JAMB Uncovers 706,189 Students Admitted Illegally By Universities, Others

November 25, 2021

The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Is’haq Oloyede has said that 706,189 students have been found to have been illegally admitted by Universities, Colleges of Education, Polytechnics and others.

Professor Oloyede, who made the disclosure at the Consultative Sensitization Meeting with Select Stakeholders in Abuja said that the illegal admissions have damaged the image of the country.

According to him, the illegality was perpetrated in all the six geopolitical zones by public and private higher institutions.

He said that while about 114 universities accounted for 67.795 of the illegal admissions, 137 polytechnics were responsible for 489,918, 80 Colleges of Education for 142, 818 and 37 other institutions involved in 5,678 cases.

The undisclosed admissions were perpetrated from 2017 to 2020 by the affected institutions.

He said that such admissions were unknown to JAMB as prescribed by law.

He said the institutions disregarded JAMB’s Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS which allows institutions to “only admit candidates that met the requirements.”

He said the affected institutions’ Vice Chancellors, Rectors and Provosts have admitted their mistakes by “sending a formal letter of confession and disclosure to the JAMB Registrar.”

In the list of the 114 universities given to stakeholders, some of the top indicted for illegal admissions include University of Jos (7,600); Benue State University (6,171); Olabisi Onabanjo University (5,669); Kwara State University (4, 281); Novena University (3,432); University of Nigeria, Nsukka (2,732); and Imo State University(2,330).

Others listed are University of Calabar (2,074); NTA Television College (1,934); Baze University (1,717); Oduduwa University (1,450); Kaduna State College of Education (1,417); Tai Solarin University of Education (1,101); Al-qalam University (1,062); Gombe State University (1,017).

“As a measure of mopping up the backlog of improperly admitted candidates, the Honourable Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, assented to the Board’s plea for a last chance for the violators.

“He also approved the caveat that the culprits should, first and foremost, declare the number of candidates admitted outside CAPS between 2017 and 2020 by sending a formal letter of confession and disclosure to the JAMB Registrar.

“Those minimally qualified would then be condoned to put an end to the period and finally put the matter to rest.

“The Board was then directed to launch massive campaigns to educate the public against accepting such illegal admissions henceforth.

“It is astonishing that so far, 706,189 candidates have been disclosed as illegally admitted between 2017 and 2020.”

Professor Oloyede said there will no longer be opportunities for illegal admissions by universities and other higher institutions.

He said that the illegality had hindered the future of many graduates and it was time to stop it.

“Meanwhile, the graduates of the illegitimate process need admission letters to pursue post-graduation endeavours like housemanship, scholarship, enrolment into the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), among others, they are out of sync.”

Some candidates had been forced in the past to seek Direct Entry into other universities after graduation just because their degrees were not recognized as a result of lack of admission letters at critical stages. The physical, psychological and mental strain of such candidates is better imagined than experienced. This could have been avoided if everyone played the game according to the rules.

“The Board is then constrained to condone these illegitimate admissions through a process known as ‘condonement’ which was previously known as ‘Regularization’. This was done out of sympathy for the candidates and consideration of the enormous resources expended on the training of such candidates.

“Thus, the Board was condoning all these infractions in admissions conducted prior till 2017. It is noteworthy that the lawlessness is perpetrated in institutions across the six geopolitical zones of the country.”

Professor Oloyede also claimed that some university lecturers were recently arrested for engaging in massive fraud associated with ‘A Level’ examinations by the Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board (JUPEB) and Interim Joint Matriculation Board.

“As a moderator of the two ‘A-Level entrance examinations in Nigeria, Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board(JUPEB) and Interim Joint Matriculation Board Examination(IJMBE), the attention of the board was drawn to the massive fraud associated with the conduct of these examinations.

“It is quite disappointing that some of our colleagues were arrested while conniving with various examination syndicates to compromise the noble objectives of these two examinations. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Education conducted a sting operation the result of which is monumentally embarrassing.

“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, you must have been disturbed by the recent indicting release of the ICPC on the scandal in its campaign to put an end to such illegal, destructive and disruptive activities.

“The board has painstakingly taken some measures to forestall future recurrence. It has, for instance, initiated action to seek approval from the Honourable Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, to establish what it refers to as the “A Level Task Team/ A Level Qualification and Verification Databank” (ALQVD) as a repository for verified A/L qualifications in Nigeria.

“I am privileged to know that the Federal Ministry of Education is considering further necessary action on the matter. As soon as the appropriate approvals are secured, we would reach out to you for assistance.”

He said JAMB was already addressing some unethical and unacceptable practices by Computer-Based Testing (CBT) Centres.

“Fourthly, the review of our registration process has shown some unethical and unacceptable practices by Computer-Based Testing (CBT) Centres. “These centres are allowed to collect only Seven Hundred Naira (#700.00) as registration charges but they use the opportunity to engage in conduct unbecoming, including extortion, during the exercise.

“In order to put a stop to such extortion, we propose to make UTME registration henceforth cashless. In other words, JAMB will now be collecting the approved N700.00 registration fee on behalf of the CBT Centres along with its UTME registration fees and then remit what is due to each registration centre to its bank account on a weekly basis or any timeframe acceptable to the centre owners.

“This intervention will block all loopholes through which hapless candidates are extorted by unscrupulous service providers.”

Source: The Nation.

Nigeria May Be Spending N3 Trillion Annually On Fuel Subsidy If… – Finance Minister

Editorial staff

November 25, 2021

The Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Zainab Ahmed has said that if Nigeria continues to pay subsidy on fuel, it may run into a situation where it will be paying N3 Trillion annually on the subsidy.

“If we don’t remove the subsidy that is what it will be costing us. This is the money that we can use to apply to health and to education.”

The Minister, who briefed newsmen yesterday, November 24 shortly after the meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), at the Presidential villa, Abuja, recalled that even the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) has a provision that all petroleum products must be deregulated.

“And in the 2020 budget, we made a provision to assume that at the maximum by the end of June, we must exit subsidy.

“In the last FAAC, the subsidy cost to the Federation was N243 billion. We look at a cost of about 250 billion per month, because it has been increasing consistently. So we are expecting something around N120 billion per month from NNPC.

“And now, we are getting to a point where NNPC will be remitting near zero. And if we don’t stop, we will get to a point where we will tell you pay me this for managing the fuel provision in the country.”

Zainab Ahmed said that between 20 and 40 million Nigerians will benefit from the intervention the government is planning to provide, adding that there is still a lot of work going on.

“We have a committee that is chaired by His Excellency, the Vice President, state governors and a few of us ministers as members.

“So we have to have a landing as to the exact number between 20 to 40 million. “We already agreed it will be N5,000 and we have also agreed that the remittances have to be done digitally.

“So the e-naria will help, but also so are the various payment platforms that are currently available. What we will not do is paying people in cash.

“The transfers that people will receive will be through one kind of electronic money or the other and it’s meant to be for a period of six, nine or 12 months.

“These are the things that we are still in negotiation because it’s still money that would have to come from the Federation account.

“Everybody that is a member of FAAC will have to agree on the numbers. The maximum will be 12 months, the minimum will be six months.

“We thought it was important to do this to give people a chance to adjust before the other support measures that the government is working on materialise and that is the provision of alternative to PSM which is CNG that is having mass transit vehicles converted to CNG.

“And also the printing on stream of petroleum refineries, including the Dangote refinery so that it reduces even the need to import the PMS in the first place.

“So that’s the logic behind targeting the middle of next year. This money is meant to provide relief to the very poor in the variable.

“On the experience we have had on the conditional cash transfer, it shows that that N5,000 that some people think is small actually makes a difference to families. It helps them to provide not only their basic needs, but we have seen women who are caregivers of those farmers actually start doing small trade, and they are able to maintain themselves thereafter.

“So in a way, it is not just consumption, it also helps to improve the productive activities of people that are at the bottom of the pyramid. And I remember during the COVID-19 pandemic, we had more people becoming vulnerable, especially in the urban area. So we are not covering only the rural areas but also the overburden, the urban poor.”

Buhari Celebrates His Chief Of Staff, Gambari At 77, Says He’s Still Strong

Editorial staff

November 24, 2021

President Muhammadu Buhari has rolled out the drums to celebrate his Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari who clocked 77 today, November 24.

The President spoke after the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) announced, at the beginning of the meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the Presidential villa, Abuja, that Professor Gambari’s birthday is today.

President Buhari congratulated Professor on the attainment of age 77, and added in a lighter mood: “you are still going strong. Congratulations!”

The ministers who were at the meeting chorused with laughter and birthday good wishes.

Professor Gambari joined the government as Chief of Staff twenty months ago following the demise of the former holder of the office, Abba Kyari.

Before this time, Professor Gambari had served as Minister of Foreign Affairs under the Military Government, led by the then Major General Muhammadu Buhari in the 1980s and went on to serve as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

He thereafter joined the United Nations system, rising to the position of Under-Secretary General and Special Adviser on Africa, serving as the joint African Union and UN Special Representative in some of the world’s troubled countries including Angola, Darfur, Iraq and Myanmar.

Described as an accomplished academic, Professor Gambari has taught at the City University of New York, the State University of New York at Albany and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, as well as served as a Visiting Professor at the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Baltimore, Maryland.

He is widely published in Nigerian and international scholarly journals and has written several books on Nigerian foreign policy.

Professor Gambari is the founder of the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, a non-governmental “think-tank” established in Abuja.

Kogi Council Boss Fingers Some Traditional Rulers In Herders/Farmers Clashes

Editorial staff

November 23, 2021

Chairman of Igalamela-Odolu Local Government Council of Kogi State, Onoja James has fingered some traditional rulers and community leaders in the lingering clashes between herdsmen and farmers in their domains across the country.

Onoja James, who spoke today, November 23 at an Inclusive Forum for Accountable Society (IFAS) in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, said that some traditional rulers are fund of collecting money from herders to allocate lands to them.

He added that the herders would subsequently lay claim to such land and assume absolute control of the area, thereby hindering farming and other productive activities.

This was even as the stakeholders appealed to the federal government to declare a State of Emergency on herders and farmers clashes to avert food crisis.

The stakeholders observed that the crisis had been allowed to linger for too long and affected almost every sector of the economy.

The meeting was organised by three development partners, ActionAid Nigeria, Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change in Development (PIBCID) and Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund.

St the meeting, Ms. Halima Sadiq, Executive Director, PIBCID, said the declaration of a state of emergency is necessary because livelihoods of community members were at stake.

“We have been talking about zero-hunger in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and we are also talking about boosting agriculture by promoting women and youth participation.

“We know that 75 per cent to 85 per cent of rural dwellers are farmers while the remaining 15 per cent engage in passive farming.

“When you destroy farmers’ crops and take their lands from them, it affects their livelihoods.”

The Chairman of IFAS, Hamza Aliyu, called on Nigerians to stop denigrating ethnic nationalities over farmers-herders clashes as “not all herders are Fulani and not all Fulani are herders.’’

He said that disparaging an entire race over negative activities of a few was not a healthy approach to solving the problem.

“The security problem is not between Fulani and farmers but between herders and farmers.”

Aliyu expressed regret that herders-farmers clashes have assumed a national dimension.

“We are proposing a State of Emergency to government to bring in the needed resources to solve this problem at once.

“Not just the finances, but the needed human resources; the critical thinking facility of the government to bear on this problem so that we can solve it once and for all.

“State of Emergency is not to shut down the democratic system or the civic space.

“It simply means we should be able to deploy resources to help the communities to install structures that will address the issues squarely.”

Source: NAN.

Agribusiness Summit Takes Off In Abuja

Editorial staff

November 23, 2021

The maiden edition of the National Agribusiness Summit has commenced in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Major participants at the Summit, which was declared opened today, November 23 by the minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammad Abubakar, are relevant stakeholders and investors.

The minister assured the stakeholders of the commitment of the federal government to sustain robust agricultural sector of the nation’s economy.

He stressed the resolve of the federal government to revamp the non-oil sector of the economy.

According to the Minister, government has deliberately designed Agricultural Investment Incentives to support high level private sector participation.

”Also, the agro-industry is experiencing a renaissance with dedicated government policies towards encouraging farmers and investors and increasing the contribution of the agricultural sector to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

”We are committed to a robust and sustainable agricultural sector with a stable and viable economic climate for Local and Foreign Investments.

”The Federal Government has deliberately designed Agricultural Investment Incentives to support high level private sector participation.

”While some of these incentives are in form of tax holiday, exemptions and reliefs, there are many that leverage on specific government policies, performances of companies as well as relevant international investment treaties.
”Nigeria has huge potential in Agriculture with over 84 million hectares of arable land of which 40 per cent is cultivated, a population of over 200 million making it Africa’s largest market. 230 billion cubic metres of water making it one of the richest sources of agricultural growth in the world.

”The agricultural sector currently account for 24.14 per cent of the nation’s GDP and 75 per cent of the total non-oil exports.

”The GDP for agriculture in Nigeria averaged US$17.6 billion from 2010 – 2015 and reaching an all-time high of US$23.3 billion in the first quarter of 2014.

”Let me emphasise that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development remains committed to regular engagement with relevant stakeholders in the Public and Private sectors of the economy with noble and novel ideas to move forward the nation’s agricultural economy.”

The President of the Feed Industry Association of Nigeria, Isiadinso Obialuju, said that the association is happy to be part of the summit, adding that the summit would attract youths to agriculture.

Also, the President of the Poultry Association of Nigeria, Ezeikel Mam said that the importance of agriculture to a nation cannot be overemphasised.

Ezekiel Mam, who said that he saw anybody investing in agriculture as a patriotic person, stressed the need for the government to fund agricultural research very well.

Source: NAN.

Lekky Toll Gate Incidence: CNN Goofed, Lai Mohammed Says; Insists No Massacre

Editorial staff

November 23, 2021

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has accused the Cable News Network (CNN) of falling short of journalism standard on a leaked report of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry into the October 20, 2020 Lekki Toll Gate incidence in Lagos.

At a media briefing today, November 23 in Abuja, the Minister said that CNN, a multinational news television channel was in a rush to glorify fake news, riddled with so many errors that cannot be relied upon.

“CNN apparently didn’t even read the report before rolling out the drums in celebration.

“By that action, CNN has celebrated prematurely and has now committed a double faux pas: first, by relying on unverified social media stories and videos to carry out an investigation of the Oct. 20 2020 incident at Lekki, where it did not have a correspondent on ground.

“CNN goofed in its report on the findings of the panel, which fell below the main standards of journalism.

“Secondly, CNN rushed to the air to celebrate an unsigned and unverified report that is riddled with inconsistencies, errors, discrepancies and innuendoes.

“That’s double faux pas by a news organisation that is eager and willing to compromise standards just to claim vindication.’’

Lai Mohammed also accused some section of the Nigerian media of joining what he called “the lynch mob.

“Honestly, in an attempt to vilify government at all costs, they have done themselves a great disservice.

“How can any news organisation worth its salt write an editorial validating this kind of report?.

“Are they not seeing what others, including journalists and lawyers are seeing?.

“In a shocking twist, a Nigerian newspaper chose to hail what it calls ‘’detailed investigative report’’ by CNN, even when the news channel did not even cover the incident of Oct. 20 2020!.

“It’s a classic case of cutting your nose to spite your face.”

Lai Mohammed reiterated that there was nothing in the report in circulation that would make the government to change its stand that there was no massacre at Lekki on October 20, 2020.

No Plan To Increase Price Of Fuel, Authority Assured, Looks Into High Cost Of Gas

Editorial staff

November 23, 2021

The Midstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (MPRA) has assured Nigerians that there is no plan to increase the official price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as fuel, as being speculated in some quarters.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Authority, Farouk Ahmed, who made this known while answering reporters’ questions at the Presidential villa, Abuja, also promised that drastic action would be taken to address the rising cost of cooking gas in the country.

Farouk, along with the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Gbenga Komolafe, were officially presented to President Muhammadu Buhari by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylvia.

Farouk Ahmed said that the marginal queues being witnessed at filling stations in Abuja and some parts of the country, had nothing to do with any supposed plan by government to hike PMS price.

He, however, stated that the queues were caused by the payment logistics in US Dollars by depot owners, and the issue is being addressed by relevant authorities.

“Basically, what happened is that some of the depot owners selling Premium Motor Spirit above the official ex-depot price of N148, are selling at N156 or N157.

“The reason is that they are paying for their logistics like shipping and Port charges and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) charges in US Dollars and they have to go to parallel market to source for the Dollars.

“The differential between the official exchange rate and the parallel market is their reason for adding between N9 and N10.

“But we had a meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 9, and the heads of the Nigeria Ports Authority and NIMASA as well as other stakeholders were all there and it was resolved that NNPC excess capacity vessels would be chattered to oil marketing companies and they would be charging in Naira.

“NIMASA and the Ports Authority will also revert back to their supervising ministries and get directives to collect their charges in naira rather than US Dollars.

“I believe with these, there will be no reason for the depot owners to increase their price beyond the official selling price of N148,” he explained.

Also addressing the State House Correspondents, Sylva said the president was happy with the level of implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.

”The President is happy with the level of implementation of the PIA. A lot is going on, already the agencies created by the law are now in place.

“The President charged us to ensure that we use our best experience to ensure that the industry is on track.

“Luckily for us, we have very experienced people on the saddle, both in the authority and the commission and the President asked us to go ahead and do what is best in the interest of Nigeria at all times.”

On the recent increase in the price of cooking gas in the country, the Minister said “the President is worried over the situation just like all other Nigerians.”

Sylva said that although the price of the essential commodity is not regulated by Nigeria, some steps would be taken internally to provide some relief, ahead of the yuletide season.

“We must understand that cooking gas is not subsidized. It is already a deregulated commodity so the price is not determined by government or anybody here in Nigeria. In fact, gas prices are determined internationally.

“The price of gas internationally now affects the price of gas in our country.

“But there are some issues around Value Added Tax (VAT) charges and other taxes on imported gas, which we are handling.

“But, I want to assure you that we are quite concerned and the President also is very concerned; he is aware that the price of gas is high in the market and we are doing everything to see how we can bring down the price of gas, especially as the yuletide approaches.”

I Will Never Lobby President To Sign Any Bill National Assembly Passes, Senate President Vows

Greenbarge Reporters

November 23, 2021

Senate President, Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan has made it clear that he would never lobby the President to sign any bill which the National Assembly passes into law and transmitted for Presidential assent.

Answering reporters’ questions yesterday, November 22, at the Presidential villa, Abuja shortly after an audience with President Muhammadu Buhari, Senator Ahmed said: “You see, there is no need for you to lobby for any bill to be signed. “Ashe chairman of the National Assembly, you are simply a presiding officer, and you coordinate the views of your colleagues.

“The majority of my colleagues in the Senate and in the House of Representatives say this is where they want the bill to go.

“This is the provision they want in Section 52, 3 rather. So I don’t have to come and say Mr. President sign this.”

The Senate President, who spoke on the new amended electoral law, especially the direct primaries in the choice of party’s flag bearer for election, stressed that the President has his own processes when a bill is sent to him from the National Assembly.

“I’m sure he has the Attorney General and others to advise him. So why should I stress myself to say, just sign?

“We expect that he will sign, but how he does that is his calling. And I think we should allow him to just follow the processes he is used to, but the expectation of members of National Assembly is that the bill is signed.

He observed that it is normal in politics to have disagreement on issues tabled for discussion, but that the best way to resolve it is for people to engage.

“I always believe, and I have conversed for this, that National Assembly members are major stakeholders, governors of APC, major stakeholders. ” And in fact, the presidency is a major stakeholder: it is the biggest stakeholder because it runs the administration, and our party must always try to bring everybody together.

“I don’t think there will be any day that you will have a political issue that everybody will say the same thing about it that agrees with you without any amendment.

“So when we have any section of a party disagreeing with something we should be engaging that’s why we are politicians, we must have that kind of a platform where we discuss the issues. ” Let’s understand each other, and then we make whatever it is that will make this disagreement minimized. Or maybe where possible, eliminate it completely. “So I don’t think it is right to say that governors have disagreed. Maybe some governor’s might have said they don’t like it this way. But that’s normal. So it’s for us to engage and engage and engage.”

On whether he thought direct primaries is the best way to go, Senator Ahmed said: “I don’t have a personal opinion here, because I’m not here alone. So I don’t have a personal opinion.

“My opinion is that of the National Assembly Members.”

Preacher Scares Davido To Pay Tithe From His N200 Million If He Wants To Make Heaven

Editorial staff

November 22, 2021

A preacher who goes by the name, Goodheart Val Aloysius has must have scared singer Davido to pay tithe from the N200 million donated to him by his friends if he wants to make heaven.

The preacher, in a recent Facebook post, said: “Brother Davido, if you don’t pay tithe from that money given to you by your friends, I’m afraid you won’t make heaven.”

Davido had earlier announced that he is donating N200 million raised from his N1m challenge started a few days ago on social media to orphanages, motherless babies homes and foundations, including Paroche Foundation, across Nigeria.

The singer, who has a new song titled ‘Champion Sound’, said in a statement dated November 19 and posted to Instagram on Saturday that he would be adding N50 million of his personal money to bring the total to N250 million.

On Monday, November 22, the pop star shared a screenshot of his N50 million donation on Instagram.

Abuja Council Chairman In “Soup” For Allegedly Receiving N10 Million Bribe From Contractor

Editorial staff

November 22, 2021

Alhaji-Adamu-Mustapha | Photo by Daily Trust

Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Adamu Mustapha Danze, has entered the trap of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which charged him in court for allegedly receiving N10 million bribe from a contractor handling construction projects in the area council.

Adamu Danze was arraigned by the Commission before Justice U. P. Kekemeke of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court 4, sitting in Abuja, on allegations of corruption bordering on abuse of office and gratification.

ICPC had filed a six-count charge before the court in which it accused the council chairman of demanding and receiving N10 million bribe from the director of Remotosh Construction Ltd, Engr. Aremu Omotosho, in exchange for approving payment for the construction of double cell culvert in Paiko-Kore.

The offence, which was allegedly committed in March 2018, when Adamu Danze directed the contractor to transfer the money to his lawyer handling his election tribunal case, violated Sections 8 (1)(a), 10 (a)(i), 18 (b) and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under relevant Sections of the same Act.

One of the charges reads: “That you, Adamu Mustapha Danze on or about the month of March, 2018 at Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, while being a public officer as the Executive Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council received the sum of N10 million from Engineer Aremu Omotosho, the director of Remotosh Construction Limited for approving payment for the construction of double cell culvert at Paiko-Kore awarded to Remotosh Construction Limited by Gwagwalada Area Council, the sum you asked the contractor to transfer to your counsel defending you in the election tribunal and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 10 (a)(i) and punishable under Section 10 (a)(ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”

Adamu Danze, who had a bench warrant issued on him, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.

The warrant was subsequently dismissed by the trial judge after a plea by the defense Counsel, Abdul Mohammed (SAN).

Mohammed tendered an apology to the judge for failing to attend proceedings on two previous dates fixed by the court, as he blamed it on recent kidnapping activities in Gwagwalada area council.

He told the court that the defendant was coordinating rescue operations in the area council following the spate of kidnappings and other criminal activities in recent times.

He then moved a motion praying that the accused be admitted to bail at the discretion of the court pending trial.

Counsel to ICPC, Michael Adesola, in his counter argument averred that the accused was very deliberate in his actions of ignoring court sittings as he was duly served of all proceedings since last year, 2020.

Adesola, who also opposed the bail application prayed the court to remand the accused in a correctional facility to prevent him from interfering and intimidating witnesses, some of whom were employees in the area council.

Justice Kekemeke, having listened to both counsel, held that the defendant cannot jump bail based on his current position.

“The defendant who is the current Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council cannot evade his trial. He has nowhere to hide as I give him the benefit of doubt. The application therefore subsists. Bail is therefore granted to the defendant.”

The court admitted him to bail in the sum of N20 million and a surety in like sum.

The surety should be an owner of a landed property with statutory right of occupancy within the jurisdiction of the court or a Federal Civil Servant in the rank of an Assistant Director and above. The matter was then adjourned to 1st March, 2022 for trial.

The trial judge at the end of the sitting warned the accused not to take the court for granted, saying.

“Mr. Chairman, that is what you called yourself. We just gave you the benefit of the doubt. You don’t play with the court. You don’t take the court for levity, if you do that, you will find yourself in trouble.”

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