Malami Given Mandate to Recover $321m Abacha Loot from Switzerland Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja The federal government yesterday empowered the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) to sign an agreement between Nigeria and Switzerland for the repatriation of $321 million linked to former
military Head of State, the late Gen. Sani Abacha, at the forthcoming global forum in the United States in December. Briefing State House correspondents at the end of yesterday’s weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC)
meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Malami said the federal government’s efforts to recover stolen assets had started yielding fruit, recalling the recent recovery of $185 million from the United Kingdom, linked to the Malabu
Oil scandal. According to him, signing the agreement would empower him to recover the funds on behalf of Nigeria, explaining that representatives of both countries would
sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the repatriation of the money at the Global Forum on Asset Recovery scheduled to take place in the U.S. next month. “As you are aware, the federal government has
Ekwueme in Stable Condition, Says Family… Page 8
been making efforts to recover stolen funds, loot, assets and the efforts have indeed been yielding fruit, particularly as it relates to local recoveries. “A memo was presented to council this afternoon by the Office of the Attorney-General Continued on page 6
Thursday 2 November, 2017 Vol 22. No 8232. Price: N250
www.thisdaylive.com TR
UT H
& RE A S O
N
EFCC Summons Ex-NIA DG, Oke, Wife over $43.5m Ikoyi Cash Davidson Iriekpen In furtherance of President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to the law enforcement agencies to investigate the former
Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ayodele Oke, and the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Babachir Lawal, the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday announced that it was inviting Oke and his wife, Folashade, for questioning. Oke was sacked as NIA
chief by Buhari on Monday, six months after he was first suspended following the discovery of $43.45 million in an apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos. He was sacked alongside
Babachir who was involved in a fraud case. It was later revealed that the apartment in Osborne Towers where the money was discovered was rented in the
name of Oke’s wife. After the discovery of the cash haul, the EFCC secured a court order to ensure the Continued on page 6
Buhari Resets Administration, Says Nigeria Must Never See War Again Swears in new SGF Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has commenced the retooling of his administration, which would see strong political leaders from the All Progressives Congress (APC) being brought in as ministers to represent the six geopolitical zones in the country, THISDAY has learnt. This is just as the president said yesterday that it was time for Nigerians to resolve never to provoke another civil war by their actions and inactions, recalling the pain of the tragic loss of human lives during the last civil war. Buhari who made the remark at the launch of the Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebrations 2018 emblem and appeal fund in memory
of ex-servicemen who lost their lives in the first and second world wars as well as the Nigerian civil war, said honouring the memories of the departed service men was worthwhile and desirable. The president also swore-in the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha. Both ceremonies took place ahead of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in the Council Chamber of the State House. The swearing-in of the new SGF, however, was the first of a number of measures by the president to inject strong political leaders into his government with the appointment of more ministers. Continued on page 6
SUPPORT FOR FINANCIAL INCLUSION… Dasuki Appears in Court, Says He's Incapacitated ROYAL Chairman, Board of Directors, Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), Dr. Shehu Yahaya; United Nations Secretary General’s Advocate for Financial Inclusion, Queen Maxima of The Netherlands; and the Managing Director/CEO, DBN, Mr. Tony to Give Evidence in Metuh's Case… Page 8 Special Okpanachi, during a courtesy visit by the queen to the management of DBN, in Aubja… yesterday