Author: PeakNews

The suspended aide to the Executive Governor of Ogun state, Abidemi Rufai, has been sentenced to five years in prison over cases bordering identity theft and wire fraud,  by a District Court in Western Tacoma, Washington, United States.

This was confirmed in a statement by the United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington, on Monday.

The statement said in part that Rufai, “A 45-year-old resident of Lekki, Nigeria, was sentenced today in U.S District Court in Tacoma to five years in prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for his attempt to steal nearly $2.4m from the United States government, including approximately $500,000 in pandemic-related unemployment benefits, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown.”

Until his arrest, Rufai was a Special Assistant to the Ogun State Governor.

At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge, Benjamin Settle, said the motivation was greed, unrestrained greed, and callousness towards those who have suffered.

According to records filed in the case, since 2017, Rufai stole the personal identifying information of more than 20,000 Americans to submit more than $2m in claims for federally funded disaster relief benefits and fraudulent tax returns.

“The various agencies involved paid out more than $600,000. The largest amount of fraud was committed against the Washington State Employment Security Department, which paid out $350,763 in fraudulent pandemic unemployment claims to accounts controlled by Rufai.  Rufai also submitted fraudulent pandemic unemployment claims in at least 17 other states.

The All Progressives Congress APC Presidential Campaign Council has postponed the kick-off of its campaigns earlier scheduled to hold on Wednesday, September 28.

The Director-General, of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, September 27.

According to him, the adjustment of the timetable and schedule of activities is in order to accommodate growing interests shown by various political tendencies in being party of the campaign council. He mentioned that a new date for the kick-off would be announced soon.

The statement reads “Recall that we had earlier earmarked a peace walk and prayers for Wednesday, September 28, 2022, to  officially kick-off our campaigns for the 2023 Presidential Elections. We had also announced that the members of the Campaign Council report at the Campaign Headquarters on that day to collect their letters of appointments.

However, due to the expansion of the list to accommodate more stakeholders and interests within the APC family, we have decided to adjust the time-table of these activities in order to ensure everyone is on board before activities officially commence. Consequently, the activities earlier announced for the 28th of September will no longer hold.

As the ruling and most attractive party in Nigeria, we understand the sacrifices and understanding of our teeming members who are more than willing to volunteer themselves for this great task ahead. It also shows the enormous love that the party members have for our candidates.

A new date and time-table of events will be announced soon”.

Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN, has been named as one of the recipients of the 2022 National Honour Award of the Commander of the Order of the Niger, CON by President Muhammadu Buhari.

This was contained in a letter from the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs signed by the Minister, Senator George Akume.

The Minister in the letter, which read in parts, said: “I have the honour to formally inform you that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has approved the conferment of the National Honours on you, in the rank of CON (Commander of the Order of the Niger).

“The investiture ceremony is scheduled to take place at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja on Tuesday, 11th October 2022 at 9:00 am”.

PDP  Presidential Campaign Committee spokesperson, Dino Melaye has rubbished the nationwide rallies organised in support of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.

The former lawmaker said the so-called Obi supporters were just hungry Nigerians paid N1,000 to N,2000 and assembled to stand and say that they are ObiDients.

Melaye made the comment on Arise TV’s The Morning Show while reacting to the ObiDient rally that held over the weekend in Abuja.

According to him, the forthcoming presidential election is between the PDP candidate and the other flagbearers.

He added that the former Anambra governor’s presence at the recently concluded governorship election in Osun State is proof that all his ‘support’ cannot translate to votes.

He said; “Just like if you go to court they’ll say Federal Government vs Dino Melaye and others and this particular case you have Atiku Abubakar and others including the APC, Labour Party, SDP, NNPP all of them are others in this regard.

“And I want to tell you that to assemble crowd is just to bring out money. Mobilization is very very cheap in this country.

“People are hungry. If you go to Nyanya, Mararaba people were being loaded in buses from Lugbe and every part of the country to stand and say they’re supporting…let them to the election.

“I think Peter Obi was in Osun. He spoke in Osun, and we saw the result of the Labour Party in Osun – 2700 votes – while PDP was counting four hundred and something thousand votes…so it’s not about the commercial mobilization of the people.

“Nigerians are hungry definitely if you go to Mararaba today to say you need 5000 people with the blow of a whistle, they’ll assemble and collect their N1000 or N2000. It is not the match on the streets that will determine the votes.

“We’re talking of proper votes and Nigerians know that Atiku is speaking to the issues. We’re not on hype movements.”

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has advised Nigerians to elect candidates capable of taking the country to greater heights.

Sanwo-Olu advised them to shun those who give bogus statistics, but consider flagbearers with clear-cut plans.

He spoke in Ikeja on Friday at a Special Prayer Session/Jumat Service to commemorate the 62nd Independence Day celebration.

Represented by his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, Sanwo-Olu said APC candidate Bola Tinubu has the ability to sustain the nation’s economy.

”We should look at who has access to the sources for businesses” he said.

”Nigerians should look at who has the ability to protect the integrity of our country by sustaining the military, training them well.”

The governor cautioned against using religion to cause distractions ahead of the 2023 general elections.

“If we can put our lives in the hands of doctors without asking for their religion before surgery, why then are doing otherwise?”

Some chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State have been reportedly kidnapped in an attack along Kaduna-Kachia highway in Kaduna State.

The attack occurred on Thursday, September 22, at Tashar Icce, which is some meters from Kujama community in Kajuru Local Government Area of the state.

The team was on its way back from Kafanchan after a political meeting with Christian leaders in Southern Senatorial District.

On the entourage were; the DG Campaign Uba Sani Campaign Organization, Prof Sani Bello, Mainan Zazau, Director of Organization , Engr Namadi, Special Adviser to the Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Maiyaki, Engr Jamilu, Personal Assistant to Senator Uba Sani, other aides and security operatives.

A politician who escaped the attack, described the incident as terrible, saying about five vehicles were affected. He said the bandits opened fire sporadically.

He also said some of thee people in the entourage sustained gun injuries while two people were kidnapped.

It was gathered the governorship candidate, Senator Uba Sani, was not part of the team that was attacked as he had travelled to Abuja from Kafanchan.

His Campaign DG, Sani Maina, Ahmed Maiyaki, a Chieftain of the party, and a few others escaped unhurt.

Among those kidnapped are the APC House of Assembly candidate in Kajuru simply identified as Mr Madaki and the Vice chairman of APC in Kajuru Local Government Area, Ruben Waziri.

Ben Maigari, a relative of the Vice Chairman, confirmed the incident and said they were yet to be contacted by the bandits.

“They were attacked; the bandits blocked the road and opened fire on the entourage and other moving vehicles. My brother, Ruben, was abducted alongside Madaki because they were in the same vehicle,” he said.

It was gathered that two other buses were attacked around the same time, with two people feared killed while others were taken into the forest.