The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Friday called for peace among all ethnic and religious groups in Nigeria.
Tinubu made the call during the Eighth-Day Fidau Prayer for the late first civilian governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande.
The event was also attended by former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba; former Inspector-General of Police, Musliliu Smith; the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; and his Ekiti State counterpart, Kayode Fayemi; among others.
The APC chieftain said the country was facing a crisis and urged Nigerians to live in harmony and give peace a chance.
He said: “Nigeria is currently facing a crisis; a crisis of insurgency, banditry in all aspects of security, but God Almighty that made this country one of the largest and most resourceful countries will protect us.
“I appeal, in his (Jakande) memory today, for us not to turn whatever challenges we are facing right now into ethnic, tribal, and religious crises.
He said: “Nigeria is currently facing a crisis; a crisis of insurgency, banditry in all aspects of security, but God Almighty that made this country one of the largest and most resourceful countries will protect us.
“I appeal, in his (Jakande) memory today, for us not to turn whatever challenges we are facing right now into ethnic, tribal, and religious crises.
If there is a crisis, where do we go? We will submerge entire West Africa. There will be no enough space to accommodate us.
“Those who have seen the effect of war, the effect of tribal conflict, of religious conflict, will never want it for Nigeria.
“We pray to God to strengthen our mind, guide our faith, put peace and bring peace unto this land, may Allah bless all of us.”
Tinubu said the religious leaders are very critical in the present situation and urged them to continue their prayers, commitment, and fasting for the peace and stability in the country.
The ex-Lagos governor described the death of the late Jakande as not just a loss to the family but Lagos and the country in general.
Tinubu said Lagos and Nigeria were lucky to have a man like the late former governor and drew from his wealth of knowledge.
“Today, he is no more but he still exists to eternity. We pray for Lagos State, we pray for Nigeria to give us more people, more leaders that are prudent, honest, and give priority to the world in the future,” the APC chieftain concluded.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has thrown its weight behind the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) two weeks after the CBN directed banks to close accounts related to cryptocurrency across Nigeria.
The CBN had also warned deposit money banks and other financial institutions against dealing with cryptocurrency exchanges, starting that the digital asset isn’t a legal tender in Nigeria.
According to the IMF, the caution shown by Nigeria’s monetary authority is warranted due to the risk in cryptocurrency. The IMF made its reservation known in the 2020 Article IV IMF Staff Report for Nigeria.
In the report, the Resident Representative of IMF for Nigeria, Ari Aisen, said the use of cryptocurrencies raises concern as bitcoin and other digital assets could be used in illegal activities such as money laundering and drug peddling.
The issue with some of the cryptocurrencies is that perhaps some care should be taken about their activities. The use of cryptocurrencies is a concern.
“That is why some central banks, not only in Nigeria, have these concerns about what kind of activities these cryptocurrencies are put and how best to monitor those activities.”
Aisen’s reason for caution is same with the CBN, but this warning has failed to curb the growing penetration of bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies. The persons, companies and institutional investors are purchasing bitcoin to grow their wealth.
The increasing acceptance is reflected in the valuation of Bitcoin, which was $1 as at the time it was created in 2009, but now trades above $50,000 in February 2021. As at December 2020, Bitcoin crossed $20,000 mark, but Bitcoin current price is $51,828.64 as at the time of filing this report.
The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, said on Thursday the criminal herdsmen currently holding Nigerians to ransom in various parts of the country are foreigners who sneaked into the country to cause havoc.
Ortom, who stated this at a press briefing in Abuja, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to use his position to push for a review of the ECOWAS protocol on the movement of persons, goods, and services within the sub-region.
According to him, the foreign herdsmen were taking undue advantage of the relaxed ECOWAS protocol to fuel insecurity in Nigeria.
The governor said: “In neighbouring countries like Ghana and the Benin Republic, people are properly profiled before they are allowed into the county.
“People coming into Nigeria have to be properly profiled before they are allowed in.
It is there in the ECOWAS protocol; I have studied it, I have my lawyers to also study it.
“Most of the herdsmen killing our people are not even Nigerians. Even the President himself said this during his visit to the United Arab Emirates.”
On the law prohibiting open grazing in Benue, the governor added: “The legislation we have in place in Benue is responsible for the relative peace we are enjoying.
We have arrested and prosecuted over 400 herdsmen since the law came into effect.
“We have had 150 convictions. Some convicts were fined and released. Others are still in Makurdi Correctional Centre.”
A former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, is reportedly set to rejoin the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) six years after he left for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
This was after meeting with the Chairman, Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee and Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, and Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello at a Guest House in Abuja.
Chief Femi Fani-Kayode
The closed-door meeting, which lasted for about an hour, may not be unconnected with the alleged plans for the return of the former Minister to APC.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, has denied media reports that he paid N2 billion for his tenure extension.
He gave the denial in a statement, signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, on Monday in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Mohammed Adamu
According to Mba, the media reports are untrue, unfounded, defamatory and libelous, adding that the fake news will not stop the police boss from going after criminal elements in the country.
Actress, Toyin Abraham has reacted to a post made about Ruggedman in which he stated that women are making more money and doing better than men in the movie industry.
Toyin Abraham
Read what Nigerian rapper , Ruggedman posted below;
Toyin Abraham responded by shedding more light to what us really happening in the industry. According to her , actresses are well paid just like their male counterparts. Read below.
The Nigerian government has slammed Emirates Airlines’ outbound flights with a 72-hour suspension.
This was contained in a Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) circular issued on February 4.
It explained that the suspension followed a breach of guidelines placed by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.
The airline is accused of airlifting passengers from Nigeria, using rapid antigen tests done at laboratories which are not approved by regulatory authorities.
The circular read, “Based on the foregoing and to enable the Nigerian government to put in place the needed infrastructure and logistics for COVID-19 RDT testing for departing passengers, the PTF has directed that Emirates Airlines should either accept passengers without RDT pending when the infrastructure and logistics are put in place or suspend its flights to and from Nigeria until such a time when the required infrastructure and logistics are fully established and implemented.”
“Emirates Airlines has not been in compliance with the two options given by the PTF as records obtained from Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), indicates that Emirates Airlines operated the flights from both Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.”
The high population in our country, Nigeria has put a lot of pressure on the Educational institutions in the country especially polytechnics and Universities owned and managed by the federal or state government. Although Private Universities exists, but due to high costs of studying in such institutions, the federal and state Tertiary institutions are over crowded.
President Buhari
According to Reports from Channels Television, The Federal executive council approved the establishment of New Private Universities in the country, this was announced by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu. The minster of Education added that the Nigerian university commission would provide the license for the education institutions of Education to begin their full operations.
See the names of the New Universities approved by the federal government.
Regional Security outfit, Amotekun has announced the arrest of 37 herdsmen and seizure of 5000 cattle for violating a quit notice issued by the Ondo state government.
The state government issued a 7-day quit notice to herdsmen in government forest reserves across the state. Confirming the arrests, the state commander of the Amotekun Corps, Chief Adetunji Adeleye disclosed;
“Some of them have opted to leave the state because they couldn’t meet with our terms and conditions. “They came through the Chairman of Miyatti Allah in the state.”
As we all know the valentine is at a corner, this is a period when lovers portray how loving their partners is to them. In relation to the stingy men association, See the advice Don Jazzy gave to all those who are preparing to buy things for girls.
Recently, on 1st February, Don Jazzy who is among the major perpetrators of stingy association of Nigeria gave advice to all boys, who are preparing to buy things to Girls during Valentine.
In his words while making a video chart, he stated that any boy wishing to buy something for any girl should first ask the girl “What Are We” with these question, you will know what to buy for her.
The crisis rocking the Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) may be short-lived as the two major actors, former governor, Abdulaziz Yari and former senator Kabiru Marafa were on Monday reconciled.
The leaders of the two main factions accepted to sheath their swords in the interest of the party after a reconciliation meeting which lasted more than two hours facilitated by the National Chairman, APC Caretaker / Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Mai Mala Buni at the party’s national secretariat, Abuja.
The crisis rocking the Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) may be short-lived as the two major actors, former governor, Abdulaziz Yari and former senator Kabiru Marafa were on Monday reconciled.
The leaders of the two main factions accepted to sheath their swords in the interest of the party after a reconciliation meeting which lasted more than two hours facilitated by the National Chairman, APC Caretaker / Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Mai Mala Buni at the party’s national secretariat, Abuja.
Briefing journalists after the parley, Buni described the reconciliation efforts as a milestone in achieving his Committee’s mandate of reconciling and rebuilding the party.
Mai Mala Buni said “as you can see today, we are able to achieve reconciliation of our stakeholders in Zamfara State and by extension is the reconciliation of the entire Zamfara APC as a family.
“With this, we have achieved a milestone as Caretaker Committee of this great party, our primary mandate being reconciliation of our members across the country and rebuilding and repositioning of this party at all levels”.
Assuring party leadership that the rift is over, former governor Abdulaziz Yari said he is genuinely committed to the foregoing past misgivings between himself and Marafa in recent years and look forward to uniting all aggrieved stakeholders with the aim of regaining Zamfara State from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023.
He said “this meeting lasted for not more than two to three hours and alot of things have been discussed but the most important of what is being discussed, understanding our coming together is paramount for any success now and in the future.
“We have built this party from zero level to where we are and Zamfara has ever remain ANPP- APC State and what led to that success is our coming together. So that togetherness is what we’re working to achieve in the future and this is the starting point.
“This is not symbolic, it’s real that we understand all of us are human beings bound to make mistakes and that mistakes can be corrected so that we can come together to achieve a target and go and bring back our party to limelight in the State and also to maintain in the center.
“A lot of things have been said but the most important thing is we are together and this is the begining and what happened in the past will never repeat itself ”.
Senator Kabiru Marfa said he embraced the reconciliatory efforts of the party leadership having realised that reconciliation is an integral part of every human endeavour.
Promising that the over two years crisis will strengthen APC in the state, Marafa said “I hope our own mistake will serve as a source of strength for all of us and for APC itself especially and the country in general.
“Our country is facing very serious challenges. Our party was given an unprecedented support that has never been given any party in Nigeria and we owe the party and Mr President a duty to support them and support Mr President to deliver especially for us coming from Zamfara State and the North West in particular we are facing very serious problems and for that reason I think no amount of effort will be too much.
“I received a call from my my friend and leader, the Governor of Yobe State to come and attend a meeting.
Despite the short notice, I felt anybody that calls you for reconciliation meeting, he or she calls you to goodness and I attended because of that reason and I’m very happy with the robust decisions or discussions rather that we had in the office.
“I want to use this medium to tell Nigerians today we initiated the process, let me put it that way because we are not the only people we have behind us and these people have absolute confidence in all of us.
“So today marks the very beginning in the chapter of APC in Zamfara State and I hope, given the assurances that I heard from various speakers during the meeting that at the end of the tunnel we would see light.
“I thank Nigerians for understanding with all of us especially during the period of crisis and for our supporters back home I want to assure all of them that both of us are committed to their welfare and their progress we sleep with them in our hearts and we wake up with them in our hearts.
“We may not necessarily measure up to their expectations because we are human beings and Zamfara is over 4 million people so there is no way we can please each and every one of them but I want to use this medium to tell them that we will do our utmost best all of us here to make sure that we carry majority of them in whatever decision we are going to take and God is going to see us through”.
The Daily Times recalled that the supremacy battle between the two leaders led to the loss of Zamfara, an APC traditional state to the Governor Bello Matawalle led People’s Democratic Party (PDP) during the last governorship election.
At the peak of the crisis, Marafa ditched the party for the PDP and allegedly worked against the APC at the polls.
A former presidential aspirant, Adamu Garba on Monday declared that it would not be a bad idea for the North to secede from Nigeria with all that the region has going for it at the moment.
Garba who filed a suit last year against the founder of Twitter International Company, Jack Dorsey for allegedly sponsoring the #EndSARS protests that rocked some cities in Nigeria, made the declaration on his Instagram page on Monday.
According to Garba who also listed the benefits the Northern region has over other parts of Nigeria, many regions in the country will suffer if the North decides to break-away.
The politician also added in the post on social media that the greatest undoing of the secessionist groups would be the ”hatred” towards the Fulanis and everything North once the region pulls out of ”the Union called Nigeria”.
Garba wrote thus in part on his Instagram page; ”Looking at everything, it’s not all together a bad thing for the North to secede from Nigeria.
“The North is the only region in Nigeria that practically have everything, yet its people suffer the most, with most hope dashed, gross underproductive young population and betrayal of the elites.
“The North is the single largest supplier of raw materials in all Nigerian industries, from food, the cloths to shelter through cements and other building materials available in the Northern rocks.
“The North have Gold, Silver, Diamond, Tin, copper, lime, gypsum, coal, magnesium, potassium etc and even uranium in abundance all over the area.
“A liter of groundnut oil and cotton is more expensive that the liter of oil, and it has unimaginable chain value for production in different industries, from pharmaceuticals to detergents etc.
“The cows that some few people condemn is over 20M in number in Nigeria, when properly harnessed and utilize, if a quarter of this number can produce a liter of milk a day, it means the North will have 5M liters of milk per day, each liter is N350, much more that a liter of fuel. This notwithstanding the endless value chain of milk processing in different industries. A cow, from its feeds to all parts of its body including its dungs is a source of value, thus a cow is a wealth in all ramifications. All we need is to harness its value.
“The north have river Niger, connecting all the way from Guinea mountains to, over Kebbi, Niger, Kogi and Deltas as it approaches the Ocean where it’s called the Niger-Delta. The North can still reach the ocean through Borgu to Benin republic down to Atlantic Ocean. More students from the North studied in the Benin universities than the indigenes of Benin and more Northern traders travel to Cotonou than any other Nigerians, hence a trade pact will be easy for the North.
“The North can dredge the River Niger through Benin and connect to the Atlantic Ocean or create a super highway through Niger Republic to Guinea down to Atlantic Ocean, thus the North have more ways to access the ocean than all other regions in Nigeria.
“The North controls the flow of the river Niger. If the North chose to erect a barricade for the flow of river Niger to the east, all the rivers like Imo river, Onisha river, rivers in the delta with drinkable water and fresh fish will cease and the water flow will dry up. All the North need to do is to create artificial lake and reservoirs to use the water for agriculture and power generation.
“The North have all the major forests in Nigeria, From Borgu Forests, to Felgore Forest, to Yankari Forest to Gashaka Forest to Sambisa Forest down, which have the longest stretch to Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya through central Africa. Thus the North have it all.
“The North have the river Benue, which flow through practically all states in the North eastern Nigeria to middle belt, flowing from Faro to Gerio to lake Doe and lake Chad, linking Cameroon and Chad to the east, Niger and Benin to the West, one of the longest River strings in Africa, all nosing at the North,” he added.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has asked Nigerian youths to make it uncomfortable for old leaders to remain in government.
Speaking during a virtual interview with academic and historian Toyin Falola, the former President admitted his generation did a lot of wrong and also apologized to the youths. Obasanjo who noted that things are bad in the country, said Nigeria’s fortune might change when youths step up.
He said; “You (youths) have everything going for you and I don’t want you to feel discouraged. Things are bad in Nigeria but I believe it is only for a short while because it depends on you. Whatever my generation might have done wrong and I will be the first to admit that my generation has done a lot of wrong, (but) it is for your generation to do it better.
Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo
Don’t just sit down and complain. Sitting down and complaining will make you be on the same level and you have to get what I called critical mass of likeminded people who will be ready to say let us bring about the change.
You can bring about the change if you get critical mass of people that are ready to slug it out. When people say when will these old hags go out of the way? I tell them they won’t go out of the way, you have to make them go out of the way. They won’t voluntarily go out of the way, you have to make it uncomfortable for them; I am not talking of violence but bringing pressure to bear to make it uncomfortable for them to go out of the way.”
Boko Haram Terrorists Kill Newlywed Nigerian Soldier.
The attack happened a few hours after Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai handed over to Major General Ibrahim Attahiru as the Chief of Army Staff.
A newlywed Nigerian soldier, Abdullahi Bhuwa Usman, has been killed by Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State.
SaharaReporters gathered that Usman was among soldiers killed when the insurgents engaged the Nigerian military in a four-hour battle to take control of Dikwa.
The attack happened a few hours after Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai handed over to Major General Ibrahim Attahiru as the Chief of Army Staff.
The gunbattle started at around 6:00 pm and lasted till about 10:00 pm. It claimed many casualties, including Usman.
“I received the news of Usman’s death with deep shock. He just got married on December 27, 2020. I attended the wedding here in Lagos.
“Though he wasn’t in attendance physically because he was on duty, his family members and friends were all here and left with the wife to Borno State that same day.
“I still spoke with him last week and told him to take care of his wife; it’s just so sad. He was so jovial and caring,” a family member of the deceased told SaharaReporters.
In the past months, the insurgents have targeted soldiers, who mostly lay ambush on their path.
The Boko Haram insurgency has caused over 40,000 deaths and displaced millions of individuals mainly in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.
The terror group wants an Islamic caliphate in northern Nigeria.
On January 22, 2021, the group ambushed and fired machine guns at a Nigerian army patrol in Borno State, killing seven soldiers and injuring others. Also, an ATV and ammunition were captured by the gunmen.
The attack occurred barely five days after the gunmen activated seven IEDs against a Nigerian army convoy of Armoured Personnel Carriers and other vehicles, escorted by a foot patrol in Gorgi in Borno State.
According to military sources, over 30 soldiers were killed during the ambush.
The gunmen also destroyed three vehicles and an armoured vehicle.
Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has addressed those who are against the formation of the Eastern Security Network (IPOB), as he blast them saying they should receive sense.
The Eastern Security Network (ESN) is a regional security force of the indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB), based in the Igbo part of Nigeria.
On Saturday night, 30th of January, Nnamdi Kanu took to his Twitter page and blasted those against ESN . He told them to have sense , saying if they are against the Eastern Security Network, who will help them fight and stop the killings by Fulani herdsmen , the killings of innocent people, raping, invading in people’s farm and destroying crops? We all should receive sense.
He also revealead that some critics have faulted the creation of the security outfit, saying it’s just a pretext but Kanu and his supporters claims the group is no different from the Islamic group in the North.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday, January 29, arrested 10 suspects over computer-related fraud known as ‘Yahoo-Yahoo’
A statement released by the antigraft agency states that the suspects were arrested at their Academy in Bwari axis of Abuja where they were said to be learning the trade of cyber trickery.
The suspects aged between 20 and 30 years, were identified as Sixtus Jude, Moses Samuel, Isalan Johnny, Dapet Nimshak, Samuel Ogboche, Victor Samuel, Victor Asuquo, Ibrahim Yunusa, Yahaya Usman and Chijoke Ikwuoha.
They were arrested with different incriminating items such as mobile phones and computers.The promoter of the Academy is however on the run. Investigations showed that the sponsor recruits and train young individuals who show interest in internet fraud.
The sponsor gets his percentage of their earnings based on an agreement between him and the recruits. He also serves as a conduit for laundering the money gotten from internet fraud by some of the suspects. The suspects will be prosecuted when investigation is completed.
Twitter user shares story of how a doctor forgot a knife in his body , during a surgery.
Twitter user shares a true life story of how a doctor forgot a knife in his body , during a surgery. He wrote;
Many been asking why I have not been active, okay here’s my story, and it’s a THREAD. Read slowly
November last year I got stabbed, most of my followers where aware of this, “it is not dat deep” say the doctor that stitched me up that night. ?
But after the stabbing incident, my health went from 100-10. I fall ill every 2wks from one medication to another no proper improvement, so we had to go see our family doc, who advised us to go for an X-ray after carrying out some checkup on me, low and behold ??. “ A knife “
A knife inside my chest?? How come? Shebi that doctor that stitched me up said the wounds weren’t that deep and I was very lucky? So Where the knife pass enter my body go digest for my chest??. To make things worst family doc said the only way out was an operation. My hrt skip ?
Before my heart resume kicking again, I dun already land for benin “UBTH” to be precise, my parents no even allow me breath digest the operation gist. UBTH doctors too sef no get chill, I just come dem no even give me coke to take relax my mind, dem begin take my blood upTo cut the story short. The operation was carried out,and it was a success. All happened like a dream that Tuesday evening, from rolling me out from the emergency unit to the theatre and sleeping off like a baby only for me to wake up that it was done. Omo! I breath reach ground .
Here’s the knife that was removed. So I ask myself, what would have happened if I had not travel home to see our family doctor? I for dey Lagos dey treat typhoid & fever whereas I was dying slowly. GOD truly works in a miraculous way. ??♂️
Omo henceforth I’m now a born again o, Jonah no see pass like this before e repent. My brothers & sisters, God dey heaven and he watches over his own. Abeg Repent. ???
Not to take anything away from the doctors that carried out the operation, they really did their maximum for me, professionals wey sabi work. God bless all UBTH professionals ❤️??
A Nigerian lady, Esther Sky, has called out the hypocrisy of celebrities on social media , the actress was unimpressed with how they behaved after the death of veteran actor, Ernest Asuzu . According to her, they mourned him after his death but did not help him during his lifetime .
Esther then took to her page to claim that he was abandoned by his colleagues in the movie industry, only for them to write long notes to eulogise him after his death.
According to her, only a few of his colleagues bothered to help him and now they were all mourning him. She said, “When Ernest Asuzu was alive, none of you bothered to help him, only few people managed to help him. Now he is dead and all of you guys are writing stories.” Speaking further, Esther Sky added that Asuzu never enjoyed himself as an actor because he was fighting for his life and nobody helped him.
In her words: “The guy never enjoyed every moment of his time when he was an actor. He never enjoyed life. When this guy was fighting for his life, none of you helped him. Now he is dead and all of you are posting ‘rest in peace’. Tomorrow you people will go to church and spend money on pastors, spend money for miracles, but your colleague was dying and you guys did not bother to help him.”
Upon being served with the interim forfeiture order, the former senate president, through his counsel, Kehinde Ogunwunmiju (SAN), approached the court to discharge the temporary order.
Justice Muhammed Liman of the Federal High Court Lagos has fixed February 19, 2021, for judgment in a suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the total and final forfeiture of two properties belonging to the former Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki.
Justice Liman fixed the date on Tuesday after all parties adopted and argued their final written addresses.
Saraki, a two-term governor of Kwara, is being investigated by the anti-graft agency, which alleged that while serving as governor between 2003 and 2011, he withdrew over N12 billion cash from the account of the Kwara government and paid same into his accounts domiciled in Access and Zenith Banks through one of his assistants, Abdul Adama.
The court had on October 21, 2019, while granting an exparte application brought before it by the EFCC and argued by its counsel, Nnemeka Omewa, ordered the interim forfeiture of the two properties located on 17 and 17b, McDonald Road, Ikoyi, Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State, which were said to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activity.
Upon being served with the interim forfeiture order, the former senate president, through his counsel, Kehinde Ogunwunmiju (SAN), approached the court to discharge the temporary order.
Bukola Saraki
The judge, however, declined to discharge the interim order. Instead, he ordered the parties to show cause why the two properties should be forfeited to the Nigerian government.
The court commenced hearing on the motion for final forfeiture of the said properties on February 6, 2020.
During the final forfeiture application hearing, the EFCC called three witnesses and tendered several documentary evidence, which the court admitted.
The anti-graft agency claimed the properties were obtained with loans from GTBank and repaid with Kwara State funds.
But Saraki told them that he was already a successful businessman before he came into politics. He told the court that EFCC must prove that the properties were proceed of an unlawful act.
At the resumed hearing of the matter on Tuesday, the EFCC’s counsel, Omewa, while citing a plethora of authority, said the agency had successfully established that the money used by the former senate president in acquiring the two properties sought to be forfeited was bought through illicit funds.
However, Saraki’s counsel, Ogunwunmiju, urged the court to dismiss the EFCC’s motion on the ground that the agency had failed woefully to prove its case against his client.
Ogunwunmiju also asked the court to discharge earlier interim forfeiture placed on the two properties.
The EFCC, in an affidavit attached with the motion for final forfeiture of the said properties, deposed to by one of its investigators, Olamide Sadiq, alleged that the former senate president acquired the two properties with proceeds of unlawful activity.
Owhefere, a lawyer by training, had been sick for the past two weeks and was placed on oxygen.
The Majority Leader of the Delta State House of Assembly, Tim Oghenekome Owhefere, is dead.
Owhefere, 58, was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party representing Isoko North constituency. He was said to have died as a result of suspected COVID-19 complications.
The fourth-term lawmaker, died on Wednesday at about 11:50 pm at the Federal Medical Centre, (FMC), Asaba, the Delta State capital.
Tim Owhefere
Our correspondent reliably gathered that Owhefere, a lawyer by training, had been sick for the past two weeks and was placed on oxygen.
A colleague of Owhefere, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed the story to our correspondent. He disclosed that the late majority leader could not attend the plenaries with his colleagues after the Christmas and New Year break.
“When the illness became complicated, he was hospitalised in a private hospital in Asaba and placed on oxygen, because of some breathing difficulties. He was later transferred to the Federal Medical Centre, (FMC), Asaba, on Wednesday where he gave up the ghost almost midnight.
“I was in the Assembly with Hon. Tim Owhefere in the last assembly. He was a pillar to the house with his robust legislative contributions. Tim was a genius in lawmaking; a perfect and lively gentleman with a good heart. He will be greatly missed by all. We wish his soul eternal rest in Jesus name, amen.”
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