Headlines
Court adjourns Fani-Kayode’s trial till Jan. 24, Naira Marley’s trial Till Feb.16

Owolola AdebolaJustice Daniel Osaigor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Tuesday, November 30, 2021, adjourned till January 24, 2022 further hearing in the alleged N4.6bn fraud involving a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode and others.Fani-Kayode is standing trial alongside a former Minister of State for Finance, Nenadi Usman, a former Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, (ALGON), Yusuf Danjuma, and a company, Join-Trust Dimensions Nigeria Ltd. on a 17-count charge bordering money laundering to the tune of N4.6billion.The defendants had pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges preferred against them.
Though counsel to the first defendant, Chief Ferdinard Orbih, was absent at today’s sitting, following a letter notifying the Court in advance, other defence counsels, including Norrison Quakers, SAN and Clement Onwuenwunor, were present.
The prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, raised no objection to the letter sent in by the defence.
He, however, told the Court that the prosecution’s investigation of the several letters that Fani-Kayode claimed to have obtained from Kubwa General Hospital and presented to court at previous sittings as an excuse for his absence showed that they were all fake.
He further added that the EFCC was “currently working on the report and will do the needful.” The matter was, thereafter, adjourned till January 24, 2022 for continuation of trial.At the last sitting on October 13, 2021, F.B. Ajudua had told the court that his client, Fani-Kayode, was “currently on bed rest at Kubwa General Hospital, Abuja”.
Similarly, Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos has adjourned the trial of Azeez Fashola, also known as Naira Marley, till February 16, 2022.
Marley is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC)on an 11-count charge bordering on conspiracy and credit card fraud.
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when he was arraigned on May 20, 2019.
At the last sitting on October 27, 2021, Augustine Anosike, a forensic analyst testifying as to the second prosecution witness, had concluded his examination-in-chief. The court subsequently adjourned till November 30, 2021, for cross-examination.
At Tuesday proceeding, however, the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court that the witness was absent in court on “compassionate grounds”.
“I only got information as to the absence of the witness at about 9.30 while still in the parking lot of the court this morning,” he said, stressing that it was not in his character to waste the court’s time.
Defence counsel, Olalekan Ojo, SAN, however, lamented the delay.
“It is rather unfortunate that the matter could not proceed today.
“ The prosecution ought to have given sufficient notice of the witness’ absence,” he said.
Subsequently, Justice Oweibo adjourned till February 16 and 17, 2022 for the continuation of trial.
Headlines
Aftermath of Adeyanju’s exit, crisis resurfaces in MWUN

Headlines
NIMASA embarks on digital revolution to plug revenue leakages, enhance optimum operations

— spurns smear campaign against the process
“To set the records straight, following a comprehensive internal review of operational systems, the current leadership of NIMASA resolved to embrace technology as a means of enhancing the Agency’s capacity to deliver on its regulatory mandate more effectively and to bring into the coffers of government additional revenue ensure funds due government does not end up in private hands.
“A pivotal innovation in this regard is the Maritime Enhanced Monitoring System (MEMS).
“The additional recipients targeted are, waste reception services, a routine operation for both domestic and international vessels have traditionally lacked proper tracking, resulting in unmonitored activities and significant revenue losses.
“Marine pollution control, another critical area of NIMASA’s mandate, has similarly been constrained by limited digital tools. In the absence of satellite tracking and automated reporting, pollution events often go unnoticed or are reported too late to mitigate their impact.
“It is important to emphasize that past revenue shortfalls experienced by the Agency mainly stemmed from outdated manual processes, fragmented data systems, and insufficient digital enforcement mechanisms which allowed some external elements to capitalize on the loopholes for personal gains .
“The current reforms being implemented by NIMASA are focused squarely on overcoming these limitations.
“The public is therefore advised to disregard the misleading reports and instead support NIMASA’s transformation journey as it aligns with the broader national objectives of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
“The Agency remains committed to strengthening Nigeria’s maritime governance, ensuring environmental safety, and optimizing revenue for the nation.
“It is worthy of note that the Deep Blue Project of the Agency which now enjoys global recognition also witnessed such resistance at the initial stage” the agency noted.
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