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£2.6bn Fraud: Petro Union Directors Lose Bid to Stop Trial

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A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday dismissed a No-Case-Submission application filed by three Directors of an oil firm, Petro Union Oil and Gas Limited, who are currently standing trial over an alleged £2.6bn fraud.

The trial judge, Justice Mohammed Liman, held in his ruling over the application that the Federal Government had made out a prima facie case against the company and its directors, which requires them to enter a defence.

Justice Liman, however, ruled that the company’s Financial Consultant, Abayomi Kukoyi, has no case to answer as his involvement in the series of incidents leading to the alleged crime was in a professional capacity.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting the defendants before the court on allegations of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences, attempt to steal and forgery.

The company’s directors on trial are Prince Kingsley Okpala, Prince Chidi Okpalaeze and Prince Emmanuel Okpalaeze.

They all pleaded not guilty to the charge.

While challenging the No-Case-Submission application, the EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), had maintained that the prosecution had, through its witnesses, established a prima facie case of fraud against the defendants.

The anti-graft agency’s lawyer argued that all investigations by Union Bank, Central Bank, Bankers’ Committee and the EFCC confirmed that the defendants were engaged in clearly fraudulent activities.

He stated, “We have proved the ingredients of those offences beyond any reasonable doubt, and each defendant should be invited to present their defence to the Charge if they have any.

“The defendants knew the truth but are insisting that the Federal Government should pay them £2.1 billion. It is our common inheritance that they want to take away. This is a clear case of fraud, and no person with heaven in mind should pursue this case or assist anyone to do so.

The criminal trial of Petro Union and its directors is now expected to be transferred to another Judge of the Federal High Court as Justice Liman has been elevated to the Court of Appeal.

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Governor AbdulRazaq inspects ongoing Kwara’s Indoor Sports Hall project

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Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq visited the Kwara Stadium Complex to evaluate the progress of the ongoing revival of the indoor sports hall.The rehabilitation and upgrade of the indoor sports complex began a few months ago after the Governor’s administration approved the project. The facility, which was last upgraded in 1991, is undergoing significant renovations awarded to Messr Disscom Ltd.Once completed, the indoor sports hall will join a number of other previously dilapidated sports facilities that Governor Abdulrazaq’s administration has successfully rehabilitated in the past five years. Additionally, the administration has completed the construction of a modern table tennis hall and a squash court complex. Notably, the squash court complex is highly regarded in Nigeria and West Africa for hosting the highest number of modern squash courts in one location.

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Ekiti Governor Honours Primate Ayodele’s Late Father, Names Street After Him

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The governor of Ekiti state, Biodun Oyebanji has honoured the Primate Elijah Ayodele’s late father by naming a street after him in Ikere-Ekiti.The street which used to be ‘Area One’ where the prophet’s church in Ekiti is located has now been registered as Ayomate Avenue.According to reports, the renaming took the combined efforts of the Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba Samuel Alagbado, his chiefs, the local government chairmen, and ultimately, the governor of Ekiti state, Biodun Oyebanji.According to the governor, the street was named in recognition of the good works done by the late father of Primate Ayodele and the continuation of the good works by the prophet. He also recognized the efforts of the prophet to drive economic growth in the community.Primate Ayodele embraced the development while expressing appreciation to the governor for honouring God in such a manner. The prophet applauded the governor for his efforts towards bringing development to Ikere-Ekiti and promised that the presence of his church will in turn lead to more economic development in the local government.Furthermore, Primate Ayodele promised that he would begin by sinking boreholes across the local government to support the government in solving the water crisis.‘’I appreciate the governor for the magnanimous development of naming this vicinity after our church, it’s indeed marvellous in God’s sight. This is a testament to his love for God and the people of Ekiti state.”“I also want to appreciate him for the development he started in Ikere-Ekiti local government, the people are happy with him and above all, God is happy with him for all he is doing”“I want to promise His Excellency that our presence here will bring a new dawn to this vicinity, we will also assist the government. We will be sinking boreholes across the local government to solve the water crisis.’’History has it that Primate Ayodele’s father was one of the most respected individuals in Ikere-Ekiti who brought good tidings to the community and provided succour for individuals who needed help.Consequently, Primate Ayodele has been engaging in humanitarian activities on a large scale across the country. Since he opened a branch in Ikere-Ekiti, Primate Ayodele has organized charitable programmes thrice which involved selling a bag of rice for N20,000, scholarships for youths, empowerment for widows, to mention but a few.

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BREAKING: Gov Abdulrazaq approves bonus for Kwara workers to ease economic burden

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Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has approved a financial bonus that is equivalent to the monthly PAYE obligation for every civil servant in the state, including local government workers.

The emergency support measure will last for at least three months, according to a statement by the Commissioner for Finance Dr. Hauwa Nuru.

“This bonus has been approved as a buffer to bridge the gap that the correct PAYE deduction may have wrought on the newly implemented mininum wage. It is meant to serve as a soothing balm as workers adjust to the PAYE that was just correctly implemented in line with the Personal Income Tax Act,” she said.

“The payment of the bonus is effective from October and will run till December 2024. This is a significant step by His Excellency to support workers.”

The statement added that workers who have not registered with the Kwara State Residents’ Registration Agency (KWSRRA) should do so immediately because anyone without it will not get the bonus for November and December.

The statement said labour unions have also agreed to a refund of the special levy deducted from workers’ salary and suspension of deductions of same until further notice.

“Governor AbdulRazaq’s directive to deliver this relief speaks volumes about his humanity and his commitment to the welfare of Kwara workforce,” Dr. Nuru stated.

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