EFCC advisory not for sinister motive - Waziri

EFCC boss Farida Waziri was recently is in the news over her organisation’s controversial advisory which lists out allegedly corrupt government officials. Weekly Trust spoke to her on that, as well as other issues. Excerpts:

Weekly Trust: What informed the release of the advisory even after it is obvious that the Supreme Court ruling in 2007 clearly said that the EFCC could not ban politicians from contesting election?


Farida Waziri: Let me make it crystal clear that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is not the Independent National Electoral Commission and its mandate does not extend to the issue of election. The so-called advisory is an interpretational fallacy by those who love to cry wolf where there is none. There is no list specially prepared by the EFCC to achieve any sinister motive. As a law enforcement agency, we keep records of all our prosecutions and convictions. This is obtainable on our website. The record has always been there. If a newspaper visits the website and publishes such a record for public consumption, both the newspaper and the EFCC have done nothing wrong. I really don’t understand why we are making an issue of a normal, routine issue like this.

The Supreme Court ruling has nothing to do with this issue because we have not made any statement of any kind to suggest a contravention or contempt of the highest court in the land. Even the Supreme Court has a record of its convictions in its registry. So, what are we talking about? There is hardly any agency or even private company today that does not keep a record of its activities on its website. So, why the hue and cry about EFCC maintaining a record of its activities on its website? Politicians and their agents know how to make a mountain out of a molehill because there is an agenda they want to pursue. The EFCC is not partisan and will never be. Our mandate is clear and we have no problem keeping to it.

WT: But the advisory is coming few weeks after EFCC said it will advise political parties on those to field for election…

Waziri: The two are not related, though the ambience may suggest so. The EFCC never set out to short-circuit the political process by hinting at any form of exclusion of politicians in the game they know too well. Democracy is about inclusion and a level-playing field for all. What we have is a record of investigation and prosecution activities and not any advisory list as you will want to tag it but it is beyond my control to determine what an organization or someone else does with information that is in the public domain.

It is not helpful to link two separate incidences all in a bid to draw some conclusions that may not follow from the premises. If the EFCC feels that political parties should take a decision on some accused persons standing trial in any court, the decision will not be made by us. Parties have their guidelines, internal modalities that can be employed to achieve any purpose they seek to achieve.

WT: There was also a reported secret meeting between the EFCC chairman and the PDP that also fueled the belief that the commission is acting the presidency script…

Waziri: There is no script anywhere. If there was a secret meeting, how come it was reported as you said? It was a normal interactive meeting, the kind of meeting you would expect between two institutions working together for the progress of the nation.

WT: Then on the visit of the EFCC to Rivers, Jigawa and Kwara states at the height of the zoning debate. Don’t you think that the people are justified to put one and two together to arrive at their conclusions having seen the EFCC act this way during the time of Nuhu Ribadu?

Waziri: The EFCC is always working. The timing of any of our visit to any state, institution or individual has nothing to do with the political mood of the nation. We are just doing our work.

WT: One of the controversial actions of Ribadu while in office has to do with his attempt in 2007 to stop politicians who had problems with former President Olusegun Obasanjo from contesting election. Why does the EFCC appear to be treading the same path?

Waziri: There is no controversy anywhere because the EFCC is not treading any mischievous path. Let me emphasize it here that the EFCC is not interested in the vocation of anyone having matters being looked into either at the investigative level or at prosecution level. We are not bothered whether a politician, banker, surveyor, journalist or hotelier has a matter we are working on. What we are interested in is the integrity of the work we are doing.

WT: What is your reaction to outbursts by politicians, some of who have tagged it ‘adversary list’ to poke fun at it and some even calling on you to resign…

Waziri: There is no trouble whatsoever with any politician because we are not on the same terrain. Well, you talked about outburst. Let it remain so. Should I resign just on the basis of an outburst? It is not the gesture you make to people that matters but the way it is interpreted. The EFCC’s gesture is clear: clean and honest people have no trouble with us.

WT: So you are saying the EFCC isn’t being used by the Presidency to hunt its enemies?

Waziri: And who are these enemies of the government? As much as I know, President Goodluck Jonathan is a President of every Nigerian.

WT: When you took over there were high expectation that you will chart a new course. Don’t you think that these political issues are unnecessarily making EFCC more controversial?

Waziri: Those who had high expectation that I would chart a new course have never been disappointed and they will never be. The truth is that there has been a paradigm shift in EFCC. The progress has been steady and consistent. A professional EFCC has emerged. A confident and globally-competitive law enforcement agency has been built.

WT: You once said that Nuhu Ribadu never gave a handover note to you except one sheet of paper. Now that he is back, has he come to do a proper handover?

Waziri: Thank God you know he is back. Why don’t you ask him if he has come to do that?

12-year-old kidnapped in Lagos, rescued in Sokoto

From all indications, kidnapping is becoming popular. Another thing is certain, that the traditional African style of life where people live as one family with their neighbors and in some cases, entrust the care of their children into their neighbors, may suffer. The case of 12-year-old Chizaram Christopher, a primary one pupil of Unity Primary School, Lagos, who was allegedly kidnapped in Lagos by a neighbor, Ndubuisi, who is now at large, taken to Onitsha in Anambra State and handed over to a stranger, Amidu Sula, who took the boy to Sokoto and detained him in a room, is enough testimony.

While Chizaram was detained in a house at Sokoto and fed with groundnuts, his captor Ndubuisi had gone back to Lagos from Onitsha where he met Chizaram’s aunty that the boy was staying with and decided to play the good neighbor type by helping aunty Dazie to negotiate on phone for the release of Chizaram.



The “good neighbor” Ndubuisi was able to agree with the “Kidnappers” of Chizaram on phone to accept N1.2 million from Aunty Dazie to release Chizaram. But Aunty Dazie who brought Chizaram from his parents in Imo state to stay with her before he was kidnapped, was only able to raise N1 million for the kidnappers . The kingpin of the kidnap gang, Ndubuisi - who had all through the act deceived Dazie as a good neighbor - insisted that the kidnappers were not ready to take anything less than N1.2 million. It was not however clear if Ndubusi had collected the available N1 million from Dazie in Lagos before the police in Sokoto burst the deal.

Sokoto State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Umar Abubakar Manko, who confirmed the report said Chizaram was locked up in a room. Chizaram managed to come out of the room but could not go out of the verandah because it was locked. CP Manko said when the boy’s cry was loud, some neighbors that could not help the situation reported to the police.

He said detectives from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the command were detailed to keep vigil on the house and monitor the movements and activities of the alleged kidnappers while Chizaram was fed through the fence. When the three alleged kidnappers holding Chizaram hostage in Sokoto finally returned to the house around 10pm in the night, they were nabbed by the waiting cops.

The Taraba-born Amidu Sula who allegedly brought Chizaram from Onitsha to Sokoto said he is a licensed driver looking for work. He said his friend Ndubuisi who resides in Sokoto phoned him that he will get a job for him in Sokoto. “When we met in Onitsha, I saw him with this boy, Chizaram. Ndubuisi introduced Chizaram to me as his cousin and said he is going to live with him in Sokoto. He requested me to pay his transport fare to Sokoto but I told him I do not have money for that. Ndubuisi then told me to proceed with Chizaram to Sokoto while he will return back to Lagos and source for money. I complained to him that I have never been to Sokoto so I may not know my way. He phoned Onyebuchi Ochoba to go to the motor part in Sokoto and receive us on arrival. We met Onyebuchi waiting for us at the Sokoto motor park. He took us to Ebeneza Nkenwa’s place where we all lived before we were arrested. Yes, I used to go to Ndubusi’s place in Lagos where I saw Chizaram in their neighborhood but I was not a party to his kidnap.”

Speaking to Weekly Trust, Chizaram said he was returning from school when Ndubuisi met him on the way and told him to follow him to an undisclosed place, adding, “But Ndubuisi told me that he told my aunty that I will follow him to the place and she asked him to go and pick me from the school. When he said he has told my aunty that he is going with me, I agreed to follow him. I use to help Aunty Dozie sell things in the shop. “My parents live in the village. Aunty Dozie brought me from the village to live with her in Lagos. I do not know the name of the village. I do not also know the name of my state. Yes, I know Ndubuisi in Lagos. He lived in a house near my aunty’s house.”

CP Manko said detectives are on the trail of Ndubuisi while efforts are being made to link up with Dozie in Lagos and Chizaram’s parents in Imo with the hope of linking them back with the boy. He said the trio of Amidu, Onyebuchi and Ebeneze will be charged to court as soon as investigation into the matter is concluded while the hunt for Ndubuisi will continue.

Super-polygamist reveals: ‘Why I married 30 women’

Chief Ogbole Iseku is an octogenarian and a super-polygamist living at Sabon Gari in Doma town in Nasarawa State. In a chat with Weekly Trust, he explained the reasons behind his marriage to 30 women. Excerpts:

Weekly Trust: Can you give a brief insight into your life?


Chief Ogbole Iseku: My name is Ogbole Iseku. I was born and brought up in Doma town about 89 years ago and I am the traditional title holder of Ogbulaya, which is one of the most highly esteemed titles in Doma.

I am married to 30 women and God Almighty has blessed us with numerous children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

WT: Is that why you were crowned as the ‘king of women’?

Ogbole: That is not the reason. You know, I hail from the royal family and I am entitled to inherit the throne of Andoma na Doma (Emir of Doma). Despite not being the Emir now, I am not barred from holding other traditional titles. My first title is Ose-Gayinya, meaning ‘king of women.’ This is because in the olden days, any girl who was due to be married within Doma would be brought to me, for me to bless her. This is the origin of my traditional title of Sarkin Mata (king of women). And from there my status was upgraded to my present title as the third in command in Doma Kingdom.

WT: What are the reasons behind your marriage to 30 women?

Ogbole: First, I am married to numerous women because of the frequent death of my children. Second, to get helping hands on my farmland. Right from the beginning, I have been a farmer and businessman.

WT: Where do you settle with your wives?

Ogbole: As I am talking to you now, I live with my nine wives in this house, the remaining reside at Unguwar Gasa and Unguwar Masallaci and Unguwar Mahauta; all these are residential areas in Doma town.

To be candid, I do not know the number of my children, because some of my wives still give birth. Even the one I am holding in my hand is my child. But if you can be patient enough, I can call my wives one by one, so that each can tell you the number of her children.

WT: Have you ever regretted marrying them?

Ogbole: To be sincere, I did once, but I have never contemplated divorcing any of them. What made me regret marrying them once was the day I came back from the farm and found them fighting each other. As I made effort to settle the dispute they all turned against me, every one of them thinking that I would be on the other side.

I therefore left my house for my grains shop at Doma market, until the situation was calm before I returned home.

WT: Would you want your children to become polygamists like you?

Ogbole: I don’t want any of my children or our teeming youth to imitate my marriage lifestyle, even though we are living peacefully. My reason is that among my children there are both Muslims and non-Muslims. But as for me, I am a traditionalist. By and large, as I told you earlier, I am a royalist. And God has blessed me with some worldly riches. So, if care is not taken, as soon as I am dead, my children would be disunited in an attempt to outdo one another to get hold of my traditional title or the distribution of my estates among themselves. I hope this will not happen.

Abuja bomb blast victims: ‘We’ve been abandoned’ - My sight is almost gone – Victim

Almost a month after the Independence Day bombings, activities have picked up at the site of the blasts while the victims pick up the pieces of their lives. Weekly Trust revisits the Ground Zero of sorts.



Life is returning to the site of the October 1st bomb blast. If you are a first-time visitor to Abuja you may not know that anything happened, unless you are told. But most workers around the area still suffer from memories of the blast. They find it difficult to talk to people they don’t know. They suspect strangers to be covert security agents. When Weekly Trust approached a roadside phone operator who identified himself as Joe, he said business is gradually returning to normal. “We thank God that we are alive but business has not picked up like before. The thing is that I don’t answer strangers now, due to the trauma I’m suffering.”


An agent of the State Security Service (SSS) said they are still monitoring activities there. “We don’t allow cars to be parked around the area for more than an hour. If a car is parked more than an hour, we will tow it away after a thorough search.”A civil servant who agreed to speak with Weekly Trust on condition of anonymity said after the initial apprehension, they have put the incident behind them. “Our offices are here, so we don’t have a choice. We know the place is now safe, but once in a while we do have the fear that something might happen again. But as Muslims our life is in the hands of Allah.”

Haruna Hassan, a mobile police officer, who was a victim of the bombings, told Weekly Trust he has lost his sight.

“I was discharged from the hospital on the 12th of October, and even then some of us without undergoing the various operations we were meant to undergo. I was referred to the National Eye Centre in Kaduna and from there they referred me back to St. Mary’s in Gwagwalada and I have been the one footing all the bills for the trips and treatment. The only assistance that was given to us was from the First Lady when she paid a visit and gave us each the sum of N100,000. The doctors at Gwagwalada say my eyes have been damaged to an extent and they put me on some drugs and gave me an appointment the 1st of November, when the fate of my sight will be decided,” Hassan said, unable to control himself and breaking down tears. “We have been abandoned,” he sobbed.

On why he was discharged when he was yet to receive full treatment, Hassan said: “We were all told to leave on the 12th and that if we stay further than that, then we are going to pay our bills by ourselves. Most of us do not have any money and the money the First Lady gave us has been used up feeding. While we were on admission, we were not being fed despite the fact that we were said to be VIP patients. The only people I can really thank and show appreciation to are my colleagues in the office as they put together the sum of N30,000 for me. But for how long will they keep contributing for me? They too have their issues to deal with. I was only serving my country when this unfortunate incident occurred and this is all I get for serving my country.”

Abubakar Agie, an Assistant Vehicle Inspection Officer, had a similar tale to tell as he said he was also told that admission has expired and they were discharged on the 12th of October. “The only assistance was the money the First Lady gave each of us along with the provisions, flasks and a wrapper. Besides that, we got nothing else from the government. I still have hearing difficulties and there is always a whirring, echoing sound in my head that deprives me of sleep. When I was discharged, drugs were prescribed for me but where is the money to buy them? They are very expensive and the money we had has been used up in feeding. In my case, we were two who used my money as John Joshua was not on admission when the First Lady gave the cash donation, so I had no option than to share mine with him.”

“A lot was budgeted for and lots of people made promises for our treatment but till today we know little or nothing as we have been left to our fate,” lamented Abubakar Agie.

Mayowa Adeniran, an undergraduate, said his case is hopeless. “I was struggling to make ends meet before this predicament. Now I can say I have to go begging. My health is still a problem as I have no money. The money the First Lady gave me was exhausted on feeding and other things. They call the place of the blast Ground Zero, but if you ask me I am the real Ground Zero because I have nowhere to run or turn to for help. I’m devastated,” he said.

Corporal John Joshua says he was not fortunate to get any cash donation because after he was given first aid, the price of admission and treatment scared him away and he had no choice but to return home. Joshua said: “It was while at home, in pain, that the news of the federal government covering the admission and treatment of victims of the blast came and I went back to the hospital and I was admitted. But unfortunately I was not lucky as the First Lady had already come and gone. All hope was not lost though as I had a Good Samaritan amongst us that shared his donation with me. As for my health, I still have waist pains as you know the force of the blast took me up and brought me down violently. But as I said -- and will keep saying -- I take solace that I was able to save the life of innocent kids and the trauma their families will have been in today. That I was able to avert that consoles me. My reward is somewhere coming to me, if not from the government, then by the Almighty.”

Lots of promises were made after the blasts to the victims, only turning out to be empty promises. “The question on the lips of many is when will government live up to expectations of citizens? The least they can do is give something qualitative to these heroes, at least for risking their lives and saving innocent lives,” lamented a tearful Mrs. Amaka Ike.