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Petitions to EFCC, SSS accuse Chinese expatriates of colluding with bank manager to steal N17 billion from two Nigerian ceramic companies

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4 months ago

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Zenith Bank Plc and its Lokoja Branch Manager, Salawu Nasiru, together with two Chinese citizens, Liu Yangxi and Ma Zhuang, have conspired to defraud two Nigerian ceramic companies and their directors.

Messrs Salawu, Liu and Ma were accused of fraudulently obtaining about N17 billion in credits on behalf of BN Ceramic Industry Limited and NB Ceramic Limited, and Zhang Qide, a director and shareholder in the ceramic firms.

The loans, secretly obtained without the knowledge of the Nigerian companies, were disbursed to Liu between November 4, 2021, and August 31, 2023.

Documents also indicated that Mr Salawu, the Zenith Bank branch manager in Lokoja, received over N100,000,000 as kickbacks for ‘facilitating’ the N17bn loan dubiously obtained by Mr Liu and his accomplices.

Mr Liu, like Zhang Qide, holds positions as a shareholder and director at the ceramic firm, and Messrs Ma and Liu have family ties.

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The predicament of the Nigerian ceramic company and its director, Mr Qide, began with Mr Liu, without proper consultation or approval from the management, directors, and shareholders of BN Ceramic Ltd orchestrated, with the assistance of Messrs Ma and Salawu, the acquisition of a N3 billion loan from Zenith Bank, findings showed.

“Liu, in collaboration with Ma and Salawu, falsified Zhang Qide’s signature on the loan documents, including the offer of credit facility and the approving board resolution. Additionally, Mr Liu engaged in criminal conduct by falsely presenting himself as the managing director of both BN Ceramic Industry Limited and NB Ceramic Limited.

He proceeded to pledge/charge all fixed and floating assets of the BN Ceramic Industry Limited and NB Ceramics Limited, including its machinery and equipment, as collateral for the loan, without proper authorisation from the respective boards and shareholders of both companies.

Upon the approval and disbursement of the N3 billion loan into NB Ceramic Limited’s account, Liu paid N69,900,000 as kickbacks to Mr Salawu and also cleared the bank fees. Thereafter, without obtaining necessary consent or adhering to the company’s approved procedures, Mr Liu immediately transferred the remaining N2.68 billion balance to the companies he controlled. One of the companies, Wetech Industry Ltd got N300 million. The second company, Pure Biotech Company Limited, got N701 million, while the third company, CBC Oil & Gas Services Ltd, received N1.67 billion. After the accounts of the three companies were credited, Liu quickly laundered the funds into Chinese Yuan and transferred them to his personal account in China, all without informing or gaining approval from the board,” a staff of NB Ceramic Limited, who craved anonymity, said.

The staff further noted that “Mr Liu collaborated with a member of his criminal group to establish a shell company named Wetech Industry Limited. In this arrangement, Liu and Lu Hao, represented by Bello Musa as a front, held 45% and 55% of the shell company’s shares, respectively. “Custom Clearance and Inland Transportation for the Second Lot of AKK Project” with BRENTEX CPP Ltd.

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Kano State Hosts 8th Annual Audit Forum to Enhance Transparency and Accountability

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2 hours ago

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November 21, 2024

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The 8th Annual Audit Forum, organized by the Office of the Auditor General of Kano State, was held recently, focusing on strengthening transparency and accountability in public financial management. .

Isma’ila Musa, the Auditor General of Kano State, welcomed the participants and highlighted the constitutional and legal mandates that guide the auditing process. “Sections 125(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and 36(i) of the Kano State Audit Law, 2021 (as amended) mandate the Office of the Auditor General to audit the accounts and financial statements of the State Government and all Offices and Courts,” he stated.

Musa expressed immense gratitude to His Excellency, Engineer Abba Kabir Yusuf, the Governor of Kano State, for his support in making the event possible. “It is very important to note that a strengthened fiscal transparency will help build trust in governance,” he emphasized. He added that the Audit Forum is a reform intended to reduce opportunities for corruption and abuse of public resources, thereby increasing the efficiency of public expenditures.

The Auditor General also acknowledged the contributions of various officials, including the Hon. Commissioner Ministry of Planning and Budget, the Accountant General, the Executive Chairman of Kano Internal Revenue Services, and former Auditors General, among others. “My sincere appreciation to all the invitees here present for honoring our invitation. I wish us a successful 8th Kano State Annual Audit Forum,” Musa concluded.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Honorable Tukur Fagge, praised the exercise for its potential to enhance resource management and ensure the success of the tasks at hand. “This exercise will enhance resources management and will realize the success of the task,” Fagge stated.

Sarkin Shanon Kano, Shehu Muhammad Dankadai, who served as the royal father of the day, also graced the event, adding to the significance of the occasion.

The forum underscored the commitment of the Kano State Government to upholding transparency and accountability, reflecting the administration’s dedication to effective and efficient service delivery.

 

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Breaking: Former Secretary of Federal Electoral Commission, FEDECO, Ahmadu Kurfi Passes On at 93

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8 hours ago

on

November 21, 2024

By

Late Alhaji Ahmadu Kurfi

 

A former secretary of the Federal Electoral Commission, Alhaji Ahmadu Kurfi, has passed away.

A family source, Jafar Yakubu, informed NIGERIAN TRACKER about the death of the pioneer secretary of the Federal Electoral Commission, who supervised the 1979 general election.

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Jafar Yakubu said Alhaji Ahmadu Kurfi died at the age of 93 and his Janaza funeral prayers will take place by 2:30 PM at Kurfi in KATSINA state .

 

Dr. Amadu Kurfi, OFR, was born in 1931. He was a former chairman of the then Marketing Board, former Federal Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Defence, and the first person to acquire a BSc degree in the whole of Katsina State, at University College London in 1957.

 

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President Tinubu Sacks UNIZIK Vice-Chancellor, Registrar

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22 hours ago

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November 20, 2024

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The governing council of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University has been dissolved by President Bola Tinubu.

The president dissolved the council and approved the removal of the institution’s vice-chancellor Bernard Odoh and the university registrar, Rosemary Nwokike.

A statement by Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser to the president on information and strategy said the action by Tinubu follows allegations of procedural violations in the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor.

He also said that the council led by Greg Ozumba Mbadiwe and including five other members—Hafiz Oladejo, Augustine Onyedebelu, Engr. Amioleran Osahon, and Rtd. Gen. Funsho Oyeneyin was accused of bypassing due process to appoint an unqualified candidate, prompting federal intervention.

Onanuga said, “The sacking of the governing council and officials followed reports that the council illegally appointed an unqualified vice-chancellor without following due process.

He added that following the controversial appointment, the Federal Government stepped in to address the rivalry between the university’s Senate and the governing council of the institution.

“The government expressed concern over the council’s apparent disregard for the university’s governing laws in its selection process”, Onanuga added.

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