When a president declares that stealing is NOW corruption, looters will be very scarred to steal...

President Muhammadu Buhari has revealed that his administration has so far saved 2.2 trillion naira using just the Treasury Single Account (TSA).

He said when he became president, “we discovered that the NNPC had more than 45 accounts, the ministry of defence and the military had more than 70 accounts; tell me which of the accounts to trace every year?"

The President made this disclosure while interacting with a cross section of the Nigerian community in the United Kingdom on the side-line of the Supporting Syria Conference in London.

President Buhari faulted the past administration for operating several accounts with which they siphoned money belonging to Nigerians, vowing not to relent in the fight against corruption.

He said that money recovered so far can fund the country’s deficit and infrastructure development.

In the words of Mr President:“When we discovered that we were already in trouble, we tried to enforce the TSA. This government did not initiate it, it was the previous government, but it was so unpopular to the previous government.

“For its own reasons, it couldn’t impose it, but when we came and we found out that we were broke, we saw that this is the way to do it.

“So we enforced TSA, we said there must be TSA, and let me tell you by the end of December coming to January this year, last month we mopped up more than N2.2 trillion.”

Senate President Bukola Saraki has expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court Judgement on the appeal he filed against his arraignment at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

His reaction: "After listening to the ruling of the Supreme Court in the appeal he filed to challenge the process of arraigning him before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki hereby states as follows:

"He expresses disappointment over the Judgment of the apex court in the country on the six grounds of his appeal."

In a statement by his media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, he said he's now ready for the trial.

"He however will like to put it on record that the facts of the substantial matter are not before the Supreme Court since the apex court was only invited to rule on some preliminary issues in the process of commencing the trial.

"The Senate President believes he will have his day in the court to prove his innocence of the charges preferred against him during the trial proper.

"Dr. Saraki will like to thank everyone who has expressed support for him from the beginning of the case. He assures everyone that at the end of the day truth will prevail and justice will be served."

A based businessman, Ogochukwu Raphael, based in Sokoto State, is now stranded after he came to Lagos to visit a church to seek spiritual solution over his dwindling fortunes in business.

According to him, apart from the fact he was defrauded of N750,000 for fake visa, the pastor allegedly collected another N800,000 for prayers for business success before he would travel out of the country with the Visa.

Consequently, Pastor Chike Ifeanyi of Christian City International Church has been arrested and charged before Isolo Magistrates’ court for his alleged involvement in the fraud.

45yrs old Pastor Ifeanyi allegedly collected N750,000 from Oguchukwu Raphael under false pretence that he was procuring an Australian resident Visa for him.

The incident happened in Itire area of Lagos where the pastor resides. But the prayer was conducted at a church at Oke Afa where Raphael was made to part with the "deliverance fee".

Ifeanyi, who hails from Anambra State and resides at Balogun Estate, Ajah, was finally arrested at Idimu after several months of hide-and-seek over the matter.

After the victim paid the money, it turned out that it was a scam as Ifeanyi did not procure any visa nor return the money to Raphael.

Rather, he told him that the embassy requested additional 10,000 dollars as deposit and sent him away from the church.

The matter was reported to the police who trailed Pastor Ifeanyi until he was arrested. He was charged with obtaining and stealing under the Criminal Code.

When the charge was read to him, as usual he pleaded not guilty.

The presiding Magistrate, Mrs Joy Ugbomoiko granted him bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum. He was remanded in prison custody pending when he will perfect his bail condition.

The case has been adjourned till 2 March, 2016, for trial.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo had said: “I commend the role of Ooni in ensuring peace in Yorubaland. Continue what you are doing, especially your unity course. I am happy with the moves so far. It is only a sign of honour for the Ooni to visit anyone. That does not deny Ile-Ife of its position in the history of Yorubaland.”

I trust Baba Iyabo to to do this...after all Ooni is like the head of other Obas in Yorubaland. More pics...

...the Ooni was very happy to be so respected by the former president. Nice one!

Ministry of Justice has proposed eight witnesses to testify against the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, when his trial on 13 counts of false assets declaration before the Code of Conduct Tribunal resumes.

A top secret list has shown eight proposed witnesses who were said to have been involved in the investigation of the four forms in which Saraki had allegedly made false declaration of his assets between 2003 and 2011 during his two terms as governor.

The list of witnesses has now been filed along with charges instituted against Saraki.

The document bears the signature of a then-Deputy Director of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Muslim Hassan (now a judge of the Federal High Court), who had also signed the charges.

The trial of the Senate President is expected to commence any next week following Friday’s judgement of the Supreme Court affirming the validity of the charges against him and the jurisdiction of the CCT.

Following the apex court’s judgement, the Danladi Umar-led tribunal is expected to issue a hearing notice to parties to enable the prosecution, led by Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), to open its case against Saraki.

Those listed by the prosecution to testify against him are: 

Yahaya Bello, Michael Wetkas, Mustapha Abubakar Musa, Nura Ali Bako, Adamu Garba, Samuel Madojemu, Abdulrahaman Bayo Dauda and Nwachukwu Amazu.

Some of the witnesses were said to be detectives who secretly investigated Saraki without him knowing.

Saraki, who was said to have submitted four assets declaration forms which were investigated by the CCB, was found to have “corruptly acquired many properties while in office as Governor of Kwara State but failed to declare some of them in the said forms earlier filled and submitted.”

He also allegedly made an anticipatory declaration of assets upon his assumption of office as governor, which he later acquired. Just imagine that!

He is also accused of sending money abroad for the purchase of property in streak of property in London.

Saraki initially refused to appear before the tribunal prompting it to issue a warrant for his arrest.

The Senate has threatened to order the revocation of land said to have been allocated to Goodluck Jonathan and 29 others in Maitama district, Abuja.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory ( FCT Abuja), Senator Dino Melaye who issued the threat during a budget defence meeting between the committee and the FCT Minister, Muhammed Bello, did so on the ground that the plots of land were allotted on a reserved area.

Insisting that the plots of land allocated to Jonathan and others in the Maitama District fall within an area designated for erection of tourist structure for foreign visitors, Melaye said that his committee had directed that work should stop on construction and buildings in the area.

He listed former Justice Minister and Attorney-General of the Federation, Muhammed Bello Adoke; former Bauchi State governor, Isa Yuguda; acting National Chairman of PDP, Uche Secondus; late National Security Adviser, Andrew Okoye Azazi etc, as beneficiaries of plots of land in the area.

Following Senate’s directive to all its standing committees last week to embark on oversight functions of agencies under them, Senator Melaye had stormed the plots of land in Maitama district along with members of his committee where they saw workers erecting structures on them.

Aside ordering the workers to stop work, the committee also summoned the FCT Minister to appear before it on the matter which he did on Friday and they reached some resolutions.

An Ibadan Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Iyaganku has remanded Mrs. Yewande Oyeniran, who is said to have stabbed her husband, Lowo Oyeniran, to death on February 2, 2016, in prison custody.

The sad incident happened at Akobo area of Ibadan.

But there was some commotion at the premises of the court on Friday when the two family members of the couple, confronted each other with abusive songs...

The presiding chief magistrate, Kehinde Durosaro-Tijani, ordered the accused person should be remanded in Agodi Prison and adjourned the case to February 16 for mention.

The prosecuting police officer, Inspector Amos Adewale, had preferred one-count charge against the suspect, who pleaded not guilty.

The prosecutor, told the court that “Yewande on February 2, 2016, at about 06:10am at No 30 Abidi Odan Akobo area, Ibadan in the Ibadan Magisterial District did unlawfully cause the death of one Oyelowo Oyediran, 38, by stabbing him with knife on the neck, which later resulted to his death.”

He further told the court that the accused had committed an offence contrary to Section 316 and punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Volume II Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria.

The court rejected a request by the defence counsel, Mr Seun Abimbola, to have Yewande remanded in police custody because she was traumatised as a result of the incident.

Another drama occurred when some Prison officials threatened to attack journalists and photographers who had positioned themselves near a Black Maria that was to convey Yewande to Agodi Prison.

She was later conveyed out of the court premises in a blue Primera Nissan car purportedly owned by a lawyer, while other accused persons were taken to Agodi Prisons in a Black Maria.

The family of the husband has insisted that justice must be served in the case...no room for mago-mago!