News
Alleged N40bn Fraud: EFCC Accuses Obiano Of Evading Service Of Court Process As Trial Stalls
Published
2 months agoon
By
EditorThe Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday at the Federal High Court in Abuja accused former governor of Anambra State, Willie Maduabuchi Obiano of evading services of court process in the N40 billion alleged fraud charges against him.
Lead counsel to the anti-graft agency and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Sylvanus Tahir made the accusation at the resumption of trial of the former governor in the corruption charges against him.
Tahir informed Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo that in compliance with the order of the Court made on Monday, he filed a counter affidavit to oppose the bid by Obiano to challenge the territorial jurisdiction of the Court to prosecute him.
READ ALSO: Alleged N4bn Theft: Soludo Visits Obiano In Abuja
The senior lawyer, however, lamented that efforts to serve the counter affidavit on the former governor through his lawyer on Wednesday as ordered by court were unsuccessful.
He informed the Court that his team was on Wednesday at the Chamber of Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu SAN, lead counsel to Obiano but that the gate to the office was firmly locked.
Tahir said he personally phoned two of the defendant lawyers but he was told they were at a Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.
The lawyer claimed that due to the circumstances, he was only able to serve the counter affidavit on the defendant inside the court room on Thursday.
He asked the court to proceed to hear the motion of the former governor challenging the territorial jurisdiction of the Court along with the counter affidavit.
READ ALSO: Nursing Student Killed Self Over Unwanted Pregnancy
However, Patrick Ikweto SAN who represented Obiano at Thursday’s proceedings confirmed being served and pleaded for an adjournment to enable him respond to the EFCC’s counter affidavit.
Justice Ekwo granted the request and fixed March 13 for hearing of Obiano’s motion on territorial jurisdiction.
The former governor, who served two terms in Anambra State, was arraigned before the court over alleged embezzlement of state funds amounting to N40 billion.
Part of the charge reads, “that Chief Willie Maduabuchi Obiano, whilst being the executive governor of Anambra State between March 2014 — March 2022, sometime between 9th August, 2017 to 4th March, 2020 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, indirectly transferred through Mr Willie Nwokoye, your then principal private secretary, the sum of N261,268,585.00 only from the Anambra State Government Security Vote Account into the account belonging to Easy Diamond Integrated Link (an entity that had no business relationship with the Anambra State Government), which funds were dissipated for purposes unrelated / unconnected with the security affairs of Anambra State, which you reasonably ought to have known that such funds formed part of the proceeds of your unlawful act, to wit: (Stealing and Corruption) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) in 2012 and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.”
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A Former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) of the University of Benin, Edo State, Prof. Pius Iribhogbe, is dead.
Until his demise, Prof. Iribhogbe was also a consultant trauma surgeon, head of the Department of Surgery and coordinator of the School of Paramedics at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.
The academic scholar passed on in Saudi Arabia.
UNIBEN’s Public Relations Officer, Dr Benedicta Ehanire, who confirmed the surgeon’s death said the school was yet to issue a statement.
News
Residents Displaced As Rainstorms Wreck Havoc In Edo Community
Published
2 hours agoon
April 27, 2024By
EditorLampese community in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State has been ravaged by rainstorms.
The incident was said to have occurred Friday as a result of a heavy downpour which affected many houses including the electricity transformer.
An eyewitness account described the incident as very unfortunate following the level of devastation.
Residents of the community have therefore called on the state and local governments and all concerned authorities to come to their rescue with a view to proffering urgent solutions and resettling displaced residents.
READ ALSO: PHOTOS: Properties Worth Millions Destroyed As Fire Razes Shops In Benin
Reacting to the situation, the local government council chairman, Tajudeen Suleman, who said he was far away in Enugu State for an official engagement, disclosed that he has mobilised the council officials to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment immediately he got the news, promising to visit victims as soon as he returns today.
He also said he was in touch with the state deputy governor, Marvellous Omobayo and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) on moves to fast track the process of resettling affected persons.
News
Lawyer Drags NERC, AGF, Minister Of Power To Court Over Electricity Tariff Hike
Published
2 hours agoon
April 27, 2024By
EditorA Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Joe Agi, has taken legal action against the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and Abuja Electricity Distribution (AEDC) for allegedly raising his electricity tariff by 230 per cent.
The case is currently being heard by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja, where Agi is seeking the protection of his fundamental rights.
In his application, the senior lawyer asks the court to declare that the new tariffs and the hours of supply violate the Electricity Act of 2023 and Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution.
The applications list NERC, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu; the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, and AEDC as the first to fourth respondents, respectively.
READ ALSO: Customer Drags NERC, AGF To Court Over Electricity Tariff Hike, Classification
In the attached affidavit submitted with the lawsuit, the attorney stated that he purchased 682kwh of utility from the AEDC on both March 23 and April 3, for a total of N50,000.
Furthermore, Agi declared that on April 6, he made another N50,000 utility purchase, but this time the value of the purchase was reduced to 206.7kwh.
He expressed his concern regarding this unexpected change but later discovered that the NERC and AEDC had implemented a system known as “bands” in the country. Under this system, NERC issued the April 2024 Supplementary Order to the Multi-Year Tariff Order 2024.
“That from the tariffs shared, the 1st and 4th respondents (NERC and AEDC) increased my tariffs by 230%, whereas others had theirs increased by 236%,177% and some others 0% in Nigeria.
READ ALSO: Electricity Workers Fault Tariff Hike, Threaten Strike
“The tariffs are discriminatory and the hours of supply are discriminatory between consumers and consumer categories and should be cancelled,” the SAN prayed the court.
Agi criticized the statement made by NERC’s chairman, Musiliu Oseni, on April 1st, where he stated that “only 15% of the electricity consumers in the country who consume 40% of the nation’s electricity are the ones affected.”
In Agi’s view, this directive creates a distinction between the 15% and the remaining 85% of consumers in Nigeria, which he considers discriminatory.
He argued that the use of US Dollars to determine tariffs in Nigeria is unnecessary and goes against public policy.
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Consequently, the applicant requested “a declaration that the NERC Supplementary Order to the MYTO 2024 is discriminatory, unconstitutional, and a clear violation of the applicant’s right to freedom from discrimination as guaranteed under Section 116 (2) (e) of the Electricity Act, 2023, and Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended).”
He also stated that it violates the African Charter on Human and Peoples Right (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Cap A9 Vol. 1LEN 2004.
Agi also requested the court to declare that the use of the United States of American dollar exchange rate to determine the cost of tariffs in Nigeria is illegal, unconstitutional, and against public policy. Additionally, he sought an order to invalidate the NERC Supplementary Order to the MYTO 2024, as it is discriminatory and a clear violation of his right to freedom from discrimination as protected by the law.
However, no hearing date has been scheduled for this matter.
Recall that on April 3, NERC increased the electricity tariff for customers in the Band A category, who receive 20 hours of power supply daily, from N66/kWh to N225/kWh.
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