Fani-Kayode arrested in Lagos court, moved to EFCC custody – Newstrends
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Fani-Kayode arrested in Lagos court, moved to EFCC custody

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Femi Fani-Kayode

Femi Fani-Kayode, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He was arrested at a Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, and moved to a nearby EFCC office.

The former minister, who was in court over his forgery trial, was walking out after the matter was adjourned till January 24, 2021, when he was approached by an EFCC investigator.

He was subsequently arrested and moved to custody, a week after his earlier arrest.

An EFCC investigator, Mr Shehu Shuaibu, said the ex-Minister of Aviation was being quizzed over false documents.

The anti-graft agency had preferred a 17-count charge of N4.6billion money laundering against Fani-Kayode alongside a former Minister of State for Finance, Nenandi Usman.

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Also charged were Yusuf Danjuma, a former Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and a company, Jointrust Dimentions Nigeria Ltd.

The accused who were arraigned before Justice Mohammed Aikawa of a Federal High Court in Lagos had pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail.

Trial had began before Justice Aikawa and witnesses were still being led in evidence, until Aikawa was transferred out of the Lagos division.

The charge was subsequently assigned to a new judge, Justice Daniel Osaigor, and the defendants were scheduled for re-arraignment on October 13, 2021.

But on the said adjourned date, Fani-Kayode was absent from court and defence counsel, who appeared on his behalf on the said day, told the court that he was on admission at Kubwa General hospital in Abuja.

He had prayed for an adjournment on that grounds on behalf of second defendant but, EFCC prosecutor, Mrs Bilikisu Buhari, informed the court that the defendant was fond of adopting same tactics whenever he does not want to attend court.

After going through the court’s records , Justice Osiagor noted that it was clear that the defendant had issued similar letter of excuses five times earlier.

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The court had consequently ordered the defendant to be present in court on the next date without fail.

The court also ordered him to pay a fine of N200,000 in addition.

On Tuesday, when the case was mentioned , all defendants were present in court.

Counsel to second , third and fourth defendants were respectively, Messrs Morrison Quakers (SAN), and Clement Onwuenwunor.

First defence counsel was absent, Chief Ferdinard Orbih, following a letter to that effect.

The prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, did not oppose the letter of first defence counsel.
Oyedepo, however, informed the court that the prosecution was glad that the court had figured out from its record that Fani-Kayode had sought repeated excuses from the court.

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He told the court that the prosecution had recently discovered that all letters sent by Fani-Kayode were fake.

At this point, the court stopped the prosecutor on the grounds that it was a matter the agency ought to thrash out before the court acted on the letters to grant an adjournment.

Osiagor said that having granted an adjournment on the letters, the court had become “functus officio”.

In response, Oyedepo told the court that the agency was currently working on the report and will do the needful.

It was after the adjournment that Fani-Kayode was arrested.

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NURTW scribe felicitates Nigerians on Xmas, urges caution 

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NURTW scribe felicitates Nigerians on Xmas, urges caution 

 

The General Secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Comrade Kayode Agbeyangi, has enjoined Nigerians to imbibe the virtues of peace, love and compassion as taught through the birth of Jesus Christ.

He stated this in his Christmas and end of the year goodwill message to felicitate members of the union and Nigerians in general.

Agbeyangi urged Nigerians to use the festive season to reflect on the values of love, compassion, and sacrifice that Jesus Christ embodied.

“This period is not for merry making alone; we should also spare time to reflect on the birth and life of Jesus Christ.

“His birth teaches humility, love compassion and sacrifice. As Nigerians, we must show love to our fellow county men. We must love our country. As Nigerians, we must be ready to make sacrifices for the nation.”

The NURTW scribe also used the opportunity to appeal to members of the union and other road users to always exercise caution and adhere to all safety protocols while travelling during the festive season.

“As we celebrate, let us not forget the importance of road safety. The roads can be treacherous, especially during the festive season.

“I urge our members and all road users to drive safely, avoid overspending, overtaking at dangerous bends and overloading, and be courteous to other road users,” he stated.

He also advised drivers that all their vehicle papers should be up to date to avoid embarrassment from law enforcement officers on the highways.

Comrade Agbeyangi prayed for a peaceful and joyous celebration, and wished members of the union and Nigerians, a happy prosperous New Year.

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Why we displayed ‘Jesus Christ is not God’ banner at Lekki mosque -Imam

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Why we displayed ‘Jesus Christ is not God’ banner at Lekki mosque -Imam

 

The Chief Imam of Lekki Central Mosque in Lagos, Ridwanullah Jamiu, has said the “Jesus Christ is Not God” banner placed on the fence of the mosque was not intended to provoke anybody. The banner became a source of controversy after a picture of it was shared on social media, with many calling it an…

The Chief Imam of Lekki Central Mosque in Lagos, Ridwanullah Jamiu, has said the “Jesus Christ is Not God” banner placed on the fence of the mosque was not intended to provoke anybody.

The banner became a source of controversy after a picture of it was shared on social media, with many calling it an attack on the Christian faith.

 

Addressing his congregation, Jamiu said the banner was displayed to educate Muslims.

 

He said, “When you come to Lekki Central Mosque, at least you should learn something. You pass by the banners outside, you look here and there, you learn something because Islam treasures knowledge.”

The Imam said all the banners displayed outside the mosque contain Quran and Hadith verses.

 

He said after a photo of one of the banners went viral, he “received calls from the government, local government, and area command appealing to us to please remove the banners because of the festive period.”

 

He said the display of the banners was not to provoke anyone, noting that there’s a difference between propagation of Islam and provocation.

 

“It was not placed there just yesterday. It has been there for about two months or thereabout. We are peace loving people, we don’t provoke anyone. We only propagate our name,” he said.

Jamiu further stated that nobody can monopolise Jesus because Muslims also have what they believe about him as backed by the Quran which calls him Isah.

 

“If you don’t believe in Jesus, you are not a Muslim. We are Muslims and anything we believe must be in consonant with the Quran and the Quran says Jesus Christ is not God, he’s a messenger of God. We quoted this verse in the banner. Is there anything wrong if we paste what we believe on our territory to educate our congregation? It’s a verse of the Quran. This is freedom of religion, freedom of speech,” he said.

 

On the removal of the banner, Jamiu said he received multiple calls ascribing the gesture as cowardice.

 

 

“It is not cowardice. We removed it to let peace reign, to obey our government because we are peace-loving people and also because we know it’s a festive period, people may think it was actually calculated to enrage others. We are going to modify it and put it back. We are not cowards,” he said.

 

The banner has since been replaced with another which says “A

llah is the lord of Jesus.”

 

Why we displayed ‘Jesus Christ is not God’ banner at Lekki mosque -Imam

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CBN fines bank found hoarding cash N150m

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CBN fines bank found hoarding cash N150m

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has imposed a N150 million fine on a commercial bank for failing to dispense cash through its Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).

This action follows an unannounced inspection by the apex bank, which uncovered deliberate cash hoarding and ATM manipulation by the erring bank.

Sources within the CBN revealed that the sanctioned bank was caught disabling its ATMs, thereby denying customers access to their funds while prioritizing cash disbursements to select VIP clients.

A staff member of the CBN stressed that the apex bank would not tolerate such practices.

“The Bank will not spare any Deposit Money Bank (DMB) caught in the act of hoarding cash or found favoring VIP customers over other customers,” the official stated.

To this end, the CBN has intensified spot checks on banks nationwide, exposing various illicit cash-handling practices by some unscrupulous financial institutions.

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For now, the CBN is imposing financial penalties on defaulting banks. However, according to the official, the next phase of enforcement will include publicly naming and shaming offending banks and prosecuting implicated bank officials.

“This fine is just the beginning. The CBN is determined to hold banks accountable for any actions that undermine public trust and the integrity of the banking system,” the official added.

Despite the ongoing challenges, the CBN has reiterated its commitment to promoting cashless banking in the country.

Another senior official disclosed that the apex bank’s management is intensifying efforts to encourage the use of electronic channels for transactions.

“The frustration faced by account holders is undermining our push for a cashless economy. We are doubling down on initiatives to restore public confidence in electronic banking solutions,” the official said.

CBN fines bank found hoarding cash N150m

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