Magu’s Travail Persists as Presidential Investigation Enters Fourth Week

The travail of Acting Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, persisted yesterday as the presidential investigation of his alleged wrongdoing entered the fourth week with widespread speculation that he might have been suspended by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Although there was no official confirmation of the speculated suspension, a reliable presidency source said last night that the presidential panel has recommended that the anti-graft boss stands down pending the outcome of the investigation.That Magu is on his way out was given credence by an off-the-record briefing yesterday by a top presidential official who said the ongoing investigation of Magu was a bold statement that nobody under the Buhari administration is above the law.

Magu, who was flagged down on Monday in traffic by senior security agents and whisked to the Villa to appear before the presidential panel investigating allegations of corrupt practices levelled against him by the Attorney-General of Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami SAN, was brought before the panel led by Justice Ayo Salami again on Tuesday.
However, the panel was said to have recommended the suspension of the EFCC chairman to pave the way for his unhindered investigation.

 Malami had in a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari detailed alleged cases of malfeasance against Magu, and sought his removal for alleged corruption and insubordination.
Malami anchored his recommendation on several grounds “raging from diversion of recovered loot to insubordination and misconduct” by Magu; while including a shortlist of three candidates for consideration to replace the anti-corruption agency’s boss.The president subsequently constituted the Justice Salami panel to investigate the allegations with a clear mandate to ensure fairness for Magu.

The panel went to work four weeks ago taking evidence on the allegations, and in keeping with the presidential mandate on fairness invited Magu on Monday to confront the weight of evidence against him.The suspension of Magu had been communicated to the anti-corruption agency’s headquarters.

However, the source stated that the next most senior EFCC official next to Magu had been asked to take charge.
But another source said the ongoing investigation of Magu had created a lull in the activities of the agency as no one is currently in charge.

He explained that the seeming leadership vacuum triggered speculations yesterday that Buhari had suspended Magu.
The story might have been conceived by some staff of the commission who thought that its publication would force the hand of the president to do so.

Source: THISDAY Newspaper

I’m ready to pray for COVID-19 patients in isolation centres – T.B Joshua

Pastor Temitope Joshua of Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) has said that he is ready to virtually offer prayer for COVID-19 patients in isolation centres around the world.

In an announcement posted to Joshua’s YouTube channel, Emmanuel TV, the cleric called on relevant government and medical authorities to “organise those who are in isolation” and “arrange how to connect them to us on Emmanuel TV”.

“The blessing of Jesus is for those who knock and ask,” he said in the announcement, adding, “In whatever way you support to make this happen, we are a team; we are not doing more than you”.“Together we shall pray for them. Together we shall be set free from this COVID-19,” the statement continued, quoting the Biblical reference in Luke 4:40 where Jesus healed “all who had various kinds of sickness after the mass prayer.”

“The same anointing that heals one is also able to heal all at the same time,” it concluded, calling on all interested parties to contact the church via their email address info@emmanuel.tv.

Last week, the World Health Organisation reacted to a trending video in which a Cameroonian medical doctor was ‘healed’ from COVID-19 after receiving “interactive prayer” from Joshua’s ministry, acknowledging “spiritual leadership is very important in a time like this”.

His testimony was followed days later by a couple of university lecturers who equally acknowledged receiving healing from the dreaded virus, replete with medical reports before and after prayers from Emmanuel TV.

Since starting its ‘Interactive Prayer’ – in which online prayer is offered via video calls – Joshua’s ministry has prayed for COVID-19 patients from around the world including citizens of USA, South Africa, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Honduras and Cuba.

The Nation

Seputagarian rapes nine-year-old in Niger

Seventy- year- old Mohammed Sani escaped lynching when he was caught raping a nine year old girl in his shop.

Sani, who was caught red handed by neighbours who heard the scream of the girl, was made to walk gal naked to the police station in Chanchaga.

The incident occurred in Kasuwan Dare in the Chanchaga Local Government Area of Niger state.

The suspect had asked the victim to meet him at his tailor shop to give her a gift, which he got for her.

Sani, whose shop had an inner room, dragged the victim and raped her.

Her screams attracted people around who waited outside the closed shop to see what was happening.

Unaware that he had been caught, the suspect, after raping the victim, came outside the shop to meet the crowd waiting for him.

Searching his shop, some of the women saw the victim crying with blood dripping out from her legs.

The Nation

Kwara, Anambra others fail to access over N66.8b UBE fund

Anambra, Enugu, Kwara and Plateau states topped the list of states that failed to access over N66.8 billion from the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Fund since 2017.

YouthHubAfrica reports the four states combined were the only states yet to access UBE Funds since 2017 with over N4.06 billion in Education funds domiciled with the UBE Commission.

Executive director YouthHubAfrica, Rotimi Olawale, who made this known in a statement, explained that the revelation follows the analysis of the response from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request filled by the organisation.

The Nation

August 3 is school resumption date for schools in Lagos

August 3 is school resumption date for schools in Lagos – Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has announced the resumption of both public and private schools beginning from August 3, 2020, after over three months of lockdown due to outbreak of COVID 19 Pandemic. Sanwo-Olu announced this while giving an update on the COVID-19 situation report in the stare, held at Lagos House, Marina, Lagos.

According to the Sanwo-Olu, Senior Secondary 3 and Technical 3 are to resume August. 3 while Junior Secondary 3 will wait for assessment for one week

Other highlights of Governor’s address include:

*The above applies to only day schools both public and private. Boarding schools remain shut

*Other schools remain closed and continue online learning

*Curfew remains 10 pm to 4 am

*Social and Event Centres to remain closed

*Religious and Worship Centres remain closed

*Bars and Spars to remain closed

*No Mass gathering of burials, weddings should be more than 20 people

*Public Service remains as it is.

*Sports facilities within Residential Estates can open with not more than 20 people

*Businesses willing to open should register with Safety Commission on www.lasgsafetyreg.com

*No Mask No Entry into facilities should be promoted.

Financial Watch

Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, Hushpuppi's Trial To Kick Off in the United States

A Nigerian man charged with conspiring to launder a fortune from email scams, and who showed off his wealth to 2.4 million Instagram followers, has arrived in the U.S. to face charges, prosecutors said Friday.

Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, or “Hushpuppi” on Instagram and Snapchat, made an initial court appearance in Chicago after arriving with the FBI from the United Arab Emirates, where he had been living, prosecutors said in a statement. He is expected to be transferred to Los Angeles to face charges pending there in the coming weeks, they said.

Abbas allegedly conspired with others to launder hundreds of millions of dollars in scams targeting a law firm, a bank and an English Premier League soccer club, according to a criminal complaint filed last month in federal court.

Messages sent to his Instagram and Snapchat accounts seeking comment Friday were not immediately returned. It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer representing him.

UAE authorities arrested Abbas last month, and FBI agents took custody of him this week, prosecutors said.

Abbas and the unnamed others in his network specialized in what are known as “business email compromise” schemes, authorities said. That type of scheme generally involves gaining unauthorized access to a corporate email account or otherwise tricking a business into sending a wire transfer to the scammers.

Business email compromise scams accounted for $1.7 billion in alleged losses last year, according to the FBI.

A client of an unnamed New York-based law firm lost about $923,000 last year after Abbas and others tricked a paralegal into wiring them money that was intended for the client’s real estate financing, the FBI said.

Another scheme involved $14.7 million stolen from a non-U.S. financial institution last year.

NBC

Tina Knowles blasts Beyonce critics

Tina Knowles has hit back at critics of her daughter Beyonce's visual album 'Black Is King'.

After Beyonce, 38, was accused of "appropriating" African culture for the new project - which is based on the soundtrack she produced for the 2019 remake of 'The Lion King' - Tina insisted that Beyonce is of "African descent" and has worked with "African creatives" on the new album.

She wrote on Instagram: "Those who are criticizing the film (before they even see it) saying it's unauthentic, upset that B doesn't actually go to Africa or say that Bey is simply using African cultures for gain are wrong because 1. She makes less with her Afrocentric content. 2. She's actually taken the time studied African costumes and such and didn't just throw this together. She's worked with actual African dancers, film makers, directors etc on this project so for some African Americans and Africans to say it's a facade is truly discrediting the work of their own people. 3. While people whine about her not touring in Africa yet beg for more African representation in entertainment but are mad that they're getting it from one the world's greatest stars is strange to me. They'd rather have B come and they spend their money for a show once or twice every few years rather than have someone of African descent work with African creatives to create art that celebrates them that will last forever and it be done at no cost to them (sic)."

And Tina, 66, also went on to blast those who are trying to tear Beyonce down, insisting that the star "dedicates her art to Boldly show the Royalty and beauty of our heritage and journey".She wrote: "It's really sad that the women who shout the loudest 'protect the black woman' that they are the ones that are trying to tear her down. Sisters wake up!!!! Beyonce was taught from a little girl to lift other women up not to tear them down. She minds her own business , does not criticize anyone, Gives of her time and money , and dedicates her art to Boldly show the Royalty and beauty of our heritage and journey ! Her work is to change the narrative! To show that we did not start off as slaves , but that we were kings and queens before we were forced into slavery . Don't you want to see something that shows that ! Aren't you sick and tired Of seeing us as slaves ! She employs African and African-American people , fights for many 'first' in the fashion and film world . Take an inventory of yourself and your hate. Where is it coming from? (sic)."

Source: Bang Showbiz