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Senate considers bill to disrupt illicit funding for criminals, terrorists in Nigeria

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…As Abaribe hails Buhari over move to deal with corruption, criminality    

 

The Senate on Tuesday considered a bill that would disrupt the financial flow and funding of criminal enterprise and terrorist financing in Nigeria through the seizure of assets and monies marked as proceeds of crime.

Titled: Proceeds of Crime Bill, 2021, the piece of legislation is sponsored by the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi (APC, Kebbi North).

Leading debate on the bill, Senator Abdullahi said it seeks to provide for a comprehensive legal and institutional framework for the recovery and management of proceeds of crime or benefits derived from unlawful activities.

He explained that its passage and assent into law would harmonize and consolidate the legal provisions on the recovery of proceeds of crime in Nigeria.

According to the lawmaker, Nigeria had severally attempted to put in place an appropriate Proceeds of Crime legislation since 2007.

“Efforts to develop a comprehensive bill have been impeded by agency rivalry since 2011.

“The effort to sign the Proceeds of Crime Bill into law in 2019 was delayed as a result of complaints by agencies that claimed that the Bill is intended to take away their powers”, the Senate Leader said.

He noted that, “during the evaluation of Nigeria in 2007 by the International Financial Action Task Force (FATF), they observed in their report that the legal framework for the recovery and management of stolen assets in Nigeria is inadequate and do not comply with international standards.”

Abdullahi lamented that due to lack of centrally managed database on recovered assets, effort to track and maintain the actual number of the seized assets, their location and their value is made difficult.

“There have been reported and verifiable instances over the years that showed that some recovered assets were being misused, stolen or lost.

“Further investigations have shown that some of the agencies opened multiple accounts for the payment of forfeited assets without keeping proper records.

“It was against this background that Mr President constituted the Presidential Audit Committee on Recovery of Assets (PACRA) in 2017.

“Not surprisingly, the committee’s findings re-iterated the need for comprehensive and more innovative approach in the management of recovered assets in a transparent and accountable manner so that these assets would become a source of revenue for the country as is the case in many developing and developed countries of the world”, he said.

The lawmaker recalled that sequel to the submission of the report of PACRA in 2018, the President directed that measures be put in place pending the passing of the Proceeds of Crime Bill into law.

Such measures include the establishment of an Asset Recovery and Management Unit in the Federal Ministry of Justice (ARMU/ FMOJ); the opening of a central asset recovery (final forfeiture) account and a central (interim forfeiture) account in the Central Bank of Nigeria; and Use of recovered assets/funds as a source of revenue in the Appropriation Act of 2018 and in subsequent Appropriation Acts.

He explained further that the Proceed of Crime legislation is considered as one of the vital conditions to secure Nigeria’s full membership of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

According to him, “Nigeria’s application has remained elusive as the agencies argue to retain their powers at the expense of national interest.”

He stressed that the bill has taken into account the issues raised by the LEAs in relation to their continuing engagement in civil recovery without compromising the international applicable standards in United Nations Conventions.

Abdullahi said, when passed by the National Assembly and assented into law by the President, the bill would provide for the seizure of assets from criminal enterprises, including terrorist organizations, and bandits who undertake their operations with funding from individuals within or outside the country.

“A strong asset recovery measure can also disrupt the activities of these criminal organizations and reduce the level of insecurity in the country”, he said.

Contributing, the Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, commended the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration for the move to have the Proceeds of Crime bill introduced and passed by the National Assembly.

“It is not very unusual to see me get up here and commend this government for bringing an executive bill that is in the interest of the country.

“But this is one of those bills that I want to commend the APC government for taking a step in the right direction, so that we can deal comprehensively with the matter of corruption in Nigeria”, the Minority Leader said.

Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, on his part said having such an innovative law that would discourage criminals from engaging in crime for the purpose of financial profits.

The bill after scaling second reading, was referred by the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, to the Committee on a Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, to report back in two weeks.

Meanwhile, two other bills scaled second reading during plenary on Tuesday.

They are: The National Payment System Bill; and A bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of the Federal University of Agriculture Mpu, Enugu State.

Both bills are sponsored by Senators Sadiq Suleiman Usman (APC, Kwara North); and Ike Ekweremadu (PDP, Enugu West).

The bills after consideration were referred by the Senate President to the Committees on Banking, Finance and other Financial Institutions; and Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND for further legislative work.

The Committee were given two weeks to report back to the upper chamber.

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Defence and Security

 Insecurity: Senate To Hold National Security Summit

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President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio
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The Nigerian Senate is set tp hold a national security Summit to address the current security charges headlong.

This was also done during the 8th and the 9th National Assembly , the Senate resolved to hold a two – day National Security Summit for lasting solutions to the myriad of problems of insecurity bedeviling the country .

Those to attend the planned National Security Summit shall include delegates from the Federal, States, and Local Governments as well as the Traditional Institutions to propose legitimate solutions to insecurity and its challenges in the country.

It also resolved that the Federal Government should use resolutions from the proposed summit to rejig the country’s security architecture through formulation and implementation of very proactive and pragmatic policies .

The resolutions were sequel to a motion sponsored for that effect by Senator Jimoh Ibrahim ( APC Ondo South) and co – sponsored by Senators Zam Titus , Senator Peter Onyeka Nwebonyli, Onyeka Peter, APC, Ebonyi North and Senator Ngwu Osita, PDP, Enugu West.

Senator Jimoh Ibrahim in the motion titled : ” Urgent Need for a National Security Summit” said that high level of global insecurity is driven by events in Russia and Ukraine and compounded by tensions between the global north and global south which according to him ,
have worsened food insecurity and affected the attainment of sustainable development goals (SDGs).

He posited that the growing impact of the tariff war in America and the rising emphasis on balance of power by various countries, are reflected in the new international order, concerning immigration and the cancellation of visas by the new regimes, which has necessitated some countries to raise funds by selling citizenship, intensifying economic conflict, and undermining globalization, which the investment the global space has pursued over the last sixty years;

He further notes the significance of power, influence, and authority at the geo-centric level, as such, Nigeria must clarify its strategic engagement in the international arena and the roles of the Senate in advising the executive to help the government achieve substantial value for Nigeria and uphold its sovereignty, as the next world war may not even require the fanfare of militarism, but the i dible growing ic war is gaining ground with destructive innovation in security globally.

The Senate he added, is aware that recent events in our region have led to feelings of discomfort and insecurity, which has placed the past accomplishments of our security forces at risk even though, our military and its partners are striving to address these challenges, they do not have solutions to the global economic conflict or the effects of new American tariffs and tensions with China.

“As a result, insecurity across Nigeria has become pervasive, impacting on both urban and rural areas, where banditry, ransom kidnappings, and terrorism are pressing issues, across the country as well as other violent crimes”, he stressed .

According to him, the historical trajectory of political crises, such as the Kano riot of 1953, the Eastern Region constitutional crises of 1953, the census crises of 1962-63, and the Action Group crises of 1962 and 1967-70, the Federal Election of 1964, the Western Nigeria Election of 1965, the General Election of 1979, the executive versus legislative crises of 1981 in Kaduna, and the general election 1983, cannot be forgotten as the election approaches.

He explained further that National Security Summit was very necessary for expertise ideas to compliment President Bola Tinubu’s seriousness on the peace of Nigeria, saying “there is need for some fact-finding intelligence support for Mr. President’s efforts even of the fact that most military strategies and languages such as Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliet, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-ray, Yankee, are no longer exclusive to the military.

“No country will allow its citizens to understand security by living with insecurity, therefore, the ideology of peace for all, as outlined in the executive policy leg of the Renewed Hope Agenda should be upheld and promoted.

See also External Debt: Buhari’s theory of servicing debt with scarce revenue destructive; I won’t sustain it: Tinubu “Can we continue to service external debts with 90% of our revenue?” Mr Tinubu asked. “It is a path to destruction. It is not sustainable.”
“To address the challenges highlighted above, it Is imperative that empirical fact-finding National Security Summit is organized by the Senate to assist in providing the requisite platform for exhaustive and far reaching deliberations on the way forward”, he said .

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Defence and Security

Senate Confirms Appointment Of Oluyede As COAS

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Major General Olufemi Oluyede
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The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede for appointment as Chief of Army Staff.

The confirmation today followed the consideration of reports by the Chairman of the sense committee on Army, Sen. Yar’ adua, Abdulaziz Musa (Katsina Central).

The committee’s recommendations were unanimously adopted by the upper chamber.

Lieutenant General Oluyede was appointed to act as the Chief of Army Staff following the illness and subsequent death of Lt. Gen. Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja.

 

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Defence and Security

Tinubu Appoints New DG for NIA, DSS

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President Bola Tinubu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
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President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of new Directors-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Department of State Services (DSS).

Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed is the new Director-General of the NIA.

Mr. Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi is the new Director-General of the DSS.

This is contained in a statement by Chief Ajuri Ngelale Special Adviser to the President, Media & Publicity

The statement reads : “Ambassador Mohammed has had an illustrious career in the foreign service since joining the NIA in 1995.

He had served in various roles, culminating in his promotion to the rank of Director and his subsequent appointment as the head of the Nigerian mission to Libya”

“The 1990 graduate of Bayero University, Kano, had served in North Korea, Pakistan, Sudan, and at the State House, Abuja”

“The new DSS Director-General, Mr.

Adeola Ajayi, rose through the ranks to attain his current post of Assistant Director-General of the Service. He had, at various times, served as State Director in Bauchi, Enugu, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Kogi”

“The new appointments follow the resignation of the previous NIA and DSS chiefs”

“President Tinubu expects that the new security chiefs will work assiduously to reposition the two intelligence agencies for better results and charges them to bring their experience to bear in tackling the security challenges bedeviling the country through enhanced collaboration with sister agencies and in surgical alignment with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

The President thanks the outgoing Directors-General of the two pivotal intelligence agencies for their services to the nation while wishing them success in their future endeavours”

 

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