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Magu Paid Farm’s Electricity Bill From Missing N431m Security Vote – Salami Panel

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The presidential panel that probed Ibrahim Magu, former acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says he could not account for the N431 million security vote allocated to his office between 2015-2020.

In the final report submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari in November 2020, Magu was said to have used part of the money to pay for electricity bills on his personal farm located in Karshi Development Area of Nasarawa state.

The panel also said the former EFCC boss used part of the money to pay for cable television subscriptions in his private residence in the Karu area of the state.

The panel headed by Ayo Salami, former president of the court of appeal, was set up to probe the EFCC from May 2015 to May 2020 when Magu was in charge of the agency.

It was gathered that the report has now been submitted to the office of the secretary to the government of the federation, and a panel to produce the white paper will soon be set up.

When contacted, Wahab Shittu, Magu’s lawyer, to react to the report, he declined to comment, saying he wouldn’t speak on a document he has not seen.

“The details of the budget, fund releases, and expenditure with regards to the management of security/information fund by the acting-chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, show that a total sum of N830 million was appropriated as security/information fund for the office of the executive chairman of EFCC for the fiscal years 2015-2020,” the panel said.

“The sum of N431 million was released by the finance and accounts department of the EFCC as requested by the office of the executive chairman and approved by the suspended Ag. chairman of the EFCC during the period November 2015 to May 2020.

“The suspended acting chairman incurred extra-budgetary expenditure of N17 million during the 2019 fiscal year.
The amounts (N431m) released to the office of the executive chairman from November 2015-May 2020 could not be properly accounted for by the acting chairman.

“The analysis of some of the expenditures revealed that the funds were misapplied to service expenditure that had no bearing with security/information activities of the EFCC. These include payments for electricity bills for his personal farm located in Karshi Development Area, Nasarawa state.”

The panel recommended that Magu should be investigated and prosecuted for failing to account for the security votes.

In addition, the panel stated that the anti-graft agency used its staff multi-purpose cooperative society to warehouse N80 million of public funds drawn from the EFCC overhead cost allocation on the approval of Magu.

According to the report, N50 million was refunded on September 30, 2020, while the remaining N30 million was unrecovered.

The report also detailed the poor exhibit management system adopted by the EFCC and how forfeited assets scattered across the country were left to depreciate and decay.

It was earlier reported that the panel accused Magu of abandoning 14 procurement fraud cases involving N118 billion and $309 million.

In addition, he was said to have failed to remit another N48 billion loot in foreign and local currencies recovered from suspects.

BIG STORY

Inside Jigawa: One Dead, Groom Hospitalised As Bride Allegedly Poisons Wedding Guests

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A wedding in Jigawa State has turned tragic after a bride allegedly poisoned food served at the reception.

The incident reportedly left the groom critically ill and one of the wedding guests dead.

The incident occurred in the Jahun Local Government Area of the state.

Eyewitnesses suggested that the bride’s actions may have been driven by a personal vendetta.

Speaking on Friday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Shi’isu Adam, confirmed the incident and stated that an investigation was underway.

“We received a report that the bride had tainted the food served at the wedding reception, leaving the groom critically ill.

“Police have arrested two suspects in connection with the alleged food poisoning incident that occurred during a wedding ceremony in the state,” Adam said.

He revealed that the two suspects are the bride and another female, adding that they are in custody and being interrogated by the Criminal Investigation Department of the command.

The police spokesperson added, “We will do everything in our power to ensure that justice is served.”

According to the police spokesman, all the wedding attendants who consumed the poisoned food have been discharged from the hospital, except for the one person who was confirmed dead.

“The command is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, and we will provide more details as soon as possible.

“For now, we can confirm that the incident occurred, and we are working tirelessly to unravel the facts. We urge the public to remain calm and assured that justice will be served,” he concluded.

The identities of the deceased, the groom, and other victims have not been disclosed by the authorities.

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BIG STORY

Peter Obi Hellbent On Inciting Nigerians Against President Tinubu, He’s A Doomsayer — APC

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described Peter Obi’s New Year message as “misleading and an attempt to score cheap political points.”

Obi, who was the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, used his New Year message to criticize President Bola Tinubu, expressing grave concerns over institutional corruption, mismanagement, poverty, hardship, and an escalating debt profile.

The former governor of Anambra stated that corruption has been deeply entrenched in government and nepotism has become the norm under Tinubu’s leadership.

He also demanded “vigorous, positive actions” from the administration to bring succour to Nigerians.

However, in a counter-statement on Thursday, Felix Morka, APC spokesperson, stated that Obi’s assessment contradicted all indicators showing that the nation’s economy is rebounding across various sectors.

Morka accused Obi and members of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of relentlessly trying to incite public outrage against the Tinubu administration.

The APC further accused Obi of portraying himself as “a leading doomsayer, omniscient and philosopher’s stone” while failing to deliver “meaningful achievements during his eight-year tenure as governor in Anambra state.”

“In reality, 18 months later, the economy, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has shown a steady record of progress,” the statement reads.

“Despite these and other initial beneficial outcomes of ongoing reforms, the administration is doubling its effort to ensure their fullest benefits for the transformation of our country.

“It is a thing of irony that Obi, who now arrogates to himself to be omniscient and philosopher’s stone, when it comes to our nation’s challenges, left no record of significant achievement, let alone transformation of any kind, in his eight-year tenure as Governor of Anambra State.”

“Like his co-travellers in the PDP, Obi’s obsessive pessimism and endless but futile effort to incite public outrage against the administration is borne out of the realization that Tinubu is unwittingly cementing their political irrelevance by his visionary and full-throttle reform.”

“Under the banner of the Renewed Hope Agenda, President Tinubu is dutifully turning our nation’s fortunes around. We urge Nigerians to remain confident of better days ahead.”

The ruling party added that Tinubu’s goal is to reduce inflation from 34 percent to 15 percent in 2025.

“With the vigour in the administration’s war on corruption, evidenced by ongoing investigations and trial of well-heeled Nigerians, Obi’s pontification on the urgent need to tame corruption is a clear case of carrying coal to Newcastle,” the party added.

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BIG STORY

Five Arrested As Police Bust Female-Led ‘Phone-snatching Syndicate’ In Kano

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The Kano state police command has announced the arrest of members of a female-led phone-snatching syndicate operating within the Kano metropolis.

In a statement released on Thursday by Haruna Kiyawa, the police spokesperson in Kano, five members of the group, including its leader, 19-year-old Shamsiyya Adamu, were apprehended.

Kiyawa stated that Adamu was arrested on December 21, 2024, following reports of stolen mobile phones in Unguwa Uku Quarters, Kano.

He named the other suspects as “23-year-old Idris Yusuf, a tricycle rider who aided in transporting the principal suspect to commit crimes; Al’asan Dahiru, 24, who specialised in disposing of stolen items for the principal suspect; Abdulmajid Haruna, 27, who was buying stolen properties; and Salim Auwalu, 21, who was in charge of swindling money from victims’ bank accounts.”

“In the year 2024, the Kano State Police Command received numerous reports from residents of Kano Metropolis about a young lady who steals mobile phones from residential houses,” the statement reads.

“The reports indicated that the suspect was using a tricyclist and a cybercriminal to aid in her operations. The State Commissioner of Police, CP Salman Dogo Garba, raised a special intervention squad, and the principal suspect was arrested on December 21, 2024.

“The syndicate, led by Shamsiyya, specialised in stealing mobile phones from residential houses, using a tricyclist and a cybercriminal to aid in their operations. The suspects would deceive housewives, steal their mobile phones, and swindle money from their victims’ bank accounts.”

“Six mobile phones have been recovered so far, and efforts are ongoing to recover more stolen phones. Thirty complainants, including 29 females and 1 male, have lodged complaints against Shamsiyya, who confessed to stealing their mobile phones on various occasions in 2024.

“Anyone with a complaint against the suspects can contact the investigation team at 08032617800.”

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