$15m Ibori bribe: EFCC lists Ribadu as key witness

The pioneer Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been listed as a key witness against a former Governor of Delta State, Mr. James Ibori, who the Federal Government is attempting to repatriate from the United Kingdom, Saturday PUNCH can confirm.

Ribadu had in an affidavit accused Ibori of giving him $15m in 2007 so that the EFCC boss would not initiate a case against him.

After receiving the cash, however, Ribadu entered it into evidence after which it was kept in the vault of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Ribadu had said, “Ibori approached me with $15m to stop his investigation. The money was brought in sacks. I called my people because the money was in big bags, which two people could not carry and we deposited it in the CBN as evidence against him.”

In July 2012, the EFCC approached a Federal High Court in Abuja, requesting for a final order forfeiting the $15m Ibori bribe which had been in the vaults of the CBN for more than five years to the Federal Government as unclaimed proceeds of crime.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole on October 25, 2013, awarded the Federal government ownership of the $15m Ibori bribe which is the subject of legal tussle between the EFCC and the Delta State Government.

Justice Kolawole said that in the final analysis, “the applicant’s application to make a final forfeiture order succeeds and the said sum of $15m is hereby forfeited to the first applicant, that is, the Federal Government who shall take steps to capture it in its earnings of the Federal Government of Nigeria in its 2012/2013 fiscal year and shall administer the funds to address specific needs that will be beneficial to a greater number of the citizenry.”

When asked to react to information available to Saturday PUNCH that the Attorney General of the Federation had listed him among the Federal Government’s list of witnesses against Ibori, Ribadu said, “I am not aware. But if I am asked to testify, I will. But like I told you, nobody has contacted me.”

In a related development, the EFCC is expected to amend the 170 charges brought against Ibori in 2008 in order to avoid a case of double jeopardy.

The charges will be attached to an application for mutual legal assistance which will be sent to the UK government

The ex-governor, who spent four years in a UK prison, was released on Wednesday. Some of his supporters had also kicked against attempts by the Federal Government to arraign him in Nigeria next year, insisting that it would be unjust for him to be tried twice for the same crime.

A source at the EFCC, however, said, “Ibori’s alleged crimes are many. He was convicted on 10 counts of money laundering and conspiracy to defraud.

“He can be charged with offering gratification to a public officer in order to refrain from acting in the exercise of his official duties regarding the investigation of the petition against him. This is not double jeopardy.”

Punch

Catholic priest kidnapped in Delta regains freedom in Edo

 

The abducted Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Paul Irikefe, who was kidnapped by unknown gunmen on Monday in Delta State, has regained freedom from his captors.

Our correspondent gathered that the priest was freed on Wednesday around Benin where he was reportedly taken to by his abductors.

Father Irikefe, a lecturer with Saint’s Peter and Paul Catholic Major Seminary in Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State, was kidnapped on Monday evening within the Warri/Effurun metropolis.

Irikefe was in Warri to attend the burial of his friend and colleague, Rev. Fr. Amaefule Chike, who was buried on Tuesday at the Agbarho Pastoral Centre, Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state.

A source within the Warri Diocese who confirmed the priest’s release said it was not clear if the church paid the N30m ransom the abductors had earlier demanded.

Our source who called our correspondent on Thursday morning to disclose the news added that the Catholic priest has been reunited with the Bishop of Warri Diocese, Bishop John Okeoghene Afareha.

He is said to have been traumatised as a result of the maltreatment he received from his captors.

Rev. Fr. Benedict Ukutegbe, Acting Administrator, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Catholic Diocese of Warri, confirmed his colleague’s release when contacted by our correspondent.

 Ukutegbe also confirmed that the priest was released in Benin, Edo State Capital.

DELSU sacks 6 lecturers for gross misconduct

Six lecturers of the Delta State University, DELSU, Abraka, have been sacked by the institution’s Governing Council for various offences ranging from extortion, sexual harassment, leaking of examination questions, to bribery and corruption.

The sack of the lecturers is coming on the heels of the recommendation by the Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee of the university who indicted the lecturers for the offences.

According to a bulletin issued by the management of the institution, six of the lecturers were dismissed while four others were demoted and received various degrees of query for their conducts.

The bulletin which was signed by the university’s registrar, Mr D. A. Urhibo, said: “This is to inform staff, students and other members of the University community that the under listed staff (names withheld) were disciplined by the University Governing Council for various offences at its 97th regular meeting held on Friday, 12th August, 2016.”

Warning lecturers to desist from acts of anti-official activities capable of bringing the university to disrepute, Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Victor Peretomode stressed that henceforth, any lecturer found wanting will face the penalty of sack without benefit.

Former Delta Chief Judge dies at 83

Justice Omo-Agege

A former Delta State Chief Judge and father to Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, representing Delta Central at the National Assembly, Hon. Justice James Omo-Agege, is dead.

James Omo-Agege, who was the state Chief Judge between 3rd October 1993 and 4th November 1998 died Thursday evening after a brief illness.

He was 83 years.

Warri Wolves players stop training over owed five months salary

Warri Wolves players have appealed to the management of the club to pay their five months salary arrears.

Camp sources hinted that the players of the club, owned by the Delta State Government, have not been paid since March this year.

One of the sources also disclosed that the team stopped training for the past four days in protest of their poor motivation.

The source said: “The determined players have vowed not to train until their salaries were fully settled.

“Most of the boys cater for their families and haven’t been giving their best.

“They aren’t happy that their peaceful move hasn’t attracted the attention of the pay masters of the club.

“At the end of the 2014/15 season, the Seasiders were affected by mass exodus of quality players due to the same issue, hence the current set aren’t ready to fall into the same trap.”

A top official of the club claims that the state government had approved the payment of the salary arrears of the players.

Warri Wolves are 17th on the NPFL ladder with 34 points from 28 games.

Protesters storm Chevron facility in Delta, demand better jobs

Hundreds of protesters stormed a Nigerian facility owned by Chevron on Wednesday demanding better jobs and forcing staff to be airlifted out, community leaders said.

Protesters from Ugborodo village, which is close to Chevron’s Escravos terminal, want the company to relocate more of its Nigerian offices to the southern Delta state to secure work for people living in the oil-producing swampland.

“Our people are casual workers in their own land,” Collins Edema, president of the National Association of Itsekiri Graduates, a community group, told AFP.

Speaking from the facility, Ofe Nene said that “400 protesters” were inside the Chevron yard while hundreds of others were outside.

“We have been here since yesterday and will continue to be here for as long as possible until Chevron gives in to our demands,” said Nene, a youth leader.

Chevron workers were evacuated from the facility in helicopters and planes, said a security staff member.

“A plane just landed 40 minutes back to continue evacuation of top staff,” he said.

“This is in addition to other staff who were earlier evacuated with the use of choppers.”

Ugborodo villagers have a history of staging protests against Chevron. Their complaints — focussing on jobs, community development and pollution — have stayed the same over the years.

In a famous 2002 protest, hundreds of Ugborodo women demanding more jobs staged a peaceful protest at Escravos lasting days.

Today protests aren’t the only headache for oil companies operating in the region. This year has seen an increase in attacks on oil infrastructure by armed militants demanding greater political autonomy for the region and a bigger cut of oil revenues.

A new militant group named the Niger Delta Avengers has claimed a series of attacks that have strangled Nigerian oil production at a time when the government desperately needs the money to revamp dilapidated infrastructure and fight Boko Haram Islamists in the northeast.

AFP

Police rescue three pregnant victims from baby factory in Delta

Three female human trafficking victims namely: Esther Frank, 17; Chinyere Ude, 19; and Happiness Igwe, 20 have been rescued by operatives of the police Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad, Asaba at a hideout on Okpanam Road, Asaba.
The Delta State Police Commissioner, Mr. Zanna Ibrahim, told reporters yesterday in Asaba that the victims, who are all with advanced pregnancies, told the police they were brought to the hideout by a lady, Uju Okonkwo, a suspected fake nurse working at Chinonso Hospital, Nkpor in Anambra State, for the purpose of selling their children after delivery.
Ibrahim said after intensive surveillance by operatives following a tip-off by a whistleblower, Uju and a suspected fake lawyer, Mr. Ezurum Joseph, who provided the hideout where the victims were harboured, were arrested last on August 2.
The police boss said the suspects were helping law enforcement agents in investigation and would soon be arraigned in court.
Also, a pastor, who allegedly raped a minor, was arrested by the police in Delta State.
The pastor, who owns a church in Asaba, was apprehended for allegedly defiling an eight- year-old girl in his residence.
The Police Commissioner explained that on Wednesday July 20, the victim and other children, including the pastor’s children were playing when the cleric ordered everyone, including his children to go outside the compound to play, while he invited the victim into his room and had carnal knowledge of her.
Ibrahim noted that as a result, the victim started experiencing severe pain in her private part after a week and consequently, reported the incident to her parents.
In another development, a lecturer at the, Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, who was accused of sexually harassing his student, has been arrested by the police.
Ibrahim disclosed that the female student, had reported that the lecturer, who is also her course adviser, had threatened that if she refused to yield to his sexual demands, he would make her carry over some of her courses.
According to the police commissioner, on Tuesday, July 19, during the Mathematics examination, she told the randy lecturer that she had accepted her proposal, but before then, she had reported the matter at the police station in Abraka.
He explained that based on the complainant’s feigned acceptance of the suspect’s demand, she was taken to a hotel in Abraka on Thursday, July 21, where detectives were invited.
He was arrested in the hotel room after he had already undressed.