Boko Haram: How Borno, Yobe Governors promote insurgency - Elizebeth Robertson

By Dansu Peter

Elizebeth Robertson, a renowned expert in Counter-Insurgency and Confliction Resolution based in Geneva has made a shocking revelation on the involvement of Yobe and Borno State governments in promotion of insurgency in north east Nigeria. 

Robertson lamented that in spite of the efforts made by the Nigerian government and a multi-national military operation, Boko Haram has remained a major security concern.

According to Reobertson in an electronic statement, the Borno and Yobe States governors have failed to empower their youths as the governments of some other northern states have been doing like giving meaningful work tools, hence the rising cases of extremism amongst the youths. 

She wrote, “There is a perplexing situation around Jamā'at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah wa'l-Jihād better known as Boko Haram or other terrorist groups operating in the Lake Chad Basin comprising north-east Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon. In spite of the efforts made by the Nigerian government and a multinational military operation, Boko Haram has remained a security concern that has in recent weeks worsened as terrorists launch daring attacks that should not be possible given the scale of decimation that the Nigerian military had unleashed on the group.

“It is glaring that certain key factors make it possible for Boko Haram to remain a threat. The group continues to have access to a limitless pool of uneducated, unemployed, impoverished and easy to radicalize youths. The clerics in the area have not been brought on board to tailor preaching that insulate youths against being easily recruited, brainwashed and radicalized. The Borno state government, which is the epicentre of the insurgency, and Yobe state have failed to invest in social intervention programmes that will lessen the allure of the empty promises Boko Haram uses to lure youths into its ranks.

“The Borno and Yobe States Governors have failed to empower their youths as the governments of some other northern states have been doing like giving meaningful work tools, access to financing and skill acquisition to their youths to make them realise that a life of gainful existence is possible. Interventions like these are needed as follow-up programmes that would have make the achievements of the military enduring anywhere they have flushed out Boko Haram.

“Not only has the political class in Borno and Yobe states failed to take preventive measures itemized above they have also failed to properly rehabilitate Boko Haram fighters that had initially surrendered. They are instead left to experience a disenchantment that is worse than the one that made them renounce Boko Haram, which makes recidivism a guaranteed outcome. This poor approach to managing surrendered and repentant terrorists and reintegrating them into the society and the continuous failure to address the joblessness of youths supports the view that they are deliberately kept in this state so that they are available to be recruited for the use of the terrorists groups that reportedly answer to some politicians.

“The end of these terror groups does not appear in sight as the political class in the region has become fixated on only military solutions, an attitude that is the driver for the resurgence of the terrorists even when they have been decimated. There can be no room left for vacuum whenever the military pushes Boko Haram out of an area. The state governments should have been implementing programmes that ensure Boko Haram has no pool of youths to recruit from while also making gainful engagement more rewarding than joining the terrorists.

“The Borno and Yobe state governments must also address the complicity that has been repeatedly established against them in the series of high profile abductions that had rocked the north east of Nigeria. The kidnap of school girls in Chibok and Dapchi have been linked to aides of the governors of both states, who seem to use the negotiation following these abductions as legitimate cover to have contacts with these terrorists without being indicted.

“The responsibility is for the Federal Government of Nigeria to pressure the governors of Borno and Yobe state to ensure they stop supporting the terrorists by way of inaction. The Federal Government must in turn come under pressure from its international partners and countries with which it has collaboration to fight terrorism. The governors of these states must learn that they cannot continue to promote conditions that strengthens Boko Haram while expecting the Nigerians military to sort of the problems they engendered.”

Kogi East; Legal Icon,Abadaki Bares His Mind On Appeal Court Ruling,Lack Of Jurisdiction

By Yusuf Abubakar

A Notary Public and Constitutional lawyer,Abadaki Obin has reacted to the ruling of the Appeal court that declined jurisdiction over kogi east senate,as a decision in retrospect


The legal luminary avered that there was no point of law that allowed a reverse gear on issues that boarders on constitutional matters, particularly when a law exists before an amendment,even though the Appeal Court panel decided otherwise,the Apex court will need to see more to the legal implications of the whole issue

 He hinged his position that"the amended constitution is never applicable to this case, on the ground that ;
(a)"As at the time the course of action  arose, (that is, at the time the incidence of the primary election took place,)2014, the amended section 285(12)was not in force.

(b) "Consequently, section 285(12)which came into force on1/6/2018 has no legal effect on your case that arose sometimes in 2014", and similarly,


(c)"Section 285(12)has no retrospective effect on issues or course of action that gave rise to your case".


(d) "It is again trite law that the applicable laws to every matter is the prevailing law in force at the time the course of action arose ,and not any other subsequent law, or amended law thereafter".


(e)"In the light of the above, the  court of Appeal acted in fatal error when the Justices applied s.285(12),and thereby struck out your appeal..


(f) "Relevant authorities are available,
7.the court of Appeal error is fatal and crucial to the judgement"

Lawyers of AM isaac Alfa led by Rueben Egwuaba relied on oral application of amendment of 285(12),to argue his matter as first respondent,that says

Subsection 12 (285)

"An appeal from a decision of a court on a pre-election matter shall be had and disposed of within 60 days from the date of filing of the appeal"

While the Appelant lawyer's,P.I.N. Ikwueator(SAN), and PDP lawyers led by Orih Odumogu canvassed strongly on 285(10),Court Of Appeal Act(2010 Amendment),Rule 15 under General Powers of the Court Of Appeal that says


Subsection 10(285)

"A court in every pre-election matter shall deliver its judgement within 180 days from the date of filing of the suit"

And

Court of Appeal Act  (2010 Amendments) 15

 "The court of appeal may ,from time to time, make any order neccessary for determining the real question in controversy in the appeal, and may amend any defect or error in the record of appeal,and may direct the court below to inquire into and certify its finding or any question which the court of appeal thinks fit to determime before final judgemet in the appeal,and may make interim order or grant any injunction which the court below is  authorised to make or grant or may direct any neccessary inquiries or accounts to be made or taken,and,generally shall have full jurisdiction over the whole proceedings as if the proceedings had been instituted in the court of Appeal as court of first instance and may rehear the case in whole or in part or may remit to the court below for the purpose of such re-hearing or may give such order or directions as to the manner in which court below shall deal with the case in accordance with the powers of that court,or in the case of an appeal from the court below,in that court's appellate jurisdiction,order the case to be re-heard by a court of competent jurisdiction"

Another dimension that would have added impetus to the controversial ruling if argument was allowed to fly, is the provision of section 285(8), of the same amedment that argued inter alia

"Alteration of section 285 of the constitution
Section 285 of the Principal act further altered by-

8 (a) Substituting for the marginal note,a new "marginal note"

"Time for determination of pre-election matters,establishmemt of Election tribunals,and time for determination of election petitions

(b)Substituting for subsection(8), a new section "(8)"

."Where a preliminary objection or any other interlocutory issue touching on the jurisdiction of the tribunal or court in any pre-election matter or on the competence of the petition itself is raised by a party,the tribunal or court shall suspend its ruling and deliver it at the stage of final judgment" and

(c) inserting,after subsection(8),new subsections"(9)"...."(14)"

With all these provisions in the amedment act and the Appeal Court act,the court had inherent power to entertain the case rather than feign jurisdiction as leeway to further the political logjam in kogi east

The Supreme Court reserved the right to arrive at a point of law, or as a matter of exigency in the public interest as the contending tenure expired in June 2019,and another primaries for 2019 elections had been concluded

Senator Atai Aidoko Ali has since appeal the case to the Supreme Court through his legal counsels

2 Jeeps Gift From Police IG: Aisha Buhari Breaks Silence

Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, has denied allegations made by Senator Isa Misau , that the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, bought two SUVs for her.

In her response on Thursday, the First Lady denied any such thing.

She simply tweeted: “I am still using my personal cars”.

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I am still using my personal cars https://t.co/pfwasnUn4y

— Aisha M. Buhari (@aishambuhari) October 26, 2017

Misau, while speaking to a committee investigating his accusations against the police boss, said he has documents which disclosed that Mrs. Buhari requested for vehicles from Idris.

“I still have some contract papers that the IG himself submitted to the court, where the First Lady through her aide-de-camp requested a Toyota Hiace and a Sienna jeep.

“The same day that the ADC wrote, the IG minuted that she should be given two jeeps. And it is not part of the appropriation. If you look at the appropriation, there is nowhere they said the First Lady should be given two jeeps,” he said.

Emmanuel Onwubiko's Lies Against Python Dance, By Gabriel Onoja

By Gabriel Onoja 

Head of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), Emmanuel Onwubiko  has finally erased the last doubts that he is an ethnic jingoist that had hidden behind "human rights" to push his ethnic agenda. It would be perfectly in order for him to rename his business centre into something like Human Rights Writers Association of Abia or Human Rights Writers Association of Biafra. He can work out an acronym that will roll off the tongue smoothly at a later day. 

He constituted himself into a judge and a jury to arrive at a verdict that the Nigerian Military erred to have conducted Operation Python Dance II in the southeast. For him the exercise was replete with human rights violations ranged from gruesome physical torture against members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). He went further to add extralegal executions of civilians to his charges. 

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Onwubiko attempted to create a feeling of desecration by suggesting that the palace of the IPOB leader's father, Eze Israel Kanu, was desecrated in the course of the operation. But it must have occurred to the human rights writer that IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu decided on his father's palace as his operational base for the very reason that it would be off limits to regular law enforcement agencies. The use of the palace of a first-class traditional ruler as the defacto headquarters of a secessionist terrorist group is an abomination against Nigeria. Since the southeast led the trail in demolishing property of indicted kidnappers the same treatment should have been extended to the palace for being a terrorist base, which means it should have been reduced to its foundations. 

If IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, realizing the magnitude of his treasonous act and his father recognizing his role as an accomplice, decided to flee and remain incommunicado the Abia state government, the army and the Federal Government should not be blamed by default. Anyone blaming any of these should not lose sight of the possibility that Kanu, in his craftiness, instructed his followers to attack the soldiers so he could use the ensuing confusion as cover to escape. It is amusing that IPOB terrorists can photograph and film video of abuses without making a last ditched attempt to document their leader being arrested, his remains being evacuated or him being killed.  

As for his innocent casualties, they could not have been civilians since only IPOB members mobilized to take on the Army. And the way this has played out so far, there is nothing like an innocent IPOB member since anyone connected to the terror group has either committed acts of terror, is committing acts of terror or would in future commit acts of terror (apologies to Emile Henri). 

It is insolent for Emmanuel Onwubiko to insult the sensibilities of his readers by claiming the whereabouts of neither Nnamdi Kanu nor his father were known. If he didn’t know their whereabouts then how did he get his hatchet brief to write in their defence? The whole lies about not knowing about the IPOB leaders' whereabouts is one huge lie that would come to haunt all those currently engaged in promoting it. 

Perhaps the self styled activist should henceforth write in Igbo, his language of thought as it appears the nuances of English language stomps him to a point where he has to lose the expected train of logic each time he articulates a position. Much as a bunch of crackheads are asking for the restoration of a forgone Biafran Republic, the hypothetical country remains at best an illusion of its modern-day promoters, which makes it illogical for the Army to invade that which does not exist. The military conducted an exercise within Nigeria's boundaries to which it legitimately has access, if the soldiers in the course of that exercise identified threats to their persons or the country the logical thing is to reflexively deal with such, review the situation and learn from its wealth of experience.  

While it is okay to transliterate from Igbo to English it is most unkind to perpetuate the myth that one’s ethnic stock has a perverted template for reasoning. That would be an irresponsible habit that maligns not just one’s imaginary enemies but one’s own people as well.  Onwubiko concluded that the proscription of IPOB was hurriedly done and that the group continues to operate as a registered NGO in other countries. This betrays an incapacitation on a scale that makes it impossible to realize that issues of terrorism are treated with dispatch. For instance, Hezbollah is a legal entity in some countries and a terrorist organization to others; many other groups with dual designations abound. The countries that today play politics about IPOB's status would be the most unforgiving in dealing with its crime when the time comes.  

Onwubiko can educate himself at a discount by simply buying a return ticket to Spain for a first-hand experience in how responsible governments deal with separatists. The autonomy of Catalan has been revoked and taken over by the government in Madrid, yet the Catalans have come nowhere near what IPOB has done in terms of breaching the law even though the Spanish government's response makes Nigeria’s federal government's handling of IPOB look like a peacekeeping organization. These are realties that the esteemed human rights writer is however allergic to and must have resolved to selectively perceive because of the relationship it has with what is going on here. 

It is however understandable that Onwubiko is still smarting from the proposal he allegedly once submitted to the Army to run propaganda on its behalf, which was reportedly promptly turned down by top brass who noted that the military cannot outsource such sensitive activity that requires constant consideration for national interest. One wonders if and how he would have continued executing that brief if it were assigned to him as requested, as a patriotic Nigerian or a Biafran mercenary desperate to make ends meet? But the issues he deemed more important should take precedence since he said he would rather not dwell on the media activities around Operation Python Dance II.  

He has issues with the success recorded by the operation and this is understandable since a person will naturally kick against something he has limited knowledge about especially when such state of mind is the product of willful rejection of facts.  This included him describing those who commended the Army as jobless. His assessment of these Nigerians confirms a dangerous prejudice on his part as he apparently holds those who live in the Nyanyan – Mararaba axis of Abuja in disdain on account of their economic status in life – only years of hobnobbing with looters and destroyers of the nation’s economy can produce such nauseous snobbery. 

Suggesting that some of those at the rally could not speak Igbo shows the ignorance driving the Biafra secessionist movement. Too many of their own people have melded into Nigeria to a point where even their language is in jeopardy of being lost yet the leadership provided by Onwubiko and his likes still think other ethnic nationalities are their problem.  

The right-thinking persons from Igboland get the same treatment of being shamed for standing with the truth like the representative of the Governor of Abia State at the closing ceremony of Operation Python Dance II, Engineer Emmanuel Nwabuko. The message he bore to the event was unpalatable for Onwubiko because it "expressed appreciation of the government and people of the state for the numerous achievements of exercise Egwu Eke II in terms of improvement of peace, security and stability of the state". The fear of such pariah treatment has gingered some of the elected representatives from the south-east to coerce the Senate into promising an investigation into the faceoffs between soldiers that took part in the exercise and IPOB fighters. The folly of such hurried declaration would be highlighted. 

There is a worrisome insinuation that dog Onwubiko's intervention in national issues in recent times. But for his vehement defence of the former Chief of Army Staff, retired General Azubuike Ihejirika in the past, one would have concluded that he has unresolved parental issues with anything military. As recently as June 2015, Onwubiko was condemning Amnesty International for asking President Buhari to probe allegations of human rights abuses under Ihejirika. What has then changed to make him the champion for probing rights abuses? Whatever it is can only be ugly given his antecedents: ethnic jingoism and money are leading factors. 

At his most disingenuous, Onwubiko cited various sections of the Constitution to justify his claim that Operation Python Dance II should not have held and the excesses of separatist terrorists should not be checked. He however omitted to mention the portion of the Constitution, Section 227, which criminalizes the inauguration of Biafra Secret Service (BSS) by Nnamdi Kanu. Members of BSS acting as a rival military attacked the Nigerian Army.  It would be interesting to hear his concept of how the soldiers should have reacted when they came under such threats to their persons when the militants started hurling objects at them – any of the stuff thrown at them could have been explosives given the threats severally made by IPOB members that they had an impressive arsenal. 

As for the other authorities and scenario cited by Onwubiko as he belabored the Army to rewrite history for the Biafran cause, one only needs remind him that his people would have had the moral high ground if they had not created a parallel army to fight the Nigerian Army. There is no point awakening the controversy as to whether IPOB members have the moral and legal rights to seek protection under a Constitution they have disavowed.  

The call on the National Assembly to ensure that "those who had violated the laws are prosecuted and sanctioned" is the perfect example of democracy a la Onwubiko; when it suits him, it is order for roles to be usurped so long as his end is served. He is advocating implementation of his Biafran nightmare in Nigeria where the National Assembly takes on prosecutorial powers that is the remit of the executive and also give the power to sanction, which falls to the judiciary. It did not occur to him that the lawmakers who once thumped their chests to investigate the IPOB attacks on soldiers have realized ahead of him that it is prudent not to make fools of themselves because even if they have the powers to prosecute and sanction as suggested the recipients would be Kanu and his brood of terrorists. 

Suggesting that the lawmakers "have been intimidated and harassed by President Muhammadu Buhari to abdicate their constitutional duty" is blackmail taken too far. It shows the contempt in which Onwubiko and those behind him hold the very people to whom they are appealing for help. He may wish to ask Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe who has learnt the lesson to never go on a limb for terrorists. Irrespective of chronically playing the victim, they will always exhibit their criminal side when it matters most and the federal lawmakers after seeing one of their so burnt by IPOB would be more circumspect about what they let themselves into. 

Meanwhile, if the south-east were to be hosting more military infrastructure and presence than it presently hosts, would this same Onwubiko not cry to the high heavens that his ancestral home is permanently occupied by the Nigerian Army; and since he supports Biafra would it not be better that there would be no relics of Nigeria's military to turn his sweet dreams into nightmares when he gets his beloved republic. By the way, IPOB militants would have either attempted to hijack the armory in such place or the military bases would be in striking distance to tame any idiotic heroism emanating from terrorists there. 

Onwubiko's parting short about sanitizing the military and weeding out brutes would have been such nugget of wisdom but for his penchant for meaning a different thing while saying another. The militaries of countries the world over continually evolve to address identified lapses that occur naturally when dealing with human variables. From the much that is in the public domain, the Nigerian Army is doing just that. What we should be worried about is the likes of Onwubiko who hide under the guise of human rights to encourage terrorists and separatists.

Onoja writes from the Coalition Against Terrorism and Extremism, [CATE] Jos.

Police Sergeant, ASP In Robbery Gang Arrested In Lagos

Culled From Punch Newspaper

A police sergeant serving at the Oworo Police Division, Lagos State, Yakubu Aiyegba, and a retired Assistant Superintendent of Police, Obosa Augustine, have been arrested for alleged robbery.

They were apprehended along with a taxi driver, Godwin George, by operatives from the Shasha Police Station.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Aiyegba and Augustine were notorious for raiding a hotel in Egbeda and extorting money from guests in the facility.

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They reportedly paraded themselves as operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Lagos State Command.

They were said to have forcefully collected a sum of N50,000 and a laptop from an unnamed guest a few weeks ago and fled the area in a taxi driven by George.

Our correspondent gathered that the three suspects, led by the retired ASP, went back to the facility – Ehis Hotel – on Wednesday on another extortionate raid.

They were allegedly in the middle of the act when operatives from the Shasha division, who acted on a tip-off, stormed the hotel and picked them up.

The suspects were subsequently transferred to SARS in Ikeja.

A police source told our correspondent that the command had been monitoring Augustine and Aiyegba for some time after receiving complaints from the hotel.

He said, “There have been a series of complaints about SARS operatives extorting money from members of the public. We found out that on many occasions, the people impersonated SARS men.

“On Wednesday, there was a similar case. Augustine and Aiyegba went to Ehis Hotel to rob guests, parading themselves as SARS operatives. They usually go to that hotel on illegal operations.

“Three weeks ago, they collected N50,000 and a laptop from a guest. That Wednesday, they were going from one hotel room to another to disturb the guests when the police were alerted.”

However, in a chat with PUNCH Metro, Aiyegba, a 39-year-old Kogi State indigene, said they did not go to the hotel to rob. He said they were friends to the hotel manager, one Kingsley, who normally gave them money.

He said, “Two weeks ago, we visited Kingsley at the hotel and saw some people smoking on the premises. We threatened to arrest them, but they begged us. Because of our friend, Kingsley, we left them.

“At times when we visit Kingsley, he would give us N1,000 to buy cola nuts. We don’t normally disturb him. On Wednesday, Supol (Augustine) told me that Kingsley called him that we should come.

“On getting there, we met some boys smoking. When they sighted us, they called their friends to fight us. Policemen from Shasha division later came to arrest us.”

The 52-year-old retired officer, who hails from Edo State, said he went to the hotel because of the good rapport he had with Kingsley before he retired from the force.

“I have four children and a wife. I retired this year while at the Idimu Police Division. The manager always gives me money. He called me on Wednesday to come and collect money.

“As we got there, somebody said we collected N50,000 and a laptop from him three weeks ago, which is just an allegation. We didn’t rob anybody. We did not impersonate SARS,” he added.

George, the taxi driver, stated that he was not involved in the alleged robbery, adding that he stayed outside the hotel.

He said, “I know Aiyegba as a policeman and he introduced me to Mr. Augustine. I have taken them to the hotel thrice. They would give me a drink and ask me to stay outside.

“After meeting with the manager, they would fuel my car or give me N1,500.”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, confirmed the arrest, adding that investigations were ongoing.

What WANTED Nnamdi Kanu Spotted Doing At The Moment?

A Facebook user, Buhari Supporter shared the photo online with the caption "Enjoy Your Money Mazi when Maga Fall Guy Man Chop"

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RUSSIA 2018: Thugs Attack Zambian Striker's Home For Missing Goal Against Nigeria

Power Dynamos striker Alex N’gonga’s family home in Chimwemwe  in Kitwe has  been attacked by thugs following Zambia’s 1-0 defeat  to Nigeria in their  2018 World Cup qualifier match in Uyo on Saturday, zambianobserver.com reports.

Copperbelt province police commissioner Charity Katanga says a group of people emerged from a white Toyota Landcruiser ACC 5492 and maliciously damaged two roofing sheets with stones.

Katanga says the group accused N’gonga of missing scoring chances that crashed Zambia’s hopes of qualifying to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

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She said  police had  launched a manhunt and a case of malicious damage to property has been opened.

N’gonga’s mother Charity  told Muvi TV news that she feared for her life when she heard another person threaten to destroy the house completely.

Nigeria became the first African team to qualify for the global showpiece courtesy of Alex Iwobi’s second half strike at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.

Source: Punch Newspaper

INVESTIGATION: APC Chieftain, Lawmaker, Former Head of States NAMED Among Powerful Nigerians Who Own Multi-million Pounce UK Properties

Culled From Punch Newspaper

More details have emerged on 10 multimillion-pound properties owned by powerful Nigerian political elite in the United Kingdom, which were among those uncovered in a recent tour by ClampK, a group of anti-corruption campaigners.

A video clip of the tour by the anti-corruption campaigners, which included journalists, trended on the social media as it was reported by international media organisations, including the British Broadcasting Corporation, Al Jazeera and Agence France Presse.

The tour was aimed at exposing how the unexplained wealth of Nigeria’s political elite, among others,  has been used to buy expensive properties in the UK.

Further investigations by Saturday PUNCH have however revealed details of 10 properties belonging to five politically-exposed Nigerians in the UK.

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The properties were linked to two top lawmakers, one of whom is also a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress; a former military Head of State; a late military Head of State; and a retired senior military officer, who is also a serving government official.

Out of the properties, our correspondents were able to get the cost of seven of them while the costs of others were said to be unavailable.

The cost of the seven properties is £15,785,000 (approximately N6,345, 570,000 using the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate of N402), while the costs of the properties can be broken down as: £5, 650, 000; £4,250,000; £2, 900,000; £850,000; £830,000; £820,000 and £485,000.

Investigations also revealed that the properties were acquired by proxy, which the anti-corruption campaigners believe was done to hide the identities of the owners.

Documents made available to Saturday PUNCH by HM Land Registry, Croydon, revealed that one of the choice properties linked to an APC chieftain cost £4,250,000 (apart from other rents that had been paid on the grant of the lease).

Another property belonging to one of the powerful Nigerians had cost £5, 650, 000 when it was paid for on October 4, 2011, according to the records of HM Land Registry, Croydon.

The leaseholders were identified as Renocon Property Development Limited and Sandon Developments Limited.

Documents from the HM Land Registry, Croydon, also revealed that a choice property was acquired by a firm on behalf of a former military Head of State.

Further information made available by the land registry revealed that a property linked to one of the powerful Nigerians was registered with a company’s name as the owner.

Similarly, findings from the HM Land Registry, Birkenhead office, UK, revealed that a property at Kensington West Blythe Road, was linked to one of the powerful Nigerians.

Findings from the HM Land Registry, Peterborough office, also revealed further information about a property that has been linked to a top lawmaker in the Peoples Democratic Party.

One of the anti-graft campaigners on the tour organised by ClampK, Rachel Davies of Transparency International, had described the UK as a ground that had been harbouring misused public funds, saying there were 40,000 land titles in London owned by companies based in many jurisdictions.

According to her, that meant “that when they bought the properties, the owners didn’t need to have a land registry to reveal who they really were and so the land registry, the police, and the local residents do not know who they are.”

In line with that, a source in the diplomatic community in the UK told Saturday PUNCH during the week that “there were many other properties linked to politically-exposed Nigerians” and that moves were being made to expose more in the future.

The source also said that though, the UK law enforcement agencies had been “secretive” about their activities; there were reasons to believe that they were “in the process of building a more expansive prosecution against a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani (Alison-Madueke),” who is said to be under investigation in the foreign country. However, the general belief of the group of the anti-graft campaigners that organised the tour, is that the UK government had failed to show enough commitment and political will to investigate and expose politically-exposed Nigerians using the foreign country as a haven to hide stolen funds.

In an email to Saturday PUNCH during the week, a consultant and former Nigeria specialist at the US State Department, Matthew Page, said, “The UK government doesn’t have the resources or the political will to pursue a broad range of investigations into the high-end property holdings of politically-exposed Nigerians or suspected kleptocrats from around the world.

“Government officials may be looking into a handful of the most high-profile examples, but they are doing little to tighten the laws and close the loopholes that help the world’s treasury looters buy posh homes in London.

“Many of us are concerned that the UK government is losing interest in stopping kleptocrats using the country’s property market, corporate structures, and financial system to launder and spend stolen money. I suspect UK officials see these kinds of financial activities as a necessary evil, that is, a much-needed alternative source of revenue that will help offset the negative economic and fiscal effects of Brexit.”

A similar tour organised earlier had focused on politically-exposed Russians. According to AFP, “the tours are organised by an anti-corruption campaigner, Roman Borisovich, who is a specialist in exposing shady Russian money, and are held every few months.”

It stated that Borisovich had set up the tours “to attract public attention to the enormous proportions of money laundering that is being washed through UK properties.”

He told AFP he had chosen Nigeria for the latest tour as it was “the only country that is openly asking the British government to repatriate the proceeds of crime, which were stolen from the country.”

The Executive Chairman, Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Mr. Debo Adeniran, said with the revelation, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and other anti-graft agencies should immediately open an investigation to discover public office holders who own the properties with a view to prosecuting them if found guilty.

He said, “The revelation is a manifestation of how greedy our politicians are. It’s a confirmation that our politicians go into the system to siphon public funds. Many of them have been doing it right from time. They launder the country’s funds and use them to buy posh properties abroad.

“This situation has been persistent because of the lack of commitment by our anti-graft agencies to investigate and prosecute corrupt politicians using public funds to buy choice properties abroad. If not, we didn’t have to wait for foreign investigators to do the job for us.

“Be that as it may, all the agencies, from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and even the Central Bank of Nigeria, should swing into action immediately and investigate those who own the properties and prosecute them if found guilty of corruption.

“For an administration whose motto is ‘fighting corruption,’ seeing that the proxies who illegally acquired properties for public office holders are also prosecuted should be a priority. The government should ensure that every sinner shouldn’t go unpunished.”

Also, the Executive Director, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Adetokunbo Mumuni, said the fact that the said persons did the transaction or acquisition clandestinely showed that they had things to hide. He said the EFCC should waste no time in investigating the matter.

He said, “If you don’t have the gut to buy a property in your name and you are using proxies, that means you have something serious to hide and once there is a reason to believe that a crime has been committed, the appropriate criminal investigation agencies, like EFCC, must take it up.”

He added that Nigeria must stop relying on foreign help to solve all its problems, adding that “We must be ready to do something serious about our matters ourselves and that is why agencies like EFCC should take it up.”