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Innoson Vs GTBank: Criminal Charge Against Innoson by EFCC is an After Thought

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In the peak of EFCC investigation in 2011 based on GTB petition to it, EFCC illegally froze all accounts belonging to Innoson.

Subsequently, Innoson commenced Suit No: FHC/AWK/CS/138/2012 against EFCC in the Federal High Court, Awka Division for freezing its accounts in all the banks in Nigeria.

Interestingly, during the court proceedings, EFCC in a counter affidavit deposed to on 2nd August 2012 in Suit No: FHC/AWK/CS/138/2012 acknowledged in Paragraph 15 that after investigation it could not confirm the allegations against Innoson by GTB. Based on EFCC submission, the accounts were unfrozen.

Subsequently, at the conclusion of its investigation in 2012, EFCC through its letter of 20th September 2012 informed Innoson that he pays a certain amount to GTB.

However, Innoson rejected and declined EFCC’s demand contained in its letter of 20th September, 2012 on the ground that GTB shall pay it interest on the N560Million it stole at 22% being the rate at which GTB lent it money.

Furthermore, Innoson headed to the court and commenced Suit No: FHC/AWK/CS/139/2012 against GTB at the Federal High Court, Awka Division, in respect of the money GTB stole from its account claiming 22% interest thereof from the date GTB started the stealing.

However, on 16th May, 2013 the trial Court delivered judgment in the sum of N4.7Billion in favour of Innoson against GTB.

EFCC felt slighted and angered by Innoson’s refusal to accept its reconciliation contained in its letter of 20th September 2012. In December 2013, EFCC filed Charge No. ID/197C/2013 against Innoson and two others at the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja.

Later, in 2014, the charge was struck out. However Innoson through his counsel appealed against the order striking out on the ground that it should be dismissed and not striking out. Also the counsel to Innoson filed a motion on notice at the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division praying among others that EFCC be restrained from filing a further charge in respect of the same subject matter until determination of the appeal –Appeal Nos: CA/L/1328CM/17, CA/L/1329CM/17 & CA/L/1330CM/17.

Subsequently, GTB instigated The Nigerian Police to charge Innoson and others to court. The Nigerian Police filed Charge No. FHC/L/565c/2015 at the Federal High Court Lagos Division in respect of the same subject matter, issues and transactions as are in the EFCC Charge No. ID/197C/2013.

GTB characteristically got the then Director of Public Prosecution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria – Mr Diri – to claim to have taken over the Charge/case using the name of the Attorney General of the Federation.

Interestingly, Mr Diri’s involvement in this matter and his complicities therein led to his removal as the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This charge is till date pending at the Federal High Court Lagos Division and some of the issues arising from it are till date, pending at both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

While Charge No. FHC/L/565c/2015 is still pending and subsisting, GTB went back again to EFCC and instigated them to illegally arrest Innoson at his residence on Dec 19th 2017 which led to a huge outcry from well-meaning Nigerians condemning the Illegal arrest.

To justify its action, EFCC filed another charge with Charge NO: ID/6696c/2017 at Lagos State High Court Ikeja on the same subject matter, issue and transactions as the earlier one filed in 2013 which is still pending at the Court of Appeal Lagos Division and which is also as in the one pending at the Federal High Court Lagos.

The acting EFCC Chairman should therefore not allow its institution to be used by some elements within the organization in bringing down the personality of Innocent Chukwuma through unlawful means and method. He should ask for a due diligent report of the earliest investigation activities conducted by the commission.

The President should as a matter of urgency commence full investigation on the circumstances leading to Justice Mojisola Dada of Lagos State High Court Issuing a Bench Warrant against Chief Innocent Chukwuma and ordering for his arrest in a matter that the court’s jurisdiction is still being contested and a charge that is clearly an abuse of court process.

Furthermore, the President shall call The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission under the leadership of Ibrahim Magu to order. EFCC as a Federal Government Agency is supposed to be unbiased in resolving the dispute between Innoson and GTB, but its actions indicated it is doing the bidding of GTB

Cornel Osigwe made the post on March 5, 2018

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‘If You Want It Dirty, You’ll Get It Dirty’, Benue Diaspora DG Escalates Threat Against National Record Reporter

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National Record Reporter vs Benue State Government

The Editor-in-Chief of National Record, Iduh L. Onah, has raised alarm over what he described as ‘grave threats’ issued against one of the online newspaper’s reporters, Mr. Amos Aar, by the Director-General of the Benue State Directorate of Diaspora Linkages and Investments, Professor Abraham Tartenger Girgih.

In a letter dated June 25, 2025, addressed to Prof. Girgih and made available to the press, National Record condemned what it called “unwarranted threats” following the publication of a report on the funding challenges being faced by the Directorate under the DG’s leadership since its formation in 2024.

According to Onah, while the publication welcomes robust engagement in the form of rejoinders on stories perceived to contain among other things misinformation, misrepresentation or distortion, no one has the right to issue threats.

“While it is within your right to respond to perceived misinformation or misrepresentation and distortion or outright fabrication, in any publication, it is, however, beyond that right to issue a threat as grave as “dire consequences”, Onah stated.

The Editor-in-Chief further noted that the situation escalated after the publication of a follow-up report when Prof. Girgih called the correspondent and made what the paper considers to be a further threat.

“After the publication of the threat and other claims in your rejoinder, you again went ahead to issue what we deemed to be further grave threat when you stated: “…if you want it dirty, you will get it dirty”, among other words perceived as veiled threat, in a telephone conversation you had with our correspondent shortly after you may have read our follow-up report,” stated the Editor-in-Chief.

The management of National Record expressed deep concern for the safety of its correspondent and other staff, especially given the hostile tone of Prof. Girgih in his conversation with the reporter.

The media organization said it is taking steps to notify security agencies, the Benue State Government, and professional journalism bodies about the threats, while also demanding a written assurance from Prof. Girgih that no harm will befall Mr. Aar or any member of the newspaper’s staff.

“We demand from you a written assurance of Mr Aar’s safety from harm and that of our other staff, and a further commitment to desist from harassing, heckling, intimidating or bullying us in whatever manner,” Onah wrote.

While no official response had been received from Prof. Girgih as at press time, National Record expressed hope for civility going forward and reiterated its commitment to its constitutional mandate as a stakeholder in the Fourth Estate of the Realm.

The letter reads in full:

Professor Abaham Tartenger Girgih

The Director-General   

Directorate of Diaspora Linkages and investments

Makurdi, Benue State.

Dear Prof. Girgih;

THREATS ON OUR PERSONNEL AND ORGANISATION

On behalf of the Management of Contest Communications Limited, publishers of National Record, I bring you warm fraternal greetings.

We wish to express our dismay and concern over your threat on our Benue State Correspondent, Mr Amos Aar, in particular, and generally, our entire organisation, as contained in your rejoinder to a report we had published on challenges being faced by the agency which you head.

While it is within your right to respond to perceived misinformation or misrepresentation and distortion or outright fabrication, in any publication, it is, however, beyond that right to issue a threat as grave as “dire consequences”.

After the publication of the threat and other claims in your rejoinder, you again went ahead to issue what we deemed to be further grave threat when you stated: “…if you want it dirty, you will get it dirty”, among other words perceived as veiled threat, in a telephone conversation you had with our correspondent shortly after you may have read our follow-up report.

While we intend to take steps to formally note these threats before the appropriate security agencies, the Benue State Government under which you are serving, as well as our professional organisations nationally; we wish to inform you that the life of our Benue State Correspondent, Amos Aar, and our entire personnel, remains insecure in the context of your threats.

In that regard, we demand from you a written assurance of Mr Aar’s safety from harm and that of our other staff, and a further commitment to desist from harassing, heckling, intimidating or bullying us in whatever manner from carrying out our constitutional mandate as key stakeholders in the Fourth Estate of the Realm.

As we look forward to relating with you in formal, civilised manner, and prompt action on our demands, please, accept the assurances of our esteemed regards.

Iduh L. Onah

Editor-in-Chief

National Record (https://nationalrecord.com.ng)

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Gov Mbah Inaugurates Committee to End Gender-Based Violence in Enugu

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The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.

The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.

The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.

Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.

Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.

“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.

“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”

He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.

“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.

“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.

In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.

“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.

“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.

“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.

“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.

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Emulate Christ’s virtues, Glo urges Christians at Easter

Reporter: Sandra Ani

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Glo and Globacom
Globacom

Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.  

The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ. 

“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added. 

The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all. 

Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.

The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.

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