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US, Bagudu’s brother move to resolve Kebbi gov money laundering case
The United States is close to reaching an agreement with the brother of Kebbi State Governor, Abubakar Bagudu, to resolve a court case over more than $140 million that it said was laundered by the governor.
Bloomberg disclosed that the Justice Department had been trying to seize four investment portfolios held in trust for Bagudu and his family since 2013.
The US alleged that Bagudu, 60, was part of a network controlled by former dictator Sani Abacha that misappropriated billions of dollars from state coffers in the 1990s.
However, Governor Bagudu has always maintained his innocence of the alleged crime.
The US and Bagudu’s brother, Ibrahim, applied on August 3, to suspend the case that is ongoing in a federal court in Washington, DC.
They “agreed upon the principal terms of a settlement” on July 19 and “believe a brief stay will allow the parties to reach a final agreement resolving the litigation,” it quoted their joint motion to have stated.
The judge, who accepted the request, ordered the parties to provide an update on their negotiations by November 2. The motion didn’t provide any details about the contents of the potential settlement.
Bagudu is the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Governors’ Forum, an influential body of governors and recently oversaw the party’s selection of Bola Tinubu as its presidential candidate for next February’s general elections.
Ibrahim Bagudu, who is entitled to an annuity from the assets, had challenged the forfeiture efforts.
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The US and Ibrahim Bagudu have been negotiating a broader agreement that includes his brother as well as the Nigerian and United Kingdom governments, documents filed during the litigation show.
A UK court froze the investment portfolios in 2014 after a request from the US.
The government of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari had said it was unable to assist the US because it’s bound by a settlement Abubakar Bagudu reached with a previous administration in 2003.
That arrangement allowed Bagudu to return $163 million to the Nigerian authorities, which in exchange dropped all outstanding civil and criminal claims against him, according to court filings.
Buhari’s government and Bagudu concluded a new agreement in 2018, that would see ownership of the investment portfolios worth €141 million ($144 million) in late 2019 — transferred to the Nigerian state, which would then pay €98.5 million to Bagudu and his affiliates, according to US court documents.
Buhari’s administration had applied to the UK court to unfreeze the assets.
While the US and Ibrahim Bagudu obtained an initial stay in early 2020 to explore an out-of-court resolution, they said in March that those talks had reached an “impasse” and the case should restart. Discussions continued following the resumption of the litigation five months ago.
The US Department of Justice declined to comment. Spokesmen for Nigerian Attorney General Abubakar Malami, as well as lawyers for the Bagudu brothers, didn’t respond to requests for comment, according to Bloomberg.
metro
Rivers: You’ve reduced yourself to a ridiculous level, Wike fires back at Odili
Rivers: You’ve reduced yourself to a ridiculous level, Wike fires back at Odili
Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Nyesom Wike has knocked a former Governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Odili over a recent remark against his principal.
News Direct reports that Odili had during a Christmas ballad organized by himself in honour of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his family, said that the incumbent Governor courageously stopped Wike from making Rivers State his private estate.
According to Odili, Fubara summoned an unusual fortitude to confront the quest by the FCT Minister to capture the state through ferocious but unnecessary political war.
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Reacting, Olayinka in a post on his official X handle, described Odili’s comment as disappointing, stating that the former governor, who is expected to act as an elder statesman, has reduced himself to a ridiculous level.
Olayinka said in the coming days, Odili would get a deserved response from the FCT Minister.
“I Read the comments made by the former Governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili on the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, today, and I can’t but be disappointed that someone who should be acting like an elder statesman can reduce himself to such ridiculous level of partisanship.
“Well, he will get his deserved response from the FCT Minister in due course”, Olayinka wrote.
Rivers: You’ve reduced yourself to a ridiculous level, Wike fires back at Odili
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Lagos govt insists nightclubs, worship centres must obtain permit for amplified sound
Lagos govt insists nightclubs, worship centres must obtain permit for amplified sound
The Lagos State Government has rolled out stricter measures to combat noise pollution, requiring nightclubs, lounges, bars, and worship centres to obtain permits for events involving amplified sound.
The measure, it said, aimed to safeguard the health and well-being of Lagosians during the festive season and beyond.
Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced this via his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday, emphasizing the government’s zero-tolerance stance on noise pollution.
Wahab highlighted that events with amplified sound must be conducted in soundproofed, enclosed spaces to protect residents from the harmful effects of excessive noise.
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“Establishments such as worship centers, nightclubs, lounges, and bars must now obtain permits for events involving amplified sound and ensure these activities take place in soundproofed, enclosed spaces to protect neighboring residents,” the statement read in part.
To enforce these directives, the government said it had established a Special Task Force on Noise Pollution under the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).
This task force, in collaboration with the Lagos State Neighborhood Safety Corps (LSNSC) and the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), would oversee compliance, arrest offenders, and prosecute violators of noise regulations, it stated.
The statement further noted that starting January 2025, the government would roll out a public awareness campaign to educate Lagosians on acceptable noise levels and the benefits of a quieter environment.
Lagos govt insists nightclubs, worship centres must obtain permit for amplified sound
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Alleged missing N180m: It’s a prank, Singer Dammy Krane says
Alleged missing N180m: It’s a prank, Singer Dammy Krane says
Singer, Dammy Krane has stated that social critic, Very Dark Man, is joking with claims that N180 million was diverted from the NGO account he created in October this year.
VDM shocked Nigerians on Friday, December 27 when he released a video claiming hackers had breached his NGO website and moved N180m leaving only N20 million.
The news shocked many Nigerians who took to social media to slam him.
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However, in a post shared on his Instagram page this evening, Dammy Krane claimed that VDM is renovating a school in Jos, and was only joking with the story of stolen funds.
Also, a Human Rights activist, Omotayo Williams, claimed the man VDM showed in his video as an officer accompanying him to Jos is a well-known member of the Kogi State Taxi Taskforce.
Alleged missing N180m: It’s a prank, Singer Dammy Krane says
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