Two feared dead as IPOB, Police clash in Anambra

Two persons were feared dead on Friday when members of the
Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, (IPOB) and officers of the Nigerian
Police Force, Nnewi division clashed in Nnewi, Anambra State.

The deceased, a police officer and a member of the pro-Biafran
group, were reportedly killed during the fracas said to have
triggered at the popular Nkwo Nnewi Market.

The our reporter gathered that members of the pro-Biafran group,
numbering over 2000, had stormed the market to drive home their “no
referendum, no 2019 election” agitation.

The protesters, with each waving the Biafran flag, moved round,
and asked people in the market not to participate in the elections
unless the federal government were ready to heed to their demand of
conducting referendum.

Our correspondent gathered that problem ensured following the
arrival of police operatives to the scene in three hilux vans who
attempted to stop the protesters.

“Members of the group pounced on the police officers and
destroyed their vans, leaving two people dead in the process,” an
eye witness said.

The fracas was said to have led to the abrupt closure of the
markets around 2:30pm as traders were seen scampering for
safety.

The IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, had
earlier in a statement, said members of the group were in the
industrial city of the state to express joy over the second coming
of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu in Jerusalem.

He said the reappearance of their leader was a clear testimony
that the struggle for Biafra actualization was divine.

“IPOB volunteers marched along all major streets and roads of
Biafraland today to register their happiness over the second coming
and reappearance of our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in Jerusalem, the
state of Israel last month.

The statement read partly, “Our leader’s reappearance in Israel
after the Nigerian government and her security forces including the
Nigerian Army, Air force and Naval forces invaded his compound at
Afaraukwu Ibeku Umuahia in Abia State last year September is
clearly an indication to all and sundry that God Almighty is behind
the struggle for Biafra liberation.

“Biafrans are equally today showcasing to the world that we are
ready to boycott every Nigerian elections come 2019 especially
presidential election next year.

“Our march today on the roads and streets across Biafraland must
send signals to politicians and saboteurs among us that Biafrans
are determined to leave the prison called Nigeria where British
government experimented to lead black Africans and other black
nations across the globe but failed to live up to the expectations
for over 100 years because of the Hausa Fulani caliphate
dominations.

“IPOB rally and march today being 23rd November, 2018 is ongoing
in all the states across Biafraland like Rivers, Enugu, Abia,
Anambra, Delta, Imo, Ebonyi, Cross Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and
other Biafra clans and tribes fraudulently caved into Kogi, Benue
and Edo States, the unrelented efforts by IPOB family worldwide to
restore Biafra sovereignty must continue unless Nigeria Government
and it’s handlers give us date for Biafra referendum to ascertain
whether our people wants to continue stay in Nigeria or not.

“We are much aware that some unscrupulous individuals and groups
including those Biafran stocks who work with Nigeria Government and
those who prefer to be slaves in their own fathers land to the
detriment of Biafra restoration project.

“IPOB is divinely ordained restore Biafra sovereignty out of
this enclave called Nigeria. We are coming to show Nigerians and
its handlers including their security apparatus what is called
civil disobedience because IPOB is more of intellectuals than
daft.”

Related

Magu Urges Diasporans to Own Corruption
Fight

Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, Ibrahim Magu has appealed to Nigerians in the Diaspora to own
the fight against corruption. Magu who was speaking today, Friday,
23rd November, 2018, as a guest speaker at the Black History Month
of the School of Business and Management Studies of the Queen Mary
University of London, said for the fight against corruption to be
effectively won in Africa, the job of fighting the scourge should
not be left in the hands of the government or anti- corruption
agencies alone.

In a paper titled “Taming Corruption: The way forward for
African Development” the anti-graft czar said Africa has been
baring the grunts of corruption for so long that developmental
efforts of government gets truncated as corrupt individuals divert
public funds to private pockets.

“This presentation supports the view that corruption is one of
the factors that contributed to the current predicament of the
African continent. The World Bank estimates that about $1 trillion
are given out as bribe worldwide annually, representing about 3
percent of world GDP.

There is another dimension of corruption in Africa that is worth
mentioning because of its greater destructive potentials. This
pertains to large scale corruption perpetrated by the ruling elite,
top government bureaucrats, politicians, business men, bank
executives, captains of industries in the private sector and the
rest. For example, between 1970 and 1996, capital flight from
sub-Saharan Africa through corruption totalled $187 billion, an
amount that exceeded the external debts of the countries
involved.”

This unprecedented financial pilferage, indulged by the African
ruling elites and their domestic and foreign collaborators, Magu
opined, have produced two immediate consequences.

“Firstly, the huge amount stolen by them and taken out of the
continent and hidden in safe havens in Europe, North America, Asia
and other places have virtually crippled socio-economic development
in Africa. Secondly, the corrupt acts of these unpatriotic African
looters have grounded many private and public enterprises, pushing
some countries to the verge of financial ruin.”

According to Magu, throughout the African continent, corruption
has caused severe wastage and misallocation of resources, delayed
growth and socio-economic development through missed investment
opportunity, lowered growth and widened inequalities. Likewise,
corruption continues to decrease government revenues, undermine
private sector development and increases inefficiency in the public
sector.

Magu said these massive effect of corruption on the continent is
what should raise a concern especially as corruption now
discourages Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) by creating economic
uncertainties, increasing operating costs, and distorting
incentives for investment. “Corruption is the single greatest
obstacle to economic and social development”, he added.

He thanked the organizers for choosing such a topic and for
initiation and engagement with stakeholders towards taming the
corruption monster.

“Taming corruption is, therefore, the only way forward for
Africa in its quest for economic development, political stability
and social progress. Fortunately, the task of taming corruption in
the continent is being undertaken by anti-corruption agencies
within individual African nations, and through collaboration with a
number of international agencies”, he explained.

The African Development Adviser to the Research Centre Tunde
Alabi said they chose to have Magu speak about the Nigeria’s
efforts toward eradicating corruption because of the milestone
achievements the EFCC has recorded under him.

He stated that corruption has become a cancer in Nigeria and it
requires the support of all Nigerians especially those in the
Diaspora to use their voice and network to put pressure on Nigerian
government to build a strong institution that will tackle
corruption before it kills Nigeria.

In his reaction, the Director of the Research Center, Queen Mary
University of London, Dr. Bakre Owolabi said that if Nigeria
succeeds, Africa will succeed. He added “It is the strategic policy
of the Centre for African Research, Queen Mary University of London
to look for African led solution to African problems”.

“Corruption remains the biggest problem facing Africa. The
decision to invite Mr Ibrahim Magu to deliver a lecture at Queen
Mary University is due to his record of achievements in office
despite the challenges he faces”, Owolabi said.

Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity

EFCC Arraigns Ex-Kaduna District Head for N7m
Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has arraigned
one John Ma’aji Kwasau before Justice M.T. Tukur of a Kaduna State
High Court on a one-count charge bordering on obtaining by false
pretence.

Kwasau, who was the District Head of Duste Gaya, Kajuru Local
Government Area in Kaduna State, allegedly posed as a heir to the
estate of late Honourable M.I. Yakubu.

He had allegedly deceived Nura Muhammad into believing that he
had the mandate of the family of the deceased to legally dispose
off a landed property on their behalf.

Having duly convinced him about the interest of the family to
sell the plot of land, Nura paid him N7 million. However, he later
informed Nura that he was yet to secure the authority of the family
to sell the plot of land.

Several appeals by his victim to have his money refunded was
rebuffed, thus, Nura took his cry to the EFCC.

Count one of the charge reads: “That you, John Ma’aji Kwasau
sometime in 2013, in Kajuru, Kaduna State within the Judicial
Division of the Honourable Court with intent to defraud, did obtain
the sum of N7,000,000 (Seven Million Naira) from Alhaji Nura
Muhammad under false pretence that you had the authority of the
members of Hon. Yakubu M. Ishaya’s family to dispose off their
landed property situated at Mararaba Girku, Nassarawa State, a
pretence you knew is false and you thereby committed an offence
under Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud Related Offences
Act and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

He pleaded “not guilty” when the charges were read to him.

Prosecuting counsel, Esmond Kogi, urged the court to fix a date
for commencement of trial.

Defence counsel, A. Maisamari, on his part, moved an application
for the bail of his client.

Justice Tukur, thereafter granted the defendant bail in the sum
of N1 million and a surety in like sum who must own a property
within the Kaduna metropolis with a certified Certificate of
Occupancy, C of O.

The case has been adjourned to January 24, 2019 for commencement
of trial.

Tony Orilade

Ag. Head, Media & Publicity

23rd November, 2018