Alleged release: Hushpuppi’s lawyer speaks

Gal Pissetzky, a Chicago-based lawyer, has denied rumors insinuating the release of Ramoni Abbas, an alleged multi-million dollar fraudster facing charges in the U.S.

On Wednesday, screenshots of the Bureau of Prisons website, showing his release, went viral.

According to the details on the website, which were verified by this paper, Mr. Abbas (popularly known as Huspuppi) was released on July 20.

Mr. Pissetzky, said the bureau’s records showed ‘released’ because of his transfer to California.

“These reports are not true. He has not been released. The Bureau of prisons website shows that he was released simply because he is being transferred now to California,” he said on Wednesday evening.

Mr Abbas’s case was transferred from Illinois to the Central District of California for prosecution, last Monday.

Mr Abbas, 37, who was resident in Dubai and known for flaunting extravagant lifestyle on social media, was arrested last month over wire fraud allegations. He was extradited to the U.S on July 3.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation had earlier alleged that Mr Abbas was part of a network that made “hundreds of millions of dollars” from business email compromise frauds and other scams.

Also, the American government said Mr Abbas funded his extravagant lifestyle with stolen money.

If convicted, he could spend the next 20 years in U.S. federal prison.

Magu to open defence before Salami panel today

AFTER waiting for a copy of the allegations against him, the Presidential Investigation Committee on the activities of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday agreed to give  the suspended Acting Chairman of the agency Mr. Ibrahim Magu a report to enter his Defence.

The report is that of the Presidential Committee on Audit of Recovered Assets( PCARA), which contains all allegations against Magu.

But the Chairman of the panel, Justice Isa Ayo Salami extracted a commitment from the counsel to Magu, Barrister Wahab Shittu that PCARA’s report will not be leaked to the press.

Magu, who said all the allegations against him were false, is expected to open his defence today.

The suspended EFCC chairman was at the panel’s venue for about eight hours but he had a brief encounter with the team

Wearing a white Kaftan with a white cap to match, the suspended EFCC chairman took a 78-page response to the committee, bordering on a query by the AGF, PCARA’s report and other allegations in public domain.

The committee however  said it may accept  Magu’s response only after serving him the issues in PCARA’s report.

A top source said: “After waiting for hours, the panel met with Magu for a few minutes. The committee later decided to make a  copy of the PCARA report available to Magu to enable him to address all the allegations against him.

FEC approves N75b youth investment fund

THE Federal Government on Wednesday approved the establishment of the Nigerian Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) to the tune of N75 billion.

The NYIF, which will operate as a youth bank, will create a financial support base for innovative youths aged 18 to 35.

Disclosing this to State House Correspondents after a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare, said youths with ideas and innovation can apply for funding from the youth bank.

“For the first time in the history of Nigeria, the FEC approved the establishment of the Nigerian Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) to the tune of N75 billion.

“This fund is meant to create a special window for accessing credit facilities and financing on the part of our youths that will help to fund their ideas, innovations and support their enterprise.

“The best way to call it is that for the first time the country will have a youth bank – a fund that will cater specifically for our youth within the stipulated age band, which is going to be between 18 and 35 years.

“The second approval secured was for the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to play a lead role in working on necessary steps that need to be taken in terms of legislation, organisation and other aspects of financing.

NDDC spent N4.2b in one day, Akpabio tells Reps

CONTRACT splitting is rampant in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Niger Delta Affairs Minister Godswill Akpabio, said on Monday.

According to him, the management of the agency indulges in splitting contracts to outwit the minister and evade approval.

Speaking before the House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta in Abuja, the minister alleged that the agency spent “over N4.2 billion in a day in tranches of N49 million.”

The committee is probing how N40 billion was spent by the Interim Management Committee (IMC).

Akpabio was invited with the Acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei.

Pondei fainted during the proceedings and had to be revived and taken to the hospital.

The minister also told the panel why Ms. Joi Nunieh was sacked as the agency’s managing director. Ms Nunieh, Akpabio said, was sacked, following a letter from the late Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari, that she did not posses the requisite qualification to occupy a public office.

On the allegation that the agency had been awarding contracts without going through the procurement process and signing of necessary documents, the minister said only three contracts had been awarded since his assumption of office.

The minister hinted that in all the contracting processes, both the technical and financial bidding processes were conducted before they were awarded.

Akpabio, however, claimed that NDDC managers have been splitting contracts to evade his signature, saying he has no hands in the contract payments by the agency as government regulation does not allow ministers to pay for parastatals’ contracts.

Mention NASS members who got NDDC contracts, Reps tell Akpabio

The House of Representatives has asked Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to publish, within 48 hours, members of the 9th National Assembly who got sixty percent of contracts from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Ruling on a matter of privileges brought by Minority leader, Ndudi Elumelu, Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila said the Minister, who alleged 60 percent of contracts from the NDDC were given to members of the National Assembly, should publish the benefiting lawmakers, especially members of the 9th Assembly.

US election 2020: Kanye West launches unconventional bid for presidency ( Read The Full Gists Here)

Kanye West has officially launched his campaign for the 2020 US presidential election, with an unorthodox rally in Charleston, South Carolina.

West, 43, is running as a candidate for his self-styled "Birthday Party".

At the event, the rapper seemed to make policy decisions off-the-cuff and made several rants, including on abortion and on abolitionist Harriet Tubman.

Fans have questioned whether his last-minute bid for the White House is actually a promotional stunt.

The Charleston rally did little to clarify whether his run is genuine. But a now-deleted tweet sent from West's account on Saturday, appearing to show the song list for a new album, added to the speculation.

The event, held at a wedding and conference hall in the city, was said to be open to registered guests only - but West's campaign website had no function for people to register or RSVP.

West appeared with "2020" shaved into the back of his head and wearing a protective security vest, and addressed the gathered crowd without a microphone.

There were no audience microphones either, leading West to repeatedly tell the crowd to be silent so he could hear the questions being asked.

At one point he began crying when talking about abortion, saying that his parents almost aborted him: "There would have been no Kanye West, because my dad was too busy."

He added: "I almost killed my daughter... even if my wife [Kim Kardashian West] were to divorce me after this speech, she brought North into the world, even when I didn't want to.

However he then added that he believes abortion should remain legal, but there should be financial support for struggling new mothers - suggesting that "everybody that has a baby gets a million dollars".

"The only thing that can free us is by obeying the rules that were given to us for a promised land," he said. "Abortion should be legal because guess what? The law is not by God anyway, so what is legality?"

At another moment, he gave an impromptu monologue about 19th century abolitionist Harriet Tubman.

"Harriet Tubman never actually freed the slaves, she just had the slaves go work for other white people," he said.

Tubman was born into slavery, but managed to escape a Maryland plantation in 1849, aged 27. She then returned to the South to rescue other slaves on the network of routes and safe houses known as "underground railroad", risking her own life to lead people to freedom.

West also became tearful when talking about his late mother, who died in 2007 from complications during cosmetic surgery.

What has the reaction been?

The speech has been met with anger by some - mostly sparked by his comments about Tubman - but also with concern over West's welfare.

Professor Jason Nichols, a senior lecturer in African American studies at the University of Maryland, told the BBC he feared West's rambling appearance pointed towards a "manic episode" - although he acknowledged he was not a psychologist.

"He has admitted in the past he has been battling mental illness and that sometimes he does not take medication.

"He was a little more coherent than he has been in other times... when he has gone on these rants, but I really believe he is in a bad place right now. He said some really bizarre things."

Professor Nichols added that he was disappointed, as he had hoped West would be able "to push the other candidates", had he had the right advice and support.

"I was actually interested to see what would happen, but after the event today, all that interest has just turned to worry."

West, who announced his candidacy on 4 July, has already missed the deadline to qualify for the ballot in several states. He needs to collect enough signatures to appear on the ballot in a number of others.

Last week he qualified to appear on Oklahoma's presidential ballot, the first state where he met the requirements before the deadline.

In order to appear on South Carolina's ballot he needs to collect 10,000 signatures by noon local time (18:00 BST) on Monday.

BBC News

Buhari, Jonathan in closed-door meeting

President Muhammadu Buhari has received his predecessor, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, at the State House in Abuja.

Arriving at the President’s office at about 11am, the former President went into a closed-door with Buhari.

Although the agenda for the confidential meeting would not be disclosed immediately, The Nation reports that it might not be unconnected with the recent assignment Jonathan was charged with by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)