Presidency’s Ex-nominee Arraigned By ICPC For N182m Fraud

One of the men recently nominated by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to the board of the ICPC has been arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission. Osinbajo had, in his capacity as Acting President in August, appointed Dr. Saadu Alanamu as a member of the ICPC board, where he was expected to play an active role in the anti-corruption campaign. Alanamu, who was later dropped by Osinbajo following unfavourable reports, was arraigned by the ICPC for alleged N182m fraud last week. The commission said in a statement by its spokesperson, Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa, that Alanamu, a former Chairman of the Governing Council of the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, allegedly collected a bribe from a contractor. He was subsequently charged with eight counts before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court 7, Ilorin, along with the Chief Executive Director of Namylas Nigeria Limited, Salman Sulaiman. The commission, in the charge sheet, accused Alanamu, who was also the Chairman of the Kwara State Polytechnic Tenders Board, of collecting N5m bribe from a contractor, Salman Sulaiman, as a kickback for the award of a contract. Counsel for the ICPC, Sunny Ezeana, told the court that Alanamu received the bribe through his First Bank account on February 11, 2015 from Namylas Nigeria Limited, a company owned by Sulaiman, who is also his friend. The court heard that Alanamu ensured that the contract for the construction and furnishing of an auditorium in Kwara State Polytechnic, at the cost of N182,369, 625.00, was awarded to Namylas Nigeria Limited even when it was found that the company was not qualified to execute the contract. Counsel for the ICPC, Sunny Ezeana, told the court that Alanamu received the bribe through his First Bank account on February 11, 2015 from Namylas Nigeria Limited, a company owned by Sulaiman, who is also his friend. The court heard that Alanamu ensured that the contract for the construction and furnishing of an auditorium in Kwara State Polytechnic, at the cost of N182,369, 625.00, was awarded to Namylas Nigeria Limited even when it was found that the company was not qualified to execute the contract. The ICPC said its investigation into the petition had revealed strong evidence of collusion, bid rigging and corrupt practices against Namylas Nigeria Limited in the bid process; and that the company used falsified, forged and doctored PENCOM Compliance Certificate, Tax Clearance Certificate and ITF Certificate of Compliance to submit its bid during the bidding process. Sulaiman, on his part, was accused of bribing a government official when he paid N5m to Alanamu as a reward for the award of contract to his company, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 9(1) (a) and punishable under Section 9(1) (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. Their offences are also in violation of Sections 8 (1) (a), 10(a) (i), 18 (b), 19 and 22(1) (a) (i) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the aforementioned sections. The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them. The trial judge granted them bail in the sum of N2m with two sureties in like sum each while one of the sureties each must have a landed property in Ilorin.

How ‘IPOB Leader, Nnamdi Kanu Plans Escape’

Yesterday,the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum alleged that the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, who was said to have gone into hiding, is planning to flee Nigeria through the Cameroonian borders. The organisation said intelligence reports at its disposal had revealed that the pro-Biafran activist was on his way to the Cameroon borders where he could easily escape from Nigeria. Kanu and top leaders of IPOB were said to have gone into hiding following the declaration on Friday by the Nigerian Army that IPOB and other pro-Biafran groups were terrorist organisations. The President of AYCF, Mallam Shettima Yerima, in an interview with The Punch in Jos, said, “We are aware that he is scheming to find a way of escape through Cameroonian borders, which is easier for him to move and run back to where he belongs. “He is on his way looking for how to run to Cameroon and that we are aware from our intelligence reports.”

Arsenal Star Alexis Sanchez Backs Iwobi To Be Club’s Key Man (Read)

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