02/05/18

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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recovered about N511.9 billion in 2017, information provided to the House of Representatives by the Acting Chairman of the EFCC showed.

Mr Ibrahim Magu, who appeared before the House Committee on Financial Crimes on Monday to defend the performance of the anti-graft agency’s budget for 2017 and its budget for 2018, told the committee that the funds were recovered in naira, pounds, dollars, euro, South African rand and dirham.

During the period, the agency recovered 473.065 billion naira, $89,258,124.97 (N35,415,846,317.29), £294,851.82 (N148,727,302.71), €7,247,363.75 (N3,246,336,430.27), 443,400 dirhams (N43,550,800.21), and 70,500.00 South African rand (N2,111,974.41).

Magu listed the achievements of the EFCC during the year to include the recovery of N329 billion from petroleum marketers by the commission’s Kano Office, securing the final forfeiture of N32billion and $5million to the Federal Government from the former minister of petroleum resources, as well as final forfeiture to the FG of N449 million discovered at Legico Plaza on Victoria Island, Lagos.

Other achievements are: the final forfeiture of over $43million discovered in an apartment at Osborne Towers in Ikoyi, Lagos; withholding tax recovery of over N27.7 billion from banks; Nigerian Ports Authority recovery of over €6.6 million, recovery of N1.1 billion naira on behalf of AMCON, and the recovery of subsidy fraud funds of over N4 billion.

Mr Magu told the committee that in carrying out its activities during the year, the commission faced some challenges.

“A major challenge in the implementation of the capital estimates is the late and insufficient release of funds appropriated,” he said.

“Presently, funds have not been released for the furnishing of the new head office complex expected to be handed over by March 2018. We need the committee’s intervention in that regard.”


(The following exchange rates were used for conversion in this story: 1 AED = 98.2201 NGN, 1 ZAR = 29.9571 NGN, 1 EUR = 447.933 NGN, 1 USD = 360.914 NGN, 1 GBP = 505.471 NGN)
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.
South Africa's President, Jacob Zuma

South Africa’s ruling party African National Congress (ANC) is at a crossroad on how to resolve a leadership crisis amid increasing calls for scandal-tainted President Jacob Zuma to resign ahead of a key speech scheduled this week.
Fueling uncertainty, there was no announcement Monday from the country’s ruling party on the results of a meeting Sunday between its top leaders and Zuma.
One delegate had said the discussion would focus on the “best interests” of the party and the country.
Many ANC members want Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, who replaced Zuma as ANC president in December, to become state president as well.
Although abandoned by many supporters, Zuma still commands a loyalist faction and is scheduled to deliver the state of the nation address in parliament Thursday.
The political opposition says Zuma should not give the speech.
Fox News/LR News
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Nigeria will consider the absorption, into the armed forces, some members of civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) who are assisting the military in fighting Boko Haram.
The JTF members, he said, should however be qualified to be absorbed, Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, said on Monday at a town hall meeting for the military and security agencies in Maiduguri.
He said that no fewer than 30,000 women and children have been rescued from Boko Haram by the troops of operation Lafiya Dole in Sambisa Forest in the last two years.
Dan-Ali said that the Nigerian military had recorded remarkable success in degrading Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East.
“It is pertinent to state that the troops of Operation Lafiya Dole and its air force component inflicted heavy casualty on the Boko Haram during the recent Operation Deep Punch II in Sambisa forest,” he said.
Dan-Ali said that the fighting troops were ever ready to confront Boko Haram, adding that no Nigerian territory was under the control of the insurgents.
He said that the troops had recently destroyed Shilka of Boko Haram terrorists and recovered many arms and ammunition and bomb making factory in the Boko Haram enclaves.
He further said that the Air component of the operation had also bombed many Boko Haram camps and hideout thereby destroying their bomb artillery.
The minister attributed these successes to the political will and commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari in the security sector.
He said that regular visits of fighting troops by the Minister of Defence and the Service Chiefs in the front line has also served as a morale booster to the troops.
He explained that the ministry had also ensured timely disbursement of the troops welfare and allowances while those who overstayed in the battle field were rotated.
The minister said that fighting troops at the battle field were promoted in recognition of their selfless service.
He said that the Ministry had earmarked some funds for the construction and renovation of military accommodation in the six geo-political zones of the country.
“Plans are on the way for the construction of 20 blocks of barracks accommodation under the ministry to eased problem of accommodation of personnel in Abuja.
“Recently, the army also took in six newly acquired mine caterpillar used to demobilise explosives which had really eased their operations.
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An 18-year-old woman suffered serious burns onlooker at a carnival celebration in the south-western German town of Eppingen threw her into a witches’ cauldron at the weekend, a police spokesman said on Monday.
The police said: “the woman landed up to her knees in hot water during the incident on Saturday.
“Her legs were badly scalded and she was taken to a specialist clinic for treatment.’’
Police said that they were investigating six people for causing serious bodily harm and failure to assist a person in danger; meanwhile, they do not yet know who threw her into the cauldron
The cauldron full of scalding hot water was bubbling away over an open fire on a cart that was being pulled by several people.
“They did not stop to help her after the incident,’’ the police stressed.
Police said they would also look into whether the open fire should have been permitted in the first place.
Some 2,000 revellers had dressed as witches for an annual “witches’ procession’’ organised by a local club as part of the regional Fasnet carnival tradition.
Dating back to the 13th century, Fasnet focuses on witches and devils in elaborate costumes, often with ghoulish, hand-carved wooden masks.
Eppingen’s witches’ club, Hexenzunft Eppingen, has been organising its own annual processions since 2003.
“This sort of thing just should not happen,.
The municipal authorities would start their own investigation on Monday, ’’ Eppingen mayor, Klaus Holaschke, told newsmen. (dpa/LR News)
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Political parties in the country have begun to map out strategies on how to win the Presidency and other key positions across the country in 2019.

While many described 2018 as a year of increased activities in the political sphere, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has outlined some of its plans on reclaiming power form the All Progressives Congress (APC).

National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, told a gathering of PDP faithful in Delta State on Sunday that the party seeks to bridge every gap that may hinder its agenda for the forthcoming general elections.

“The weakest point in the history of the PDP is that we lost in the 2015 elections, but we should take advantage of the monumental failure of the APC,” he said.

Secondus visited the state in company with the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) to commence consultation with party members and to discuss proposed strategy to reclaim power in the coming elections.

He informed party members at the Government House in Asaba that the committee has come up with a victory roadmap that would unseat the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.

“They (APC) came with a government of vengeance; we must emphasise that our people must have voters’ cards because Nigerians want us to come together and rescue the country in 2019.

“The NWC is here to consult with our governors and we are presenting our roadmap to victory to them on Tuesday (February 6) – we will consult with members of the National Assembly,” the PDP chairman said.

He stressed further that the party would wrestle power from the APC through aggressive awareness campaign for PDP members at the local government and ward levels.

Secondus was confident that his party has been re-positioned with a strong emphasis on the power of the people, as the electorates would always be given “the chance to make their choice in a free, and fair manner without fear.”


He added that Nigerians have passed verdict on the APC led government and that offered PDP the opportunity to come together and build a formidable party against 2019.

On the recently launched Coalition for Nigeria Movement in Abuja, the PDP chairman believes the birth of the group is only a threat to the ruling party.

He was confident that it would not affect the agenda of the PDP in any way for the 2019 elections.

On his part, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa who received the PDP leaders at the Asaba International Airport highlighted some of the achievements of his administration.

He also pledges to support the PDP in achieving all its set goals as they aim to regain power at the centre and states across the country.

“I commend the NWC for choosing Delta State for its meeting. PDP in Delta State is doing well and Delta State government is also doing well as we have made significant achievements in the health and education sectors.

“Based on the love the people of the state have for the PDP, they voted massively for the party in the January 6, 2018 local government elections as we won all the chairmanship seats at the local government polls,” Okowa told the party leaders.

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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

Supporters and detractors of South African President Jacob Zuma on Monday protested outside the ruling party headquarters in Johannesburg on Monday as the embattled leader was reportedly refusing to step down.
Scandal-plagued Zuma has been under increasing pressure to leave office before his term finishes in 2019 but reportedly dug in his heels during talks with African National Congress (ANC) top brass Sunday night.
ANC leaders are holding another emergency meeting Monday, local media said.
South Africa’s opposition parties and factions in the ANC say Zuma should not be allowed to give the annual state of the nation address on Thursday, calling him a lame duck president since the election of reformer Cyril Ramaphosa as ANC leader.
Zuma’s nearly two terms in office have been blighted by hundreds of corruption allegations, but he has so far managed to dodge prosecution.

Radical political party Black First Land First have organized a protest in support of the president under the banner “#HandsOff Zuma.” But another group of ANC supporters had gathered with signs reading “Zuma must fall.”
Former ANC youth leader turned founder of the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters, Julius Malema, tweeted late Sunday after Zuma’s meeting with the ANC top brass that the president was refusing to go.
“He refused to resign and he told them to take a decision to remove him if they so wish to do so because he didn’t do anything wrong to the country,” Malema said.
South Africa’s parliament is scheduled to vote in a no-confidence motion against Zuma on Feb. 22.
Several such motions have failed in the past.
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

Former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Olisa Metuh has appeared at the Federal High Court in Abuja on a stretcher.

Mr Metuh is standing trial for alleged money laundering being part of the funds linked with former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd).

His lawyer Emeka Etiaba had informed the court in January that his client was on admission at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital for an undisclosed ailment.

The former PDP spokesman was, however, wheeled to the court on Monday following the threat by Justice Okon Abang to revoke his bail if he fails to appear in court today.

Lead counsel in the case, Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu informed the court that attempts to get Metuh’s doctor to give a timeframe for which he would be released from hospital proved abortive.

He, however, made a case for his client to be given a one-month adjournment as he was hopeful that Metuh should be fit to continue with his trial within the period.

Ikpeazu explained further that one month was a reasonable period for the doctors to carry out a valuable and reasonable assessment of his client.

In his ruling, Justice Abang said he has seen that the former PDP spokesman in a state in which he cannot continue with the trial.

“On account of the condition I have seen him in the courtroom,” he said.
The trial judge held that even though the court of law must be firm in its decisions, it must be fair to parties and when occasion demands, the court needs to also be humane.

He then adjourned the case till March 14, 15 and 16, as pleaded by his counsel.

Metuh was consequently wheeled out of the courtroom and placed in an ambulance which conveyed him to the court.






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