Breaking News
BREAKING NEWS: Court Convicts Ex-Power Minister Saleh for Money Laundering
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday convicted a former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, on 12 counts of fraud and money laundering.
The charges were preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
In a judgment delivered by Justice James Omotosho, the court said it was satisfied that the anti-graft agency had successfully established the former minister’s culpability beyond reasonable doubt.
The Federal High Court court convicted him on all grounds of the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/273/2024.
The ex-minister, who served in the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, was found complicit in the illegal diversion of public funds totalling about N33.8 billion.
The court found that he made a cash payment of $655,700 (N200 million) for landed property in Abuja, without recourse to a financial institution.
He was also found guilty of criminal breach of trust in relation to funds released by the federal government for the Mambilla and Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant projects.
According to the court, most of the funds were siphoned through Bureau de Change operators, BDCs, who converted the money into foreign currencies and handed it over to the defendant.
“The evidence of the prosecution is overwhelming as against the scanty and almost absent defence of the defendant.
“The defendant did not offer any credible evidence to rebut the prosecution’s case,” Justice Omotosho held.
Breaking News
Mass Defection @ Oyo PDP As Makinde’s Loyalists Dump Party
The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, took another dimension on Thursday when key political loyalists and associates of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State announced their resolve to leave the party.
DAILY POST gathered that the PDP has been embroiled in a series of crises in the last few months.
Our correspondent reports that a faction of the party is loyal to the governor.
Another faction is loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike.
DAILY POST gathered that many key loyalists of Governor Seyi Makinde in Oyo State have left the party.
The loyalists announced their defection from the PDP on Thursday in separate locations.
Although there are speculations that they are on their way to the Allied Peoples’ Movement, none of those who resigned from the PDP stated the next political party they intend to join.
As at the last count, our correspondent learnt that no fewer than ten prominent chieftains of the party in the state had dumped the party.
Some of those who dumped the party are gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the party, Ambassador Olufemi Oguntoyinbo; Special Adviser on Security to the governor, Mr Fatai Owoseni; and Chairman of Oluyole Local Government Area, Engineer Akeem Olatunji.
Others are the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Abiodun Fadeyi; member of the House of Representatives representing Ibarapa North/Ibarapa Central Federal Constituency, Anthony Adepoju; his counterpart representing Ibadan North East/Ibadan South East Federal Constituency, Abass Adigun; and the member representing Ibadan North West/Ibadan South West Federal Constituency, Adedeji Olajide.
Fadeyi, who represents Ona Ara State Constituency in the House of Assembly, while speaking with DAILY POST, noted that he dumped the PDP due to the internal crisis rocking the party.
Fadeyi, in a telephone conversation with DAILY POST on Thursday, said: “Yes, I am also leaving the party. I am defecting, of course. The reason is what others are giving. What are the reasons others are giving? It is due to the internal crisis.”
Olatunji, a former Publicity Secretary of the PDP in the state, in his own remark, also cited internal crisis as the reason for his defection.
Olatunji, in a telephone conversation with DAILY POST on Thursday, said: “Yes, it is true. Due to the internal crisis. You know Wike has bastardized the party. He did not allow the party to breathe. We need to give the people of our constituency the opportunity to enjoy good governance.”
As at the time of filing this report on Thursday, DAILY POST gathered that more loyalists of the governor were on their way out of the PDP ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Politics
2027 ELECTION: ‘We will Interrogate What Peter Obi Did To Northerners As Anambra Governor’ – Prof Yusuf
Former Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, Prof Usman Yusuf, has recounted what former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, did to northerners when he was Anambra State governor.
Speaking during an interview on Trust TV, Yusuf said Obi sent northerners out of Anambra as governor.
He also alleged that Obi made northerners staying in Anambra at the time to have identity cards.
“Kwankwaso is the vehicle to sell Peter Obi to the North, but we have the record of what Peter Obi did to northerners.
“The evil that men do lives after them. I said this because we (Northern Muslims) are going to interrogate and question Peter Obi’s tenure when he was the governor of Anambra State. What he did to northerners.
“He even made them have an ID card, their names, where they are from and their occupations. In this Nigeria that we live. He will come and explain to us.
“It is the same Kwankwaso that had to fly to Awka and sit with him and say, be careful. I have more Igbos in Kano living in peace than there are northerners throughout the South-East,” Yusuf said.
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