News

Bobrisky, VDM, Falz And Our Very Dark End (2) [OPINION]

Published

8 months ago

October 11, 2024

Tunde Odesola

Luxuriating in a posh apartment when he should be doing time for his crime, Bobrisky got on the phone with a friend, disgorging the content of his innards in a flirty, whimpering and entitled voice.

The Very Important Prisoner coos, “I called my friend. You know, because I can’t use my account, I wanted to send money from my account but they said I’m still under investigation. I cannot withdraw from my account. So, I now called (a) few of my friends. You know Polanco – Elele – that Polanco. He’s my very good friend. So, I called him. He was like, ‘Ah, no o, account wo ni kin n send owo si, account wo ni ki n send owo si’? I gave him my brother’s account, he now sent N8m, ‘pe iye ti awon le sare send ni’sinyi ni yen o’. I was even shocked that he can send that amount of money. He said, ‘Ah, omo gidi ni e, o n se omo be yen; you’re a very nice person’.

“So, I called Demola, Demola in New York, you know he’s my friend too. Demola sent me N1m immediately. Then, I called other people. I can’t start making call (sic) (to everyone), because I don’t know who set me up, so, let me not start calling the wrong people, do you understand? I called the people I trust, so, the money sha complete N15m, they now remove (sic) money laundering charge, they now took me to court for spraying of money.”

Tracing the genesis of his wahala, Bobrisky recalls in the recorded phone call, “The whole thing started from when they gave me Best Female Dress (sic) (award). That’s where the whole thing started from, you know – jealousy, envy, we sha got to court, I sha told them that I’m guilty, that, ‘Ah maybe court will even pity, that o ya pay fine or community service’. Sadly, the court sentenced me.

“So, you know, I was on my way to the prison, then my godfather called me and said, ‘You will not enter that prison, ma worry, let me make arrangement for an apartment close to the prison’; that he’s going to call the (Controller General) (Nigerian Correctional Service), that’s the overall (head) in Nigeria and Abuja, and he (godfather) will talk to them. They sha talk o, before I come back sha, they now took me to one apartment – that I must not come out till I finish my sentence, that the oga said they should come and keep me here, that nobody should know that I’m not there (in prison).

“They said the guy would collect money…N5m. I had to call Elele (Polanco) again, there’s nobody to call, Elele gave me the balance of N2m. I’m supposed to come out in ending of July, next month, 29th, …Bad Guy, his father is a SAN, so, Falz reach (sic) out to me, his father spoke to me, his father said we can apply for pardon, that…my case is federal, that the federal can actually pardon me – that’s the President – that if they pardon me, I can even leave here by next week. Do you understand? That I don’t have to wait till ending of next month. Ok. So, the man started the pardon, he said he want to send it to Minister of Justice. So, Minister of Justice will now send it to the President to approve it, but you know Nigeria, Nigeria with their corruption and everything, they take it back to him, the lawyer said they will collect N10m, that that pardon will clear my name off the record…”

Imagine Bobrisky lamenting corruption!? What a country!

Well, I won’t dwell much on the second audio recording released by VDM because it’s essentially like the first one presented above – the only difference being Bobrisky’s corroboration of the fact that he never stayed inside the Nigerian prison facility.

Hear him, “Truth be told, I don’t want to lie to you, you’re my person; I’m not in prison. I’m around there, they got me an apartment because of my godfather. My godfather was able to tell them that never, I will not smell the prison. Let the world think you’re in there but you will never (get inside the prison). So, we were able to talk to the Deputy Controller in Nigeria, and he (Deputy Controller) said that (everything would go well) if Bob is not forcing anything, if Bob is not saying anything, if Bob is not doing anything – they can put me in a place close to the place (prison), so, I can always come inside (the prison) and see people and welcome my family and nobody needs to know. My godfather got me a new SAN.”

At the deathbed of an elephant, knives of various sizes and blades converge for condolence. Numerous recordings on the Bobrisky saga have sprouted up everywhere, making the task of tracking the emerging issues a helluva job.

Along the line, an audio recording (not from VDM) revealed that the ongoing Bobrisky Prisongate scandal was baked in the oven of vengeance as a young man, who purportedly lives in the US, and whom Bobrisky allegedly owed N4m, was said to be the one who released the audio recordings to VDM. While answering questions when he met a joint committee of the House of Reps in Abuja, VDM confirmed that someone whom Bobrisky owed gave him the recordings.

However, the way VDM is handling his presentation of the recordings to the public shows the gulf of difference between a journalist and a mere blogger. VDM could have hidden behind the petal of ‘Fair Comment’ located within the sepals of the Law of Libel. He could also have claimed he made the revelation in the public interest. But his comments lost the fragrance of fairness when he questioned the sexual orientation of Falz and also impugned the integrity of the iconic human rights crusader and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana, together with Falz’s, saying, “But all the people that would be mentioned, I don’t care, you understand, I don’t care, and from today, no longer respect for all of you, you understand, because all of una na di same.”

In the same recording, VDM goes magisterial, saying, “Wait, Falz the Bad Guy? I can’t even believe this. Falz De Bad Guy contacted Bobrisky? He contacted his father, Femi Falana, and Femi Falana, his father, spoke to Bobrisky in order to divert justice. And this same Falz, if this story is true o, will have the audacity to come out and say he is fighting against the government – for oppression, that he wants justice, he wants Nigeria to be better, so na like dis you dey carry yourself? I don’t even want to believe that Femi Falana will bring himself down to this level! A whole Femi Falana wey bi Fela lawyer, wey we respect!? Femi Falana will engage himself in something like dis? Wait, wait, wait, what is the relationship between Falz and Bobrisky? Abi Falz sef dey do? Oh, ok. (Bursts into a song) ‘Who are we to crucify the homosexual? Most of una don dey involve from time, everybody is a hypocrite o’ Abi Falz sef dey do?”

VDM made an effort to appear fair to Falana and his son, Falz, by interjecting his narration with ‘if this story is true o’. He also started another video by saying, “Before I go on, everything in this video is ‘allegedly’.”

If VDM was a journalist, he would know that a thousand ‘allegedlys’ or a million ‘ifs’ cannot save his neck from the guillotine of defamation because many people who viewed his posts won’t reckon with ‘allegedly’ or ‘if’ as they would presume Falana and Falz are guilty. The law is clear on this.

Falz, a lawyer, represented by Falana and Falana, the law firm of his father, has embarked, through his lawyer, Taiwo Olawanle, on a move to clear his name of the allegations levelled against him, giving VDM a 24-hour ultimate to retract his statements and apologise even as he refuted the allegations.

Falana, in an interview, denied the allegations by VDM and expressed concern over some ‘mentally deranged’ netizens who threatened to burn down his office and kill his daughter if he dragged VDM to court. He said, “Some of these guys, who I believe are mentally deranged, have dared me, (saying) ‘if you go to court, we shall burn your office’, they have also sent messages to one of my daughters, that ‘if your father goes to court, we shall kill you’. I beg your pardon, in this country! I just laughed. I asked my girl, ‘I will take it up’. I’ve already taken that up because we also need to let these guys know where we are coming from.”

Here’s a piece of unsolicited advice, VDM. When next anyone gives you a story, always take it with a pinch of salt, don’t be overexuberant, seek all the sides to the story and do a holistic presentation. It shouldn’t be Seun Anikulapo-Kuti who should advise you to reach out to Falz. No, you should’ve reached out to Falz and Falana as a point of duty. It would be beneficial if you run your stories through the lenses of a journalist and a lawyer, subsequently. When the Yoruba extol wisdom over strength in the proverb, “Ejó là á kó kó, ká tó kójà,” e get why.

VDM, good you’re a mouthpiece, a drum. But the drum is useless without the hands. I advise you to get some education in public communication. When you do that, you will know to dissociate yourself from your posts. By so doing, you will stay out of trouble and be more effective and believable.

Bro, please, shun overexcitement and the urge to lionise yourself in the eyes of your viewers because some discernable viewers know the stories of the Bobrisky saga were dropped on your laps, it wasn’t sourced. Any other blogger could have relayed the message, too. You also need to shun threats and blackmail. It’s unreasonable to say, “I give you 24 hours…” Giving Bobrisky a deadline to pay up the N4m he owed or risk being blogged was arm-twisting and not in public interest. That means if Bobrisky paid the N4m he owed his creditor, you wouldn’t have exposed him. When you do this, you’re no corruption fighter but a debt collector.

MORE FROM THE AUTHOR: OPINION: The Bile In Oshiomhole’s Heart

In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Eneke the bird says, “Since men have learned to shoot without missing, he has learned to fly without perching.” It’s high time the judiciary strengthened its oversight at the prisons by devising a tactic to check if its judgments are carried out. It’s pointless to make ineffective laws.

We’re all victims! Lions are shot dead after human beings forget to lock the zoo gates and lions kill man. Man in power tramples upon the man in poverty. Man in power, a victim of greed. Victims, victims, victims, we all are.

As for the EFCC and the Nigerian Correctional Service, it’s another soprano in the dirge of shame pervading all the structures of the Nigerian government. Bobrisky mentioned President Bola Tinubu and his Minister of Justice. But there’s no backlash. Rotten heads are not rolling, they’re still on their fat necks.

Abba Kyari, the disgraced police cop, remains wanted in the US for criminal offences but the All Progressives Congress government has continued to shield him. Nothing has been heard of the drug and bribery offences against him in Nigeria. Haba, Kyari! Haba, Federal Government of Shame!

Concluded.

Email: tundeodes2003@yahoo.com

Facebook: @Tunde Odesola

X: @Tunde_Odesola

News

Divestment: CSOs Throw Weight Behind King Dakolo’s Suit Against Shell

Published

2 hours ago

June 21, 2025

Editor

The Plaintiff, Agada IV of Ekpetiama Kingdom (Right) and environmental rights activist, Dr. Nnimmo Bassey at the court proceedings yesterday, June 20, 2025 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo

A coalition of civil society organisations has thrown its weight behind the suit filed by His Royal Majesty, King
Bubaraye Dakolo, Agada IV of Ekpetiama Kingdom, Bayelsa State, against Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited in its divestment bid.

The civil society organisations drumming support for King Dakolo in his suit before Justice Ayo Emmanuel of the Federal High Court, Yenagoa, are: Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF); Social Action Nigeria; International Working Group on Petroleum Pollution and the Just Transition in the Niger Delta
(IWG); Bayelsa State Non-Governmental Organisations Forum (BANGOF); HEDA Resource Centre; Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, among others.

In the suit marked: FHC/YNG/CS//2025, HRM, King Bubaraye Dakolo, Agada IV of Ekpetiama Kingdom, is the Plaintiff while Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) (1st Defendant); Shell Petroleum N.V.(2nd Defendant); Shell PLC (3rd Defendant); Attorney General of the Federation (4th Defendant); Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) (5th Defendant); Minister of Petroleum Resources (6th Defendant) and Renaissance African Energy Limited is the 7th Defendant.

The Plaintiff, through is lawyer, Chuks Ugburu, is seeking a declaration by the honourable court that “the purported sale, assignment, transfer or divestment of the onshore and shallow-water oil and gas assets of the 1st Defendant to the 7th Defendant executed without strict compliance with the mandatory provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) Regulatory Divestment Framework, and without due consultation with and consent from the Plaintiff is unlawful, unconstitutional, null and void.”

The Plaintiff is seeking “A DECLARATION that the failure and refusal of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Defendants to carry out a comprehensive and participatory Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Host Community Development Plan (HCDP), Decommissioning and Abandonment Plan, prior to initiating and concluding the divestment process, is a violation of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021 and international environmental law.”

The Plaintiff is also seeking a “A DECLARATION that the 4th, 5th and 6th Defendants have failed in their statutory duties under the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, including their obligations to regulate and monitor the divestment process, ensure stakeholder consultation and due diligence and safeguard the rights and Interests of host communities like the Plaintiff.”

The Plaintiff is also praying the court to declare “the exclusion of Ekpetiama Kingdom and its leadership from the divestment process amounts to a denial of their right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) under international law and renders the divestment process procedurally and legally defective.”

Also, “A DECLARATION that the continued degradation of the environment, livelihoods and health of the people of Ekpetiama Kingdom, as detailed in the expert findings of the report titled “An Environmental Genocide: Counting the Human and Environmental Cost of Oil in Bayelsa, Nigeria”, is a violation of the constitutional and human rights of the Plaintiff, and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Defendants are liable for the same.”

“A DECLARATION that the continuous oil spills, gas flaring, and other environmentally harmful activities of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 7th Defendants in Ekpetiama Kingdom constitute a violation of the Plaintiff’s constitutional right to a clean, safe and healthy environment.”

The Plaintiff is seeking “A DECLARATION that the 1s, 2nd, 3rd and 7th Defendants are jointly and severally liable for the environmental degradation, economic loss and public health crisis caused in Ekpetiama Kingdom.

“AN ORDER directing the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 7th Defendants jointly and severally to immediately embark on comprehensive environmental clean-up, remediation and restoration of all polluted sites within Ekpetiama Kingdom.

“AN ORDER mandating the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 7th Defendants jointly and severally to establish and fund a Community Environmental Rehabilitation Fund for Ekpetiama Kingdom to the tune of $1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion United States Dollars).”

“AN ORDER directing the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 7th Defendants to jointly and severally pay to the Plaintiff the sum of $2,000,000,000.00 (Two Billion United States Dollars) as general and exemplary compensation for the losses, pain, and suffering occasioned by the 1 ^ m – 3 ^ m Defendants’ negligent and reckless operations.

“AN ORDER of perpetual injunction restraining the Defendants from continuing operations in Ekpetiama Kingdom without first conducting an independent and transparent environmental impact reassessment.

“AN ORDER nullifying the purported transfer, sale or assignment of oil and gas assets from the 1st Defendant to the 7th Defendant for substantial and material noncompliance with the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, including failures to comply with mandatory environmental, social, and host community obligations.

“AN ORDER of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st 2nd and 3rd Defendants, whether by themselves, their agents, privies or assigns, from taking any further steps in furtherance of the said divestment to the 7th Defendant or any other person, unless and until full compliance with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021 is demonstrated and approved through judicial and regulatory processes.

“AN ORDER of perpetual injunction restraining the 7th Defendant from entering, operating, managing, or exercising any rights or obligations over the said divested assets located in or impacting the Ekpetiama Kingdom, until lawful compliance with all applicable statutory and regulatory obligations is ensured.

“AN ORDER directing the 4th, 5th and 6th Defendants to immediately conduct a thorough, independent, and transparent regulatory review of the divestment process, including Environmental and Social Impact Assessments, Financial and technical capacity of the 7th Defendant and Decommissioning liabilities and community obligations.”

“AN ORDER compelling the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Defendants to publicly disclose all agreements, undertakings, financial arrangements and environmental plans relating to the divestment and publish a time-bound plan for remediating environmental harm caused in Ekpetiama Kingdom, with the involvement of the Plaintiff.

“AN ORDER directing the Defendants to jointly and severally undertake immediate remedial measures in Ekpetiama Kingdom as recommended in the “Environmental Genocide” report, including but not limited to clean-up of polluted water bodies and farmlands, provision of potable water and cultural heritage.”

Joining their voices to the Plaintiff, the civil society organisations called on the Federal High Court to “act decisively,” and “restrain Shell and its partners from finalising any asset sale or
divestment until full compliance with environmental and human rights obligations is demonstrated.”

They also urged the court to “compel regulators like the NUPRC to enforce the Petroleum Industry Act
and protect host communities; affirm the rights of indigenous peoples of the Niger Delta to clean environments, safe livelihoods, and full consultation.”

News

SEC Bans CEOs From Becoming Chairmen Without 3-year Break

Published

17 hours ago

June 21, 2025

Editor

The Securities and Exchange Commission has issued a new directive prohibiting Chief Executive Officers and Executive Directors from immediately assuming the position of Board Chairman within the same company or group after leaving office.

A mandatory three-year “cool off period” has been introduced before such transitions can take place.

The directive is part of a wider effort to strengthen corporate governance and prevent the concentration of power in public companies and capital market operators deemed to be of significant public interest.

This was disclosed in a circular released by the Commission and signed by the management on Thursday on its website titled “Circular to All Public Companies and Capital Market Operators on the Transmutation of Independent Non-Executive Directors and Tenure of Directors.”

The SEC expressed concern over what it described as a “worrying trend of the transmutation/conversion of Independent Non-Executive Directors (INEDs) to Executive Directors, including to the position of the Chief Executive Officer.”

It warned that such practices undermine board independence.

The Circular reads,”This practice clearly erodes the neutrality of the transmuting INEDs, compromises their ability going forward to provide objective judgment and is generally antithetical to the principles which underpin independent directorship as outlined in both the National Code of Corporate Governance (NCCG) as well as the SEC Corporate Governance Guidelines (SCGG).”

As a result, the Commission has directed the immediate discontinuance of the conversion of INEDs into Executive Directors within the same company or group structure.

The new rules also introduce strict tenure limits. Directors in Capital Market Operators considered to be of significant public interest will now be limited to 10 consecutive years in the same company, and 12 years within the same group structure.

“A Chief Executive Officer or Executive Director who steps down after 10 or 12 consecutive years, as the case may be, cannot be appointed as Chairman until the expiration of a 3-year ‘cool off period’.

“The tenure of such former Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director as Chairman shall be for a maximum of 4 years and no more.”

The SEC said these changes are backed by its powers under Section 355(r)(iv) of the Investments and Securities Act (ISA) 2025, which authorises it to set governance standards for regulated entities.

“The foregoing directives take immediate effect and compliance is mandatory. Public Companies and Capital Market Operators are therefore required to take the directives into account in their board appointments and succession planning,” the statement added.

The Commission also clarified that years already served by current officeholders will count toward the newly established tenure caps.

News

We’ve Initiated Policies, Reforms For Sustainable Health Delivery System — Edo Deputy Gov

Published

19 hours ago

June 20, 2025

Editor

Deputy Governor of Edo State, Hon. Dennis Idahosa has
said that the Senator Monday Okpebholo-led administration has initiated policies and reforms that will ensure a sustainable healthcare delivery system.

Idahosa stated this while chairing the second meeting of the state taskforce on Primary Health Care (PHC), at the New Festival Hall, Government House in Benin.

According to statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Friday Aghedo, the meeting included the taskforce members, stakeholders, and developmental partners.

In his keynote address, the deputy governor called for societal vigilance and surveillance to help curtail the effects of the outbreak of Dengue Fever and Diphtheria.

He mentioned that the state was putting up concerted efforts at building a responsive and resilient PHC system.

He encouraged members of the taskforce to be solutions driven, as well as be an instrument of change in their quest to disseminate, enlighten and champion a result driven health process that benefits locals across the eighteen local government areas.

He noted that the plan was to make primary healthcare the most accessible form of healthcare in the state to aid better maternal and health outcomes.

Idahosa singled out and commended the Egor local government chairman, Hon. Kelvin Eguaekun, for his concerted effort to network and maintain cleanliness in his council area.

Idahosa informed the state government move to implement a reward system for local government chairmen who play critical roles in their domains by disseminating and implementing processes that showcase the benefits of a cleaner environment to drive down diseases.

Amongst chairmen who pledged to implement reached decisions at the stakeholders meeting included Hon. Haruna Mohammed of Owan East and Hon. Joy Ohonyor of Owan West.