Court Frees ex-SGF, Others Of N544m grass-cutting fraud

An Abuja High Court on Friday discharged a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal and five others of N544 million grass- cutting fraud.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, charged Lawal alongside his younger brother, Hamidu; Suleiman Abubakar; Apeh Monday and two companies,

Rholavision Engineering Limited and Josmon Technologies Limited with 10 counts of misappropriation on November 30, 2020.

Justice Charlies Abgaza, in his ruling on a no-case submission filed by the defendants, said that EFCC failed to establish prima facie case against the co-defendants.

Agbaza held that no ingredient of any offence was made out by the 11 witnesses that testified for the EFCC.

He further held that EFCC did not establish that Babachir Lawal was either a member of the Presidential Initiative for North East PINE that awarded the contract or a member of the Ministerial Tenders Board that vetted and gave approval to the disputed contract.

The judge held that EFCC also failed to link Babachir Lawal with Bureau of Public Procurement that issued a certificate of no objection to the contract before it was awarded.

Agbaza therefore discharged all the defendants of the 10-count charges against them for want of evidence to link them with the purported offence.

They had pleaded not guilty to the charges when they first appeared before the late Justice Jude Okeke on February 13, 2019.

The EFCC alleged that Lawal, while he was the SGF, converted and awarded cumulative proceeds of grass cutting contracts worth over N544 million to companies he had interests in.

They also pleaded not guilty to the allegations against them when they were rearriagned before Justice Agbaza.

Comments

EHCON Unveils Tech To Phase-out Vehicular Emissions, Targets Billions Of IGR

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja Registrar of Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON), Dr Yakubu Baba (left) monitoring the processes while the Field Technicians runs the test with 3DATX Integrated Portable Emissions Measurement System (IPEMS) technology on Friday in Abuja. PHOTO BY CHIKA OKEKE. Committed to green economy, the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON) has unveiled vehicular emissions testing technology, meant to phase-out million tons of carbon emissions from the roads and improve air worthiness. The technology, Integrated Portable Emissions Measurement System (IPEMS) which is the first of its kind to be used in the entire Africa, was designed to control emissions by connecting a 3DATX technology and software to a car while monitoring the process through a computer. IPEMS provides gaseous and nanoparticle measurements with a proprietary cartridge system. It is designed with three sensor cartridge ports that provides an opportunity to customize each unit for y

National Parks Panacea In Mitigating Climate Change- Olory

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja The Conservator of Park, Cross River National Park, CP Caroline Olory has disclosed that National Parks hold the key to mitigating climate change across the country. She stated this on Wednesday in Abuja at a workshop organised by the Development Agenda in collaboration with Environmental Media Correspondents Assodiation of Nigeria with the theme: "Climate Change and COP28: The Way Forward For Nigeria." The 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) scheduled to hold in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, will garner more than 70,000 participants, including heads of state and government, government officials, representatives of international organisations, business leaders, academics and civil society organisations. Olory lamented that climate disasters are happening at frightening rates in Nigeria, and a panacea to cushion the effect is the standing forest which serves as carbon sink that would absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. She informed

Emerging Diseases: EHCON Faults Health Workers For Neglecting PPEs

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja L-R: Registrar of Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON) Dr Yakubu Baba and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment, Mr Mahmud Adam Kambari during a Ministerial press briefing on Monday in Abuja. The Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON) has faulted health workers for neglecting the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) in treating patients taunted by emerging diseases. This followed the outbreak of an Acute Viral Hemorrhagic Fever (VHF) suspected to be Lassa Fever at the Accident and Emergency unit of the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna State last week. News Rider reports that a circular issued on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, by the Acting Corps Commander of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps, Brigadier General S.O Okoigi revealed that the index patient died at the hospital after presenting symptoms of febrile illness while three health workers died within 48 hours. The PPEs are goggles, masks, glov

News Rider

Search This Blog