CRIME
Fake Petitioner Exposed in Mischief Against NIA Director
By Tse Joshua, Abuja
A petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) against the Director of Administration of the Nigeria Intelligence Agency(NIA), Alhaji Ismail Yusuf, has been found to have been authored by a faceless individual.
DAILY ASSET also found in its investigation that the purported petition was not only frivolous, it was written with intent to cause mischief, investigations have revealed.
It was discovered that the petitioner’s claim to being a former staffer of the NIA was false as checks revealed to the contrary.
Our correspondent who obtained a copy of the petition purportedly sent to the EFCC on 17th November 2019 by one Aliu Ismail Oguche, discovered that the allegations contained therein were not only frivolous but unsubstantiated and pointer to sinister motives.
For instance, in the document, the NIA Director was alleged to have claimed to hail from Seyawa tribe, Bauchi state instead of Kogi as his home state. Investigations however, revealed that the Director actually hails from Kogi state and has never claimed any other state in the course of his 32 years of service with the Agency. A source knowledgeable about the matter told our Correspondent that Yusuf’s entire personal history, including his state of origin is well known in the NIA and has never been in doubt.
It was learnt that the Director of Administration joined the service of the Agency as an indigene of Benue state until the section of the state he hails from was carved out to form the present day Kogi state in 1991.
Similarly, contrary to the claim that the Director may have corruptly enriched himself and built a hotel in Abuja, investigations showed that in the course of his 32 years’ career, the Director served abroad at different times for cumulative period of 12 years. The property, referred to in the anonymous petition, which is actually, a bungalow, was indeed a personal residence of the Director and had served as the family house which was later converted to commercial use when it was unoccupied while he was on foreign posting with his family.
“The family owns a small business, which includes a bakery and a guest house operated by members of the family. The Director is not directly involved in these commercial concerns” a source familiar with the situation told our correspondent.
Furthermore, even, the allegation that the Director General of the NIA was aware of the “hotel” purportedly owned by his staff, and had visited it was also found to be false.
It was also learnt that the Bureau de Change alleged to be owned by the NIA Director does not exist. No such business was found to be associated with the Director or the guest house being run by members of his family. That the fake petitioner did not mention the name of the Bureau de Change and where it operates in his petition was proof that his allegation was false, our Correspondent found out.
Also, the petitioner did not state his actual physical address, neither did he include his real telephone or email contacts as required by relevant Agencies in petitions of this nature. This obvious red flag led to more doubts about the petitioner’s true identity and a pointer to malicious intent, our investigation also revealed.
“The so called petition is the handiwork of mischief makers, whose motive is not clear, but certainly obnoxious. In essence, the allegations are baseless and should be disregarded in its entirety,” the source maintained.
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
Three persons, including two women and a young boy, have reportedly been killed in a clash between local scavengers, otherwise referred to as Baban Bola, and residents of the Byazhin community, in Kubwa, Bwari Area Council of the FCT.
An eyewitness, who identified herself as Jessica Adam, said a Baban Bola element attempted to steal a woman’s pot of soup, but was overpowered and beaten up after the woman alerted neighbours and passers-by.
The embittered baban bola then went away and mobilised hoodlums who returned at about 8:00 pm wielding weapons including machetes, clubs, and stones and began attacking residents at random, eventually killing the woman whose pot of soup was earlier stolen.
In the continuing attack, two others, a woman and a young boy, reported to be passers-by who unfortunately ran into the middle of the crisis, were also killed, they however, have yet yet to be identified.
“They killed two people yesterday. The Community has been in chaos since yesterday. The crisis continued till this morning when they killed somebody again. So far, three persons have been killed and many injured. The Police intervened and restored normalcy, but no arrest was made. The Police have intensified their patrol in the Byazhin area of Kubwa to prevent them from regrouping”, Ms Adams narrated.
A resident in the community, who spoke with Daily Asset, on the condition of anonymity, also confirmed the death of the three persons but said he had no clue as to what may have started the clash.
“Yes, the riot started yesterday. And by this morning, we learnt that three persons have been killed. It happened in Byazhin around that Millionaire’s Quarters, behind that Living Faith Church. That place is usually dangerous, because it is quite lonely, and you cannot pass through there alone, especially in the evening”, he said.
As of the time of filing this report, PUNCH Metro gathered that schools and shops in the area have been closed down, as parents scampered to pick up kids from their classrooms, and shops refused to open as of Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer of the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, proved abortive, as her number was repeatedly unreachable.
From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa
The House of Representatives has said it will ensure the crisis in Okuama Community, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State is brought to a logical conclusion.
Chairman, House Committee on Defence, Rep. Babajimi Benson, gave the assurance while addressing newsmen on Thursday, at the Governor’s Office Annexe in Warri.
Benson led other members of the committee to a public hearing on the carnage that occurred in Okuama Community in Delta resulting to the death of 17 soldiers and consequent destruction of properties.
The committee convened on Thursday at the Governor’s Office Annexe in Warri without the presence of the locals in attendance.
It would be recalled that the investigative hearing was in line with the 10th Assembly House of Representatives’ resolution of March 19, 2024.
The resolution was prompted by the March 14 massacre of 17 soldiers in the Okuama Community.
The lawmaker said that the committee had so far received about 23 memorandum from stakeholders.
“We came to see members of the community in camera and by way of memorandum. We have received a lot of memorandum from them but they have not turn up physically.
“We have gotten enough memorandum and we intend to work with the memorandum. Though, the window is opened till Friday next week, so we are still expecting more from them.
“We have assured everyone including the Delta State that the House of Representatives will ensure the matter is looked into from both sides and come to a logical conclusion.
“That is why we are asking them to send memoranda and they are complying. We gave them a week and the period will elapse on Friday.
“If you do not want to show up, please send us your documents so that we will be able to act on them, and get to a logical conclusion,” Benson appealed.
The legislator said that the committee was fully ready to ensure that justice was done on the matter.
On why the committee could not visit the troubled Okuama Community, the lawmaker said that the activities of the committee regarding the crisis had not ended.
According to him, the committee will visit the locals and also invite the military to give account of what happened at the community.
“We are definitely going to meet the locals but we are going to arm ourselves with information,” he said.
Among the 10-man committee was Rep. Francis Waive, member representing Ughelli North/Ughelli South and Udu Federal Constituency.
Suspected armed Fulani herdsmen on Friday, attacked former Chief of Staff to Benue State Governor, Honorable Terwase Orbunde, and abducted his wife and house help.
Orbunde, a former governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic (PDP) in Benue state served under the administration of the immediate past Governor of the state, Dr Samuel Ortom.
The attack, it was learnt took place close to the “Genocide Cemetery” along Mobile Barracks-Welfare Quarters Road in Makurdi, the state capital at about 6.
00 PM.The former Chief of Staff escaped with a gunshot on his right arm, while the attackers whisked away his wife, Mrs Abigail Kashimana Orbunde and her house help, Patience Ogute.
Eyewitnesses told DAILY ASSET that Orbunde, his wife and the house help, had gone to inspect the their farm when the incident happened.
The eyewitnesses said after the inspection of the work and payment of the workers five gunmen suddenly attacked their victims as they walked back to their car.
The attackers were said to have opened fire and Orbunde received a bullet on the right arm, while they ordered him and the women to follow them to an unknown destination.
The shooting was said to have caused villagers and passersby to scamper for safety in different directions.
As they marched along, the former Chief of Staff was said to be bleeding profusely, witnesses further said.
The witnesses who watched from a distance said the leader of the group ordered him to walk away while the gunmen took the women to an unknown destination.
An unidentified ‘good Samaritan’ was said to have conveyed the former Chief of Staff to an undisclosed hospital for medical attention.
The State Police Commnad could not be reached for comments at the time of this report.
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