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Court Declares Lawmaker Wanted Over Alleged ₦73.6 Million Fraud

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A Federal High Court in Abuja has declared a member of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Adamu Aliyu, wanted over allegations that he defrauded a businessman of ₦73.6 million through a fake Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) contract.

Justice Emeka Nwite issued the order on Friday after considering an application brought before the court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

According to court filings, the case began with a petition from businessman Mohammed Jidda, who alleged that Aliyu, representing Jos North-North constituency, promised to help him secure an ₦850m TETFund contract at the University of Jos.

Aliyu allegedly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Jidda, under which the petitioner agreed to pay ₦73.6m upfront once a contract award letter was issued. Another ₦52 million was to be paid to Imanal Concept Ltd, a company owned by Saad Abubakar, who was reportedly the facilitator of the deal.

Investigators said Aliyu later handed Jidda a purported contract award letter for the construction of an indoor sports hall under a TETFund project valued at ₦500m.

On the strength of the letter, Aliyu reportedly provided two bank accounts, his personal Guaranty Trust Bank account and Imanal Concept Ltd’s Zenith Bank account, for payment.

ICPC said Jidda deposited a total of ₦73.6m into the accounts. Bank records allegedly confirmed that ₦47.8m went into Aliyu’s GTBank account, ₦22.4m into Imanal Concept’s account, and another ₦3.2m directly to Aliyu.

However, when Jidda approached the University of Jos to begin the documentation process, the institution denied knowledge of the contract. It later confirmed in writing to ICPC that the award letter was a forgery.

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Lawmaker Shuns ICPC Invitations

The ICPC told the court that Aliyu repeatedly ignored invitations to explain his role in the alleged fraud, despite being contacted through the Clerk of the Plateau State Assembly and his WhatsApp number, where he acknowledged receipt of the messages.

Investigators also claimed they had credible intelligence suggesting the lawmaker was planning to abandon his legislative duties and flee the country to evade prosecution.

Justice Nwite subsequently granted ICPC’s request and declared Aliyu wanted. The judge directed security agencies to arrest him and produce him in court to face a 32-count charge bordering on fraud, forgery, and diversion of funds.

Faced with his alleged refusal to honour lawful invitations, the ICPC approached the court for an order to permit it to “declare the lawmaker wanted in any national newspaper, social media platforms and other media, for failing to honour the Commission’s invitations for investigation activities.”

The commission also urged the court to issue a bench/arrest warrant, directing operatives of the ICPC and other law enforcement agents, including private persons, to identify and arrest Mr Aliyu and hand him over to the ICPC for investigation.

On Friday, Justice Nwite granted the ICPC request, issuing an arrest warrant and authorising the commission to publish a “wanted person” notice for Mr Aliyu in national newspapers and on social media.

The court ruling also empowered law enforcement agents, including the police and private citizens, to arrest him and hand him over to the commission.

When Premium Times contacted Aliyu on Friday evening, he denied the allegations. He said he was not aware of the ICPC’s invitation, saying he only learned of it through the Clerk of the Plateau Assembly while he was in Saudi Arabia.

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He also denied defrauding Mr Jidda, insisting he has since refunded ₦45 million that entered his account through the businessman’s company, Mohiba Investment Limited. Payment receipts obtained by this newspaper show that he transferred ₦5 million, ₦10 million, ₦10 million, and ₦20 million in separate transactions to a Zenith Bank account belonging to Mohiba Investment Ltd.

The lawmaker also denied issuing the forged contract award letter, claiming Mr Abubakar obtained it. Mr Aliyu said his role was limited to delivering the letter to Mr Jidda.

On 8 September, Mr Aliyu’s lawyers, Adams & Co Firstlog Chambers, wrote to the ICPC arguing that the matter was already before a civil court, describing it as a dispute over “consultancy services/facilitation of contract award” rather than a criminal matter.

Despite the defence, court filings show that the lawmaker is under investigation for corruption, forgery, cheating, abuse of office and related offences.

The ICPC argued that because it lacks constitutional powers to declare a person wanted without court approval, it had to seek judicial authorisation.

The commission also noted that the warrant would allow it to enlist the assistance of the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) should the lawmaker attempt to escape abroad.

With the order in place, the ICPC is expected to issue a formal public notice declaring the lawmaker wanted in the coming days.

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PHOTOS & VIDEO: Mob sets BRT Bus ablaze after motorcyclist’s death in Lagos

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An angry mob has set a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bus ablaze after it reportedly crushed a motorcyclist to death at Ogolonto Bus Stop along Ikorodu Road in Lagos State.

The incident reportedly triggered an outburst of anger, with some members of the mob attacking the bus driver before police officers and officials of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) intervened and rescued him unharmed.

NewsClick Nigeria Media reported the incident on X, stating that the motorcyclist was riding alone at the time of the accident.

A video circulating on social media showed the BRT bus engulfed in flames as the fire consumed the vehicle.

The footage captured the intensity of the fire, which left the bus burning by the roadside. However, the circumstances surrounding the crash and the subsequent attack on the vehicle remain unclear.

The incident also raised concerns about the safety of public transport operators and the risk of violence following fatal road accidents, particularly when members of the public resort to taking the law into their own hands.

However, the identity of the deceased motorcyclist, the circumstances that led to the collision and the extent of the damage caused by the fire had not been independently established as of the time of filing this report.

It was also unclear whether any arrests had been made in connection with the incident.

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See also  Nigerians paid N2.57bn ransom to kidnappers in one year; 4,722 abductions recorded
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Troops rout Lakurawa fighters, destroy camps in Sokoto

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Troops of Operation Fansan Yamma have neutralised several Lakurawa terrorists and destroyed their camps during a clearance operation in Waria Forest, Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The operation, conducted on Thursday, October 15, also led to the recovery of weapons and five motorcycles from the terrorists’ enclave.

The Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation Fansan Yamma, Lt Col Aliyu Danja, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday.

Danja said troops of Sector 2 advanced through identified terrorist hideouts around Alela, Bilange and Kandam villages towards Waria Forest, where they made contact with the armed group.

According to him, the troops engaged the terrorists in a firefight and overpowered them with superior firepower, forcing them to abandon their positions and flee deeper into the forest.

“Troops subsequently pursued the fleeing terrorists, neutralising some of them in the process,” he said.

Danja added that further exploitation of the area destroyed the terrorists’ camps and their life-support structures, alongside the recovery of weapons and five motorcycles.

He said troops had sustained their operational presence in the area through continued clearance and domination operations aimed at denying the terrorists freedom of movement and preventing them from using the forest as a haven.

“The latest success underscores the commitment of Operation Fansan Yamma to dismantling terrorist enclaves, denying terrorist elements safe havens and restoring lasting peace and security across the Joint Operations Area,” Danja said.

He commended the troops for their courage, resilience and sustained efforts, while urging residents to provide timely and credible information about suspicious movements and activities in their communities.

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The military did not disclose the exact number of terrorists killed or specify the types and quantities of weapons recovered during the operation.

Source: punchng.com

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Fintiri warns Boko Haram, ISWAP remain major threats

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Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, has warned that Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province remain major security threats in the sub-region, urging security chiefs to intensify efforts to combat insurgency.

Declaring open a two-day meeting of federal and state security administrators in Yola on Thursday, Fintiri said the threats posed by the groups remained persistent, dynamic and ideological.

“While our gallant armed forces have significantly degraded their conventional capabilities, these insurgents continue to exploit vast rural terrains, asymmetric tactics and cross-border vulnerabilities to strike at soft targets.

“However, let me speak with political candour: we cannot afford the luxury of premature victory speeches. Furthermore, we must confront emerging threats that endanger our socio-economic fabric,” he said.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Prof. Kaletapwa Farauta, said security was not merely about weapons but also grassroots presence, social justice and inclusive governance.

“It was this conviction that drove our historic decision to create seven new emirates and chiefdoms across Adamawa State,” he said.

Fintiri added that the battleground had shifted to digital spaces, where vulnerable youths were targeted for recruitment and misinformation.

He said the security of Adamawa State was inseparable from that of Nigeria and urged the Federal Government to urgently modernise the country’s international borders.

“We need the deployment of advanced surveillance technology, drone coverage, joint border patrols and the expedited establishment of one-stop border posts to control illegal cross-border migration, arms proliferation and smuggling,” he said.

The governor also urged the Federal Government to increase funding for security agencies to enable them to intensify the fight against insecurity.

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“Our frontline officers, the police, the military, the Civil Defence, the DSS and Customs, are doing heroic work under difficult conditions.

“However, their operational funding, tactical equipment and welfare packages must be significantly upgraded by the Federal Government,” he said.

To defeat the insurgency, Fintiri called for genuine inter-agency cooperation and an end to rivalry among security services.

He said the operational disconnect between intelligence-gathering units and field tactical teams must be addressed.

“Victory belongs to unity, not institutional ego,” he said.

Fintiri added that hosting the meeting of the nation’s top security policy strategists reflected Adamawa’s progress in restoring peace and stability.

“For us in Adamawa State, hosting this august gathering of the nation’s top security policy strategists is not just an administrative assignment; it is a testament to our transformation.

“A few years ago, convening a gathering of this magnitude in the North-East was met with hesitation. Today, through visionary leadership, community resilience and divine grace, Adamawa stands tall as a beacon of relative peace, stability and democratic consolidation,” he said.

He challenged the security administrators to move beyond what he described as diagnostic speeches and develop an actionable, pragmatic roadmap to address security challenges in the sub-region.

He also advocated the adoption of unified digital freight and transit-tracking platforms across states and national transport corridors to eliminate illegal checkpoints, trace suspicious cargo and secure trade routes.

The governor donated 300 motorcycles and 16 security vehicles to support policing across the state’s 15 chiefdoms and 21 local government areas.

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The meeting was attended by security administrators from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

However, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, was absent from the meeting.

Source: punchng.com

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