DripNote Blog

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) has recovered at least N17bn since the Federal Government introduced the whistle- blower policy on December 20, 2016. Giving a breakdown of the recoveries, acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu, said, EFCC had recovered N521,815,000, $53,272,747, £122,890, and €547,730. According to a statement by the EFCC spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, Magu stated this at the 2017 Association of the National Accountants of Nigeria Week/Award Day, in Abuja on Saturday. The EFCC boss said, “Apart from several other recoveries running into several billions of naira, the recent whistle-blower policy, has led to the recovery by EFCC of N521,815,000, $53,272,747, £122,890, and €547,730.” He also revealed that the EFCC had recorded 62 convictions in the first quarter of the year. Magu urged players in Nigeria’s financial sector, to ensure that they play an active role in the war against corruption by reporting any suspicious transactions to

Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, in a swift reaction to the allegation by Senator Dino Melaye that he was planning to assassinate him, said he did not believe that Dino would “make such a sweeping statement on security matters.” The governor, speaking through his DG on Media and Publicity, Kingsley Fanwo, said he did not believe that was the position of Dino, adding that his supporters, who he described as “largely ignorant about security matters,” might be the ones behind the allegations. The governor added that, “Senator Melaye understands the implications of making such weighty allegations and would not try it. ”

Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, in a swift reaction to the allegation by Senator Dino Melaye that he was planning to assassinate him, said he did not believe that Dino would “make such a sweeping statement on security matters.” The governor, speaking through his DG on Media and Publicity, Kingsley Fanwo, said he did not believe that was the position of Dino, adding that his supporters, who he described as “largely ignorant about security matters,” might be the ones behind the allegations. The governor added that, “Senator Melaye understands the implications of making such weighty allegations and would not try it. ”

The Big Brother Naija reality show ended last week but the reverberations will continue to be felt for a long time. Arguably one of the most watched reality shows in Nigeria, the controversies that occurred in the show are still trending online. One of the most remarkable dramatis personae in the house was Bisola Aiyeola and she virtually caused a Twitter meltdown with the passionate kisses she showered on fellow contestant, Thin Tall Tony, and an allegation of giving him a blow job. In the wake of the uproar, it was reported online that Bisola is a mother of one daughter and that her baby daddy abandoned her at the altar of the St. Leos Catholic Church, Ikeja, Lagos, on their wedding day some years ago. However, in an exclusive chat with Sunday Scoop, Bisola’s baby daddy, Olanrewaju Malcolm, who is an artiste manager and showbiz promoter, denied doing that. He said, “It is a big fat lie that I dumped Bisola at the altar; there was nothing like that. In fact, I’m

The controversial memo sent to President Muhammadu Buhari by Gov Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State is still generating reactions from within and outside the ruling party. El-Rufai had, in the leaked memo, complained about certain things in the way the country and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) were being administered. Barely 48 hours after the Kaduna governor’s visit to the presidential villa where he took a swipe at unnamed presidency insiders who he alleged leaked the memo, which was written as a private correspondence to the president, reactions are again trailing his comment on the contributions of the various legacy groups within the party to its victory at the 2015 presidential election. In the memo, El-Rufai had posited that, “t he Lagos group more or less led by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is the most organised and proactive. This group made a key contribution in our electoral success, but like all groupings it naturally exaggerates its role in order to

There have been of recent desperate moves particularly through media publications to distract hardworking and vibrant senator representing Delta North. Having gone through some of these publications alleging this or that against Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, my take is that it all remains allegations yet to be proved in any court of law. Unfortunately some persons or groups, out of their ignorance, rancor or the pull him down syndrome, have already, on their own tried, convicted and sentenced the senator accordingly. But why? In our local parlance, Peter Nwaoboshi we say “there is God oooo”. To say the least, the senator has been condemned unheard. In any case, the reason(s) as far as I can see, is not far-fetched as politics is already in the air, more so when INEC has published the 2019 elections time-table. That is to say the heat is on. Just like students preparing for examinations, it is not bad for politicians to start early preparations but care should be taken

Baba Kyari, the Secretary-General of Nigeria Polo Federation (NPF), says the Argungu polo tournament will help to take the polo game down to the grassroots. Newsmen report that the Argungu Polo Tournament is being organised by Nura Kangiwa, the Patron of NSK Farms. The tournament which is in its maiden edition began on Friday and is expected to end on Sunday. Speaking to NAN on the tournament’s sidelines, Kyari said he was delighted being part of the event. “We came to support something that will take polo down to the grassroots and to demystify the notion that the game of polo is only for the rich. “The more we can get the game down to the local areas, especially places like here where it is quite easy to propagate the game because there is already a horse culture, the more the game will continue to develop. “This is the reason why I am really in support of this project. It’s quite a new beginning and we hope it will improve with time,” he said. Kyari urged ot

In the aftermath of the controversy surrounding the ownership of the N13bn ($43.4m, N23m and £27,000) found by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to “urgently address country on the matter so as to clarify the issue, and resolve lingering doubts among Nigerians regarding the real owner(s) of the cash.” Recovered Money The organization also called on the president to “ensure legal backing for his government’s whistle-blowing policy by vigorously pursuing the passing by the National Assembly of the Whistle-blower Bills.” Both Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and the National Intelligence Agency last week reportedly claimed ownership of the cash, casting doubts on the ‘real claimants.’ In a statement today by SERAP executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni the organization said that, “The government’s increasing reliance

The over N13billion recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from an Ikoyi apartment in Lagos was a discreet allocation released to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) for major but covert security projects. The total value of the cash at Central Bank of Nigeria official exchange rate is over N13 billion. What are the secret details? Inside sources revealed that, former President Goodluck Jonathan approved the funds for the 30-year old secret service agency after its immediate past Director General, Olaniyi Oladeji, alerted him to the need for some “crucial and covert security projects”. The funds were later released in cash directly from the Central Bank of Nigeria as a way of making its spending completely secret. “The projects are scattered across the country, but there is a major one in Lagos being funded with the cash warehoused in the Ikoyi building,” one source told PT. “The spending on the projects cannot be subjected to the usua

The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, says members of the Northern elite are trying to silence him. He said this while delivering his speech at the Inaugural Annual Chibok Girls Lecture held in commemoration of the third anniversary of the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok Government Girls Secondary School by terrorists in Borno State. The event, in Abuja on Friday, had the theme - ‘Where goes our girl child, our nation goes.’ The monarch, represented by his daughter, Shahida Sanusi, said he stayed away from the event due to the criticisms he had received from northern leaders following his statement of last week wherein he criticised them for being responsible for many of the North’s social maladies. Sanusi said rather than address the issues, ‘anti-intellectual’ persons were trying to silence him. He said, “Our colleagues and compatriots among the elite do not like statistics. Numbers are disturbing. I recently gave a speech in which I said the Nor

A Professor of Human Physiology and Dean, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences at the Federal University in Ebonyi State, Prof. Robert Nneli, and five others on Thursday died in a multiple auto crash that occurred along the Ezzamgbo axis of the Abakaliki/Enugu Expressway. The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Ebonyi State, Mrs. Stella Uchendu, who confirmed the accident, said that the crash occurred around 9pm on Thursday night. The FRSC boss said that the accident happened as a result of a head-on collision that involved a trailer with registration number Nassarawa 2183 XT. “The vehicle veered off its lane and had a head- on collision with an oncoming articulated vehicle and crushed it. The accident equally claimed the lives of a pregnant woman and a nine-month- old baby among others,” she said. Investigation revealed that Professor Nneli was travelling with his Toyota Camry vehicle to his hometown in Anambra State when the incident occurred. It

When a Muslim man who doesn't need to divorce before he marries a 2nd wife, decide to do away with his first wife, probably something was fundamentally wrong. Super Eagles and Leicester City star, Ahmed Musa, has divorced his wife and mother of his two children, Jamila, according to SCORE. This followed a much publicised disagreement between him and his wife at their home in England this month. A top source told only SCORE: “Ahmed Musa has divorced his wife. He gave her Saki Uku (which in Hausa literally means a final divorce). She is already back home in Kano trying to get her life together again.” It was gathered that Ahmed Musa has already done a wedding introduction with Ejue Juliet Adeh, the new lady he has fallen in love with. Last month, he quit the Super Eagles training camp in London to formally get the ball rolling for his second marriage. Juliet is based in Lagos and she is from Calabar. It is also reported that the football star had paid off his f

An inmate of the Kuje Maximum Prison, Abuja, Ifeanyi Ezenwa, has been accused of coordinating series of frauds, which netted members of his syndicate millions of naira. According to the Inspector-General Police Special Intelligence Response Team, which burst the syndicate, the members of the gang specialised in defrauding their victims, especially businessmen through the use of fake bank alerts. Ezenwa was described as a notorious fraudster, who had defrauded car and auto spare parts dealers in many states including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. A source at the IRT explained that the syndicate operated by approaching traders intending to buy goods from them. The source said, “After negotiations, they would ask their victims to forward their account number in order to do a money transfer. They would inform their victim that the transfer had been made and the victim would receive an alert to the effect. But when a victim goes to the bank to confirm his bala

A pastor from Akwanga in Nasarawa state, Julius Odeleye was involved in a ghastly accident on his way to his hometown earlier today. According to report, the accident involved multiple vehicles on the highway. Pastor Odeleye is said to be receiving treatment in a hospital...

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointments of Chief Executives and Directors for twenty three Federal Government Agencies. The list was released last night. The names of the new appointees and the agencies are as follows: 1) National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) Barrister Julie Okah-Donli – Director-General 2) National Centre for Women Development (NCWD) Barrister Mary Ikpere-Eta – Director-General 3) Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) Bayo Somefun – Managing Director Tijani Suleiman – Executive Director Mr. Jasper Azuatalam – Executive Director Kemi Nelson – Executive Director 4) Federal Mortgage Bank (FMB) Arc. Ahmed Dangiwa – Managing Director Melvin Eboh – Executive Director (Org. Resourcing) Hajiya Rahimatu Aliyu – Executive Director (Loans Department, Securities Issuance and Market Development) Umaru Abdullahi Dankane – Executive Director (Policy and Strategy Loans Set-Up and Pay Off) 5) Bureau of P

A huge range of security exploits, said to be worth over $2m if sold on the black market, have been leaked online. The tools are said to have been created by the US National Security Agency (NSA), and accompanying documents appear to indicate a possible breach of the Swift global banking system. Such a hack could have enabled the US to covertly monitor financial transactions, researchers said. The files were released by Shadow Brokers, a hacking group that has previously leaked malware . If genuine, it represents perhaps the most significant exposure of NSA files since the Edward Snowden leaks in 2013. On Twitter, Mr Snowden described it as the "Mother Of All Exploits" - a reference to a bomb recently used by the US military in Afghanistan . Multiple experts have said this latest "data dump" is credible - though the institutions implicated have dismissed the claims, or refused to comment. Swift, which is headquartered in Belgium, said: "

While inspecting the final lap of work on the runway, Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, confirmed that the airport is 96% ready and assured everyone that the airport will be reopened on the 19th of April, 2017. “This is runway 22 where the work terminates. Remember work started from the other end which is runway 04. You can see that we have finished asphalting and we are at 96 percent completion. “The marking of the runway and lighting are going on simultaneously. This is three to four days work and we still have about eight days to go. We are happy and we are on course.” The minister also talked about a new technology used for the runway which will not retain rain water and another, where glass glide is put in the process of constructing the runway to reinforce it, to give it extra strength and prevent cracks. “This is the first time any Nigerian runway is being treated with such material and that material is a 50 tonner.” He said. At the moment, all

Here's the traditional ruler of Anioma, Delta State, decorating former Governor James Ibori with a Chieftaincy title... We just wander what he's being rewarded for? Hmmmm!

There has been a lot of allegations and denials with regards to the  $43m, £27,800, N23m found in a house in Ikoyi, Lagos, by the EFCC. From the information Amaseme.com was able to put together, there are lots of secrecy surrounding the huge cash. The owner of the house is known, the person who bought the particular apartment is known but due to certain reasons, some information are shrouded in secrecy. According to SR, the DG of NIA met with President Buhari and claimed the money...

Columnist Kelvin MacKenzie has been suspended by The Sun after he expressed "wrong" and "unfunny" views about the people of Liverpool. In an article published on Friday, MacKenzie compared Everton midfielder Ross Barkley, who has a grandfather born in Nigeria, to a "gorilla". He said men with similar "pay packets" in Liverpool were "drug dealers". Merseyside Police are investigating whether his comments constitute a "racial hate crime". The Sun apologised "for the offence caused" and added that it was "unaware of Barkley's heritage". In a statement of his own, MacKenzie reiterated the latter sentiment, adding that it was "beyond parody" to describe the column as "racist". In the article, which has since been taken off the newspaper's website, former editor MacKenzie said: Barkley is "one of our dimmest footballers", also calling him "thick"

alleges fresh padding Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has sent an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR requesting him to use his good offices and leadership position “to urgently instruct security and anti- corruption agencies to forward to you reports of their completed investigations into allegations of padding and stealing of some N481 billion from the 2016 budget by some principal officers of the National Assembly.” The organization also asked Buhari to “direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN, and/ or appropriate anti-corruption agencies to without delay commence prosecution of indicted officers; and to urgently halt alleged ongoing attempt by some principal officers of the National Assembly to divert N40 billion of the N100 billion allocated by your government as ‘zonal intervention’ in the 2017 budget.” In the letter dated 24 March 2017 and signed by SERAP deputy director

It has been three days since the sums of $43m, N23m and £27,000, totaling a value of $50 million was found in apartment 7B of Osborne Towers in Ikoyi, Lagos but the culprits behind the massive stash of sealed forex bundles are yet to be exposed. SR tweeted that Buhari simply asked for the funds to be returned to the central bank and has yet made no formal condemnation and commanding directive for a thorough investigation. Distressingly, there are reports that Nigeria's intelligence agency, NIA has staked claim to the discovered loot. This is atrocious and a stab at the intellect, conscience and hopes of Nigerians.As typical, three days in, Buhari's lackadaisical response to this stupefying find portrays his physical and/or official weakness as president of Nigeria. The NIA cannot stash millions of dollars in a private building. The NIA does not operate moving such massive amounts of foreign currency within the country in such vagrant fashion. If indeed th

Almost one in five parents in the UK are being asked to set up payments to their schools, as head teachers warn of budget shortages, says a survey from a teachers' union. The NASUWT survey claims some parents are asked for £400 or more per year. Schools in England have been warning of cash shortages and the union says schools are now depending on parents. But the Department for Education says "no parent is required to make a contribution". Teachers' unions are holding their conferences over the Easter bank holiday weekend, with funding one of the biggest causes of concern. Direct debits The National Union of Teachers, meeting in Cardiff, will hear on Saturday from teachers and parents groups warning about the impact of cash shortages. The NASUWT survey, to be presented at the union's Manchester conference, claims that schools are relying on parents' ability to pay extra. Based on almost 4,000 responses, the survey says that 18% of paren

Learner drivers will have to be able to follow directions from a sat nav and drive into a parking space to pass their test. Ministers have announced four changes to the current test which will come into force on 4 December. Drivers will also be expected to answer vehicle safety questions while on the move and complete 20 minutes of independent driving rather than 10. The RAC Foundation said it would be a "far more realistic assessment". Changing behaviours The Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), which is in charge of running driving tests and approving instructors, said it wanted the test to have "more real life scenarios" such as driving into and reversing out of a parking space. It said it wants the test to reflect the changing behaviours of drivers. Manoeuvres such as "reverse around a corner" will be replaced in the new test and examiners will test a driver's ability to use a sat nav as an alternative to following ro

Successful entrepreneurs are a unique breed of individuals. They sacrifice a lot of things to ensure the smooth running of their businesses. In fact, they are very obsessed with being an entrepreneur. For them, they don't joke with their morning schedule because if they start off the day on the wrong note, they may not be very productive or motivated. Hence, they ensure that they do not miss their morning routine. Jumia Travel identifies the things successful entrepreneurs do before 7 am. They are prepared for the day They sleep early and wake very early to plan their day. This will prevent them from rushing out of the door every morning and also help them deal with stress. Eat a healthy breakfast A healthy breakfast is the most important meal of the day since it’s going oil their brain and body for the day. So, they do not play with their breakfast. Also, they ensure that they do not eat junk foods and fruits are not far away from them. Their phone is not th

I was two years old at the time of the Hillsborough tragedy. I can’t remember it happening. My mum tells me about how we went to Anfield to lay flowers on the pitch, but, obviously, I can't have processed what was going on. I have friends who lost family that day and know others who were there, but no-one really directly related. So why do I feel so personally invested? It’s because I am personally invested. I may not have lost direct family members that day, but the people of Liverpool are my extended family. I’ve inherited Hillsborough, just like we all do. I became aware of Hillsborough and what it meant first through my parents and then through going to the game. When I was younger, my dad used to take me and my brother to matches whenever he could afford (it was Tranmere when he was skint - which was quite often) and I’m now in the fortunate position of being able to share a season ticket with brothers. Hillsborough’s always been remembered in the terrace

North Korea has warned the US not to take provocative action in the region, saying it is "ready to hit back with nuclear attacks". The comments came as North Korea marked the 105th anniversary of the birth of its founding president, Kim Il-sung. Soldiers, tanks and other military hardware were paraded in Pyongyang in a show of strength on Saturday. It comes amid speculation that the current leader, Kim Jong-un, could order another nuclear test. "We're prepared to respond to an all-out war with an all-out war," North Korean military official Choe Ryong-Hae said, adding: "We are ready to hit back with nuclear attacks of our own style against any nuclear attacks." North Korea staged an extravagant display of military strength at Saturday's parade amid concern that mounting tensions in the region could lead to a conflict with the US. Rows of military bands and columns of troops marched into Pyongyang's main Kim Il-sung square