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Top 10 Stories of Friday, October 20, 2017

1. EFCC FILES SUIT TO TAKEOVER PATIENCE JONATHAN’S ABUJA PROPERTIES

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday, filed an application before an Abuja Federal High Court seeking to take over assets belonging to Ariwabai Aruera Reachout Foundation owned by the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience.

However, Mrs. Jonathan, through her team of lawyers Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) and Mike Ozekhome (SAN) got wind of the application and filed a counter application challenging the ex parte application for forfeiture of the properties.
She argued that the court lacks the jurisdiction to hear the application, adding that the application is legally defective as did not comply with the rules of the court.
Meanwhile, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba has fixed November 11 for hearing of the suit.
2. APC HAS DONE NOTHING SINCE BUHARI BECAME PRESIDENT – JONATHAN
Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday lashed out at the All Progressives Congress, APC led administration for running a government of lies and propaganda.
Speaking in Abuja yesterday while receiving in audience with one of the contenders to the Office of the National Chairman of the Party, Professor Tunde Adeniran and his campaign team, Jonathan declared that he made to say that the PDP did well from May 29, 1999, until May 29, 2015, when it handed over power to the APC, saying since then till date the APC Administration has done nothing for the nation.
Jonathan said that all hope was not lost as the PDP would go all out and put its house in order for it to return to power come 2019.
3. NIGERIAN STUDENT AMAECHI JAILED FOR $3.7M FRAUD IN US
A Nigerian student living in the United States, Amechi Amuegbunam, has been jailed for 46 months after he was found guilty of perpetrating fraud worth $3.7m.
The 30year-old was also ordered to pay $615,555.12 in restitution for his role in a sophisticated email scam, otherwise known as Business Email Compromise that caused $3.7m loss to US companies.
He was arrested in Baltimore in August 2015 and charged with scamming 17 North Texas companies out of more than $600,000 using the technique.
He was accused of sending emails that looked like forwarded messages from top company executives to employees who had the authority to wire money.
4. NIGERIA BEGINS EXPORTATION OF STEEL
The Nigerian steel industry is going through a transformation as African Industries Group, the largest steel manufacturer in the country, has started exporting the product to Morocco, Egypt and Ghana.
According to Raj Gupta, Chairman, African Industrial Group, the company is currently exporting 200,000 metric tonnes yearly out of its one million metric tonnes per annum production capacity.
Uche Iwuamadi, the firm’s Group Executive Director, Legal/Corporate Affairs, added that with this move, Nigeria is now shifting from imports-oriented economy to that of an export giant.
5. EKITI ASSEMBLY WANTS TO JAIL EFCC CHAIRMAN, IBRAHIM MAGU
The Ekiti State House of Assembly has dropped hints on sending the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu to jail over the “illegal arrest” of two officials of the state.
EFCC had arrested the state’s Finance Commissioner, Toyin Ojo and Accountant General of the state, Yemisi Owolabi over alleged misappropriation of Paris Loan Refund.
Chairman, House Committee on information of the Assembly, Samuel Omotosho said the constitution of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, supersedes an Act of the National Assembly which created the EFCC.
He maintained that the only organ of government empowered to probe alleged misappropriation of funds is the state Assembly and not the EFCC.
6. INEC TO RECRUIT ONE MILLION ADHOC WORKERS FOR 2019 GENERAL ELECTIONS
Prof. Mahmud Yakub, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) told the Senate Committee on INEC yesterday that the commission would recruit about one million ad hoc members of staff for the conduct of the 2019 general elections.
According to him, the ad hoc workers to be deployed for the polls, which will begin in 484 days, will be about 300k higher than the 700k engaged for the 2015 general elections. The INEC boss, at the interactive session with the lawmakers, also disclosed that the commission was planning to make the five categories of disfranchised Nigerians participate in the 2019 general elections. Yakub assured Nigerians that the smart card readers to be deployed for the polls would function efficiently as users would be adequately trained on its usage before the election.
7. SENATOR MISAU DOCKED, GRANTED N5M BAIL
The Federal Government, on Thursday, arraigned Senator Isah Misau before an Abuja High Court at Maitama for making “injurious falsehood” against the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mr. Ibrahim Idris and the Nigerian Police Force.
Senator Isah Hamma Misau who was docked on a five-count charge pleaded not guilty before the Chief Judge, Justice Ishaq Bello and was granted bail to the tune of N5million with two sureties in like sum. The embattled lawmaker who is representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District, had after the charges were read to him, applied through his lawyer, Chief Godwin Obla, SAN, to be granted bail on self-recognizance.
Misau said he would be available to defend all the allegations FG levelled against him, adding that he appeared before the court voluntarily to face the charges.
The Director of Public Prosecution, Mr. Salihu Bakun who represented the federal government said he was not opposed to the bail request.
8. NIGERIAN AIRFORCE DEPLOYS FIGHTER AIRCRAFT, TROOPS TO PLATEAU STATE
The Nigerian Air Force has deployed its troops and fighter aircraft and attack helicopter to Jos, Plateau State.This is to put an end to the herdsmen’s killings in the state.
The deployment was announced on Thursday by the Nigerian Air Force Spokesman, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, who was directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Adesanya said The joint military operation in the state, ”Safe Haven” would ensure a lasting end to the killings.
9. KIDNAPPER EVANS CHANGES PLEA TO ‘NOT GUILTY’
Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, the man considered by police as Nigeria’s biggest kidnapping suspect has changed his plea against the case against him to ‘Not Guilty’.
Better known as Evans, Onwuamadike is facing a two-count charge of kidnapping and conspiracy to commit felony at a Lagos High Court. He pleaded guilty to the charges when he appeared in court in August, but at yesterday’s proceeding, Evans and five other accused pleaded ‘not guilty’.
The case will continue on November 3.
10. ATIKU REACTS TO PAYMENT OF PENSION TO PARDONED BIAFRA POLICE OFFICERS
Former vice-president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has reacted to the approval of payment of pension to police personel who served under the defunct Biafran police during the civil war by President Buhari.
Atiku, writing on his Twitter page, said Buhari’s move “shows a commitment to peace and unity and our share of belief in one Nigeria, with justice and equality for all”.
It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the payment of the pensions of retired Biafran police officers who served in the defunct Biafran Police during the 30-month civil war ages ago.
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