Seven British citizens, three Russians and four other foreign nationals have been charged to court in Lagos for what the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), described as illegal dealing in petroleum products. They are facing prosecution before a Federal High Court, Lagos.

The Britons are Hilarion Teofilo Regipor, Cadavis Gerardo, Baduria Benjamin, Naranjo Allian Antero, Patro Christian, Alcayde Joel, Carantiquit Micheal Bryan — and three vessels- MT Anukt Emerald, Monjasa DMCC, and Glencore Energy UK Ltd.

The three Russians are Arthur Pakhladzhian, Vasaliy Shkundich and Kretov Andrey.

Others are one Japanese, Sergio Abgarian; three Ukrainians — Vitalis Biluos, Laguta Olesksiy and Chepikov Oleksan.

The foreigners are standing trial on a four-count charge of conspiracy, unlawful dealing and storage of petroleum products without lawful authority.

According to the charge, the accused committed the offences on Feb. 27 within the jurisdiction of the court.

It alleged that they stored 1,500 tonnes of automated gas oil inside the MT Anuket Emerald’s Cargo tank.

The charge also alleged that they stored 3,035 tonnes of Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO) in other tanks.

The agency said that offences contravened Sections 4, 17, 19 (6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act and the Petroleum Act, Laws of Federation.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them in the dock.

Consequently, the Prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, urged the court to remand them in prison custody pending their trial.

However, Mr Babajide Koku, the Defence counsel, in an oral application for bail, urged the court to admit his clients to bail on self-recognition.

Koku also told the court that in a situation where the accused could not produce the sureties, he (accused) had promised to provide bank guarantee of N750 million.

Oyedepo, opposed the application on grounds that the authority which was cited by the counsel did not apply to the case at hand, because the accused were not Nigerians.

He, therefore, urged the court to impose stringent bail conditions on them.

The presiding judge, Justice Ibrahim Buba, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N50 million with one surety each in like sum.

Buba added that the accused should deposit their international passports with the EFCC and be remanded in prison custody until the perfection of their bail conditions.

The case was adjourned till June 17, 18 and 19 for trial. [myad]

Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has indicated that he would reduce the number of ministries, and therefore, commissioners from the 24 which the immediate past governor maintained to 13.

Under the arrangement, according to a statement today by the Special Assistant for Media and Publicity to the Governor, Samuel Aruwan, the Minister for Lands, Survey and Country Planning will be moved to the Governor’s Office as a department while the Ministry for Rural and Community Development will become a department of the Deputy Governor’s office.

The statement said that the information Ministry will no longer be centralized but instead, each ministry will have it’s own Public Relations unit that is connected to the Office of the Chief Executive.

The statement disclosed that, the Governor will also limit the number of aides whom the 13 commissioners will be allowed to recruit.

The new ministries will be made up of the Ministry of Justice, Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry, Youth, Sports and Culture, Local government, Environment and Natural Resources; and the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Water Resources, Health and Human Services, Ministry for Education, Science, and Technology, The Ministry for Finance, Works, Housing, and Transport. and the Ministry for Budget and Planning. [myad]

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has congratulated the newly elected leaders of the National Assembly, Senator Bukola Saraki as Senate President, Hon. Yakubu Dogara as Speaker of the House of Representatives and others.
Atiku appealed to the new leaders to see their elections beyond the narrow interests of respective political parties.
The former Vice President, in a statement by his media office today, said that with the elections of its presiding officers, the 8th National Assembly should swing to work and put the overall national interest beyond the personal political interests of its members.
He said that with the election of its presiding officers, the 8th National Assembly has prepared the ground work for a full legislative business.
Atiku reminded every member of both the Senate and the House of Representatives of their responsibilities to their constituents, which, he said, is to put national interest before their individual political interest.
The former Vice President said that Irrespective of the political mix through which the presiding officers emerged the 8th National Assembly should never lose focus of its role as a partner in progress with the other arms of government, especially the executive arm.
“The Nigerian people look up to the new National Assembly to work with the executive arm in finding solutions to the problems of insecurity, poverty, illiteracy and joblessness in the country. Their election is indeed a call to duty, and it is a call for which they cannot afford to fail the nation.” [myad]

An Abuja High Court has ordered the Chairman of the Goodluck Support Group, Aminu Abubakar and Okechukwu Geoffrey to be remanded in prison custody on a 3-count charge bordering on extortion and conspiracy.
The accused persons were today docked by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them and the prosecution counsel, George Lawal prayed the court for date to commence trial in the matter.
Counsel to the accused persons, E. A. Egbebu informed the court about his motion challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter and that the charges against the accused persons be quashed.
Prosecution counsel, George Lawal objected to the application on the grounds that the application was premature.
Egbebu, Counsel to the accused persons in his reply on points of law argued that since the motion is challenging the jurisdiction, the court is expected to hear it before arraigning the accused persons.
The trial Judge and the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Justice Ishaq Bello over-ruled the submission of the defence counsel that the court should hear the motion challenging jurisdiction before the accused persons take their plea.
Justice Bello adjourned the matter till July 9, 2015 for hearing of the motion challenging the jurisdiction of the court filed by the defence counsel, while their bail application will be taken on June 11, 2015
Abubakar and Geoffrey (the accused persons) Abubakar was said to have been in possession of some documents relating to some officials of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, with the intent to implicate them if they fail to give him the sum of N50million.
It was gathered that, having sensed danger in what the officials later realised to be blackmail, they reportedly petitioned the ICPC through an intermediary.
The investigative team of the commission swung into action, coordinated a sting operation where the N50 million earlier solicited for by Abubakar was negotiated downwards to N25 million.
Abubakar was arrested with his accomplice at a garden in Abuja, after he had allegedly received N5 million out of the negotiated N25 million. [myad]

President Muhammadu Buhari has welcomed the emergence of the new Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and others, but said that he wished their emergence complied with the wish of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that threw them up.
A statement today by Special Adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina quoted the President as saying that he would rather that the process of electing the leaders as initiated and concluded by the APC had been followed.
President Buhari said that nonetheless, he took the view that a constitutional process has somewhat occurred.
He recalled his stand which he was earlier made public that he did not have any preferred candidate for the Senate and the House of Representatives Speaker and that he would work with whoever the lawmakers elected.
“That position still stands. Though I would have preferred the new leaders to have emerged through the process established by the party.”
The President made it clear that the stability of the nation’s constitutional order and overall interest of the common man are uppermost on my mind, as far as the National Assembly elections were concerned.
Buhari called on all the elected representatives of the people to focus on the enormous task of bringing enduring positive change to the lives of Nigerians. [myad]

The newly elected Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara all of the All Progressives Congress (APC) would soon face the disciplinary measures of the party for what it called ‘show of indiscipline.’

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said it will summon an emergence meeting of its leadership to mete out the necessary sanctions to all those that were involved in show of indiscipline.

The party made it clear that the emergence of Senator Saraki as Senate President and Hon. Dogara as House of Reps Speaker is totally unacceptable, describing it as the highest level of indiscipline and treachery the conduct of today’s inauguration of the National Assembly.

“Senator Bukola and Hon. Dogara are not the candidates of the APC and a majority of its National Assembly members-elect for the positions of Senate President and House Speaker. The party duly met and conducted a straw poll and clear candidates emerged for the posts of Senate President, Deputy Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, supported by a majority of all Senators-elect and members-elect of the House of Representatives. All National Assembly members-elect who emerged on the platform of the party are bound by that decision.

”The party is supreme and its interest is superior to that of its individual members.

”Consequently, the APC leadership is meeting in a bid to reestablish discipline in the party and to mete out the necessary sanctions to all those involved in what is nothing but a monumental act of indiscipline and betrayal to subject the party to ridicule and create obstacles for the new administration,” the party said in the statement.
APC decried a situation in which some people, based on nothing but inordinate ambition and lack of  discipline and loyalty, will enter into an unholy alliance with the very same people whom the party and indeed the entire country worked hard to replace and sell out the hard won victory of the Party.

”There can be no higher level of treachery, disloyalty and insincerity within any party,” the party said, vowing to resolve the matter using all constitutional and legal means available to it.
Meanwhile, the APC has asked all its loyal Senators-elect to please report to the Senate to be sworn-in in order to discharge their constitutional duties,” APC said. [myad]