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Drama As Adenuga’s Former Private Secretary Tackles Him In Court

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… ‘Adenuga Accusing Me Because I Cease To Be His Mistress’ – Ex-employee

Ms. Honora Olumide Johnson, a former confidential secretary to Dr. Mike Adenuga, has said that the allegation of conspiracy, forgery, stealing and obtaining money under false pretence leveled against her by her former boss was because she walked away from a 30-year love relationship with him, for her peace of mind.

She disclosed this while taking an oath before Justice Mohammed Liman of Federal High Court, Lagos.

A firm, Worldspan Holdings Limited, owned by Adenuga, had through its counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), petitioned EFCC, alleging conspiracy, forgery, stealing and obtaining money under false pretence against Johnson and others.

“But contrary to the instruction, the first defendant and the 5th defendant allegedly issued a later instruction to the bank that the said balance be wired to DSL Nominees Limited account in China for their personal benefits,” the petitioner alleged.

READ ALSO: Three Feared Dead As Neighbouring Communities Fight Dirty Over Land In Edo

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The petitioner also alleged that sometime between 2018 and 2020, the first defendant, together with others, stole “various currencies in naira and foreign currencies in the total equivalent of $350,000.”

On account of that and others, the EFCC sought and obtained an exparte order, attaching various properties of the 1st defendant, including her residential building, (all, but one of which she had bought between April, 2001 and February 2010) and froze her bank accounts on February 16, 2021.

However, the 1st defendant filed a motion dated March 12, praying the court to discharge the interim attachment order.

She supported her motion with an affidavit denying all the allegations contained in the petition and averred that at no time in 2013 was she instructed by Dr. Adenuga or Worldspan to transfer the alleged $300,000/close any accounts nor did she participate in any transfer of the said sum to DSL nominees, China.

READ ALSO: ‘Petitions Against My Reelection Motivated By Greed, Malice’ – Obaseki

She maintained that she was never queried for any alleged diversion of $300,000 from 2013 till she left her employment in 2019 and further stated that she was never involved in alleged stealing of a phantom $350,000 from between 2018 and 2020, moreso as she had since early 2019 left Adenuga’s company.

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She further swore to a 13 paragraph further affidavit that she instructed her counsel to file an application for stay of execution as well as for discharging the orders of the court, which was done and served on the prosecution.

According to her, the application was filed on March 12, 2021 and served on all the respondents on the same date.

“However, on March 17, 2021, I was suddenly asked by an EFCC officer via telephone call to come to the Commission’s office immediately. I informed the officer who called me that I had a pre-scheduled medical appointment for March 17, 2021 and that I would come to their office on the scheduled date, being March 18, 2021.

“The EFCC officer then told me that he and his fellow officers were coming to my house to pick me up and take possession of my house as there is a court order to that effect.

“The EFCC officers kept true to their threat as 30 minutes later they got to my house with Police officers, tried to eject me from my house, that they were taking possession of the house, despite the service of the application of the motion for stay on the EFFC,” she swore.

READ ALSO: Drama As Police Restrict Anti Petrol, Cement Prices Increment Protesters In Edo

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But the EFCC filed a counter affidavit, necessitating the need for the defendants to respond to it.

In his response, counsel to the 1st defendant, Oluwemimo Ogunde told the court that they had received the counter affidavit and written address to his motion dated March 12, 2021 and would require time to respond.

According to him, the further affidavit he filed on behalf of his clients was to document for the court what the EFCC was doing in harassing his client.

“We think it is important to bring this to our lordship’s notice,” he declared.

But counsel to EFCC, Rotomi Jacob (SAN) and I. A. Mohammed said they were not opposed to the adjournment but argued that the counter affidavit was not necessary.

“It is not a fundamental enforcement of rights action. The matter is for attachment, so that counter affidavit is not needed. But I am not objecting to adjournment,” Mohammed said.

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Justice Mohammed Liman therefore, with the cooperation of both counsel, adjourned to April 22, 2021 to hear the motion to vacate the interim order.

Meanwhile, the 1st defendant had in her March 1, 2021 petition to the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Tony Ojukwu dening all the allegations, claiming that she was being harangued for refusing to continue to be the mistress (lover) of Dr. Adenuga.

In the petition, her lawyers, M.J. Partnership; Solicitors, said: “Our client worked for over a period of 30 years approximately, as confidential secretary to Dr. Adenuga starting from her appointment at Devcom Merchant Bank Limited in 1990.

“However, irrespective of which of Dr. Adenuga’s companies our client’s salaries were paid from, our client at all times worked personally in the office of Dr. Adenuga all through the period she worked in his organization receiving various cash gifts in foreign and local currencies from Dr. Adenuga.

“She handled many sensitive matters for Dr. Adenuga and at no point during her work as confidential secretary was she accused of any financial crime or misdemeanor whatsoever. She rather performed her role as confidential secretary to the best of her abilities,” the lawyers stated and urged the Commission to protect the rights of the accused from the “frivolous criminal allegations.”

 

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Man, 38 Escapes Assassination Attempt In Benin

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Innocent Omoruyi

By Omokha Andrew

A 38-year-old activist, Innocent Omoruyi, narrowly escaped assassination in the early hours of Wednesday, July 19, 2023 as his residence at Obe Community,Sapele Road in Benin city was attacked by yet to be identified gun men.

The attack which eye witnesses say was viciously executed on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 bore the markings of a dreaded cult group terrorizing Benin City, the state capital.

The Obe, Sapale Road incident, it was learnt, happened soon after Omoruyi left the house to attend to matters of interest some few metres away from his home.

The assailants were said to have shot sporadically in their frustration as residents scampered for safety.

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However, Omoruyi escaped unharmed.

One of the eye witnesses who craved anonymity said: “The felons apparently went for the kill, weilding guns and other dangerous weapons. “We are shocked that they didn’t see Innocent Omoruyi who was just some few metres away from home when they arrived”.

“How that happened, only God knows and it was obvious that it wasn’t his time to die yet and just before that not long ago his business place on Lagos Street, Benin City was burnt down in the middle of the night by unknown arsonists.

“This sequence of events is not ordinary. We know it’s politically motivated due to the role he played in the last general elections. He has been advised to go into hiding at the moment for his personal safety”, he concluded.

When contacted, the police Public Relations Officer Chidi Nwabuzor said he was yet to get any information as regards the latest incident. He promised to feed our correspondent with relevant details as soon as they become handy.

Our information source however revealed that the matter has already been incidented at the Love World Police station on Sapele Road, Benin city.

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Nigeria To Earn Over $4bn Revenue As FEC Okays Concession Of Abuja, Kano Airports

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Nigeria will earn over $4 billion in nominal revenue as the Federal Executive Council, FEC, on Wednesday okayed the concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, to the Corporacion American Airport Consortium, a Luxembourg-based company.

James Odaudu, the Special Assistant on Public Affairs to the Minister of Aviation, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

According to him, the Council also approved that the Federal Ministry of Aviation would be renamed the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace.

READ ALSO: ATMs To Be Upgraded For Loans Services As CBN Gives Banks Ultimatum…

The statement noted that the company would make combined upfront payments of $8.5 million for the concession of NAIA and MAKIA.

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He added that the development would spur evidential growth within the Nigerian aviation industry.

In alignment with the Aviation Roadmap, approved by Mr President on 18th October 2016, the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace is delighted to inform all stakeholders, both local and international, and the media, that the concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano has been approved by the Federal Executive Council,” the statement said.

READ ALSO: Peter Obi, LP Must Pay N1.5million To Access Documents – INEC

In December 2022 and January 2023, Corporacion American Airport Consortium was announced as the preferred bidder for the airport’s concession after scaling through a series of evaluations of technical and financial bids.

Nominal revenues mean income not adjusted for inflation and decreasing purchasing power.

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Russia Expelled From Council Of Europe Amid War With Ukraine

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The Council of Europe says it has expelled Russia with immediate effect after 26 years of membership because of the Ukraine war.

The Committee of Ministers took the decision in a special session, the rights body announced in the French city of Strasbourg on Wednesday.

Earlier, Russia had already declared its withdrawal from the Council of Europe after it had taken steps to exclude it.

On Tuesday evening, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe voted unanimously in favour of Russia’s exclusion.

Russia joined the Council of Europe on Feb. 28, 1996.

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Together with the formal notification of the withdrawal, the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe also received information from the Russian Federation on Tuesday about its intention to denounce the European Convention on Human Rights.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, the leaders of the Council of Europe once again condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

READ ALSO: Ukraine: Horror As Russian Forces Shoot People Queuing For Bread

They expressed their solidarity with the Russian people, who continue to belong to the European family and share its values.

The body said it would continue to stand by Ukraine in the fight against the aggressor.

The Council of Europe monitors the observance of human rights in its 46 member states and is not part of the European Union.

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The body reacted to the Russian invasion of Ukraine two weeks ago by suspending Russia’s membership, this decision was considered historic.

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