United States Denies Bishop Oyedepo Visa

he United States Embassy in Lagos has denied renowned preacher, Bishop David Oyedepo, of Living Faith Church Worldwide visa in what appears to be an escalation of President Trump’s anti-immigrant stance.

A report in ThisDay also said Kris Asimonye, wife of popular comedian, Abovi Ugboma (Bovi), was also denied visa on Thursday even though the comedian’s application was approved.

The United States Embassy in Nigeria has been hard on Nigerians seeking visas. 

A report by THEWILL stated that Nigerians with valid United States visas have been receiving emails from the embassy notifying them that their visas had been revoked without any explanations. 

Two senior bank executives affected confirmed the development to THEWILL.

It was however, unclear why Oyedepo’s visa application was denied as the embassy usually does not reveal such information to a third party.

The newspaper said its source did not give any other reason except the standard default explanation that the Bishop did not qualify for visa renewal in its assessment and urged him to try again.

President Donald Trump last week confirmed his intention to expand the travel ban he imposed on at least five countries when he took office. 

Nigeria, being one of the countries where nationals apply massively for US visa, is touted to be on that list.

EPL: Klopp speaks on having problem with Liverpool players, setting point’s record

Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp says he has a problem with motivating his players following their Premier League 2-0 victory over West Ham United on Wednesday night.

He also said that Liverpool doesn’t need to set the Premier League point’s record this season.

Klopp’s side defeated West Ham United, thanks to two goals from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mohamed Salah.

They are now 19 points clear of champions Manchester City in second position.

“I am not sure I have to because I was never in that situation, to be honest. I didn’t do it so far,” Klopp was quoted by Liverpool’s official website as saying after the Reds’ win over West Ham.

“Last year we had 97 points and I am not sure if we could have had 100 – 98 would have been possible if we had got a point at [Manchester] City.

“No, I didn’t do it so far and in the moment I see I have a problem with motivating the boys, then I would have to use different things – but so far it is not necessary.

“We are Liverpool and we have a proper history, everybody knows what we have to do and the motivation is to reach that and not any point records. If that would happen as a side-effect, we would take it, but we are not overly concerned about it.

Fulani community leaders arrested, taken to Abuja over Plateau killings

Fulani and community leaders from Mangu, Bokkos, Barkin Ladi and Riyom local government areas of Plateau State have been arrested by Plateau State Police Command and taken to Abuja for further interrogation as a result of the crisis that took place in parts of Bokkos local government area of the state.

Recall that governor Simon Lalong ordered the State Commissioner of Police, Isaac Akinmoyede to arrest the Fulani and community leaders of the affected communities following the killings and destruction of properties around Kwatas and nearby communities of Bokkos local government area.

It is understood that a slight disagreement had stalled the arrest on Tuesday when only the Fulani Ardos stood up for the arrest, claiming that the governor’s instructions was not directed at them.

CP Akinmoyede had ordered the leaders to reconvene at the Police headquarters the following day.

Report had it that the headquarters that on their arrival, they were asked to make individual statements in which some of them were released.

Report also had it that at about 4:00am on Thursday, the Ardos from Riyam, Barkin Ladi, Bokkos and Mangu as well as the chairmen of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association in Nigeria and some community and youth leaders were bundled into vehicles and taken to the Criminal Investigations Department, CID, at the Police headquarters in Abuja.

Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Ubah Gabriel confirmed the development and said, “For every Ardo that was moved to Abuja, an equivalent of the community leader from that area was equally picked and taken to Abuja

BMW shuts three factories in China amid coronavirus outbreak

BMW, on Thursday, said it was closing three of its factories in the Chinese city of Shenyang, where it employs around 18,000 people and manufactures half a million vehicles every year, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

According to a BMW spokesman in Munich, the one-week holiday for Chinese New Year has been extended by another week until Feb. 9.

The spokesman added that only office workers in Shenyang would return to work from Monday, though they would be working from home.

“We cannot say exactly what will happen beyond Feb. 9,’’ the spokesman said.

Lekan Abdul, others charged to court by EFCC over 350M fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday arraigned a businessman, one Olalekan Abdul the former Managing Director of Cleanserve Integrated Energy Solution Ltd and a former Executive Director of the Punch Newspaper, Azubike Ishekwene over an alleged N350m fraud.

The duo was charged alongside one Morakinyo Bolanle (now at large) before Justice Mojisola Dada of an Ikeja Special Offences Court, Lagos

Abdul and Ishekwene were both charged with forgery, use of false document and making documents without authority, while Abdul and Morakinyo, are facing charges of forgery and making documents without authority.

Abdul solely faced charges of forgery, use of false document, obtaining money by false pretences and falsification of books and account documents.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

According to Mr Mohammed Idris, the Prosecutor for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdul, Ishekwene,Adewole and Bolanle Morakinyo (now at large) conspired to commit forgery on April 6, 2018.

“The defendants sometimes in 2018 knowingly forged a document titled: ‘Account Opening Document’ dated April 9, 2018, which they purported that it was issued by Cleanserve Integrated Energy Solution Ltd.

“Abdul and Ishekwene on April 6, 2018, knowingly forged a document titled ‘Board Resolution of Cleanserve Integrated Energy Solution Ltd’ dated April 6, 2018 which they purported was issued by the company.

On April 6, 2018 Abdul and Ishekwene fraudulently presented the forged Board Resolution to Stanbic IBTC Bank as genuine. Abdul and Morakinyo had also on April 6, 2018 forged the Board Resolution of Cleanserve Integrated Energy Solution Ltd.

According to the EFCC prosecutor, on Dec. 14, 2010, Abdul forged the Board Resolution of Cleanserve Integrated Energy Solution Ltd. and presented it to Wema Bank Plc as genuine.

“Armed with the false documents, Abdul had on Dec. 14, 2010 obtained a credit facility of N350 million from Wema Bank Plc by falsely representing to them that the Board Resolution was genuine,” Idris said.

The anti-graft agency said that Abdul had also forged the Board Resolution of Cleanserve Integrated Energy Solution Ltd. on Sept. 27, 2010 in Lagos and had used the document to open an account with Keystone Bank (formerly Bank PHB).

“Abdul had sometime in 2015, being a Director of Cleanserve Integrated Energy Solution Ltd. falsified the Annual Report and Financial Statement of the company and presented it to the Corporate Affairs Commission as genuine.

On Nov. 19, 2011 in Lagos, Abdul forged a document titled ‘Extract of Board Resolution of Cleanserve Integrated Energy Solution Ltd’ which he purported was issued by the company,” the EFCC prosecutor said.

NAN reports that the offences contravened Sections 335(2), 363, 364, 365, 370 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

Following the arraignment of the defendants, Idris requesting for a trial date, asked the court to remand the defendants in the correctional facility.

Responding, the defence counsel to Abdul and Yinka Adewole, Mr Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), requested that Abdul be granted bail by the court.

Olumide-Fusika said that the third defendant,Yinka Adewole, was not on the run as asserted by the EFCC, but was rather, out of the country.

The first defendant (Abdul) has been on administrative bail of the EFCC since 2018, and anytime he was invited to their office and never failed to honour their invitation.

“The interest at this stage is to ensure that the defendant comes for trial.

“We plea that he drops his international passport, and if we can have a trial date for Friday, we will bring him to court. I undertake to also bring Yinka Adewole to court,” he pleaded.

Also, Mr Muiz Banire (SAN), Defence Counsel to Ishekwene in his submission, asked the court to grant the former Executive Director of Punch Newspapers bail because the correctional facilities are congested.

“The maximum capacity of the prison is 800 as at today it is 3000,” Banire said.Acceding to the requests of the defence counsel, Justice Mojisola Dada, granted bail to the defendants.

“Due to the personal plea of the defence counsel on their attendance in court and the forfeiture of their international passports, temporary bail has been granted therein for the hearing of the bail application.

“The case is adjourned to Friday Jan. 31,” the judge ruled.

Insecurity: Calls For Service Chiefs Sack Misplaced - Olowu

...Says Nigerian Security Situation Calls For Holistic Appraisal

Olowu of Kuta, Osun State, His Royal majesty Oba Adekunle Oyelude Makama, Tegbosin 11, has counseled the National Assembly and Nigerians calling for the sack of the service chiefs to have a rethink.

The monarch says the Nigerian security situation call for holistic appraisal instead of quick fix which we have embarked on to tackle the Insurgency.

Oluwu in a statement issued by his Media Office on Thursday said the call seemed to be hasty and transferred aggression to the service chiefs who have sacrificed a lot to defend the territorial integrity and the internal security of the country.

The revered monarch who maintained that though the security of the country needs to be overhauled for optimum performance, he said people should know that the military alone is not to be blamed for the lapses, how far have we pursued Political options.

He, however, advised that stampeding the service chiefs out will not be the best way to appreciate their efforts.

Oba Makama said; “ The Senate and House of Representatives motions that the service chiefs should resign or be sacked is not the best way to appreciate their efforts. The danger inherent in such motions is that it will not only demoralized the officers and men who would feel let down by such decision, those coming to take over from them may be reluctant since it is the same military considering the monumental impact the present military leadership has made towards professionalism in the Army that we're not talking of, I think when dealing with the issue of security, we should be circumspect so as not to jeopardize the success we have achieved bearing in mind that fighting insurgents is not a conventional warfare. Again, what’s the budget of the defense this year? How will a military fighting insurgents, fighting armed banditry, kidnapping and other several operations within the country cope with such meager budget? What’s the role of the DSS, NSDC, Police, Immigration, Customs in a situation like this?” are they equipped to compliment the military gains in the war fronts,He asked.

Olowu said it is crystal clear that our military is overstretch and to support the military in fighting the insurgents vis a vis Political options Should be our Collective responsibility.

He also counseled that once a military clears an area and rid it of Boko Haram elements, the onus is on the police and NSDC and other security agents to occupy the area to secure it.

He is also of the opinion that the Sambisa Forest ought to have been developed and used for extended mechanized farming once the military clears it instead of leaving it fallow for the insurgents to return and occupy the place, our De- Radicalisation policy should be Reviewed.

“ I think we need to do a critical appraisal of the insurgents with the view of proffering lasting solution that will be in the interest of all and sundry. Like the Borno Governor remarked two days ago that many of the elected public officials do not want to hear the truth. I think we need to tell ourselves the blunt truth, instead of resorting to fire brigade approach of treating the symptoms, instead of holistic treatment of the issues “ . He added.

Shall we fold our arms and let Abdulrasaq destroy the legacies of Saraki in Kwara?

Since the inauguration of Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq as Kwara state Governor, not much positive news have emerged from his side. It is obvious that for the remaining three years, the Governor may not be able to pull such strings like Seyi Makinde of Oyo state.

The reason is not far-fetched. He has began some sort of witch-hunting against his perceived political enemies, particularly, the Saraki dynasty. He is hell bent on a revenge following his loss at the five consecutive times he contested the governorship of the state.

To further his level of witch-hunting, the Kwara state government on Thursday commenced the demolition of the late Olusola Saraki’s accestral political home, Ile Arúgbó, in Ilorin.

To show the level of desperation, security operatives dispersed protesters who kept vigil to prevent the demolition. It was reported that the Government on Wednesday around 2am tried to demolish the structure but it was met with a protest as people around gathered to pursue them away.

Although AbdulRazaq had earlier announced the decision to revoke the late Olusola Saraki’s property owing to alleged illegality in its acquisition, it seemed he has forgotten the living legacies of Olusola Saraki and his family in the state.

He said the land was originally designated for the construction of a secretariat and parking lot of the civil service clinic, but that it was unlawfully allocated to a private firm — Asa Investments Limited — without any record of payment to the state government.

The claim by the present government that the land will be used to serve as the new secretariat is ridiculous because same government claimed to have injected 250million towards the completion of a new secretariat started by the immediate past government of Abdul Fatai Ahmed.

However, all the appeal and warnings by elder statesmen including the former senate president fell on the deaf ears of AbdulRazaq.

Bukola Saraki countered this statement, saying his late father lawfully acquired the land from the state government.

The political intention of AbdulRazaq has made him forget the philanthropic acts of the late peace loving and kind Olusola Saraki. The deceased empowered thousands and gave meaning to the lives of many through different organizations and schemes.

This fierce antagonism shows that the only ambition of AbdulRazaq is to plunge the state into destruction and erode the legacies of her heroes. Kwarans should not support his hidden agenda!