Crime
Contract Splitting: NIPOST caught in the web as ICPC, others Investigate case
Contract Splitting: NIPOST caught in the web as ICPC, others Investigate case
By: Joe Lazarus
Facts emerging from the Nigerian Postal Services, NIPOST revealed that to circumvent the laid down procedure in Public Procurement Act on Award of Contract with particular emphasis on mandatory ceiling; a contract of N95 million was fragmented into three to bring it within the mandatory ceiling of the Postmaster General to the same company- CONNECT 4 NIGERIA LIMITED.
Staff of NIPOST described this as a serious crime under the procurement acts that attract jail terms for any individuals found guilty of contract splitting, alleging that this was done under the supervision of the Director Procurement, Mr. Samuel Sagontayo.
A source within NIPOST said: “The case in NIPOST was done without due process to budgetary provision. I can tell you that the case is currently with the ICPC and investigation is ongoing. However, there are issues because we learnt that some cronies of the Vice President have approached those in charge of the investigation to downplay it for certain interest.”
Also another staff of NIPOST explained that: “Liability for the contract was not also taken at the initial award of the contract in the year 2020 and bills of payments were presented for payment in the year 2021 at the detriment of other contractors whose bills have been processed for payment and have not been paid in the last two to four years.”
According to him, Dr. Adebayo Ismail has also neglected other regions of the country in the development programme of NIPOST since he came on board. “All developmental projects of NIPOST have been in the Southwestern part of the country. For example, since he came into office, he has awarded twelve (12) contracts of which only two (2) were awarded to the northeast in Bauchi and Gombe. This was also because the Board Chairman and Board member of NIPOST were from these two states. All other contracts were awarded to states in the southwest and mostly to his companies or his associates.”
It was also learnt that the Director IT, who is a Ph.D holder and IT expert, was deliberately removed from the IT department in order to perfect fraud in the organisation.
According to staff, a consultant was hired by Mr. Adebayo Ismail and was given an office inside NIPOST Headquarters. “This Consultant is collecting over N7 million on a quarterly basis without doing anything to show for his consulting work. The same consultant was also being given a contract to execute through his firm.”
In a petition written to the Honourable Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Pantami, a part read: “We believe that the Nigerian Postal Service, NIPOST, is a Federal Institution as Mr. Adebayo Ismail Adewusi has no right whatsoever to turn this organization into a tribal organization. We therefore humbly submit that you use your good office to intervene in the gross fraud, misrule and flagrant disregard to civil service procedures and total violation of the guidelines and rules governing this government institution.”
Also Read: Fuel Scarcity: Airlines to shut down operation
Speaking on huge allegations the Director Corporate Communication, NIPOST, Mr. Franklyn Alao told journalists at a meeting at the corporate headquarters that, rather than feeling on small issues of distraction, he would rather build and established a relationship with the press.
However, the meeting which lasted for about an hour revealed that almost all the allegations were true as the Director Corporate Communications could not deny the facts laid to him. He however, said that they are investigating and shall correct them.
Mr. Franklyn Alao, who was emphasizing on creating an atmosphere of relationship was also being tactical in avoiding making comments on the issues, however, when asked whether he knows or is aware of some of the issues brought, he said he has been with NIPOST for over 20 years implying that he would not want to speak on issues.
According to him, “Let us forget about everything here and build a relationship.”
Insisting on the Issues of Certification for Mr. Sagontayo and asking whether or not he has a BPP clearance, or a letter showing he has a waiver from the BPP, Mr. Alao said “That issue is gone. Let us have a new relationship”.
On the drafting of Mr. Sagontayo from the legal department to procurement. Mr. Franklyn Alao told newsmen that Mr. Samuel Sagontayo has been in the Procurement Department as Director since 2012. This is however against the facts in NIPOST records that the Director Procurement Mr. S.G Wakawa retired on March 13, 2019 and Mr. Samuel Sagontayo was drafted in June 13, 2019.
Contract Splitting: NIPOST caught in the web as ICPC, others Investigate case
Two immigration officers shot in Abuja after being mistaken for robbers
By: Zagazola Makama
Two immigration officers were shot in the Sabon Iddo area of Abuja on Friday night after being mistaken for armed robbers by a man identified as Pastor Darlington, who is currently at large.
A Police sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred at about 10:00 p.m. when the officers, Oyomide Zion and Hakeem Mashood, were on routine movement in the area.
According to police sources, at about 11:40 p.m., the Divisional Police Officer of Iddo Division received a distress call and deployed patrol teams to the scene.
Upon arrival, another immigration officer, Uduk James, reported that his colleagues had been shot. The injured officers were evacuated to the Nigerian Air Force Base Hospital, Abuja, where they are currently receiving treatment.
Police sources say efforts to track and arrest the fleeing suspect, identified as Pastor Darlington alias, have been intensified.
End
Two immigration officers shot in Abuja after being mistaken for robbers
Crime
NDLEA arrests Iran-bound Hijab wearing woman with cocaine in private part, stomach, bag at Port Harcourt Airport
NDLEA arrests Iran-bound Hijab wearing woman with cocaine in private part, stomach, bag at Port Harcourt Airport
By: Michael Mike
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have thwarted a desperate attempt at the Port Harcourt International Airport to smuggle cocaine into Iran by a woman, Ihensekhien Obehi who disguised with hijab and concealed the illicit drug in her private part, stomach and false bottom of handbag.
According to a statement by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, she was intercepted at the security checks of the departure hall of the Port Harcourt airport on Sunday 3rd May 2025 while trying to board a Qatar Airline flight to Iran via Doha following credible intelligence.
Babafemi said during her search, she was found to have inserted three wraps of cocaine in her private part, and two large parcels hidden in false compartments of her handbag while she swallowed 67 pellets of the Class A drug.
He said she was placed under excretion observation and after four excretions that lasted days, she expelled the 67 wraps of the substance in her stomach. She claimed she was to swallow 70 pellets of cocaine but after ingesting 67 pieces she could no longer swallow the remaining three and decided to insert them into her private part, adding that the total weight of the three consignments hidden in different parts of her body comes to 2.523 kilogrammes.
Babafemi said in like manner, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos last Friday intercepted a 22-year-old British national, Campell Slifer coming from Thailand through Doha on Qatar Airways flight with two suitcases loaded with 35 parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 37.6 kilogrammes.
Campell, who claimed he had twice been convicted in the UK for drug trafficking and robbery, said he was recruited in London to travel to Thailand to pick the illicit consignment and bring same to Nigeria.
In Niger state, NDLEA officers acting on intelligence last Wednesday intercepted a fuel truck marked ABJ 693 XU and three other vehicles loaded with 246 bags of skunk, a strain of cannabis with a combined weight of 3, 047 kilogrammes along Suleja-Kaduna road. Four suspects arrested with the exhibits include: Christopher Onyema, 47; Benedict Etineruba, 54; Chukwudi Ujue, 30; and Mohammed Danasabe. Apart from the fuel truck, three other vehicles recovered from the suspects include: Honda Odyssey bus marked YAB 667 CZ; Gulf bus with registration number GWA 125 TQ and
Honda Odyssey bus marked ABJ 230 CN.
At Oja Amukoko in Ijora area of Lagos, two suspects: Eze Chekube and Ike Chinyerem were last Thursday arrested by NDLEA operatives with a total of 109,914 pills of tramadol, swinol and nitrozepam seized from them, while 52.5 kilogrammes skunk was recovered from two suspects: Lukman Umar, 23, and Tukur Ammadu, 20, in a bus at Gwantu, Sanga local government area, Kaduna State last Tuesday, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Bode Saadu- Jebba expressway, Kwara State last Monday arrested Rufai Nasiru with 45,400 pills of tramadol 225mg.
In Bauchi state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Bauchi-Gombe road last Tuesday intercepted a Toyota Tundra jeep marked RBC 111 DW conveying 526 blocks of skunk weighing 505 kilogrammes with two suspects: Isaac Onogure, 37 and Ikechukwu Peter, 44, arrested.
Babafemi said a total of 31 kegs containing 775 litres of codeine syrup were recovered from two suspects: Hafizu Uman, 34, and Ismail Shehu, 48, when NDLEA operatives raided their hideout at Rijiyar Zaki area of Kano on Saturday, while 1.1 kilogrammes of Loud consignment concealed in pillow coming from Thailand was last Tuesday intercepted by NDLEA officers at a courier company in Lagos.
The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands equally continued across the country in the past week.
Meanwhile, while commending the officers and men of DOGI, MMIA, PHIA, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Kwara, and Niger commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) equally praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
NDLEA arrests Iran-bound Hijab wearing woman with cocaine in private part, stomach, bag at Port Harcourt Airport
Army troops neutralised 5 Boko Haram insurgents in renewed offensive in Sambisa Forest
By: Zagazola Makama
The ongoing military onslaught under Operation Hadin Kai has recorded another feats, with the successful neutralisation of five Boko Hara fighters in the notorious Ladin Buttu axis of Sambisa Forest.
The recent encounter, which resulted in the recovery of arms and critical supplies, reinforced the renewed momentum of the Nigerian military’s intensified offensive operations deep into insurgent-held enclaves within the forest.
Ladin Buttu, a known terrorist transit and logistics hub, particularly for water access, had long served as a strategic hideout for insurgents operating within the fringes of the forest. But under the latest push by troops of Operation Hadin Kai, it has become the latest flashpoint in a string of aggressive operations designed to dismantle remnants of terrorist infrastructure.
Military sources told Zagazola Makama that the troops made contact with the terrorists during a clearance patrol and engaged them in a fierce firefight. Five terrorists were neutralised, while others fled with varying degrees of gunshot wounds.Recovered from the scene were three AK-47 rifles, five loaded magazines, and other military ordnance.
The operation, forms part of a broader recalibrated campaign by the Theatre consequent upon the visit of the COAS who has ordered intensified ground raids and aerial surveillance across Sambisa, Timbuktu Triangle, and parts of the Lake Chad fringes in a bid to cripple the operational capacities of the Boko Haram and ISWAP factions.
Army troops neutralised 5 Boko Haram insurgents in renewed offensive in Sambisa Forest
Kashim Shettima: Former SGF Babachir Lawal still frustrated over Muslim-Muslim ticket
Petrobras Eyes Return To Nigeria’s Oil Sector, Targets Deepwater Acreage
ECOWAS Court Dismisses Discrimination Claim in Recruitment Case
Roger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
POLICE CHARGE ROOMS, A MINTING PRESS
-
News1 year agoRoger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
-
Opinions3 years ago
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
-
Opinions3 years ago
POLICE CHARGE ROOMS, A MINTING PRESS
-
News1 year agoEYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree
-
Columns1 year agoArmy University Biu: There is certain interest, but certainly not from Borno.
-
ACADEMICS1 year agoA History of Biu” (2015) and The Lingering Bura-Pabir Question (1)
-
Opinions1 year agoTinubu,Shettima: The epidemic of economic, insecurity in Nigeria
-
Politics9 months agoKashim Shettima: Of Sentiments, Their Opinions, and the 21 billion Naira VP’s Official Resident
