Court discharges, acquits Jide Omokore of $1.6billion fraud

The federal high court sitting in Abuja has discharged and acquitted Jide Omokore chairman of Atlantic Energy drilling concept Nigeria limited of fraud, money laundering and conspiracy allegations.

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba held that the EFCC failed to prove that Mr Omokore and his company falsely represented themselves as having the required technical and financial competence to carry out the SAA’s in Atlantic 5.

Section 1 of the advance fee fraud act, there must be essential ingredients of pretence.

The EFCC can not choose what to believe, the federal government had seen the capacity of Mr Omokore concerning the various contracts that were successful.

What the party has is a continuation of the “sweet honeymoon “ which started a long time ago.

Mr Omokore and his company have executed various agreements in various SAAs that of Atlantic 5 was no different

Debts are a key part of cooperate dealings, the EFCC failed to prove that Mr Omokore and his companies lacked the financial resources to carry out the contract.

There is no evidence to show that Mr Omokore had any intention of committing fraud or inducing the NNPC or NPDC.

The act of Mr Omokore lifting and selling crude oil was carried out under lawful sanctions.

Justice Dimgba, however, convicted Victor Briggs and Abiye Membere for receiving car gifts from Atlantic Energy while they were still public officers.

They were staff of the NNPC and NDPC.

The circumstances at work in which they received the car gift were unethical and are in breach of section 98 of the criminal code.

The convicted defendants will be kept in EFCC custody until tomorrow for sentencing.

CBN Did not print enough Money, must do better -JH

Journalists and Guests on the Journalists Hangout on TVC News have backed the decision of the House of Representatives to reconvene from recess if the current Naira Notes Scarcity persists.

Babajide Kolade-Otitoju who led the discussion said the decision by the House as announced by the Speaker of the House of Representatives on Sunday, Femi Gbajabiamila, is a patriotic one that must be supported by all Nigerians.

He added that the decision is a good one adding that the fact the Central Bank of Nigeria is independent does not make its activities above the nations’ law, rules and regulations.

He said the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria has failed to address the issues arising from the decision and is now in shifting of blame mode.

Anchor Ayodele Ozugbakun added that the picture being painted to President Muhammadu Buhari is that of a business as usual mode across Nigeria making it difficult for him to do what is necessary before the situation degenerated to what it is now.

Kolade-Otitoju said the information that banks are hoarding the notes may not be totally true.

He said if the Central Bank of Nigeria has printed enough New Naira notes it will not as scarce as it is wondering what will be the fate of people who live in remote communities where accessing Banking Services will take at least two hours.

He added that some of the farmers are not even able to come out of their communites with Money for fear of being robbed on the way to banks which are in some instances over a 100 Kilometres away.

For his part, Gani Kayode-Balogun said the current situation has been a boom for PoS Operators who have resorted to outrageous charges for people to have access to the new notes or even bank their old notes.

He also added that the operators also go through the stress that the regular bank customers have faced in accessing the new notes.

PROTESTERS BLOCK ONDO-ORE ROAD OVER NAIRA NOTES, FUEL SCARCITY

Hundreds of residents of Ondo State have staged a peaceful protest along Ore-Benin expressway to register their displeasure over scarcity of naira notes and fuel ravaging the nation.

The protesters blocked the road there by causing gridlock .

The protest is coming despite stern warning from the police authorities in the State

Many travellers plying the route were stranded for several hours.

One of the protesters, Adebayo Adeyemi said the recent hardship ravaging the country is quite alarming.

“We are protesting to send a message to the government, that we the masses are suffering”.