They were jailed on Friday, October 13, 2023 after pleading guilty to one –count separate charge bordering on impersonation
The Economic and financial Crimes Commission, Enugu Zonal Command, has secured the conviction and sentencing of twenty five, 25, internet fraudsters before Justice Nnamdi Dimkpa of the Federal High Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State
They were jailed on Friday, October 13, 2023 after pleading guilty to one –count separate charge bordering on impersonation.
The Convicts are; Kingsley Chekwubechukwu Ngwu, Anthony Emmanuel Ndubuisi, Onyia Chukwuka Christian, Chukwuneke Chibuike Nicholas, Nonso Henry Ozoekwe, John Samuel, Okpe Matthew Chinweike, Kalu Nnachi, Okpe Joachim, Obike Ebuka Boniface, Eze Onyedikachi Kingsley, Ogonna Samuel Okpataku.
Others are: Denis Chigozie, Emmanuel Johnson, Basil Nnaluo Jason, Chidera Shedrack Ugwueke, David Chimerie Ukeje, Christian Nnamdi Jideofor, Osinachi Johnson, Okechukwu Ezeka, Onuorah Johnson, Ekene Christian Obikezie, Emmanuel Chinonso Aleke, Sopuluchukwu Paul Eneje, and Okechukwu Joshua Onah.
One of the count charges reads; “that you Chukwuneke Chibuike Nicholas sometime in 2023 in Enugu, Enugu State, within the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court, fraudulently impersonated one Elizabeth Olsen by means of your iphone 12 pro via a,fake facebook account with intend to gain advantage for yourself and to obtain money from unsuspecting foreign nationals and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(3)(a) & (b) of the Cybercrimes ( Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act. 2015 and punishable under Section (22) (4) of the same Act.
All the 25 defendants pleaded guilty when the charges were read to them. Based on their pleas, EFCC’s counsels: Ani Michael and Rotimi Ajobiewe prayed the court to convict and sentence them accordingly. Justice Dimkpa thereafter convicted and sentenced 22 of them to two years imprisonment each, with an option of fine of N200, 000.00( Two Hundred Thousand Naira only) while Onah, Aleke and Nnachi were cautioned and detained in the court premises for eight hours before they were released.
All the convicts made their ways to the Correctional Centre when they were arrested for internet-related offences. They were charged to court and convicted.
Media & Publicity
October 20, 2023
President Tinubu Appoints New ECN Chief Executive Officer
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Dr. Abdullahi Mustapha to serve as the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN).
Dr. Abdullahi Mustapha has served for over a decade in the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) with significant experience in the Energy and Space Technology sectors. Dr. Mustapha most recently obtained his Doctorate degree in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Renewable Energy, followed by a Post-Doctoral Fellowship as a Research Associate in the School of Engineering at the prestigious University of Manchester.
President Tinubu expects the new ECN Chief Executive to make a positive impact on his administration’s intensive push to diversify the nation’s energy sources in a synergized fashion across the government toward the ultimate aim of industrializing every part of the country with every citizen emancipated from the shackles of energy poverty.
Chief Ajuri Ngelale
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
October 23, 2023
Lagos doctor sentenced to life imprisonment for rape
Femi Olaleye, the managing director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for raping his wife’s niece.
The judge, Rahman Oshodi, of the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence court in Lagos found the doctor guilty on Tuesday.
Mr Olaleye was charged with a two-count charge of defilement and sexual assault by penetration of his wife’s niece, offences which he was alleged to have committed between March 2020 and November 2021.
The defendant was arraigned on 30 November 2022, and he pleaded not guilty to the offences.
The prosecution presented at least seven witnesses. However, one was “withdrawn.”
The witnesses include the defendant’s wife, who reported the case to the police, the alleged survivor, (name withheld); a child forensic specialist, Bisi Ajayi-Kayode; police inspector Esther Igbineweka; medical examiner Akinbunmi Oyebimpe and Abe Leonard, a police officer
Akpabio arrives Luanda, Angola for Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly
Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Godswill Akpabio on Sunday arrived Luanda, Angola for the 147th IPU Assembly as the Leader of Nigeria’s delegation.
Senator Akpabio who was accompanied by four Senators and five members of the House of Representatives was received on arrival at the Luanda International Airport by the Nigerian Ambassador to Angola H.E. Professor Monique Oshame Ekpong and top officials of the Angolan government led by Joao Diogo Gaspar, Deputy Secretary UIP Angola.
A statement by the Special Assistant (Media/Communication) to the Senate President, Anietie Ekong quoted Mr Gaspar as saying that Angola was honoured by the presence of the Nigerian President of the Senate.
Mr Gaspar noted that Akpabio’s attendance at the IPU Assembly with the Nigerian delegation would foster good relations not only between Nigeria and Angola but among African countries to reach consensus on issues affecting the continent.
Senator Akpabio said he was delighted to attend the IPU Assembly hosted by Angola and commended the Angolan Government for a good bilateral relations with Nigeria.
According to Senator Akpabio, “it would have been a disservice to Africa if Nigeria did not have a strong delegation at the IPU. Our presence here is to ensure that our bilateral relationship is strengthened. With our presence we can forge a strong bilateral parliamentary relationship for the interest of our nations,” he said.
On arrival Senator Akpabio led Nigeria’s delegation to the first meeting of The African Group at the IPU Assembly.
The 147th IPU Assembly is holding in Luanda, Angola, from 21 to 27 October 2023, hosted by the National Assembly of Angola. The IPU Assembly will provide a platform for parliamentarians, partner organizations and experts to share good practice and commit to the overall theme of Parliamentary action for peace, justice and strong institutions.
The theme is closely linked to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions, a key enabler of the entire development agenda.
The Assembly will consider actions to strengthen trust between people and governance structures, to make public institutions more effective, accountable and representative, and to better equip parliaments to address the multiple interconnected geopolitical, economic and environmental crises facing the world.
October 22, 2023
Press Statement
Presidential Election Appeal: PDP Optimistic of Victory at Supreme Court
As the Supreme Court commences hearing on the February 25, 2023 Presidential Election Appeal, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is confident that guided by the provisions of the law, the body of evidence, circumstances and facts presented before it, the Apex Court will deliver justice in the matter.
The PDP believes that the issues of the February 2023 Presidential election; the barefaced violation of rules and the laws, the brazen manipulations and falsifications in perversion of our electoral process have put our democracy in a precarious situation.
Nigerians and indeed the whole world look forward to the Supreme Court for justice in the hope that the Court will apply the laws, including the express provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022 and INEC Guidelines and Regulations in delivering substantial justice in the matter.
The earnest expectation of Nigerians and lovers of democracy across the world is that the Supreme Court will use this case to firmly validate the maxim that the Judiciary is the last hope of the common man.
Nigerians are therefore optimistic in hoping that the Supreme Court will dispense substantial Justice according to law and fact in the Appeal.
Signed:
Hon. Debo Ologunagba
National Publicity Secretary
STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE
PRESIDENT TINUBU: WE’LL HONOUR LEGITIMATE FOREIGN EXCHANGE OBLIGATIONS AND RESTORE MARKET CONFIDENCE
President Bola Tinubu has allayed the concerns of the business community, assuring them that crucial plans are underway to improve foreign exchange liquidity.
The President said his administration will honour every legitimate contract with respect to the nation’s foreign exchange obligations.
Speaking at the 29th Nigerian Economic Summit (NES) in Abuja, on Monday, President Tinubu said he is confident that by working closely with the private sector, financing the Three Trillion Dollar National Infrastructure Stock can be achieved in 10 years and not in 300 years.
The President said the construction of megacities in every geopolitical zone of the size and scale of Lagos must not take six decades because it can be achieved in one decade, emphasizing that a fully networked and connected Nigeria by rail, gas, fibre optics and road network can be constructed in less than 20 years with thriving Industrial Zones in every geopolitical zone of Nigeria before 2030.
“Consistent with our commitment to enshrining fairness and the rule of law in our country, this government will uphold the sanctity of every legitimate contract. Specifically, as it relates to the foreign exchange obligations of the government, all forward contracts that the government has entered into will be honoured and a framework has been put in place to ensure that these obligations are met in due course.
“My government is not blind to the challenges which several of you are facing in the financial markets. I can allay these concerns by revealing that we have a good line of sight into the additional foreign exchange liquidity that is required to restore market confidence,” the President said.
Assuring the business community of a fairer and safer playing field for all, the President said his administration is strengthening the machinery and architecture of governance by establishing a public and civil service culture and structure that is performance and result-oriented, adding that: “We shall govern ethically, with accountability and transparency; implementing sound and effective policies to accomplish our Eight Priorities.”
President Tinubu outlined the eight priority items of his administration as ending poverty, achieving food security, economic growth and job creation, access to capital across all segments of society and the economy, inclusivity, security, fairness and rule of law, and anti-corruption, stating that he is committed to delivering improved livelihoods and positive economic outcomes which Nigerians can tangibly feel and experience.
Recognizing the institutional frailties of past years and his pragmatic approach to achieving his bold agenda through a path that fully accounts for present-day challenges, the President said: “With the effects of an unsustainable fiscal deficit and hidden subsidies, these factors distorted the money supply and created an unfair playing field for an elite crop of unpatriotic forces. But that is no more. These changes have been tackled head-on. My government has introduced several measures to resuscitate the economy; including the Five Hundred Billion Naira intervention to support small businesses and the agricultural sector. By January 2024, the new student loan program and consumer credit schemes will have come into effect.
The President called on the private sector to support his vision for a greater Nigeria, saying: “I would like to charge YOU, the Captains of Industry here present, to commit and redouble your commitment to our vision of a Renewed and more Prosperous Nigeria, a better Nigeria for all. For us to successfully deliver our promise to Nigerians, we recognise that it is imperative that we foster a highly collaborative relationship with the private sector. We must work together. I have proven capacity in this regard, as we remember the role of public-private partnership in the transformation of Lagos State under my leadership. We will replicate that across Nigeria with your unwavering support.
“Today, I urge you, as Nigeria’s foremost private sector think tank and policy advocacy group, to go much further than you have done before. Bring your ideas, bring your leadership, bring your capital, bring the collective will of your large conglomerates and business networks. Let us build a future of renewed hope. My government is prepared. Are you also prepared?”
The annual Nigerian Economic Summit is organized by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning.
Chief Ajuri Ngelale
Special Adviser to the President
(Media and Publicity)
October 23, 2023
STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE
PRESIDENT TINUBU APPLAUDS NIGERIA’S LANDMARK VICTORY IN P&ID CASE
President Bola Tinubu applauds today’s judgment rendered by Judge Robin Knowles of the Business and Property Court in London, awarding a landmark victory to the Federal Government of Nigeria over a firm known as Process & Industrial Development (P&ID) Limited.
Following Judge Knowles’ dismissal of the $11.5 billion (USD) value of the award plus accumulated interest, previously won by P&ID over a failed 2010 deal to allegedly build a gas processing plant, on the grounds that the award was obtained by fraud, President Tinubu commends the UK Court for prioritizing the merits of the case above all other considerations.
“This landmark judgment proves conclusively that nation states will no longer be held hostage by economic conspiracies between private firms and solitarily corrupt officials who conspire to extort and indebt the very nations they swear to defend and protect.
“Today’s victory is not for Nigeria alone. It is a victory for our long exploited continent and for the developing world at large, which has for too long been on the receiving end of unjust economic malpractice and overt exploitation.
“Nigeria is appreciative of the tremendous efforts of the defense team and acknowledges the role of the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Attorney-General in the process of defending Nigeria’s interest in this case,” the President stated.
Chief Ajuri Ngelale
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
October 23, 2023
PRESS RELEASE
COWLSO SEEKS MORE EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVES FOR THE YOUTH
…Urges Women To Be Conscious Of Digital Dangers, Adopt Homestead Farming
The Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO) has called on government at all levels and the private sector to focus more on empowerment initiatives targeted at creating an enabling environment for Nigerian youth to thrive in their chosen fields.
In a communique issued at the end of the three-day National Women’s Conference (NWC) of COWLSO, the Committee recommended that the youth of today should be empowered, motivated and their interests factored into the decision-making process.
The COWLSO NWC is an annual event organized to empower women with thought-provoking discussions, incredible stories, and the opportunity to connect with extraordinary women from all walks of life.
This year’s theme was: “Unleash Your Potential.”
According to the Communique jointly signed by the Chairman of COWLSO and the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs.) Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, and the Chairperson of the Conference Planning Committee, Professor Olufunke Adeyeye, COWLSO said: “It is also important to invest in the dreams of the youths as this is the generation of skill, talent, and dreams.”
The Committee cautioned women to be more alert to digital dangers and be equipped with practical knowledge to navigate the online world securely.
The group said in view of hostile and toxic content online, it has become imperative to advise women to carefully choose what they consume on social media.
“It is recommended that we tell good stories about ourselves. Though controversial stories pull more crowds on social media, and you could make more money from stories like that; however, we can put out better stories. Whoever we are, that’s our story.”
Besides, the Committee urged women to adopt homestead farming to enjoy some of the numerous benefits such as reduction of malnutrition, provision of employment opportunities, and improvement of the economy of the state through the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
Homestead farming, according to COWLSO, also serves as a source of income for the household, just as women were encouraged to make eco-friendly choices that would have a positive multiplier effect on the planet.
“These choices include efficient use of energy, sustainable development, transportation, water conservation, and planting of trees.
“We should eat a proper diet (fruit/vegetables), take enough water (eight glasses per day), do frequent exercises, get enough rest, and do routine medical checkups.
“We should also enroll in a health insurance policy, for example, ILERA EKO. This will help to prevent out-of-pocket expenditure,” the communique read in part.
The Committee also emphasized the need for all stakeholders to renew their commitment to gender equality in education and skill empowerment, especially in supporting, training, attracting, and rewarding women at all levels.
COWLSO is a platform for wives of government officials to complement the efforts of their spouses in fast-tracking development and advancing the interest, welfare, and well-being of the people, especially women and children.
OLUBUKONLA NWONAH
DEPUTY DIRECTOR, PUBLIC AFFAIRS
OFFICE OF LAGOS STATE FIRST LADY
OCTOBER 22, 2023
PRESS RELEASE
WE ARE INTENTIONAL ABOUT MAKING LAGOS PREFERRED TOURISM DESTINATION, SAYS SANWO-OLU
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has reiterated his administration’s commitment toward making the State a tourism station in the world in line with the Entertainment and Tourism pillar of the THEMES+ developmental agenda.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said his government is intentional about making Lagos State, particularly Badagry, a preferred tourism destination.
He spoke on Monday while receiving the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa who led a delegation of Nigerians in the Diaspora for a courtesy visit at Lagos House, Ikeja.
The delegation included Dr. Julius Marcus Garvey Jnr., son of foremost civil rights leader, Marcus Garvey, and the Jogbe of Badagry kingdom, David Anderson, among others.
The delegation visited Governor Sanwo-Olu to appreciate him and the Lagos State Government for a successful celebration of this year’s edition of the Diaspora Festival, dubbed, ‘Door of Return’ in Badagry.
The Door of Return, initiated to help some Black Diasporas trace their roots to Nigeria and Africa at large, was celebrated last Saturday in the ancient city of Badagry, Lagos.
Speaking during the courtesy visit, Governor Sanwo-Olu said his administration will partner with relevant stakeholders, especially the people in the Diaspora to grow and strengthen the Door of Return festival and promote the cultural heritage of Badagry, Lagos and Nigeria at large.
Governor Sanwo-Olu also commended the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, for the initiative of the Door of Return and her efforts in championing the interest of Nigerians in the Diaspora.
Speaking earlier, Dabiri-Erewa commended Governor Sanwo-Olu for his support towards the celebration of Door of Return and the actualisation of the Diaspora Festival that took place in Badagry last Saturday.
The NiDCOM boss urged the Lagos State government to support the project by building a Permanent Door of Return in Badagry to attract more people in the Diaspora willing to trace their roots to Nigeria.
Also speaking, Julius Garvey and David Anderson, hailed Governor Sanwo-Olu and the Lagos State Government for their tremendous support for the festival and for showing keen interest in tourism.
They also expressed their joy for the success of the Door of Return Programme, which gave opportunities to many Nigerians in the Diaspora to visit Nigeria for the first time
Garvey and Anderson, who promised to partner with Lagos State on tourism, expressed their continued support to preserve African culture and heritage.
SIGNED
GBOYEGA AKOSILE
CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY
23 OCTOBER 2023
