Businessman: EFCC detained, tortured me for 80 days

A businessman/politician and environmentalist, Alhaji Suleiman Yerima narrates how he was detained and tortured for 80 days by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) while he was incarcerated by them. In a petition addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, Yerima detailed the inhuman treatment he got in the hands of the EFCC operatives and how he and his friend, Mr. Uwem Antia were battered in a torture cell operated by the EFCC in Lagos in collaboration with the police. He said he survived the ordeal only by the grace of God. He said his ordeal bagan on March 3 while he was out of Lagos on a business trip. He said EFCC operatives called him and invited him and his friend, Antia, who he claimed is currently in a critical condition as a result of the injuries he sustained during the series of torture they received while in the custody of EFCC operatives. He said: “I honoured the invitation by going to EFCC with Mr. Antia in company with my lawyers. On arrival, I was shown the petition. In the petition, the petitioner alleged that he gave me N120 million to source for dollars for him and that I have not given him the dollars,” Yerima explained.He said he told the operatives that he had made the payments and had documented evidence to prove it. He said despite his attempt to explain and show evidence of transactions, he was detained along with Mr. Antia. “While in detention, we were denied bail by Iliyasu Kwarbai, the Director of Operations of EFCC in Lagos. EFCC hurriedly rushed to a magistrate court in Lagos on March 12 and obtained a detention warrant for 30 days. This was nine days after our initial detention without any charges filed against us. Later, Mr. Antia was handcuffed and taken to their torture chambers. Antia later told me they blindfolded him and hung him from 11pm till the early hours of the morning. “My life is in danger and these people are out to kill me. I want the whole world to know that. The president should set up a panel of enquiry and if I am found guilty, I am ready to go to jail. But this injustice must stop. EFCC officials are busy making money for themselves. They are more corrupt than the corrupt politicians. They are rotten. They give you bail conditions you cannot meet and then ask you to negotiate,” he alleged.However, the EFCC, denied Yerima’s claims. The spokesman of the anti-graft agency, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren said the claims were unfounded and should therefore be disregarded by the public. He said: “Alhaji Suleiman Yerima and Mr. Uwen Antia were on March 6, 2015 arrested by operatives of the EFCC for allegedly stealing the sum of $2,250,000 (two million, two hundred and fifty thousand US dollars) from two bankers. Their arrest followed a petition by Aginwa Gladys and Ale Dennis on February 17, 2015 The suspects allegedly approached the bankers: Gladys Aginwa and Ale Dennis in February, 2015, offering to sell foreign exchange to the tune of $10,000,000 USD to them. “After agreeing on the exchange rate, a sum of N672, 750, 000 was transferred from BlueBeam Capital Investment Limited and Capital Field Investment and Trust Limited into the account of one of the bankers: Smiles and Light Limited. It was from the banker’s account that the entire sum was moved into Antia’s account: Kafisto Oil and Gas Limited. “Findings showed that the entire sum of N672, 750,000 actually hit Antia’s account. A Bureau de Change operator who changed the money into its dollar equivalent, told EFCC’s investigators that he went with Antia to his bank along Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, where the transaction was confirmed. The Bureau de Change operator further said that, Antia subsequently transferred the sum of N666, 250,000 into his own account. He said he worked out the dollar equivalent of the money, which was $3,127,000 (three million, one hundred and twenty-seven thousand dollars). He said he could only give $3,124,000 to Antia, leaving a balance of $3,000 which he promised to give him the next day. “Immediately Antia collected the foreign exchange, he reportedly headed for No. 17A, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, where the two bankers and his accomplice, Suleiman were waiting for him. However, rather than hand over the entire foreign exchange to the bankers, he only gave them $1,000,000 (one million dollars), claiming that he could not source the entire amount. He allegedly promised to give them a balance of $2,250,000 (two million, two hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars) the next day. This balance would be the dollar equivalent of the entire sum of the transaction (N672, 750,000). “The bankers said that since the day Antia and Suleiman gave them the initial $1,000,000, all efforts to reach them had proved abortive. ‘Their cell phones were turned off,’ they said. However, they lodged a complaint with the EFCC and operatives of the commission eventually arrested the two fraudsters.”

Photo of late Sir Ahmadu Bello encouraging female education

The Premier of the Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello pictured above encouraging girls in the north to pursue education.

Buhari to move into Aso Villa, announce some appointments next week

President Muhammadu Buhari is set to move into the Presidential Villa next week to continue his governance and may also name the first set of top government officials to start off the administration, a competent Presidency source confirmed. Since being declared winner of the 2015 Presidential election, Buhari has been operating from the Defence House in Maitama and has been conducting official business of government from there, having taken over the mantle of leadership on May 29, 2015 from former President Goodluck Jonathan. It was leant that the President was ready to move from Defence House to the Villa possibly early next week following completion of renovation of the President’s residence. “It is true that the construction company has completed the President’s wing and he is set to move in any moment from now. As at today, it is only the Vice President’s residence that is yet to be fully completed. “We expect that the two men will move into the villa by next week since the work in the Vice President’s apartment is not a serious one,” an official in the Presidency explained.The source explained that Buhari was set to begin naming some key officials of his government as soon as he moves into the Villa to prepare the grounds for the take off of serious work for Nigerians who have been expecting action from the administration. As a prelude to setting up his administration, Buhari has reportedly handed over the 800-page Transition Committee Report to a trusted team of his associates, headed by former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola; former Ekiti governor, Kayode Fayemi and others to reduce into a sizable and workable document. Fashola is being tipped to emerge as Chief of Staff to the President because of his pedigree as a former Chief of Staff, governor and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. An impeccable source said that it was Buhari who instructed that after all others had completed working on transition report, they should hand over the voluminous document to Fashola to reduce into an implementable format for him to read and take necessary actions. The source said: “Hopefully, from next week, some appointments would be announced. Buhari is a fast reader and he will be able to take immediate actions based on the transition report.” A member of the Buhari Transition Committee, who pleaded anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, confirmed that the final report presented to the president last week was a comprehensive document meant to guide him in taking decisions as to the shape and nature of his administration to bring about the needed change in the country. The member said that what they presented to the President was more of a blueprint and how best to go about it in order to bring the country out of the woods. The member said: “The final report is very rich and we believe it will help Mr. President in putting a solid structure of his government and give him policy direction as well.”

Photos: Terry G poses with a Ferrari

He shared the photos on instagram. Some fans assumed it's his but he didn't confirm or deny it. See more photos after the cut...

‘Stop Making Mockery Of Governance’ PDP Tells APC

Read the press statement below... The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Presidency to stop making mockery of governance with premature celebration of imaginary achievements except if the intention is to set up President Muhammadu Buhari for national and international ridicule. The party said it was embarrassing that the APC and aides of President Buhari decided to invade the minds of Nigerians with propaganda and tissues of lies instead of assisting the President who was inaugurated three weeks ago to settle down, form a government and deliver his campaign promises to Nigerians. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh in a statementon Thursdaysaid “the nation and democrats world over were thoroughly embarrassed by the frivolous list of so-called achievements which has further exposed APC’s lack of capacity and direction as well as the inability to draw a line between propaganda by an opposition party and disseminating of credible information as a party in government”. “How can a serious government start shouting achievements and make bogus claims on the fight against terrorism when the effort is apparently losing steam as insurgents who had already been pushed to the verge of surrender in the Sambisa forest by the Goodluck Jonathan administration are now surging back into the country under the APC-led government? “How can a serious government shout achievement based on pledges by foreign interests, a dangerous slide towards neo-colonialism, instead of settling down to galvanize bequeathed resources and potentials that have already placed our great country as one of the fastest emerging economic and political powers in the world? “How can a serious government shout achievement and attempt to explain away the untidy fact that after three weeks, it has not been able to organize itself even to take basics steps of conventional appointments such as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief of Staff to the President and advisers in key sectors of the economy. We ask, is the APC celebrating that fact that due to its naivety and delays, key sectors of our nation’s economy are dangerously drifting with a perilous crippling of foreign and domestic investments including activities in the money and capital market sectors? “Our promise has been to engage in credible opposition and provide alternatives and options to the policies and programmes of the APC-led Federal Government in the general interest of the nation, but alas, in less than one month, even with the stability bequeathed by the Jonathan administration, we have only witnessed inexcusable confusion and administrative naivety in the handling of important issues as seen in their poor outing at the inauguration of the National Assembly, unnecessary delays in the setting up of structure for the executive arm and the worrisome inability to urgently provide a national economic direction, among others. “This is a party and government that promised Nigerians that they will hit the ground running once elected into office but what we have seen so far is a government and party that hit the ground and remained on the same spot for sheer inexperience and unpreparedness for governance. “We therefore urge the APC to stop embarrassing the nation withpremature and unsubstantiated celebration of imaginary achievements especially if they ever want to be credible and responsible people, as sincerity and not propaganda remains the hallmark of trustworthy administration. "The APC should not by any means attempt to use its flimsy list to divert attention from its numerous campaign promises for which the people are holding them accountable. “We wish to inform the APC that the Nigerians will not take anything short of the commencement of the payment of monthly N5, 000 each to 25 million poor citizens beginning from the end of this month; ending of insurgency by the end of July as promised by President Buhari in his April 2, 2015 CNN interview; payment of monthly allowance to discharged but unemployed Youth Corps members, free meals to school children and bringing the naira to the same value with the dollar; among other bogus promises upon which they gained access to power. “Finally, we advise the Presidential spokespersons to allow Nigerians to judge the President as events and time will prove exactly the taste of the old wine”, the PDP said.

Lol. Freeze shades the heck out of Basketmouth

Lol. And these two used to be friends before o..

What keeps a man? Ali Baba shares his opinion

Someone posted this on their IG page, ace Comedian shared it on his own page and shared his own opinion on the matter. He wrote; Much as I agree, because examples abound, many men have left very good women. But a man who wants to be kept, has to see what will keep him. Don't be fooled from what you see outside. There are usually reasons that make people walk away from what may seem to everyone as the best relationships. I know a lady who left a guy who had everything and was buff plus handsome. He however had vowed he would not have kids. The lady had to leave. Bottom line... There is more to what makes a relationship end than we may assume."I believe you can't take a man who doesn't want to be taken. You can have sex with him, you can even be a part of his life, but you can take him from who he really wants to be with. Thoughts?