$2.1bn Arms probe: EFCC slams fresh charges against Olisa Metuh

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, on a fresh two-count-charge of destroying the evidence against him.

Metuh, who was yesterday, docked before an Abuja High Court sitting at Maitama on a two-count charge bordering on his alleged destruction of evidence against him, pleaded not guilty to the charge. Metuh was for the second time brought to court in handcuffs.

This happened just as the trial of embattled former National Security Adviser, NSA, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd) on a 19-count-charge turned dramatic, yesterday, at the Abuja High Court sitting at Maitama as the trial judge stood down trial for two hours, insisting that he must be produced in court as required by law before he could continue with the proceedings.

Vanguard

$2.1 Arms Scandal: I Spent My Money On Jonathan’s Campaign- Anenih

A former Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT)  of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih, has given an insight into the controversial N260 million he received from the embattled former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuko (retd), during the Jonathan administration.
Sunday Vanguard learnt, at the weekend, that Anenih shed light on the money in a letter to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The money is the subject of a probe by the EFCC as part of the investigation into the $2.1 billion arms money Dasuki allegedly disbursed for purposes other than security.

A source at that anti-graft agency quoted the former BoT Chairman of the PDP as  saying, in the letter, that the N260 million was a refund of the N400 million he disbursed, on the instruction of Jonathan to elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai; the National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Olu Falae; and the leader of the Accord Party, Alhaji Rashidi Ladoja, among others, for ‘special political assignments’ ahead of the 2015 polls.

The source added that Anenih claimed that he merely, on request, gave the former President his bank account details into which the refund should be made, and that he was not in the position to ask Jonathan how he was going to source money for the refund or through which office it would be made.

Falae and Ladoja have confirmed receiving N100 million each  from the PDP leader while Yakassai took N63 million.

According to the EFCC source, Anenih explained that the N263 million he gave to the three men  was N3 million in excess of the N260 million paid him, while he had outstanding balance of N180 million to collect from the former President.

“The PDP leader made it clear in the letter to the EFCC that he was not a beneficiary of the money and that he was only acting on the instruction of Jonathan  to disburse it”, the source stated.

Other disbursements Anenih made on Jonathan’s instruction to bring the total to N400 million, according to the letter, include N25 million to a former deputy governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Muktari Shagari, and N35 million to a delegation of local government leaders from Katsina State.

Besides, Anenih was said to have indicated in the letter that, on the instruction of the former President, the BoT of the PDP then, under his chair, embarked on a nationwide reconciliation tour and that the money he spent on hiring private jet during the tour, among other responses, was also not refunded to him.

The PDP leader pointed out that, in spite of his commitment to stabilising the party and its leadership and to ensure post-election peace, he was pressurized to resign as BoT chair on  trumped-up charges  of anti-party activities and alleged overbearing influence.
Daily independent

20 killed’ as al- Qaeda lays siege on Burkina hotel

About 20 people were killed at Splendid Hotel, a luxury facility in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso capital, during an attack staged by suspected militants of the Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). The attackers reportedly stormed the hotel, which is popular with Westerners and French soldiers based in the country, and a nearby café on Friday, after setting off bombs. Security forces stormed the place and engaged them in a gun battle, resulting to the liberation of about 120 hostages. According to the BBC, exchanges of fire are continuing at the hotel as special forces seek to break the deadly siege. Remi Dandjinou, the Burkinabe communications minister, told the BBC there were between six and seven gunmen and they had been staying at the hotel. He also said Clement Sawadogo, the country’s minister of public works, was among those freed at the hotel, adding that 33 people were in hospital receiving treatment. Simon Compaore, interior minister, said 10 bodies had been found on the terrace of the nearby Cappuccino cafe. The SITE monitoring group, which analyses jihadist networks, says AQIM has claimed responsibility for the attack. In November, AQIM launched an attack on a hotel in Bamako, capital of Mali, leaving 19 people dead. Similar attacks have taken place in Egypt, Tunisia and different parts of Africa. Burkina Faso had recently held its first presidential election since a coup earlier last year. That coup toppled long-time leader Blaise Compaore, who had governed for 27 years. The new government, which was appointed on Wednesday following the election of President Roch Marc Kabore in November, was due to hold an emergency cabinet meeting, according to Reuters

2 days after husband’s death… Celine Dion loses brother to cancer

A few days ago, popular singer Celine Dion lost her former manager and husband René Angelil to cancer.

The Canadian singer is however, now mourning the loss of her brother Daniel Dion, who just passed away after suffering from the same kind of cancer.

Daniel, who had previously been diagnosed of cancer of the throat, tongue and brain, couldn’t take the pain anymore.

A day after Angelil’s death, Celine’s sister,Claudette, revealed to the Montreal Journal that Daniel was also dying.

“It’s very painful. It’s a matter of days or hours. It looks a lot like René, he had cancer of the throat, tongue and brain.”

Daniel was the 8th of 14 siblings. He spent his final hours in hospice care with his 88-year-old mother, Theresa Dion by his side.

Militants blow flow station, Chevron pipelines

MILITANTS continued bombing of oil installations, last night, in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.

The details were still sketchy this morning‎, but it was learned that they blew up the Abiteye flow station and Sagara to Chevron pipelines.

“Some of are already trapped in our communities because of the bombings, the target for now may be Chevron facilities,” a worried riverside dweller told Vanguard.

police arrest 150 suspected Boko Haram members

Men of the Ondo State Police Command have arrested 150 middle-aged men suspected to be members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect.

   The suspects, who were in possession of arms and ammunition, were being conveyed in a truck with registration number Kano NSR 97 XZ before they were intercepted by the policemen at Lipakala Junction in Ondo town.

    The truck was heading towards Ore, in Odigbo Local Government Area of the state .
  The suspects were initially detained at the Fagun Police Division before they were transferred to the headquarters of the command in Akure, the state capital.

Some of the items found inside the vehicle of the suspects included locally-made guns, knives, cutlasses and several torch lights .

One of the suspects, who identified himself as Abdulahi Sheriff, claimed that they were not Boko Haram members but farmers coming from Benin-Kebbi to seek greener pasture in Ore town.

He added that their relocation from the North was due to the harsh and dry season in their area which had negatively affected their activities as farmers.

The police spokesperson in the state, Mr. Femi Joseph, who confirmed the arrest, told our correspondent that the suspects claimed they were not terrorists but farmers who were travelling from Kebbi State to work in Ondo State.

Joseph said, “We discovered in our findings that the men are not Boko Haram members. Some of them engage in trading while some of them were going to Ore to do menial jobs. There is nothing that indicated that they are members of Boko Haram.”

On the issue of arms found in their vehicle, the Police Public Relations Officer explained that some of the suspects who were hunters were the owners of the guns and other weapons.

The police spokesperson, however, said the suspects would not be released until the command completed investigation into the matter.

He said, “We have to be completely sure that they are not members of the Boko Haram sect before we can allow them to go.”

PUNCH