No matter how incoherent some people may feel veteran artiste, Majek Fashek is, nobody could take away his sound state of mind and the bitterness he felt when he claimed in a chat with Saturday Beats recently how Timi Dakolo, the R&B singer, “stole” his evergreen hit song, Send Down the Rain.
Timi, in 2013, had done a remix of the song but Fashek said Timi never took permission from him before doing the song.
In an exclusive chat with Satuday Beats, the reggae singer said Timi Dakolo capitalised on his state of health and remade his song without taking permission from him.
He said, “He broke the rules of copyright. He is a thief because in music business, he must take permission before he works on someone’s song. That is why we have COSON. I did not give anyone the right to do anything with my song. I have a management team I work with headed by Omenka Uzoma. Dakolo never bothered to look for me before stealing my song. He has infringed on the laws of copyright and he is not an original artiste. It is only people like Tuface, Wizkid, Olamide that are original.
“I felt bad when I learnt that he worked on my song without my consent. He did not even give me credit. He is a very bad artiste and he took advantage of the circumstance that I was facing during that time. The song is not a normal song; it is a spiritual hit song. Timi Dakolo does not know how I suffered to get that song. I fasted for seven days before I got that song. I partook in three days ‘white’ fasting before the song came to me. Timi Dakolo did not go through that. I did not fight him because I do not have time. Let God judge us.” Also commenting on the situation, Majek Fashek’s music business consultant, Omenka Uzoma, said they would soon begin to fish out all those who have been exploiting Majek Fashek.
In a telephone conversation with Timi Dakolo to get his side of the story, the young lad was quick to cut short the conversation even before our correspondent could explain reasons for calling.
“I am not in the country. There is no allegation levelled against me. Go ahead and write a better story. I am not in Nigeria,” he said before he rudely ended the call
Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke
Eniola Akinkuotu and Ramon Oladimeji
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has detained the Resident Electoral Commissioner of Abia State, Mr. Sylvester Ezeani, for his alleged role in the N23bn ($115m) that was disbursed by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, during the build-up to the 2015 presidential election.
According to the EFCC, the suspect allegedly received N20m out of N241m while he was the REC in Cross River State during the March 28 presidential and National Assembly elections.
An EFCC operative told one of our correspondents on Tuesday that the REC had failed to explain what the N20m was meant for and had thus been detained.
He said, “The REC was on Tuesday interrogated by operatives of the EFCC in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, in connection with an alleged N20m electoral scam.
“While serving in Cross River State, he was alleged to have collected the sum of N20m out of the entire N241,000,000, which was released to Cross River State from the controversial $115m lodged in a bank by Diezani.
“Ezeani, who has now been redeployed to Abia State, was quizzed over his involvement in the scam. He is still in custody.”
The commission also quizzed the lawmaker representing Oron Federal Constituency in Akwa Ibom State, Nse Ekpenyong, for his alleged involvement in a certificate forgery scam.
According to the anti-graft agency, Ekpenyong ran into trouble when a non-governmental organisation petitioned the EFCC, alleging that he committed perjury and financial crimes by submitting a forged National Diploma/statement of result of the Abia State Polytechnic to the Independent National Electoral Commission in the build-up to the 2015 National Assembly election.
The petitioner also alleged that Ekpenyong fraudulently obtained salaries, allowances and other financial benefits through his contrived certificate.
A detective at the commission added, “Investigations by the EFCC showed that Ekpenyong did not attend the polytechnic as alleged by the petitioner and the ND did not emanate from the institution.
“Further investigations are ongoing on the case. Ekpenyong has been released on bail.”
Meanwhile, a Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Fred Agbaje, says the concern expressed by President Muhammadu Buhari over delay in the trial of corruption cases is a serious indictment on the judiciary.
Agbaje, who said this in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents on Tuesday, pointed out that it was up to the judiciary to redeem itself and change the negative perception.
The lawyer was reacting to the President’s call on the judiciary to support his anti-graft war by ensuring that criminal cases in court were not delayed but expeditiously concluded.
Buhari reportedly spoke at the opening ceremony of an ‘‘International Workshop on the Judiciary and Fight against Corruption.’’
The two-day event was jointly organised by the National Judicial Institute and the Prof. Itse Sagay-led Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption with the theme, ‘The Roles of Judges in the Fight Against Corruption.”
The President was quoted to have called on the judiciary to put its house in order, tackle corruption in the judiciary, be impartial and politically-neutral, remove causes of delay in adjudication of cases and stop tolerating the dilatory tactics of defence lawyers that prolonged high-profile corruption cases.
Speaking on Tuesday against the background of Buhari’s comment, Agbaje said, “It is a serious indictment to say the courts are the ones encouraging delay tactics to frustrate the hearing of corruption cases. It is a serious indictment on the judiciary. It is now for the judiciary to redeem itself.”
Agbaje, however, said the executive, through the anti-corruption agencies and the police, should also share in the blame.
But a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Godwin Obla, frowned on a situation where the President would blame the judiciary for the delay in corruption cases, adding that the delays were caused by some procedural challenges in the country’s laws.
Obla stated, “The President is less than two years in the saddle and I do not think that his opinion as to whether time is wasted or time is not wasted reflects the true position of the law. The truth of the matter is that there are procedural challenges in our laws and some of us have repeatedly spoken about it.
“The fact that someone is facing trial does not mean that we will abridge their right to actually defend themselves. They have the right to defend themselves; and at times in the course of doing so, they rely on unorthodox techniques of delaying trial, but it is within their right and it is within the confines of the law.
“Mr. President cannot indict the judiciary. Just as he is complaining that it is actually taking long for criminal cases to be decided, Nigerians are also saying that it is taking too long for the promises that he made to be fulfilled. It is not a one-way traffic.
“The law does not work in the way it works in the military. This is a democracy. The courts have tried, they’ve brought out certain practice directions, they are making certain levels of progress but it is not overnight.
“If we want to make substantial progress, we must invest in practical amendment to our procedural rule of the court.”
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, had, in his speech at the Abuja event, promised that the judiciary would no longer dismiss cases of corruption against high-profile persons without trial.
Pandemonium broke out at the Lagooz Schools on Omotoye Estate in the Orile Agege area of Lagos State after some hoodlums invaded the school premises.
PUNCH Metro learnt that some Hausa teenagers, numbering about 100, stormed the school with machetes and other weapons.
They were said to have attacked the school’s principal and a teacher, identified as Uncle John, during a free-for-all which lasted for about two hours.
Our correspondent was told that the rampaging youths, aside damaging some property of the school, allegedly made away with N1.5m.
Policemen from the Elere divison, operatives of the Special Anti-robbery Squad and some members of the Oodua People’s Congress, were said to have repelled the attack as residents fled the area.
Our correspondent was told that seven of the hoodlums were arrested, while others escaped after SARS operatives opened fire on them.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said trouble started when the school finished its valedictory service party on Saturday, but the teenagers refused to leave the school premises.
He said, “They were actually relatives of some of the school-leavers. The valedictory service party ended around 5pm, but they refused to leave. A teacher, Uncle John, tried to force them out. One of them abused the teacher and ran away.
“The teacher, who was embarrassed by the abuse, held one of the Hausa teenagers. There was a struggle between them. As the teacher hit the man, he also fought back and held the teacher by the neck, almost strangulating him.
“The principal, who wanted to settle the fight, was held by the tie by one of the intruders and beaten up. The principal’s brother, who wanted to rescue him, was given a fist blow in the eye.”
Our correspondent was told that the teenagers damaged about four dozen of the chairs used for the party. Three of them were later apprehended by the school.
Those apprehended were reportedly held hostage in a classroom, while the others wreaked havoc on the school premises.
A source told PUNCH Metro that the apprehended teenagers, however, mobilised more gang members into the community on the telephone.
He said, “Those boys had their phones and they started calling their friends, who trooped into the school with cutlasses and weapons.
“Policemen at the school’s gate prevented them from gaining entrance as they shot into the air. The hoodlums, however, grew in number, which overwhelmed the security agents.
“Despite the gunshots, the teenagers refused to go. In fact, while some of them knelt, others prostrated and were begging the police to shoot at them. They were saying, ‘Please shoot us; we want to die’.”
It was gathered that some OPC members later came out with weapons and engaged the hoodlums.
The proprietor of the school was reported to have called for reinforcement from SARS operatives, who stormed the community.
“The SARS operatives started shooting into the air. They chased the teenagers and arrested seven of them. They also seized their motorcycles and recovered some of the weapons they brought,” another source said.
It was learnt that some Hausa leaders had visited the school and held a truce meeting with the management.
The Proprietor of the school, Chief Yomi Otubela, said it was only a minor disagreement among pupils of the school.
He said, “The issue was about some teenagers who had issues with themselves on where to park their cars. The police that were on duty at the school gate actually mediated. No school property was damaged; nothing happened during our valedictory service.”
But the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the attack, adding that seven suspects had been arrested.
She said, “Some hoodlums entered the school’s premises and destroyed some property. They allegedly made away with N1.5m.
“Our operatives from the Elere divison were contacted and they swiftly moved in and arrested seven of the suspects. The suspects have been handed over to the Area G headquarters for further investigation.”
The Nigeria Labour Congress has called for the abolition of security vote for the president and governors in the country.
The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja that security vote had become an avenue for siphoning public funds.
“The issue of security vote is another form of corruption; in fact, there was a particular state which took N1bn in one month as security vote.
“It is an avenue for corruption. In good governance, all monies spent by government are budgeted and transparently applied.
“That is what happens in other spheres; so for our sake, the issue of security vote should be done away with.
“All monies to be spent should be transparently budget for, including the so-called security vote, so that it can be tracked, to prevent corruption.’’
Also, Waba called for the removal of the immunity clause from the constitution, to enable the president, the vice-president, governors and their deputies to be prosecuted for a criminal offence.
He noted that such political leaders in other parts of the world did not enjoy immunity against criminal prosecution, adding that Nigeria should not be an exception.
The NLC president said that immunity was hindering the fight against corruption and decried a situation whereby political office holders could not be prosecuted for criminal offence.
He said, “Even after they leave office, they use their influence and resources they have accumulated to frustrate prosecution.
“I have seen cases that lasted for eight to 14 years and were inconclusive. Some of these cases outlived the life of the administration that started the probe, due to this particular challenge.”
“There are some cases that started before the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo till now, it is still ongoing.
Waba said that nobody should be given immunity against criminal prosecution while in office.
He, therefore, stressed the need to review the constitution to address loopholes that gave room for some political leaders to steal the commonwealth.
A doctor allegedly raped a woman during an abortion procedure two weeks after he masturbated in front of her during a physical examination, a court has heard.
According to Tribune 242, after Dr. Gerald Mark Forbes informed the 20-year-old she would need a medical examination to work at his clinic in Freeport, the Bahamas, last February, he was alleged to have rubbed her vagina and masturbated before her.
The report added that two week’s later, after the victim asked him to terminate a pregnancy, he was accused of raping her during the procedure.
The 47-year-old is also said to have given the alleged victim a packet of Methotrexate, a drug used to induce abortions.
The defendant told the police as heard by the Grand Bahama Court that the woman was a ‘friend of a friend’, who simply worked at his office for two months. He denied the allegations of rape and indecent assault.
However, he refused to answer officers when asked about the alleged incidents, telling them he ‘had nothing to say’.
The court was told that in a WhatsApp exchange that took place after the alleged rape, the doctor told the woman he didn’t owe her salary because he had provided her with medication.
During the police interview an officer told him, “The virtual complainant informed you that she will not return to work because she was uncomfortable that you violated her, and you said you were sorry she felt that way and you told her to still come in for follow-up and medication.”
The trial resumes at 11am on Friday
Some hoodlums on Friday robbed and killed a 35-year-old ‘suya’ seller, Habibu Maude, after robbing the deceased.
The late Maude, a father of four, was shot dead at his suya spot along White House Street in Calabar, Cross River State.
Shops and other businesses in Bogobiri, an Hausa settlement in Calabar, were closed on Saturday and Sunday as a result of the incident.
It was gathered that the deceased, an indigene of Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State, did not argue with the hoodlums before he was shot.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Irene Ugbo, confirmed the incident, saying investigation was ongoing to unravel the killers.
“Yes, we got the investigation that a suya seller was shot by an unknown gunman along White House streets. We have not made any arrest yet, but I can assure that we would track the killers,” she said.
How married woman died in a hotel-Residents
Afeez Hanafi
Neighbours of a woman, who died last Friday in a hotel in Ikotun, Lagos State, have opened up on what transpired shortly before her death.
They said the deceased, who was identified only as Iya Ginika, had left home around 9pm on the day, telling her husband that she wanted to visit a friend in the neighbourhood.
The residents told our correspondent on Tuesday that the woman, in her 50s, had claimed that she wanted to collect something from the friend.
They added that they were shocked when news filtered in that she was found dead in Taola Hotel on Prince Adeyemi Street, Ikotun.
The deceased lived on K & S Street, Abaranje Road – a few kilometres from the hotel.
PUNCH Metro had reported on Monday that the woman and her lover had stayed in the hotel around 9.30pm on Friday and paid to spend an hour.
However, workers of the hotel became apprehensive when it was 12am the following day and the lovers did not check out.
One of the workers was said to have entered the room to discover that the woman was dead while her lover had fled.
The case was reported to the police at the Ikotun division.
A neighbour of the deceased told PUNCH Metro on Tuesday that she had lied to her husband, identified simply as Henry, that she wanted to visit a friend who lived on Prince Adeyemi Street.
The neighbour, who did not want her name in print, said she was shocked when she learnt that the woman died in the hotel.
She said, “Around 9pm on Friday, she told her husband that she wanted to visit a friend on the street where the hotel is located. The husband and her children became confused when she did not return.
“It was the following day when the news of her death was broken that the husband realised he had lied to him. She was about 50 years old.
“Her husband is a motorcyclist and he tries his best to provide for the family. She used to run a lotto shop but later stopped. She sold fish and soup ingredients before her death,” he added.
When contacted, the deceased’s husband, Henry, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone, said she would be buried later this month. He, however, declined comments when asked where her late wife told him he was going on the day.
“She suffered from high blood pressure before her death. We will bury her later this month,” he said.
But the deceased’s daughter, who collected the phone from her father, said the family did not want to dwell on the incident in order to protect its image.
“We don’t want to be discussing this matter. We have our future to protect and we don’t want the incident to destroy the image of the family. Please, don’t call this number again,” she added.
The Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, SP Dolapo Badmos, said the police were still on the trail of the fleeing lover.
A launderer, Monday Eze, has stabbed his 55-year-old uncle, Ebere Akpu, to death in the Orile Agege area of Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Eze and Akpu had an argument over a minor issue on Sunday around 11pm.
After the disagreement, the suspect was said to have gone to a pub, where he became drunk.
While Akpu slept, the suspect allegedly stabbed him in different parts of his body.
Our correspondent gathered that Akpu died on Omotoye Estate where policemen from the Elere division recovered his corpse around 1am on Monday.
It was learnt that Akpu and Eze, who were married with children, hailed from Ebonyi State.
While the suspect had lived for more than 15 years in Lagos, the uncle, Eze, had lived for a few years.
Both men were said to be putting up with another relative, identified as James, who had a laundry on Omotoye Estate where the incident happened.
PUNCH Metro, in a visit to the estate on Monday, saw bloodstains on the road and in James’ laundry.
A trader, who did not give his name, said Eze was in the habit of making trouble when drunk.
She said, “I have known him for more than 15 years now. He makes trouble with everybody, especially when he is drunk. He would sometime strip and start misbehaving.
“When Ebere (Akpu) newly arrived from the village, I particularly advised him against arguing with Eze. I never knew Eze would kill him.”
A family member, who did not give his name, said Eze and the deceased had had a disagreement on Sunday.
Although he did not reveal the cause of the disagreement, he explained that the suspect felt slighted and decided to revenge.
He said, “Ebere sold bags; he didn’t have anything to do with the laundry where this incident happened, except that he kept his wares there. But Monday (Eze) lived there.
“Ebere was there to pass the night and he had washed the shirt and jean trousers he intended to wear on Monday for his business.
“They had a minor disagreement, which led to an argument. Ebere thought that was the end, but Monday stabbed him while he was asleep.”
The suspect was said to have fled as the victim staggered out, seeking help.
He was reportedly taken in a tricycle to a private hospital in the area by a resident.
However, when he was rejected due to the severity of the injuries, he was dumped on the road.
A resident, who did not want to be identified, said he saw Eze in a pool of blood on the road.
“I fled at the sight of the body on the road. I later called a security man to join me to identify and probably rescue him. When we got there, he was dead. The security guard identified him as one of the launderer’s family members,” he added.
Policemen from the Elere division were said to have removed the corpse and took it to their station.
It was learnt that the suspect later submitted himself to the police.
A relative told PUNCH Metro that the police put the corpse in front of the suspect at the station.
“He was in handcuffs. He looked round and saw a lot of family members and burst into tears. He said he never knew Ebere was dead. But we have decided that the matter is now between him and the government,” he said.
Another family member said the suspect was the third in the family to be held for murder.
“There is a curse on the family; it is not ordinary,” he added.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the incident, adding that the case had been transferred to the State Department of Criminal Investigation, Yaba.
She said, “Around 11pm, one Ebere Akpu was assaulted by one Monday Eze with a machete. The victim died on the way to a hospital.
“His corpse has been deposited at the Mainland Hospital, Yaba, Lagos for autopsy. The suspect has been arrested and the case transferred to the SDCI.”
