Headlines
£2.6bn Fraud: FG Seeks Dismissal Of Petrounion Directors No Case Motion
The Federal Government on Monday urged Justice Mohammed Liman of the Federal High Court in Lagos to dismiss the No-Case-Submission application filed by the four Directors of an oil firm, Petro Union Oil and Gas Limited, currently standing trial for alleged £2.6bn fraud.
FG’s lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), pleaded while arguing his written address in opposition to the Petrounion Directors’ motion.
All the defendants in the case are contending through their lawyers that none of the thirteen witnesses called by the prosecution established any case of fraud against them.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Petro Union Oil and Gas Limited, a consultant to the company and three of its directors before the court on a 13-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, attempt to steal and forgery.
The Consultant is Abayomi Kukoyi (Trading under the name and style of Gladstone Kukoyi & Associates), while the company’s directors on trial are Prince Kingsley Okpala, Prince Chidi Okpalaeze and Prince Emmanuel Okpalaeze.
They all pleaded not guilty to the charge.
In his opposition to the application, Jacobs maintained that the prosecution had, through its witnesses, established the case of fraud against the defendants.
He argued that all investigations by Union Bank, Central Bank, Bankers’ Committee and the EFCC confirmed that the defendants were engaged in a clear fraud case.
The lawyers stated, “We have proved the ingredients of those offences beyond any shadow of a doubt.
“The defendants knew the truth but are insisting that the Federal Government should pay them £2.1 billion. It is our common inheritance that they want to take away. This is a clear case of fraud, and no person with heaven in mind should pursue this case.
“The judgement against the Federal Government is now up to £30 billion with interest from 1994. We investigated the issuance of this cheque with our overseas partners, and it was revealed that the late Chief Okpala wrote the document. He was the one who gave the various payment instructions to the third party and not any foreign investor.
“The account upon which the cheque was drawn has been closed since 1989, whereas the cheque was issued in 1994”, Jacobs said.
In conclusion, he maintained that a prima-face case had been established against the defendants and, as such, the court should dismiss their no-case motion and order them to open their defence.
While moving the No-Case-Submission application on behalf of his clients, Chief JK Gazama (SAN) urged the court to dismiss the charge because the prosecution has failed to establish a prima-face case against them.
Gazama stated that the 13 witnesses produced by the EFCC were discredited under cross-examination and that they could not present any evidence or link the defendant to the offences.
He further argued that the third to fifth defendants were minors when the purported offences were allegedly committed and that they were not company directors.
He maintained that they could not, therefore, be held liable for the alleged offences because the prosecution failed to demonstrate to the court the role they played in committing the crimes.
The senior lawyer also told the court that the failure of the prosecution to call officials of Barclays Bank is fatal to their case because they are the complainants in the matter.
Gazama insisted that a criminal case must be proven beyond reasonable doubt and that it would amount to a miscarriage of justice if the court ordered the defendants to open their case.
The counsel to the second defendant, Bashir Ramoni, also argued that the anti-graft agency failed to discharge its duty of proving its case against his client.
He contended that the second defendant was a Chartered Accountant who only rendered his professional services to the first defendant (Petro Union), and his actions can not be criminalised.
Ramoni also stated that since the court cannot criminalise his professional services, it must hold that the second defendant has no case to answer, and he should be discharged and acquitted.
Justice Liman has fixed January 30, 2024 to deliver his ruling on the application.
The post £2.6bn Fraud: FG Seeks Dismissal Of Petrounion Directors No Case Motion appeared first on Jomog.
Education
1ST NIGERIAN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS CONFERENCE ON UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS) ESSAY COMPETITION
Competition Overview:
The SDG Youth Essay Competition offers a grand prize of N1 million for the top three winners, along with free sponsorship to attend the 1st Nigeria Tertiary Institution Conference on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in April 2024 in Abuja.
Competition Requirements:
1. Eligibility:
– Open exclusively to undergraduates in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
2. Entry Guidelines:
– Topic:The Role of Students in Attainment of SDG4
– length: Essays should be 1500 words.
– Entry Period: Thursday, February 1, 2024 – Thursday, February 29, 2024
– Referencing: APA Style (6th Edition).
– Font: Times New Roman, 12-point font size.
– Documentation: Typed in 1.5 line spacing, MS Word format only.
– Plagiarism: Only original content is accepted; plagiarized entries will be disqualified.
Benefits:
– Prizes:
– 1st Prize: N500,000
– 2nd Prize: N300,000
– 3rd Prize: N200,000
– Winners will also receive free sponsorship to attend the 1st Nigeria Tertiary Institution Conference on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in April 2024 in Abuja.
Required Documents:
– Student’s Institution ID Card
– Copy of Student’s Admission Letter
– One recent passport-size photograph
– WhatsApp telephone number and email address
Application Procedure:
– All entries and submissions (essay and required documents) should be scanned and sent to nigeriaessay@sdgyouth.org before the deadline.
For Further Inquiries:
– Call: 08068931151, 08133846739, 07067772964
– Email: nigeriaessay@sdgyouth.org
Deadline: February 29th, 2024
Don’t miss this opportunity to contribute to achieving SDG4 and win exciting prizes. Submit your entry and required documents before the deadline. For any inquiries, feel free to contact them via phone or email.
Competition Overview:
The National Essay Competition invites undergraduate law students to showcase their expertise and contribute to the discourse on AI, privacy, and data protection. In addition to cash prizes, participants have the chance to intern with Pentagon Partners, gaining valuable hands-on experience.
Competition Requirements:
1. Eligibility:
– The competition is open to 400-level and 500-level undergraduate law students in Nigerian universities.
2. Essay Requirements:
– Length: Essays should not exceed 1500 words.
– Format: Double spaced, 12pt Times New Roman font.
– References: OSCOLA format for citations with 10pt font size for footnotes and endnotes.
– Submission Format: Essays must be submitted in PDF format.
– Entrant Details: Include full names, school, level, phone number, and email address in both the body of the email and on the last page of the essay.
– Single Entry: Each entrant is allowed only one submission.
– Originality: Plagiarism will result in automatic disqualification.
Competition Benefits and Timeline:
1. Prizes:
– Winner: N200,000
– 1st Runner Up: N150,000
– 2nd Runner Up: N100,000
2. Internship Opportunity:
– In addition to cash prizes, winners have the exclusive opportunity to intern with Pentagon Partners, enhancing their career prospects.
Application Procedure:
– Interested participants should submit their essays to essay@pentagonpartnerslp.com during the submission period.
– The subject of the email should be the Essay topic
For additional information and updates, visit www.pentagonpartnerslp.com.
Deadline: March 22nd, 2024
Don’t miss this chance to showcase your legal expertise, contribute to important discussions on AI and law, and vie for enticing cash prizes. Pentagon Partners looks forward to receiving your submissions.
Purpose:
Inaugurated in 2020, the CDEC is part of SystemSpecs’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitment to promoting capacity development in the Nigerian ICT industry. By encouraging young Nigerians to tackle everyday issues, the competition contributes to intellectual growth and societal progress.
Topic:
The theme for the 2024 competition is “Protecting the Nigerian Child from the Dangers of Online Technology.” Participants are tasked with exploring strategies to safeguard children in an increasingly digital world.
Eligibility:
– Open to primary and secondary school students in Nigeria aged 9 to 16.
– Junior category (ages 9 to 12) essays must not exceed 1,000 words.
– Senior category (ages 13 to 16) essays must not exceed 1,500 words.
Prizes:
– Winners will receive generous rewards, including a high-capacity laptop, premium headphones, a portable laptop stand, a smart wristwatch, and one year of internet data, among other items.
– Consolation prizes will be awarded to other participants.
Application Process:
– Interested candidates should access the application page
– Essays must be written in English and reflect original thought.
– Each participant is limited to one entry.
– Entries must be endorsed by an accredited school official, parent, or legal guardian.
– Deadline for submissions is April 12, 2024.
Submission Guidelines:
– All submissions must be in PDF format and include the student’s name, home and school addresses, email address, and contact phone number.
– Double entries will result in automatic disqualification.
– Submissions must be received by March 15, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.
Notification of Winners:
– Successful students and schools will be contacted in the second quarter of the year.
– Updates on winners will be announced on @nercng social media platforms.
The SystemSpecs Children’s Day Essay Competition offers a unique opportunity for Nigerian students to demonstrate their creativity and problem-solving skills. By addressing the theme of online child protection, participants contribute to building a safer and more secure digital environment for all. We encourage eligible students to seize this opportunity and showcase their talent and ingenuity.
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