News
APC Has Marked Me Out For Arrest, Timi Frank Alerts …Says Jonathan, Better Leader
A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has alleged that he has been marked for arrest and prosecution by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.
According to Frank, this is because of his voice of opposition to the style of the administration.
The politician also lamented the withdrawal of his police security aides, while alleging that a serving minister was threatening media houses against publishing his news releases.
Frank had yesterday written the British Government, reporting President Buhari to the Prime Minister, Theresa May over what he described as death of democracy in Nigeria.
He raised the points in a statement he signed and made available to newsmen, yesterday, urging Nigerians, and especially the National Assembly not to relent in providing leadership to ensure the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria.
The APC chieftain also called on civil society organisations and labour unions not to gloss over glaring threats against the nation’s democracy.
The statement read: “It has become imperative for me to use this medium to bring to the attention of the general public, as well as members of the international community that on Wednesday, 6th June, 2018, the Federal Government ordered the withdrawal of my police security aides.
“Even though no reason has been given for this sudden action by the police authorities, I believe that it is connected with my fight to preserve the nation’s democracy by speaking out against anti-democratic tendencies and clamouring for adherence to the rule of law under the present administration.
“I also have it on good authority that a directive has been given for my immediate arrest and detention. It has also come to my knowledge that a frontline minister in the present administration is going round media houses and online media and threatening them to either stop publishing and airing my views on national issues or face sanctions from the government.
He recalled that he had course to issue four open letters to be published in major national newspapers in one of which he passionately pleaded with Buhari to stop security agencies from harassing and intimidating Nigerians especially those perceived as enemies of the administration.
Frank also called on relevant security and anti-graft agencies, to follow due process in the ongoing fight against corruption in the country.
He added: “I had decried a situation where personalities mainly from the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) arm of our party, the All Progressives Congress, are being selectively targeted for persecution in the guise of fighting corruption.
“I dare say that the withdrawal of my police security aides and from other deserving Nigerians has become the modus operandi of this government in silencing the opposition.
“I also want to state that impunity in the country is moving from bad to worse as evidenced by the withdrawal of my security and my being marked for arrest and prosecution, simply because I have not ceased to speak up against acts of injustice, intimidation and harassment of Nigerians, since the inception of this government.”
He said that the plot against him shows that the Nigeria Police which is supposed to protect all Nigerians has become personalised and is being used to protect only those singing the praises of the present administration.
He said that the last administration was more democratic and tolerant than the present one because despite his incessant criticism of the Jonathan’s administration, he never ordered the withdrawal of his police aides, as well as those of all opposition members now in government who were opposed to Jonathan and his government as at that time.
Frank added, “This unwarranted action by the government against me, I must say, is meant to expose me to grave danger and personal harm with the aim to permanently shut me up.
“Nigerians had expected leaders in this administration to learn to tolerate criticism from the opposition as a common feature in any democratic setting. Take South Africa, for example, where a member of parliament and leader of the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, Julius Malema, often criticises the President of South Africa without his security aides being withdrawn or him being framed-up for arrest and prosecution”.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has indicted a new generation bank, six Fintechs and some microfinance banks in major financial scams by allowing fraudsters to launder huge sums of money.
Director of public Affairs of the Commission, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, made this known at a press briefing at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, yesterday.
According to him, the compromised institutions allegedly allowed cryptocurrency transactions worth N162 billion to pass through without proper due diligence within the 2024/2025 financial year.
He said that the financial institutions clearly compromised banking procedures and allowed the fraudsters to safely change their ill-gotten gains into digital assets and move them to safe destinations.
“A total sum of N18.1 billion was moved through the financial system without due diligence of customers by the banks.
“It is worrisome that investigations by the commission showed that cryptocurrency transactions to the tune of N162 billion passed through a new generation bank without any due diligence.
“Investigations showed that a single customer maintained 960 accounts in another new bank and all the accounts were used for fraudulent purposes.
“That is bad news but the good news is that following our intervention the commission has been able to recover N33.62 million, which has been returned to some of the victims.”
He explained that the scams were in two categories, adding that the first was a syndicate of fraudsters that employed an airline discount scheme to lure their victims.
He said that they advertised a discount system for the purchase of flight tickets of a particular foreign carrier.
“The payment module is designed in such a way that the victims’ payment is actually made into the account of the airline.
“After payment is made the passenger’s entire funds in his bank account are emptied.
“Investigations showed that more than 700 victims have been scammed so far, with a loss of N651 million,” he said.
According to him, investigations show that the scheme is being masterminded by a foreign national; the commission has so far recovered and released N33 million to victims of the fraud.
He said that another scheme involved a company named Fred and Farid Investment Limited, simply called FF investment, which lured Nigerians into a bogus investment arrangement.
“More than 200, 000 victims have been defrauded in this regard. A total sum of N18 billion was raked in through nine companies offering diverse investment packages.
“The companies are: Credio Banco Limited; Deliberty Rock Limited; Liam Chumeks Global Service; Ngwuoke Daniels Technology; and Icons Autos and Import Merchant.
“Others are : Newpace Technology Services Limited, Primepath Ways Ventures Limited, Kaka Synergy Network Limited and Sunlight Tech Hub Services Limited.”
He said that foreign nationals were behind the schemes, while there are three Nigerian accomplices who have been arrested and charged to court.
He said that the masterminds were on the run and efforts are being made to bring them to book.
“The Commission is calling on regulatory bodies to bring financial institutions to compulsory compliance with regulations in the areas of Know Your Customers (KYC), Customer Due Diligence (CDD), Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) and others.
“Deposit Money Banks, Fintechs, Micro Finance Banks found to be aiding and abetting fraudsters should be suspended and referred to the EFCC for thorough investigation and possible prosecution.
“Negligence and failure to monitor suspicious and structured transactions by banks should no longer be allowed,” he said.
While cautioning members of the public to be wary of these actors, he said that the EFCC would continue its works against money laundering by fraudulent actors.
Uwujaren urged financial institutions to firm up their operational dynamics and save the nation leakages and compromises bleeding the economy.
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