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Magu kicks as AGF refuses to appear before panel

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The suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu has concluded his defence before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry on the activities of the anti-graft agency.

But Magu, according to his defence team, was shocked the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) refused to honour the invitation of the panel.

Malami, who was subpoenaed by the commission,   said his non-appearance is constitutional

He faulted the wordings of the invitation sent to him by the panel.

Malami said the terms and wordings of the invitation extended to him were against constitutional provisions.

According to a source in the defence team, if the AGF refuses to appear, Magu will ask Salami panel to declare all the allegations against him as frivolous.

The source said he who alleges must prove beyond reasonable doubt.

The top source said: “It was a strange and bizarre twist of events as Malami refused to appear before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry headed by the retired President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami despite a subpoena issued to him by the Chairman of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate the allegations he leveled against the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu.

“Magu had consistently requested the opportunity to confront his accuser before the Panel including an opportunity to be given the allegations leveled against him by the Attorney-General of the Federation.

“Malami failed to appear before the commission to substantiate the allegations he leveled against Magu in the memo he wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari which was the basis upon which the Judicial Commission of Inquiry was set up by the President.

“However, upon conclusion of presentation of witnesses before the Commission of Inquiry, Magu was called upon to present his defence which he has done by presenting a volumes of written responses to all the allegations against him backed by numerous exhibits and truck load of documents showing his achievements as the Acting chairman of the EFCC.

‘’There were also official documents showing that no recovered assets was missing or diverted to personal use for his benefit or those of his close associates.

“Magu had also requested before the Tribunal to issue subpoenas to certain persons to appear before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry to give evidence in support of their allegations and to be cross-examined upon such wild and unsubstantiated allegations.

“In line with Magu’s request, Justice Ayo Salami who is the Chairman of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry signed and issued a subpoena to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), at the instance of Magu to come and substantiate the allegations he made against him.

“In the said subpoena, it was stated as follows; “You are hereby commanded in the name of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to appear before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry to give evidence in respect of your allegations against Mr. Ibrahim Magu”.

The defence team source however alleged that Malami wrote Salami’s panel that his allegations against Magu were official and he could not have come to Salami’s panel to face the suspended EFCC chairman.

The source added: “But instead of appearing before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry,  Malami wrote a letter in disobedience to the subpoena issued for him to appear on the authority of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“He said he would not appear as a witness. He hinged his refusal on the fact that he only made charges against Magu based on the petitions he received against him in his office.”

As at press time, Magu’s defence team has rejected Malami’s excuse for not honouring the panel’s subpoena.

The source said: “The above excuse is untenable and is clearly contempt of judicial authority and shows total disregard for the authority of President Muhammadu Buhari on whose authority the subpoena was issued requesting his appearance before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry.

“A few weeks back, Malami had taken to the media boasting to the whole world that he would appear before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry if summoned to do so.

“Now that the opportunity has been presented, he is shying away from that call because his allegations cannot be substantiated with facts or any shred of credible evidence.

“The position of the law is clear, whenever a petitioner refuses to substantiate his petition before the appropriate authority, such a petition is declared to be frivolous.

“Now that the main accuser of Magu has refused to appear before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry, the world waits with bated breath to see what justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry will report to President Muhammadu Buhari.”

In his reaction, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami(SAN) said his non-appearance before Salami’s panel is constitutional.

He said his allegations against Magu were purely constitutional and not based on ulterior motive.

Malami made the clarifications in a statement through his Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations,Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu.

The statement said: “The  Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN has said that his non-appearance at Justice Ayo Salami Panel of Inquiry probing the suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, was purely Constitutional and not based on any ulterior motive.

“The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice said the appearance or otherwise of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) to serve as a witness in any investigation should be a constitutional matter.

“In establishing propriety or otherwise of the presence of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice whose responsibility is to hold constitutional  order one must root same within the  constitutional provisions.

“The terms and wordings of  invitation extended to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice by Justice Ayo Salami’s  Panel of  inquiry against Magu runs contrary to the Constitutional provisions.

“The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice is by the provision of the Constitution and extant laws empowered to serve supervisory role. In the case of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has been discharging the role effectively.”

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Update : FG, States, LGs Share N1.894trn February Revenue from Federation Account

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The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has shared a total of N1.894 trillion among the three tiers of government as federation allocation for February 2026.

According to a statement issued on Friday by the Federal Ministry of Finance, the distribution was made from a gross revenue of N2.230 trillion generated during the month.

From the amount shared, the Federal Government received N675.086 billion, the 36 states received N651.525 billion, while the 774 local government councils got N456.467 billion. Oil-producing states also received an additional N110.949 billion as derivation revenue, representing 13 per cent of mineral proceeds.

The statement further disclosed that N77.302 billion was paid to revenue-generating agencies as the cost of collection, while N259.078 billion was allocated for transfers, interventions and refunds.

The ministry explained that gross revenue from Value Added Tax (VAT) for February stood at N668.450 billion, compared to N1.083 trillion distributed in the preceding month, indicating a decline of N414.710 billion.

From the VAT revenue, N26.738 billion was deducted as cost of collection, while N22.593 billion was set aside for transfers, interventions and refunds.

The remaining N619.119 billion was shared among the three tiers of government, with the Federal Government receiving N61.912 billion, the states N340.515 billion and local government councils N216.692 billion.

Similarly, the gross statutory revenue of N1.561 trillion recorded in February was lower than the N1.957 trillion received in the previous month, representing a decrease of N395.138 billion.

From the statutory revenue, N50.564 billion was deducted as cost of collection, while N236.485 billion was allocated for transfers, interventions and refunds.

The balance of N1.274 trillion was distributed as follows: the Federal Government received N613.174 billion, states got N311.010 billion, and local governments received N239.776 billion, while N110.949 billion was allocated as derivation revenue to oil-producing states.

New tax regime designed to boost growth, ease burden on Nigerians — Experts
The ministry noted that revenue from oil and gas royalty as well as excise duty recorded significant increases during the period.

However, it added that collections from Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), Hydrocarbon Tax (HT), Companies Income Tax (CIT), Capital Gains Tax (CGT), Stamp Duties (SDT) and Value Added Tax (VAT) declined substantially during the month under review.

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Contempt of Court: How Onwukwem and Associates Ended Up in Jail in Lagos

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In what looked like a syndicate, a Lagos Lanlord, Mr. Lawrence Onwukwem and his gang, who specialise in swindling innocent Nigerians through properties in their care, have run into trouble and earned jail terms for fraud and illegal eviction of a couple, Mr. Olusola Alabi and his wife, Mrs. Olufunmilola Alabi, who rented an apartment from them and were summarily frustrated.

Like a thief whose time of reckoning has come, Onwukwem, alongside his accomplice; Mr. Davies Ijele, Mr. Sodiq Kazeem, and Ms. Peace Igbo, who operates under Green Birch Tech Ltd, was recently jailed for six months each by a Lagos Chief Magistrates’ Court, sitting in Eti-Osa for contempt of court.

The imprisonment of the defendants is due to the contemptuous order of the court. The court held them in contempt, which they displayed all through the court proceedings.

In the charges, marked MISC/MCE/07/2023, the court invoked Section 44(1)(a) of the Tenancy Law of Lagos State 2011 as amended against the Defendants by convicting the Directors of the 1st Defendant (including the 2nd Defendant, Mr. Lawrence Onwukwem (Managing Director) and Mr. Isaiah Davies ljele) and one Sodiq Kazeem, the Estate Manager and one Ms. Chidinmma Igbo, all of the 1st Defendant, for forceful ejection of the Claimant/Applicant for the three (3) Bedroom flat and one (1) Room Boys Quarters with appurtenances situate, lying and being at Block A, Flat 3, No. 96B, Ladipo Omotosho Cole Street, Lekki I, Eti-Osa, Lagos State held by the Claimant/Applicant as a yearly tenant of the 1st Defendant/Respondent by unlawfully trespassing into the said Apartment, forcing the door open, and removing the Claimant’s furniture and electronics, beddings, refrigerator, air conditioners and gas cooker with gas cylinder, etc. and changing the keys to the entrance door, without any Lawful authority of any Order of any Court of competent jurisdiction, whilst the Claimant’s Suit No: MISC/MCE/07/2023: and the 1st Defendant/Respondent’s Suit No: MCE165/CIV/2024 were pending before the Court.

Delivering the judgement, the Chief Magistrate, Kikelomo Olaiya Doja-Ojo, on June 5, 2025, said that Lawrence Onwukwem, Hon. Davies Ijele, Mr Sodiq Kazeem and Ms Peace Chidinma Igbo, were to be sentenced to six months in correctional centre for continuously flaunting the order of the court while also mandated to pay the sum of N250,000 each to the court.

“The claimant is to be restored back to possession. All her belongings removed are to be returned to her immediately,” the CTC read.

Meanwhile, since the court judgement, the couple claimed that only Kazeem is already serving the jail term at Ikoyi Correctional Centre, while the other three have since gone into hiding.

Reacting to the judgement, the couple said that disputes arose following an alleged breach of the tenancy agreement by the landlord, prompting Mrs. Alabi to seek legal redress in court.

The couple said that while the tenancy matter was still pending in court, Mr. Onwukwem and his partners unlawfully broke into the apartment, removed their properties valued at N25million, and subsequently rented out the flat to another tenant.

When this reporter reached out to Mr Lawrence and Ijele for comments, their telephone lines were unreachable.

However, Igbo denied allegations that she was arrested and charged to court for failing to produce Mr Kazeem.

She refuted claims that she stood as surety for Kaeem , insisting that she never signed any legal documents in that capacity.

“They have spoilt my name and career. I don’t know how to reach them. They have issue with a particular person and why involving me instead of meeting those concerned directly. I know nothing about it,” she said.

“For the record, I didn’t sign in as a surety…I was working as a secretary and HR for the firm. I was not a lawyer in that instance. I was in law school in 2021”

She, however, acknowledged that steps have been taken to address the matter, including efforts to obtain a remand order.

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Breaking : UK Tightens Security With Road Closures, No-Fly Zones for Tinubu’s Visit

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Britain will impose airspace restrictions and deploy armed police officers in Windsor next week as President Bola Tinubu arrives for a state visit hosted by King Charles III.

Tinubu is expected to begin the visit in the company of his wife Oluremi Tinubu on Wednesday, March 18, with a reception at Windsor Castle.

Thames Valley Police in a statement on its website on Wednesday, said it is working with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, the Royal Household and other security partners.

The force said airspace restrictions over Windsor Castle, which are in place permanently throughout the year, would be extended on Wednesday, March 18, to cover the period from 7am to 11.59pm.

Chief Superintendent Adrian Hall of Thames Valley Police’s Joint Operations Unit said the air restrictions formed part of a broader security operation for the visit.

“The air restrictions are just one part of our robust security operation for the state visit of Nigerian President Tinubu next week, with many measures you will see and others you will not..

“As a force, we have a vast amount of experience in policing Royal events in Windsor and significant planning, and preparation has gone into this event,” Hall said.

He said the force would take a strong stance in enforcing the restrictions, warning that any breach would constitute a criminal offence under the Air Navigation Order and could lead to arrest.

“We will be taking a strong stance in enforcing the restrictions; anyone who breaches them will be committing a criminal offence under the Air Navigation Order and could be arrested.”

The police chief said officers with specialist capabilities, including search teams, the Mounted Section, road policing, and armed units, would be deployed across Windsor, alongside neighbourhood policing and Project Servator resources.

“We will also be deploying numerous police officers to Windsor with specialist capabilities, including our search teams, Mounted Section, Roads Policing and armed units, while our neighbourhood and Project Servator resources will also be on the ground engaging with the public,” he said.

The authorities will also deploy an extensive closed-circuit television network, hostile vehicle mitigation barriers, and other undisclosed security measures for the event.

Hall said, “We will also be using the extensive CCTV network in Windsor, Hostile Vehicle Mitigation barriers, and many other security measures that you may not be able to see to make sure the event runs safely.”

He urged members of the public to support the security operation by remaining vigilant.

“The public plays a critical role to support us so we encourage them to report any suspicious activity or anything that does not seem quite right by calling 101 or speaking to one of our officers. If there is an immediate threat or emergency, then call 999,” Hall added.

Road closures and parking restrictions will take effect from Tuesday, March 17, with possible temporary disruption to roads in and around Windsor during the visit.

Thames Valley Police said it was being supported by the Civil Aviation Authority and National Air Traffic Services to enforce the flight restrictions. Persons with legitimate reasons for drone flying were directed to email [email protected].

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