Ibori committed ‘massive theft’,

British prosecutors today began to lay out the money laundering case against associates of former Governor James Ibori by telling a London court that Ibori committed ‘massive theft’ during his eight-year tenure as governor of Delta state. In the resumed money-laundering trial of Ibori’s associates, prosecutors told the Southwark Crown court, presided over by Mr Christopher Harding, that Ibori used third party agents and nominees to siphon state funds and acquire properties and assets within and outside Nigeria. The case is being presented before a jury of 12 randomly selected members of the British public. The jurors were called in about 3:25p.m. (London time), following which the prosecution team called in Mr. Chima Umezurike as their first witness in the case. The witness, a lawyer who is a member of both the Nigerian and English bars, testified on the Nigerian constitutional requirements and code of conduct for public office holders in Nigeria, including governors. Mr. Umezurike was asked to explain the grounds on which a governor may be disqualified from public office. He spoke on section 182 of the criminal code, stating that a public official may be disqualified on the ground of theft or the handling of stolen goods, including the use of third party agents and nominees for the same purposes. Asked to clarify what items are included in the declaration of assets, according to the 5th schedule of the 1999 Nigerian constitution and the code of conduct for public officers, the witness stated the following: one, that public office holders shall not maintain a bank account outside Nigeria and, two, that public office holders shall provide written declaration of assets and properties to the Code of Conduct Bureau. He explained that any property or asset declared, but found not to be linked or attributed to known income, is deemed to be evidence of a breach of the code of conduct. Mr. Umezurike testified that the Revenue Allocation and Fiscal Commission, established by the 1999 constitution, sets the salaries for public office holders. The salaries of public office holders, which is available to the public via the official website of the commission, stipulates a basic annual salary of N849,000 for the governor, including allowances for accommodation, transport and furniture, which are, respectively, 100%, 350% and 300% of the basic salary. On the question of the punishment prescribed for breach of the stated laws, the witness responded that these are listed in section 18 of the 5th schedule of the constitution, as well as any additional penalties prescribed by the constitution. These punishments include vacation of the office (in this case governor), seizure or forfeiture to the state of any asset or property acquired corruptly, and imprisonment.

Too hot in the kitchen: Corrupt Aondoakaa flees Abuja for Senegal, Spain

Nigeria's controversial and notoriously corrupt public officer, Michael Aondoakaa, the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, who was recently demoted to the ignominy of cabinet “Special Duties,” may have fled the heat of the kitchen. Andoakaa, who is also under fire from a fellow minister, Dora Akunyili, over reckless statements he made over her actions in recent cabinet meetings, may not be in a position to respond to her seven-day ultimatum, which expires in five days. He quietly left for Senegal on Thursday night, apparently to avoid the consequences of his dubious errands on behalf of the kitchen cabinet, which began to crumble last week. The former AGF also faces mounting pressure from several interests that he extorted for cash as he went about his duties heavily compromised. A family source told Saharareporters in Abuja that his decision to travel out of Nigeria was abrupt as they were planning to meet with him in his hometown in Benue State this weekend, but Aondoakaa promptly traveled out of the country after he applied for a 30-day leave. It is unclear if the government approved the application before he left. Sources close to the Minister told our reporter that he lost his swagger and suddenly became fearful for his life after he was removed from office as AGF, choosing to run away to Dakar, one of his favorite destinations. He is expected to travel to Spain from Senegal until things cool down a bit. Aondoakaa’s disappearance is coming on the heels of the jetting-out of James Ibori, a kitchen-cabinet colleague, purportedly to spend Valentine's Day in Dubai and South Africa with his new girlfriend, Senami Sosu. His wife is in London, preparing to face trial, while his mistress, Mrs. Udoamaka Okoronkwo is also unavailable, as her trial commences in a right after Valentine's Day. It is believed that owing to the recent political developments, the kitchen cabinet members might have started considering other options, especially fleeing Nigeria.

Dora Akunyili:Corrupt Aondoakaa eats his words W

Trying to minimize personal and political damage, Minister without portfolio, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa, has retracted his suggestive comment aimed at Dora Akunyili, the Minister for Information and Communications, saying his words were merely misunderstood. Last week, following Mrs. Akunyili’s memo to the Federal Executive Council to reconsider its stand on transferring power to the vice-president in view of Umaru Yar’Adua’s extended sickness abroad, Mr. Aondoakaa had told a newspaper his colleague was seeking personal glory, and that, instead, she should “go and confront herself with what happened in NAFDAC.”Mr. Aondoakaa did not say “sorry,” either to the person whose reputation he had clearly injured. It is not clear if Mrs. Akunyili, who had given him seven days to purge himself and who now has in her hands both the knife and the yam, will take further action.

Swiss Conspiracy:Swiss court awards Haiti funds to Baby Doc Duvalier

At least $4.6m (£2.9m) in Swiss bank accounts must be returned to the family of Haiti's former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier, a Swiss court has ruled.

A lower court had previously awarded charities the money - but that decision was overturned on 12 January and the ruling released on 3 February.

However, the Swiss government has blocked the release of the money until a law is passed to return it to Haiti.

The exile, known as Baby Doc, allegedly looted millions. He denies wrong-doing.

The court decision was made hours before the Haiti earthquake killed at least 150,000 people and left 1.5 million homeless.

The three-week delay before the ruling had been released was a common feature of Swiss courts, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

The Federal Supreme Court reversed the lower court's ruling that the money should go to aid groups in Haiti because the statute of limitations on any crimes committed by the Duvalier clan expired in 2001.

US: Atiku Abubakar in $40million money-laundering accusation with wife, Jennifer

A United States Senate report has accused Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s former Vice-President, of laundering over $40 million in suspicious funds into the United States between 2000 and 2008. And his partner in the lucrative effort was Jennifer Douglas, his fourth wife. Ms. Douglas is sometimes known as Lady Jamilah Jennifer, or Douglas E, or Jennifer Iwenjora, the name by which she was known in the 1980s when she was a reporter with the Nigeria Television Authority in Lagos. According to the report, which was written by the Senate Subcommittee on Investigations, most of the funds were through wire transfers sent by offshore corporations to U.S. bank accounts. Of the $40 million identified in the US investigation, $25 million was reportedly wire-transferred by offshore corporations into more than 30 U.S. bank accounts opened by Ms. Douglas, primarily by Guernsey Trust Company Nigeria Ltd., LetsGo Ltd. Inc., and Sima Holding Ltd. “In a 2008 civil complaint, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission alleged that Ms. Douglas received over $2 million in bribe payments in 2001 and 2002, from Siemens AG, a major German corporation,” the report says. “While Ms. Douglas denies wrongdoing, Siemens has already pled (pleaded) guilty to U.S. criminal charges and settled civil charges related to bribery and told the Subcommittee that it sent the payments to one of her U.S. accounts.

Maurice Iwu’s INEC declared unfit to conduct any elections in Nigeria

In a case that may have immediate political reverberations, Justice Mohammed Liman of the Federal High Court in Lagos today ruled that the present Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is not competent to organize any election in Nigeria. Delivering judgment in a suit filed by Femi Falana on behalf of the Osun State chapter of the Action Congress against INEC and four others, Justice Liman ruled that the membership of the electoral body was not properly constituted, and that any election conducted by INEC would consequently be unconstitutional. This rule comes less than 48 hours before INEC, which is currently led by Maurice Iwu, is to set to conduct a governorship election in Anambra. The ruling has cast the legitimacy of that election in serious question. In going to court to challenge the constitution of the current INEC, the AC had contended that the present chairman and four commissioners of INEC contravened section 159 of the 1999 Constitution which stipulates that INEC is to be run by a chairman and 13 commissioners. The said section also stipulates that one–third of the 13 members (comprising five members) must be present before any decision could be taken. The plaintiffs sued INEC Chairman, Mr. Maurice Iwu, Mr. Phillip Umeadi, Mr. Victor Chukwuani, Mr. A Soyebi and the Resident Electoral Officer of Osun State as co-defendants. Delivering his verdict, the judge said it was shameful that Iwu and his commissioners could take the country for granted by perpetrating illegalities that they clearly knew was against the constitution of the land. Justice Liman dismissed the submission of INEC lawyers who challenged his jurisdiction. He stated that he was competent to entertain the matter. The judgment stressed the role of a properly constituted INEC in the country’s democratic progress. Judge Liman said, “Before I end this judgment, let me remark on a very sad note that INEC constitutes the most important indispensable bedrock on which our democratic institutions are built.” He went on to state that the electoral commission’s “functions are central to the smooth and enduring evolution of our political structure. It is not an overstatement to say that without a functional INEC, no election into any political office will be possible.” He then wondered “how come that in the 11th year of the country's journey into constitutional governance, we do not have an electoral body with its full complement of members?” The judge expressed profound disappointment that “We continue to pretend that all is well with our electoral system while its membership continues to drop from 13 to four and it seems we remain complacent as if all is well.”

Work-chop-cracy

A group of individuals known as the ‘Face of Lagos’ recently accused Gov. Babatunde Fashola of financial recklessness and impropriety. Following these allegations, the Lagos State House of Assembly (LSHA) in a swift response constituted a panel to investigate these allegations. If we are happy to see James Ibori, Lucky Igbinedion, Orji Kalu go to jail, but we are not interested in investigating allegations of corruption levelled against Fashola because we think he his performing. Such attitude smacks of hypocrisy.

As we know, a group of individuals known as the ‘Face of Lagos’ recently, through paid newspaper advertorial, accused Gov. Babatunde Fashola of financial recklessness and impropriety. Following these allegations, the Lagos State House of Assembly (LSHA) in a swift response constituted a panel to investigate these allegations

As I write, the motive of the investigation panel is still been queried by members of the public. Some have described it as the proverbial “hand of Esau and voice of Jacob”. Some consider the investigation as the first step in the plot to impeach the state governor. There are insinuations that the disagreement between the godson and godfather is because the former has not allowed the latter to have an unfettered access to the state vault. There have even been comments about why the LSHA has not probed the 8-year rule of the supposed godfather.

Madam secretary Hillary Clinton: please blacklist the following Nigerians

Dear Mrs. Clinton:
With all your years in politics, foreign affairs and the resources available to the United States government, I do not think there is anything about Nigeria that I need to tell you. You have read about it and you have been there to see for yourself. You know who the big players are in the country’s world of corruption and you know where they have stashed their stolen wealth. You have openly, and presumably diplomatically, condemned corruption in the country, During your August 2009 visit to Nigeria, you made overt references to the fact that Nigeria’s problems are rooted in its failure to deal with corruption. Just today, while addressing state department employees during a town hall meeting, you again seized the opportunity to tell the whole world about Nigeria’s failure to address the legitimate needs of its people and how such failure is gradually turning the country into a breeding ground for all sorts of undesirable elements. On behalf of millions of Nigerians, I thank you and the Obama administration profoundly for the above efforts. However, there is so much more to be done.

More than ever before, there is an urgent need to increase the pressure on Nigeria’s corrupt-beyond-redemption political class in order to prevent a total breakdown of law and order and possible civil war. If U.S. diplomatic history provides any clue with respect to conflict resolution, it is that a break down of law and order in Nigeria will force the US to make gargantuan human and material commitment to Nigeria and the Sub-region: a situation that is unnecessary in light of the options available, a situation that neither ordinary Nigerians nor the United States want; a situation that would create a refugee problem of a magnitude not seen in recent human history and be destabilizing to West African, European and North American countries.

In order to prevent Nigeria from descending into a civil war or several civil wars as is more likely to happen because of the country’s ethnic and tribal configuration, urgent steps must be taken to effect immediate and long term changes in the country. Nigeria is where it is today mainly because of the “elements” in charge of the country and their devious device which they have christened government. Permit me to suggest we are requesting the urgent assistance of the Obama administration in putting in place a no-visa list consisting of Nigeria’s leading government officials and their private sector collaborators. The no-visa list should at the very minimum contain the following:

• The country’s current leader (whoever that is) should be limited to the United Nations and Harlem the way Fidel Castro was during his 1960 visit;
• all past leaders and governors;
• all current state governors with the exception of one or two who are doing their jobs;
• all past and current federal ministers and state commissioners;
• all past and present lawmakers at the federal and state levels
• all past and current local government chairmen/chairlady and the elected councilors who assist them in looting their respective treasuries;
• past and present managers of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, and other leading government corporations;
• past and present MD/CEO’s of all banks in the country;
• all past and present ambassadors of the country for their roles as agents of an evil regime;
• all previous and present police and military officers beyond the rank of Major or its equivalent;
• all judges from the magistrate courts to the Supreme Court of Nigeria for their roles in accepting bribes and perverting the course of justice;
• the present chairperson of the EFCC for her role in legitimizing corruption;
• the children and wives of those on the no-visa list;
• all known enablers of corruption not caught by the above list.

A serious consideration of the above list will show that 99.99% of the individuals who have destroyed Nigeria and stolen the people’s commonwealth will be found on the list. Having them on the no-visa list hurts no one but the crooks themselves. I believe in the list and given the power to implement it, it is exactly what I will have in place. Realizing that I do not have the power to implement the list and given other considerations, the above list maybe unwieldy and may lose the desired effect. Consequently, I will suggest a more pragmatic list made up of the following:

• Umaru Yar Adua and Goodluck Jonathan;
• all the current governors
• immediate past president and governors, especially those indicted or convicted for corruption (i.e. Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida, Lucky Igbinedion, Orji Kalu, Peter Odili, and James Ibori – ignore the Kangaroo court discharge);
• all current federal ministers and state commissioners, particularly, Michael Aondoakaa, Dora Akunyili, Ojo Madueke and Rilwani Lukeman;
• all current senior officers of the police and armed forces
• all current managers of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Power Holding Corporation of Nigeria and other leading government corporations;
• Aliko Dangote, Mike Adenuga, Dahiru Mangal and all Nigerian billionaires because there is no legitimate Nigerian billionaire (those who want to argue their cases should be asked to submit their income tax returns for examination);
• The judges and justices of the Federal, Appeal and Supreme Courts for their roles in accepting bribes and perverting the course of justice;
• The current chairperson of the EFCC, Farida Waziri;
• The current officers of the National Assembly, including the David Mark, Dimeji Bankole and Jubril Aminu who has been indicted in the Siemens bribery scandal but is still angling to become the vice president in the event Goodluck Jonathan becomes the president of the country;
• The chairpersons of all the banks indicted by the Central Bank of Nigeria, including Cecilia Ibru and the coward called Erasmus Akingbola who claims to have accumulated assets of over $2 billion (N322 billion) dollars with a monthly salary of $10,000 (N1.5 million). An eye should also be kept on below-rader crooks like Chukwuma Saludo – former Central Bank governor, Jim Ovia of Zenith Bank and Tony Elumelu of Uba who are just as corrupt as the indicted ones;
• Some traditional rulers and pastors for their roles in providing recognition to corrupt politicians in exchange for part of the looted funds;
• Including Journalists who have sold their souls in exchange for Abuja land and other pecuniary benefits will force them to return to their basic responsibility of holding government accountable to the people;
• The children and wives of all those on the list because they school and live in the west with monies looted from the ordinary people of Nigeria;

Nigeria House: New York City to sue Nigeria over unpaid real estate taxes

The city has filed a federal lawsuit in Manhattan against the Nigerian government, claiming that the African nation failed to pay real estate taxes, officials announced today. The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, claims that the Nigerian government failed to pay taxes for commercial offices and other non-tax exempt spaces in the 22-story building it owns at 828 Second Avenue in Manhattan.
The exact amount is not known because of the refusal of the Nigerian government to supply the city with documentation.As a result, the city is seeking between $4.1 million and upward of $16 million in unpaid taxes, other charges and interest from Nigeria, city officials said.The city provides a tax exemption to all foreign governments for their United Nations Mission and their consulates, officials said.The building -- known as “Nigeria House” -- is used partially for tax-exempt purposes, including as offices for the Nigerian Consulate and the Nigerian Mission to the UN.

Corruption up among China government officials

China's anti-corruption watchdog has said that 106,000 officials were found guilty of corruption in 2009, an increase of 2.5% on the year before.

The number of government officials caught embezzling more than one million yuan ($146,000; £91,000) jumped by 19% over the year.

The government says the increase is due to better supervision of the problem.

But corruption is consistently rated the number one concern by Chinese, ahead of pirated goods and pollution.

There is widespread anger at the ostentatious lifestyle enjoyed by some Communist Party officials, police chiefs and bosses of state-owned companies, says the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Beijing.

With no independent oversight of the ruling communists, corruption has bloomed.

This Decay Can Inflict Poetic Justice, Alhaji (Dr.) Mutallab

The New York Times described him as “a prominent Nigerian banker and former government official”. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula boastfully called his son; their “Nigerian brother” who successfully outwitted airport security systems even though his determined efforts to wreck the havoc he was deployed for was marred by a ‘technical fault’.
Since Christmas Day when fate foiled 23-year old Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab’s attempt to bring down a jetliner over Detroit one has watched in dismay as his father, Alhaji (Dr.) Umaru AbdulMutallab and the rest of his family embarked on a subtle PR ploy to cast themselves as unfortunate victims of their son’s indiscretion. Some, particularly in the popular press seem to have bought into their ploy: In a side bar, The New York Times proclaimed: “Parents of Suspect Offer Help”. From his London base, one Eddie Iroh in comments made in Nigeria’s Next newspaper was quick to praise Mutallab, the father for alerting Nigerian authorities and the US Embassy in Nigeria that his son had gone AWOL. My reading and assessment of Alhaji (Dr.) Mutallab’s alert is that he simply dialed 911 to for help that could bring his son back to him. The family statement confirmed as much: “We were hopeful that they would find and return him home”, it reads in part. The US Embassy cared less and rightly so, to use their system to help a man who pays neither tax nor tight to sustain it to look for his son and bring him home. That US authorities simply inserted the lad’s name into the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment, or TIDE, the extensive collection of data on more than 500,000 people, instead of the “far smaller no-fly list, which has only 4,000 names, or the so-called selectee list of 14,000 names of people who are subjected to more thorough searches at checkpoints” underscores the validity of my assessment even further. As for the Nigerian authorities, it’s premature at this point to even bother to infer why they wouldn’t bate an eyelid in response to Mutallab’s distress call. That fact will unfold clearly a little later in this piece.

Beyond the tears for Mrs. Maryam Babangida

While sympathizing with General Ibrahim Babangida over the death of his darling wife, Maryam, I am compelled to recall a portion of my address at the at the public presentation of THE GATEKEEPERS on December 16, 2009 at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos when I observed inter alia:
“The Pius Okigbo Panel revealed that the Ibrahim Babangida junta diverted the huge sum of $12.2 Billion from the Dedicated Accounts in the Central Bank from 1998-1992. If a little part of the stolen wealth had been channeled towards the improvement of the health sector Nigerians would have had access to affordable and qualitative health care delivery system. But since that was not done the former military president himself had to be flown to Paris , France where he underwent surgery for radiculopathy when he was in power. Right now, his wife, Mrs. Maryam Babangida is receiving treatment for cancer in a foreign hospital.

Even though Nigeria made more petrol dollar during the Olusegun Obasanjo years than any other period in her history the Federal Government neglected the health sector. It was so bad that government officials and other privileged citizens had to travel abroad to treat all manners of ailment. The President’s wife, Mr. Stella Obasanjo lost her precious life in the hands of quack doctors in Spain . The leader of the team of doctors has since been convicted and ordered to pay compensation of $120,000.00 to the son of the deceased.

During the presidential campaign in 2007 Governor Umaru Yaradua was rushed to a German hospital to treat catarrh! When it was rumoured that he had died President Obasanjo called him on phone. As soon as Alhaji Yaradua denied the ugly rumour President Obasanjo who was then at a campaign rally at Abeokuta, Ogun State sang a song taken from Psalm 35 which goes thus: “Awon to nniwa lara Baba, niwon lara ” (O God, take up our case with them that subject us to harassment). Regrettably, the press did not take up the challenge of finding out why President Obasanjo was imposing an ailing successor on the nation.

Turai Yar'Adua our modern day Imelda Marcos and Hillary Clinton Lesson

Imelda Marcos is known in world history as the schemer of Philippines but also the “jointe presidento” of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos became the 10th President of the Philippines, he took the oath of office to defend the constitution of Philippines but in practical terms gave the “right to rule” to his amiable, strong wife, the “rose of Tacloban” and “iron butterfly” Imelda Marcos.
Today Nigeria is presenting to the world her own Imelda Marcos in the person of “Her Excellency” Hajia Turai Yar’Adua, wife of the bedridden President of the Federal republic of Nigeria, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. Turai like Winnie and Hilary also finds herself in the throes of very sad historical circumstances. For her right now, there is the need to rise up from the ruins of a heart that should be shattered by the fate of her terminally ill husband who is also the president of a country in turmoil and stand on the side of her country. Turai must choose between the privileges of being the wife of a president and the rights of a country in need of a president; a president at work. She also needs to choose between the needs of a helpless man who must be challenged by the fact he is indeed dying and her need to enjoy the splendour, influence and ostentation that attend the life of a president's wife in Nigeria. Inspire of the despicable things we do to each other in a bid to survive and be influential, we are a nation of people with the African spirit; we share deep fraternal ties and true love for one another. Inspire of the fact that Stella and her husband abused the faith of Nigerians, we sympathised with him and her family. We are quick to empathise with our neighbour in distress and do whatsoever we can to ease the pain. That is why it is painfully embarrassing to see that we have been denied the privilege to empathise with the Yar'adua family over the predicament of their son and Turai must take the bulk of the responsibility for that because of the obvious choices she has made. She must be held accountable for the fact that rather than cushion her husband's pains, she is fuelling the outrage that compounds his situation by insisting that he hangs unto power at the expense of Nigeria and his life. How much could a man possibly hold unto at a time like this? It's amazing to see how she has evolved from the rustic woman who suddenly found herself in Aso rock to this sophisticated trendy woman with an insatiable appetite for power and the accessories that make it addictive. Turai leaves no one in doubt about her aspirations and she seems to be acting a well thought out plot that should culminate in her enthronement.

How Ohakim loots Imo State-National Daily

EFCC begins probe • Gov.’s Aides, top contractor panic • Petitioner alleges threat to life. WHAT is the true identity of Governor Godson Ikedi Ohakim of Imo State? Take one: New Face of Imo State? No. Take Two: New Rogue of Imo State? Addendum: Only the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and the court of law can establish whether Ohakim is a saint or devil. Indeed only the Law court can judge between Ohakim and his traducers who have accused him of monumental fraud even as he bestrides the South-East chest-thumping his achievement as an action governor across the Niger.
This curious question is also knocking from all corners; Is Ohakim guilty or innocent of crunching the bone hung on his neck by unbridled looting of Imo State treasury? No matter what Ohakim's defense may be, the document on his alleged misdeed available to National Daily is damnable. National Daily influence revealed that Governor Ikedi Ohakim is today a subject of investigation by the EFCC following series of petitions forwarded to the commission's office in Abuja accusing him of offenses bothering on contract inflation and money laundering. Ohakim is said to have bilked Imo State of monies amounting to Billions of naira. For instance Ohakim was accused of perpetuating fraud in the award off the N8 billion dredging of Nworie River. The contract was said to have been awarded to Ruodo Nigeria Limited owned by Chief Tony Chukwu. He aligned with the Ohakim government to defraud Imo State of colossal sums through inflated contracts. The Ohakim-Chukwu dubious partnership was said to have started over two years ago and climaxed in the N8 billion Nworie River dredging contract awarded in March, 2009. It was learned that over 50 per cent of the contract sum has already been paid to Tony Chukwu as “mobilization”.

For Ibori's prosecution Aondoakaa must resign

The Benue people are people of integrity an ethnic group that uphold the ethics and morality of life. What baffles my imagination is how the present Attorney General of the Federation will put the hard earned reputation built by the Benue leaders to public ridicule for his selfish motive and greed for materialistic quest for wealth. You will all agree that the likes of J.S TARKAA, fought gallantly for the emancipation of the present middle Beltans, where we are day. Sorry for taking readers back, a little. But it’s for the sake of clarity. The appointment of KAASE MIKE AONDOAKAA was a hope for the anti grafts agencies and Nigerians in general, more so that he was coming from a background that has no political history. Hopes were high. Today, the young man has become a barrier for the fight against corruption. The exoneration of Ibori from all the charges leveled against him by the EFCC did not come as a surprise to me because of the corrupt issues surrounding the AGF. He was first petitioned by the committee for the Defence of Human Right, CDHR. Many thought it was political, later he was fingered as Ibori, s protector. Then sentiments came in that the Yoruba’s are interested in the office just to deviate from the truth. But here we are today, knowing fully well that Ibori is guilty of the charges leveled against him, but the AGF hired assassin Justice MARCEL AWOKULEHIN of the FHC Asaba delivered a kangaroo judgment in favour of Ibori just to please his master AGF. No wonder the minister is no disposed to the issue of Special Court . (AGF AONDOAKAA) YOU MUST GO. ALI MUST GO WILL REPEAT ITSELF.

“Operation Zuma”: Kangaroo Court frees Ibori!

The Federal High Court judge in Asaba today discharged and acquitted James Ibori, the former governor of Delta State, of all of the 170-count charge of corruption and abuse of office proffered against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). It is a shameful verdict that has been expected for a long time. Saharareporters had reported that the trial judge, Justice Marcel Awokulehin, who was personally vetted for the job by Ibori, to lead the court that was established for the specific purpose of ensuring that Ibori was not sent to jail, had struck a deal with the ex-governor and two-time ex-convict, to squash the charges for a princely sum of $5 million.

Signs that the judge was going to deliver his highly compromised judgment have been available since the date of the verdict was set. And then twice in the past several weeks, Judge Awokulehin looked around the courtroom only to postpone a verdict he had boasted was ready even before the first date he had given.

But this morning, it was clear that an understanding had been reached to set Ibori free when heavy security, which our source said was being personally coordinated by the Director-General of the State Security Service in Abuja, was noticed at the venue.
Judge Awokulehin arrived at 8:41a.m for an event that had become, as much about him as about the accused, but Ibori did not arrive until 8:58a.m. Our reporter said Ibori’s arrival was notable for his “absolute confidence” and uncommon swagger.

The bizarre ruling today marks the end of another byzantine compromise of the Nigerian judiciary that started in December 2007 when Ibori was arrested by the EFCC, arraigned and remanded in prison custody, far away in Kaduna.

Ibori: This Judgement Can’t Stand – EFCC

The decision of Justice Marcel Awokulehin of the Federal High Court, Asaba to quash all the 170 count charge against former governor of Delta state, Mr James Onanefe Ibori today has not come as a surprise to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

In view of our determination to prosecute this case to a logical conclusion, and our strong belief that this hazy judgement cannot stand based on available evidence we have to prosecute the case, we have instructed our lawyers to immediately file an appeal against Justice Awokulehin’s judgement at a higher court.

We are convinced that this judgement cannot stand especially at this critical time in our nation’s history when the judiciary is being hailed for rising to the challenge of delivering fearless judgements against the corrupt in our society.

This kind of judgement if not challenged is capable of deepening the menace of corruption in our country rather than contributing in any way to the cause of justice which is the basis of sustaining our democratic governance.

This explains why the leadership of the Commission will leave no stone unturned to ensure that the case is taken to a logical conclusion given the enormity of evidence available to prosecution. Femi Babafemi Head, Media & Publicity

Turai Yar’Adua orders gold and diamond removed from Aso Rock

In a sign of increased uncertainty about Umaru Yar'adua's ability to return to Nigeria's presidency, his wife, Turai is anxiously moving to protect her most prized possession from the presidential lodge in Abuja also known as Aso Rock Villa.

Saharareporters learnt that the Turai Yar’adua has commenced the removal of a cache of gold and diamond kept in the inner recesses of the presidential villa. The precious metals, described by our sources as “large in quantity,” are tied to a business co-owned by Turai and her daughter, Nafisat Yuguda, but run on their behalf by a Lebanese businessman Joseph Zeitoun and his Nigerian wife, Zainab Zeitoun. “The fact that the First Lady is removing the jewelry from Aso Rock shows that the president’s condition may not be that good,” said one of our sources.

Nafisat, Yar'adua's daughter who is married to Governor Isah Yuguda of Bauchi, recently arrived in the US to give birth to their first baby.

The Zeitouns operate the jewelry business for the Yar’aduas out of the pricey shopping mall called Dunes Center. The jewelry shop, named Nafeez, is located in Suite 105 at the Dunes Center on 44 Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja. General Jeremiah Useni (ret.) allocated the land to Zainab when he was the minister of the Federal Capital Territory under the Sani Abacha regime.

Mr. Useni briefly dated Zainab. Our sources said that Zainab was then also dating Joseph at the time, but introduced the Lebanese to Useni as her business partner. The sources revealed that Zainab hit it big when she was introduced to Turai and “the First Lady found her partnership very rewarding.” One of our sources said the Zeitouns helped open Turai’s eyes to the tremendous profits that she could reap from the jewelry business. The sources said Turai had used “First Lady” pressure to force male and female government officials as well as business owners to purchase expensive gold and diamond from her front jewelry business.

Saharareporters has reported on Turai’s extensive business deals, making her one of Nigeria's sleaziest First Ladies. A source close to the Yar’aduas said that Turai “exploits every opportunity to make money – through kickbacks, the charging of $30,000 fee for anybody who wishes to see her, and establishment of phony foundations through which unscrupulous businessmen are forced to make donations that are then rerouted into her personal accounts.”

Our sources further revealed that the m=Minister of Agriculture, Abba Ruma, maintains an apartment at the Dunes center and holds business consultations in the building. The Zeitouns have received huge contracts to construct "Agricultural Storage Silos" and have helped the Yar'adua family developed properties acquired in Abuja.

Saharareporters also learnt that Zainab and Joseph Zeitoun were responsible for planning and executing the “Arabian Nights” theme for the gaudy and opulent weeklong wedding of Nafisat Yar'adua and Governor Yuguda. The wedding featured Senegalese music sensation, Youssou n'Dour, who performed alongside imported Lebanese belly dancers.

When our reporter called the telephone numbers on the Nafeez business card obtained exclusively by Saharareporters, the lines had become inactive.

Dunes Center

Corruption threatens "soul and fabric" of U.S.: FBI

Corruption, whether in the form of crooked officials, financial fraudsters or even philandering sports stars, is tearing at the fabric of U.S. society and is the country's No. 1 criminal threat, a senior FBI agent said on Tuesday. Addressing businessmen in Florida, where financial fraud cases jumped by 42 percent in the last year, FBI Miami Division Special Agent in Charge John Gillies said failures in personal ethics and integrity sowed the initial poisonous seeds of corruption in a society. Gillies said transgressions by high-profile public servants and even perceived social role models, like top golfer Tiger Woods, currently embroiled in allegations that he had extramarital affairs, sent the signal to young Americans that cheating and stealing were acceptable. "Where do our children learn this? They see us, their elected officials, their sports stars, they see how they act and they figure, 'well it's OK,'" he said, citing the case of Woods, whose early morning car accident in Florida last month triggered a storm of media questioning of his clean-living reputation. "Money can't buy everything," Gillies said in a speech to the West Boca Chamber of Commerce in Boca Raton, Florida. The special agent, who manages high-profile cases in Florida, the Caribbean and Latin America, in no way suggested Woods had committed any criminal offenses. Florida police issued Woods a ticket for careless driving last week and said no criminal charges would be filed. He quickly paid the $164 fine, his lawyer said. Police also said no allegations of domestic violence were leveled. Gillies, a 27-year veteran of the FBI, called corruption in all its multiple forms, whether in law enforcement or in the judicial system, or involving tax cheats and fraudsters, "our number one criminal threat" in the United States. "It really gets at the soul and fabric of the United States when people are out there corrupting ... it all starts with simple ethics violations," Gillies said.

Akwa Ibom State: $3.1 million “Etuk money” spills bad blood within government

The report of the $3.1 million money laundering involving the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, has created sharp division and suspicion within the state cabinet. Mrs. Emem Etuk, a Deputy General Manager, Victoria Island Branch (3) of Platinum Habib Bank (BankPHB) was arrested on 11 November 2009 by security operatives at the General Aviation Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos with $3.1 million suspected to belong to the Akwa Ibom State Governor.

Mrs. Etuk’s inability to offer a plausible explanation as to how she came about such a huge amount, or her mission, led to the escalation of the case to the Police Force headquarters in Abuja after she had been detained in Lagos for two weeks. Details of the financial scandal were unknown until SaharaReporters’ revelation earlier this week. Following our exposé, the governor’s agent, one "Centre for Media and Development" has issued a statement defending the governor and dismissing the link between the scam and the governor. Assuming the role of the police and the court, the Magnus Eze-led group submitted that their own investigations had exonerated the governor and that the money was meant for 2009 hajj pilgrims. SaharaReporters can reveal however that whereas the airlift of pilgrims started on 25 October, by 11 November when Mrs. Etuk was arrested, most pilgrims had departed and all travel plans had been concluded. Sources in Government House, Uyo, revealed that the Governor, who became disturbed about how the matter broke in the media after he had successfully suppressed the incident for four weeks following its occurrence, has ordered a secret investigation to unravel those who leaked the information to the press.