Ukraine crisis: FG may evacuate trapped Nigerians by road – Newstrends
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Ukraine crisis: FG may evacuate trapped Nigerians by road

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2 years ago

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  • No evacuation by air until airports reopen, say Ukrainian authorities

Nigerians trapped Ukraine cannot leave until the country’s airports reopen, the Federal Government has been told by the authorities of Ukraine.

The Nigerian government is said to be considering the option of evacuating the affected citizens by road.

This was one of the outcomes of the meeting Nigeria had with the two envoys of Russia and Ukraine to Nigeria yesterday.

The Ambassador of Ukraine Kirdoda Valerii had said that his country’s air space was no longer safe for flying and that the airports had been closed.

Nigeria had summoned the Ambassador of Russia Alexei Shebarshin and Valerii following the escalating violence triggered by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia on Thursday.

The minister of foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, who met with the envoys separately behind closed doors, told reporters that during his parley with the Russian envoy, he expressed the displeasure of the Nigerian government over the violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine, a United Nations (UN) member state, and country with which Nigeria has diplomatic relations.

Onyeama also told Shebarshin that Nigeria wants Russia to revert to the status quo before the military action and to prioritise diplomacy and dialogue.

“This is really the position of the government. And also, that we have 5,600 Nigerians in Ukraine and we are very concerned about what we are hearing and what we are seeing regarding missiles and bombs about the safety of our Nigerian citizens there, that we would like to be able to evacuate them,” he said.

According to Onyeama, the Russian envoy promised to communicate the concern of the Nigerian government to his home country, adding that Russia considers Nigeria a friendly nation and would do nothing to harm her citizens. The envoy assured the minister that their action is targeted at military installations and not against civilian areas.
Onyeama said he also discussed with the Russian envoy about the practicalities of how Nigeria can get her citizens out of Ukraine, those who want to leave the country and what measures they could apply to facilitate to safeguard Nigerians in Ukraine, adding that hopefully, the war won’t last long.

On the question about the evacuation of Nigerians from Ukraine, the minister said the issue can only come up when the airports open.

Onyeama said the Russian envoy stated that they would also see some airports as military targets possibly.

The minister further discussed road travel as an alternative to facilitate the evacuation of Nigerians even though some Nigerians have been able to flee into the neighouring countries such as Poland.

The Russian envoy, however, told Onyeama that there might be risk involved, while also saying that Russia was mindful of the civilians from foreign countries and promised to take all the necessary measures to ensure their security.

“He was a lot more sanguine, optimistic that no harm will come to them, but we cannot take any risks,” Onyeama stated.
The minister, after his meeting with the Ukrainian envoy, expressed the sympathy of the Nigerian government to the country over the war imposed on the nation and its people that came under heavy bombardment, which has led to dozens of deaths and injuries and destruction of property.

The minister pointed out that Ukraine is a country that Nigeria has diplomatic relations, a member of the UN and cannot condone the violation of their sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He also told the Ukrainian envoy that Nigeria has over 5,000 students and citizens in the country and was very concerned about their safety and welfare.

“And we certainly want the cooperation of the government of Ukraine to do whatever is possible to ensure their safety and security and to also seek advice as to how the evacuation can be facilitated,” Onyeama said.

According to the minister, the envoy said the Ukrainian government has given all the residents and civilians, specific instructions about how to stay safe and the measures to take.

He said the Nigerian Embassy in Ukraine will also act as a coordinating mechanism in reaching out to all Nigerians in Ukraine and ensure that they adhere to the advice and directives.

On his part, the Ukrainian envoy expressed gratitude to the government and people of Nigeria for their support.

“Right now, we are in a very difficult situation, but we are fighting against the aggression and we believe that we will all win,” the Ukrainian envoy said.

Valerii also said Nigerian students in Ukraine were in the same situation as anybody else in his country.

“Ukrainian government does not differentiate between people on the basis of their nationality and that is the best effort to protect everybody.

“Currently, the evacuation of Nigerian students is not possible because it is not safe to fly on the sky of Ukraine. As soon as it is safe to fly on the sky of Ukraine, we will join the Embassy of Nigeria in Ukraine and jointly with the Nigerian government, we will arrange for the evacuation of Nigerian students,” the envoy said.

On the reports that Nigerians are being conscripted into the Ukrainian army to fight, the envoy noted declared that it was optional.

The FG also raised concerns over the refusal by Poland to allow Nigerians fleeing the conflict in Ukraine into the country even when nationals of other African countries were reportedly being allowed into Poland.

Onyeama raised this issue on behalf of the government when he met with envoys of European Union countries in Abuja yesterday.

Onyeama said the government was receiving emergency calls from Nigerians who were going by road, evacuating Ukraine and a lot of them heading to Poland.

“We have had a number of calls, desperate calls and that there are cases of women and pregnant women and so forth,” Onyeama said.

The minister also said the government was informed that nationals of other African countries were being allowed into Poland and wondered why Nigerians were being denied entry into the country.

According to the minister, the Polish Ambassador to Nigeria, Joanna Tarnawska, has however, assured him to immediately check with the capital in order to address the situation.

Nigeria is preparing to host the president and first lady of Poland, and it appears to the government as an aberration that a situation that people fleeing a global crisis like what is taking place in Ukraine should be prevented from getting out to safety.
“So, we hope that also the European Union and others, and if that is indeed the case, will prevail on, not just necessarily Poland, but also any other border country to please share some sympathy and humanness to refugees fleeing this crisis, be they Nigerians or any other nationality,” Onyeama said.
Tarnawska, in her remarks, however said Poland was taking every necessary step to provide safety for those fleeing Ukraine.

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Yahaya Bello: Court summons EFCC chair over contempt 

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6 hours ago

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April 26, 2024

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Yahaya Bello: Court summons EFCC chair over contempt 

A Kogi State high court has ordered Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, to appear before it on May 13 to show why he should not be convicted for allegedly disobeying its order.

The presiding judge, Isa Jamil Abdullahi, gave the order on Friday while ruling in a suit No: HCL/68M/2024 and motion No: HCL/190M/2024, filed by former Kogi governor, Yahaya Bello.

Bello on February 8, Bello instituted a suit asking the court to restrain the commission from arresting him.

The court granted the injunction restraining the EFCC on February 9.

But the EFCC on March 12 filed an appeal against the order.

However, the commission has filed a notice to withdraw the appeal.

In the notice filed on April 22, the anti-graft agency said the withdrawal was predicated on the fact that events had overtaken the appeal.

The commission also admitted that the appeal was filed out of the time allowed by law.

Bello approached the court again, praying for an order to invite the EFCC chairman and slammed with a contempt of court allegation.

The judge granted Bello’s prayers and ordered Olukoyede to appear before the court to answer the contempt charge.

“The applicant’s application before me is to the effect that the respondent has carried out some acts upon which they have been restrained by this court on February 9, pending the determination of the substantive motion on notice before this court,” the judge held.

“That the said act was carried out by the respondent in violation of the order which was valid and subsisting when they carried out those acts. That same act of the respondent amounts to an act of contempt.

“It’s against the above facts that this court hereby grants the prayers sought in line with the principle of ‘Audi Ultra Patem’ (listen to the other side).

“This matter is adjourned to May 13 for the respondent’s chairman to appear before this court in answer to form 49 ordered to be served on him.”

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Labour shuts NSITF head office over staff salary cut

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13 hours ago

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April 26, 2024

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Labour shuts NSITF head office over staff salary cut

Members of the organised labour, on Friday, protested and shut down the headquarters of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) over alleged cut of workers’ salaries in the agency by the management of the fund.

The aggrieved protesters, led by the President of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo and executive members of the Association of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFE), started their demonstrations at about 11:00am.

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Armed with placards with various inscriptions, the protesters alleged that the management led by Mrs Maureen Allagoa, the Managing Director of the Fund, had made deductions of consequential taxes from their salaries to the tune of N2.1bn which were not remitted.

Addressing the protesters, Osifo said the protest and subsequent shutdown of the Fund became imperative after efforts made by the leadership of ASSBIFE to resolve the issue amicably with the management failed.

The protesters urged President Bola Tinubu to sack the MD of the agency with immediate effect to avert “looming crises” in the Fund and called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe their claims.

Both the MD of the Fund, Mrs Allagoa and spokesman of the Fund, Mr Godson Nwachukwu could not be reached for comments at the time of filing this report.

Labour shuts NSITF head office over staff salary cut

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How ex-Head of Service Oyo-Ita diverted N3bn public funds to private firms

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22 hours ago

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April 26, 2024

By

Winifred Oyo-Ita

How ex-Head of Service Oyo-Ita diverted N3bn public funds to private firms

Hamma Bello, the eighth prosecution witness in the trial of Winifred Oyo-Ita, a former Head of Service of the Federation, has narrated how N3 billion was diverted to private companies.

The witness stated this while testifying before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday about how the defendant and her subordinates diverted public funds into their private companies.

Oyo-Ita, the first defendant, is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, along with her special assistants; Ugbong Effiok (seventh defendant) and Garba Umar (fourth defendant).

Others are six companies: Frontline Ace Global Services Limited, Asanaya Projects Limited, Slopes International Limited, U and U Global Services Ltd, Prince Mega Logistics Ltd, and Good Deal Investments, on 18 counts bordering on misappropriation, official corruption, money laundering, and criminal diversion of funds to the tune of over N3 billion.

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The witness, while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Faruk Abdullahi, and H.M. Mohammed, told the court that Oyo-Ita used Slopes International Limited and Good Deal Investments Limited – fifth and sixth defendants respectively, to fraudulently award government contracts to herself through the fourth defendant, Umar.

The first entry transaction of Good Deal Investment Limited. in February 2019 showed that N42,748,201.47 was paid into its Zenith Bank account.

Umar, the witness said, incorporated the company with Oyo-Ita’s full knowledge.

“We called for the account statements of these two companies, and upon analysing them, we realised he (Umar) was paid several sums of money from the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, where he is an employee.

“And upon interviewing the fourth defendant, he admitted that he was also a contractor. He also admitted to have paid the first defendant on several occasions from the proceeds of the transaction,” the witness said.

On April 27, 2019, the witness disclosed that a transfer of N20, 2027, 142 was made in the name of Ibrahim Madu to the Zenith Bank account of Asanaya Projects Limited.

The mandate card of the account bears the signature and photo of the seventh defendant, Effiok.

Investigation, according to the witness, also revealed that the seventh defendant incorporated Asanaya Projects Limited in his name with the knowledge of the first defendant and that approvals were granted and payments made to the seventh defendant either through his personal account or to the account of the company.

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The witness said, “The seventh defendant, upon interview, confirmed he had never travelled for most of the funds he received and that the first defendant was aware of and benefitted on several occasions from the funds. The account of U and U Global Services Limited was also opened by the seventh defendant.

“In summary, from 2015 to 2018, U and U Global Limited received several payments in the form of Duty Tour Allowances and estacodes. Sometimes, payments from the federal government were made directly to the account, for instance, on March 24, 2016, he received N40, 313, 453. 58. This particular payment was from the federal government.”

Further in his testimony, the witness stated that, “Exhibit O is the Fidelity Bank account of Prince Mega Logistics Ltd. On March 27, 2018, and April 6, 2018, there were four entries, N4, 950 000; N3,946,000, N4,676,000 and N1,478,000, from Thomson Titus Okure, who used to be a colleague of the seventh defendant in the Account Department.

“There were also outward payments to Ignom, Minaro Blessing, Winifred Oyo-Ita, Olarenwaju Godman Olushola and the seventh defendant is the sole signatory of this account.”

Speaking further, he said, “I also want to add that we invited the first, second and seventh defendant at different times to our office and interviewed them. In the case of the first defendant, we printed chats from her phone and saw conversations she had with contractors, subordinates, and permanent secretaries. She also voluntarily made a statement to the EFCC.”

The matter was adjourned till April 30, 2024.

(SAHARAREPORTERS)

How ex-Head of Service Oyo-Ita diverted N3bn public funds to private firms

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