Alleged N100b Contract: Petitioner Can’t Prove Allegation Against Alpha Beta, Says EFCC

…Says reporter apologises for rushing to the press

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Saturday
said a petitioner, Dapo Apara has not substantiated his allegation
of a N100billion scam against.

It said although the investigation of the firm has been ongoing,
it will not act on hearsays.

The anti-graft agency, however, said its doors are open if Apara
has any further proof with regards to his petition.

The EFCC, which made the clarifications in a statement by its
Acting, Head, Media and Publicity, Mr. Tony Orilade said it was
false to claim that it has not acted on Apara’s petition in the
last one year.

The statement said a reporter sent apologies for not reflecting
EFCC’s part in the story.

The statement said: “The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission has noted a story in THE PUNCH newspaper of Saturday,
July 13, 2019, titled: Osinbajo’s firm linked to company fingered
in alleged N100bn Alpha Beta scam.

“While not denying the fact that such petition was received on
Alpha Beta by the Commission last year, preliminary investigation
has shown that the petitioner did not substantiate the allegation
contained in his petition.

“For the records, the Alpha Beta investigation is ongoing and we
have nothing to hide over the matter.

“If the petitioner has any further proof with regards to the
petition, our doors are wide open.”

The EFCC said it does not conduct its investigation on hear
says.

It added: “As a tradition, we do not deal on hearsays, we act on
facts and raw data.

“The Commission will not allow anybody to drag its name and
reputation into the mud for ill-motive reasons.

“To underscore the desperation of the editorial team that
anchored the report, Mr. Tobi Aworinde contacted the Commission’s
acting Spokesperson at exactly 9:44 pm on Friday, July 12, 2019, on
the subject matter.

“Mr. Aworinde called the Spokesperson to know the position of
the Commission on the petition. The Spokesperson sent a response
via a WhatsApp platform. Unfortunately, this response was not
captured in the Punch report.

“When contacted why the response of the Spokesperson was not
reflected in the report, Mr. Aworinde replied and said: “I
forwarded the message as soon as I got it.

“It must have been the race to press. We were behind on our
production deadline when I called for the reaction. My apologies
sir”.

“There is no doubt that the ‘race to press’ and ‘we were behind
our production deadline when I called for reaction’, as explained
by Aworinde, is suggestive that there was an agenda and a
motive.”

The anti-graft agency said it has attended to Apara’s petition
contrary to insinuations.

It said: “It is erroneous for the newspaper to claim that the
Commission did not do anything in respect to the petition for one
year.

“It is also unfortunate and unprofessional for a paper like The
Punch Newspapers to champion such misinformation and also rush to
the press on a sensitive matter like this.

“As we continue our investigation, we urge the media to be
circumspect, fair and balance in their reportage.”

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PHOTO: Police Nab Kidnapping-Teenagers for
Murder

SUSPECTS: 1. IBRAHIM AHMAD 20YRS OLD OF DARMANAWA QRTS,
KANO.
2. ABDULMAJID MOHD ‘M’, AND
3. MUSA SUNUSI ‘M’ BOTH 18YEARS OLD OF SHEKA QTRS, KUMBOTSO LGA,
KANO STATE.

VICTIM: AHMAD ADO ‘M’ 5YEARS OLD OF KARKASARA QRTS KANO.

In line with the Inspector General of Police directives on
operation Puff Adder and the command’s effort to rid the state in
all forms of Kidnapping, Armed Robbery, Banditry and other
criminalities, on the 10/07/2019 at about 1330hrs, the police
received a report that one Ahmad Ado ‘M’ 5years old of Karkasara
Quarters Kano was kidnapped by unknown persons at Ma’ahat Nursery
and Primary School Karkasara Kano, and that the kidnappers
contacted the family to pay the sum of Fifty Million Naira
(N50,000,000) as Ransom.

Team of operation Puff Adder detectives from Anti-Kidnapping
Squad immediately swung into action, using technical intelligence
arrested the principal suspect one Ibrahim Ahmad ‘M’ aged 20years
old of Darmanawa Quarters Kano. On interrogation, two of his
accomplices, Abdulmajid Mohd ‘M’ and Musa Sunusi ‘M’ both 18years
old of Sheka Quarters, Kumbotso LGA Kano State were instantly
arrested.

Suspects confessed to have over-drugged the victim after the
kidnap which subsequently led to his death at Sheka Sabuwa Abuja
Quarters, Kumbotso LGA. They went ahead and buried the dead body in
a shallow grave at an uncompleted building. The scene was visited
by experts and the dead body exhumed. Investigation has commenced
and suspects will be charged to court after investigation.

We are drawing the attention of all law-abiding and good
citizens of Kano State to be wary of all sundries, family and
friends around them, as criminals are constantly changing their
modus, and criminals have no signs, marks, plate number or
registration number.

Therefore, the command is using this means to warn that,
criminals have no hiding place in the state. They are strictly
advice to repent, leave the state completely or they will be
arrested and charged before a competent court of law.

CP Ahmed Iliyasu
Commissioner of Police Kano