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S’Court Reserves Ruling In Union Bank’s Suit Against $15bn Judgment Debt …Queries Prosecutor’s Authority To Try Convicted Ex-Pension Director

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The Supreme Court, yesterday, in Abuja, reserved ruling on a motion by Union Bank Plc seeking among others, leave to appeal against a June 5, 2018 judgment of the Court of Appeal in which the bank and three others were ordered to pay an oil and gas firm – Petro Union Limited – about $15billion.
A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad, after listening to arguments by lawyers to parties, said they would be informed when the ruling was ready.
Union Bank’s lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) while arguing the motion, said it contains nine reliefs, among which was an order for leave for extension of time to file appeal and another order for leave to appeal under Order 6 Rule 2(1) of the Supreme Court’s Rules.
Awomolo said his clients seek to raise fresh grounds of appeal and introduce new evidence necessary for a fair and just determination of the court.
He noted that it was strange that, while the judgments of the Federal High Court, Abuja (delivered on March 11, 2014) and the subsequent one by the Court of Appeal (which affirmed the Federal High Court judgment) were based on a £2.556b cheque alleged lodged in Union Bank by Petro Union, the said cheque was never tendered in court.
Awomolo said his client intends to show that Petro Union obtained both judgments by fraud.
He noted that Petro Union’s lawyer, Joe Gadzama (SAN) was only opposed to the grant of reliefs four and six out of the nine reliefs.
He urged the court to disregard the objection raised by Petro Union against his motion and prayed the court to grant his motion on the merit.
Olabisisi Soyebo (SAN) for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Tijani Gazali (SAN) for the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Finance did not object to Union Bank’s motion.
Soyebo and Gazali, who said they did not file any process in relation to the motion, urged the court to grant it in view of the colossal amount involved and its possible implication on the nation’s economy.
Gadzama, in his response, said he vehemently opposed the motion factually and in law.
He urged the court to uphold the objection he raised and dismissed the motion on the grounds that Union Bank has not given valid and cogent reasons why leave should be granted it.
Earlier, the court finally resolved the dispute over who should represent Petro Union between Gazama and Onyechi Egwuonwu.
The court said, by its earlier ruling on July 6, 2021, it had found that Gadzama was the actual lawyer for Petro Union. It then barred Egwuonwu from further participating in the proceedings.
Petro Union had, in 1994 allegedly procured a cheque from a branch of Barclays Bank in the United Kingdom with a value of £2.556b wich it lodged in a Union Bank branch in Lagos under the pretext that the funds were to be used to construct three petrochemical refinery complexes and a bank in Nigeria.
On March 22, 2012, Petro Union sued at the Federal High Court, Abuja and sought, among others, an order of mandamus compelling the CBN, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, Minister of Finance and the Attorney-General of the Federation to pay £2,556,000,000.00 to it.
In the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/M/104/2012 Petro Union claimed that the money was deposited with Union Bank in 1994n adding that Union Bank received £2,556,000,000.00 on its behalf and transferred £2,159,221,318.54 to the CBN while it retained £396,778,681.46 as commission.
The defendants – Union Bank, CBN, Minister of Finance and AGF – in their separate counter-affidavits, denied Petro Union’s claims.
But, in the March 11, 2014 judgment, Justice Adamu Abdu-Kafarati of the Federal High Court, Abuja (now late) held in favour of Petro Union and their directors against the defendants.
Justice Kafarati held, among others, that Union Bank was liable to Petro Union in the sum of £396,778,681.46 being the balance of Petro Union’s foreign capital which it supposedly deposited with the Bank in 1994 and that the CBN was liable to the oil firm for the sum of £2,159,221,318.54.
The liabilities were held by the court to be joint and several against all the four defendants – CBN, Union Bank, Minister of Finance and AGF.
Out of the four defendants, only Union Bank and the CBN appealed the judgment of the Federal High Court.
On June 5, 2018, the Court of Appeal, Abuja gave judgment in the appeal by Union Bank and upheld the judgment by Justice Kafarati.
It is yet to determine the appeal by the CBN.
Similarly, the Supreme Court, yesterday, demanded from the law firm of Rotimi Jacobs and Co the fiat issued to it by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to prosecuted John Yakubu Yusufu, who was convicted for diverting N24billion.
Yusufu, a former Deputy Director in the Federal Civil Service Pension Office, who is serving his six-year sentence, appealed to the Supreme Court to have the 2018 judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja set aside.
At the mention of the case, yesterday, Theodore Maiyaki announced an appearance for the appellant.
When Oluwaleke Atolagbe (from the firm of Rotimi Jacobs & Co) announced appearance for the respondent (the Federal Republic of Nigeria), a member of the court’s five-justices panel, Justice Centus Nweze sought to know if he (Atolagbe) was from the office of the Attorney General of te Federation (AGF).
Atolagbe said he is a private lawyer from, whose firm was instructed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to prosecute the case from the trial court.
Justice Nweze insisted that Atolagbe must present the fiat issued is firm by the AGF before further steps could be taken in the case.
When asked by the head of the panel, Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad, if he has the fiat with him in court, Atolagbe said no, but that a letter from the EFCC, authorising his firm to prosecute the case, was in the office.
In a ruling, Justice Muhammad said, although the court sympathised with the appellant (who Maiyaki said was currently in a correctional facility), further proceedings in te case would be suspended pending when the respondent produces the fiat issue on which basis it prosecuted the case.
Justice Muhammad then adjourned January 27, 2022 at the instance of the respondent.
Justice Abubakar Talba of the High Court of the Feral Capital Territory (FCT) had, in a judgment on January 28, 2013 convicted Yusufu on a three-count charge to which he pleaded guilty following a plea bargain agreement with the prosecuting agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Talba had sentenced him to two years imprisonment on each count, with the option of N250,000 for each count, a decision the EFCC appealed.
In its judgment on March 21, 2018 the Appeal Court reversed the judgment of the High Court of the FCT and sentenced Yusufu to a cumulative six years imprisonment.
The appellate court then ordered to refund N22.9 billion to Federal Government’s coffers, a decision e appealed to the Supreme Court.
Although the Appeal Court’s judgment was given in 2018, Yusufu remained a free man until June 2020 when the EFCC arrest announced that its operatives arrested him in Gombe State.
He was later taken before Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf of the High Court of the FCT, who on June 22, 2020 ordered him to be sent to prison to serve his sentence.

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Rivers DPOs Receive Awards For Outstanding Performance In Crime Prevention …As Students, Media Group Honour CSP Worgu, CSP Yusuf

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Two Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in Rivers State have been honoured by separate groups for their contributions to security, crime prevention and improved community-police relations in their respective areas of responsibility.

The beneficiaries are the DPO of Afam Police Division, CSP  Endurance Worgu and his counterpart at Oyigbo Police Division, CSP Bello Yusuf.

CSP Worgu was honoured by a group of students under the aegis of Rivers State Graduate Students Associations for what they described as his commitment and outstanding performance in the discharge of his duties.

The students, led by  Chidi John Enyie, Esq. said CSP Worgu was selected based on his track record and status as one of the longest-serving young DPOs of Rivers State origin.

According to the group, CSP Worgu has made significant contributions to the protection of lives and property in the area since assuming office following the #EndSARS period.

The students said they were particularly impressed by the improvement in community-police relations under his leadership, noting that professionalism had remained a key feature of his service.

Enyie represented by Comrade Briggs Soku, said the students community was pleased to identify with a Rivers indigene who had distinguished himself in the police force.

He said the students considered it necessary to encourage and celebrate CSP Worgu because of his achievements as a young Rivers man excelling in a profession that many people from the state were often reluctant to join.

Receiving the award at his office in Afam, CSP Worgu expressed gratitude to God and the students for finding him worthy of the honour.

The DPO said the recognition had boosted his morale and encouraged him to sustain his efforts towards maintaining peace and security in the area.

He said he least expected the honour, particularly because it came from the students, adding that the recognition would further motivate him to serve the people better.

CSP Worgu assured residents of Afam that the police would sustain the existing peace in the area.

He appealed to members of the public to support the police by providing credible and timely information, stressing that useful information from residents would make the job of security personnel easier.

Meanwhile, the Ikwerre/Etche Media Association has also honoured the DPO of Oyigbo Police Division, CSP Bello Yusuf, for his efforts in tackling criminal activities in the area.

The media group presented the award following the swift tracking and arrest of five suspected kidnappers who had allegedly terrorised residents of the Kom-Kom axis and other parts of Oyigbo.

The group commended CSP Bello for what it described as his determined efforts to restore confidence and security in the affected communities, particularly Kom-Kom and Obeama.

According to the group, the arrest of the suspects demonstrated the DPO’s commitment to tackling criminality and safeguarding residents.

The media association said residents had received the development with relief, noting that the police action had sent a strong message to criminal elements operating in the area.

Responding, CSP Yusuf appreciated the group for the recognition and reaffirmed that there would be no room for criminality in Oyigbo.

He also commended the media for its role in disseminating credible information to the public, saying the media had remained supportive of the police in the fight against crime.

CSP Yusuf warned criminal elements operating in Oyigbo to leave the area or be prepared to face the full weight of the law.

He assured residents that the police would continue to pursue criminals and work to dismantle their hideouts, regardless of where they might be operating.

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College Of Bishops Endorses Tinubu, APC Candidates  For 2027 Polls

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The 5000 Achievers Christian Forum and Colleges of Bishops, Archbishops and Apostles, a Christian interdenominational organisation, has endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State for the 2027 general elections.

International President of the forum, Archbishop Lucky Aroh, disclosed this during the ordination and consecration of three new Bishops, as well as an award ceremony held in Port Harcourt.

Aroh said the performance of the APC-led Federal Government had endeared the party to the organisation, prompting the forum to declare its support for President Tinubu and other APC candidates in Rivers State.

He said the forum would support all APC candidates in the state during the 2027 elections and urged Nigerians to vote for the party.

Aroh, who is also the General Overseer of Caring Peoples Church, Port Harcourt, charged the newly consecrated Bishops to see their new positions as a great responsibility and dedicate themselves to the advancement of the kingdom of God.

He cautioned them against conduct capable of bringing their offices into disrepute, stressing that their activities would be closely watched by members of the public.

“As Bishops, the eyes of the public are on your activities. You must therefore conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of your calling,” he said.

Also speaking, the International Coordinator of the forum, Bishop Saint Robinson, urged the newly consecrated Bishops to work diligently towards winning souls for the kingdom of God.

Robinson, who was the guest speaker at the event, stressed that the activities of Bishops must at all times be guided by godly principles.

He also called on members of the church to support and cooperate with the newly consecrated Bishops in the discharge of their responsibilities.

The Secretary of the College, Apostle Elizabeth Ayadi Abaye, said the organisation was established to advance the kingdom of God and promote spiritual development.

According to her, the forum has organised several crusades, conferences, prayer meetings, ordinations, consecrations, enthronements, empowerment programmes and other spiritual development activities across the country as part of efforts to win souls for Christ.

Abaye said the organisation has members across the world and disclosed that more programmes had been scheduled to promote the spiritual development and wellbeing of humanity.

The three Bishops consecrated at the ceremony were Prince Alban Chike, Testimony Omenihu Shedrach and Prince Ifemena.

Among those honoured at the event were the Chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC), Abali Community, Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, Manuchimso Prince Lemmy Wopara, and Clifford Oko Jaja, Coordinator of the 5,000 House-to-House for President Tinubu.

By: John Bibor

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Police Arrest Fake Soldier, Others For Armed Robbery, Kidnapping

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The Rivers State Police Command has arrested a 49-year-old suspected fake soldier, Andrew Atausi, and several other suspects in connection with various criminal activities, including kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, one-chance robbery and the alleged murder of police officers.

The State Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, disclosed this in Port Harcourt, recently during a press briefing at the Command Headquarters, where he said the arrests formed part of the operational achievements recorded by the Command between June and August 2026.

Adepoju said Atausi was arrested on August 10 by police operatives along Ada George, Port Harcourt, while dressed in military uniform and driving a Toyota Hilux painted in Army colours.

The Commissioner said investigation revealed that Atausi was not a member of the Armed Forces, adding that he was suspected to be a serial car snatcher, with three suspected stolen vehicles recovered from him.

He said the recovered vehicles included three Toyota Hilux vehicles without registration numbers and a Toyota Corona Premio with registration number BNY 380 ES, noting that the chassis and engine numbers of the vehicles had allegedly been tampered with.

Adepoju added that an axe and military accoutrements were also recovered from Atausi, as investigation continued into the circumstances surrounding the vehicles and other items recovered from him.

On the June 29 attack on police officers at Aluu Division, the Commissioner said three members of the gang allegedly responsible for the incident had been arrested by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, VCRU-AKU.

The suspects, identified as Maduabuchi Emeka, 34, alleged gang leader; Doctor Chinedu Owhor, 42, and Kamachi Joe, 28, alleged armourer, reportedly led operatives to their hideout at Omagwa where two AK-47 rifles stolen during the attack were recovered.

Adepoju recalled that two police officers were killed during the Aluu attack, while others were wounded and one officer had his leg amputated, stressing that efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fourth suspect.

On kidnapping, the Commissioner said five members of a suspected kidnapping syndicate were arrested in Oyigbo Local Government Area, adding that they allegedly confessed to operations in Kom-Kom, Railway, Obeama and Afam communities.

He said two other suspects from the same network, Anele Ogbogu, 35, alleged to be the gang’s armourer, and Kenneth Eke, 38, were arrested on July 27, with one AK-47 rifle and one SMG rifle recovered.

The Commissioner further disclosed the arrest of suspects in connection with alleged firearm offences, armed robbery, cultism and one-chance robbery, with firearms, ammunition and other exhibits recovered during the operations.

Adepoju assured residents that the Command would sustain intelligence-led, proactive and community-oriented policing in collaboration with other security agencies, while urging members of the public to continue providing credible information that would assist the police in combating crime across Rivers State.

By; King Onunwor

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