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Read Top Naija News Headlines Today,5 October 2022
Nigerian Newspapers, read top Naija News headlines today, 5 October 2022 below.
NAIJA NEWS NG has compiled top Naija News headlines from Nigerian newspapers today, this means the latest Naija news, top newspaper headlines, and happenings in Nigeria can be accessed on this page.
A statement obtained by Peoples Gazette reveals how Chimaroke Nnamani stole $41.8 million from Enugu State treasury.
The statement shows how he used the ill-gotten riches to acquire luxury assets in Florida , USA .
The 2009 complaint seen by The Gazette said Mr Nnamani, whom the FBI described as an American citizen, connived with his sister Chinero Nwigwe to steal public funds when he led Enugu between May 1999 and May 2007. Peter Mbah, Sam Ejiofor and Chika Ohaa were also named in the court documents as Mr Nnamani’s co-conspirators.
The FBI said Mr Nnamani, a medical doctor, stole $41.868,877.05 in one of several illicit schemes he pulled as Enugu governor. Authorities said the money was about N5.3 billion at the time, but it’s now worth around N31 billion today.
READ : Asari Dokubo Threatens Obidients With AK-47, Aisha Yesufu Reacts
The FBI had argued that “Chimaroke Nnamani’s official salary as governor is the equivalent of $10,670 per year; thus, it appears unlikely that Nnamani possesses an adequate source of legitimate income to account for the purchase” of the lush real estate he amassed in Florida.
Judge Williams Acker of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama ordered forfeitures of Mr Nnamani’s assets to the U.S. government after finding that the Nigerian politician was not earning enough as governor to justify the millions of dollars in his possession.
Mr Nnamani, who has recently cut himself as a moral, prudent leader devoid of corrupt practices long typical of a Nigerian politician, did not return The Gazette’s request seeking comments about his U.S. corruption case, which has gone unreported until now and comes days after he was nominated as a senior member of the presidential campaign council of Bola Tinubu.
Although it was unclear whether or not Mr Nnamani has accepted Mr Tinubu’s job offer to serve in the All Progressives Congress’ presidential campaign despite being a senator and member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, his failure to publicly comment on the development more than a week after it was announced has left even his staunch allies confused as to where he stands in Nigeria’s general elections coming up in February 2023.
American authorities further stated that Mr Nnamani was “involved in a scheme to defraud the State of Enugu, Federal Republic of Nigeria, in violation of Nigerian law since at least 2003 and continuing until at least 2005.”
Mr Nnamani opened 20 bank accounts with AmSouth Bank in Orlando, Florida, where he stashed his loot even while serving as governor and was fully aware that it was illegal to maintain bank accounts abroad as an elected public official in Nigeria. Mr Nnamani had set up a firm Rock City Group, LLC, to carry out the fraud, documents said.
Parts of the stolen funds were used to lock down posh assets in Florida, with authorities stating Mr Nnamani paid $1.8 million in cash to buy his Heathrow residence.
“On February 22, 2007, Nnamani paid a total of $1,800,000 in cash” to buy a proper at 1972 Bridgewater Drive, Heathrow, Florida, filings said.
Following a lengthy trial that began in July 2007, Judge Acker granted the FBI’s request to forfeit all properties linked to Mr Nnamani’s fraud to the U.S. government on May 13, 2009.
It was not immediately clear whether or not Mr Nnamani’s successors tried to pursue repatriation of his loot to the state, which has less than N150 billion in an annual budget that is largely unfunded. A spokesman for the state’s current administration did not return a request seeking comments.
It was also unclear whether or not the FBI filed separate criminal charges against Mr Nnamani, but the Nigerian politician had faced separate forfeiture proceedings in Nigeria and lost, especially in 2015 when a federal judge ordered forfeiture of some multibillion-naira assets linked to him in Nigeria.
Aisha Yesufu Human Rights Activitist and Obidient has reacted to Asari Dokubo’s threats to Peter Obi’s supporters .
Naija News NG reports that a viral Update surfaced online in which Asari Dokubo was seen brandishing an AK-47 while critizing Peter Obi’s supporters .
READ : Asari Dokubo Rubbishes Wike’s Presidential Ambition
This Update got the attention of many Nigerians including frontline Peter Obi supporter, Aisha Yesufu .
She said if the million marches of the obidients make them unhappy, they can do a march greater than that by organising billion marches.
Her post reads, “Tell am say make e grow up. Na small children dey use AK47 now. Old people dey build not childish threats. Help me tell am say we don all kpeme tey tey. The million marches dey pepper their body! Make dem do their own for billion capacity field”
Naija News NG reports that the Nyesom Wike led G-5 Governors had a meeting in Enugu State.
The group, which comprises of the governors of Enugu, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Benue, Samuel Ortom; Oyo, Seyi Makinde, and Abia, Okezie Ikpeazu are still demanding that the national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, must be replaced with a Southerner before they could participate in the PDP presidential campaign.
Atiku, according to a highly placed source, is under severe pressure to succumb to their demands as tension mounts among leaders of the PDP over the continued crisis in the opposition party.
READ : Details Of Wike And Atiku’s Meeting Emerge
The source discloses to Daily Sun that senior members of the PDP are pressuring Atiku, a former vice-president, to accept the demands of the Wike group so as to unite the party before the 2023 election.
It was gathered that the five governors at their Enugu meeting insisted that there is no going back on the sack of the national chairman as a condition for their participation in the PDP presidential election.
Also reacting to the development, a member of the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC), who is pro- Ayu, told Daily Sun that Wike and his men are unrelenting in the demand that the national chairman must be replaced.
According to the NEC member, Atiku is not against the removal of Ayu, but he wants due process to be followed to carry out the act.
Naija News reports that Atiku and the Wike group have been at loggerheads since the nomination of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Delta State governor Ifeanyi Okowa as presidential and vice presidential candidates, respectively.
Lekan Ishola a Public Relations expert has knocked the highly criticized Update of Bola Tinubu on a bicycle.
Naija News NG reports that Mr Ishola wrote on his Facebook page that showing Nigerians a Bola Tinubu riding a stationary bicycle is the worst PR strategy to come out of a team of so called media egg heads Bola Tinubu is paying heavily to retain.
He also offered a better strategy that his PR team should have used .
Nigerians debate Bola Tinubu’s contribution to the development of Lagos
Read his words below:
That Ashiwaju Update would make a hit were it to come from one of the minor, peripheral candidates. Not from the JAGABAN, reputed for his political astuteness, strategic masterclass and erudition. It’s a product of very poor strategic PR/Political communication. It shows the so called professionals retained by the man on huge pay are just earning the so called humongous money in exchange for poor tactical offerings.
If I were one of them, on the Independence Day, I would sit a well suited or shirt wearing, corporately dressed Ashiwaju down behind a real working table, with proper workstation setting and a motif of Nigeria’s map conspicuously displayed -with equally corporately attired guests having a brainstorming session with him on Nigeria’s future; and from this busy schedule, he would take a break to give a 5-minute Independence Day address to Nigerians and his supporters. Then, he would switch back to continue the halted brainstorming session. I would show Nigerians that, home or abroad, he is working on the Nigerian project. That would show that he is prepared and still preparing, fit, connected to the nation and ever in charge. Of course, part of his speech would explain his absence at the Peace Accord treaty and the non take off of his campaign being due to putting finishing touches to the solution template he has prepared. Never would I show a Update of him managing to stay fit (that confirms a reactionary communication perspective and the clichéd picture of Nero fiddling while Rome burns)! So, what has the released Update of bike riding Ashiwaju in London confirmed if not the evidence of a man battling with a personal need to stay healthy? A man whose Independence Day address was released by his media organ while he was confined to a room undertaking fitness exercise cannot be said to be at full readiness for the mental and physical demands of this race… Sad, Jagaban is being managed as a 3rd rate brand. The PR team is a wash!!!!
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