Business
‘We received N12Omillion bribe from Diezani Alison- Madueke’ – 11 INEC officials admit
Eleven officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission who supervised the 2015 general elections in Gombe State have admitted to receiving N120m out of the N23bn ($115m) allegedly disbursed by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, according to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The revelation comes about a month after the EFCC arrested a former Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers State, Mrs. Gesila Khan, and other top INEC officials in the South-South for allegedly receiving N675.1m from Diezani.
Sources at the EFCC told our correspondent on Friday that the 11 officials had been interrogated and had made confessional statements.
A detective at the anti-graft agency told our correspondent that the electoral officers, who were in charge of the 11 local government areas of Gombe State, reported at the Gombe State zonal office of the commission on Thursday.
The detective said, “They have made useful statements and most of them have confessed to receiving millions of naira for their respective local government. They explained that two out of the 11 officials negotiated and collected the bribe on their behalf.
“The electoral officer for Akko Local Government Area, Ahmed Biu; and the one in charge of Gombe Local Government Area, Ahmed Ali Biu, and Mohammed Zannah, admitted to have collected the bribe from one Yunusa Biri, also a retired electoral officer who acted as Gombe State coordinator of bribes for electoral officers in the state.
“Biri was known and addressed as the coordinator of NGO, a code name used to cover the activities of the two parties.”
The detective told our correspondent that at the meeting where the money was disbursed, Biu and Zannah lodged at Corner Alheri Hotel, opposite NNPC mega station in Gombe, and the parties agreed to share the bribe per polling unit in each local government and part of the bribe should go to ad hoc employees deployed to each polling station across the state.
The source, however, said there were some issues with the investigation as some electoral officers claimed to have been cheated of their own share of the booty.
He said, “Investigations are ongoing but the challenge is that we will have to unravel the discrepancy in the amount collected and the actual money disbursed to the electoral officers.
“Some claimed that the coordinator (Biri) short-changed them because he gave only N8m to the eleven local governments in the state.”
The detective gave the names of some other detained officers as: Godwin Maiyaki, Gambo Balanga, Bukar Benisheik, Dukku, Jibril Muhammed, Billiri, Dunguma Dogona, Funakaye, Mohammed Wanka, Kaltungo, Ishaku Yusuf, Kwami, Suleiman Isawa, Babagana Malami, Shongom, and Nuhu Samuel.
Prof Lawan Bala Buratai Appointed Vice Chancellor of Nigerian Army University Biu After Rigorous Selection
In a significant leadership transition at one of Nigeria’s foremost military-civilian academic institutions, Professor Lawan Bala Buratai has been appointed as the new Vice Chancellor of the Nigerian Army University Biu (NAUB).
The appointment was announced following an intensive and merit-based selection process conducted by the Governing Council of NAUB at the Armed Forces Officers Mess and Suites, Asokoro, Abuja. The Council, under the chairmanship of Dr. Awwal Moriki, concluded its deliberations and formally presented the letter of appointment to Prof Buratai in a brief but momentous ceremony.
Dr. Moriki, while congratulating the new helmsman, described the selection as the culmination of a transparent and rigorous process aimed at identifying a visionary academic leader who embodies the university’s core values of excellence, discipline, and innovation.
With this appointment, Prof Buratai succeeds Professor Kyari Mohammed, whose single five-year tenure is widely credited with laying a strong foundation for the university’s academic and structural growth.
The Nigerian Army University Biu (NAUB) was established in 2018 as a unique public institution owned by the Nigerian Army and designed to serve both military personnel and civilians. Located in Biu, Borno State, the university was conceived as a strategic response to the security and developmental challenges facing Nigeria and the wider Sahel region.
NAUB is focused on entrepreneurship, innovation, defense studies, and technology-driven research. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs in diverse fields ranging from engineering and environmental sciences to social sciences, computing, and military history.
What sets NAUB apart is its civil-military partnership model, which aims to foster mutual understanding and collaboration between Nigeria’s armed forces and the general populace. The university plays a key role in developing indigenous solutions to security challenges while also contributing to national capacity building and economic resilience through education.
With increasing national and international recognition, NAUB continues to attract scholars and partnerships across Africa and beyond, committed to transforming it into a world-class institution in security and development research.
Professor Lawan Buratai, a respected scholar and administrator, is expected to lead the university into its next chapter—deepening academic standards, expanding infrastructure, and strengthening NAUB’s role in national transformation.
His appointment signals a continuity of vision with a renewed focus on excellence, innovation, and service to the nation.
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