Published on Thursday, 07 February 2013 05:00

Written by Boco Edet

Nigerian judges have been cautioned to stop treating corruption cases with “kid gloves”.

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL), an anti- corruption group in a press statement issued yesterday said the caution became necessary following recent developments where cases bordering on fraud and diversion of public funds are not handled transparently. Continue reading “CACOL cautions judges on corruption cases”

February 6, 2013 3:32

by Rachel Ogbu

Yesterday we reported how the Lagos State government sentenced 39 beggars to help clear the streets but its move has come under attack from the Coalition against Corrupt Leaders who condemned the government for prosecuting the beggars.

The Executive Chairman of the group, Debo Adeniran, in his reaction described the prosecution and the incarceration of the beggars as “incongruous and heartless”. Continue reading “Incongruous, self-centred, elitist, and heartless”: Activists flay Lagos gov’t over imprisonment of street beggars”

February 6, 2013 by Sodiq Oyeleke

The Coalition against Corrupt Leaders has condemned the Lagos State Government for prosecuting 39 beggars.

The LASG prosecuted the beggars in its Special Offences Court in Alausa, Ikeja, for soliciting alms.

The state also claimed the beggars constituted public nuisance  thereby committing an offence under the criminal law of the state.

Reacting to the government action, the Executive Chairman of the group, Debo Adeniran, described the arraignment and the imprisonment of the beggars as “incongruous and heartless”. Continue reading “Govt failure responsible for street begging – CACOL”

Tuesday, 05 February 2013 19:01

Segun Elijah

As corruption grinds the Nigerian masses under the present administration, President Jonathan has lapsed into fantasy – to escape responsibility

With a pinch of native psychology, and a long hard look, any Jack can fairly tell the cross between denial and delusion: both ignore facts to grab whatever quickies any event can offer. And President Goodluck Jonathan’s soliloquies on national issues in recent times hint he’s been reeling in such reverie. Few weeks ago, the President shocked Nigerians during a graveside address at General Andrew Azzazi’s funeral in Bayelsa. “Corruption is not the cause of our problem [in Nigeria],” he told the mourners. Continue reading “The Altitude of Corruption”

A self-confessed police pension thief,  Yakubu Yusuf, was yesterday re-arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice Abubakar Talba of an Abuja High Court had, in a judgement he delivered this Monday, freed Yusuf by asking him to pay N750, 000 fine or spend two years in jail after he admitted that he had embezzled N32.8 billion.

As at the time of filing this report, the convicted former director of pension in the Police Affairs Ministry was still being held in the EFCC custody in Abuja and will be arraigned today before a Federal High Court in Abuja  on a fresh charge of stealing N300million. Continue reading “EFCC Rearrests Pension Thief Yakubu Yusufu”

January 29, 2013 by Niyi Odebode and Ade Adesomoju

President of the Campaign for Democracy, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin

Some lawyers and members of the nation’s civil society have condemned the two-year jail term passed on a director in the Police Pension Office, Mr. John Yusuf, who was said to have been involved in a total fraud worth N27bn.

Justice Abubakar Talba of a Federal  Capital Territory High Court on Monday sentenced Yusuf to two years imprisonment with an option of N750,000 fine after the accused pleaded guilty to the charge. Continue reading “N27bn fraud: Lawyers, activists condemn lenient sentence”

Posted by Editor on January 28, 2013.

The Action Congress of Nigeria, human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), and civil society groups have slammed the Nigeria Governors’ Forum for sending a delegation to visit Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, who is reportedly receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness, in London.

According to them, the governors are helping Chime to perpetuate  has hold on power by all means.

Chime has been away from the country for over four months and with the nature of his illness shrouded in secrecy, there have been questions about his fitness to govern the state. Continue reading “Outrage Over Govs’ Visit To Chime”

January 27, 2013 by ALLWELL OKPI

Almost half a billion naira was budgeted for the upgrade and rehabilitation of facilities at police colleges across the country in 2012,  investigations by SUNDAY PUNCH have shown.

A breakdown of the N307bn budget of police formations and commands, obtained from the Budget Office of the Federation, Ministry of Finance, showed that N296.75m was budgeted for the upgrade of facilities in the following police training institutions – Detective College, Enugu State, PMF training schools, Gwoza (Borno State) and Ila-Orangun (Osun), ATS Training School Nonwa-Tai, (Rivers) Police colleges, Ikeja (Lagos), Kaduna, Maiduguri (Borno), Oji-River (Enugu),  PTS Iperu (Ogun),  Ibadan (Oyo), Oyin-Akoko (Ondo), mounted and dog training schools, communication training schools, Ikeja and Kaduna. Continue reading “Police colleges got N496m in 2012 –Investigation”

January 23, 2013 by Sodiq Oyeleke

Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders has faulted the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, for barring political office holders in the state from granting interviews or speaking to journalists on behalf of his government.

The Executive President of the group, Debo Adeniran, in a statement on Tuesday by his Media Officer, Abimbola Adegoke, accused the governor of running “a secret government.” Continue reading “Fashola running a secret govt– CACOL”