Arms scam: Eight senior military officers face dismissal

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The military officers indicted in the arms scam report released by the Federal Government may be dismissed from service, SUNDAY PUNCH has learnt.
This is as indications emerged that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will this week begin the interrogation of no fewer than 10 individuals indicted in the third arms scam report released on Thursday.
The 10 individuals, Sunday PUNCH gathered on Saturday, include two former army chiefs, Lt-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika and his successor, Lt-Gen. Kenneth Minimah.
Indication that the eight serving officers may be dismissed from service was given by the Defence Headquarters on Saturday, while maintaining that the military supported the Federal Government’s actions to cleanse the nation of corruption.

The Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Rabe Abubakar, in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, said the military officers indicted for involvement in the arms fraud scandal would face both civil and military laws.
He hinted that the personnel might be dismissed from service, saying that the armed forces would not harbour officers that lacked integrity.
Abubakar stated that the armed forces would support and implement whatever directives of the government in respect of serving personnel indicted for corruption by the Presidential Committee on the Audit of Defence Equipment Procurement in the Armed Forces led by AVM Jon Ode (retd.).
He explained that the military was subservient to civil authority and would fully adopt whatever measures the government rolled out against offenders.
He said, “You are aware that security officers are wearing two caps – they are under two laws, civil laws and military laws and each of these laws are aimed at taking certain actions that correct anomalies which had been on for some time.
“The officers who have been indicted, whatever the government decides to adopt, is what the military would equally subject themselves to because we are subservient to the government. Whatever government’s moves are, we have to quickly fall in with whatever instructions it issues.”
Asked if the officers would face a court-martial for allegedly defrauding the military, the spokesman said the issue was beyond that, emphasising that the armed forces had stated several times that they would not harbour personnel who lacked integrity.
On the issue of the arms scam, there is a separate committee that deals with that kind of thing. However, the most important thing is, some of them (military officers) were indicted for this scam and you are aware that the Nigerian armed forces had made a clear statement that it would never harbour personnel who have no integrity,” Rabe stressed.
He added, “We are completely behind the ongoing anti-corruption drive in the country, so, the issue now is not even whether they are going to be court-martialled or not.
“The relevant government agency would ensure the furtherance of the directive of government, however, the armed forces of Nigeria are committed to ensuring that corrupt practices are stemmed out of the system and we support every policy of the government in that direction.”
The Defence Headquarters spokesman cited the ongoing prosecution of some Nigeria Air Force officers for corruption, which he said indicated that the services were in support of all efforts to rid the system of corrupt elements.
The joint decision of the services on indicted officers, he said, would be made public in due course.
“Whatever is the plan of the services or the military will be made known to the public. The most important is, we have said it times without number that we are in support of anything that would cleanse the system,” Rabe said.
The Nigerian Army spokesman, Col. Sani Usman, could not be reached for comment as calls to his phone indicated that it was unavailable.
A top officer of the EFCC had also confided in Sunday PUNCH that invitation letters would be sent to those concerned on Monday, and on Wednesday, their interrogation would start.
It was learnt that besides the two former army chiefs, others that would be interrogated this week include Maj.-Gen. JAH Ewansiha (retd.); Maj.-Gen. U. Buzugbe (retd.) and Maj.-Gen E R. Chioba (retd ).
Others are a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nurudeen Mohammed; three ex-Permanent Secretaries in the Ministry of Defence, Mr Bukar Goni Aji, Mr Haruna Sanusi and E Oyemomi, as well as Mr John Bamidele.
The EFCC source, who confided in Sunday PUNCH, said, “On Monday, we will dispatch invitations to 10 of those mentioned in the report and by Wednesday their interrogation will start.
“We already have the report as from this week we will be sending invitations to them to hear their own side of the story.”
The Federal Government had on Thursday ordered the EFCC to probe 54 individuals.
The government had in a statement by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, ordered investigation into the arms scandal.

We’ll ground oil production — New militant group

One of the militant groups that have emerged since renewed militancy in the Niger Delta began, the Ultimate Warriors of Niger Delta, on Saturday said it had nothing to lose if oil production is disrupted in Nigeria.
The militant group, considered as an affiliate of the rampaging Niger Delta Avengers, described the alleged double speak of the Federal Government on dialogue with the people of the region as worrisome and inciting.
In a statement it issued, the militant group said the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta should stop parading itself as leader of militant groups in the region.
The group said, “We have said it before that we have nothing to lose on the bombing of oil pipelines because our mission is to ground the oil economy if our demands are not met. We have said we are doing what we are doing to prod the government to renegotiate the control of our oil resources and other related matters.

“We have watched with chagrin the recent utterance by the President (Muhammadu Buhari) and the Vice President (Yemi Osinbajo) and all we are see in them are double standard and lips service to the demand of the groups as its concerns the Niger Delta question and that is why all of our units and affiliates have not fully heeded to our ceasefire. Today, the president will say something, tomorrow his deputy and some of their dishonest and selfish lieutenants will contradict him and that only show how confused and unserious the government is about the problems and how to deal with them,” the militants stated.
Meanwhile, MEND has urged Niger Delta activists, militants and other agitators to be united in finding a solution to the region’s crisis.
It said in a statement that it was necessary for the region to speak with one voice and channel grievances and demands to the Federal Government through the Niger Delta Dialogue and Contact Group.
The militant group expressed the need to speak through a single umbrella of the “Aaron Team 2 Dialogue and Peace Initiative” led by Mr. Odein Ajumogobia (SAN).
It asked why many groups, who were silent during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s “neglect and misrule,” had suddenly found their voice and clamouring for recognition.
MEND also pointed out that it had carefully considered and approved the NDDCG proposal to join the Aaron Team, ahead of the expected dialogue with the Federal Government.
“All aggrieved minor militant groups, all those so-called Niger Delta activists, elders, tribal assemblies, sycophants and parasites amongst others, who have suddenly found their voice after six years of a criminal conspiracy of silence during the neglect and misrule of former President Goodluck Jonathan; and who are now clamouring for recognition, relevance and inclusion in the ongoing Niger Delta peace process should contact and channel their grievances and demands through the NDDCG, which will act as their representative.
“The subject matter of the discourse centred around the forthcoming dialogue with the Federal Government on the resolution of the current Niger Delta crisis and the imperative for the entire Niger Delta region to unite and speak with a single voice under the single umbrella of the MEND Aaron Team 2 dialogue and peace initiative led by Mr. Odein Ajumogobia, SAN,” the statement said.

admission procedures

The Federal Government on Saturday clarified its ban on the post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and the general admission procedures, saying it “does not in any way affect the statutory role of the Senate of any university or the academic boards of any tertiary institution conducting its admissions.”
The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, stated this in a statement by the Deputy Director (Press and Public Relations) in the Ministry of Education, Mr. Ben. Bem-Goong.
He said the clarification became necessary following conflicting reports in the media over the roles of universities and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board in admission under the new dispensation.
According to him, the role of JAMB is to conduct the UTME, compile the list of candidates whose scores meet the cut-off marks (180 and above) and send same to the universities.

The universities, the minister emphasised, would shortlist the candidates using the agreed guidelines and thereafter return the shortlisted candidates to JAMB for verification of compliance to guidelines and subsequent issuance of JAMB admission letters.
“For the avoidance of doubt, any screening charges shall apply only to successful candidates who have been issued admission by the universities of their choice. All universities and JAMB should adhere to this directive,” Adamu stated.
Adamu explained that although he had made the position earlier, the emphasis became necessary in order to ensure that no stakeholder was left in doubt as to government’s position on the matter.

The truth about Dbanj’s marriage

Is popular pop singer, Dbanj married or not? Ever since social media went agog with the news that Dbanj had finally quit bachelorhood, this question has become the most asked among fans of the Kokomaster as he is fondly called.
Penultimate week, bloggers went to town with news that the pop singer got married to Lineo Kilgrow, who is reportedly an undergraduate of the University of Abuja.
To some, the news is a big deal while to others, it is an attempt by Dbanj to attract more attention to himself and ultimately, his music.
Even though fans are eager for Dbanj to divulge the true details, Sunday Scoop can authoritatively reveal that contrary to what is being reported in the entertainment circles, Dbanj did not have a court wedding. What took place was a formal introduction ceremony as it is customary between a groom’s family and that of his bride-to-be.

It was learnt that Dbanj pleaded with his bride’s parents for the introduction to be hosted at his father’s house in Lagos because he did not want it to be an all-comers affair. Luckily, they were in support of his suggestion, a source told Sunday Scoop.
The introduction was witnessed by only close family members of the couple. The Kokomaster was unhappy the news leaked but was again comforted by the knowledge that bloggers got many of the facts wrong. According to his camp, he did not get married at Onigbongbo Registry, Ikeja, neither did the couple have a traditional introduction in Jos, Plateau State.
A source close to Dbanj told Sunday Scoop that Dbanj chose not to react to the news making the rounds.
“Dbanj has given so much information about himself to the public and he deserves to keep some things private and this is one of those things. He is not worried about losing female fans, he just wants his marriage and the impending white wedding off public radar,” the source said.

I don’t see myself doing gospel music again-Simi

Fast rising musician, Simi has opened up on why she left gospel music and the price of fame.Excerpts from her interview with Punch
Have always wanted to do music?

I didn’t grow up around a lot of music because my parents aren’t music inclined. I wrote my first song when I was 10 years old. I have a very short attention span and it is one of the reasons why I experiment a lot with my music. My parents separated when I was nine years old, so I did not spend so much time with my dad; he died in 2014. My parents were quite supportive of my career at first. After I bagged a degree in Mass Communication, from Covenant University, my mother wanted me to get some job experience by working with an oil firm. I have always been of the opinion that its impossible to do music part-time, so I asked her to pray for the success of my music career.
How did being raised by a single mum feel?

I recall that my siblings and I visited my dad during weekends and at some point, the frequency reduced. I felt bad whenever I saw my peers with their parents and I had a mature mind as a young girl growing up. My parents’ separation left an impression on me that life isn’t always a bed of roses. It also made me realise the need to work harder to achieve my dreams.

How else did the experience shape you?

It made me grow up really fast and also made me a realist. As a result, nothing fazes me and no bad situation affects me. Even though I am not a pessimist, I am always prepared for the worst. Subconsciously, I am also a lot pickier and careful about whom I date. My mum has always been there to guide me.
What challenges did you initially grapple with in your career?

It’s very difficult for an artiste to succeed independently before he or she is signed on with a label.This is because having a successful music career is capital intensive. The ability to keep my head straight at times when it seems as though I am wasting time, is no walk in the park. There are so many talented artistes competing for the top spot, so keeping faith alive is hard. Coming and breaking into mainstream music is also hard. I recently realised that I have to work harder as a woman because I can’t afford to make any excuses.
Apart from music, what other things are you talented at?

I am also a sound engineer, so I mix and master music.This a major boost to my career because it means that there are a lot of things I can do on my own. It has also proven to a lot of critics that I am not just another artiste.
You began your career as a gospel act. Why did you go mainstream?

The first thing that comes to the mind is that I did it for monetary reasons. However music became about ‘more’; I wanted to have a broader purview. It was a tough decision for me to make at first. I wanted to explore music more. My faith in God hasn’t waivered because before I went mainstream, I prayed to God to bless my career if it was his plan for me. I also don’t see myself doing gospel music again.
How did you come about your unique sound?

When I put out a gospel album in 2008, it was laced with a lot of R&B and hip-hop becauseI dabbled into a lot of sounds.It took me a while to create an identity sound-wise. I went to the US and after experimenting with several sounds, I fine-tuned my sound. I incorporated a lot of African inflections and it stood me out.
Do you write all your songs?

Yes, I do but I am open to having other people write songs for me because I believe in teamwork. Artistes themselves do not write some of the best songs. In fact, some of the hit songs we currently listen to are written by as many as five different people.
What inspires your lyrics?

Real-life scenarios that are relatable inspire me. With regards to one of my recent songs, Love don’t care, I was trying to express how carefree love is; its not a respecter of persons or situations.
Why did you decide to record an entire album with Falz?

We are very good friends and having worked on several projects together, we toyed with the idea of recording a joint album.
What has fame cost you?

I don’t go out much but I love to go to regular places. I can’t do so any longer and I miss having a regular life because I am a regular girl.
Are you currently dating anyone?

I am in a relationship with someone else who is not Falzthebahdguy; we are just friends. My man is mature and understands the fact that I may be erroneously romantically linked with an artiste simply because we work on music projects together.
What else would you have done aside from music?

I like the idea of becoming a radio presenter and if there were any other career I will take up, it would definitely be it.
What do you hope to achieve with music?

I want people to listen to my songs more and become inspired.
How would you describe your style?

Chic and sexy.

Turkey Failed Coup-Civilians behead soldier, severely flog others who surrended (Graphic photos)

Following the failed coup in Turkey yesterday, photos have emerged which shows civilians beheading a soldier and beating others who surrendered on Istanbul’s Bosphorus Bridge.
The coup attempt crumbled as Prime minister Erdogan rushed back to Istanbul from a Mediterranean holiday and urged people to take to the streets to support his government against plotters he accused of trying to kill him.
“They will pay a heavy price for this,” “This uprising is a gift from God to us because this will be a reason to cleanse our army.” He said
More than 2,839 soldiers have been arrested following the failed coup ..

Reuters

Arms Probe Report Doctored By Buhari’s Friends To Shield Dambazau & Buratai – Junaid Mohammed

A frontline Second Republic politician and Northern leader, Dr. Junaid Mohammed told The Guardian yesterday that some cabal in the Presidency doctored the Arms Procurement Probe Report to shield the former Chief of Army Staff and Minister of Interior, Major General Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd) and former Director of Procurements, Defence Headquarters, who is also current Chief Of Army Staff, Major General Tukur Buratai.
Mohammed said: “Nigerians should recall that the three Chiefs of Army Staff who served during the period under review included Major General Abdulrahman Dambazau, who is also the current Minister of Interior, Major General Azubuike Ihejirika, Major General Kenneth Minimah and Major General Tukur Buratai, who before his appointment as the current Chief of Army Staff, was Director of Procurement, Defence Headquarters for years.
“The Report of the Committee was doctored in the Presidency by some cabal after it was submitted, to shield Dambazau and Buratai who were allegedly indicted.
“Dambazau is a close ally of Alhaji Mamman Daura, who is President Buhari’s nephew, and also head of the ‘cabal’ in Buhari’s presidency today. Buratai is an ally of Dambazau and President Buhari. So there is no way the Presidency will not shield the duo.”
Mohammed said that there was no way Buratai and Dambazau would not have been indicted in the Report, having served as director of procurement in the Defence Headquarters and Chief of Army Staff under the period reviewed.
“Why is Ihejirika under any form of detention now? Why is he being harassed, when the Presidency is shielding some persons indicted in the report? Is it because he is not President’s ally or not from the North? President Buhari should publish the original copy of the Report, the way that of Nigerian Air Force mess was made public.

“Nigerians should know that as far as the cabal holds sway in Aso Rock, nothing will happen to Dambazua and Buratai,” Mohammed noted.A source in the Presidency who craved anonymity told The Guardian that Dambazua was not indicted in the Report, because during his era as Chief of Army Staff, awarding of contracts and procurement of arms was being carried out by the Ministry of Defence, not office of the Chief of Army Staff.
“It was after Dambazua left office that his successor took charge of awarding of contracts and procurement in the service. So there is no iota of truth in the allegation that the report was doctored to shield him.”
On why Mohammed is alleging that the report was doctored to shield Dambazua, the source said: “You know that Mohammed and Dambazua are from Kano State. It has something to do with politics of the State, and choice of minister from the State. Some persons from the state preferred somebody else, specifically President Buhari’s longtime ally who got himself involved corruption act, not Dambazau, to be minister. They are not comfortable with his choice, but that was the President’s decision.
However, the Federal Government yesterday said there is no truth in the insinuation that the report of the Presidential Committee on the Audit of Defence Equipment Procurement in the Armed Forces (2007-2015) was doctored for whatever reasons.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who stated this in a statement in Abuja, said what has been released so far is the report of the audit covering the period 2011 to 2015, adding that the Committee would commence the audit of procurement from 2007 to 2010 as soon as the necessary documents are available.
He said: ‘’When the documents regarding procurement from 2007 to 2010 are available and scrutinized, the committee will then issue its report on that. The audit is being done in phases, and the report that was released on Thursday is the third of such.’’ He assured that the Federal Government’s anti-corruption fight is non-discriminatory, and called on Nigerians to keep an open mind as events unfold.
No one should attempt to distract government from the seriousness of the issues involved in this audit of defence equipment procurement. It is important to note that even though the total amount spent for procurement and operations within the period were N185,843,052,564.30 and $685,349,692.49, the irregularities in the awards ensured that the military did not get value for money, with very serious consequences,’’ the Minister said.

Amaechi Frittered Away N3trn In Eight Years – Rivers Govt

The Rivers State Government yesterday accused the immediate past Governor and current Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, of frittering N3 trillion belonging to the State in eight years.
The Nyesom Wike-led Rivers Government said Amaechi left the “most abandoned projects in the history of the State”.

The Commissioner for Information, Dr. Austin Tam-George, who levelled the allegation against the former governor, noted that while Amaechi’s administration borrowed N4 billion agricultural loan from the Central Bank of Nigeria with no record of farmer-beneficiaries, Governor Wike’s N2 billion loan from the same source, had recorded 35,000 beneficiaries that were small and medium scale entrepreneurs.
In a reaction, however, the opposition party in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC), said the allegation was unfounded, as Amaechi could not have wasted such sum under any guise.
The Rivers APC publicity secretary, Mr. Chris Finebone, who dismissed the claim, accused the State Government of reeling out imaginary figures.
Finebone said, “For once, you guys should ask the Commissioner what was used for those uncompleted projects he claimed was abandoned. It is important he cross-check his records so that he can overcome his little dream world of make-belief”.

Aisha Buhari and Her Attention Seeking Granddaughter Looked Glam at Aso Rock Event

Nigeria’s Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari and her cute granddaughter were both pictured side-by-side at the ‘Graduation Dinner’ held for Halimat, Zahra and Yusuf Buhari at the State House over the weekend.

In the photo above, the little angel insisted on being the focus of attention, and deployed every means necessary to get her Excellency’s attention again and again.
Talk about kids and their attention seeking methods.
See more photos below:

9 Takeaways From Buhari’s Speech At Judicial Workshop

President Muhammadu Buhari during his address at the international workshop of the role of the judiciary in the fight against anti corruption made the following points.

Its no longer news that Pres. Buhari  has made the fight against corruption one of the top priorities of his administration according to him, it is with the hope that the fight will help restore the economy and build a new Nigeria. 247NEWS IN NAIJA brings you 9 interesting points he wants the judiciary to take note of.

1.The importance  of the judiciary

The responsibility of the judiciary in a democratic society such as ours is a critical one. It is one of the three pillars of the modern democratic nation state and is essential to the process of checks and balances, which is so fundamental to the way societies such as ours are meant to operate and function. This apparent function that the Judiciary plays is undeniably one of the cornerstones of any effective strategy against corruption.

2.The judiciary’s work

While it is true that corruption is a global phenomenon occurring in almost all countries in the world, the problem is much more pronounced in some countries than others but more complicated in developing countries. It has now become clear that corruption is one of the main obstacles to peace, stability, sustainable development, democracy, and human rights around the globe.
The judiciary is a public institution whose job is to provide fundamental checks on other public institutions. Therefore, a fair and efficient judiciary is the key to all anti-corruption initiatives.

3. What the UN says about the judiciary

Article 11 of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, provides that the independence of the judiciary and its crucial role in combating corruption, shall, in accordance with the fundamental principles of a State Party’s legal system and without prejudice to judicial independence, take measures to strengthen integrity and to prevent opportunities of corruption among members of the judiciary. What Article 11 simply means is that a corrupt judicial system not only violates the basic right to equality before the law but also deny procedural rights guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution.

4.Why the judiciary must remain pure

In carrying out its role in the fight against corruption, the judiciary must remain impartial and most importantly, be seen to be impartial. It is incumbent on the judiciary to analyze facts based on the applicable law without prejudice and penchant regarding the case they are dealing with, and without acting in any way that would favor the interests of any of the parties.

5. When the judiciary is corrupt

Where judicial corruption occurs, the damage can be pervasive and extremely difficult to reverse. It undermines citizens’ morale, violates their human rights, harms national development and depletes the quality of governance.

6.What the judiciary must do

The Judiciary must take steps to ensure that it is not seen as being partisan. As such, it must be aware of the sensitivities of the public and take steps towards avoiding even the shred of a doubt as regards its independence. In justice, integrity is a necessity. Hence, Judicial Officers and all other members of this sector must always demonstrate manifest integrity.

7.What a slow judiciary means

Critically important also, is the sacred duty of the judiciary to ensure that criminal justice administration is not delayed. I am worried that the expectation of the public is yet to be met by the judiciary with regard to the removal of delay and the toleration of delay tactics by lawyers.

8.How Nigerians should see the judiciary

To this end, the Judiciary is under a duty to keep its house in order and to ensure that the public, which it serves, sees this. Thus, we cannot expect to make any gains in the war against corruption in our society when the judiciary is seen as being distant from the crusade. This will not augur well and its negative effect will impact all sectors of society.

9.The success of the corruption lies only with the judiciary

To this end, the Judiciary is under a duty to keep its house in order and to ensure that the public, which it serves, sees this. Thus, we cannot expect to make any gains in the war against corruption in our society when the judiciary is seen as being distant from the crusade. This will not augur well and its negative effect will impact all sectors of society.

Nigerian Army Released 249 Suspected Boko Haram Insurgents Borno

The Nigerian Army has freed 249 captured suspected Boko Haram terrorists and accomplices after being cleared by the Chief of Army Staff in Maiduguri on Sunday.

Those cleared and released include 169 males, 46 women and 34 children. Further breakdown shows that 203 of them were from 18 Local Government Areas of Borno State, while 44 were from other States as follows; Adamawa 2, Jigawa 2, Lagos 1, Oyo 1 and Yobe 38. However, 2 of them were from the Republic of Cameroon.
The released suspects were handed N3,000 each
The Acting General Officer Commanding 7 Division, Brigadier General Victor Ezugwu made the handing over to the State government through the Commissioner for Local Government while the two Cameroonians were handed over to the Borno State Command of the Nigerian Immigration Service.
The Commissioner in his remarks praised the military effort’s in the fight against insurgency and respect for human rights as manifested in the painstaking efforts that led to their clearance and subsequent release. He therefore urged the released detainees to remain law abiding and go about their lawful businesses. He also commended the