It’s easier to convict Yahoo Boys than to convict the “Big” corrupt leaders – EFCC Laments

Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has expressed its frustration over the difficulties faced in trying to convict corrupt government officials.
The Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, on Thursday gave reasons the agency could not secure conviction of treasury looters. He was appearing before the Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes in Abuja to defend the commission’s budget.
Mr. Lamorde complained that the judiciary is the main culprit hindering the EFCC from prosecuting the big thieves. According to him, this year alone, the agency has recorded not less than 200 convictions; but these are mainly advanced fee fraud (aka 419) and yahoo-yahoo suspects. He said that the “big theives” use the country’s convoluted judicial system to frustrate trial.
In his words, “This year alone, we recorded over 200 convictions in various courts across the country, but they are mostly advance fee fraud, we have the yahoo yahoo, we have the commercial cases, we have the executives of financial institutions that are involved in currency trafficking.
But, concerning the cases that most people are interested in their conclusion, the “big theives” whose cases are before the Supreme Court, Lamorde has this to say: “Unfortunately, these are people who have the resources to drag these cases indefinitely and perpetually. That is why we have established a very strong Assets Forfeiture Unit. The first thing we do now is that we try to recover and confiscate the assets of individuals that we are investigating because it is only when you deprive them of their resources that you will be able to force them to stand trial. Once they have access to their resources and assets, they will use it to continue to delay and drag some of these trials.”

Murder suspect pours water on his lawyer’s head in court [PHOTO]

At least his lawyer kept a cool head.

On Monday, as members of the Cedar Rapids, Iowa jury filed out to deliberate over the murder case against Jerome Power, the 50-year-old suspect dumped a glass of water on his lawyer’s head, according to the Gazette.

“It should have been a mistrial,” Power said after dumping the water on attorney Steve Addington. “You sold me out!”

Power is charged with first-degree murder for allegedly strangling to death his neighbor, Doris Bevins, 68, in her home on Sept. 19, 2010. Police said they found Power hiding behind the front door when they responded to the 911 call from Bevin’s friend who was on the phone with her when she was attacked.

The ABA Journal reports that Power’s lawyer argued there was no DNA linking the defendant to the crime and questioned why Power would try to rob and attack a woman that, everyone in the neighborhood knew had no money.

This isn’t the only strange behavior exhibited by Power during the trial, according to KWWL.

Last week, Power held up a hand-written sign, claiming someone else killed his neighbor

Gang of armed robbers led by a woman arrested in Akwa Ibom

Contrary to what his belivers would rather have you think, Olumba Olumba Obu, the man who gathered followers after himself, claiming to be God, has since died.

This much was revealed by one of his former frontline followers who is now a Pentecostal Pastor. This former follower, Pastor Lovina Amangala Iburene of The Truth Ministry/The True Lovers of Christ, World Charity Ministry, Lagos, told News Express that Olumba, whose Brotherhood of the Cross and Star is headquartered in the South-South state of Cross River, died way back in 2003.

According to her, “Olumba gave up the ghost and was secretly buried… He died in the night.” And when asked how she came to know, the firebrand pastor who left Brotherhood of the Cross and Star in 2001 said: “I was informed by an insider.”

Iburene also accused the leadership of the church of sustaining the Olumba myth through sheer deception. Olumba Olumba Obu has yet to be seen in public since 2003. She continues: “The level of deception rose to the stage where if asked by journalists and their members from afar, the answer is always ‘he is sleeping’. To those from nearby places, he has ascended into heaven. Lies upon lies!,” Iburene said.
Olumba had on April 14, 2000, crowned his son Rowland as the “Christ”, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Rowland is now effectively in charge of the church.
culled from 9jabook.com

From Our News Desk

UPDATES: Gunmen slaughter 3 children of SSS officer in the presence of their mother, 4 killed in Kano, 10 others killed in Borno, Plateau. Lagos authorises issuance of N80bn bond to facilitate Lagos-Badagry expressway, Ayinke House projects and others. Man collapses during hearing at Edo gov tribunal. Court to deliver judgement on the missing $12.4bn oil windfall suit today. Female acting president of the court of appeal, Bulkachuwa, takes over. The rich are frustrating us - EFCC, says over 200 convictions recorded in 2012. N250bn Otedola suit: You can't try me, Farouk Lawan tells court. Nigerian woman sentenced to 80 years imprisonment in US. FG begins verification of foreign certificates. CBN recovers N6bn excess bank charges in one year from banks. N48bn AMCON debt: Court grants Ubah access to bank account. Gunmen attack Aborishade at Poly Ibadan. SWF: Out of court settlement deal crumbles. Bakassi: UN suspends Nigeria, Cameroon maritime boundary demarcation. Sanitation exercise: Lagos suspends restriction tomorrow. Money laundering: Babalakin laundered N3.4bn for Ibori through Mauritius. Stable power from June, says Jonathan.

Wow! MTN Aeroplane winner bombarded with marriage proposals

“People are calling to ask my parents if I am married, some others are giving them promises. Even on the Internet, I don’t have a Facebook account but someone has opened one in my name. If anyone is coming because of my money, I promise the person that he will not get a dime because I will make sure he doesn’t.” – 27 year old Gladys Ebube Essien-Garricks said in a recent interview with Punch. Wow! people can be so desperate.

Source: Punch

BREAKING NEWS: Benitez confirmed as new Chelsea boss

The 52-year-old former Liverpool and Inter Milan manager takes charge of the Blues following the sacking of Roberto Di Matteo on Wednesday morning.

Rafael Benitez has been confirmed as Chelsea’s new manager, after the club sacked Roberto Di Matteo following Tuesday’s 3-0 Champions League defeat to Juventus.

The 52-year-old Spaniard takes charge of the European champions on an interim basis until the end of the current campaign after spending almost two years out of work following his dismissal at Inter Milan.

A statement on the club’s official website read: “The owner and the Board believe that in Benitez we have a manager with significant experience at the highest level of football, who can come in and immediately help deliver our objectives.”

Source: Goal.com

Saudi Arabia Chops Off Nigerian’s Right Hand For Theft

Saudi authorities on Wednesday chopped off the hand of a Nigerian man convicted of theft, in compliance with the Islamic sharia law strictly applied in the kingdom, the interior ministry said.

Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim was convicted of theft and sentenced to having “his right hand amputated” the ministry said in a statement carried by SPA state news agency.

The punishment was executed in the western city of Mecca, home to the Muslim holy Grand Mosque, where the theft took place, it said.

The ultra-conservative kingdom applies the Islamic sharia law, including executions by the sword for people convicted of rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking.

Just recently, a Palestinian was beheaded in the kingdom for forming a robbery gang.