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Suspended Adamawa REC’s Whereabouts Unknown, Says INEC

Published

1 month ago

April 22, 2023

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it has no idea of the whereabouts of the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner of Adamawa State, Hudu Ari, since his infamous action during the supplementary governorship election in the state.

Ari stirred controversy when he announced the supplementary governorship election results in Adamawa State on Sunday while collation was not yet concluded.

“We don’t know where he is because, after this particular incident, the Commission wrote him and also called him on the phone. He never returned any of the calls, he never answered any of the calls.

“We asked him to report to the Commission on Sunday we didn’t see him, we asked him to report on Monday we didn’t see him. So up till this moment, he has not reported and we don’t know his whereabouts,” INEC National Commissioner Festus Okoye said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday.

Asked if he thinks Ari will be declared wanted for failing to report to the Commission or answer its calls, Okoye said that is the responsibility of the Nigerian Police.

“Well, that is the responsibility of the Nigerian police. If they feel that his presence is absolutely needed during the investigation and he is nowhere to be found, it is their prerogative and discretion to declare him wanted,” he said.

After suspending the REC, INEC reported his case to President Muhammadu Muhammadu Buhari, who on Thursday approved Ari’s suspension, pending the completion of an investigation by the Inspector General of Police on the conduct/actions of the REC during the Supplementary election in Adamawa State.

The INEC National Commissioner said that the Commission had received a report from the Inspector General of Police and has commenced the process of prosecuting the controversial Adamawa REC.

“We wrote to the Inspector General of Police and Secretary to the Government of the Federation. We have received a response from the Inspector General of Police and they have already commenced an investigation.

“My understanding is that the moment the Inspector General of Police concludes the investigation regarding the REC and every other individual who is involved and a prima facie case is established against the REC the file will be made available to the commission and the commission will begin prosecution of the REC,” he added.

News

Police Dismiss Sergeant Over N98,000 Extortion

Published

8 mins ago

May 31, 2023

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The Police Command in Lagos State has announced the dismissal of Sgt. Ekpo Shimuyere was attached to Sogunle Division for extorting a young man of N98,000.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin told newsmen on Wednesday that the Provost Department of the command had already disrobed the dismissed sergeant.

According to him, the dismissed sergeant collected the phone of his victim and used a POS operator to transfer N98,000 out of the N100,000 in the young man’s bank account.

Hundeyin said that the action of the policeman was contrary to the ethics of the profession.

“Police got the complaint from the victim and the officer denied the crime when he was contacted. The command placed him under detention so that he will not tamper with the evidence.

“We wrote to his bank and obtained his statement of account. We were able to trace the money to where the POS operator transferred it to before transferring the money to the officer’s account.

“We followed due process to get his account. The victim was invited in the course of the investigation, and he testified.

“The POS operator was also invited, and he said the officer requested him to transfer the money from the victim’s account to another one,” Hudenyi added.

He said that the Sergeant was consequently subjected to an Orderly Room trial in line with extant laws.

“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos Command, Mr Idowu Owohunwa, have reviewed the orderly room procedure of the officer with Force No. 461654, attached to Sogunle Police Division and has approved the punishment of dismissal from the Force,” he said.

Hundeyin said that the commissioner warned officers and men against any form of corruption, stressing that the dismissal was to serve as a deterrent to others.

He further warned that the command would continue to punish any police officer found to have engaged in unprofessional conduct.

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VIDEO: Dismantle EFCC, Sack Bawa For Successful Anti-corruption War – Agbakoba

Published

4 hours ago

May 31, 2023

Editor

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Olisa Agbakoba, has asked President Bola Tinubu to dismantle the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in his bid to have a successful anti-corruption war.

Agbakoba stated this while speaking in an interview on The Morning Show of Arise Television on Wednesday.

The legal luminary also urged the President to relieve the EFCC chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa of his job, in order to have a fresh leadership for the agency in the new administration.

He said, “We need to talk about anti-corruption. The anti-corruption process is not working. I have challenged the constitutionality of the EFCC. The EFCC is a behemoth and it needs to be dismantled.

“Mr. Bawa needs to go because what he’s doing is not attracting people’s confidence. He needs to go. He’s always in battles with everybody. Now, he’s battling Metawalle. That’s not the way to fight corruption.

“We need to see Mr. Bawa step aside honourably so that the anti-corruption process can be seen to be genuinely fought by the President without any equivocation,” he said.

VIDEO:

Tinubu needs to dismantle EFCC, sack Bawa for successful anti-corruption war – Agbakoba
Bawa
Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Olisa Agbakoba said President Bola Tinubu needs to dismantle the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in his bid to have a successful… pic.twitter.com/CJXdhlw2SI
— Vanguard Newspapers (@vanguardngrnews) May 31, 2023

Source: VANGUARD

News

NAPTIP Sacks Director, Four Officers For Misconduct

Published

5 hours ago

May 31, 2023

Editor

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons has dismissed a deputy director and four other officers for various offences including bribery, corruption and leaking confidential information to suspects.

The Press Officer of the NAPTIP, Vincent Adekoye, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

Adekoye explained that the offences range from corruption to demanding and receiving bribes from suspects and relatives.

According to him, other offences committed by the officers were leaking confidential information to suspects that endangered the lives of colleagues, violating the oath of secrecy, stealing and alteration of official records and being absent without official leave.

He said, “These offences are all contrary to provisions of the Public Service Rules and other extant laws and regulations. Two other officers were demoted by two ranks for soliciting bribes from a suspect of human trafficking, while one officer was demoted by one rank for negligence of duty.

“The disciplinary actions followed the approval of the Governing Board of the Agency at its meeting of May 25, 2023. At that meeting, the board considered and ratified the decision of the agency’s Senior Staff Committee which earlier sat on the disciplinary matters in accordance with the Public Service Rules and other extant laws and regulations.”

Adekoye also announced that a Federal High Court sitting in Sokoto State convicted a law enforcement officer and sentenced him to prison.

He said the officer was convicted on two counts of trafficking, contrary to section 26 (2) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act (2015) and was sentenced to five years on each count.

He added, “This is NAPTIP’s 37th conviction and counting for the year 2023.”