Newspaper of the Year
Mimiko’s deputy faces impeachment
Ekiti Assembly siege continues
NEWS
NEWS
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•House, APC disagree over notice
•Schools reopen for new term
•Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper
VOL. 10, NO. 3192 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH
Buhari backs Adesina for ADB President
N150.00
How Indian perpetrated N32b bank fraud, by EFCC T
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RESIDENT-ELECT Muhammadu Buhari has requested the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to support the candidacy of Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina as president of the African Development Bank (ADB). Adesina, the outgoing minister of agriculture and rural development, is contesting against seven others: Sufian Ahmed, Jaloul Ayed, Kordjé Bedoumra, Cristina Duarte, Samura M. W. Kamara,Thomas Z. Sakala and Birama Boubacar Sidibé . The election is slated as part of the Annual General MeetContinued on page 4
•www.thenationonlineng.net
•Dr. Adesina
HE Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday heard how an Indian businessman, Patrick Fernandez, allegedly perpetrated a N32billion bank fraud. Fernandez, along with three of his companies, is facing a 56count charge of fraud. A former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigator, Bashir Abdullahi, said the commission learned of the fraud when
By Joseph Jibueze
one of the banks contacted the agency’s Financial Intelligence Unit. According to him, in July 2008, he was assigned to investigate the case of suspicious financial activities involving Fernandez and his companies. The banks, he said, are Zenith, Afribank, Intercontinen-
tal, Union and Wema. His investigations, he said, revealed high volume transactions from one account to another, which he said were suspected to be fraudulent. Abdullahi said: “Our findings was that he was involved in cheque-kitting Continued on page 60
•EX-EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT MORSI JAILED 20 YEARS FOR ORDERING ARREST, TORTURE P59
IG Abba fired as Jonathan yields to his wife’s pressure OUT
IN
President ‘demands loyalty till last day’ Arase takes over
T
From Yusuf Alli and Yomi Odunuga, Abuja
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OLICE chief Suleiman Abba lost his job yesterday, becoming the first major casualty of President Goodluck Jonathan’s electoral loss. He was immediately replaced by Mr. Solomon Arase. No reason was given for Inspector-General Abba’s sack. The Nation, in a report last Saturday, said Dr. Jonathan was under pressure to give Abba the boot—for alleged security and protocol breaches. A statement signed by presidential spokesman Dr. Reuben Abati said: “President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has relieved the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba of his appointment and duties with immediate effect. “President Jonathan has also appointed Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase as Acting Inspector-General of Police, also with immediate effect. “Until his appointment as Mr. Abba’s replacement, Mr. Arase was the Head of the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department. “Mr. Arase holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Law, as well as Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Political Science and Strategic Studies. “He is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Defence College.” Presidency sources said First Lady Patience Jonathan played a pivotal role in the events leading to Abba’s WILL THE CHIBOK GIRLS sack. Abba, The Nation learnt, KIDNAPPED ON APRIL 15, LAST had earlier been summoned
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YEAR EVER RETURN?
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Boko Haram kills two soldiers in Baga rocket attack
WE S AID S O •Abba
•Arase
INSIDE
•How Abba got the boot •What manner of tenure •The man Arase •SEE PAGES 2&3
•The fron Natio n...last page of T t Satu h rday e
WO soldiers were killed in a Boko Haram rocket attack on a military vehicle in Borno State town town of Baga, residents told French News Agency (AFP) yesterday. Six other soldiers and a civilian vigilante were critically injured when their vehicle hit a mine planted by the Islamists just outside the town on Sunday, the sources added. The attack and the mine explosion happened as the military escorted about 1,200 people from Baga on a brief return visit to their hometown from Maiduguri, the state capital. Boko Haram seized the town on the shores of Lake Chad on January 3 and is suspected of killing hundreds in what was feared to have been the worst massacre in the six-year insurgency. Nigeria’s military recaptured the town in late February, in an operation also involving Chad, Niger and Cameroon stepped up to drive out the militants from occupied territory. “Boko Haram fired a rocket-propelled grenade on a military van in an ambush in Baga which killed two soldiers and destroyed the vehicle,” said resident KaContinued on page 4
•LIFE P13 •SPORTS P23 •MONE P26 •INVESTORS P28 •POLITICS P45 •FOREIGN P59