News Paper Review|

N24B POLICE PENSION FRAUD: SUPREME COURT AFFIRMS JOHN YAKUBU’S SIX-YEAR JAIL TERM – THE NATION PG 6, DAILY TRUST PG 4, PUNCH PG 16, DAILY SUN PG 5.

The Supreme Court has affirmed the six-year jail term handed a former Assistant Director in the Federal Civil Service, John Yusufu Yakubu. The erstwhile civil servant was convicted for his complicity in the conversion of about N24 billion from the Police Pension Fund. The Court of Appeal in Abuja had, in a judgment on May 22, 2018, reversed an earlier decision of Justice Abuabakar Talba of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which convicted him on a three-count charge and gave him an option of fine at N250,000 per count. In its judgment in 2018, the Court of Appeal sentenced Yakubu to two years per count, to run consecutively without an option of fine, and ordered him to refund N22.9 billion.

INSECURITY: RESIGN NOW, REPS TELL NSA, DEFENCE MINISTER, OTHERS – DAILY TRUST PG 8

The motions were moved by Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau) and John Dyegh (PDP, Benue) over the killing of people in various communities in their constituencies by suspected terrorists a few days ago. Gagdi said the attacks were premeditated as there were early warnings that security agencies were informed of but did nothing to halt the attacks. According to him, houses, and places of business have been destroyed or burnt down while over 3000 have been displaced from the affected communities. In his remarks, Deputy Speaker Ahmed Idris Wase, who presided over the plenary, lamented that despite clear intelligence and resolutions including the one presented to the president after the security summit on the insecurity pervading Nigeria, attacks were being carried out and lives were being lost.

$1.32M FRAUD: APPEAL COURT ORDERS RE-TRIAL OF KANO GOV ASPIRANT – PUNCH PG 8

A Court of Appeal in Kano on Wednesday set aside the judgment of a Federal High Court which discharged and acquitted a Kano governorship aspirant, Abdulsalam Zaura, popularly known as A.A. Zaura. Zaura was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on a-five-count before the Federal High Court in Kano. The commission accused Zaura of defrauding a Kuwaiti national by obtaining $1.32m on the pretext that he was in the business of building properties in Dubai, Kuwait and other Arab countries.  On June 9, 2020, Justice Lewis Allagoa found the defendant not guilty and discharged him on all counts.

SECURITY AGENTS AIDING BANDITS, ALLEGE REPS, DEMAND NSA, MINISTER’S SACKING – PUNCH PG 2

The House of Representatives has condemned the rising insecurity in the country, especially the recent killings in Benue, Taraba and Plateau states.  The lawmakers, who stated this at the plenary on Wednesday, demanded the removal of the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (retd.) and the Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (retd.). The legislators also alleged that security agents were aiding bandits and other criminals, adding that huge security funds were not being justified. They also alleged that the security chiefs were benefitting from insecurity in the country because of the huge funds being allocated to the defence sector.  On Sunday, no fewer than 70 people were killed when gunmen attacked Kanam and Wase communities in Plateau State.  On Monday, 25 people were killed in Guma and Tiortyu local government areas of Benue State.

AMERICAN INTERCEPTED WITH FIREARMS AT LAGOS AIRPORT – DAILY SUN PG 4

The male passenger (names withheld), who owns Nigerian and American international passports,  arrived in the country aboard a United Airlines flight from Houston at 10:10am and was said to have checked in the firearms. An immigration source said that the passenger produced documents got from the U.S, which indicated that he was permitted to carry firearms, but the security agencies couldn’t verify the authenticity of the papers. “Officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service intercepted the passenger with the firearms during screening. “So far, the passenger is undergoing scrutiny from the officials of the service and will be handed over to the relevant authorities after interrogation. “Besides, we learnt that the passenger has dual citizenship and supposedly has the approval of the US government to carry firearms, but such should have been declared at the port of entry, which he didn’t do.

NDLEA JAILS 677 DRUG TRAFFICKERS, ARREST 3,359 SUSPECTS IN FIRST QUARTER – DAILY SUN PG 5, THIS DAY PG 53

With a total of 3,359 arrests and 65,915.891 kilograms of assorted drugs seized within the same period, the agency said no fewer than 2,223 drug users were also counselled through brief interventions and rehabilitated in its facilities across the country in the first quarter of the year. Cannabis also topped the list of seizures in March with 21,583.81kg; followed by tramadol -8,965.319kg; codeine -417.207kg; diazepam -57.755kg; cocaine -45.082kg; methamphetamine -7.527kg; rophynol -6.34kg and heroin -1.497kg. While appreciating the commitment of officers and men of the agency for a commendable performance in the first quarter of the year, Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (retd) urged them not to rest on their oars.

Close Search Window