General
Dariye Loses Another Bid to Frustrate N1.2b Fraud Trial
By Dipo Olowookere
Former Plateau State Governor, Mr Joshua Dariye, has again lost his bid to scuttle his N1.162 billion fraud trial, preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Gudu, Abuja, on March 6, 2017 threw out his motion seeking for his lordship to be disqualified from the trial.
Mr Dariye, who is facing a 23-count charge for allegedly diverting the state’s Ecological Fund to private companies including Ebenezer Retnan Ventures and Pinnacle Communications Limited, had in January lost in a similar bid, having applied to Justice U.I. Bello, the Chief Judge, CJ of the FCT High Court, accusing the trial judge of “manifest and undisguised bias”, and seeking for the case file to be transferred to another judge.
The CJ threw out the application and ordered Mr Dariye to go and continue with his trial before the judge as his allegation of bias was “baseless”.
At the time Mr Dariye sent his letter to the CJ, dated December 13, 2016 his defence counsel, G.S. Pwul, SAN, also brought two motions to the court, one of which was the one asking the trial judge to “disqualify” his lordship from the case.
He had also applied to the court, seeking for the recall of two principal witnesses, Musa Sunday, an EFCC operative who was cross-examined by both the prosecution and defence on January 25, 2016 and Peter Clark, a retired detective constable with the United Kingdom, UK Metropolitan Police, who was cross-examined by both counsels on May 9, 2016.
At the last sitting on March 2, 2017 Pwul, while arguing the applications, contended that it was necessary to recall the witnesses “in relation to new evidence”.
Citing exhibits D6 – D34 as the reasons for the recall, he further argued that there was need to further cross-examine Sunday as regards transactions between the Plateau State government and Pinnacle Communications Limited. He had also urged the court to summon Clark “in relation to his evidence and investigation activities carried out in the United Kingdom and to confront him with new evidence”.
Prosecution counsel, Adeniyi Adebisi, in his argument contended that the defence was provided with the list of all the witnesses in the proof of evidence, which included the names of the witnesses, which it wanted to bring to the court.
He added that “the defence knew in advance the witnesses to be called by the prosecution and so had adequate time and opportunity to review their statements and all evidence referred to were in existence and available long before Musa Sunday and Peter Clark testified before the court”.
Adebisi further argued that: “Dariye was present at all proceedings and well represented by his counsel who thoroughly cross-examined the two witnesses.” He reminded the court that Clark had retired and during the trial “the defence was never stampeded and the court didn’t force the counsel to conclude his cross-examination”.
He surmised that: “The applications are a ploy to delay the case and the Supreme Court has given directive for expeditious hearing”. He urged the court to dismiss the applications “with substantial cost”.
Justice Banjoko in ruling on the motion seeking for his lordship to be disqualified from the case, said: “I have no interest whatsoever in this case and I have so far presided over the case without fear or favour, and in line with my oath of office and so the motion lacks merit and is accordingly dismissed.”
The trial judge ruling on the second motion, noted that “the defence has called 16 witnesses and is now seeking to reopen prosecution’s case when defence is still going on”, and “the prosecution has already closed its case”.
The trial judge citing several authorities noted that while a recall by a party involved in a case is not out of order, “a recall is permitted only by a trial judge” and based on two facts that the party seeking a recall brings to the court “good enough facts as well as questions he intends to ask the witness which in this instance the defence has not done”.
While dismissing the application seeking for recall of Clark, the trial judge ruled that: “I have carefully considered all the authorities and submissions of counsels and found that Peter Clark the prosecution witness nine, PW9, resides in a territorial jurisdiction outside of Nigeria and in his oral testimony he stated that he retired on 9 March 2015, and came to Nigeria on his own freewill to see to the end of an investigation he started and the court can see that the witness was extensively cross-examined by the defence and the defence was not curtailed or prevented and so had maximum advantage to cross-examine him.”
The trial judge noted that Clark was a master of his own time and there was nothing to hold that he still resides in the UK since his retirement and moreover, he was not a “compellable witness”.
“The application is hereby denied and accordingly dismissed,” the trial judge held.
Justice Banjoko while adjourning to March 16, 2017 “for defence to continue”, however acceded to the request of the defence to recall Sunday for “further cross-examination in the interest of justice” and because he still resides in the “territorial jurisdiction of Nigeria”.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The domestic production of polypropylene will help Nigeria to save around $267 million in import costs, according to estimates by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN).
The group said investments from Dangote Group in the sector could significantly reduce the country’s reliance on imported raw materials for the textile industry.
The local production of polypropylene will not only boost industrial growth but also create jobs and enhance the competitiveness of Nigeria’s textile sector.
According to the Director-General of MAN, Mr Segun Kadir-Ajayi, this could help revive and ease the challenges facing a lot of industry in Nigeria, particularly the textile industry, which once employed over 25,000 workers in the northern region.
He attributed the industry’s decline to the lack of local polypropylene production and foreign exchange scarcity, forcing many companies to shut down.
Recently, Business Post reported that Dangote Industries has fully commenced polypropylene production, a move expected to transform Nigeria’s manufacturing sector.
It will help reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imports for this essential material used in packaging, textiles, and automotive components.
The Chairman of the group, Mr Aliko Dangote, projected that once fully operational, the refinery will meet local demand, eliminating the need for $267.7 million in annual imports.
By producing polypropylene locally, Dangote Industries is set to enhance industrial growth, create jobs, and strengthen Nigeria’s economy.
Polypropylene is a versatile thermoplastic used across multiple industries due to its durability, chemical resistance, and lightweight nature.
It plays a vital role in packaging, textiles, automotive, healthcare, construction, agriculture, consumer goods, and electronics. Its applications range from food containers and medical devices to car parts and irrigation pipes.
Local production of polypropylene is expected to boost industrial growth, create jobs, and enhance competitiveness.
Polypropylene’s versatile applications crucial for various industries including packaging, textiles, automotive, healthcare, construction and agriculture.
In packaging, polypropylene is essential for plastic containers and food packaging films. The textile industry relies on it for non-woven fabrics and carpets, while the automotive sector benefits from its lightweight properties in car bumpers and dashboards.
In healthcare, it is used for syringes and medical vials due to its sterility and durability. The construction and electronics industries utilize polypropylene for insulation materials, cables, and battery cases.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
An associate of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, Ms Aisha Achimugu, has been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The agency is investigating her for an alleged money laundering and criminal conspiracy, a statement said.
The action of the EFCC followed a report by an online newspaper, Peoples Gazette, that President Bola Tinubu was not happy that the some funds made available to Ms Achimugu for the 2023 general elections were used to prosecute the campaigns of his main challengers, Mr Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP).
Already, the former Vice President of Nigeria, Mr Atiku, has denied getting funds from the fugitive’s ally, Mr Sanwo-Olu, calling the claims “a blatant lie from the pit of hell.”
“We wish to state emphatically and for the record that this is a political hatchet job aimed at providing a much-needed justification to jettison Governor Sanwo-Olu, who appears to have fallen out of favour with the Bourdillon Cult,” a statement from his media office said.
The EFCC asked anyone with the whereabouts of Ms Achimugu to contact any of its offices in the country.
“The public is hereby notified that AISHA SULAIMAN ACHIMUGU, whose photograph appears above, is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in an alleged case of Criminal Conspiracy and Money Laundering.
“Achimugu, 51, is an indigene of Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State. Anybody with useful information as to her whereabouts should please contact the Commission in its Ibadan, Uyo, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Benin, Makurdi, Kaduna, Ilorin, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt or Abuja offices or through 08093322644; its e-mail address: info@efcc.gov.ng or the nearest Police Station and other security agencies,” the notice signed on Friday by the commission’s Head of Media and Publicity, Mr Dele Oyewale, said.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
In a bid to redefine modern media through technological innovation in content creation and distribution, Tether has embarked on a €10 million capital increase and equity acquisition in Be Water.
A statement from the largest company in the digital asset ecosystem on Thursday said it would take up a 30.4 per cent stake in Be Water by the end of the month to support the company’s technology-driven approach to content production and storytelling.
With this investment, Tether and Be Water will collaborate to enhance digital content distribution, integrate new technological solutions, and support the international expansion of Be Water’s brands.
The partnership will enable Be Water to develop a holistic technology infrastructure that leverages blockchain and advanced digital tools to distribute high-quality, independent content globally.
In addition, Be Water will launch a significant investment plan focused on developing a cutting-edge digital infrastructure for content distribution and production, expanding Chora and Will’s investigative journalism division establishing new strategic partnerships with global talent in film, television, and documentary production, and driving the international growth of Be Water’s brands.
Also, Be Water’s ownership structure will change, with key shareholders now including Guido Maria Brera, Giancarlo Devasini and Paolo Ardoino (Tether), Mario Calabresi, Roberto Condulmari, Saverio Costanzo, Barbara Salabè, Mattia Guerra, Sabina Grossi, Claudio Erba, Alessandro Borghi, Stefano Bises, Cecilia Sala, Riccardo Haupt, Fabio Pirovano, Sabrina Giovannetti, and Giorgia De Paolis.
Equally, the board will be restructured with Guido Maria Brera as Chairman, Barbara Salabè as CEO, and Mario Calabresi, Claudia Lagorio (COO of Tether), and Sabrina Giovannetti (CFO of Be Water) as members.
“At Tether, we recognize the power of storytelling and the importance of independent media in shaping informed societies.
“Our investment in Be Water aligns with our vision to support technology-driven innovation across industries. We are excited to collaborate with Guido Maria Brera and the entire Be Water team to explore new frontiers in content creation and distribution, ensuring that high-quality, independent content and entertainment reach audiences worldwide,” the chief executive of Tether, Mr Paolo Ardoino, said.
Also, the Chairman of Be Water, Guido Maria Brera, said, “Since the beginning, our goal with Be Water has been to build a modern media company capable of producing and distributing content across multiple platforms—podcasting, film, television, and live events—with a strong, diverse, and independent voice.
“With Tether’s entry and the technological expertise of Paolo Ardoino, we have the opportunity to accelerate our growth and expand our reach both in Italy and globally.”
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