Tag Archives: Olu Falae

Court To Rule On Olu Falae Kidnapping Case March 21.

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The Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure has reserved judgment till March 21, 2017 over the protracted kidnapping case involving Chief Olu Falae, SaharaReporters can authoritatively report.

Our correspondent learned in Akure, at the weekend, that the lawyers and prosecutors handling the long-drawn case have adopted and submitted written addresses as their final plea before the State High Court.

Mr. Falae, a former secretary to the military government of Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, was abducted by gunmen, suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, on September 21, 2015, in Kajola area of Eyinla community in Ilado, Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State.

SaharaReporters recalled that the unrepentant kidnappers numbering over 10 abducted Mr. Falae on his 77th birthday and immediately demanded the sum of N100 million from his family before he could be freed from captivity.

The elder statesman was, however, freed after his family paid N5 million for his release. Mr. Falae spent 72 hours in captivity.

Seven of the kidnappers were later arrested on October 11, 2015 by the Special Intelligence Squad of the Nigeria Police Force deployed from Abuja on the order of the erstwhile Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase.

The seven accused persons – Abubakar Auta, Bello Jannu, Umaru lbrahim, Masahudu Muhammed, Idris Lawal, Abdulkadir Umar, and Babawo Kato – were arrested at different locations in Niger, Ondo and Ekiti states, according to the police report.

On October 15, 2015, the arrested kidnappers were arraigned in court after the combined team of the security agents recovered N800,000 out of the N5 million ransom payment.

The accused were slammed with a five-count charge of kidnapping and abducting, aiding and abetting, conspiracy and armed robbery at the Ondo State High Court.

According to the prosecution, the offence of the seven accused persons contravened Section 2 of the Anti-Kidnapping and Anti-Abduction Law, Act, Cap RII, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and Section 1(2)(a) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap RII, Vol.14, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, sources told SaharaReporters that the defense team filed their written addresses before the Ondo State High Court on January 23, 2017 on a different occasion after seeking a leave of court.

One of these sources at the court’s registry that pleaded anonymity disclosed that Abdulrahman Yusuf and Maclean Anthony, who served as the defense counsels to the seven accused persons, told the court to adopt their written addresses as their final defence in the case.

“In those addresses, they both pleaded with the court to discharge and acquit their clients from the prolonged case, which has taken more than enough time to adjudicate,” the source disclosed.

The source added that the prosecution team, led by Adesola Adeyemi Tuki, was also in the court to adopt its own written address with a plea on the court to hold same as its final address.

“The prayers of the prosecuting counsels are straightforward since the crime they (the accused) committed has been proven against them. The counsels are pleading with the court in their written addresses to adopt their plea by convicting the seven accused persons according to the law,” he explained.

SaharaReporters learned that Justice Rotimi Olamide Williams, who has been presiding over the case at the Ondo State High Court, has penned March 21, 2017 for the final judgment of the case after submission of the final written addresses were adopted.

Olu Falae Escapes Police Bullet On Journey To Ooni’s Palace

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Afenifere chieftain and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Olu Falae, narrowly escaped bullets from policemen on Tuesday while traveling to Ile Ife, in Osun State to pay homage to the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi.

The national leader of the Social Democratic Party, who narrated his ordeal to journalists in Ife, said he was traveling to join other Afenifere members for a meeting with the Ooni, when the incident occurred.

He said policemen who were escorting a bullion van shot at his car at Ile-Oluji junction.

“I was first kidnapped, now they want to kill me,” Mr. Falae said, as he expressed amazement at repeated attempts on his life.

“I was coming from Akure approaching Ilesa. I saw some vehicles ahead of me.

“There was a bullion van in front. The vehicles ahead of us were overtaking the bullion van and we too followed.

“I nearly passed them when I heard a shot and I heard a bang on my car. We stopped and we saw that they have fired at our car.

“They didn’t stop. We stopped at Erin-Ijesa and complained to the police at the check-point that we were fired at by some police following a bullion van at Ile-Oluji junction.

“I don’t know why I was kidnapped recently, why I was arrested in 1997 and locked up for two years.”

When contacted on telephone, the Police Public Relations Officer in Osun, Folashade Odoro, said the state command was yet to receive any report from Mr. Falae.

Credit: PremiumTimes

Arms Scandal: Osoba Group Disowns Falae Over N100m Donation

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The Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Ogun State has broken its silence over the controversial N100 million allegedly collected by its National Chairman, Chief Olu Falae from the former Chairman Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, saying, contrary to Falae’s claims of distributing the money to state chapters of the party, it did not get any money from him.

 
The money was allegedly linked with the $2.1 billion arms fund believed to have been mismanaged by former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

 
Falae had admitted receiving N100 million from Anenih.
The party, which was under the control of former governor of the state, Chief Segun Osoba in a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Olu Agemo and the Secretary, Clement Adeniyi yesterday in Abeokuta, declared that it was never notified of or involved in any negotiation to partner with the PDP or any other party for the purpose of winning the election or maintaining peace during the period as claimed by Falae.

 
According to the party, ”We were never informed by the National Secretariat of our party of the decision to adopt former President Goodluck Jonathan or any other candidate as the party’s presidential candidate.

 
“That, we were never informed of any donation of funds to the party by the PDP or any other party.

 
“That the SDP in Ogun State did not receive any financial or campaign logistics assistance from the national secretariat of our party or any of its principal officers.

 
“That in April 2015 we made our position clear on the sources of our campaign funding through advertisement in the Guardian, Vanguard, Punch and Tribune newspapers of Monday April 20, before the current revelation.

 
“We plead with our members and supporters who have received this untoward revelation with great shock to remain calm and await the convocation of a general meeting where these issues shall be thoroughly discussed and appropriate decisions taken,” the statement read.

“We assure you that the SDP in Ogun will continue to operate within ethical and moral norms as laid out in the principles of Progressive Welfarism established by our progenitor, Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the struggle to establish an egalitarian, peaceful and equitable nation”, the statement read.

 

 

 

Credit : Vanguard

Olu Falae: The N100m I Got Was For SDP To Support Goodluck Jonathan

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A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Chief Olu Falae has stated that he collected N100 million from the ex-Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Tony Anenih.

 

 

Chief Olu Falae stated that the money was purely an inter-party affair between the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Social Democratic Party, SDP, which he is the National Chairman. He further stressed that the money was given to the SDP to campaign for the PDP in the 2015 presidential election, that both parties prior to the 2015 general elections entered into working agreement.

 

 

“In the build up to the presidential election, the PDP approached the SDP which I chaired. The then ruling party solicited for our support in order for President Goodluck Jonathan to win the March 28 presidential election”.

 

 

“Anenih related with me as the chairman of the PDP BoT and I did same as the SDP National Chairman. He wrote to me as PDP BoT chairman and I wrote back as SDP National Chairman stating conditions/terms for the alliance”.

 

 

“It is true that N100 million was given to my party to endorse and work for the Jonathan’s candidature in the 2015 election. We used the money for that purpose and we effectively campaigned for the PDP since we did not have presidential candidate in the election. The money was not for me”.

 

 

“Thank God I’m a retired civil servant. I have all the documents to prove all that transpired between the two parties.”

 

 

“With all the money PDP has and having spent 16 years in power, how would I know that the money was from the arms deal? No reference was made to the arms deal. So, they should not bring me into the arms issue. The relationship was purely interparty affairs.”

 

 

Tony Anenih, in a letter addressed to the Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu had mentioned thatOlu Falae and some former governors were given N100 million each in the build up to the 2015 presidential election.

 

 

The letter also stated that Tony Anenih gave another group from Katsina State N35 million, while second republic Presidential Adviser on National Assembly, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, got N63 million. Tony Anenih had stated that the money was transferred to him on the instruction of former President, Goodluck Jonathan for specific assignments.

 

 

Credit : Breaking Times