News
DSS Seizes Emefiele’s Passport, Plans Home, Office Search
Published
11 months agoon
By
EditorThe Department of State Services has confiscated the passport of the suspended Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, The PUNCH reports.
The service, it was also learnt, may search Emefiele’s home and office this week.
Following his suspension on Friday as a result of the ongoing investigation of his office and the planned reforms in the financial sector, the service arrested Emefiele in Lagos and flew him to Abuja in a private jet on Saturday.
The spokesperson for the service, Peter Afunanya, in a statement said Emefiele had been taken into custody and was under investigation.
READ ALSO: DSS Should Transfer Emefiele To EFCC – Falana
However, a source in the DSS on Sunday said it was standard procedure for his travel document to be seized pending the conclusion of the ongoing investigation.
The source added that the office and residence of the suspended apex bank governor would be searched.
The source said, “Of course, Emefiele’s travel document would be confiscated as part of the standard process pending the conclusion of our investigation. Also, as part of the investigation, his house and office would be searched for documents that can aid the ongoing investigation on his management of the CBN.”
The PUNCH had reported that other top directors of the CBN might also be invited or arrested for questioning over their roles in the administration of the apex bank.
READ ALSO: UPDATED: Moment DSS Takes Emefiele Into Custody [VIDEO]
It was learnt that the DSS might revisit the criminal charges it earlier filed against Emefiele which borders on terrorism financing and fraud.
The secret police similarly accused the suspended CBN box of mismanaging the CBN subsidiary, Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending and the Anchor Borrowers Programme.
The DSS spokesman, Afunanya, could not be reached for comment on Sunday as calls to his line indicated that he was unreachable.
He had yet to respond to a text message on the detention of Emefiele as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has said the DSS lacked constitutional power to investigate and prosecute Emefiele.
READ ALSO: JUST IN: DSS Breaks Silence On Emefiele’s Alleged Arrest
Falana in a message sent to one of our correspondents said Emefiele should be transferred to the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission who according to him, posses the legal right to prosecute Emefiele.
“A few months ago, the State Security Service levelled grave allegations of terrorism financing, money laundering, and other economic crimes against Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. At the material time, the attempt by the SSS to arrest, investigate, and prosecute Mr. Emefiele was frustrated by the erstwhile Buhari administration.
“However, following the suspension of Mr. Emefiele as the Governor of the CBN by President Bola Tinubu, the SSS quizzed him in Lagos and flew him to Abuja yesterday. According to media reports, the investigation of the suspect by the SSS has commenced. Even though the SSS which initially denied the arrest has since turned around to admit that Mr. Emefiele is in its custody.
“In the case of Dr. Bukola SarakI v. Federal Republic of Nigeria (2018) 16 NWLR (pt. 1646) 433-434, the Supreme Court ruled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission lacks the vires to investigate and prosecute the appellant for the breach of the provisions of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act. It was for that principal reason that Senator Saraki was freed by the apex court.
“In line with the principle of law enunciated by the apex court in Saraki’s case the SSS lacks the power to investigate and prosecute Mr. Emefiele in respect of allegations of money laundering and other economic crimes. Therefore, after investigating the alleged involvement of Emefiele in terrorism financing the SSS should transfer him to the EFCC for the purpose of investigating.”
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News
Banditry: Niger Speaker To Marry Off 100 Female Orphans
Published
45 mins agoon
May 11, 2024By
EditorThe Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, has announced plans to marry off 100 female orphans who lost their parents to banditry attacks in Mariga Local Government Area.
Sarkindaji disclosed this to journalists in Minna, the state capital on Friday.
The Speaker pledged to pay the dowries for the bridegrooms and has procured all necessary materials for the mass marriage ceremony.
Accordingly, the girls who would be married off were carefully selected from the 170 girls whose names were submitted. Sarkindaji stated, without disclosing the age range of the orphaned girls.
READ ALSO: Court Stops Speaker, 24 Others Loyal To Wike From Parading As Assembly Members
The Speaker, who represents the Mariga Constituency, described the initiative as part of his constituency empowerment project, “aimed at alleviating the suffering of the impoverished.”
Sarkindaji revealed that the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, and the Emir of Kontagora, Alhaji Mohammed Barau, would serve as guardians to the female orphans during the mass marriage ceremony.
The Kano State Commander General of the Hisbah Board, Sheikh Aminu Daurawa, is expected to attend the event, slated for May 24 at Bangi, the headquarters of Mariga Local Government Area.
News
Edo Poll: Reason Ex-Speaker Resigns From PDP Revealed
Published
53 mins agoon
May 11, 2024By
EditorFormer Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Francis Okiye, has resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party with immediate effect.
Okiye, a former governorship aspirant of the PDP officially joined the party in October 2020 after he, among others, defected from the All Progressives Congress.
In his resignation letter dated May 10, 2024, and addressed to the Chairman, PDP, Ward 3, Arue, Uromi, Esan North-East Local Government, Okiye, said his decision stemmed from the alienation of the majority of his constituents and supporters by the state government under Governor Godwin Obaseki from the activities and programmes of the party and the government of the state.
READ ALSO: EFCC Trial: ‘Even The Prophets Went To Prison’ – Buhari’s Minister Comforts Self In Court
Okiye said, “I have resigned my membership of the PDP as of May 10, 2024, and I have communicated the same to the PDP through my ward chairman.
“My decision stemmed from the alienation of the majority of my constituents and supporters by the state government under Governor Godwin Obaseki from the activities and programmes of the party and the government of the state.
“As if that is not enough, the party candidate has declared that he would continue with the governor’s principle should he win the September election. Other reasons why I quit the party are personal to me.”
He was, however, silent on his next political move.
News
EFCC Stops Dollar Transactions, Asks Embassies To Charge In Naira
Published
1 hour agoon
May 11, 2024By
EditorThe Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has read the Riot Act to foreign missions based in Nigeria, banning them from transacting in foreign currencies, and mandating the use of Naira in their financial businesses.
The EFCC has also mandated Nigerian foreign missions domiciled abroad to accept Naira in their financial businesses.
The move, the EFCC noted, is to tackle the dollarisation of the Nigerian economy and the degradation of the naira
The anti-graft commission, in an advisory to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, titled: “EFCC Advisory to Foreign Missions against Invoicing in US Dollar,” expressed reservations and displeasure “regarding the unhealthy practice by some foreign missions to invoice consular services to Nigerians and other foreign nationals in the country in United States dollar(s).”
In a letter dated April 5, 2024, which was addressed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede expressed dismay over the invoicing of consular services in Nigeria by foreign missions in dollars.
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The EFCC cited Section 20(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, which makes currencies issued by the apex bank the only legal tender in Nigeria.
The letter read, “I present to you the compliments of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and wish to notify you about the commission’s observation, with dismay, regarding the unhealthy practice by some foreign missions to invoice consular services to Nigerians and other foreign nationals in the country in United States dollar ($).
“This practice is an aberration and unlawful as it conflicts with extant laws and financial regulations in Nigeria. Section 20(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 makes currencies issued by the apex bank the only legal tender in Nigeria.
“It states that ‘the currency notes issued by the Bank shall be the legal tender in Nigeria on their face value for the payment of any amount’.
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“This presupposes that any transaction in currencies other than the naira anywhere in Nigeria contravenes the law and is, therefore, illegal.”
The commission added that the refusal by some missions to accept the naira for consular service in Nigeria and also comply with the foreign exchange regulatory regime in fixing the exchange of the cost of their services is not only illegal but represents an affront to the country’s sovereignty symbolised by the national currency.
Such a situation, EFCC added, undermines Nigeria’s monetary policy and aspiration for sustainable economic development.
The letter continued, “This trend can no longer be tolerated, especially in a volatile economic environment where the country’s macroeconomic policies are constantly under attack by all manner of state and non-state actors.
“In light of the above, you may wish to convey the commission’s displeasure to all missions in Nigeria and restate Nigeria’s desire for their operations not to conflict with extant laws and regulations in the country.”
READ ALSO: Why We Took Over Rivers Assembly Quarters – Police
When contacted for comments, the spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale declined comments.
Meanwhile, the EFCC had resumed raiding in a bid to stabilise the naira.
Operatives of the EFCC had on Tuesday arrested some Bureau De Change operators at the popular Wuse Zone 4 market in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
However, traders also said some BDC operators resisted the arrest during a sting operation.
The operatives had embarked on routine raids to sanitise the market of street traders and eliminate arbitrary trading.
But this move was resisted on Tuesday, leading to gunshots and damage to the operatives’ vehicles.
Penultimate week, the commission arrested over 35 suspected currency speculators for alleged foreign exchange fraud.
Last week, it also paraded over 20 BDC operators arrested in the capital city.
PUNCH
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