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Maina’s son, Faisal escapes to U.S through Niger – EFCC

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  • Defence lawyer insists he is held in Sokoto
  • Court orders forfeiture of surety’s N60m property in Abuja

The son of the ex-Chairman, defunct Pension Reformed Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, Faisal has escaped to the United States of America (USA), after sneaking into the Niger Republic through one of the nation’s porous borders.

A lawyer with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mohammed Abubakar confirmed the development on Thursday at the resumed hearing in his money laundering trial before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Faisal, who us being tried before the same judge with his father, went underground, the same way Maina, did after they were granted bail.

While Maina was re-arrested in Niger Republic and has since been ordered to be remanded in Kuje prison, Abuja, his son had remained elusive until EFCC got intelligence that he has since fled to the US, where he is believed to be a citizen.

Abubakar told the court on Thursday that, from the information at the disposal of the EFC, Faisal sneaked to the USA through the Republic of Niger.

He faulted claim by defence lawyer, Anayo Adibe that Faisal was being held by either the police in Sokoto State.

“We have a bench warrant for the arrest of the defendant and his production before the court. We have been making serious efforts to implement the bench warrant.

“The defendant has absconded to the United States of American. The claim that he was arrested in Sokoto by the police was in the realm of a rumour.

“It is on record that the Nigerian and American passport of the defendant are in the custody of this court as part of the condition of his bail.“However, information at our disposal indicate that the defendant was able to sneak out of Nigeria to the Republic of Niger, from where he was able to proceed to the U.S.A,” Abubakar said.

Adibe countered Abubakar and stated that his client was in the country and in the custody of the police in Sokoto State.

The defence lawyer contended that it was impossible for Faisal to travel to the U.S when his international passports where in the custody of the court.

“On the last adjourned date, I did inform the court that the defendant was taken into custody by men of the Nigeria Police Force.

“My Lord, the following day, media reports as well as the press release by the police command in Sokoto confirmed this particular fact.

“Subsequently after, the police have not been forthcoming with information even when we demanded to see the defendant.

“Let me also say that the travelling documents of the defendant are with the court. It is speculative for the prosecutor to state that the defendant was in the U.S.

“The defendant personally called me the day he was taken into custody, but now every effort made to reach the defendant was proved abortive,” Adibe said.

He then prayed the court to grant his application, seeking the court’s permission to enable the defendant open his defence to enable him exercise his right to fair hearing.

Abubakar objected to Adibe’s prayer and urged the court to dismiss the application in view of the defendant’s continued absence in court.

He said: “Regarding fair hearing, a defendant shall be afforded an opportunity to be heard.

“But, where the defendant is afforded that opportunity and he failed or refused to take advantage of it, he cannot therefore turn around and take sanctuary under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution. The defendant was never denied fair hearing,” he said.

Ruling, Justice Abang said he did not know who to believe as it relates to information about the defendant’s whereabouts.

The judge said he would work with the facts before the court.

He then adjourned till March 31, 2021 for ruling of the defendant’s application.

In a ruling earlier, Justice Abang ordered among others, that a House of Representatives member, Sani Dan-Galadima (representing Kaura-Namoda Federal Constituency of Zamfara), who stood surety for the fleeing Faisal, should forfeit his property, worth N60million, which he pledged as guarantee for the N60m bail bond he signed.

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Update : Road Crash: Anthony Joshua Hospitalised, Two Confirmed Dead — Ogun Police Spokesperson

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Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has been hospitalised after a road accident in the Makun area of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State.

Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Babaseyi Oluseyi, confirmed this in a statement.

The incident occurred shortly after 11 am on Monday.

Our reporter, who was at the scene, said the crash happened just before the Danco Filling Station in Makun, ahead of the Sagamu Interchange on the Ibadan-bound axis.

Adeniyi Orojo stated that the Lexus Jeep carrying Joshua, with number plate KRD 850 HN, collided with a stationary truck.

The eyewitness revealed that Joshua sustained minor injuries, while two others died at the scene.

“It was a two-vehicle convoy: a Lexus SUV and a Pajero SUV. Joshua was seated behind the driver, with another person beside him. A passenger sat beside the driver, making four occupants in the Lexus that crashed.
His security detail followed in the vehicle behind.

“Other eyewitnesses and I began the rescue and flagged down oncoming vehicles for help. Minutes after the crash, Federal Road Safety Corps officials arrived. The passenger beside the driver and the person beside Joshua died on the spot,” he said.

In a statement sent to Newsthumb on Monday, Oluseyi confirmed that Joshua and other injured persons were involved in a car accident and rushed to an undisclosed hospital.

He said, “The Ogun State Police Command confirms a road accident today in front of Sinoma, before Danco, along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway. Anthony Joshua and other injured persons have been rushed to the hospital.

“Further updates will be communicated.”

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Tinubu Leaves Nigeria for Europe, UAE to Attend ADSW 2026 Summit, Says Onanuga

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu departed Lagos on Sunday, December 28, for Europe, continuing his end-of-year break and ahead of his official trip to Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed AlNahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, has invited President Tinubu to participate in the 2026 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW 2026) Summit, which will take place in the emirate early in January.

The weeklong summit is an annual event that mobilises leaders from government, business, and society to chart the next era of sustainable development.

With the theme “The Nexus of Next: All Systems Go”, ADSW will connect ambition with action across innovation, finance, and people, showcasing how the world can move forward with confidence.’

The President will return to the country after the Summit.

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BREAKING: Fayose Alleges N45.5bn from N50bn Ibadan Explosion Fund Diverted by Makinde for Political Ambitions

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Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has released what he described as documentary evidence to support his claim that Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, received N50 billion from the Federal Government as a special intervention fund following the January 2024 explosion in Ibadan.

Fayose made the documents public on Sunday in a statement accompanied by a memo from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

He said the disclosure followed a challenge by Makinde to substantiate his earlier claim that the Oyo State Government received the funds.

“Two days ago, I stated on national television that Oyo State under Governor Seyi Makinde received N50bn from the Federal Government as intervention for the Ibadan explosion. Yesterday, the governor asked me to provide evidence, and here is the evidence he requested,” Fayose said.

The former governor further alleged that only N4.5 billion was disbursed to victims of the explosion, accusing Makinde of diverting the remaining funds for personal political ambitions.

“Only N4.5bn was paid to victims of the Ibadan explosion. The rest, alongside other intervention funds, was diverted to fund his presidential ambition. This, in part, explains the crisis in the PDP and his frequent attacks on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration,” he alleged.

Fayose further said he was compelled to release official documents, despite his reluctance to do so, in the interest of transparency and public accountability.

“Even though it is not in my character to go public with official government documents, I had to do this so Nigerians will know who is saying the truth and who has not been sincere with the people of Oyo State,” he said.

The former governor said that Makinde’s alleged disclosure of detail from private meeting with President Tinubu made fuller public disclosure necessary.

He challenged the governor to take legal action if he believed the allegations were false, insisting that he had sufficient proof to defend his claims.

“I challenge Governor Seyi Makinde to sue me on this. There are also proofs of other intervention funds received from Tinubu’s administration by the Oyo State Government which the governor refused to disclose to the people,” he said.

He further claimed to have documentary evidence of Oyo State’s actual Internally Generated Revenue, contrary to figures publicly stated by Makinde, noting that he would release the details at a later time.

“There are documentary evidences on the actual Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Oyo State, as against Governor Makinde’s claim, but we will keep our gunpowder dry for now.

“My name is still Ayo Fayose. I don’t say what I can’t prove,” he said.

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