N4.745b ‘fraud’: Drama as EFCC holds Omisore

Only my body will follow you, ex-Deputy Governor tells EFCC team
After about three months of hide and seek, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arrested a former Deputy Governor of Osun State,  Otunba Iyiola Omisore.
He was arrested in Abuja for the N4.745billion  allegedly allocated to him and others by the Office of the National Security Adviser(ONSA).
Of the slush funds, about N1.310billion was allegedly traced to Omisore and three companies.

His suspected accomplices include Governor Ayodele Fayose and former Minister of (State) Defence Musiliu Obanikoro, who is in the United States.
The arrest of Omisore was with a tinge of drama. He reportedly locked himself up in the master’s bedroom to evade arrest by EFCC operatives, sources said.
EFCC operatives climbed a balcony to enter the room where a “jittery” Omisore was arrested. Found in his room, said the source, are $21,000 and about N1million cash.
Sensitive documents relating to transfer of funds to slush companies by ONSA, the National Assembly and some companies were also recovered from Omisore, The Nation learnt.
Omisore reportedly told the EFCC team: “I will not follow you; only my corpse will follow you.”
He reportedly surrendered when the siege to his house was daunting.
According to a top source in EFCC, the arrest of Omisore followed a successful trail of his movement to Abuja.
The source said: “We had intelligence report that Omisore was at his 1, Kainji Crescent in Maitama, Abuja. We set out at 6am to invite him but when we got there; we were told he was not in town.
“We went into the compound and gained access to the house. We started searching the rooms one by one. At a point, we discovered that the master’s bedroom was locked. We asked them to open it but they said, they had no key to it. Having been aware of our presence, Omisore had firmly locked up himself to evade arrest.
“We surrounded the place with armed policemen and entered the master bedroom through the balcony. When we met him, we showed him a court warrant of arrest and a search warrant fully endorsed by a competent court.
“We searched his  room afterwards and we discovered documents linking him to those  companies used for laundering of money from ONSA , National Assembly and some firms which they forced to part with cash to fund political campaign.
“Some of the documents on landed properties which he bought with these slush funds.
“When we finished the search,  we showed him the warrant of arrest but he retired into a mild drama that he would not go to the EFCC office.
“Omisore, who knew the game was up said: ‘I will not follow you, only my corpse   will follow you.’ The suspense continued until his lawyer, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, asked him to go to  EFCC headquarters.
“After then, we took him to the office and obtained  a statement from him. During interrogation,  he admitted that  he is a director of some of the companies linked to him . ONSA, National Assembly and some firms that paid huge funds into the accounts of these companies .”
According to the source, Omisore told detectives that the companies paid the funds  under investigation to him but they were the money he loaned them.
“We have served him bail conditions, it is left to him to meet these terms to regain freedom. So far, we have detained him,” the source said.
About N1.310billion was traced to Omisore and  three companies out of the N4,745billion.
According to a report by the EFCC, the funds were  remitted as follows: Fimex Gilt Limited(N160m)-8/8/2014in UBA; Metropolitan Consortium (N350m)—9/7/14 in First Bank; Sawanara (N300m)—1/8/14 in First Bank and Metropolitan Consortium(N350m)-1/8/14 in First Bank.
A top EFCC source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Preliminary findings have shown that N1.310billion out of the N4.745billion from ONSA was remitted to the three firms and the accounts of these three companies belong to Omisore. This is one of the reasons we have invited the former Deputy Governor but he is yet to show up.”
The anti-graft agency through a letter, of April 7, 2016 invited Omisore for interrogation.
The letter, signed by Abubakar Madaki on behalf of the Acting Chairman of EFCC, reads in part: “The commission is investigating an alleged case in which your name featured prominently.
“In view of the above, you are kindly requested to attend an interview the undersigned on Monday, 11th of April 2016 at No.30, Harper Crescent, Wuse Zone 7 at10am.
“Your cooperation in this regard is solicited.”
Instead of honouring the invitation, Omisore wrote a letter through one of his lawyers, Wole Jimi-Bada and Co. that the interview should be rescheduled to Thursday, April 14, 2016.
The counsel said in part: “Your letter dated 7th April 2016 and addressed to our client and delivered to his gateman at our client’s residence has been passed on to our chambers.
“We regret to inform you that our client travelled briefly out of Abuja but will return by Wednesday evening. Consequently and unfortunately, he will not be able to attend the interview scheduled for Monday, 11th April 2016 as requested in your letter under reference.
http://thenationonlineng.net/n4-745b-fraud-drama-efcc-holds-omisore/

N4.745b ‘fraud’: Drama as EFCC holds Omisore

Only my body will follow you, ex-Deputy Governor tells EFCC team
After about three months of hide and seek, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arrested a former Deputy Governor of Osun State,  Otunba Iyiola Omisore.
He was arrested in Abuja for the N4.745billion  allegedly allocated to him and others by the Office of the National Security Adviser(ONSA).
Of the slush funds, about N1.310billion was allegedly traced to Omisore and three companies.

His suspected accomplices include Governor Ayodele Fayose and former Minister of (State) Defence Musiliu Obanikoro, who is in the United States.
The arrest of Omisore was with a tinge of drama. He reportedly locked himself up in the master’s bedroom to evade arrest by EFCC operatives, sources said.
EFCC operatives climbed a balcony to enter the room where a “jittery” Omisore was arrested. Found in his room, said the source, are $21,000 and about N1million cash.
Sensitive documents relating to transfer of funds to slush companies by ONSA, the National Assembly and some companies were also recovered from Omisore, The Nation learnt.
Omisore reportedly told the EFCC team: “I will not follow you; only my corpse will follow you.”
He reportedly surrendered when the siege to his house was daunting.
According to a top source in EFCC, the arrest of Omisore followed a successful trail of his movement to Abuja.
The source said: “We had intelligence report that Omisore was at his 1, Kainji Crescent in Maitama, Abuja. We set out at 6am to invite him but when we got there; we were told he was not in town.
“We went into the compound and gained access to the house. We started searching the rooms one by one. At a point, we discovered that the master’s bedroom was locked. We asked them to open it but they said, they had no key to it. Having been aware of our presence, Omisore had firmly locked up himself to evade arrest.
“We surrounded the place with armed policemen and entered the master bedroom through the balcony. When we met him, we showed him a court warrant of arrest and a search warrant fully endorsed by a competent court.
“We searched his  room afterwards and we discovered documents linking him to those  companies used for laundering of money from ONSA , National Assembly and some firms which they forced to part with cash to fund political campaign.
“Some of the documents on landed properties which he bought with these slush funds.
“When we finished the search,  we showed him the warrant of arrest but he retired into a mild drama that he would not go to the EFCC office.
“Omisore, who knew the game was up said: ‘I will not follow you, only my corpse   will follow you.’ The suspense continued until his lawyer, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, asked him to go to  EFCC headquarters.
“After then, we took him to the office and obtained  a statement from him. During interrogation,  he admitted that  he is a director of some of the companies linked to him . ONSA, National Assembly and some firms that paid huge funds into the accounts of these companies .”
According to the source, Omisore told detectives that the companies paid the funds  under investigation to him but they were the money he loaned them.
“We have served him bail conditions, it is left to him to meet these terms to regain freedom. So far, we have detained him,” the source said.
About N1.310billion was traced to Omisore and  three companies out of the N4,745billion.
According to a report by the EFCC, the funds were  remitted as follows: Fimex Gilt Limited(N160m)-8/8/2014in UBA; Metropolitan Consortium (N350m)—9/7/14 in First Bank; Sawanara (N300m)—1/8/14 in First Bank and Metropolitan Consortium(N350m)-1/8/14 in First Bank.
A top EFCC source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Preliminary findings have shown that N1.310billion out of the N4.745billion from ONSA was remitted to the three firms and the accounts of these three companies belong to Omisore. This is one of the reasons we have invited the former Deputy Governor but he is yet to show up.”
The anti-graft agency through a letter, of April 7, 2016 invited Omisore for interrogation.
The letter, signed by Abubakar Madaki on behalf of the Acting Chairman of EFCC, reads in part: “The commission is investigating an alleged case in which your name featured prominently.
“In view of the above, you are kindly requested to attend an interview the undersigned on Monday, 11th of April 2016 at No.30, Harper Crescent, Wuse Zone 7 at10am.
“Your cooperation in this regard is solicited.”
Instead of honouring the invitation, Omisore wrote a letter through one of his lawyers, Wole Jimi-Bada and Co. that the interview should be rescheduled to Thursday, April 14, 2016.
The counsel said in part: “Your letter dated 7th April 2016 and addressed to our client and delivered to his gateman at our client’s residence has been passed on to our chambers.
“We regret to inform you that our client travelled briefly out of Abuja but will return by Wednesday evening. Consequently and unfortunately, he will not be able to attend the interview scheduled for Monday, 11th April 2016 as requested in your letter under reference.
http://thenationonlineng.net/n4-745b-fraud-drama-efcc-holds-omisore/

Buhari condoles with Saudi Arabia over suicide bombing

President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned Monday’s suicide bombing that killed four persons in Medina, Saudi Arabia’s second holiest city.
In his message to Saudi authorities over the attack, President Buhari said the development was a desecration of all that was sacred and holy, as it took place near the Prophet’s Mosque and on one of the holy days of Ramadan.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President said: “The merchants of evil have once again shown that there is nothing religious in their mindless acts, by striking near the Prophet’s Mosque. It validates the claim that terrorism really has nothing to do with Islam. Purveyors of terror are simply agents of the devil.
“The fact that the Medina bombing came the same day a suicide bomber struck near the United States Consulate in Jeddah, also in Saudi Arabia, showed that it was an orchestrated plan to foul up the Eid-el-Fitr celebration.”
He urged nations to remain vigilant, saying: “so that we can collectively beat the forces of darkness on the prowl round the globe.”
Stressing that terrorism no longer respects international boundaries, he charged humanity to rise as one body “to excise this vermin from our body polity, and assert our liberty from those who pander to base and vicious instincts.”
“With our collective resolve, we shall beat terrorism. Around the world and around the clock, let us be alert. And we would remain free and safe,” he stated.

Buhari condoles with Saudi Arabia over suicide bombing

President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned Monday’s suicide bombing that killed four persons in Medina, Saudi Arabia’s second holiest city.
In his message to Saudi authorities over the attack, President Buhari said the development was a desecration of all that was sacred and holy, as it took place near the Prophet’s Mosque and on one of the holy days of Ramadan.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President said: “The merchants of evil have once again shown that there is nothing religious in their mindless acts, by striking near the Prophet’s Mosque. It validates the claim that terrorism really has nothing to do with Islam. Purveyors of terror are simply agents of the devil.
“The fact that the Medina bombing came the same day a suicide bomber struck near the United States Consulate in Jeddah, also in Saudi Arabia, showed that it was an orchestrated plan to foul up the Eid-el-Fitr celebration.”
He urged nations to remain vigilant, saying: “so that we can collectively beat the forces of darkness on the prowl round the globe.”
Stressing that terrorism no longer respects international boundaries, he charged humanity to rise as one body “to excise this vermin from our body polity, and assert our liberty from those who pander to base and vicious instincts.”
“With our collective resolve, we shall beat terrorism. Around the world and around the clock, let us be alert. And we would remain free and safe,” he stated.

Ebonyi to pass bill on female genital mutilation

A jail term of Five years awaits anybody who practices female genital mutilation in Ebonyi State, the state government has warned.
The warning was handed out Tuesday during the flag off of the campaign against female genital mutilation in the state at the Women Development Centre (WDC), Abakaliki.
In her speech at the occasion, Mrs Umahi described female genital mutilation as a harmful traditional practice against womanhood which must be put to an end.
She said: “We can’t continue to live in dark ages at the detriment of our women in the name of female circumcision or genital mutilation.
“Our women have suffered a lot in this traditional harmful practices against them and we must stop it, we must wage serious war against the practice.
“A situation where women reproductive organs are butchered in the name cultural practices is no longer unacceptable,’’ she vowed.
She noted that the state ranks second with 74% after Osun state as states in the country with prevalent rate of female genital mutilation, leading to her decision to begin the campaign against the practice through her pet project, Family Succour and Upliftment Programme.
Mrs. Umahi said she will soon approach the state house of Assembly to amend the law against the practice which is yet to be passed.
Earlier, the state Chief Judge Justice Alloy Nwankwo who was represented on the occasion by Justice Destina Oko of Onueke High Court said anyone caught practicing the act in the state will bag five years imprisonment with option of N2, 000 fines.
She reiterated the readiness of the judiciary to partner with Mrs. Umahi to curb female circumcision in the state.
In his remarks, Governor Umahi said he will retrieve a law before the state House of Assembly against female genital mutilation which has not been passed and emend it to provide severe sanctions against the mutilators.

Ebonyi to pass bill on female genital mutilation

A jail term of Five years awaits anybody who practices female genital mutilation in Ebonyi State, the state government has warned.
The warning was handed out Tuesday during the flag off of the campaign against female genital mutilation in the state at the Women Development Centre (WDC), Abakaliki.
In her speech at the occasion, Mrs Umahi described female genital mutilation as a harmful traditional practice against womanhood which must be put to an end.
She said: “We can’t continue to live in dark ages at the detriment of our women in the name of female circumcision or genital mutilation.
“Our women have suffered a lot in this traditional harmful practices against them and we must stop it, we must wage serious war against the practice.
“A situation where women reproductive organs are butchered in the name cultural practices is no longer unacceptable,’’ she vowed.
She noted that the state ranks second with 74% after Osun state as states in the country with prevalent rate of female genital mutilation, leading to her decision to begin the campaign against the practice through her pet project, Family Succour and Upliftment Programme.
Mrs. Umahi said she will soon approach the state house of Assembly to amend the law against the practice which is yet to be passed.
Earlier, the state Chief Judge Justice Alloy Nwankwo who was represented on the occasion by Justice Destina Oko of Onueke High Court said anyone caught practicing the act in the state will bag five years imprisonment with option of N2, 000 fines.
She reiterated the readiness of the judiciary to partner with Mrs. Umahi to curb female circumcision in the state.
In his remarks, Governor Umahi said he will retrieve a law before the state House of Assembly against female genital mutilation which has not been passed and emend it to provide severe sanctions against the mutilators.

Ali Modu Sheriff PDP Chairman Sacked today

High court Abuja today sacked factional leader of PDP, Ali Modu Sheriff, from office. TVC's senior correspondent, Sumner Shagari Bello was at the court hearing