompted this petition to protect the dignity of the legal profession, the dignity of the court as the temple of justice and to uphold the standards of the legal profession.”

    These actions follow the publication of the book titled, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, which Chief Afe Babalola alleged contained sections that defamed him, following which he sued Farotimi.

    Subsequently, Farotimi was arrested and arraigned before the Federal High Court in Ekiti State as well as an Ekiti State Magistrates’ Court, Ado-Ekiti.

  • Vice Chancellor Puts 5-Year-old University of Health Sciences on a faulty start

    Vice Chancellor Puts 5-Year-old University of Health Sciences on a faulty start

    Barring any last-ditch efforts by the supervisory authorities, the five-year-old Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo (FUHSO), Benue State may soon implode.

     

    Staff, Management and service providers accuse the Vice Chancellor, Prof Innocent Ujah of unpaid salaries, contract scam, violation of due process in procurement process and poor condition of service.

     

    The Nigerian Anchor investigations reveal a cesspool of financial malfeasance arising from the processes of contract award, implementation and payment as well as misappropriation of monies meant for payment of staff salaries and allowances.

     

    Insiders who spoke to us narrated instances where critical infrastructural projects were awarded to inexperienced contractors, while some of the projects fully paid for were still at various stages of completion.

     

    As the tenure of the pioneer Vice Chancellor, Prof Innocent Ujah wears out therefore, staff and service providers are in palpable fear and overwhelmed with a sense of trepidation wondering if they would ever be paid.

     

    The Federal University Health of Services Otukpo was  first established on 20th May, 2015  by former President Goodluck Jonathan. It could however, not commence operations because President Muhammadu Buhari suspended its establishment. This was later restored on June 6, 2019.

     

    Prof Ujah and other Principal Officers and Council members of the University were appointed on 12th May, 2020.

     

    Threat of Legal Action

    Already, a real estate firm, ZIGGCHUBS Resources Nigeria Ltd, acting through its lawyer, has threatened to sue the university in a law court over a N14million debt owed by the University for the rental of a hostel accommodation for female students.

     

    In a letter dated July 3rd, 2024 and addressed to the Dean of Student Affairs of the University, Barr E. A. Ogalekwu issued a seven-day Pre-Action Notice on the institution.

     

    In the letter, it was alleged that the Management of the University reneged on their commitment to pay N14million, being the balance of an agreed rental sum of N22million on a property it hired as hostel for its female students. This debt had lingered for over a year and the property owner threatened to recover the property.

     

    Nigerian Anchor checks at the law firm reveal that as of September 2, 2024, the University was yet to redeem the pledge, despite the fact that money realized from the sale of bed spaces to the students could have offset the indebtedness.

     

    It was also disclosed that the university replied to their letter pleading for two weeks extension of time, which had elapsed.

     

    Poor Condition of Service and Work Environment

    A source close to the management of the university, who spoke to us on condition of anonymity alleged that some projects at various stages of completion had been fully paid for while alleging also, that the Departments of Microbiology and physics is one single building project being passed off as two different projects.

     

    Another reliable source also alleged that the administration’s claim of completing abandoned projects at the sum of N200million was a hoax, wondering, “What is the evidence of abandoned projects for a four-year-old university?”

     

    A very senior member of the management who felt disappointed by the overall performance of the outgoing VC lamented that by his conduct, Prof. Ujah denied the university the opportunity of a good start “as a world class citadel of learning that was aspiration of the founding fathers.”

     

    The staff member cited the example of a sister Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila-Orangun that was established barely two years ago, boasting of an outstanding array of completed critical infrastructural facilities while FUHSO does not have any.

     

    PLEASE SEE: Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila-Orangun. Schedule of Completed                         and ongoing projects.

     

    “We have not commissioned any project. The University is on autopilot as we have absentee VC who looks in occasionally on Thursdays and departs by Fridays.

     

    While absent all financial decisions must await his return.” He complained.

     

    At a recent town hall meeting with staff members to douse tension and forestall likely breakdown of law and order, the Governing Council of the University was inundated with a long list of complaints bothering on poor welfare and a lack of foresight on the part of the University Administration.

     

    The workers complained that almost five years after its establishment, the university does not have a defined condition and scheme of service thereby leading to a haphazard recruitment and placement of personnel.

    Stakeholders at a FUHSO event

     

     

     

     

     

    Items 2, and 3 on the long list of welfare issues for which the staff members demanded attention were, “2. Payment of backlog of salary for staff captured in 2022 (some are owed arears of more than 12 calendar months); 3. Capturing of staff members that are yet to be captured, some have spent up to two (2) years without drawing salary and they are breadwinners.”

     

    Additionally, item 4, which contained serials (a-l) emphasized the “Absence of conditions and scheme of service.” and “No appraisal of staff has been done but staff are due for promotion and steps increment this year.”

     

    In the face all these challenges, another staff told us, the VC paid himself a hefty sum of N11million as DTA, while newly recruited staff being 28 days allowance, amongst others.

     

    When contacted for his own side of the story, Prof Ujah, rebuffed Nigerian Anchor, querying why it was just now that the paper was showing interest in the running of the university. “I am used to the media writing stuff about me” he said.

     

    As of press time, he was yet to reply to the questions we sent to him, hoping he would oblige us with a response.

  • EFCC Launches Investigation into Bobrisky’s Alleged Naira Abuse

    EFCC Launches Investigation into Bobrisky’s Alleged Naira Abuse

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal Command, has launched a probe into the actions of Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, for purportedly spraying Naira notes.

    The investigation stems from a video circulating online, showing Bobrisky allegedly flaunting bundles of new Naira notes at the premiere of the movie “Ajakaju,” produced by Nollywood actress and producer Eniola Ajao. The event took place at Film One Circle Mall in Lekki, Lagos, on March 24, 2024.

    According to sources, this is not an isolated incident, as Bobrisky is suspected of engaging in similar activities at various event centers and parties on multiple occasions.

    Responding to the EFCC’s invitation, Bobrisky arrived at the Lagos Zonal Command on Wednesday morning, April 4, 2024, for questioning and provided his statements voluntarily.

    Upon the conclusion of investigations, Bobrisky is expected to be formally charged in court.