ISIS On The Run As Russian Jets Destroy HQs, Tanks, Ammunition Depots In Just A Week

It’s been a tough week for terrorists in Syria. Over seven days Russia delivered over a hundred airstrikes at various jihadist facilities across the country, reportedly igniting panic among some groups.

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Russian anti-terror op in Syria

Russia launched its air campaign in Syria on September 30, making 120 combat sorties that hit 110 targets in just over a week, according to the Defense Ministry. Among the objects destroyed are:

71 armored vehicles

30 other vehicles

19 command facilities

2 communication centers

23 depots with fuel and ammunition

6 plants used to make IEDs, including car bombs

several artillery pieces

several training camps

‘Terrorists on the run’

The apparent goal of this phase of the operation is to undermine the militants’ capability to keep the pressure on government forces through constant raids and terrorist attacks, and to give the Syrian Army a breathing space to regroup and launch an offensive.

The targets of the Russian airstrikes were spread across Syria, from ISIS stronghold Raqqa in the northeast to the vicinity of the ancient city of Palmyra west of the Damascus-controlled western part of the country to the outskirts of Damascus in the south.

According to the Russian military, the bombing campaign has hurt the morale of the militant troops, sending thousands on the run.

Source: Leak Times

N1.5B Subsidy Scam: EFCC Faults Tukur, 4 Other’s Bid To Quash Charges

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, opposed bids by Mahmud Tukur and four other defendants, standing trial in a N1.5billion subsidy scam, to quash charges preferred against them.

The other defendants are:  Ochonogor Alex, Abdullahi Alao and their companies: Eterna Plc and Ax Energy. They are standing trial before Justice Lateef Lawal Akapo of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja. At the resumed hearing of the matter on Wednesday, EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, prayed the court not to entertain the submissions of the defence team led by Olaniran Obehe to quash the charges against the accused persons.

He argued that: “The issue of prima facie case cannot be raised until the prosecution’s case is closed and that renders their applications premature. Whether the charge was amended or not, the facts and findings are still binding in this case. My submission is that the court should dismiss all applications and I urge my Lord to so do”

Tukur’s counsel, Obehe, alongside Ebun Adegoruwa and Aderemi Oguntoye: counsels to Ochonogor and Alao respectively, prayed the court to quash the charges against their clients. Adegoruwa had argued that the charges be quashed or alternatively strike out Ochonogor’s name from the charge, while Alao’s counsel described the charge as incurably cancerous. “I pray the court to discharge and acquit the accused as they cannot be tried under such incurably cancerous amended information”, he said.

After listening to the arguments and submissions of counsel, Justice Akapo adjourned the matter to November 16, 2015, for ruling.

Source: Leak Times

Amaechi Stole N53bn Of Rivers Fund Between 2014-2015 – Inquiry Commission

The Justice George Omereji-led Judicial Commission of Inquiry (JCI) set up by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, to look into the alleged illegal sales of assets of the state, on Wednesday, submitted its report, indicting the immediate past governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi.

Chairman of the panel, while speaking with newsmen after submitting the report and its recommendation to the governor, said N53 billion disappeared from the state reserve fund between 2014 and May, 2015.

He also expressed dissatisfaction with the various projects executed by the former governor, especially the controversial Justice Adolphous Karibe-Whyte Hospital and the Olympiad Hotel, saying they were conduit pipes used to siphon the state funds.

It will be recalled that Governor Wike set up the commission with the mandate of investigating the sale of the Omoku 150 MW gas turbine, Afam 360 MW gas turbine, Trans-Amadi 136 MW gas turbine and the Eleme 75 MW gas turbine.

The panel also investigated the sale of Olympia Hotel, the execution of the Mono-rail project, non-execution of the Justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte Specialist Hospital, after the alleged payment of $39.2 million to the contractor that handled the project.

 The commission was also mandated to investigate the disbursement and use of the state N2 billion agriculture credit guarantee scheme fund and the alleged withdrawal of N96 billion from the State Reserve Funds.

Justice Omereji, while speaking with newsmen, said the assignment was tasking, but added that he and the other members of the commission were not deterred or intimidated in any way.

He specifically said there was N55 billion in the Rivers State Reserve Fund up till last year, adding “but between 2014 and May, 2015, they were able to remove N53 billion.

“We found out that the money was not used for the projects in the state; it went to some individuals. This finding was from their own paper submitted to us. We also discovered that the money was given to people they like.

“We went to some of the projects’ sites. Like at the Justice Adolphous Karibe-Whyte Specialist Hospital, we did not see anything at all when we went there. When I even told the project contractor that we should go to the basement, he was afraid, saying snakes would bite us.

“But I insisted, as I told him that even if we see the snake, we would march on it and it would die. Behold, when we went inside, nothing. The whole billions of naira given to the man were all in vain. There was nothing to show for the money.

“On the Olympia Hotel, I was disappointed because of the nature of the agreement they said they reached, but we have recommended something to the state government on what should be done.”

The chairman of the JCI, however, refused to disclose the recommendations in the report as submitted to Governor Wike, noting it was left for the government to look into it and work on it.

“I don’t want to start talking about the contents of the report we have just submitted. The government will look at; the one they want to accept, they will accept. It is not good for me to reveal the content of the recommendation now, because it has just been submitted. 

“We recommended that those found culpable should refund the money. If you are  found culpable, we even recommended that some people should be prosecuted. I don’t want to tell you the name of those people (indicted), but it is in the report,” he said.

Addressing the governor while submitting the report, he advised that the state government should act quickly on the recommendations and ensure that the billions of naira allegedly stashed away in the private accounts of some individuals were recovered.

Justice Omereji said the commission received 442 exhibits and 27 memoranda, while 25 witnesses testified before it, adding that the commission visited several sites in line with its terms of reference.

“Government should act fast on the report and Rivers people will be better for it. If government acts fast, we will be able to recover billions stashed into where they kept them. That money belongs to the Rivers people and I hope government would act fast to recover it, so that it would be used for the people of Rivers State,” he said.

He noted that the commission’s work was delayed by two suits filed by former Governor Amaechi and Mr Augustine  Wokocha and that the commission only started sitting after the dismissal of the suits, thus necessitating the two-week extension of its sittings. 

Receiving the report, Governor Wike declared that his administration would diligently implement the recommendations of the commission in the interest of the state and its people.

He promised that he would make the content public and also make known the next line of action, adding that “we will make sure that we swing into action immediately to see that the recommendations by the commission are implemented.

“We will not be intimidated by anybody or group of persons. So many things have been done to discredit your commission, but to me,  I know when the hands of a person are not clean, he resorts to the media.”

While commending members of the JCI  for serving the state honestly and for working to time, Wike acknowledged that he was aware of the threats they faced in the course of carrying out the assignment.

“You have taken the bull by the horns to make sure that you served your fatherland. I know that you and your members have faced lots of threats and other challenges.

“But what is important in life is, once you are clean and your conscience is clear, you will not buckle under any pressure, rather, you will go ahead and do what is right,” he added.

Reacting, however, Amaechi put a lie to the claim by the commission’s chairman as he asserted that neither the N53 billion nor any amount got missing during the period in question. 

The former governor, in a statement issued by his Commissioner for Information, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, said he rather saved money for the people of the state for the rainy day.

“The first point to be made here is that the administration of Governor Amaechi believed in saving for the rainy day. It is a mark of prudence that the administration committed to a mandatory saving early in its life.

“However, unfortunate developments in the management of our national resources and the downturn in the economy accelerated the rainy day,” she said.

Semenitari further said the response became necessary in order to make more clarifications and also give more information as they related to the amounts in question.

 “At the inauguration of the Justice Omereji Commission, the claim was that the sum of N96 million was withdrawn from the fund by the administration of Governor Amaechi.

“The third point is that every withdrawal from the fund complied with the extant controls governing it.

“Following severe shortfalls in expected revenues, the administration made three withdrawals in 2014. Each withdrawal was in line with the governing law and the proceeds were applied for the purposes of government.

“The total savings by the state over the life of the administration was under N38,530,000,000. Earnings from the investment during the period were over N16 billion.

“The Fund had a Net Asset Value of over N1,200,000,000 at the end of the administration in May 2015,” she added.

Source: Leak Times.

Nigeria2015: Pensioners threaten mass action at polls 

 

The Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, has threatened to mobilise its members across the country against the 2015 general elections over neglect by governments at all levels.
The National President of the union, Abel Afolayan, issued the threat in Enugu on Monday while briefing journalists.
Mr. Afolayan who was represented by the South East National Vice President of the union, Emeka Onwumere, listed their grievances to include non-payment of outstanding arrears of pensions and gratuities to federal and state pensioners.
He also counted the non-payment of outstanding 33 per cent pension increment and its arrears which had been paid to military pensioners as well as the nonchalant attitude toward pensioners’ welfare by state governments.
The president also listed non-harmonisation of pensions, problems associated with contributory pension’s scheme, verification, fraud and non-payment of gratuities and arrears to deceased pensioners as part of their agitation.
“Pensioners have observed that our problems across the country have been ignored by the concerned government agencies and functionaries contrary to the directive of President Goodluck Jonathan to the presidential task force on pensioners’ grievances.
“As a result, we will mobilise our multi-million members across the country to deliberate seriously on how to vote during the 2015 elections.
“The government should realise that pensioners in Nigeria form a large voting bloc and to neglect them is not in their best interest.
“Also, our exclusion from the ongoing national conference and subjection of pensioners to long drawn budgetary debates at the federal and state levels are some of our grievances,’’ he said.
He warned that the union would involve the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress to stage protests.
Mr. Afolayan said it would not be in the interest of the unity, peace and development of the country if its grievances were not addressed.
The president said that the press briefing was held simultaneously in the six geo political zones of the country.
(NAN)

 

Man Bags 51-year Jail Term For Stealing N14m

An Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court on Monday sentenced one Taiwo Ojo to 51 years imprison for stealing N14 million belonging to the Traditional Council of Obas.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state counsel, Mr Akintayo Arogundade, told the court that the accused committed the offence in Sept. 2008 and April 2009 at Ilawe-Ekiti.
He said that the accused was facing a 12 count-charge bordering on stealing, cheating, forgery and fraud.Arogundade said that the accused forged the signature of His Royal Majesty, Oba Oladapo Oyebade, the Ologotun of Ogotun-Ekiti, by signing his signature on payment vouchers.

The prosecutor alleged that the accused also forged the signature of Oni Joseph, the Secretary of the Traditional Council of Ekiti South-west Local Government Area.According to him, the accused used the signatures to withdrew N14 million from the Traditional Council account of the Ekiti South-west Local Government.
In his plea, the counsel to the accused, Mr Kayode Akinwumi, urged the court to tamper justice with mercy and be lenient with his client.Chief Magistrate Ropo Adegboye said in his judgement that the accused was guilty of the offence as charged, following evidence of the prosecutors including Oba Oyebade.He sentenced the accused person to two years imprison on count one to three, and five years on count four to twelve, saying the sentence would run concurrently.
(NAN)

Hoodlums loyal to Gov Amosun on the rampage in Ogun, attack residents, journalists

Suspected thugs believed to members of the Ogun State branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers on Thursday unleashed terror on journalists and residents of Leme, Abeokuta, when they invaded the state secretariat of the All Progressives Congress.
The suspected thugs, also believed to be loyal to the state government, had invaded the APC secretariat at about 10.30am to stop a meeting of the members of the Harmonisation Committee scheduled to hold at the party office.
The rampaging thugs smatched cameras belonging to the correspondents of the Galaxy Television and MITV, Kunle Ojo and Taofeek Lawal, respectively.
The suspected thugs, armed with various dangerous weapons and missiles, also snatched blackberry phones belonging to the correspondent of the Radio Nigeria/Paramount FM, Mrs. Modupe Sobukola.
They also manhandled the journalists, including the State Correspondent of the Tribune, Olayinka Olukoya, with the aid of soldiers and policemen deployed in the APC secretariat.
The security agencies held the journalists while the thugs molested them and smatched their cameras and blackberry phones.
Scores of residents of the area were also seriously injured by the thugs, who attacked any member of the community in sight.
Several cars at a dealer’s shop near the APC state secretariat were vandalised by the thugs, who also capitalised on the commotion to dispossess residents of their valuables and other personal effects.
They also vandalised the State Secretariat of the APC.
The members of the state Harmonisation Committee, led by Senator Gbenga Kaka, later addressed newsmen at the Iwe Irohin Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists

ANOTHER BULLETPROOF CAR SCANDAL

B-R-E-A-K-I-N-G N-E-W-S

ANOTHER BULLETPROOF CAR SCANDAL - OGUN STATE GOVERNOR Senator Ibikunle Amosun BOUGHT 15 ARMOURED CARS FOR 750 MILLION BUT CHARGED OGUN STATE TREASURY 2.5 BILLION NAIRA.

When we contacted the manufacturers of the bullet proof cars in the USA, they gave us the cost of the cars shipped to Ogun State with the hope that we are customers. However, instead of 50 million each, the Ogun State governor presented a cost of 165 million each for the bullet proof cars.

More information coming on this investigation.

Please call the company yourself if you care:

Alpine Armoring Inc
570 Herndon Pkwy, Herndon, VA 20170
Phone number: +1 (703) 471-0002

Please report any corruption even to us. God Bless The Federal Republic Nigeria.