The UK Embassy in Nigeria has adopted a new visa application process, British High Commission said on Friday in a statement.
The spokesperson of the commission, Joe Abuku, described the new process as a slight change in which “Visa staff now only need electronic versions of support documents.”
The new process, which takes effect from December 5 for customers applying for a UK visa in Lagos, Victoria Island and Ikeja, would bring applicants benefits from digital improvements to the UK visa application process.
“TLSContact (responsible for UK Visa Application Centres in Nigeria) will scan your supporting documents whilst you’re at the visa application centre, and then return your original documents to you,” the statement said.
“They will then send these (electronic) documents to UKVI, with your passport and application form, and visa officers will consider your application in the usual way."
In order to avoid delays in the visa application centre, the Commission requested applicants to ensure they complied with requirement to provide all documents in A4 size, while any other documents smaller or larger than A4 should be photocopied onto A4 sized paper.
While advising all customers to remove any clips or pins from documents before submitting their application, the Commission warned that any torn, crumpled or heavily creased documents, which is difficult to photocopy, should be photocopied onto A4 sized paper before submitted, as they can’t be scanned in this condition.
Monday, 5 December 2016
UK Embassy Commission Adopts New System of Visa Application
The UK Embassy in Nigeria has adopted a new visa application process, British High Commission said on Friday in a statement.
The spokesperson of the commission, Joe Abuku, described the new process as a slight change in which “Visa staff now only need electronic versions of support documents.”
The new process, which takes effect from December 5 for customers applying for a UK visa in Lagos, Victoria Island and Ikeja, would bring applicants benefits from digital improvements to the UK visa application process.
“TLSContact (responsible for UK Visa Application Centres in Nigeria) will scan your supporting documents whilst you’re at the visa application centre, and then return your original documents to you,” the statement said.
“They will then send these (electronic) documents to UKVI, with your passport and application form, and visa officers will consider your application in the usual way."
In order to avoid delays in the visa application centre, the Commission requested applicants to ensure they complied with requirement to provide all documents in A4 size, while any other documents smaller or larger than A4 should be photocopied onto A4 sized paper.
While advising all customers to remove any clips or pins from documents before submitting their application, the Commission warned that any torn, crumpled or heavily creased documents, which is difficult to photocopy, should be photocopied onto A4 sized paper before submitted, as they can’t be scanned in this condition.
Saturday, 12 November 2016
I Would Have Become Kogi’s CSO If Audu Hadn’t Died–millionaire Robbery.
At 30, Zakeri Isiaka is a millionaire and a frightening one. In political circles in Kogi State, Saturday PUNCH learnt that a mere mention of his name sends shivers down the spines of those who are familiar with his activities.
To Kogi State indigenes, Isiaka is a dreaded political thug, who killed at will. To the police, he is a combination of a daring robber and killer but to his family, he is the husband to nine wives and a father to 15 children. But the negative descriptions are all inaccurate, according to Isiaka’s statement to the police. He said he was a freedom fighter “out to rescue Kogi State from the clutches of evil men controlling the affairs of the state.”
Asked about a number of killings which he allegedly carried out in Kogi State, Isiaka said those he was accused of killing were his political foes and criminals who were after his life.
According to a source, he got on the radar of the police when he allegedly led a gang that attacked operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Response Team in July 2016 and snatched a rifle from them.
But on October 23, a three-month operation to track him down paid off when members of the IRT cornered him on the Okene–Akure Expressway and apprehended him while he was on his way to Akure, Ondo State.
He was transferred to the Force Headquarters, Abuja, where he promptly gave a detailed account of his operations, which spanned several states.
A police source told Saturday PUNCH that Isiaka’s gang were responsible for many cases of kidnaps and robberies in Kogi and other North Central states.
When Isiaka was arrested, the police recovered 15 rifles along with several magazines and ammunition from him. One of the guns was the one his gang allegedly snatched from the IRT.
Saturday PUNCH learnt that t
he day the gang snatched the gun, operatives of the IRT were in the state to rescue a kidnap victim, Edward Amedu, being held in a forest camp by Isiaka’s men.
When the gang sighted the police team, he was said to have ordered his men to open fire on their approaching vehicle.
The police source said that in the process, two operatives of the IRT sustained bullet wounds. At the end of the operation, the IRT had lost a rifle to Isiaka’s team.
Two of his men were said to have been arrested at the time of the operation. They later led the police to where the victim was rescued.
Isiaka, a native of Odu-Ochelle in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, allegedly started off as a robber before joining militants in the Niger Delta and later became a political thug, who at a point, took control of his entire local government area.
Isiaka said he was once a farmer, who laboured for eight years till he could no longer endure the suffering and travelled to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he joined the group of militant leader, Ateke Tom.
He said, “I dropped out of secondary school and had nothing else to do but to go into farming at Iseyin, Oyo State. I did that till I went to Port Harcourt and started living with a young man. One day, I went to a joint where I normally smoked Indian hemp and saw some men discussing there. I realised they were militants involved in oil theft.
“I approached them and told them I was interested in joining them. They gave me the beating of my life. They accused me of being an informant. I was beaten for almost one week before one of them, who said he was one of Ateke Tom’s boys, finally said I could join them.
“He taught me how to handle guns and we burst many pipelines together. I was making almost N3m in each operation. After making enough money, I moved to Abuja and built a house. I bought some cars and started a car dealership. When I left the creeks, I came back with three guns, which I took to my village in Kogi.
“The sitting governor of Kogi State at the time, had given guns to thugs in the state. Because these same thugs killed my blood brothers during a disagreement, I had to keep the guns in Kogi so that I could use them to protect myself.”
Isiaka said during the 2011 governorship election in Kogi State between Idris Wada and Prince Abubakar Audu, he went home to “protect” the votes of his people.
According to him, the guns he brought back from the Niger Delta came in handy. He said despite this, one of his friends was killed during the election.
The suspect said, “After that election, I came back to Abuja and continued my business. I am a kind man, I even bought motorcycles for people as gifts. I first married three wives.
“Before the 2015 election, thugs of the Peoples Democratic Party and All Progressives Congress had a clash. I had to come back home and fight on the side of the APC. That was when the APC knew that I had become a powerful person. They realised they needed me.
“During the presidential election, Prince Audu gave me N30m to work for his party. But my younger brother, Farouk, was killed by PDP thugs in front of my father. He was picked up in his room where he slept beside his wife. They killed him and took his body away.
“When it was time for the governorship election, Prince Audu called me again and mobilised me with N20m and promised that he would make me the Chief Security Officer of the state if he won.
“He said he would make me Kogi’s youth leader and I would even be in charge of collecting revenue on farm produce in the state.
“My boys and I worked very hard. I was almost killed when I was ambushed by a PDP thug. So, I would have become the state’s CSO if Prince Audu had not died.”
Isiaka claimed that when Governor Yahaya Bello assumed office, he had made overtures to him, indicating that he could be useful to his government but got no reply.
According to him, some individuals might have scuttled his chances because of his closeness to the late Audu.
Isiaka said, “The people I fought were PDP thugs, who wanted to kill me and since APC came into power I have called on all my boys who are into armed robbery to stop because I have repented.
“Few weeks before the last governorship election, I communicated with some of my boys from Okene, who used to rob in my area. I advised them to quit because I discovered that the people of Kogi State wanted change and they were accepting what I was telling them. I knew that if APC won, my boys and I would enjoy.
“But they refused, so, I tricked them. I told them that I had a job for them and when they came to my town, I took them to a hotel. While they were inside, my boys went to where they parked their operational vehicle and stole all their guns.
“I control all the APC thugs in Kogi State and since I repented, I have been seriously against crime. Any of my boys who got involved in kidnapping, I personally arrested and handed over to the police but in most cases the police would release them after collecting money.
The police in Kogi State can confirm this. After all I did, the state governor (Bello) did not appreciate my efforts. He believes that I am still in support of Prince Audu’s son, Mohammed, but that is not true. My loyalty is to APC.”
Speaking about some of the robbery operations he was involved in, Isiaka said few weeks before the governorship election in Kogi in 2015, he and his gang robbed a vehicle carrying a huge amount of money in Abuja. He said he made over N50m from the operation and that he narrowly escaped death as one of his gang members attempted to kill him.
According to him, one Dan brought the job to him.
“He told me that some politicians were moving money around Abuja and it seemed that the money was meant for election. We planned our operation and we ambushed the driver and snatched the vehicle.
“After the operation, I kept three Ghana-Must-Go bags for myself and I gave Dan and others involved two bags to share. But while we were sharing the money, Dan, who had a gun with him, wanted to shoot me. He ended up shooting himself.”
The suspect said in another operation in Okene, Kogi State, his gang made N10m.
He said he lost seven of his rifles to the police in Niger State after they arrested his younger brother, who gave one of his guns to a friend. The friend then used it to snatch a car.
According to Isiaka, he gave the guns to his manager for safe-keeping but said when he was away for the election, his younger brother decided to rent out one of the guns to his friend.
“When my brother and his friend were arrested, he led the police to my car stand in Abuja where police seized all the vehicles in it and they also carried away my seven rifles.”
Despite his situation, Isiaka has a word of advice to the government on how to curtail crime.
He said amnesty should be offered to anyone carrying a gun in the state, saying that there are too many guns on the loose.
Source: Nairaland
he day the gang snatched the gun, operatives of the IRT were in the state to rescue a kidnap victim, Edward Amedu, being held in a forest camp by Isiaka’s men.
When the gang sighted the police team, he was said to have ordered his men to open fire on their approaching vehicle.
The police source said that in the process, two operatives of the IRT sustained bullet wounds. At the end of the operation, the IRT had lost a rifle to Isiaka’s team.
Two of his men were said to have been arrested at the time of the operation. They later led the police to where the victim was rescued.
Isiaka, a native of Odu-Ochelle in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, allegedly started off as a robber before joining militants in the Niger Delta and later became a political thug, who at a point, took control of his entire local government area.
Isiaka said he was once a farmer, who laboured for eight years till he could no longer endure the suffering and travelled to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he joined the group of militant leader, Ateke Tom.
He said, “I dropped out of secondary school and had nothing else to do but to go into farming at Iseyin, Oyo State. I did that till I went to Port Harcourt and started living with a young man. One day, I went to a joint where I normally smoked Indian hemp and saw some men discussing there. I realised they were militants involved in oil theft.
“I approached them and told them I was interested in joining them. They gave me the beating of my life. They accused me of being an informant. I was beaten for almost one week before one of them, who said he was one of Ateke Tom’s boys, finally said I could join them.
“He taught me how to handle guns and we burst many pipelines together. I was making almost N3m in each operation. After making enough money, I moved to Abuja and built a house. I bought some cars and started a car dealership. When I left the creeks, I came back with three guns, which I took to my village in Kogi.
“The sitting governor of Kogi State at the time, had given guns to thugs in the state. Because these same thugs killed my blood brothers during a disagreement, I had to keep the guns in Kogi so that I could use them to protect myself.”
Isiaka said during the 2011 governorship election in Kogi State between Idris Wada and Prince Abubakar Audu, he went home to “protect” the votes of his people.
According to him, the guns he brought back from the Niger Delta came in handy. He said despite this, one of his friends was killed during the election.
The suspect said, “After that election, I came back to Abuja and continued my business. I am a kind man, I even bought motorcycles for people as gifts. I first married three wives.
“Before the 2015 election, thugs of the Peoples Democratic Party and All Progressives Congress had a clash. I had to come back home and fight on the side of the APC. That was when the APC knew that I had become a powerful person. They realised they needed me.
“During the presidential election, Prince Audu gave me N30m to work for his party. But my younger brother, Farouk, was killed by PDP thugs in front of my father. He was picked up in his room where he slept beside his wife. They killed him and took his body away.
“When it was time for the governorship election, Prince Audu called me again and mobilised me with N20m and promised that he would make me the Chief Security Officer of the state if he won.
“He said he would make me Kogi’s youth leader and I would even be in charge of collecting revenue on farm produce in the state.
“My boys and I worked very hard. I was almost killed when I was ambushed by a PDP thug. So, I would have become the state’s CSO if Prince Audu had not died.”
Isiaka claimed that when Governor Yahaya Bello assumed office, he had made overtures to him, indicating that he could be useful to his government but got no reply.
According to him, some individuals might have scuttled his chances because of his closeness to the late Audu.
Isiaka said, “The people I fought were PDP thugs, who wanted to kill me and since APC came into power I have called on all my boys who are into armed robbery to stop because I have repented.
“Few weeks before the last governorship election, I communicated with some of my boys from Okene, who used to rob in my area. I advised them to quit because I discovered that the people of Kogi State wanted change and they were accepting what I was telling them. I knew that if APC won, my boys and I would enjoy.
“But they refused, so, I tricked them. I told them that I had a job for them and when they came to my town, I took them to a hotel. While they were inside, my boys went to where they parked their operational vehicle and stole all their guns.
“I control all the APC thugs in Kogi State and since I repented, I have been seriously against crime. Any of my boys who got involved in kidnapping, I personally arrested and handed over to the police but in most cases the police would release them after collecting money.
The police in Kogi State can confirm this. After all I did, the state governor (Bello) did not appreciate my efforts. He believes that I am still in support of Prince Audu’s son, Mohammed, but that is not true. My loyalty is to APC.”
Speaking about some of the robbery operations he was involved in, Isiaka said few weeks before the governorship election in Kogi in 2015, he and his gang robbed a vehicle carrying a huge amount of money in Abuja. He said he made over N50m from the operation and that he narrowly escaped death as one of his gang members attempted to kill him.
According to him, one Dan brought the job to him.
“He told me that some politicians were moving money around Abuja and it seemed that the money was meant for election. We planned our operation and we ambushed the driver and snatched the vehicle.
“After the operation, I kept three Ghana-Must-Go bags for myself and I gave Dan and others involved two bags to share. But while we were sharing the money, Dan, who had a gun with him, wanted to shoot me. He ended up shooting himself.”
The suspect said in another operation in Okene, Kogi State, his gang made N10m.
He said he lost seven of his rifles to the police in Niger State after they arrested his younger brother, who gave one of his guns to a friend. The friend then used it to snatch a car.
According to Isiaka, he gave the guns to his manager for safe-keeping but said when he was away for the election, his younger brother decided to rent out one of the guns to his friend.
“When my brother and his friend were arrested, he led the police to my car stand in Abuja where police seized all the vehicles in it and they also carried away my seven rifles.”
Despite his situation, Isiaka has a word of advice to the government on how to curtail crime.
He said amnesty should be offered to anyone carrying a gun in the state, saying that there are too many guns on the loose.
Source: Nairaland
Three Armed Robbers Who Terrorized Enugu Yesterday caught (Pictures)
Three notorious armed robbers who terrorized enugu state were caught yesterday after heavy gunshot exchange by the police with them. Eye witness has it that Robbers attacked from obiagu killing people snatched cars passed through Lagos street saw they were blocked everywhere around bisala and Roban stores and mistakenly ran into that Sullivan's street where they were caught in the former ssgs house.
the main guy was shot like a 100 Times didn't penetrate then an army guy cut him with a matchete. 
Saturday, 29 October 2016
EFCC To Seize Patience Jonathan’s Property Nationwide.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has begun moves to seize properties belonging to former First Lady, Patience Jonathan.
The commission started the probe in a bid to gather evidence against her, following the freezing of $20m traced to her.
EFCC has also set up a team of detectives saddled with the responsibility of identifying houses and property owned by Patience.
The operatives had been instructed from the office of the commission’s chairman to mark such houses.
The operatives are focusing attention on properties in Lagos, Abuja, Yenagoa and Port Harcourt.
“It would not be correct to conclude that the commission has halted the investigation into the activities of the former First Lady,” a source told Punch.
“The investigation is progressing and it is being handled by the office of the chairman of the commission.
“A team of operatives has been assembled to identify all her properties in the country with a focus on Abuja, Port Harcourt and Yenagoa.
“The responsibility of the team is to mark all such properties in preparation for a possible court action.”
Meanwhile Justice Babs Kuewumi of a National Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed December 7 to hear a suit filed by Mrs. Jonathan seeking to un-freeze her account.
EFCC had traced $5m to the personal account of the former First Lady. It froze the account domiciled in Skye Bank Plc last month.
Mrs. Jonathan’s troubles started when the commission froze the accounts of four companies traced to the Special Adviser to ex-President Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, Waripamowei Dudafa.
The four firms identified as Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited; Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Limited; Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company had a total of $15,591,700 in their accounts.
Source: Nairaland
These Kidnappers Release Victims, Then Abduct Those Who Brought Ransom
The long arm of the law finally caught up with members of a notorious kidnap gang operating in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on Wednesday, October 12, 2016.
The nine members of the gang, who were apprehended by the operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team in a five-hour raid that day, said they were so efficient in their criminal operations that they once kidnapped four victims on the same day.
The afternoon raid led to the arrest of Daniel Gabriel (33), Alaso Igodo (25), Akeodi Aselemi (34), Ayibinmotei Livinus (25), Anikuroka Marshal (33), Biebele Elijah (34) Efiye Anda (34), Daniel Lessor (31) and Isaac Reuben (27), all living within the Port Harcourt metropolis.
The police said the gang was responsible for most of the kidnappings that took place within GRA Phase 2, Port Harcourt, Borokiri General Area and YKC axis of Woji in Rivers State.
According to Punch, the string of events which led to the apprehension of the nine suspects started with the abduction of a woman identified as Mrs. Okotie, who was kidnapped few weeks ago opposite the Royal House of Grace Church in Port Harcourt.
The gang was said to have abducted her in the Mazda car they used as operational vehicle.
The victim told the police that she had told the suspects that she was not feeling fine but they did not listen to her.
Fortunately for Mrs. Okotie, the car broke down along the way and the leader of the gang named Blackie, called for another vehicle, a Nissan Primera, which arrived shortly after.
“But they did not know that we had got information about them. They were on their way to the Ornage Waterside when we intercepted them. As soon as they saw us, they fled and abandoned the woman in the car along with one of their rifles,” the source said.
Few days after the botched kidnapping of Mrs. Okotie, IRT operatives who were following up on a lead, arrested Gabriel, a taxi driver, around 2.pm on October 12.
When Gabriel, an Akwa-Ibom indigene living at Navy Market Borikiri, Port-Harcourt was taken in for questioning, he confessed that he had personally been involved in 15 kidnaps in the last few months in the state.
He then led the police to his house where five members of the gang were already planning another kidnap.
"When we got to his house, we arrested five of his gang members and from there, we proceeded to Enugu Waterfront where we arrested Anikuroka Marshal, the gang’s armourer. The suspects also identified Diobele Elijah and Akodi Aselemi as their spies who go around town scouting for victims. They confessed to have three AK47 rifles, two pistols, which they use in their operations," a police source said.
In one of the kidnaps carried out by the gang, on August 10, 2016, a pastor, Mrs. Luis Ubah and one Mr. Chika Ezenwa were abducted. The same day, the gang kidnapped a business woman, Mrs. Ubah in her store, they also grabbed another victim identified as Ezenwa who was with Ubah at the time.
The four victims were taken by the gang to the Indoki Estate Waterfront.
The source explained that while on their way to the waterfront, the gang encountered a police team and instantly opened fire on the policemen.
"Inspector David Ijosi and one Corporal Dike Ledee were injured by bullets in the attack. One was hit in the leg while another was hit in the neck and the kidnappers escaped into the Isaka creeks in Okrika," the source said.
Soon after, the gang made contact with Ubah’s husband, Bishop Prince Ubah, from whom they demanded a N50m ransom for her freedom.
During the ensuing negotiation, the ransom for the release of the bishop’s wife was reduced to N2.8m and a place was agreed on for the family to drop the ransom.
But in a dramatic turn of events, when two brothers of the bishop, Onyeka Ani and Pastor Okezie Akara, took the money to the agreed place on August 25, 2016, 15 days after Mrs. Ubah was kidnapped, the gang members decided to release her along with Ezenwa but kidnapped the two brothers instead.
The police said they then demanded another N1m ransom from the bishop for his brothers. But N750, 000 was eventually paid for their release.
The police said investigation on the scale of the operations of the gang was still on and that they were making efforts to arrest other members of the gang who are now underground.
Source: Nairaland
The nine members of the gang, who were apprehended by the operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team in a five-hour raid that day, said they were so efficient in their criminal operations that they once kidnapped four victims on the same day.
The afternoon raid led to the arrest of Daniel Gabriel (33), Alaso Igodo (25), Akeodi Aselemi (34), Ayibinmotei Livinus (25), Anikuroka Marshal (33), Biebele Elijah (34) Efiye Anda (34), Daniel Lessor (31) and Isaac Reuben (27), all living within the Port Harcourt metropolis.
The police said the gang was responsible for most of the kidnappings that took place within GRA Phase 2, Port Harcourt, Borokiri General Area and YKC axis of Woji in Rivers State.
According to Punch, the string of events which led to the apprehension of the nine suspects started with the abduction of a woman identified as Mrs. Okotie, who was kidnapped few weeks ago opposite the Royal House of Grace Church in Port Harcourt.
The gang was said to have abducted her in the Mazda car they used as operational vehicle.
The victim told the police that she had told the suspects that she was not feeling fine but they did not listen to her.
Fortunately for Mrs. Okotie, the car broke down along the way and the leader of the gang named Blackie, called for another vehicle, a Nissan Primera, which arrived shortly after.
“But they did not know that we had got information about them. They were on their way to the Ornage Waterside when we intercepted them. As soon as they saw us, they fled and abandoned the woman in the car along with one of their rifles,” the source said.
Few days after the botched kidnapping of Mrs. Okotie, IRT operatives who were following up on a lead, arrested Gabriel, a taxi driver, around 2.pm on October 12.
When Gabriel, an Akwa-Ibom indigene living at Navy Market Borikiri, Port-Harcourt was taken in for questioning, he confessed that he had personally been involved in 15 kidnaps in the last few months in the state.
He then led the police to his house where five members of the gang were already planning another kidnap.
"When we got to his house, we arrested five of his gang members and from there, we proceeded to Enugu Waterfront where we arrested Anikuroka Marshal, the gang’s armourer. The suspects also identified Diobele Elijah and Akodi Aselemi as their spies who go around town scouting for victims. They confessed to have three AK47 rifles, two pistols, which they use in their operations," a police source said.
In one of the kidnaps carried out by the gang, on August 10, 2016, a pastor, Mrs. Luis Ubah and one Mr. Chika Ezenwa were abducted. The same day, the gang kidnapped a business woman, Mrs. Ubah in her store, they also grabbed another victim identified as Ezenwa who was with Ubah at the time.
The four victims were taken by the gang to the Indoki Estate Waterfront.
The source explained that while on their way to the waterfront, the gang encountered a police team and instantly opened fire on the policemen.
"Inspector David Ijosi and one Corporal Dike Ledee were injured by bullets in the attack. One was hit in the leg while another was hit in the neck and the kidnappers escaped into the Isaka creeks in Okrika," the source said.
Soon after, the gang made contact with Ubah’s husband, Bishop Prince Ubah, from whom they demanded a N50m ransom for her freedom.
During the ensuing negotiation, the ransom for the release of the bishop’s wife was reduced to N2.8m and a place was agreed on for the family to drop the ransom.
But in a dramatic turn of events, when two brothers of the bishop, Onyeka Ani and Pastor Okezie Akara, took the money to the agreed place on August 25, 2016, 15 days after Mrs. Ubah was kidnapped, the gang members decided to release her along with Ezenwa but kidnapped the two brothers instead.
The police said they then demanded another N1m ransom from the bishop for his brothers. But N750, 000 was eventually paid for their release.
The police said investigation on the scale of the operations of the gang was still on and that they were making efforts to arrest other members of the gang who are now underground.
Source: Nairaland
Wednesday, 19 October 2016
"I Gave Fayose $5.377m In Cash"- Obanikoro .
Barely 24 hours after his detention, former Minister of State for
Defence, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro has implicated Governor Ayodele Fayose
in the N4.745billion wired to a company linked to him by the Office of
the National Security Adviser(ONSA).
The said cash was wired into the company, Sylva Mcnamara within seven months in 2014.
He said N2.23billion was transferred to Fayose out of the slush funds.
He said out of the sum, he handed over $5,377,000 to Fayose in cash and N1.3billion was received by the governor’s associate, Mr. Abiodun Agbele.
He admitted that the N1.3billion was flown to Akure airport in two chartered flights for delivery to Agbele.
The money was sourced from $2.1billion meant for arms from the Office of the National Security (ONSA).
Obanikoro, who opened up to EFCC detectives however said he is not the owner of Sylva Mcnamara that was used to transfer the funds to Fayose.
But he defended why the money was remitted to Mcnamara including the warding off of a plot by Boko Haram to attack Lagos.
Accompanied by his lawyer, Mr. James Onoja(SAN), the ex-Minister was confronted with a petition from ONSA which was dated November 28, 2015.
The petition was titled “Payment to companies with no contract awards or approval.”
He said having gone through the petition, he discovered that Sylva Mcnamara was No. 78 on the list of firms being investigated having “collected the aggregate sum of N4,685,000,000 between April 4, 2014 and November 13, 2014.
A top source quoted Obanikoro as saying that “the sum of N2.2billion was transferred to Sylva Mcnamara for onward transfer to Mr. Ayodele Fayose on the instruction of the NSA.
“The sum of N1.3billion cash was brought in a bullion van by Diamond Bank on the instruction of the NSA.
“In addition, the sum of N60million was converted to dollars at the rate of N168 per dollar and altogether the sum of $5,377,000 was handed over in cash by me to Mr. Fayose while the N1.3billion was received by Mr. Fayose’s associate, Mr. Abiodun Agbele in the presence of my Aide-de-Camp (ADC), Lt. Adewale who also accompanied them to the bank along with the bank officials.
“I didn’t interact with the bank officials. I called Fayose before the funds were handed over to Mr. Abiodun Agbele. I spoke to Fayose with my phone at Akure airport.”
On how the cash was transferred to Fayose, the source Obanikoro told investigators that “two flights were used to convey the money from Lagos.
The ex-Minister said he “took off with the first flight with part of the money while the second flight brought the remaining funds to Akure local airport and I directed that it should be handed over to the same person.”
The source said Obanikoro however maintained that part of the cash was used to ward off Boko Haram aggression in Lagos and in the South-West in general.
The source added: “He told us that he is not the owner of the company in question but introduced the owner, Mr. Kareem Taiwo to the NSA, Mr. Sambo Dasuki when the threat of Boko Haram became more visible in Lagos.
“He said the government wanted to “incorporate local input into the intelligence gathering and prevention of terrorist attack on Lagos and the South-West in general.”
The EFCC had discovered that Sylvan Mcnamara Limited, allegedly owned by Obanikoro and his sons, was used to launder the N4.745billion.
The company, which was incorporated in November 2011 had the following as its directors: a close aide of the ex-Minister, Ikenna Ezekwe(700,000 shares) of 51 Simpson Street, Ebute-Metta; Idowu Oshodi(299,000 shares) of 8, Prince Tayo Adesanya Street, Park View Estate, Ikoyi; and Elizabeth Adebiyi(1,000 shares) of 3, Adedoyin Street, Ijeshatedo, Surulere.
But Ikenna Ezekwe has had his accounts de-frozen by the EFCC since the slush funds were not traced to him.
A document said: “To set the stage for the use of the company for money laundering, the board of directors on May 7, 2012 passed a resolution that the company should open an account and appointed Mr. Gbolahan Obanikoro, Ikenna Ezekwe, Ms. Theresa Matuluko (Secretary) and Mr. Babajide Obanikoro as the signatories to the account.
“The board added that the signing combination be that any of the signatories can sign alone.”
According to EFCC, when it was time to illegally draw the N4.745billion from ONSA as war chest for Ekiti Governorship poll, ex-Minister Obanikoro made the account of Sylvan Mcnamara Limited available and coordinated the disbursement.
The breakdown of the disbursement was as follows: N N759, 384, 300 changed into dollars through Bureau De Change firms; N160million used to purchase cars through Balmoral International Limited; N1, 219, 490,000 ferried by Obanikoro in two flights to a branch of Zenith Bank at Plot 13, Alagbaka Estate, Akure to evacuate the cash and received by Fayose’s associate, Abiodun; balance of about N2billion withdrawn by Obanikoro and his two children in cash.
Some of the Bureau De Change companies involved in the transactions and the amounts credited to them include A.A.G.B.S OIL AND GAS (N168,000,000.00); SYLVAN MCNAMARA LTD (N167,500,000.00); NORTHLINE LTD (N835,000.00); NORTHLINE LTD (N83,750,000.00); FIVE STAR LTD N(37,600,000.00); A.B.A TRADING ENT (N268,301,500.00); VILLAGOLF BUREAU DE (N1,425,000.00); AHMAD &OMAR (N350,000.000); NORTHLINE LTD (N1,680,000.00); NORTHLINE LIMITED A (N2,325,300); REHOBOTH HOMES (20,000,0000); NORTHLINE LTD (N5,932,500.00); NORTHLINE LTD (N842,500); NORTHLINE LTD (N842,500.00).
Source: NAIRALAND.COM
The said cash was wired into the company, Sylva Mcnamara within seven months in 2014.
He said N2.23billion was transferred to Fayose out of the slush funds.
He said out of the sum, he handed over $5,377,000 to Fayose in cash and N1.3billion was received by the governor’s associate, Mr. Abiodun Agbele.
He admitted that the N1.3billion was flown to Akure airport in two chartered flights for delivery to Agbele.
The money was sourced from $2.1billion meant for arms from the Office of the National Security (ONSA).
Obanikoro, who opened up to EFCC detectives however said he is not the owner of Sylva Mcnamara that was used to transfer the funds to Fayose.
But he defended why the money was remitted to Mcnamara including the warding off of a plot by Boko Haram to attack Lagos.
Accompanied by his lawyer, Mr. James Onoja(SAN), the ex-Minister was confronted with a petition from ONSA which was dated November 28, 2015.
The petition was titled “Payment to companies with no contract awards or approval.”
He said having gone through the petition, he discovered that Sylva Mcnamara was No. 78 on the list of firms being investigated having “collected the aggregate sum of N4,685,000,000 between April 4, 2014 and November 13, 2014.
A top source quoted Obanikoro as saying that “the sum of N2.2billion was transferred to Sylva Mcnamara for onward transfer to Mr. Ayodele Fayose on the instruction of the NSA.
“The sum of N1.3billion cash was brought in a bullion van by Diamond Bank on the instruction of the NSA.
“In addition, the sum of N60million was converted to dollars at the rate of N168 per dollar and altogether the sum of $5,377,000 was handed over in cash by me to Mr. Fayose while the N1.3billion was received by Mr. Fayose’s associate, Mr. Abiodun Agbele in the presence of my Aide-de-Camp (ADC), Lt. Adewale who also accompanied them to the bank along with the bank officials.
“I didn’t interact with the bank officials. I called Fayose before the funds were handed over to Mr. Abiodun Agbele. I spoke to Fayose with my phone at Akure airport.”
On how the cash was transferred to Fayose, the source Obanikoro told investigators that “two flights were used to convey the money from Lagos.
The ex-Minister said he “took off with the first flight with part of the money while the second flight brought the remaining funds to Akure local airport and I directed that it should be handed over to the same person.”
The source said Obanikoro however maintained that part of the cash was used to ward off Boko Haram aggression in Lagos and in the South-West in general.
The source added: “He told us that he is not the owner of the company in question but introduced the owner, Mr. Kareem Taiwo to the NSA, Mr. Sambo Dasuki when the threat of Boko Haram became more visible in Lagos.
“He said the government wanted to “incorporate local input into the intelligence gathering and prevention of terrorist attack on Lagos and the South-West in general.”
The EFCC had discovered that Sylvan Mcnamara Limited, allegedly owned by Obanikoro and his sons, was used to launder the N4.745billion.
The company, which was incorporated in November 2011 had the following as its directors: a close aide of the ex-Minister, Ikenna Ezekwe(700,000 shares) of 51 Simpson Street, Ebute-Metta; Idowu Oshodi(299,000 shares) of 8, Prince Tayo Adesanya Street, Park View Estate, Ikoyi; and Elizabeth Adebiyi(1,000 shares) of 3, Adedoyin Street, Ijeshatedo, Surulere.
But Ikenna Ezekwe has had his accounts de-frozen by the EFCC since the slush funds were not traced to him.
A document said: “To set the stage for the use of the company for money laundering, the board of directors on May 7, 2012 passed a resolution that the company should open an account and appointed Mr. Gbolahan Obanikoro, Ikenna Ezekwe, Ms. Theresa Matuluko (Secretary) and Mr. Babajide Obanikoro as the signatories to the account.
“The board added that the signing combination be that any of the signatories can sign alone.”
According to EFCC, when it was time to illegally draw the N4.745billion from ONSA as war chest for Ekiti Governorship poll, ex-Minister Obanikoro made the account of Sylvan Mcnamara Limited available and coordinated the disbursement.
The breakdown of the disbursement was as follows: N N759, 384, 300 changed into dollars through Bureau De Change firms; N160million used to purchase cars through Balmoral International Limited; N1, 219, 490,000 ferried by Obanikoro in two flights to a branch of Zenith Bank at Plot 13, Alagbaka Estate, Akure to evacuate the cash and received by Fayose’s associate, Abiodun; balance of about N2billion withdrawn by Obanikoro and his two children in cash.
Some of the Bureau De Change companies involved in the transactions and the amounts credited to them include A.A.G.B.S OIL AND GAS (N168,000,000.00); SYLVAN MCNAMARA LTD (N167,500,000.00); NORTHLINE LTD (N835,000.00); NORTHLINE LTD (N83,750,000.00); FIVE STAR LTD N(37,600,000.00); A.B.A TRADING ENT (N268,301,500.00); VILLAGOLF BUREAU DE (N1,425,000.00); AHMAD &OMAR (N350,000.000); NORTHLINE LTD (N1,680,000.00); NORTHLINE LIMITED A (N2,325,300); REHOBOTH HOMES (20,000,0000); NORTHLINE LTD (N5,932,500.00); NORTHLINE LTD (N842,500); NORTHLINE LTD (N842,500.00).
Source: NAIRALAND.COM
Sunday, 16 October 2016
Hired Killer Falls In Love With Target, Demands Sex.
The
Adeyemi, who hails from Kwara State, told our correspondent that he was arrested by the police after he sneaked into the hotel, White House, and demanded that his target, simply known as Rosemary, had sex with him so he would spare her life.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Adeyemi, who dropped out of senior secondary school, was arrested by the Satellite Town Police Division last Thursday.
It was learnt that penultimate Wednesday, Adeyemi was brought by two gang members on a motorcycle to the hotel to kill Rosemary.
However, once Adeyemi laid his eyes on his supposed target, he reportedly fell in love with her and eventually attempted to rape her after she rebuffed his pleas to have sex with him.
Rosemary, however, raised the alarm.
The hotel management subsequently called the police, and Adeyemi was arrested.
Our correspondent learnt that one locally-made pistol and a live cartridge were recovered from Adeyemi, who had been transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja.
The police said the suspect belonged to a three-man gang, adding that a manhunt had been launched for the fleeing two gang members.
Speaking with PUNCH Metro, Adeyemi said he gave the woman N1,500 to have sex with her, adding that he fell in love with his target.
Adeyemi, who spoke in pidgin English, said, “I was working as a casual worker at a bottling company in the Apapa area before I met the gang members in the Ajegunle area. A friend, Wisdom, had invited me to stay in his house.
“His friends, who are Eiye Confraternity members, saw me and said they had a job for me. They said the job was to kill a woman. I said I could not do such a job, but they threatened to kill me and since they had guns, I was afraid.
“Finally, I was left with no option but to do their wish. One of them, Ahmed, gave me the gun and they brought me on a motorcycle to the hotel. But when I got to the hotel room and saw the woman, I fell in love with her and I had mercy on her.
“I told her that I was sent to kill her, but since I loved her, I would just have sex with her. When she declined, I offered her N1,500, and said I would take her necklaces and wristwatch away and lie to my gang members that she had been killed. But she raised the alarm.
“Everyone in the hotel called the police, the Oodua Peoples’ Congress and other vigilance groups. The hotel management called the police at the Satellite Town division.
“When my parents heard about my arrest, they were disappointed. I told them that I was being threatened by the cult members. I did not mean to kill the lady.
Otherwise, I would have shot her and run away.”
The state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said the command would not give criminals a breathing space in the state.
Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 24-year-old suspect, Tayo Adeyemi, who confessed to have been hired to kill a female hotel lodger in the Alakija, Satellite Town area of the state.
Source: Nairaland
Adeyemi, who hails from Kwara State, told our correspondent that he was arrested by the police after he sneaked into the hotel, White House, and demanded that his target, simply known as Rosemary, had sex with him so he would spare her life.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Adeyemi, who dropped out of senior secondary school, was arrested by the Satellite Town Police Division last Thursday.
It was learnt that penultimate Wednesday, Adeyemi was brought by two gang members on a motorcycle to the hotel to kill Rosemary.
However, once Adeyemi laid his eyes on his supposed target, he reportedly fell in love with her and eventually attempted to rape her after she rebuffed his pleas to have sex with him.
Rosemary, however, raised the alarm.
The hotel management subsequently called the police, and Adeyemi was arrested.
Our correspondent learnt that one locally-made pistol and a live cartridge were recovered from Adeyemi, who had been transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja.
The police said the suspect belonged to a three-man gang, adding that a manhunt had been launched for the fleeing two gang members.
Speaking with PUNCH Metro, Adeyemi said he gave the woman N1,500 to have sex with her, adding that he fell in love with his target.
Adeyemi, who spoke in pidgin English, said, “I was working as a casual worker at a bottling company in the Apapa area before I met the gang members in the Ajegunle area. A friend, Wisdom, had invited me to stay in his house.
“His friends, who are Eiye Confraternity members, saw me and said they had a job for me. They said the job was to kill a woman. I said I could not do such a job, but they threatened to kill me and since they had guns, I was afraid.
“Finally, I was left with no option but to do their wish. One of them, Ahmed, gave me the gun and they brought me on a motorcycle to the hotel. But when I got to the hotel room and saw the woman, I fell in love with her and I had mercy on her.
“I told her that I was sent to kill her, but since I loved her, I would just have sex with her. When she declined, I offered her N1,500, and said I would take her necklaces and wristwatch away and lie to my gang members that she had been killed. But she raised the alarm.
“Everyone in the hotel called the police, the Oodua Peoples’ Congress and other vigilance groups. The hotel management called the police at the Satellite Town division.
“When my parents heard about my arrest, they were disappointed. I told them that I was being threatened by the cult members. I did not mean to kill the lady.
Otherwise, I would have shot her and run away.”
The state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said the command would not give criminals a breathing space in the state.
Source: Nairaland
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