NEWS
Ex-Anambra Governor Faces Trial Over Alleged N4bn Fraud
In a significant legal development, the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has ruled against former Governor Willie Obiano’s attempt to challenge the EFCC’s jurisdiction in prosecuting him.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, presiding over the case, delivered the verdict on Thursday, deeming Obiano’s application lacking in merit and deserving of dismissal.
This decision comes after thorough consideration, with the judge rejecting all grounds presented by Obiano’s legal team.
The judge emphasized that determining the former governor’s connection to the alleged offenses would require proper legal proceedings.
Specifically, Justice Inyang Ekwo highlighted that the pivotal issue revolved around whether the state’s security votes originated from the federation account, thus affirming the validity of the prosecution’s case.
The judge said “As long as the EFCC Act has not been declared unconstitutional, this court cannot stop the implementation of the act. The powers of the EFCC ought to be a question of law and has bearing in the 1999 Constitution.
“State security votes come from the federation account making the development a constitutional issue..This court has no powers to preempt the case of the prosecution, ”
Subsequent to the ruling, Mr. Obiano’s counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu, made a plea for the release of his client’s international passport to facilitate medical treatment abroad.
Ikpeazu cited the defendant’s health condition and the necessity of sixty days for his treatment, assuring compliance with any conditions set by the court.
In a conciliatory stance, counsel to the EFCC, Sylvanus Tahir, stated the prosecution’s lack of opposition to the application. However, Tahir expressed reservations regarding the 60 days treatment duration.
Mr Tahir said, “We are not opposed to the application but we have issues with the 60 days because the trial has been truncated already.”
The judge was inclined to grant the application, with the condition that the former governor return his international passport to the court’s registrar upon his return.
Furthermore, he adjourned the proceedings until June 24th to 27th, indicating the commencement of the trial.
Mr. Obiano, who was arraigned on January 24th, is facing trial on a nine-count charge amounting to alleged N4 billion fraud.
Previously, he filed an application challenging the EFCC’s jurisdiction to prosecute him, seeking to dismiss the charges, alleging them to be an abuse of court process and asserting the absence of a prima facie case against him.
Mr. Obiano asserted that there was no correlation between the evidence presented by the EFCC to the court and the accusations against him. He contended that no witness testified to him issuing directives for the disbursement of security votes and other government funds in Anambra State.
Furthermore, Mr. Obiano argued that he couldn’t be held responsible for any alleged unlawful actions by Anambra government officials, citing the absence of vicarious liability in the criminal justice system.
His motion on notice was based on legal provisions including sections 6 (6) (a) and (b), section 36(6) (6) b of the 1999 Constitution as amended, and section 1(1) & (2), 266, 271(b), 383(4) & 492 (3) of the Administration of the Criminal Justice Act 2015.
Among other requests, Mr. Obiano sought an order from the court to dismiss the current charge, arguing that it constitutes a flagrant abuse of the judicial process and undermines the integrity of the criminal justice system.
Additionally, he requested an order to quash the charge due to the alleged failure to disclose a prima facie case, asserting that the nine-count charges lacked specificity and precision.
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.
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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.
“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.
He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.
“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.
“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said
He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.
“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”
Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.
He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.
“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.
“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.
He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
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The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has inaugurated a 12-member committee tasked with recovering government vehicles reportedly in private hands.
The committee, led by Kelly Okungbowa, has been given a two-week mandate to retrieve the vehicles and ensure their return to the state government.
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Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo emphasized the importance of accountability in the management of public resources.
He urged the committee to carry out its assignment thoroughly and within the bounds of the law.
In his response, Okungbowa expressed gratitude to the governor for entrusting the team with the assignment, vowing to deliver results within the stipulated timeframe.
“A lot of vehicles used by the past administration are missing, as those in custody of the vehicles have refused to return them,” Okungbowa said.
“The governor deemed it fit to inaugurate us today with a mandate to recover all government vehicles in private hands.”
The committee, which includes representatives from Edo’s three senatorial districts, is set to investigate and recover the vehicles based on credible intelligence already at their disposal.
“We already have vital information regarding some persons still holding government vehicles,” Okungbowa stated. “We will do the job according to the law, and both the government and the people will be satisfied with the outcome.”
He also called on members of the public to assist the committee by providing information about any government vehicles that may still be in private possession.
“We want to appeal to members of the public who might be aware of anyone still keeping government vehicles in their houses to please inform us to enable the committee to recover such for the Edo State Government,” Okungbowa said.
The committee’s vice chairman, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, will work alongside other members to ensure the success of the initiative. The public can reach the committee at 08110165121.
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