An explosion at Gbetiokun, OML 40 oil field operated by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), on behalf of the NPDC/Elcrest Joint Venture has killed seven people.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr. Kennie Obateru who stated that the incident occurred on Tuesday during the process of installing a ladder on a platform (Benin River Valve Station) for access during discharging of Gbetiokun production.
Obateru stated that investigation into the the unfortunate incident, which caused 7 fatalities has commenced. He added that the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has been duly notified and Form 41 was being prepared for the Industry regulator as required in circumstances of this nature.
The bodies of casualties have been deposited in a morgue in Sapele, while families of the personnel involved are being contacted by their employers: Weld Affairs and Flow Impact, which are consultants to NPDC.
The Group’s spokesperson stated that all personnel on board the platform had been fully accounted for.
NNPC Group Managing Director, Mallam Mele Kyari, in his condolence remark commiserated with the families of the bereaved, praying that God grants them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss of their loved ones.
As suspended Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) gets busy with clearing his name of corruption allegation that bothers on disparities in recovered loots, selling of seized properties to cronies, and insurbordination to the Minister of Justice, three candidates are likely to take over his job.
While there are speculations that Magu already moved out of his official residence, talks about the replacement of a man who spearheaded the process of sending people found guilty of corruption to prison, and now facing the same charges himself have already begun.
Recall that the drumbeat of Magu’s removal began to sound when in June, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), recommended to President Muhammadu Buhari the sacking of the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu.
Malami didn’t stop at recommending Magu’s sack; he included a list of three candidates for consideration to replace Magu.
Abba kyari, Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IGP-IRT)
Abba Kyari: He is a Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IGP-IRT) charged with combating kidnapping and other crimes. Nicknamed Nigeria’s Jack Bauer, Kyari was born on March 17, 1975 and joined the Nigeria Police Academy in Kano in year 2000. After his training at the Academy, he was posted to Adamawa State for a one year compulsory attachment.
Kyari is well known in Lagos where he once served as head of Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), Lagos Police Command.
Muhammad Wakili, a former Police Commissioner in Kano State
Muhammad Wakili: He is a former Police Commissioner in Kano State who retired only last year. Before he left Kano, he bagged the nickname ‘Singham’, a name of a crime fighter in a bollywood movie.
Wakili, who studied Language and Linguistics at the University of Maiduguri and graduated in 1986, joined the Nigeria Police Force a year after he concluded the mandatory National Youth Service Corp programme.
After undergoing various trainings, Wakili was commissioned as Assistant Superintendent of Police in 1989 and worked at different commands across the country.
Wakili has a working experience at the EFCC during the tenure of former Chairman of the agency, Farida Waziri.
He is currently the Special Adviser on Security Matters to Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya.
Habu Sani, Commissioner of Police in kano State
Habu Sani: He is the present Commissioner of Police in kano State, popularly reffered to as ‘Kalamu Waheed’.
Sani, who was once served as Commissioner of Police in Bauchi state is regarded as a no nonsense man.
Sani was the hatchet man who executed the removal of former Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido from the palace after the State Governor announced the emir’s sack. It was reported that his ability to conduct that mission and maintain peace after was hailed by many.
He was born into a royal family in Sokoto in 1964 and joined the Nigeria Police Force in 1992 after completing a degree in Geography Education at the Usman Danfodio University.
Like Abba Kyari, Sani has a rich experience in intelligence operation and has held various positions in the unit including Head of Technical Intelligence at the Police Headquarters and Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB).
Sani also served as United Nations training co-ordinator for a peace keeping mission in South Sudan from 2006-2007.
As the situation unfolds, Magu’s travails seem to persist, as the presidency’s handling of the investigation was described by a top presidential official as a bold statement that nobody under the Buhari administration is above the law.
On Tuesday, a combined team of riot policemen and operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) stormed the residence of Magu,
According Premium Times, a source close to the presidential panel set up to investigate Magu said operatives were detailed to conduct searches at Magu’s private home in Karu and his official residence in the Maitama District of the Nigerian capital.
Ahead of six-month partial closure of Third Mainland Bridge for maintenance work from July 24, the Federal Government and Lagos State Government have appealed to motorists and Lagosians to cooperate with government officials and appropriate agencies during this operation.
Speaking during a press conference jointly addressed by the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Olukayode Popoola; Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Frederic Oladeinde; and Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Works, Aramide Adeyoye; on Tuesday at Alausa in Ikeja, these officials assured Lagosians that necessary measures would be put in place to reduce gridlocks during partial closure of the bridge.
To Popoola, there would be diversion of traffic in two phases during the partial closure of the bridge between July 24, 2020 and January 24, 2021.
He said the Phase One of the diversion, which would last for three months for repairs of the Oworonsoki bound lane of Third Mainland Bridge, would be for morning traffic from 12am to 1pm from Oworonshoki to Lagos Island on the Lagos Island bound lane, while the afternoon traffic from 1pm to 12am would be from Lagos Island to Oworonsoki on the Lagos Island bound lane.
The Federal Controller of Works added that the Phase Two of the diversion, which would last another three months for repairs of the Lagos Island bound lane of Third Mainland Bridge, would be for morning traffic from 12am to 1pm from Oworonsoki to Lagos Island on the Oworonsoki bound lane, while the afternoon traffic from 1pm to 12am would be from Lagos Island to Oworonsoki on the Oworonsoki bound lane.
Popoola, while speaking on the inconveniences the maintenance of the bridge might cause motorists, said the Federal Government and Lagos State Government would work with appropriate agencies for traffic control to direct and help traffic movement in the affected areas and alternative routes.
“Motorists are advised to also ply these alternative routes: First, from Carter Bridge through Iddo through Oyingbo to join Adekunle ramp inward Oworonsoki. Secondly, from Ijora Olopa through Western Avenue to Ikorodu Road,” he said.
On his part, Oladeinde said priority would be given to those driving from Mainland to the Island in morning and afternoon to use Third Mainland Bridge, while those driving against traffic would use the alternative routes.
The commissioner assured motorists that Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) would work with Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in all the alternative routes to ensure that motorists have a smooth journey during the partial closure of the bridge.
Oladeinde, while stressing the need for reduction of vehicles on the road during the partial closure of the bridge, advised that those who don’t have any genuine reason to be on the road to stay at home.
He said there would be increase in number of public vehicles for people to leave their vehicles at home to make the road less congested, adding that the public vehicles would be available and affordable for road users.
According to him, “If you don’t have to travel, I will advise that you stay at home, so that we can minimise the number of vehicles on the road.
“If you can work at home, please do. But if you can’t, we will be on the road for you to get to your destination as quickly as possible.”
The commissioner also advised people to use alternative transport such as ferries, assuring that there would be increase in number of fleets by Lagos Ferry Services in the morning for people from Ikorodu and Mile 2 as alternative transportation.
Also speaking, Adeyoye appreciated the Federal Government for bringing the repair of Third Mainland Bridge on board.
She said Lagos State Government has commenced necessary preparatory works on all the alternative routes in the state to make them motorable for the commuters.
Adeyoye said the state would do its best within two weeks to work on all the roads that may likely cause gridlocks to be free of potholes.
She also warned trucks and vehicles that are not road worthy or serviceable to stay away from Lagos roads.
Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo
Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, Tuesday accused the National Assembly of desperate bid to sweep him aside, regarding the recruitment process of 774,000 personnel for public works programme.
Narrating his ordeal at the National Assembly, Keyamo expressed shocks over the decision of the Senate President Ahmadu Lawan, authorising the Director-General of National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to proceed to submit a plan without the express approval of the minister.
The minister said: “Earlier today, I appeared again before the Joint Committee of the National Assembly on Labour and Employment. Before the Committee sat, we paid a courtesy call on the Senate Leadership where the Senate President announced that I, as supervising Minister of the NDE, should hands off the preparation and execution of the Programme. He further directed the DG, NDE to bring his plans for the execution of the program directly to the National Assembly on Monday, July 13, 2020, for scrutiny and approval. The Joint Committee also took a similar position and adjourned.
“With the utmost humility, I regret to say these directives are against the provisions of the NDE Act made by the National Assembly itself and the Constitutional provisions on Separation of Powers.
“By virtue of Section 3 (2)of the NDE Act, as supervising Minister, I am the Chairman of the Board of NDE that superintendents and gives directions to the Management of the NDE.
“That by virtue of section 15 of the NDE Act, I am also authorized, as supervising Minister, to give general directives to the Board and Management, with which they must comply.
“By virtue of Section 16 (1) of the NDE Act, the supervising Minister has the sole prerogative to constitute Committees for the Agency.
“In addition to the above, Section 6(2) of the National Directorate of Employment Act states that, ‘The Director-General shall, subject to this Act, be the Chief Executive of the Directorate and shall be responsible to the Minister for the day-to-day management of the affairs of the Directorate.’
”By a memo Ref: CAO.143/S.1/T11/8 dated October 18, 2019, and forwarded to all Government functionaries by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, I was mandated by Mr. President to oversee all the activities of the National Directorate of Employment.
”In addition to the above, by a letter, Ref: SH/COS/14/A/1217 dated 6 May, 2020, Mr. President, once again, approved that I supervise the preparation and execution of the Special Public Works Programme domiciled under the NDE.”
Keyamo added: “However, today, the National Assembly swept aside all these provisions of the law and Presidential directives and authorized the DG of NDE to proceed to submit a plan without the express approval of the Minister. This was done in a desperate bid to get me out of the way at all cost.
“My involvement in this process so far is to constitute multi-sectoral Committees at State levels to ensure a grassroots selection process. This was done after an inter-Ministerial Committee headed by the DG NDE made such a recommendation which I accepted. As stated above, I am authorised to do so by virtue of Section 16 (1) of the NDE Act. As a result all the sponsored allegations and attacks in relation to my role so far are nothing but cheap blackmail. My actions are backed by law.
“In the circumstances of the above, I regret to say I am not bound by such a patently illegal and unconstitutional resolution by the National Assembly and I am only bound by the provisions of the law and the Constitution that all public officers swore on oath to uphold.”
Members of Ondo State House of Assembly have sharply divided over the process of removing the Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, who recently decamped from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Nine Assembly members opted out of the plot to impeach the deputy governor, while 17 members wanted Ajayi out.
Ondo State House of Assembly has 26 members, 18 lawmakers are needed to impeach either the governor or deputy governor.
The legislators are currently deliberating on the allegations of gross misconduct against Ajayi.
Scores of armed policemen and the men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were present at the Assembly complex to maintain the law and order.
Meanwhile, as struggles to remain in office, Deputy Governor Agboola is poised to thwart the plot to impeach him. Reports by Sahara Reporters stated that Agboola Ajayi has approached a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to stop the impeachment process.
It was reported that Ajayi, in an originating summon on his fundamental human rights sought the declaration of the court to restrain members of the state’s House of Assembly from impeaching him as deputy governor.
According to SaharaReporters, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Barrister I. Olatoke approached the court on behalf of Agboola an joining in suit, the Inspector-General of Police, Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, Director-General of the Department of State Services, Speaker, Ondo State House of Assembly, and Ondo State House of Assembly.
L-r: Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; Suspended Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu.
The embattled Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, has been suspended by the Presidency pending when a decision will be taken on him.
The anti corruption agency chief was arrested on Monday by a combined team of Department of State Services personnel and policemen at the Wuse II office of the EFCC to face an interagency committee investigating corruption allegations against him.
He was detained at the FCID in Area 10, Abuja, on Monday night on the orders of the committee that also questioned him on Tuesday morning.
Meanwhile, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has expressed “concerns about reports that the apparently arbitrary arrest of the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, may be ‘the outcome of power-play’ at the highest levels of government.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Deputy Director of the agency, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “The reported statement by a member of PACAC seems to suggest that Magu’s arrest may be politically motivated and aim to undermine the independence and freedom of action of the EFCC. If true, this would make a mockery of Buhari’s oft-repeated commitment to fight grand corruption and the impunity of perpetrators, which is fuelling widespread and systemic corruption in the country.”
Oluwadare, therefore, urged the authorities to afford Magu his constitutionally and internationally guaranteed fair trial rights.
“Magu must either be charged with a recognizable criminal offence or released immediately and allowed to do his job without fear of reprisals,” the statement read in part.
“Nigerian authorities cannot continue to keep Magu in detention under suspicious circumstances without bringing any legitimate charges against him in violation of national and international law.
“Nigerian authorities must support the independence and freedom of action of anti-corruption agencies and institutions if they are to be able to genuinely fight grand corruption, which has for many years turned public service for many into a kind of criminal enterprise.”
“Nigerian authorities should focus on addressing the impact of corruption such as political violence, and denial of access for millions of Nigerians to even the most basic health and education services, as well as other patterns of human rights violations.
“Improving the independence of anti-corruption agencies and institutions is the most promising way to make tangible progress in the fight against corruption now and in the near future.
“Article 9(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which Nigeria is a state party guarantee to everyone the right to liberty and security of person, and that no one should be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention.
“Similarly, Section 35(1) of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended) guarantees to every person the right to personal liberty and that no person should be arbitrarily deprived of such liberty.”
The house of Representatives has resolved to investigate alleged illegal withdrawals from the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) dividends account by the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation NNPC.
The House’s resolve was sequel to a motion by a member from Delta State Mr Ndudi Elumelu during plenary.
Elumelu stated that the dividends from the NLNG are supposed to be paid into the consolidated revenue funds account of the federal government and to be shared among the three tiers of government.
The lawmaker said without due consultation with the states and the mandatory appropriation from the National Assembly, the NNPC illegally tampered with the dividends account to the tune of $1.05 billion.
According to him, there was no transparency in the extra budgetary spending as only the group managing director and the corporation’s chief financial officer has the
knowledge of how the funds were spent.
He expressed concern that there are no records showing the audit and recovery of accrued funds from the NLNG dividends account.
Adopting the motion, the house mandated its Committee on public account to invite the management of NNPC and that of NLNG to conduct a thorough investigation and report back in four weeks.
Nigeria's Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Yusuf Buratai
Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Yusuf Buratai has lunched “Operation Sahel Sanity” to tackle terrorism, banditry, Cattle rustling, kidnapping and other criminal activities in the Northwestern part of the country.
The Operation which was flagged off at the Nigerian Army Super Camp 4, Faskari in Katsina State was designed to flush out criminals in Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna, Sokoto and Niger states.
Lt. Gen. Buratai explained that, President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the military to end all act of terrorism and other criminal activities in the country, hence the need to adopt new tactics to accomplish the task.
He said, Special Forces would continue onslaught to flush out bandits terrorizing innocent people in the region, as operation end in September, 2020.
Similarly the COAS inaugurated Ten military operation vehicles named, Mime Resistance Ambush Protector (MRAPs) nicknamed CONCARARS, Constructed by the 107 Brigade Maiduguri using Local materials with a view to boosting military operations to ensure peace and security across the country.
The Nigerian Army however, appealed for the support of Nigerians by providing information that would lead to curbing criminal activities.
This is not a good time for the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, as his fate to continue serving in that capacity hangs in the balance.
After hours of being grilled by the Justice Ayo Salami-led Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) on Monday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, reports said Magu was taken into a “custody” by the operatives of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) where he faced another round of interrogation.
The interrogations are expected to continue today.
It would be recalled that the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has been having some running battle with Magu in the last few months.
This led the minister to write an official letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, recommending the sacking of EFCC Acting Chairman.
In the memo to the President, Malami based his recommendation on several grounds “ranging from diversion of recovered loot to insubordination and misconduct” by Magu.
Little wonder, the Salami panel quizzed Magu on Monday over various allegations, including discrepancies in the reconciliation records of EFCC and the Federal Ministry of Finance on recovered funds; declaration of N539 billion as recovered funds instead of N504 billion earlier claimed; and insubordination to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, by not seeking his approval on some decisions.
Other allegations are: Magu’s alleged refusal to provide enough evidence for the extradition of ex-Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke; deliberate late action on the investigation of Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) leading to legal dispute; non-respect of court order to unfreeze a N7 billion judgement in favour of a former Executive Director of First Bank; deliberate delay in acting on two vessels seized by Nigerian Navy leading to the loss of crude; favouring of some investigators called Magu’s Boys; reporting some judges to their presiding officers without deferring to the AGF; sales of seized assets to cronies, associates and friends; and issuance of investigative activities to some media prejudicial to some cases.
While there were hues and cries over his purported arrest on Monday, a member of PACAC, Prof. Femi Odekunle, rose in defence of Magu, saying “those sent to invite him for whatever reasons best known to them invited some press along and made it look like an arrest.
“That mischief has been confirmed by some apparent afterthought denial by the DSS (Department of State Services) that it was not an arrest,” he said.
Odekunle described his statement as “a preliminary reaction of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) to the alleged ‘arrest’ of Ibrahim Magu, Acting Chairman the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).”
But, PACAC, in a statement on behalf of the committee by its Communications Officer, Aghogho Agbahor, described Odekunle’s press release as his “personal opinion.”
“The attention of the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) has been drawn to a statement circulating in the media space credited to one of its members Professor Femi Odekunle.
“The press release is the personal opinion of the member under whose name it was released and not that of the committee. If the committee consistent with its mandate has any view on the matter, it will be channeled to the President and not to the media,” Agbahor said.
Odekunle, while further defending Magu, explained that the real information was that EFCC Acting Chairman was only invited to appear before a panel “set up not long ago concerning some alleged memo by Malami, regarding some alleged malfeasance by Magu, along with nominations for his replacement.”
According to him, “While PACAC has not had a formal meeting on this development, I have discussed with the Chairman and some other members and the following can be considered as PACAC’s preliminary reaction to this development.
“The alleged originating Malami memo, up to the current ‘arrest’ seems an outcome of power-play by power blocs in the corridors of power in which Malami appears to be an arrow-head or major agent of a power bloc that is not really interested in, or in support of, Buhari’s anti-corruption fight.
“One can recall the earlier non-confirmation experience of Magu by the 8th Assembly, orchestrated by a power bloc and supported by the DSS ‘Security’ reports.
“One can also note the non-resubmission of Magu for confirmation since May, 2019 despite the apparent willingness of the 9th Assembly to consider it this time around.
“Furthermore, one must take cognisance of the alleged memo referred to earlier i.e by Malami concerning alleged corrupt practices by Magu, along with his own nominations for Magu’s replacement.
“Again, we cannot forget Malami’s demand of certain high profile case files from Magu which the latter has been resisting.
“The position of PACAC is that while Magu, or any official of whatever status, must be nailed if found to be corrupt, the President must be careful not to shoot its anti-corruption fight /modest achievements in the foot, and not to forget that EFCC under Magu has been the Administration’s anti-corruption poster-face.
“It may not be contestable that Malami has been exploiting his alleged loyalty and closeness to the President for his personal /power bloc agenda.
“For, to the best of PACAC’s knowledge and observations, Malami has not manifested any genuine commitment to the anti-corruption fight. Samplers: The nolle- prosequi entered in a case of corruption against Orubebe in relation to alleged malfeasance while Minister of Niger Delta Ministry; his secret meeting with fugitive Maina in Dubai under whatever guise/ excuse; his involvement in the surreptitious reinjection of the same Maina into the Civil Service; his supervision of Obono-Oblas’ kangaroo Asset Recovery outfit which Obono subsequently ran out of the country when exposed by some ICPC investigation; his non-due attention, by design or default, to the P&ID matter since 2015 until it was blown open by humongous financial damage to the country; etc.
“Notwithstanding the situation at hand, the hope of PACAC is that the President would wake up to the ongoing shenanigans of power players that are working from the inside against his anti-corruption fight. We are also counting on the experience and dexterity of the new Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari whose loyalty to the President and good of the country cannot be doubted, and we also hope that the demonstrated integrity of retired Justice Salami would carry the day for thoroughness, fairness and justice in the interest of the anti-corruption fight.”
From all indications, Magu may be forced to step down as the EFCC Acting Chairman. For now, the intrigues and power play continue over Magu’s replacement.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
