UPDATE: Court remands Obadina in prison for N2.4bn scam

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday ordered the remand of an owner of Almond Projects Limited, Olugbenga Obadina, in Kuje prison, Abuja.

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba made the remand order after Obadina was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on eight counts of money laundering.

The judge ordered that the accused be kept in prison pending when his bail application would be heard and determined.

The judge then fixed the hearing of the bail application for July 18.

The EFCC on  Friday arraigned Obadina and his company, Almond Projects Limited, on eight counts of money laundering involving alleged criminal breach of trust and corruption to the tune of N2.4bn.

‎Obadina allegedly collected a sum of N2.417bn from the account of the Office of the National Security Adviser under Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd) without any contract award.

He allegedly collected the sum of N2.417bn through his company’s bank account in tranches between 2013 and 2015.

The accused pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The alleged offences were said to be contrary to Section 15(2), (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.

After the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges, the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Aso Peters, urged the court to remand the accused in prison and fix date for trial.

‎But Obadina’s lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN), informed the court that he had  filed a bail application for his client and same had  been served on the prosecution.

Peters said that the prosecution was only served on July 13 and that he was entitled to 48 hours to respond.

He also said that a further affidavit deposed to by the defence mentioned by defence lawyer had not been served on the prosecution.

The judge then fixed July 18 for the bail application.

APC accuses Gov Wike of planning to use N9b loan for rerun election

Port Harcourt - The Rivers State chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC, has alleged that the state governor, Nyesom Wike is planning to use the N9 billion fresh loan to prosecute the July 30 rerun election in the state.

The party in a statement signed by its Chairman, Davies Ikanya on Monday, described the approval given for the loan by the Rivers State House of Assembly as wicked.

The statement reads:  Rivers APC is convinced that, just like the governor committed Rivers people to a N10 billion loan to host and write off the failed PDP national convention in Port Harcourt last May, Gov. Nyesom Wike is, this time, borrowing N9 billion to prosecute the forthcoming July 30 rerun election in Rivers State as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.”

The APC believed this action accentuates the level of feverish desperation that has enveloped the governor who it further said is infamous for coming to power at the needless expense of several lives of innocent Rivers people and Nigerians.

 “Beyond going for the loan to be able to buy his way through, Gov. Wike has, under the guise of amnesty, primed his killing machines ably commanded by his murderous field commanders in the ONELGA, Ahoada East & West, Abua/Odual, Gokana-Khana-Tai and ASALGA-AKULGA-DELGA axes of Rivers State under the guise of illegal amnesty.”

“Gov. Nyesom Wike is obviously frightened by the prospect of his candidates losing in the forthcoming rerun elections especially in the Rivers South-East axis where his morbid fear for the rising profile and popularity of erudite lawyer, politician and grassroots man, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe has become unbearable for him hence the need to go back to his killing strategy”

The APC is calling on the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Foluso Adebanjo, the acting Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Kpotum Idris and heads of other security agencies to step in to halt another killing spree before, during and after the forthcoming rerun elections by Gov. Nyesom Wike’s private soldiers across Rivers State.

“The APC is convinced that the recent changes in the nation’s security apparatus will prevent a repeat of the orgy of killings in Rivers State especially during the forthcoming rerun elections."