19102020 - #EndSARS: Stop Army's planned Op Crocodile Smile

Vanguard, MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020 — 7
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INSPECTION — From left: Group Managing Director, African Natural Resources and Mines, Alok Gupta;
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mr. Aliyu Ahmed and the Minister of Finance, Budget and National
Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed during the inspection of a steel plant in Jere, Kaduna State on Saturday.
Christian elders threaten to sue FG over
alleged ethnic cleansing
By Sam Eyoboka
THE National Christian
Elders Forum, NCEF, has
threatened legal action against
what it alleged as ethnic cleansing
in Nigeria, both within local
courts and and international tribunals.
According to the elders, there
is sufficient evidence to institute
legal actions in national and international
judicial fora against
the Federal Government if the
alleged ethnic cleansing and unfolding
genocide in Nigeria were
not arrested.
In a statement, titled “RECON-
CILIATION IS THE HIGHEST
FORM OF FORGIVENESS,”
signed by Elder Solomon Asemota,
SAN, on behalf of the
group, the Christian elders
noted that “Nigeria ranked
12th on Open Doors World
Watch List 2020 of countries
in which Christians are most
prosecuted and this cannot be
allowed to continue.
‘’The Federal Government has
the duty to protect all Nigerians
but this government has failed
to do so by not initiating investigations
to promptly arrest the perpetrators
(of ethnic cleansing and
genocide) and prosecute them.’’
The elders, including Gen.
Joshua Dogonyaro, retd, (Vice-
Chairman); Gen. Zamani Lekwot,
retd; Elder Moses Ihonde,
Elder Nat Okoro, Gen. Theophilus
Danjuma, retd; Dr. Chukwuemeka
Ezeife; and Dame
Priscilla Kuye also counseled
against clamours for secession or
agitations for self-determination,
arguing that as Christian elders,
it would be inappropriate for
NCEF to advocate the breakup
of the country, even before
all avenues for peaceful
resolution of all problems facing
the country had been exhausted.
“In our religion (Christianity),
as well as in our culture, elders
do not advocate divorce as the
only solution to settle marital dispute.
Elders would call both sides
to conversation(s) in order to reconcile
them.
‘’NCEF affirms that reconciliation
is the highest form of peaceful
settlement. In making this
statement, NCEF does not discountenance
the genuine, moral
and justifiable agitations of
some ethnic nationalities who
seek self-determination.
‘’It is their fundamental right
to do so, especially when they
were not consulted before the
amalgamation of 1914. This
right, notwithstanding, other
ethnic nationalities in the country
also have the right after years
of contributions (human and
material) to the foundation
and building of Nigeria to insist
that the union is not broken.
“There is no doubt that it is
the mismanagement of the country
and flagrant disrespect, discrimination
and provocation by
a section of the country that has
pushed the country to the brink
of a precipice that makes the agitation
for secession attractive.
‘’As a matter of fact, the agitating
ethnic nationalities should
be commended for seeking to
‘walk away’ rather than return
fire for fire.’’
Firearms in the hands
of Nigerians
The Christian elders said further:
‘’The Federal Government,
through the Inspector General
of Police, ordered all Nigerians to
return all arms in their possession
to the government (usually
double-barrelled shot guns).
‘’In the process, the government
exposed the harmless taxpayer
to the mercy of Boko
Haram, Fulani herdsmen and
bandits who carry AK47 rifles.
The question we ask which requires
answers from the IG is, on
whose side is the IG?
‘’Definitely not on the side of
the average Nigerian taxpayer.
The IG and some Nigerians went
further to say that Nigeria is not
ripe for state police. When one
considers arms, the establishment
of State Police and the IG’s
oath of office, it becomes very clear
that Nigerians are back to the
days before the partition of Africa
(1885), the time when Africa
was regarded as the dark continent.
‘’During Lugard’s time, there
were two groups of police establishments
in Nigeria – one group
for the protection of Europeans
and the other group who did not
bear arms was for the protection
of the natives (Emirs).
‘’To say that Nigeria is not right
for both state and local government
police establishments allow
to bear arms, is to turn logic on
its head as a manifestation of
stealth jihad by the government
in aid of Islamists operating in
West Africa.’’
The elders also congratulated
Edo State governor, Godwin
Obaseki, his deputy, Phlip Shiabu,
and the Oba of Benin as well
people of Edo State for the
peaceful manner the last governorship
election was conducted.
#EndSARS protest hijacked
to destabilise Buhari’s
govt — Lai Mohammed
•Says govt won’t allow anarchy in Nigeria
THE Federal Government
said yesterday that the
#EndSARS protest has been
hijacked by hoodlums and people
with ulterior motive to destabilise
the country and bring
down President Muhammadu
Buhari’s administration.
The Minister of Information
and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,
who stated this when
he featured on a Radio Nigeria
programme monitored by the
News Agency of Nigeria, NAN,
in Abuja, said the Federal Government
had met the demands
of the group and implementing
them.
Having met the demands, he
said it was absurd that protesters
were remaining on the
streets causing mayhem, obstructing
movements and inflicting
pains on Nigerians.
“When you look at the demands
of the #EndSARS and
the decisions of the Federal
Government, it is clear that
there is no single demand of
the group that has not been
met.
“Therefore, one will begin to
ask if there is any ulterior motive
because what we have witnessed
in the last few days is
that they have moved their
demands from five to seven. “As
soon as the government approved
one demand another
one will follow . “From the five
demands which were initially
tabled and have been addressed,
they are now including
petrol price, national assembly
salaries and allowances,
electricity tariff among others.
‘Then you begin to ask yourself
what exactly is the motive
of the protests and who are
those behind them,” he said.
According to the minister, it
is more nauseating that the
protest has gone violent, claiming
lives and causing injuries
as well as destruction to property.
He said Saturday’s assassination
attempt on Governor
Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun
State who came out to identify
with the protesters and address
them was a clear indication that
the protest had been hijacked.
Mohammed said the Minister
of Federal Capital Territory,
Mohammed Bello, was equally
turned back on the road by
the protesters in Abuja.
“Peaceful protest is synonymous
with democratic tenets
and to that extent we see the
EndSARS protest as the manifestation
of how far our democracy
has developed “Regrettably,
the protest has been hijacked
by hoodlums and by
people with ulterior motives
bent at destabilising the country.
“As of today, many people in
many parts of the country simply
cannot go out because people
are being intimidated and
roads have been blocked.
“There was a report of a pregnant
woman that died inside
the ambulance simply because
she could not get to the hospital
because of the protesters.
Salami panel trying to indict our
client at all cost — Magu’s lawyer
Supreme Court to hear CBN, Union Bank case against Petro Union
tomorrow
ABUJA—THE Supreme
Court will tomorrow hear
an appeal by the Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN) and Union Bank
of Nigeria (UBN) seeking to set
aside a £2.159 billion judgment
debt awarded Petro Union Oil and
Gas Company Ltd.
The appeal followed Petro
Union’s victory at the Federal
High Court, Abuja and Court of
Appeal.
The CBN and UBN prayed the
apex court to quash the lower
courts’ decisions on the grounds,
among others, that Petro Union’s
claim to the sum was allegedly
based on falsehood.
The banks are contending that
Petro Union allegedly obtained
two judgments at the Federal
High Court and the Court of
Appeal based on facts which were
not only predicated on falsehood,
but which have criminal
implications.
The appellants averred that
these facts, if not carefully
dissected by the Supreme Court,
might occasion a miscarriage of
justice capable of ruining the
nation’s fledgling economy.
They further averred that the
judgment obtained by Petro
Union at the Federal High Court
in 2014 for £2.556 billion also
carries an interest of 15 per cent
per annum from 22nd, June 1995
until payment. Today, that
judgment sum together with
interest is in excess of £12 billion
(about $15.5 billion) – 50 per cent
more than the award in the
Process and Industrial
Developments Limited (P&ID)
case and represents 44 per cent
of Nigeria’s foreign reserves.
They further claimed that the
truth of their claim had been
uncovered following the arrest,
detention and ongoing
prosecution of Petro Union and
its officers at a Federal High Court
in Lagos.
The high court trial resumes
on Wednesday.
Public interest in the Petro
Union’s case was rekindled in
1994 when the company
allegedly obtained a cheque from
a branch of Barclays Bank in the
United Kingdom (UK) with a
value of £2.556 billion.
The EFCC alleged that an
attempt was made to present the
cheque at one of Union Bank’s
branches in Lagos, under the
pretext that it was meant to
construct three petrochemical
refinery complexes in Nigeria
and establish a bank.
Both the CBN and Union Bank
were said to have advised Petro
Union that Barclays Bank in
the UK had been contacted
and would confirm that the
cheque dated 29 December 1994
could not be given value because
the company that purportedly
issued it (Gazeaft Ltd) did not
exist on the Register of
Companies in the UK.
They averred that confirmation
was obtained that the account
on which the cheque was drawn
was closed on September 21,
1989, whereas the cheque was
issued on December 29, 1994 -
five years after the account was
closed.
Following, the petition, the
EFCC investigated the allegation
by interrogating the CBN
through a letter dated January
12, 2005.
In a letter dated 27th January
2005, the CBN denied Petro
Union’s allegations.
The EFCC was further said to
have made other efforts to
investigate the allegations,
including corresponding with
Barclays Bank in the UK.
The anti-graft agency then
issued a letter dated 10th May,
2005 addressed to the Managing
Director of Union Bank
exonerating the bank of any
wrongdoing.
But Petro Union in February
2012 instituted an action at the
Federal High Court, Abuja
against the CBN and Ors in Suit
No. FHC/ABJ/M/104/2012.
It sought reliefs against the
CBN, Union Bank, the Minister
of Finance and the Attorney-
General of the Federation.
It claimed that Union Bank of
Nigeria received the
£2,556,000,000 on behalf of Petro
Union and transferred the sum
of £2,159,221,318.54 to the CBN,
while retaining the sum of
£396,778,681.46 as commission.
In support of its claim, Petro
Union alleged that the money is
kept in an account in the name
of a company called Goldmatic
Ltd at the CBN and tendered an
alleged CBN Statement of
Account of Goldmatic Ltd.
Justice Kafarati of the High
Court accepted the alleged CBN
Statement of Account as
conclusive evidence that CBN
had retained the money alleged
to belong to Petro Union.
By Ikechukwu
Nnochiri
ABUJA — LEAD counsel to
the suspended Chairman
of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr.
Ibrahim Magu, yesterday accused
the Justice Ayo Salami-led
Presidential Judicial Commission
of Inquiry, of trying to indict their
client at all cost. The suspended
EFCC chairman is facing probe
over allegations bordering on
abuse of office and mismanagement
of Federal Government Recovered
Assets and Finances from
May 2015 to May 2020.
The Attorney-General of the
Federation and Minister of Justice,
Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN,
raised the allegations against him
in a memo he forwarded to President
Muhammadu Buhari.
Magu’s lawyer, Mr. Wahab Shittu,
in a statement yesterday, accused
the panel of “scheming” to
indict the suspended EFCC boss
before the final submission of the
probe report to President Buhari.
Shittu further faulted the panel
for embarking on verification of
all assets that were recovered by
the EFCC, without the knowledge
or involvement of his client.
The statement read: “Our attention
has just been drawn to a
sponsored and jaundiced story in
one of the national newspapers
in which our client, Mr Ibrahim
Magu, the suspended Acting
Chairman of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC), is being portrayed in a
negative light by Justice Isa Salami-
led Judicial Commission of
Enquiry.
“In the story entitled- “Magu:
Presidential panel begins verification
of assets,” the sponsors of
the story within the panel was
quoted as saying that Magu did
not give satisfactory answers to
its questions on recovered assets.
“Ordinarily, we would have ignored
the media report like the
previous orchestrated stories
against our client. But we are of
the opinion that the timing is suspicious
and there is the need to
take up issues with the media
report on the grounds that the
reporter quoted sources close to
the panel as the arrowheads of
the story with a predetermined
agenda.