Sanusi shuns Financial Council’s invitation, heads to court

The suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, on Thursday shunned the invitation of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria to appear before it.

Instead, the embattled governor of the CBN wrote the body, accusing it of acting in bad faith and acting prejudicially.

In addition to this, Sanusi also sued the body.

The FRCN had through a letter dated March 14, 2014, invited Sanusi to give explanation on some of his activities at the CBN.

Sanusi, in turn, wrote the body demanding for the specific areas the Council needed explanation.

His letter was dated March 16, 2014.

However, he did not get a response to his letter.

Rather, the FRCN placed an advertisement in some major national dailies, summoning Sanusi to appear before it on Thursday.

The advertisement was placed on March 24.

Sanusi, however, did not respond to the invitation.

His lawyer, Kola Awodein (SAN), wrote the FRCN on the development.

In the letter by Awodein, Sanusi accused the body of attempts to tarnish his image.

Specifically on the advertorial, Sanusi said: “We take the view that this advertorial is in bad faith, just as it is calculated to embarrass and disparage our Client. We are also of the firm view that this advertorial is evidence of an avowed intent to act prejudicially.”

The letter by Awodein reads in full:

Re: On-going Investigation of Central bank of Nigeria – Advertorial in National Dailies

1. We are Counsel to Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi CON, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), on whose behalf we write.

2. Our Client received the letter of 14 March 2014 from the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC), wherein he was invited to appear before the FRC to explain his involvement in the activities of the CBN between 2011 and 2012. We refer to our Client’s response of 16 March 2014 to the FRC by which he sought clarity on the specific activities of the CBN sought to be investigated, to which he is yet to receive a response.

3. Our Client was thus surprised to see the FRC’s advertorial on page 51 of ThisDay Newspaper and page 34 of the Punch Newspaper (as well as other newspapers) on 24 March 2014 inviting him in respect of the same subject matter. We take the view that this advertorial is in bad faith, just as it is calculated to embarrass and disparage our Client. We are also of the firm view that this advertorial is evidence of an avowed intent to act prejudicially.

4. At all events, it is appalling that our Client is now being invited after the FRC had arrived at false and malicious conclusions in its Briefing Note dated 7 June 2013 to the President (Briefing Note). Those conclusions include:

1.1. “Incompetence or acting outside the object clause of the CBN”;

1.2. “Nonchalance”;

1.3. “Fraudulent activities”;

1.4. “Wastefulness”;

1.5. “Abuse of due process”; and

1.6. “Deliberate efforts to misrepresent facts”.

5. In addition, you recommended to the President that His Excellency cause our Client and the Deputy Governors of the CBN to “… cease from holding office in the CBN…so that the opposition to the Federal Government does not take advantage of the information and use it to attack the government…”

6. It is evident from the foregoing conclusions and recommendations that the FRC has pre-judged what it now purports to investigate, thereby compromising the integrity of any such investigation.

7. Moreover, the credibility of the purported investigation is further undermined by the fact that in reaching the decisions contained in the Briefing Note, the FRC neither heard nor provided our Client with the opportunity to respond to the weighty allegations that led to the unfounded conclusions contained therein.

8. Above all, it is obvious from your enabling statute, the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria Act 2011, in particular Sections 7, 8, 11, 25, 28, 58(2) and 62 thereof, the FRC lacks the authority and the powers to conduct the investigation it seeks to undertake.

9. Whilst our Client is not averse to an objective investigation by an appropriate and impartial authority into the activities of the CBN during his tenure as Governor, or into his own activities as a citizen, our Client is constrained to decline the FRC’s invitation on the basis of bias, breach of the rules of natural justice, absence of statutory power, violation of the rule of law, and conduct prejudicial to good public administration and the special position of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Apart from shunning the invitation by the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Sanusi has also dragged the body to court.

The originating summons reads: “Within seven days after service of this summons on them, inclusive of the day of such service, cause an appearance to be entered for them to this summons which is issued upon application of Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (the Plaintiff) of c/o his Counsel, Mr. Kola Awodein SAN, Dr. Konyinsola Ajayi SAN, Mr. AB Mahmoud SAN; Prof. Yemi Osibajo SAN; c/o of Olaniwun Ajayi LP of Plot L2 Banana Island, Lagos who claims that the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria has acted in bad faith and ultra vires its statutorily conferred powers and functions; and that his right of fair hearing, as espoused by the rules Natural Justice,and as constitutionally guaranteed under Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As amended) has been, is being and is likely to be violated; and for the determination of the following questions:

“Whether in light of the provisions of Sections 7, 8, and 62 of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria Act 2011 the Defendants are conferred with the statutory power to investigate the Central Bank of Nigeria and Plaintiff, other than for purposes related to or connected with its statutorily prescribed powers and functions.

“Whether, having not given the Plaintiff the opportunity to make representations to the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria before the formulation of the Briefing Note dated 07.06.2013 to the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Defendants in bad faith, concluded in the said Briefing Note that the Plaintiff be (x) sacked immediately from office; and (y) criminally prosecuted for financial crimes; the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria accorded the Plaintiff fair hearing in consonance with the rules of natural justice and the provisions of Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ( As Amended).

“Whether, subsequent to the conduct of the Defendants set out in paragraphs 1 and 2 above, the Defendants can validly in the contemplation of law, conduct an independent, fair, objective and unbiased investigation of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Plaintiff.”

The reliefs sought by the Claimant include: “A DECLARATION that the Defendants acted ultra vires their powers and functions as statutorily conferred on them under the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria Act 2011;

“A DECLARATION that the conduct of the Defendants were biased and acted in contravention of the rules of Natural Justice and the constitutional right to fair hearing in the preparation of the Briefing Note and making the recommendations contained therein to the President without first granting the Plaintiff an opportunity to be heard;

“A DECLARATION that the Defendants’ failure, refusal and neglect to accord the Plaintiff the right to be heard before the preparation of the Briefing Note and making the recommendations for his removal from office to the President was capricious, arbitrary and without basis, and constitute a gross violation the rules of Natural Justice and constitutional right of fair hearing;

“A DECLARATION that the Defendant does not have the vires or power to conduct the purported investigation into the activities of the Plaintiff and the Central Bank of Nigeria;

“AN ORDER of this Honourable Court restraining the Defendants and their agents, privies, servants and officers or anyone acting through, by or under its authority or pursuant to the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria Act from conducting and/or continuing any investigation, inquiry, hearing or proceeding against the Central Bank of Nigeria and Plaintiff in relation to any matter whatsoever;

“AND FOR SUCH FURTHER OR OTHER ORDER(S) as this honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance.”

In his affidavit ,Sanusi said: “I was appointed Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria on 10th day of June 2009 and my tenure of office is scheduled to expire on 9th day of June 2014.

“It has come to my knowledge that the 1st Defendants issued a Briefing Note on the Central Bank of Nigeria Audited Financial Statement for year ended 31st December 2012, to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria dated 07.06.2013 [Briefing Note]. Now shown to me, attached and marked “Exhibit 1” is the Briefing Note.

“In the said Briefing Note, the Defendants made several allegations against the CBN leadership including allegations of financial recklessness, fraud, incompetence, misconduct, wastefulness, abuse of due process, and misrepresentation.

“Subsequent to the Briefing Note issued by the Defendants to the President, the President by a letter dated 19.02.2014 from the office of the Secretary to the Government of Federation, suspended me from office as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (Suspension Letter). Now shown to me, attached and marked as Exhibit 2 is a copy of the Suspension Letter.”

Ultra Vires

“I responded to the allegation contained in the Briefing Note by my letter dated 18.03.2014 and I have since been invited by the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria by a letter dated 14.03.14 and publications contained in several widely circulated national dailies to appear before it in the Investigation of the Central Bank Nigeria. Now shown to me, attached and marked as Exhibit 3 is a copy of the Invitation Letter.

“I was informed by my counsel, Mr. Kola Awodein SAN in a meeting at the offices of Olaniwun Ajayi LP at Plot L2 401 close Banana Island Ikoyi Lagos at about 4:00 pm on 24 March 2014 and I verily believe him that:

“The 1st Defendant does not have the powers to investigate the activities of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Plaintiff;

“The investigative powers of the 1st Defendant under its Act is not at large and can only be in the context of its general functions and objectives; and

“In the Briefing Note, the Defendants made conclusions which are in excess of the powers of the Defendants.

Fair hearing and Bad faith

“I was not called upon by the Defendants to provide clarifications of the several allegations made in the Briefing Note before same was forwarded to the President.

“The Defendants in the Briefing Note recommended my immediate dismissed from office and institution of criminal proceedings against me.

“In several paragraphs of the Briefing Note the Defendant made several statements scathing conclusions in relation to my administration of the affairs of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Specifically:

“The defendant in paragraph 3.12 of the Briefing Note, stated that “ the CBN made deposit for shares in the Bank of Industry to the tune of 4.947 billion since September 2007 (as at December 2012 the shares have not been issued to the CBN… the leadership of the CBN is not worried about it…”

“In paragraph 3.13, the Defendant stated that “the CBN claimed it paid the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc (NSPM Plc) N 38.233 Billion in 2011 for ‘printing of Bank Notes’ whereas the entire turnover of NSPMC (Group) is N 29.370 Billion.”

“In paragraph 3.13(a) the defendant alleged that the Central Bank under my leadership was fraudulent when it stated that “…a closer look at the breakdown shows that this is just an expense head that is used for fraudulent activities as they have items such as profit from the sale of diesel….”

“I depose to this affidavit bona fide, conscientiously believing same to be true and in accordance with the Oaths Act.”

Updated: Court bars Lagos from collecting toll on Lekki-Ikoyi bridge

A Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday held that there was no existing law in Lagos State permitting the collection of toll on the newly constructed Lekki-Ikoyi Suspension Bridge.

Justice Saliu Saidu said this while delivering judgment in a suit by a human rights activist, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, against the Lagos State Government over collection of toll on the bridge.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and the National Inland Waterways Authority were joined as first and second respondents respectively in the suit.

Also, the Attorney-General of Lagos State, Adeola Ipaye, and the Lagos State Government were third and fourth respondents respectively.

Saidu said that he considered the case on its merit, rather than delving into technical issues raised in the addresses of counsel.

He said: “The further counter affidavit of the third and fourth respondents and the response of the first and second respondents have answered most of the questions before this court.

“The second respondent, NIWA, is the only Federal Agency empowered to form and regulate Navigable Waterway in the country, in line with the NIWA Act.

“The applicant did not contest this issue, but only goes further to raise the issue of collection of toll from the subject matter.

“The third respondent tried to justify the collection of such toll in paragraph 26 of their counter-affidavit by stating that when the bridge is erected, its proceeds will be applied to the consolidated revenue fund of the Lagos State Government.

“The question now is: has the Lagos State Government made the appropriate law to enable her collect such toll on the bridge?

“The third respondent only cited sections 27, 28, and 29 of the Lagos State Public Private Partnership Law 2011 as making provision for the collection of revenue.

“There is nothing before me to show that the subject matter in this case was as a result of any Public Private Partnership Law to enable the law of 2011 be extended to the instant case.

“The fact before this court is that the bridge was built with the fourth respondent’s money.

“I agree and uphold the construction of the bridge and the power of the Lagos State Government to generate revenue therefrom, but the existing law does not cover it.

“I therefore hold that the fourth respondent can only make a law to that effect before it can collect tolls on the Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge.”

Adegboruwa had filed the suit on November 26, 2012.

He had sought for a declaration that the Lagos State Government had no authority to erect a bridge on the Lagos Lagoon categorised by law as federal navigable waterways.

He had also sought a determination of the court as to whether there existed any law in Nigeria authorising the collection of such tolls, tax or fee from citizens.

Adegboruwa had asked the court to declare that the imposition of such tariff on road users is an illegal form of taxation that is inconsistent with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government on Thursday said it was going to appeal the judgment.

Ipaye said there was no specific court order barring the state government from collecting tolls on the Lekki-Ikoyi bridge.

Ipaye told newsmen that the state government would immediately appeal the judgment and also seek a stay of its execution.

He said: “From what we heard, no consequential orders were made.

“No declarations were made by the court.

“This is an ambiguity that is being exploited already.

“The court did not make any pronouncement that tolling should be stopped on the bridge.”

The commissioner believed that the judge erred when he ruled that the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority was the only agency authorised to regulate inland waterways in Nigeria.

Ipaye said: “The second fundamental error was the assumption of the court that the Private Public Partnership Law of Lagos State 2011, which we cited in support of toll collection, did not apply, simply because the bridge construction was not by PPP.”

According to him, contrary to the court’s assumption, Section 29 of the law clearly states that it applies to public infrastructure or public assets.

Ipaye argued that tolls could be collected on any public infrastructure irrespective of whether it was constructed using PPP or not.

He said the collection of toll was to enable the state to offset debts incurred on the construction and to maintain the bridge.

He said: “The judgment read this morning did not specifically address many questions raised by the applicant, neither did it grant any of the declarations sought.

“However, the pronouncements referred to above are capable of being interpreted as court orders, hence our decision to appeal and seek a stay of execution immediately.”

He advised road users to continue to pay the toll pending the determination of the appeal at the Court of Appeal, Lagos.

Our earlier story: A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has barred the Lagos State Government from further collection of tolls on the Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge.

Justice Saliu Saidu gave the judgment on Thursday.

Saidu declared that since the bridge was built with public funds, it was wrong to impose tolls on the people.

A lawyer, Barrister Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, filed the suit.

Akingbola faces stiff opposition in bid to reclaim Intercontinental Bank

There are indications that a former Managing Director of Intercontinental Bank, now Access Bank, Dr. Erastus Akingbola, is making moves to regain control of the bank.

However, as Akingbola is nurturing the ambition and contacting highly placed and influential public office holders, so also are those opposed to him owing to his past working assiduously to cut short the move.

And their main weapon is the conviction of Akingbola for stealing and diversion of depositors’ funds to purchase properties in the United Kingdom.

He was also found guilty of purchasing shares for himself in order to manipulate the share price in the stock market of the defunct bank.

The landmark judgment, by Mr. Justice Burton of the Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London, United Kingdom, in a suit instituted by Intercontinental Bank soon after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission charged Akingbola for fraud in 2010, the former MD was ordered to refund the about N165 billion stolen from the Bank through various fraudulent means.

The ghost haunting Akingbola appears not to be easy to chase away.

His efforts to explain away some of his unwholesome practices while in office such as granting and guaranteeing loans to his companies to the tune of N16 billion in respect of Tropic Finance and unlawful share purchase scheme of N145 billion and about £10.5 million in respect of Furgler Payment claim, has reportedly failed.

In fact, sources said he has tried enlisting the support of President Goodluck Jonathan and several government financial regulatory bodies.

However, those contacted are said not to be finding things easy because of the weight of evidences against him.

According to facts presented by Jimoh AbduIraheem, the Bank’s Chief Inspector, who was a prosecution witness in the high profile case of fraud and stealing, Akingbola transferred funds to his (Akingbola’s) offshore account.

Led in evidence by defence counsel, Godwin Obla, Abdulraheem told the court that he was once invited by the EFCC to give a statement about the movement of funds from Intercontinental Bank to various companies account on the instruction of Akingbola while he held sway as Managing Director of Intercontinental Bank.

He went on to identify a copy of the statement he wrote on  January 28, 2011.

Obla consequently urged the court to admit the document as exhibit.

But defence counsel, Felix Fagbohungbe (SAN) objected, arguing that he needed time to study the document.

The objection was overruled by the court and the document was admitted as exhibit.

Another document authorizing the transfer of £1.3 million was also tendered by Obla. After certifying that he recognized the document, Abdulraheem informed the court how he was ordered via an instruction memo to transfer 1.3 million pounds to the account of a British Law Firm, Fulgers Solicitors.

He said: “I was authorized by Dr. Akingbola to inform the Head of Funds Department. Prior to the instructions, there were discussions that the said amount be transferred to the account of Tropic Finance Limited. The instruction came via a memo and the order was swiftly carried out. Mr. Akin Fabunmi, who is the Head of Funds Department, carried out the instruction.”

A copy of an unsigned memo conveying Akingbola’s instruction to effect the transfer was given to the witness to confirm if that was the memo containing the instruction.

The witness confirmed the document, which was subsequently admitted as exhibit.

As to the whereabout of the originals, Abdulraheem said all original documents relating to the trial were lost in the cause of investigation.

He continued that the instructions were carried out and the funds were transferred to the account of a British Law Firm, Fulgers Solicitors.

Obla asked the witness if there was any evidence to back up what he said.

The witness said an electronically generated swift message is attached to the unsigned memo, which represents the confirmation of payment.

He was asked if he would recognize the said message.

He answered  in the affirmative and the court handed him a copy of the message, which he confirmed.

He said such messages are usually printed out of the computer if foreign account transfers are carried out.

Counsel to Akingbola said the documents tendered are not original and urged the court not to admit them as exhibits.

Obla responded saying the originals have been misplaced as stated by the witness in the process of investigation.

He referred the court to section 97(1) C of the Evidence Act, which said copies of documents can be admitted.

The objection was overruled by the court and the documents were admitted as exhibit

Another document tendered by Obla was a letter written to Intercontinental Bank Plc by one Corporate Securities Nigeria Limited requesting that the Bank should make a payment of N10 billion for some shares purchased for the bank.

The letter listed how the payment was to be made to some companies.

These companies are: Tropics Securities, Bankinson Nigeria Limited and Tropics Properties.

The letter was signed by Bayo Dada, who is Akingbola’s co-accused.

The witness said that instruction was also carried out as the funds were taken from pre- payment account of the Bank and credited to those companies.

He said while investigations commenced, the Bank management asked him to conduct investigations as to the movement of cheques issued to those companies and it was discovered that the three cheques have been deposited in those companies’ accounts at Access Bank.

Further investigations revealed that the companies were linked to Akingbola and his wife, Antonia.

Abdulraheem said the instruction to effect payment was given by Akigbola verbally.

A certain Fabunmi then raised a memo to effect it.

Another N8.6 billion was also taken from the bank through the same General Ledger manipulation.

Dr. Akingbola had written a letter instructing that the said sum should be credited to the accounts of Tropics Properties Limited, Bankinson Nigeria Limited and Tropics Finance Limited around May and June, 2009.

Through the same manipulation, N3.35 billion was also moved via an instruction given by Tropics Finance Limited to Bankinson Nigeria Limited, a company where Mrs. Antonia Akingbola has interest.

Also on May 15, 2009, N350 million was paid into the account of Intercontinental Homes, N500 million was paid to the account of Intercontinental Securities and another N250 million was paid into the account of Intercontinental Capital Market, all subsidiaries of the Bank.

The said payments were effected based on a letter dated May 18, 2009, received from Bayo Dada of Tropics Finance.

Abdulraheem said this particular transaction was manipulated as the date of transfer on the statement varied from the day the instruction was received.

The sum of N1.550 billion was also allegedly moved fraudulently on May 22, 2009 in the same manner.

An instruction from Akigbola was passed to the bank for the said money to be moved into the accounts of Tropics Finance Limited and Associated Discount House.

The sum of N1.5 billion was moved to Tropics account to be fixed for one month while N50 million was paid to Associated Discount House to pay off debt owned by Tropics Finance Limited.

Owing to this, Dr. Akingbola and Dada are standing trial on a 22-count charge bordering on stealing of over N42.4 billion from the defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc.

Yet to be absolved of these heinous crimes, the banker, the EFCC has said, is desperately using different methods to frustrate his trial and to subsequently escape spending years in jail.

However, the EFCC has said it is bent on seeing the case to a conclusion.

Oyo government owns building used for ritual – Accord Party

The Accord Party in Oyo State on Wednesday called on the National Human Rights Commission and civil society groups to investigate the suspected killings at Soka, Ibadan, Oyo State.

The party, which made the call at a news conference in Ibadan, also called on the state government to clear the air on the true status of the controversial property in which the suspected killings were said to have been carried out.

No fewer than 20 decomposed bodies and some emaciated captives were found in an apartment in Soka on Saturday.

A chieftain of the Accord Party, Chief Ayodele Adigun, claimed that the land on which the property was sited belonged to the state government, having revoked its Certificate of Occupancy from the earlier occupiers.

Adigun also claimed that the property was first occupied by a contractor that initially handled the Ogunpa channelisation project.

Adigun, however, said the contract was revoked and handed over to another contractor, adding that the equipment found at the site were those impounded by the state government in 2000.

He further claimed that the Ministry of Environment took over the premises and even carried out some pilot projects there, including a rehabilitation centre for the destitute and mentally challenged.

Adigun said some criminals might have taken advantage of the lax security in the area to carry out the attacks on those allegedly dumped there.

But the Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has denied any involvement in the establishment of any project in the controversial area.

“Both the good and bad things are attributed to the leader, but I understand that the place was set up 10 years ago and I only came as governor less than four years ago,” Ajimobi said.

Ajimobi said he learnt that a woman even delivered a baby there seven years ago.

He said that the developments there had nothing to do with him.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress in the state has urged residents to ignore the claims of the Accord Party, saying it only wanted to take advantage of the situation to gain political mileage.

The Interim State Publicity Secretary of the APC in Oyo State, Dauda Kolawole, said in a statement on Wednesday that the incident rather called for sober reflection.

Kolawole said: “The people of Oyo State are in a state of grief and shock at the horrendous discovery of ritual killers’ den in the state.

“The situation calls for sober reflection from all and sundry.”

The APC said that from the testimonies of the kidnapped victims, it was obvious that the apartment had been in existence for almost 10 years.

Intercontinental Bank: Shareholders sue Sanusi for N10bn

Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Lamido Sanusi

Shareholders of the defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc have asked an Abuja Federal High Court to order the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Lamido Sanusi, to pay them N10bn as damages over what they described as the fraudulent banking and investment practices and breaches involved in the sale of the bank.

The plaintiffs, Abdullahi Sani, Adaeze Onwuegbusi and Chijioke Ezeikpe, in the suit filed by their lawyer, Chris Uche SAN, accused Sanusi of conniving with the Managing Director and Deputy Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imokhuede, and Mr. Herbert Wigwe, and Senator Bukola Saraki, to sell the bank in a bid to confer corrupt advantage upon themselves.

The CBN and the Securities and Exchange Commission were joined as defendants in the suit, which came up before Justice Ahmed Mohammed on Tuesday.

Justice Mohammed granted an ex-parte motion in which the plaintiffs sought leave to serve the suit on Sanusi by pasting copies of the originating summons at the headquarters of the CBN.

The plaintiffs also urged the court to order the CBN to immediately recover the sums of N16.2bn and N8.9bn, together with accrued interests, being owed Intercontinental Bank by Aig-Imokhuede, Wigwe and Saraki.

The court was asked to declare that the takeover of Intercontinental Bank by Access Bank on the instructions of the Sanusi “without any lawful justification whatsoever in a bid to confer corrupt advantage upon himself and his friends/associates/cronies” was illegal, null and void.

In the same vein, the plaintiffs asked the court to order SEC to conduct a detailed public investigation into the circumstances surrounding the acquisition on Intercontinental Bank by Access Bank.

In an affidavit in support of the originating summons, the plaintiffs averred that as of August 2009, Intercontinental Bank had a paid up capital of N230bn and a balance sheet of N1.6bn, 330 branches nationwide, 10 subsidiaries and 12,000 workers.

Igbos said to be descendants of Israelites

TORONTO — It’s remarkable that finding the lost tribes of Israel, who were forcibly dispersed from the Holy Land some 2,800 years ago, still stirs the imagination.

The Jews of Ethiopia, said to be the descendants of the tribe of Dan, are the best known. Most of them now live in Israel.

There’s evidence the Pashtuns of Afghanistan consider themselves descendants of ancient Israel’s first king, Saul, while other groups have surfaced around the world staking a claim to the ancient Israelite heritage.

Now, a barrister in Nigeria, Remy Ilona, asserts that the Igbo people of that western African nation are likewise Israelite descendants.

“As a boy, I heard, like every other Igbo heard, that the Igbo people came from Israel. In primary school, you’re bound to hear that Igbo people came from Israel,” he said in a video lecture delivered last weekend.

Ilona will speak through a recording at Congregation Darchei Noam to be held on Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m. during Black History Month. The event, sponsored jointly with the Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue and the Toronto Jewish Film Festival, included an excerpt of the new film, Re-Emerging: the Jews of Nigeria by director Jeff Lieberman, which will première at the festival in April.

About 10 years ago, Ilona began serious researching the Israelite heritage of the Igbo people. His father, he explained, “always talked about Israel with special interest.”

The research confirmed “what the Igbo always believed, that the Igbo descended from ancient Israelites,” he said.

Ilona believes “97 per cent of Igbos agree that they are Jewish,” while the other three per cent don’t want to be associated with whites, who they see as colonial oppressors.

Ilona dismisses those concerns. Reclaiming one’s heritage has nothing to do with colonialism, he maintains.

Skeptics, however, suggest the Igbo affinity for things Jewish dates back only to western colonial times. One writer on the AfricaIsrael website states this is due to “outside influences and that they were very much a part of the colonial discourse of the British imperialists over their colonized subjects.”

However, a 2012 book review in the Nigerian Voice website offers the opposite conclusion, that the Igbo may have imbibed western culture, but the groups’ origins lie in the Holy Land.

Igbo elder George Ojingwa writes in Igbo Kwenu that the people’s history goes back 4,000 years to the Shechnigbo clan, domiciled in the northern tip of Negev desert, south of Jerusalem. The author associates the Shechnigbo with the tribes of Benjamin and Judah, and according to him, in 740 BCE, they fled for safety when the Assyrians besieged Samaria. Moving south to Ethiopia, they eventually joined others heading to southern Sudan and finally to the northern Nigeria, arriving around 600 BCE.

Ilona said the Igbo and the Jews share many customs. Like the Jews, the Igbo circumcise their male chidren on the eighth day; Jews marry under a chupah, Igbo under a similar canopy; both groups bury their dead quickly; the Igbo, like the Jews, mourn for seven days and around a month after the death, have a ceremony to mark the occasion. Both groups maintain a day of rest.

In his book, The Igbos: Jews in Africa, Ilona records Nigerian oral traditions about the Igbo’s origins. One suggests the Igbo are the descendants of Ethiopian Jewish immigrants; another places the Igbo as the descendants of the tribe of Menashe; others say they are part of the tribe of Levi; still another records their ancestors as Yemeni or Baghdadi princes

In an email correspondence, Ilona said census figures indicated “there are between 17 and 20 million Igbos in Nigeria, and perhaps another 15 million living outside Nigeria.”

About two per cent practice the traditional Igbo religion that is called Ome na ana.

“Up to 90 per cent would say that they are Christians; one per cent would be Muslims; 5,000-50,000 practice rabbinic Judaism, five per cent practice Sabbatharianism, and the rest practice New Age religions.

“Until recent times, every Igbo proudly declared that they have Israelite heritage. But by now we can say that those that identify themselves as descendants of the Israelites would constitute 99.5 per cent of the Igbo population. And these 99.5 belong to all the religions that exist among the Igbos.”

Ilona said the Igbo are generally well off: “Many Igbos are wealthy, but they became wealthy because they worked hard. Working hard is not the traditional way to getting rich in Nigeria. Corruption, cronyism, patronage are the traditional and acceptable ways, and through these route Igbos get less income and wealth than other Nigerians, because Igbos have effectively been kept away from political power in Nigeria”

The Igbo have been caught up in the factional fighting that is racking Nigeria. “I say caught in the middle, because even though the Igbos are seen as predominantly Christians, which they are, they have also been killed by Nigerian Christians from other ethnicities. And also the Igbos are in the firing line. They own up to 90 per cent of the retail shops in Nigeria, and these retail shops are the targets of looters whenever the ethnic-cum-religious riots begin.”

As for the Igbos connections to the wider Jewish world, Ilona states in his video presentation that the group, Kulanu has provided support for the Igbo, along with a number of individuals and rabbis, who have sent numerous religious texts. Kulanu is a New York-based organization that states it “works around the world to support isolated and emerging Jewish communities who wish to learn more about Judaism and (re-) connect with the wider Jewish community.”

As for himself, Ilona leads a Jewish lifestyle, worshipping in a synagogue, living according to a Jewish calendar, celebrating Shabbat and festivals.

“We follow every Jewish ritual as it is followed,” he stated.

North seeks N100bn to rebuild North East from Boko Haram terrorist’s destruction

Northern lawmakers have put the losses resulting from Boko Haram attacks in the North-East at over N100bn and claimed that the amount was needed to rebuild the zone.A member of the House of Representatives from Borno State, Mr. Abdulrahman Abba-Terrab, who moved a motion on the cost of the attacks.