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EFCC Allegedly Discovers $9m cash in Ex-Amnesty Boss Boroh’s Residence
One year after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) discovered a whopping $44.3 million at a luxury apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos, the anti-graft agency, in conjunction with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), has allegedly unearthed another $9 million cash at the residence of the sacked Special Adviser on Niger Delta to President Muhammadu Buhari and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brig.-Gen. Paul Tarelah Boroh (rtd).
The discovery of the cash was made a few hours after his arrest by a combined team of EFCC and ONSA operatives.His arrest, which the Head, Media and Publicity of the anti-graft commission, Mr. Wilson Uwujiaren confirmed, in response to THISDAY’s enquiries, took place on Monday.
A senior security agent also told THISDAY that Boroh was picked up from his home in Gwarinpa, Abuja, on Monday, but was taken back to his residence at about 3 a.m. Tuesday by the security operatives who raided his house for hours and made the cash discovery of $9 million at his home. He remains in the custody of the EFCC.
“The former adviser was driven to his home in an unmarked car after his arrest. His home was searched for several hours and about $9 million cash was discovered in several safe boxes in several parts of the house,” the senior security agent stated.
“The combined team of EFCC and the National Security Adviser operatives were very thorough with the search. Indeed, at a point, the operatives broke all the locks in the home including his wife’s closet. The recovered cash has been deposited at the Office of the NSA.”
With the $9 million cash haul at Boroh’s residence, this will add to other cash discoveries made by the EFCC in the last two years, including the infamous $44.3 million found in the apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi.Within 24 hours of that discovery, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) had laid claim to the cash, claiming that the apartment was used as a safe house for its operations in the South-west.
The discovery eventually led to the sack of the NIA director general, Ambassador Ayodele Oke.Buhari sacked Boroh last week and announced Prof. Charles Dokubo as his replacement.In the statement announcing Boroh’s dismissal, it said the NSA, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd), had been directed to probe the activities of the Amnesty Office from 2015, when Boroh was appointed, especially allegations of financial impropriety and other acts that were allegedly detrimental to the objectives of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.
According to investigations by THISDAY, Boroh’s sack, investigation and arrest by the EFCC may not be unconnected to a petition, among others, that was sent to the president last August.In the petition to Buhari dated August 21, 2017 and signed by one Timi Angalabiri, on behalf of the Niger Deltans for Accountability and Good Governance (NDAGG), the group had requested the president to suspend the ex-Amnesty Programme boss “for a credible investigative inquiry to commence into the non-payment of tuition fees and living expenses of recently graduated Niger Delta students in universities across the United States, the United Kingdom and Nigeria, with many institutions withholding the students’ certificates due to the non-payment of tuition fees ranging from nine months to two years, despite receiving over N70 billion within this time frame”.The petitioner further pleaded with Buhari to use his good office to prosecute Boroh and others for allegedly diverting the sum of N70 billion.
Shortly after the petition was written, rumours swirled about Boroh’s sack by the president, but they were dismissed by the former Amnesty Programme boss.“This story about my suspension and even sack has been off and on in the media, but the truth is that I have not been sacked and no one should disrupt the relative prevailing peace in the Niger Delta region with such fake news,” he had said.
“What is happening is the handiwork of political enemies and those who do not want the region to be peaceful. The rumours they are peddling are just rubbish and unfounded. Under my watch, the programme, candidly speaking, has helped greatly to stabilise the region.” (THISDAY)
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.
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.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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