Headline

Ondo Nightclubs Owners Break Silence On EFCC Operatives’ Invasion

Published

2 weeks ago

June 10, 2024

The Ondo State chapter of the Lounge and Club Owners Association has called on the state and federal government to investigate the raid by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission operatives on a nightclub and a hotel in Akure, the state capital.

The PUNCH reported that operatives of the commission, on Saturday, stormed the nightclubs and arrested about 127 youths who were suspected to be internet fraudsters.

The suspects were apprehended in an early morning raid on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at simultaneous parties held in the state capital.

According to an EFCC statement on Saturday, credible intelligence indicated the party was initially scheduled for Wednesday, June 5, but was postponed to Saturday in an attempt to evade the commission’s security and intelligence networks.

Speaking with journalists in Akure on Monday, the chairman of the association in the state, Mr Abayomi Ajepe, disclosed that the anti-graft commission operatives allegedly stormed the premises of the affected night clubs in a commando-like manner, like armed robbers, and vandalised property worth millions of naira during the sting operation.

Ajepe also noted that many of the customers and guests of the invaded hotel, including a new couple, were embarrassed as the operative was forcing the door open on the guests, adding that the incident had negatively affected the hospitality business in the state as many of their customers were afraid of lodging in their hotels.

He said, “What we experienced on Saturday we never expected of it, because Akure is a very peaceful community, we are not too happy, the incident happened around 1:45 am on Saturday morning and personally I drove to the scene to witness what was going on and on getting there it was barbaric so I have to turn back because I don’t want to get hurt.

“I was on the phone, making calls to authorities but it was later we discovered that these people came from the Ibadan EFCC office because initially, we thought they were armed robbers. So we are telling the whole world that we are not too happy with what happened.

“They took away the cameras, phones, CCTVs, along with about 127 people and some of them were still there. So why they are denying their operations here in Akure? We want the government to check-mate this unacceptable attitude in our community, government needs to come to our aides.”

On the next action to be taken on the matter, the chairman said the association was still consulting their lawyers, either to take legal actions on the issues, lamenting that there had been no business after the incident happened.

Expressing his displeasure about the incident, the manager of the affected night club, the Signatures Elixir, Mr Ayo Abass-Akinwande, said, “At about 1:30 am on Saturday, June 8, 2024, the men of EFCC came into our premises. They were about 40 of them and they came with about 10 unregistered Toyota buses. The only thing that could be used to identify them was their red jackets and the guns.”

He said, “After gaining access to our premises, they rounded everybody up and instructed them to lie down on the floor. Using snooker sticks to beat people to comply, Both male and female customers were dealt with mercilessly. Other members of their team went into the club and rounded everyone up, releasing tear gas in the process. We were lucky to have adequate first aid materials on the premises that were used by our staff to rescue some of the customers who had various forms of medical emergencies. The CCTV engine room was completely turned upside down and the CCTV engine was taken away.”

Similarly, the Chairman/CEO of Alba Royale Hote, Mr Ayo Alabi, confirmed that a lot of things were destroyed in the hotel by the operatives.

“I went there in the morning and I saw the massive damage, I was told that all the guests were seriously dealt with, they took away our CCTV engine, they never invited us, we never had any issue with them and we have evidence on how they carried out the operations,” Alabi lamented.

Headline

Tinubu Orders Disbursement Of N155bn For Foodstuff Purchase Nationwide

Published

2 hours ago

June 27, 2024

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the purchase and sale of foodstuff worth N155 billion to be distributed across the nation.

The President gave the approval during the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday in Abuja where he urged state governors to work together to meet the needs of citizens.

He said he is willing to provide the needed support to ensure that Nigerians are relieved of hardship, according to a statement by presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale.

“President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate rollout of the National Construction and Household Support Programme to cover all geo-political zones in the country,” the statement read.

“Other items under the National Construction and Household Support Programme include deployment of N155 billion for the purchase and sale of assorted foodstuff to be distributed across the nation.”

Tinubu also approved the delivery of a N50,000 uplift grant each to 100,000 families per state for three months.

Food Production
Tinubu emphasized the urgency of boosting food production, noting that the Sokoto-Badagry Highway is a pivotal project as the states within this axis form the food belt of the nation, with Badagry being an important artery for food export.

“Our states must work together to deliver on the critical reforms required of us to meet the needs of our people. Time is humanity’s most precious asset. You can never have enough of it. It is getting late.

“We are ready and able to support you in the form of the mechanization of your agricultural processes and the provision of high-quality seedlings.

“We are prepared to provide solar-powered irrigation facilities to support our farmers across seasons, but we must now produce. We must produce the food our people eat, and it will require coordination and intentionality between members of the National Economic Council (NEC).

“There is nothing we are doing that is more important than producing high-quality food for our people to consume, buy, and sell. We create jobs in the production of it. And that is before we generate wealth by exporting the excess. It is not beyond us to achieve this for Nigerians.

“How much support do you need from me and in what form? I am prepared to provide it. But we must achieve the result. We must deliver on our targets at all levels. Please report back following your consultations and submit to my office within seven days,” President Tinubu said.

See the full statement below:

To boost agricultural productivity, strengthen the economy by creating opportunities in the real sectors of agriculture, manufacturing, and construction, as well as provide urgent economic relief for Nigerians, President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate rollout of the National Construction and Household Support Programme to cover all geo-political zones in the country.

Under the programme, the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, which will traverse Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos, is prioritized.

Other road infrastructure projects, such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which is underway, and the Trans-Saharan Highway, which links Enugu, Abakaliki, Ogoja, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Abuja, are also prioritized.

The President has also approved full counterpart financing for Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Railway; to traverse Rivers, Abia, Enugu, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe and Borno, as well as for the Ibadan-Abuja segment of the Lagos-Kano Standard-Gauge Railway; which will traverse Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Kwara, Niger, Abuja, Kaduna, and Kano.

The Sokoto-Badagry road project is specially prioritized for its importance as some of the states it will traverse are strategic to the agricultural sustainability of the nation.

Within the Sokoto-Badagry Highway corridor, there are 216 agricultural communities, 58 large and medium dams spread across six states, seven Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs), 156 local government areas, 39 commercial cities and towns, and over 1 million hectares of arable land.

In addition, other items under the National Construction and Household Support Programme include:

(1) One-off allocation to states and the Federal Capital Territory of N10 billion for the procurement of buses and CNG uplift programme.

(2) Delivery of N50,000 uplift grant each to 100,000 families per state for three (3) months.

(3) Provision for labour unions and civil society organizations.

(4) Deployment of N155 billion for the purchase and sale of assorted foodstuff to be distributed across the nation.

Speaking during the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday in Abuja, President Tinubu urged state governors to work together to meet the needs of citizens, stating that he is willing to provide the needed support to ensure that Nigerians are relieved of hardship.

While emphasizing the urgency of boosting food production, the President noted that the Sokoto-Badagry Highway is a pivotal project as the states within this axis form the food belt of the nation, and with Badagry being an important artery for food export.

“We are ready and able to support you in the form of the mechanization of your agricultural processes and the provision of high-quality seedlings.

“We are prepared to provide solar powered irrigation facilities to support our farmers across seasons, but we must now produce. We must produce the food our people eat, and it will require coordination and intentionality between members of the National Economic Council (NEC).

“How much support do you need from me and in what form? I am prepared to provide it. But we must achieve the result. We must deliver on our targets at all levels. Please report back following your consultations and submit to my office within seven days,” President Tinubu said.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

Headline

JUST IN: Tinubu Approves N50,000 Uplift Grant For 3.6m Nigerian Families

Published

3 hours ago

June 27, 2024

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has approved an uplift grant under the National Construction and Household Support Programme for 3.6m Nigerian families.

This initiative will deliver N50,000 to 100,000 families in each state for three months.

The disbursement of the Tinubu uplift grant to families will occur over a three-month period, according to presidential spokesman Chief Ajuri Ngelale.

This initiative is part of the National Construction and Household Support Programme.

Full Statement on the National Construction and Household Support Programme

“To boost agricultural productivity, strengthen the economy by creating opportunities in the real sectors of agriculture, manufacturing, and construction, as well as provide urgent economic relief for Nigerians, President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate rollout of the National Construction and Household Support Programme to cover all geo-political zones in the country.

“Under the programme, the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, which will traverse Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos, is prioritized.

“Other road infrastructure projects, such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which is underway, and the Trans-Saharan Highway, which links Enugu, Abakaliki, Ogoja, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Abuja, are also prioritized.

“The President has also approved full counterpart financing for Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Railway; to traverse Rivers, Abia, Enugu, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe and Borno, as well as for the Ibadan-Abuja segment of the Lagos-Kano Standard-Gauge Railway; which will traverse Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Kwara, Niger, Abuja, Kaduna, and Kano.

“The Sokoto-Badagry road project is specially prioritized for its importance as some of the states it will traverse are strategic to the agricultural sustainability of the nation.

“Within the Sokoto-Badagry Highway corridor, there are 216 agricultural communities, 58 large and medium dams spread across six states, seven Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs), 156 local government areas, 39 commercial cities and towns, and over 1 million hectares of arable land.

“In addition, other items under the National Construction and Household Support Programme include:

(1) One-off allocation to states and the Federal Capital Territory of N10 billion for the procurement of buses and CNG uplift programme.

(2) Delivery of N50,000 uplift grant each to 100,000 families per state for three (3) months.

(3) Provision for labour unions and civil society organizations.

(4) Deployment of N155 billion for the purchase and sale of assorted foodstuff to be distributed across the nation.

“Speaking during the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday in Abuja, President Tinubu urged state governors to work together to meet the needs of citizens, stating that he is willing to provide the needed support to ensure that Nigerians are relieved of hardship.

“While emphasizing the urgency of boosting food production, the President noted that the Sokoto-Badagry Highway is a pivotal project as the states within this axis form the food belt of the nation, and with Badagry being an important artery for food export.

“We are ready and able to support you in the form of the mechanization of your agricultural processes and the provision of high-quality seedlings.

Headline

EFCC Boss Orders Arrest Of Officers Over Nighttime Raid On Lagos Hotel Rooms

Published

4 hours ago

June 27, 2024

Editor

photo: file copy

The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has directed the arrest of two EFCC officers accused of reportedly manhandling a female staff member at Regional Hotel in Ojo, Lagos.

In a viral video online, EFCC officials dressed in plain clothes were observed forcefully entering one of the hotel rooms.

Regional Hotel Operation: Olukoyede Orders Arrest of Officers Involved in Unprofessional Conduct.

The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede has ordered the arrest of two officers of the Commission allegedly involved in the.

In his statement, Oyewale said the incident happened during an early morning sting operation.

He said the operation led to the arrest of a sizable number of suspects who were still being profiled.

It reads: “The EFCC’s boss has also ordered detailed investigations of the operation carried out at the hotel and assured that appropriate disciplinary measures would be taken against any of the officers found to be culpable.

“Olukoyede assures the general public that the EFCC would continue to ply its job professionally and with profound respect for the rule of law.”