Families, friend shed tears as Moji Olaiya was finally laid to rest at Ikoyi cemetery (photos)

On Wednesday, June 7, the remains of late Moji Olaiya was taken to the Ebony Vault, Ikoyi Cemetery, Ikoyi, Lagos and friends and families are present to bid her farewell.

After Nollywood stars were present during the Service of Songs and Tribute Night held in honour of late Moji Olaiya, they all busted into tears again immediately her corpse arrived at the Ikoyi Cemetery.

The late Nollywood actress, who died on Thursday, May 18, in Canada, was brought back home on Tuesday evening, June 6, through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

Moji Olaiya's corpse carried out of the hall for final burial

Late Moji Olaiya's daughter (middle) with other members of the family at the cemetery

On seeing the corpse of her late mother, Moji Olaiya’s eldest daughter Adunola Odutola burst into uncontrollable tears. Others who shed tears at the cemetery include Fathia Balogun, Foluke Daramola-Salako, Bimbo Thomas, Mide Martins, Iyabo Ojo among others.

Before her burial, a brief prayer session was organized at the cemetery’s reception having families, friends and loved ones in attendance.

Late Moji Olaiya's corpse

Leafs being poured on her casket

Moji Olaiya's daughter shed uncontrollable tears at the cemetery

Actress Foluke Daramola, Fathia Balogun and Iyabo Ojo at the cemetery

Actress Foluke Daramola in tears

Nigerian govt. pays 20 whistleblowers N375.8 million

The federal government said on Wednesday it had released about N375.8 million for payment of 20 whistleblowers who provided information that led to the recovery over N11.6 billion.

The Ministry of Finance, which confirmed the release in a statement, said the payments were the first under the Whistleblower Policy.

The government did not disclose the identities of the beneficiaries, apparently for security reasons.

“This payment is the first under the Whistleblower Policy,” the Minister for Finance, Kemi Adeosun, said in the statement. 
“The payment underscores the commitment of the President Muhmmadu Buhari-led administration to meet its obligations to information providers under the Whistleblower Policy, which is an essential tool in the fight against corruption.”

The minister said recent amendments to the Whistleblower Policy of the government include the introduction of a formal legal agreement between information providers and the Federal Government.

The agreement is executed by the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, she said.

In line with the policy, each whistleblower would be entitled to a minimum of five per cent of the money involved in the corruption case reported.

The payment of the money would however be made after the successful recovery of the affected sum to government coffers, while informants whose info provide false hint, risk prosecution and jail.

The minister said standard procedures had also been introduced to ensure the protection of the identities of information providers during the payment process.

Mrs. Adeosun explained that all payments were taxable and were only made upon confirmation of the final recovery of related assets, after confirmation by the Attorney-General of the Federation as being free of legal disputes.

The Minister also gave details of the Whistleblower Unit, a multi-agency team resident in the Ministry of Finance Headquarters.

The unit is staffed by personnel from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), State Security Services (SSS), the Nigeria Police Force and Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA), among others.

“The Whistleblower Unit is the first line of response to whistleblower information, where initial review is undertaken before cases are forwarded to the relevant investigative agencies,” Mrs. Adeosun said.

The Executive Council of the Federation approved the Whistleblowers Policy launched by the Minister of Finance in December 2016 to encourage members of the public volunteer credible information about corruption cases in the country.

The policy, which is part of the government’s anti-corruption campaign, has seen the government receiving about 2,150 communications and 337 tips through the Whistleblower Unit’s dedicated channels from various Nigerians.

The minister said this has led to the recovery of substantial assets illegally acquired by individuals across the country.

Details of such asset recoveries are still not made public by government.

Despite several demands by Nigerians, the government has continued to withhold the information, claiming most of the affected assets were still subjects of legal processes yet to be completed.

Mrs. Adeosun said the primary purpose of the Whistleblower policy was to support the fight against financial crimes and corruption, promote accountability and enhance transparency in the management of public finances.

She assured that the present administration would continue to encourage all Nigerians with information on misconduct, violation or improper activity, which could negatively impact on the country, to report to the appropriate authority.

SHOCKING CONFESSION!!! I Have Contacts And Links With Boko Haram – APC Senator Breaks Down In Tears, Implicates Former Vice President

Former Senate Majority Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, on Tuesday, asked a Federal High Court, in Abuja, to quash the alleged sponsorship of Boko Haram case against him, because he has no case to answer in the matter.

Ndume, who accepted that he had contact with the Boko Haram sect, however, said that he got the contact when he was appointed into the Presidential Committee on Security Matters, to negotiate for peace with the terrorists.

Insisting that the charges against him were unjust, the Senator explained that the former Vice President, Namadi Sambo, and the then Director-General of the Department of State Security Services, DSS, were aware of the said contact with Boko Haram.

However, the Federal Government told the court that Ndume has to defend himself, because its witnesses have proved that he had information on the sect, which he refused to disclose to government.

Recall, that Ndume who is under suspension at the Senate, has since 2011, been on trial on a four-count charge bordering on allegations of supporting the activities of the Boko Haram terrorist group, leveled against him by the Federal Government.

However, the Lawmaker in a no-case submission filed before Justice Gabriel Kolawole, through his Counsel, Ricky Tarfa, argued that the Federal Government has been unable to establish a prima facie case against him, or linked him with the said crime.

He insisted that the charges leveled against him have not been proven beyond reasonable doubt as required by law, at the end of the prosecution’s case.

Tarfa, Ndume’s Counsel argued: “Clearly, from the totality of the evidence adduced by the prosecution, there is no ingredient of the charges proved as required by law.

“The analysis of the mobile phones seized from the defendant and subjected to forensic examination by the prosecution, did not reveal any offence committed.”

Based on the above argument, Counsel to Ndume, prayed the court to strike out the charges against the Senator, because no prima facie case has been established against him, to warrant his going to defend himself.

Nonetheless, the Prosecution Counsel, Grace Okafor, contended Ndume’s prayer, and urged the court to mandate him to open his defence in the charges against him.

Okafor told the court that Ndume has a case to answer, since the government’s witnesses have effectively linked him with the crime.

According to the Prosecutor’s Lawyer, the charge against Ndume borders on his failure to disclose material information to security agents on Boko Haram, and rendering support to the terrorist group.

She further argued that Ndume had in his own statement tendered and admitted in court, confirmed that he has enormous information on Boko Haram, which he never disclosed to government.

Okafor said: “His admission that he was a member of the Presidential Committee on Security Matters, also corroborates the evidence of the prosecution, that he had volume of information on the terrorists group, which he refused to give to the government.

“The volume of information found on him was revealing, and warranted his being charged to court.

“Let the point be made here that witnesses of the government have by one way or the other, linked the charge against the defendant, and this court as an impartial court, should order the defendant to open defence on the charges against him. It is even in the interest of the defendant and justice, that this case be heard on its own merit, instead of upholding the no-case submission.”

After listening to the arguments, Justice Kolawole, adjourned ruling on the matter till July 4, 2017.