Crime

FG sued for N100billion over removal of Ararume as NNPC chairman

Published

2 years ago

November 9, 2022

A N100billion suit has been slammed on President Muhammadu Buhari at the Federal High Court in Abuja over the alleged unlawful removal of Senator Ifeanyi Godwin Ararume as a non-Executive Chairman of the newly Incorporated Nigeria National Petroleum Company, (NNPC).

Ararume is claiming the huge sum from the President Buhari-led Federal Government as damages caused him in the alleged unlawful and unconstitutional ways and manners he was removed as the NNPC Chief after using his name to incorporate the entity.

The suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/691/2022 was instituted on his behalf by a group of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) comprising Chief Chris Uche, Ahmed Raji, Mahmud Magaji, Ogwu James Onoja, K.C Nwufor and Gordy Uche.

In the suit, Ararume formulated four issues for determination by the court among which was whether, in view of the provisions of the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the NNPC, Companies and Allied Matters Act 2010, and the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, the office of the non-Executive Chairman is not governed and regulated by the stated provisions of the law.

He is also asking the court to determine whether, by the interpretation of section 63 (3) of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, the President can lawfully remove him as non-Executive Chairman of the NNPC for any reason outside the provisions of the law.

The Imo politician also wants the court to determine whether Buhari can sack him without compliance with expressly stated provisions of the Articles of Memorandum of Association of the Company, section 63 (3) of the PIA Act 2021 and section 288 of the CAMA Act 2020.

Also listed for determination is whether his purported removal vides letter of January 17, 2022, without compliance with expressly stated provisions of the law is not wrongful, illegal, null, and void and of no legal consequence whatsoever.

Upon the determination of the issues in his favour, the plaintiff wants the court to make a declaration that his position as non-Executive Chairman of the NNPC is exclusively governed and regulated by CAMA 2020, PIA Act 2021 and Memorandum of Association of the Company.

A declaration that by the provisions of section 63 (3) of the PIA Act, CAMA Act, and Memorandum of Association of the NNPC, the President cannot by remove him from office as non-Executive Chairman without following due process of the law.

Ararume, therefore, prayed for an order of the Court setting aside his removal by Buhari vide letter of January 17, 2022 with reference number SGF.3V111/86.

He also sought an order of the Court reinstating him forthwith and restoring him to the office with all the appurtenant rights and privileges of the office of the NNPC non-Executive Chairman.

The plaintiff further demands nullification and setting aside of all decisions and resolutions of the NNPC Board made in his absence from January 17, 2022, to date and another order restraining the defendants from removing his name as Director of the Company.

He requested for N100B as damages for the wrongful removal, disruption and interruption of his term of office as non-Executive Chairman of the NNPC.

In a 75-paragraph affidavit in support of the suit, Ararume averred that upon the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, the former Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation NNPC and its subsidiaries were unbundled to become Nigeria National Petroleum Company registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission with the number 1843987.

On October 20, 2021, President Buhari approved his appointment as a non-Executive Chairman for a period of initial five years and subsequently, his name was registered in the Memorandum of Articles of the Company, and the appointment was announced to the whole world.

Based on the appointment, Ararume averred claimed that he attended 23rd World Petroleum Congress in the United States of America but surprisingly on January 7th, 2022, Buhari inaugurated the NNPC Board without recourse to him while another person was named in his place.

By a letter of January 17, 2022, he was informed of the withdrawal of his appointment but without any reason whatsoever to justify the purpoted removal.

Plaintiff asserted that he was not guilty of any pre-conditions for removal and was never declared bankrupt or adjudged medically unfit for the job.

Based on the unlawful act of the defendant, the plaintiff said that the action has fuelled public suspicion and rumours against his person.

Subsequently, Ararume asserted that he has suffered the loss of credibility and goodwill, untold emotional, mental and psychological trauma and public humiliation, degradation, and embarrassment by his purported removal by President Buhari.

He, therefore, prayed the court to award him N100Billion naira compensation and to order his return to office in line with the letter and conditions of his appointment.

At Wednesday’s proceedings, Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo ordered that the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) be joined as a party following no objection from Chief Chris Uche SAN who stood for Ararume and Alhasan. Shuaib who represented President Buhari.

Justice Ekwo subsequently fixed December 15 for further mention in the suit and ordered that the amended originating summons be served on parties before the adjourned date.

Crime

2 ladies docked for allegedly obtaining money by fraud

Published

7 days ago

December 16, 2024

Saadatu Sahabo

The police in Lagos have dragged two women, Mmesuma Ofunna, and Blessing Adimekwe, before an Ojo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, over alleged obtaining money by false pretence.

Ofunna, 22, and Adimekwe, 25, were arraigned before the Magistrate, Mr L K J Layeni, on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, stealing and conduct likely to breach peace.

They each, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecutor, ASP Simon Uche, told the court that the defendants conspired with others now at large, to commit the offence on Oct. 26 at the Okokomaiko area of Ojo.

He alleged that they had obtained the sum of N70, 000 from one Faith Ahamefule, with a promise not to post her nude photo on social media.

The prosecutor alleged that the defendants later posted the nude photo of the nominal complainant on social media, knowing that their promise was false.

He alleged that they stole the N70, 0000, thereby conducting themselves in a manner likely to breach public peace.

The offence contravenes the provisions of sections 168(d), 287, 314, and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

The court granted the defendants bails in the sum of N500, 000 each, with two sureties each in like sum.

He adjourned the case until Jan. 8, 2025 for mention.

Crime

Mechanic jailed 15 months for pickpocketing passengers

Published

7 days ago

December 16, 2024

Saadatu Sahabo

A Jos Magistrates’ Court on Monday, sentenced a 26-year-old Mechanic, Sadiq Umar to 15 months imprisonment for pickpocketing from passengers.

The Magistrate, Shawomi Bokkos, summarily tried and sentenced the convict after he pleaded guilty to the charge.

Bokkos in his judgment, ordered the convict to pay an option of N100, 000 fine or spend one year in prison.

He also asked him to pay a compensation of N15, 000 or an additional three months in prison in default.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp Ijuptil Thiawur, told the court that the case was reported on Nov.16, at the “A” Division Police station by Moses Pam, Alexander Bakshak and Simon Justice the complaints.

Thiawur said that the convict attempted to steal from them before he was caught in the act and when the driver stopped the vehicle to search him he fled but was caught.

The Police said that the offence contravened the Plateau Penal Code Law.

Crime

Police detain 2 suspected fraudsters, reject N66m bribe in Lagos

Published

7 days ago

December 16, 2024

Saadatu Sahabo

Police rescue 14 passengers from bandits in Jibia

The Zone-2 Police Command in Lagos says it has detained two suspected international fraudsters that allegedly specialised in forging foreign certificates in Lagos and Ghana.

The AIG in charge of the zone, Adegoke Fayaode, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday.

Fayoade said that the suspects allegedly offered N66m to the operatives with a view to free them but the offer was turned down.

NAN reports that the same zone operatives rejected a N174m bribe offered by a suspect in November to set him free.

Fayoade said that the suspects simply identified as Elvis, 23 and Kelly, 24, allegedly specialised in forging certificates of different nations and African Universities and defrauding their unsuspecting victims on the internet.

He said that the suspects have succeeded in acquiring exotic cars and erecting mansions in different parts of the country with the proceeds of their loot.

The AIG pointed out that luck ran out of the suspects after detectives at the Anti-Corruption Unit of the Zone received credible information from Nigerians in diaspora concerning some group of boys that specialised in forging foreign certificates.

According to him, on getting the information, he detailed the anti-corruption unit to investigate it and arrest the suspects without delay.

Fayoade said that based on his directives, the detectives stormed Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos waiting for the arrival of the suspects, whom they trailed to a five star hotel at Osapa-London in Lekki Area.

He said that the operatives arrested the suspects at a bus stop while they were about to escape secretly from the hotel, after monitoring their activities.

“Searching their luggage, one certificate of Blue Crest College, Ghana, belonging to Elvis and a student identity card of Academic City College belonging to Kelly were recovered.

“Further search revealed a transcript of an academic record from Blue Crest University belonging to Elvis.

“A letter of English proficiency from the said college and a letter of recommendation from the same Blue Crest College were recovered,” he said.

The AIG said that the suspects made useful statements to the police and confessed that they never got any admission into the school, stressing that they only procured the degree certificates through the help of a female Nigerian resident in Ghana.

“The suspects further confessed that the major aim of doing that is to enable them to get Ghana resident permit, which they got.

“The resident permit is showing them also as a student of Academic City University and that none of them has ever been admitted in the school.

“They claimed they paid a total of 26,000 Ghana Cedis for all the documents procured.

“They confessed that they procured all the documents to evade arrest in Ghana since they don’t have any means of livelihood.

Whenever police intercepted them, they showed their passports that they were students in Ghana.”

Fayoade said that the suspects were also allegedly involved in online romance scam, provision of foreign bank accounts for fraudulent transactions on the internet through what they call ‘Facebook bombing’.

He said the suspects presented themselves as an American soldier by name Captain Donald Rowe, serving in Syria, whom they impersonated on Instagram, using his name to defraud innocent persons.

The AIG said that while detectives were making frantic efforts to get more credible information from the suspects, they started negotiating to bribe the operatives for them to be set free.

“I directed my men to play along and recover the money as an exhibit. Subsequently, the detectives played along and the suspects paid them a sum of N66m, which they collected and kept as an exhibit.

“The Nigeria Police authorities have written to the Ghana embassy to get more information about the result and their suspected partners in Ghana said to be spearheading the fraud.

Fayoade said that they had also spread their dragnets through the International Police, Interpol, to round up their foreign accomplices.