FORGERY Scandal: Ekweremadu 'Runs' to US, Int'n Communities For Help

ThisDay - Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu has written to the United Nations (UN), European Union (EU) and governments of the United States and United Kingdom, alleging attempts by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to truncate Nigeria’s democracy.

Also copied in the letter were the United States Congress and European Union (EU) Parliament.

This is just as the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami is expected to appear before the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters tomorrow, where he is likely to face questions on his decision to prosecute Senate President Bukola Saraki,  Ekweremadu and four others for allegedly forging the Senate rules.

He is also likely to be grilled on the conflict of interest arising from his involvement in the same case a year ago, when he represented Saraki’s opponents in the Senate in his private capacity as a lawyer.

In the two-paged letter, titled “Re: Trumped up Charges Against the Presiding Officers of the Eighth Senate: Nigerian Democracy is in Grave Danger”, Ekweremadu insisted that Buhari’s government wants to silence him as the highest ranking opposition leader in the country by prosecuting him for alleged forgery.

Ekweremadu also attached to his letter, copies of the court summons and other relevant documents relating to the charge.

He urged the international community to go through the documents and determine if the trial was justifiable or one purely borne out of political vendetta.

He insisted that neither his name nor that of Saraki featured in the petition by members of the Senate Unity Forum (SUF) or during the investigation of the petition by the Nigeria Police.

He alleged that he was denied fair hearing in the matter, adding that the police did not interact with him before he was charged to court.

He urged the international community to determine if the trial was not politically motivated, a witch-hunt, barefaced intimidation and an attempt to emasculate him.

“You may further wish to judge for yourself whether this unfolding scenario, coupled with the clampdown on the opposition, such as targeted arrests and indefinite detention of opposition figures and dissenting voices in spite of court pronouncements and in clear violation of the Nigerian Constitution, as well as the sustained marginalisation of the South-east and South-south geopolitical zones of Nigeria, do not constitute a grave danger to the nation’s hard-won democracy,” he said.

The letter added: “I wish to forward to you the court summons containing the trumped up charges preferred against my person; the President of the Senate, His Excellency, Senator Bukola Saraki, CON; and two others.

“I also wish to appeal to you to kindly find time to read through the annexures – petition by members of the Senate Unity Forum, statements by persons interrogated, and the police report – to see if we appeared anywhere in these documents.

“You may, thereafter, judge for yourself whether the federal government, acting through the Attorney-General of the Federation, has any justification whatsoever to generate our names for trial.

“The list of the accused persons appear to have been politically generated because you cannot by the documents attached, relate any of our names to the offence for which we are now being charged.

“Moreover, the rules and principles of fair hearing have not been adhered to because the police have not interacted with neither me nor the President of the Senate as at the time of writing this letter.

“You may also wish to judge for yourself whether this trial orchestrated against me is not a political trial, calculated witch-hunt, barefaced intimidation, and a clear attempt to emasculate the parliament and silence me as the leader and highest ranking member of the opposition in Nigeria.

“Meanwhile, it would also be recalled that an attempt was made on my life on November 17, 2015. The Nigerian security agencies did nothing, even though the incident was duly reported. This is for your information and reflection.”

When contacted on the letter written by Ekweremadu to the international community, the president’s media aide Femi Adesina said the presidency would not comment on the Deputy Senate President’s letter.

Saraki, Ekweremadu and two others were arraigned by the federal government on Monday for allegedly forging the Senate rules that were used in the elections through which they emerged Senate President and Deputy Senate President, respectively, in June last year.

All four pleaded not guilty and were granted bail by the High Court, Abuja.

Since the news of their prosecution broke, the already fragile relationship between the presidency and Senate has taken a turn for the worse.

The presidency has never hidden its displeasure over the emergence of Saraki as Senate President, in defiance to the preferred choice of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ahmed Lawan.

Saraki defied the wishes of his party to become senate president by aligning with senators of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who insisted they would only support his candidacy for the post if Ekweremadu was elected his deputy

No Nonsense Buhari ORDERS Arrest of Own Loyalist Over Money Laundering, 13 Luxury Cars Seized

Contrary to views by some quarters that the current government ant-corruption war is targeted at the opposition, President Muhammadu Buhari, according to Premium Times ordered the  arrest of a key member of the panel investigating the mismanagement of public funds meant for the war against Boko Haram, Mohammed Umar, after receiving damning reports that he was involved in alleged money laundering and illegal possession of firearms,

President Buhari okayed the arrest of his close ally, Mohammed Umar, despite being his close ally and loyalist, after perusing reports alleging that the retired Air Force officer ran a blackmailing and extortion cartel, officials said.

Mr. Umar was arrested last week as operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) raided his Abuja home.

Those familiar with the matter said before moving against the retired officer, the Director General of the SSS, Lawal Daura, met with Mr. Buhari where he tabled reports suggesting that the panel member had been busy using the name of the president and other top officials of the administration to intimidate, extort and blackmail individuals and businesses.

“The president became worried and jittery when he was confronted with the way a man he trusted had been behaving,” a presidency source said. “So he ordered that he should be picked up while the allegations against him are thoroughly investigated.”

Security sources told this newspaper that documents seized from Mr. Umar’s residence during a raid on June 19 included classified documents from the president’s office, details of government transactions from the Central Bank of Nigeria, and details of bank transactions belonging to the Office of the National Security Adviser.

A document containing details of disbursements made to the Nigerian armed forces and security agencies was also recovered during the raid.

Mr. Umar retired as an air commodore in the Nigerian Air Force in January 2014. While in service, he headed the Air Force’s Holding Company as well as the Air Force Properties Limited.

He retired into enormous wealth, officials involved in the investigations said.

Currently, he has six companies, including a private jet company with a fleet size of 10 aircraft, officials said.

Security sources also said he is also one of Abuja’s biggest property owners.

“Many top government functionaries live in his houses in Abuja,” a security source said. “He also has properties in Dubai and London.”

Mr. Umar became a close ally of President Buhari shortly after the 2015 elections.

Armed with a cache of information on Nigeria’s security contracts during the immediate past administration of Goodluck Jonathan, he soon became a key figure in the president’s investigative committee on arms procurement.

“He suggested most members of the panel,” another presidential source told Premium Times.

However, investigators said Mr. Umar’s swift rise to relevance in President Buhari’s administration was beginning to raise concerns regarding whether the new administration failed to conduct a thorough background check on him, or simply ignored the man’s past.

Officials said Mr. Umar was one of the first military officers to be arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission just years after the anti-graft agency was established.

He was detained for salary and procurement fraud in the Air Force, but the matter was later handed over to the military for trial, those familiar with the matter said.

Our sources said Mr. Umar was compelled to make refunds, and the matter was brushed aside allowing the man to return to the force.

Multiple officials told Premium Times that Mr. Umar’s stupendous wealth has always confounded several of his colleagues.

“As far back as 20 years ago, when his annual salary couldn’t afford a car, Mr. Umar had a private jet,” one source said.

Married to the daughter of a former Nigerian petroleum minister, Rilwan Lukman, Mr. Umar ran local and international businesses while he served in the Nigerian Air Force, one source said.

According to court documents seen by Premium Times, Mr. Umar carried out his recent deals in cash only.

Despite owning a private jet company and multiple real estates across the world, the total amount traced to his bank accounts was only N165 million.

The total value of currencies evacuated from his residence during the raid was at least N300 million.

Security officials believe he received the cash payments – in breach of the money laundering law.

Investigators are also trying to determine whether the cash were proceeds of illicit deals and influence peddling.

Those close to him told Premium Times that part of the cash taken from Mr. Umar’s home were payments for services rendered by his private jet company, Easy Jet Integrated Services Limited – from two cargo flights from Nairobi to Houston and Nairobi to Hong Kong.

Investigators said they are working to verify the claims.

Other properties seized from the retired officer’s home during the raid include 13 luxury cars – One Range Rover, two Rolls Royce, two Bentleys, one BMW 7-series, one Mercedes 5550, one Lexus Sports, one Audi R8 and one Porsche Panamera GTs.

As of Monday, Mr. Umar was still held at the State Security Service detention centre in Abuja as security officials continued with investigations into the matter.

The presidency refused to comment for this story saying it was within the scope of the National Security Adviser (NSA).

The NSA could not be reached for comments. So also is the SSS, which is investigating the matter. The agency has had no media liaison since its former spokesperson, Marilyn Ogar, was removed.

Premium Times

RESCUED Chibok Girl, Amina Nkeki 'MISSING'

Nigeria’s Bring Back Our Girls movement is demanding that the government provides news of the only Chibok schoolgirl among 219 kidnapped to escape the clutches of Boko Haram Islamic extremists.

“Even this morning people came to my house asking if I had been able to find out her whereabouts. It’s outrageous! Some people are crying!” Yakubu Nkeki, an uncle of Amina Ali Nkeki, told The Associated Press by telephone on Thursday.

“We don’t understand why the government wants to keep her family away” after her captivity of more than two years,” he said.

Hunters found Ali last month wandering on the fringes of Boko Haram’s Sambisa Forest stronghold with her four-month-old baby and the child’s father, a Boko Haram fighter, whom she said helped her escape.

She was flown to the capital, Abuja, for a televised meeting at which President Muhammadu Buhari promised her the best care, rehabilitation and education.

The Bring Back Our Girls movement says no one has seen her since.

Human Rights Watch asked if she is detained. “Nigerian authorities should clarify Amina’s present legal status. Is she a detainee? On what charges? Is her isolation, along with her mother and baby, of her own free will or forced by authorities?” the London-based rights organization’s Nigeria researcher, Mausi Segun, said to the AP.

The Defense Ministry spokesman, Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubakar, did not answer that question but said that Ali’s privacy needs to be protected.

“Nobody is hiding anybody,” he told the AP. “We have to safeguard her and give her all the necessary security for her to recuperate well. … As soon as everything is sorted out, Amina would be made accessible.”

In a statement Wednesday night marking the 800th day of the mass abduction that outraged the world, Bring Back Our Girls also asked what the government is doing to rescue the other schoolgirls.

“We are extremely disappointed with the evident lull in rescue actions and lack of any progress report,” according to the statement signed by the movement’s founders Aisha Yesufu and Oby Ezekwesili.

It said that Ali said some of the girls have died but most are alive, raising hopes they could still be rescued.

Government, presidential and military officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Charities have accused Buhari’s government of exploiting Ali and politicizing her escape, for which the army tried to claim responsibility.

Ali’s uncle said the last time he saw her, along with baby Safiyah and mother Binta Nkeki, was in the office of the National Security Adviser at the presidential villa on May 19.

“We have had no credible information since, though I am told they are in the hands of the government,” he said.

It had been presumed that Ali would be debriefed by state security agents for information that could lead to a rescue operation.

One problem could be that Ali has been insisting that she wants only to be reunited with Mohammed Hayyatu, the Boko Haram fighter she credits for her escape and the father of her child, according to a Borno State official. The official, who spoke to Ali after she escaped and has had contact with her debriefers, insisted on speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Nigeria’s military has said that Hayyatu appeared to be a Boko Haram commander and is being held for interrogation.

Bring Back Our Girls demanded the government prosecute Hayyatu for abduction and rape.

The AP has been unable to establish the whereabouts of some other freed Boko Haram captives taken for alleged debriefing and counseling by the office of the National Security Adviser. They include Binta Ibrahim, whom U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power has called a hero for saving three Christian children held with her in captivity by Boko Haram for 15 months.

Soldiers have freed thousands of Boko Haram captives this year as they have recaptured large swaths of territory where Boko Haram had declared an Islamic caliphate.''

TheNiche

SENATE FORGERY SCANDAL: TENSION In Aso Rock; Oyegun, Saraki In Secret Meeting

Report according to SignalNG suggests that serious tension has gripped the Aso Rock presidential seat of power over a threat by senators of Nigeria’s leading opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to withdraw support from the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Our source revealed that frantic efforts were being made by President Muhammadu Buhari through proxies to assess the extent to which the threat by the PDP senators may affect his government and to consider the possibility of lobbying the leadership of the Senate to broker a truce.

“I can authoritatively tell you that there is palpable tension in Aso Rock right now over the threat by PDP senators to withdraw support from President Buhari’s government. Because, what this means is that if the PDP senators make good their threat and withdraw their support, it practically becomes impossible for President Buhari to get any confirmation of key appointments like that of the new IGP, the EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu and of course, there will be no screening of ambassadors. I think the Presidency just realized the reality they have to grapple with and now they are running helter skelter. It’s a dicey situation for the Presidency”, one of the sources who did not want to be named, told SIGNAL.

Meanwhile, according to an informed source, President Buhari has already reached out to the leadership of his party, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to assist with a solution out of the festering crisis with the PDP senators. Lending credence to this development, APC National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun was sighted at the Abuja residence of Senate President, Bukola Saraki on Wednesday. Oyegun has come under fire within the APC for reportedly endorsing the CCT trial of Saraki, further fueling concerns that the Senate President’s trial is politically motivated through the connivance of the APC leadership and President Buhari’s government.

A cold war between the Nigerian Senate and Presidency has been brewing for months, with the Saraki trial, marking a watershed in a battle royale that has seen the Executive and Legislative arms of government at loggerheads over several issues of national interest including the 2016 budget and some key political appointments.

Recently, the testy relationship between the Senate and Presidency has deepened with President Buhari’s focus on members of the opposition PDP, many of who are allegedly being hounded by anti-graft agencies for criticizing the government of President Buhari. The opposition PDP has accused the Buhari government of masking its persecution of the PDP with the war against corruption.

Senators of the PDP on Tuesday formally resolved to totally withdraw their support for the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.

The Senators said it was time to end their one-year romance with the government, noting that the APC led government actions toward their party members so far, since taking over the central government were enough agonies to withdraw their support.

The resolution was taken following the court summons on the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, along with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, over alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Rules.

At the time of filing this report, the details of a possible truce between Buhari and the Senate were still sketchy. But inside sources familiar with the details told SIGNAL on Friday, there would be no going back in what may well become a messy showdown between the Executive and Legislature should the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami SAN proceed to arraign Saraki and Ekweremadu next week.

SignalNG

Buhari Plots Extension of Police IG's Stay, As He Retires Tomorrow, Disqualifies All DIG

Barring last minutes change,Presidency may retain the Nigeria's Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase beyond his retirement tomorrow in a plot to reshuffle Service Chiefs, Nigerian Pilot has revealed.

According to information privy to Nigerian Pilot, no Deputy Inspectors General of Police, DIGs may succeed the outgoing Inspector General of Police, IGP Solomon Arase, who is supposed to retire tomorrow having attained the statutory age of 35 years in service on June 21.

However, there are strong indications that the presidency may not let him go due to circumstance surrounding the federal character principles.

Nigerian Pilot gathered authoritatively that President Muhammadu Buhari may delay Arase’s retirement to enable him reorganise the security leadership of the country to balance the imbalance in the zoning arrangement in the country.

Sources from the Force headquarters have confided in our correspondent that Buhari has appreciated the 18th indigenous IGP’s contribution to his (Buhari’s) anti-corruption war that he is slow to name Arase’s successor in a hurry.

Besides, the sources revealed that none of the DIGs is qualified to success Arase not even the two most senior police officers namely, DIGs Dan’Azumi Job Doma from Nasarawa State and Chintua Amajor-Onu from Abia State.

Other DIGs that may be shutout of succeeding Arase are DIG Sotonye Leroy Wakama (Operations), DIG Mamman Tsafe (Logistics), DIG Kwake Christopher Katso (Investigation), DIG Hashimu Argungu (Training & Development) and DIG Jibril Olawale (Research).

Another source has told Nigerian Pilot that Buhari is going to reshuffle service chiefs within the week to pave way for a northern to emerge new IGP.

Currently, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Y. Buratai (Borno State) and Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar ( Bauchi State) are from North-East, the DG DSS, Lawal Daura from Katsina State, (North-West), while the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonishakin hails from Ekiti State (South-West) and the South-South has Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Cross River State) and the retiring IGP, Solomon Arase Arase from Edo State.

If the reorganisation story of the service chiefs is true, then, the president is trying to substitute Arase with a northerner.

Nigerian Pilot recalls that Arase, the most proficient IGP in recent times, was appointed Nigeria’s number one policeman by former President Goodluck Jonathan in April 2015 and as he quits service 14 months after, the expectations are high on who to succeed him.

As at today (Monday) the presidency is supposed to have named an acting IGP to success Arase, but information from the presidency has indicated that president Buhari is in a fix to name acting IGP due to the fact that none from the Southern part of the country has favour with the presidency.

According to sources, out of the 24 Assistant Inspectors General of Police, AIGs, 18 of them are from northern Nigeria and from the remaining six, the most qualified are controvertial AIG Mbu Joseph Mbu and the current Force Secretary, AIG Patrick Dokumor, a former AIG in charge of zone 7 comprising FCT Abuja, Kaduna and Niger States.

Against all odds, if DIG Amajor-Onu, who holds a degree in law enforcement and criminal justice, is favoured, she would also be making history as the first female IGP. She is currently in charge of the department of Information and Communication Technology, ICT, at the Force headquarters, while, Doma is currently in charge of the Admin and Finance at the Force Headquarters as well.

Nigerian Pilot gathered that the North-Central zone and the South-East are the most favoured in order to create equation in the distribution of service and security chiefs.

Based on this standing, the South-East and North-Central have none and to correct the imbalance, Nigerian Pilot gathered that the Presidency is considering DIG Dan’Azumi Job Doma or DIG Chintua Amajor-Onu to succeed Arase.

Despite this consideration, some source said Doma may not be the man that the cap fits in this instance as other top police officers are also qualified for the top job because apart from IGP Ogbonna Onovo (rtd), who succeeded Mike Mbama Okiro as number two police officer in the hierarchy, seniority had not been the determinant for choosing an IGP.

AIG Ibrahim Kpotum Idris, who hails from Niger State (North-Central) is also qualified for the job should the presidency decides to retire all DIGs.

Idris holds an LLB (Honours) in Law from the University of Maiduguri, and was enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet ASP in 1984 and rapidly rose through the ranks.

Another senior officer from North-Central is AIG Mohammed J. Gana, who is currently the AIG in charge of Zone 4 Makurdi, Benue State and he is also from Niger State.

In the case of IGP coming from South-East, if DIG Chintua is not the right choice, a person from police commissioners from the zone would be elevated and that may mean that many senior officers would be sacrificed because the zone does not have an AIG in the first instance since Chintua is the most senior officer from the zone.

Arase was supposed to proceed on a three-month pre-retirement leave, but history showed that previous IGPs never proceeded on such leave and so it is expected that Arase may spend his last day in office as the police boss.

Arase, who was born on June 21, 1956, hails from Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State and holds a degree in Political Science from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1981 and has as well, bachelors and master’s degrees in Law. Before his appointment as IGP, Arase was the Head of the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department.

DIG Doma is seen to have an edge over most of his peers, given his international and local exposure and exemplary performance as a police officer. He was promoted to the rank of an AIG in 2012, and was promoted to DIG in 2014.

Doma, it is believed, will be appointed the next IG because of his seniority, zone and faith. First, he is the second most senior in the police after Arase and is from the North-Central.

Also, the president may settle for him on account of his religion, which will make him acceptable to other parts of the country, in addition to his home, the North.

Insiders described him as a tough cop who has been playing a very critical role as a member of the police management team. He still has up to 2019 to remain in the force.

Nigeria Pilot

FORGERY SCANDAL: Panic As Police, DSS Lay Siege On Saraki, Ekweremadu; See The 2-count Charges

News Punch has learnt there is palpable panic in the camp of the senators loyal to its President Bukola Saraki and Deputy Ike Ekweremadu as the Department of States Security Service, DSSS and Nigerian Police force has allegedly lay siege on them and others, in an order to arrest and arraigned them in court today, Nigerian Pilot says a highly placed security source yesterday revealed to it.

The two lawmakers and the immediate past Clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa would be arrested and charged for alleged forgery before an FCT High court in Abuja, News Punch has learnt

Already, the Federal Government has pressed forgery charges against him and his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu.

The suit against the two presiding officers of the Senate, which flow from last year’s Senate leadership election, is coming more than a year after police investigations into the alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Rules 2015. The move was, however, being interpreted in quarters as another dimension in the quasi-battle between the presidency and the legislature directed at paralysing the Senate with the simultaneous prosecution of the two presiding officers.

Also charged with the two presiding officers are the immediate past Clerk of the National Assembly,CAN, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa and his deputy, Mr. Bennedict Efeturi.

The police report on the issue had referred the case to the Attorney General of the Federation for further advice on whether the case should be treated as a criminal case or part of the internal affairs of the Senate.

The case against the quartet marked CR/219/16 between the Federal Government of Nigeria (Complainant) and Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa, Benedict Efeturi, Dr. Olubukola Saraki, and Ike Ekweremadu (Defendants), has been assigned to Justice Yusuf Haliru of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

It was further gathered that the suit borders on a two-count charge of “Criminal Conspiracy, contrary to Section 97 of the Penal Code Law” and “Forgery contrary to 362 of the Penal Code Law,” against Ekweremadu and others.

The case followed a petition written to the police by Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, APC, Kaduna North, on behalf of the Senate Unity Forum, SUF, in which he alleged that the Senate Standing Rule, 2015 used in the election of Senators Saraki and Ekweremadu as presiding officers was forged.

The petition prompted police investigations led by Deputy Inspector General of Police, DIG Dan‘Azumi Doma.

In the course of the investigation, the police team quizzed several senators all of them associates of Senator Hunkuyi and some Senate bureaucrats, however, neither Saraki, nor Ekweremadu were questioned on the issue.

Those questioned were Senators Suleiman Hunkuyi, Secretary of the Senate’s Unity Forum who wrote the petition to the police, Ahmad Lawan, Abdullahi Gumel, Kabiru Marafa, Gbenga Ashafa, Robert Boroffice and Abu Ibrahim.

Also questioned were Senator Ita Enang, who served as chairman of the Business and Rules Committee in the 7th Assembly and is presently special assistant to the president, Senate, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, who is now a Political Adviser to the President, and Solomon Ewuga, all of whom are members of the APC. No member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, or member of the Likemind Group associated with the Senate President were questioned according to the police report.

The report on the investigations obtained by Nigerian Pilot did not mention Saraki or Ekweremadu or their offices or being among those that the police spoke to in the course of the investigation.

Maikasuwa, who was the CNA at the time of the election and who presided over the election, was quoted in the report to have said that “he did not refer to any Senate Standing Order/Rules, but used the normal procedures for the opening of a new parliament.”

Efeturi, his deputy had said that the production of the 2015 Standing Rules was in line with convention, saying that the same procedure was used in the production of the Standing Rules in 2003, 2007 and 2011.

In the suit against the quartet marked CR/219/16 between the Federal Government of Nigeria (Complainant) and Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa, Benedict Efeturi, Dr. Olubukola Saraki, and Ike Ekweremadu (Defendants), the Federal Government charges them of “Criminal Conspiracy, contrary to Section 97 of the Penal Code Law” and “Forgery contrary to 362 of the Penal Code Law.”

The two count charges read thus:

Count One reads: “That you Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa, Benedict Efeturi, Dr. Olubukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu on or about the 9th of June, 2015, at the National Assembly Complex, Three Arm Zone, Abuja within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves, to forge the Senate Standing Order, 2011 (as amended) and you thereby committed the offence of Conspiracy, punishable under Section 97 (1) of the Penal Code Law.

Count Two reads: “That you Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa, Benedict Efeturi, Dr. Olubukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu on or about the 9th of June, 2015, at the National Assembly Complex, Three Arm Zone, Abuja within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with fraudulent intent, forged the Senate Standing Order 2011 (as amended) causing it to be believed as the genuine Standing Order, 2015 and circulated same for use during the inauguration of the 8th Senate of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, when you knew that the said Order was not made in compliance with the procedure for amendment of the Senate Order, you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Law”.

The Senate President is currently facing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal over allegations of false declaration of assets when he was governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011 respectively.

Fayose Drags Buhari To Human Rights Commission Over Travel Ban

Ripples Nigeria - The travel ban allegedly placed on Governor Ayodele Fayose has taken a new turn as the Ekiti State helmsman has dragged the Buhari-led government before the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

Also petitioned are the National Assembly, Amnesty International, Embassies of the United States and the United Kingdom.

Ripples Nigeria gathered that the petition was filed on his behalf on Tuesday by the state’s House of Assembly. The petitioners drew the commission’s attention to the alleged refusal of the Department of State Services (DSS) to obey a Federal High Court judgment, ordering it to pay N5 million damages on the illegal arrest and detention for 18 days of a member of the House, Afolabi Akanni.

The petition signed by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Kolawole Oluwawole petition reads; “We write to bring to your attention another impending infringement on the rights of the Governor of our State, Mr Ayodele Fayose and by extension the entire Ekiti by the Federal Government.

“A few weeks ago, our governor was reliably informed that President Mohammadu Buhari had directed that he should be banned from traveling outside Nigeria. This reliable information was to be confirmed through reports in two major national dailies on Sunday, May 29, 2016 titled; ‘2 govs under watch, face travel

“From our findings, one of the governors being referred to is our own governor, Peter Ayodele Fayose and we wish to state like we have always done that we, the members of Ekiti State House of Assembly are with the governor on everything that he does.

“Even ordinary Nigerians do not require clearance from the Department of State Services (DSS) or any security agency to travel outside Nigeria unless in compliance with court order, and as at today, there is no court order placing travel restriction on our governor, Ayodele Fayose. Issues concerning Governor Fayose cannot even be entertained in any court by virtue of the immunity he enjoys as provided in Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“We however know as always that this latest plot is as a result of our governor’s critical stance on President Mohammadu Buhari’s government and its anti-people’s policies, and we make bold to say that no amount of intimidation, harassment and oppression will cowed the governor from exercising his fundamental rights to freedom of expression and to hold opinions as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended).

“We are aware that this is coming as a result of the failure of the President Buhari led APC government’s plot to use the DSS to coerce the House of Assembly members into the plot of removing the governor.

“We are also aware that plot to out-rightly take the governor ‘out of circulation’ cannot be ruled out as those advising President Buhari are said to be of the opinion that our governor has become a threat to his (Buhari) re-election bid and that everything must be done to ‘whip the governor to line’ before 2018.

“Going by the antecedents of the President Buhari-led Federal Government of Nigeria and the DSS under the President’s kinsman, Alhaji Lawal Daura, it is certain that there is nothing that cannot be attempted, no matter how unlawful.

“It should be recalled that this same DSS invaded the hallowed Chamber of the House of Assembly in our State, abducted our member, Hon Afolabi Akanni and kept him in detention for 18 days without access to anyone. Even when the court ordered that he should be released, the order was ignore. Up till today, no explanation was given for this arrest and detention.

“It should also be recalled that on April 20th, 2016, the Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti, in Suit No. FHC/AD/CS/7/2016 ordered the DSS to pay a sum of N5 million to Hon Afolabi Akanni as damages for what the court termed unlawful, illegal and unconstitutional infringement of his fundamental rights. Up till today, that judgment has not been obeyed by the DSS.

“It is therefore on the premise of display of arrogance and contempt for the laws of the country by the DSS under President Buhari that we elected to bring this latest plot to place Governor Ayodele Fayose on travel ban to your attention.

“It is worrisome that the federal government will consider the idea of compelling a sitting governor in Nigeria that enjoys Constitutional Immunity like the President to obtain clearance from the Director General DSS, who is an appointee of the President before travelling out of Nigeria.

“This to us is an affront on the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) more so that States, as federating units in Nigeria are not under the Federal Government, which itself is also a State and not superior to other federating units.

“Section 35 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides that; ‘Every person shall be entitled to his personal liberty and no person shall be deprived of such liberty,’ Section 39 (1) provides that; ‘Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impact ideas and information without interference,’ while Section 41 (1) provides that ‘Every citizen of Nigeria is entitled to move freely throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part thereof, and no citizen of Nigeria shall be expelled from Nigeria or refused entry thereto or exit therefrom.’

“Article 13 (1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to which Nigeria is a signatory provides that “Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the border of each State while Article 13 (2) provides that ‘Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and return to his country,’ ditto Article 12 (2) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

“By provisions of the Constitution of Nigeria, ordinary Nigerians do not require clearance from the DSS or any security agency to travel outside Nigeria unless travel restriction is placed by an order of the court, not to talk of State Governors that enjoy immunity just like the President and are not under the control of the President.

“Our question is; if Governor Fayose has become a threat to the security of Nigeria just because he criticises President Buhari and says the truth about his mis-governance of the country, what happens to Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended), which provided for freedom of expression and freedom to hold opinions?

“Most importantly, under a federal system of government, the states and national government both enjoy some autonomy, with sovereign power formally divided between the national government and the States such that each State retains some degree of control over its internal affairs.

“However, it appears that the laws of Nigeria are not important to the President Mohammadu Buhari led government and it has become once again necessary that webring your attention to yet, another plot to subvert our rights as a State.

“We wish to recall that in 1984 when President Buhari was a military Head of State, late Chief Obafemi Awolowo was prevented from travelling outside Nigeria for medical treatment, thereby leading to his (Awolowo) untimely death in 1987.

“The international passports of late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade; late Emir of Kano Alhaji Ado Bayero and late Obi of Onitsha, Ofala Akulalia Alphonsus Ogugua were also seized and they were restricted to their palaces just because they travelled to Israel for business.

“We therefore wish to state on behalf of Governor Ayodele Fayose that as an opposition figure, he cannot be cowed by this pettiness from the presidency.”

The petition was received by NHRC’s Executive Secretary, Professor Bem Angwe, who assured that his commission will investigate the petition.

At Last, Saraki, Tinubu In Secret RECONCILIATION, Forms Alliance Against Buhari's Ex-Military 'Opportunists'

The embattled President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki has eventually made an overture that may have reconciled him with his ardent political foe and the national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, News Punch has gathered

Ripples Nigeria's exclusive report this morning suggests the Senate President is reaching out to  Tinubu for reconciliation to stave off what his camp described as “political persecution”.

Tinubu and Saraki have been at loggerheads since the later emerged Senate President in June 2015 contrary to party directives.

The former Kwara state governor went on to inaugurate principal officers of the Upper Chamber in defiance of the party’s guidelines and zoning arrangements, a development that further strained relations between the duo.

Since the developments, Tinubu and Saraki have had a strained political relationship, with the latter alleging severally that his ongoing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal(CCT) for alleged false declarations of assets was orchestrated by forces loyal to the former Lagos state governor.

Saraki in veiled manner, but apparently referring to Tinubu recently said his current travails is politically motivated and that the leadership his party , the All Progressives Congress (APC), which has vowed to punish him because of his refusal to support a Muslim/Muslim ticket for the party in the 2015 presidential election is the one stage managing the whole thing.

Prior to 2015 presidential election, Tinubu had aspired to fly a joint ticket with President Muhammadu Buhari, but later backtracked, tipped Prof. Yemi Osinbajo instead, as pressure mounted over the then perceived Muslim-Muslim ticket. Osinbajo was later picked and now the Vice President,

Apparently alarmed by his sustained trial at the CCT as well as likelihood of prosecution, investigations revealed that Saraki reached out some weeks ago to Tinubu.

Saraki is also piqued by his continued ostracisation by the presidential forces, especially Buhari who has kept him at arm’s length.

It was learnt that the Senate President finally succeeded in getting Tinubu’s attention after several failed attempts in that direction.

His camp reportedly told Tinubu that they need to form a political alliance to checkmate the increasing persecution of those who helped to install the current administration.

A source privy to the talks confided: “It was all Saraki’s idea. He came along to point out that President Buhari no longer listens to political forces that made him.

“His camp pointed out that former military men always use the structures and resources of politicians to ride to power only to discard them.”

The source added: “Former President Obasanjo did the same with Atiku. He used and dumped him. President Buhari is trying the same with Tinubu.

“So Saraki made his point to Tinubu’s loyalists, which was well noted. Buhari now hobnobs with Obasanjo, who contributed little to his election.”

The argument, it was gathered, struck a chord with the Tinubu’s camp with sources claiming it is considering several options.

According to the proposed pact by Saraki, our correspondent learnt that the Senate President is asking to be helped to retain his seat.

He is also seeking for technical advice on how to get away from the CCT’s trial.

Tinubu’s case was dismissed after just one appearance in 2011.

The senate president’s camp is asking for advice on how to get the same treatment at the trials, which resumes this week.

More importantly, he is asking for political alliance to checkmate those who have allegedly formed a ring around Buhari and turned him against politicians.

A source from the Saraki’s camp told our correspondent that it is willing to make as many concessions as possible to Tinubu.

“We understand that politics is give-and-take. If we want help in some quarters, we should also be ready to give something in return.

“We have offers to make but we prefer to hear from Asiwaju’s camp because we are the one in dire need at this stage,” he explained.

Source in the Tinubu’s camp confirmed talks were ongoing but said things were still too preliminary for any conclusion to be drawn yet.

Credit: Ripples Nigeria