Farouk, Emenalo reject prison food...

Farouk Lawan, and the Secretary of the Ad Hoc Committee on Monitoring of Fuel Subsidy Regime, Boniface Emenalo, who are being detained at Kuje Prison, Abuja, on a court order, are enjoying special treatment that includes food cooked outside the prison wall.

Both of them are being kept in a ‘choice cell’ befitting their status as Very Important Personalities.

It was learnt that Lawan had remained reserved and withdrawn on being booked into the prison by officials.

Information gathered also reveal that his relations were making plans to reach an understanding with the management of the prison to allow them bring in a new mattress for the lawmaker.

Findings indicated that when Lawan and Boniface Emenalo got to the prison facility, the atmosphere changed as the inmates on hearing about the calibre of the new detainees, were happy that their living condition would change during the stay of the lawmakers.

$620k Bribe: Farouk Lawan Remanded in Prison...

A member of the House of Representatives, Farouk Lawan, was on Friday remanded in prison custody.

This followed his arraignment by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission at a Federal Capital Territory High Court.

He was arraigned on seven counts of criminal dealing.

The charge stems from allegations made against him by a businessman, Mr. Femi Otedola, that the lawmaker demanded and received $620,000 as bribe from him while he (Lawan) served as the chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee on Monitoring of Fuel Subsidy Regime.

Lawan had denied the allegation, claiming that he collected the money in order to expose Otedola’s attempt to bribe him.

The lawmaker will spend a week in prison before the court determines whether to grant or refuse his bail application.

Subsidy Fraud: Wogu Denies Ownership of Pinnacle Contractors

The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, has again denied having any link with Pinnacle Contractors Limited which was indicted in the illegal payment of N2.7 billion for fuel that was allegedly never supplied.

Wogu insisted that the said firm was sold by his family to Master Energy Oil and Gas Limited in March 2010 for an “agreed sum of which payments have been effected in accordance to the sales agreement.”

These, he said in reaction to calls for his resignation in some quarters linking him with the subsidy fraud especially as he heads the White Paper Committee on the Nuhu Ribadu-led Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force.

Fuel Subsidy Scam: EFCC Re-arraigns Ahmadu Ali’s Son, Others

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Monday re-arraigned Mamman Nasir Ali, the son of the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ahmadu Ali and three others before an Ikeja High Court over an alleged N4.4 billion fuel subsidy fraud.

The defendants were re-arraigned before Jusice Adeniyi Onigbanjo on a 13-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretence, forgery and the use of false documents.

One of the defendants, Abdulazeez Afis is said to still be at large. Others arraigned alongside Ali were Christian Taylor, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and Nasaman Oil Services.

EFCC had initially arraigned Ali  alongside Christian Taylor and Nasaman Oil Services on July 26 for an alleged N2.2 billion fuel subsidy fraud before amending the charge which led to their re-arraignment yesterday.

Mamman Nasir Ali

Oil thieves now Robin Hood in the Niger Delta...

An interesting dimension to the problem of oil theft in the Niger Delta Area, it has been revealed, is that oil thieves now embark on corporate social responsibilities, by building roads, hospitals, schools and engaging in other community development projects.

However, beginning from today, the Niger Delta will witness a massive military operation as the Nigerian Navy deploys eight warships, six gunboats and three halicopters, including aircraft used for maritime patrol by the Nigerian Air Force, to engage oil thieves who are bleeding the nation’s economy through illegal bunkering and flush them out of the region.

This development is coming on the heels of the criminal activities of oil thieves and the brazen manner they operate in the Niger Delta on a daily basis, which are already creating grave concern for stakeholders in the oil sector. Besides, official sources said the Federal Government was losing over $5 billion to the thieves annually.

Capital Oil CEO granted bail finally...

Billionaire business man and CEO of Capital Oil ltd Ifeanyi Uba has finally been granted bail after spending about 10 days with the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) in a dingy little cell in ikoyi. He was arrested in relation to a N43b oil subsidy misappropriation by a panel set up by the Federal Government...