Monday, May 2, 2016
Video - 359 police officers killed on duty over the past 2 years
A new report indicates that 359 policemen were killed on duty in Nigeria between January 2014 and April 2016. Nigeria's police chief said 272 policemen sustained various degrees of injuries within the same period.He added that police personnel required diverse skills to tackle modern crimes, especially since criminal elements are arming themselves with more sophisticated weapons. The killing of police personnel had steadily been on the rise since 2009 due to terrorist attacks by Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East.
Video - Nigeria might ditch costly fuel subsidy
Nigeria could ditch fuel subsidies in favour of private sector led fuel supply. The country's spending billions on subsidized fuel. And the head of the national oil company says it's simply too expensive.
Nigerian police deploy 2 helicopters to search for kidnapped former Education Minister
The Nigeria Police Force has deployed two helicopters to Ogun State to help in the rescue of a kidnapped former education minister, Iyabo Anisulowo.
The spokesperson of the police in Ogun, Muyiwa Adejobi, said the helicopters will help in ensuring the Mrs. Anisulowo is rescued alive.
The former minister and senator was abducted on Wednesday while returning from her farm in Sawonjo, Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State.
PREMIUM TIMES had exclusively reported how the kidnappers demanded a N200 million ransom to set her free.
Mr. Adejobi, who briefed journalists on the rescue effort, said the helicopters arrived Ogun State on Saturday and were already being used to patrol suspected hideouts of the kidnappers. He said high profile police chiefs led by the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2 Command, Bala Hassan, were part of the rescue efforts.
The Ogun State Police Commissioner, Abdulmajid Ali, who spoke on behalf of the rescue team, said all efforts would be made to ensure she is rescued alive and her abductors arrested.
The spokesperson of the police in Ogun, Muyiwa Adejobi, said the helicopters will help in ensuring the Mrs. Anisulowo is rescued alive.
The former minister and senator was abducted on Wednesday while returning from her farm in Sawonjo, Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State.
PREMIUM TIMES had exclusively reported how the kidnappers demanded a N200 million ransom to set her free.
Mr. Adejobi, who briefed journalists on the rescue effort, said the helicopters arrived Ogun State on Saturday and were already being used to patrol suspected hideouts of the kidnappers. He said high profile police chiefs led by the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2 Command, Bala Hassan, were part of the rescue efforts.
The Ogun State Police Commissioner, Abdulmajid Ali, who spoke on behalf of the rescue team, said all efforts would be made to ensure she is rescued alive and her abductors arrested.
Related story: Former Nigerian Minister of Education kidnapped
Panama Papers reveals secret assets of Chairman of Etisalat Nigeria
A portion of the wealth owned by former Chairman of the United Bank for Africa (UBA), Hakeem Belo-Osagie, is domiciled in trusts and shell companies in some notorious tax havens around the world, with some in Jersey in the Channel Islands, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report today.
The Channel Islands are a tax haven and an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French Coast of Normandy.
Mr. Belo-Osagie, now Chairman of Etisalat Nigeria, was listed by Forbes Magazine as the 41st richest man in Africa with a net worth of $600 million as at November 2014.
One of the tax-haven Trusts in Jersey is known as the Belo-Osagie Trust 2 which actually is a front office for a shell company called Clerkenwell Management Limited.
The relationships of these two entities and other offshore subsidiaries are buried in a complex layers of secrecy.
This information came to the fore as PREMIUM TIMES continued to scrutinise the over 11 million Mossack Fonseca documents contained in the sleaze dossier now known worldwide as the Panama Papers.
Documents show that Clerkenwell Management Limited is "an entity 100% owned by the Belo-Osagie Trust 2 (the "Trust")".
However, Mr. Belo-Osagie is not listed as a trustee. The trustee of this Trust is a company named Chesham Limited which registered office is given as 13 Castle Street, St. Helier, Jersey JE4 5UT, Channel Islands.
Chesham Limited was incorporated in Jersey on September 7, 2007, with registered number 98642.
It has as its directors Charles Guy Malet de Carteret, Christopher John Blunt, Hugh Duncan Cathcart, Simon Paul Alan Brewer and Wendy Joy Burnett. These people appear to be nominee directors.
In tax havens arrangement, nominee directors are usually used as fronts for beneficial owners of entities.
Mr. Belo-Osagie "of 21 Ikoyi Crescent, Ikoyi Lagos Island, Nigeria" is listed in the documents as the settlor of the Trust .
The Etisalat chairman and his Ghanaian wife, Myma, are named as beneficiaries of the Trust.
But in a convoluted and confusing legal arrangements, the same documents which described the couple as "settlor" and "beneficiaries", state that Mr. Belo-Osagie and his wife "are not direct owners and are members of a discretionary class of beneficiaries. The ultimate controlling party is the Trustee (Chesham Limited)." That kind of arrangement and claim, PREMIUM TIMES has found, are in line with offshore shell companies practices where things are never straightforward.
The Channel Islands are a tax haven and an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French Coast of Normandy.
Mr. Belo-Osagie, now Chairman of Etisalat Nigeria, was listed by Forbes Magazine as the 41st richest man in Africa with a net worth of $600 million as at November 2014.
One of the tax-haven Trusts in Jersey is known as the Belo-Osagie Trust 2 which actually is a front office for a shell company called Clerkenwell Management Limited.
The relationships of these two entities and other offshore subsidiaries are buried in a complex layers of secrecy.
This information came to the fore as PREMIUM TIMES continued to scrutinise the over 11 million Mossack Fonseca documents contained in the sleaze dossier now known worldwide as the Panama Papers.
Documents show that Clerkenwell Management Limited is "an entity 100% owned by the Belo-Osagie Trust 2 (the "Trust")".
However, Mr. Belo-Osagie is not listed as a trustee. The trustee of this Trust is a company named Chesham Limited which registered office is given as 13 Castle Street, St. Helier, Jersey JE4 5UT, Channel Islands.
Chesham Limited was incorporated in Jersey on September 7, 2007, with registered number 98642.
It has as its directors Charles Guy Malet de Carteret, Christopher John Blunt, Hugh Duncan Cathcart, Simon Paul Alan Brewer and Wendy Joy Burnett. These people appear to be nominee directors.
In tax havens arrangement, nominee directors are usually used as fronts for beneficial owners of entities.
Mr. Belo-Osagie "of 21 Ikoyi Crescent, Ikoyi Lagos Island, Nigeria" is listed in the documents as the settlor of the Trust .
The Etisalat chairman and his Ghanaian wife, Myma, are named as beneficiaries of the Trust.
But in a convoluted and confusing legal arrangements, the same documents which described the couple as "settlor" and "beneficiaries", state that Mr. Belo-Osagie and his wife "are not direct owners and are members of a discretionary class of beneficiaries. The ultimate controlling party is the Trustee (Chesham Limited)." That kind of arrangement and claim, PREMIUM TIMES has found, are in line with offshore shell companies practices where things are never straightforward.
Former Nigerian ambassador Hamzat Ahmadu passes away at 92
One of the nation's exemplary diplomats, Amb. Hamzat Ahmadu, died yesterday at a private hospital in Lagos.
It was learnt from family sources that prayers for the deceased and interment would be performed this morning by 10:00 a.m. at the Sultan's Palace, in Sokoto, according to Islamic rites.
Reacting to the news of the death, the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, described Ahmadu as an accomplished diplomat and technocrat.
Tambuwal also described him as peace-loving and committed family man who gave invaluable contributions to the unity and development of Nigeria.
"As an elder statesman, his wise counsel served both the older and younger generation of leaders not only in Sokoto, but in Nigeria as a whole," a statement from the Governor's Office by Malam Imam Imam, quoted Tambuwal as saying.
Ahmadu, who until his death was a consultant to the Editorial Board of The Guardian , started his working career with the Nigerian Secretariat, Kaduna Provincial Office, Kano and Lugard Hall, Northern Nigerian Legislature Kaduna, before he proceeded to the United Kingdom for further studies.
Ahmadu rejoined the Colonial Administrative Service at the end of his studies in 1958 and served as Private Secretary to the Premier of Northern Nigerian Foreign Service.
It is of note that besides his diplomatic postings, Ahmadu had the distinction of serving as Principal Secretary to three of Nigeria's Heads of State, Major Gen. Aguiyi-Ironsi, Gen. Yakubu Gowon and Murtala Muhammed (1966-1975).
On July 20, 1987, he was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary to the United States of America. As one of Nigeria's most senior Foreign Service Officers, Ahmadu had a most distinguished diplomatic career of serving as Ambassador to the then USSR (Soviet Union) and the then German Democratic Republic (1975-1978); Ambassador to the Kingdom of Netherlands (1978-1981); and Ambassador to the Republic of the Cameroun (1982-1984), and High Commissioner to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. He also had diplomatic postings to London and Bonn.
He played a major role in formulating, managing and implementing Nigeria's foreign policy, having served as Permanent Secretary and Head of the Diplomatic Service (1986-1987); Director-General of African Affairs (1984-1985); Director-General of Protocol (1981-1982); Director, Asia Division (1965-1966); and Director of Africa, Consular and Treaties Division (1964-1966).
Amb. Ahmadu was married and had children. His hobbies included reading .He spoke English and Arabic and was conversant with German and French.
It was learnt from family sources that prayers for the deceased and interment would be performed this morning by 10:00 a.m. at the Sultan's Palace, in Sokoto, according to Islamic rites.
Reacting to the news of the death, the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, described Ahmadu as an accomplished diplomat and technocrat.
Tambuwal also described him as peace-loving and committed family man who gave invaluable contributions to the unity and development of Nigeria.
"As an elder statesman, his wise counsel served both the older and younger generation of leaders not only in Sokoto, but in Nigeria as a whole," a statement from the Governor's Office by Malam Imam Imam, quoted Tambuwal as saying.
Ahmadu, who until his death was a consultant to the Editorial Board of The Guardian , started his working career with the Nigerian Secretariat, Kaduna Provincial Office, Kano and Lugard Hall, Northern Nigerian Legislature Kaduna, before he proceeded to the United Kingdom for further studies.
Ahmadu rejoined the Colonial Administrative Service at the end of his studies in 1958 and served as Private Secretary to the Premier of Northern Nigerian Foreign Service.
It is of note that besides his diplomatic postings, Ahmadu had the distinction of serving as Principal Secretary to three of Nigeria's Heads of State, Major Gen. Aguiyi-Ironsi, Gen. Yakubu Gowon and Murtala Muhammed (1966-1975).
On July 20, 1987, he was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary to the United States of America. As one of Nigeria's most senior Foreign Service Officers, Ahmadu had a most distinguished diplomatic career of serving as Ambassador to the then USSR (Soviet Union) and the then German Democratic Republic (1975-1978); Ambassador to the Kingdom of Netherlands (1978-1981); and Ambassador to the Republic of the Cameroun (1982-1984), and High Commissioner to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. He also had diplomatic postings to London and Bonn.
He played a major role in formulating, managing and implementing Nigeria's foreign policy, having served as Permanent Secretary and Head of the Diplomatic Service (1986-1987); Director-General of African Affairs (1984-1985); Director-General of Protocol (1981-1982); Director, Asia Division (1965-1966); and Director of Africa, Consular and Treaties Division (1964-1966).
Amb. Ahmadu was married and had children. His hobbies included reading .He spoke English and Arabic and was conversant with German and French.
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