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Alleged N33.8bn Fraud: I received more than N22bn from Federal Ministry of Power -BDC Operator

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The trial of former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman continued on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at the Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC presenting its 8th witness, PW8.

The witness, PW8 Abdullahi Suleman, a bureau de change operator, narrated how more than N22 billion was allegedly siphoned from the Federal Ministry of Power while Mamman was Minister. He said the naira equivalent of the money was exchanged for United States dollars through his business accounts.

Mamman is being prosecuted by the EFCC on a 12-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit money laundering to the tune of N33,804,830,503.73 (Thirty-three Billion, Eight Hundred and Four Million, Eight Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Five Hundred and Three Naira, Seventy-three Kobo).

At Wednesday’s proceedings, Suleiman, while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN narrated that about 12 of his business accounts received money from the Federal Ministry of Power without carrying out any service, contact or project. His companies; Prymint Investment Limited, Strong Field International Projects Limited, Mintedge Nigeria Limited, First Class Construction and Project, Silverline Ocean Ventures, Golden Bond Nigeria Limited, Sipikin Global Enterprise, Spinhiills Biz International limited, Fullest Utility Concepts Limited, Platinum Touch Enterprises, Breathable Investment Limited and a company owned by his brother named Gurupche Business Enterprises were used for the transactions.

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“I know Alhaji Maina Goje, we are in the same business, sometimes in 2019, Maina Goje met me that he has transaction that I should give him some of my account numbers, the first account I gave him was Fullest, he will send money and I will give him dollars, he started asking for more accounts, he will tell me what to do with the transactions, I will get the dollar and give him and sometimes I will do a transfer to other accounts. We have been working together since then till 2024. From my rough calculations, the amount I have received through the transactions will be more than 22 billion naira. Also Maina used to send someone called Musbhu anytime he was not available, he would send him and give me instructions on what to do with him, we do call him Yaro Minister because he is from Saleh Mamman”, he said.

Continuing, “ I also know Mr Mustapha Muhammed, Goje told me that he is his oga, I didn’t know him before until Maina Goje introduced him to me, then I learnt he works with Federal Ministry of Housing and instructed that anytime they can’t reach him, I should give him the amount of dollars he requested”

When shown Exhibit X series, which contained bank statements generated from his companies showing evidence of money inflows into his bank accounts with Strong Field international Projects Limited, Mintedge Nigeria Limited, Prymint Investment Limited, the witness admitted that they were the accounts he gave Maina Goje.

Among some of the notable transactions shown to him on the accounts were; N285,983,285 received on 24th May 2021, N278, 248.611 on 26th May 2021, , N320m on 1st January, 2021, 184m on 18 June, 2021, N178,300,285 on 14th July 2021, , N75,420, 000 on 5th August 2021, N75,120,000 on 1st December 2021, N68,150,620 and N70,650 on 15th December 2021, N90,247,395 on 12th Jan 2022, N64, 747,627 on 16 February 2022, among others and he agreed receiving them.

Earlier, a Compliance Officer from FCMB presented and tendered bank statements and attachments in a reply letter to the EFCC dated August 16, 2024 in respect of Prymint Investments Limited, Platinum Touch Enterprises, Royal Perimeter Ventures, Golden Bond Nigeria Limited, Flex Utility Concepts Limited, Bentech Nigeria Limited admitted and marked Exhibit XTUB.

The judge adjourned the matter to 23 January, 2024 for continuation of hearing.

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APC Youths Demand Nationwide Ban on Rarara’s Songs at Party Activities

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The Coalition of APC Progressive Youths has called on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to prohibit the use of songs by popular political singer Dauda Adamu Kahutu, popularly known as Rarara, at all party activities across the national and state levels.

The group’s National Chairman, Hon. Sadiq Ali Sango, made the call in a statement issued to journalists in Abuja on Monday.

Sango alleged that Rarara’s songs have become more detrimental than beneficial to the ruling party, accusing the singer of using abusive language and divisive messages that undermine unity within the APC.

According to him, rather than promoting harmony among party members, Rarara’s style of political music has fueled hatred and deepened internal divisions.

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He further alleged that the singer has repeatedly targeted senior party leaders and elders with insulting lyrics, describing such conduct as inconsistent with the values and principles of the APC.

The coalition also accused Rarara of sponsoring campaigns against the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, claiming that the campaign encouraged some youths to launch personal attacks against the senator and make what it described as unfounded allegations against him.

The youth group condemned what it called Rarara’s “continuous politics of insults and character assassination,” warning that such actions could damage the party’s image ahead of future political contests.

Sango urged the APC National Working Committee (NWC) and other party stakeholders to immediately ban the use of Rarara’s songs at official party functions, rallies, and other political activities nationwide.

He added that the coalition would pursue all lawful and necessary measures to challenge what it described as conduct capable of causing disunity within the APC.

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Hon. Abubakar Bichi Commissions 120 Health Workers in Bichi

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The Kabir Abubakar Bichi Foundation has commissioned 120 temporary health workers who will be deployed across primary healthcare centres in Bichi Local Government Area of Kano State.

The commissioning ceremony was led by the Member representing Bichi Federal Constituency, Hon. Abubakar Kabir Abubakar, on Saturday in Bichi. The event was attended by the Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, alongside other dignitaries.

Speaking at the event, Hon. Abubakar Kabir Abubakar announced that the Federal Government is set to establish a new teaching hospital in Bichi Local Government Area to improve healthcare delivery.

“I recently attended meetings on education and healthcare development. As you know, we have Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, and I want to assure you that we are working closely with the Minister of Health and the Chief Medical Director of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital to facilitate the establishment of a new teaching hospital in Bichi,” he said.

Abubakar Kabir Abubakar added that the project is receiving strong support from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“We must appreciate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his unwavering support for the development of the healthcare sector. We are currently working towards securing the President’s final approval for the project under this year’s budget,” he said.

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Hon. Abubakar Kabir Abubakar, who also serves as the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, reaffirmed his commitment to improving healthcare delivery. He disclosed that efforts are underway to upgrade Bichi General Hospital to the status of a specialist hospital in order to provide more advanced medical services and reduce pressure on major referral hospitals in Kano State.

He said “We are pleased to inform the Commissioner that we have completed the installation of equipment for the radiology department at Bichi General Hospital. The equipment includes a digital X-ray machine, 40 oxygen machines, and four dialysis machines, with an additional four dialysis machines expected soon.

“We are now awaiting the arrival of a 64-slice CT scan machine to complete the project. Once the remaining equipment arrives, we will be honoured to invite you and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to officially commission the upgraded facilities.

“We also plan to upgrade the surgical and operating theatre of Bichi General Hospital to meet the standards of leading hospitals across Kano State. Our goal is to strengthen healthcare delivery by reducing congestion at major referral hospitals in Kano metropolis, particularly Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital and Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital, Nasarawa, where increasing patient numbers are placing pressure on healthcare personnel and facilities.

“As Kano’s population continues to grow, expanding and equipping secondary healthcare facilities such as Bichi General Hospital has become essential to ensuring timely access to quality healthcare for our people.”

Hon. Abubakar Kabir Abubakar also appealed to the Kano State Government to upgrade Danzabuwa and Saye Primary Healthcare Centres to General Hospitals, assuring the government of his full support in providing infrastructure and medical equipment for the facilities.

He commended the health committee, led by Professor Yusuf Muhammad, for conducting a transparent screening exercise for the newly recruited health workers.

He urged the newly commissioned workers to discharge their responsibilities with professionalism, dedication, and integrity in the service of their communities.

The lawmaker further appealed to the Kano State Government, under the leadership of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, to absorb the 120 temporary health workers into the state’s permanent and pensionable workforce.

He also praised Governor Yusuf for his investments in the health and education sectors, describing them as significant contributions to improving the welfare and well-being of the people of Kano State.

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85 Religious Leaders Graduate from JNI-Alkalanci Fact-Checking Training in Gombe

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The Jama’atul Nasrul Islam (JNI), Gombe State chapter, in collaboration with Alkalanci, has trained 85 Islamic clerics, Imams and Tsangaya teachers drawn from across all local government areas of the state on fact-checking, media and information literacy, as part of efforts to curb the spread of Misinformation/disinformation ahead of the 2027 general election.

The two-day step-down training, which held in Gombe, brought together religious leaders who serve as trusted voices in their communities, with organisers stressing their unique position to either check or amplify the spread of false information.

This is one of the impact of the fact-checking and media literacy training done by Alkalanci in April 2026 in Gombe, where some JNI members were in attendance.

Speaking at the event, the Secretary General of JNI, Prof. Khalid Aliyu, represented by Ustaz Yusuf Sa’id, underscored the critical role religious leaders play in combating disinformation, particularly as the country approaches the 2027 election.

He admitted that politicians often exploit clerics and religious platforms to spread disinformation for political gain, warning that such practices could deepen social division and mislead the public if left unchecked. He urged the participants to be more discerning and to use the knowledge gained from the training to protect their congregations from manipulation.

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Also speaking, the Sarkin Bai of Gombe, Amb. Yerima Abdullahi, urged religious leaders to be cautious in their sermons and public engagements, warning against the inclusion of unverified propaganda or false narratives in their preaching.

He emphasized the importance of training religious leaders in fact-checking and media and information literacy, noting that as custodians of public trust, clerics and imams have a responsibility to verify information before disseminating it to their followers.

In his remarks, the Editor of Alkalanci, Alhassan Bala, commended the Gombe chapter of JNI for partnering with Alkalanci to organise the step-down training, describing it as part of broader efforts to combat misinformation and disinformation.

“Gombe was one of the states we conducted training this year, and I am happy to say you are now the first to hold step-down training this is another impact of what we have been doing.”

He noted that some individuals, both within and outside the country, deliberately create false information and use emotional appeals to manipulate religious leaders and their followers into believing and spreading such content.

The training, which concluded on Sunday, featured sessions on identifying fake news, verifying sources, and understanding the dangers of unchecked information sharing, especially in the lead-up to elections.

At the end of the programme, participants pledged to disseminate the knowledge acquired to their various communities and to cautioned the public to always verify information before sharing, noting that this is in line with Islamic teachings on truthfulness and the avoidance of falsehood.

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