A website and an Abuja-based newspaper had reported that the accident occurred late last month. The report had said that the driver of a luxury bus was reportedly ordered by robbers to run his bus over passengers who had been ordered to lie on the road.

The committee members, led by the Chairman, Senator Patrick Osakwe, appeared to be unconvinced by the testimonies of the top hierarchy of the police and the FRSC in Abuja and decided to visit the scene of the accident, not far from the Ilisan end of the highway.

Other members of the committee on the visit were Senators Ayogu Eze, Olabode Ola, Abdulazeez Usman, Ohize Otaro, Dahiru Bako Gassol and Simeon Oduoye. Another member, Senator Nuhu Aliyu, was absent.

But Bolanta, who spoke with THISDAY on the phone yesterday, insisted that no child was killed, contrary to media reports. The policeman attached to Iyaganku Central Police Station, Ibadan, Mr. Raymond Egbongbonwuyi, with service number 303529, was reported to have removed drips from recuperating children on admission in the hospital and thereafter tear gased the ward where children, relatives and medical personnel were, leading to the death of two of the children.

His frustration reportedly stemmed out of the loss of another of his children at the University College Hospital (UCH) in similar circumstances a fortnight ago. The intervention of policemen from the nearby Oluyole Police Division brought the situation under control. Parents of the affected children fought back tears over the development and demanded justice. One of the parent, who gave her name as Mrs. Rukayat Lawal and whose child was in critical condition, said that her child was receiving treatment when the policeman stormed the ward and teargased the children on their beds.

One of the medical personnel decried the insecurity at the hospital and called on the state government to protect the employees and patients in the hospital. The police chief stated: “It was sheer sensationalism. I have been briefed of the development in the hospital.

But this time around, it was not the Hausas versus the indigenes, but the Plateau State chapter of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees protesting the decision by the state government to sack over 8,800 of its members a development NULGE described as callous.

Some of the principal officers at the local government secretariat took to their heels when the aggrieved union members besieged the place while the protesters took over the entire secretariat chanting riot slogans.

The entrance to the Local Government’s secretariat was barricaded by the union thereby preventing people from gaining access, while those trapped inside were struggling to escape.

The state president of the union, Comrade Goewam Mohammed, had earlier addressed the press during the week where he expressed the union’s disappointment  at the state government which he lamented had deprived his union of several benefits including promotions.

He also noted with regret that the state government had suspended the implementation of the new scheme of service for local government workers initiated by the previous administration in the state.

Also yesterday, the EFCC filed 229 amended charges against the suspended chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Dr. Ransome Owan and six commissioners of the agency for allegedly converting billions of naira belonging to NERC to personal use.

In a press release signed by the commission’s Head of Media, Femi Babafemi, Elumelu and the eight other accused persons have also been separated in the fresh charges.
The three lawmakers Elumelu,  former House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Power; Ugbane, Senate Committee Chairman on Power; and Mohammed are now facing a total of 62 count charges while the six other  accused are facing a 68 count charge.

The other accused are Engr. Samuel Ibi Gekpe, Dr. Abdullahi Aliyu, Simon Kirdi Nanle, Engr. Lawrence Kayode Orekoya, Abdulsamad Garba Jahun and Barrister Kayode Oyedeji.

After more than five hours of reading out the offences and a “not guilty” plea taken by Elumelu and the other eight accused persons yesterday, the lead counsel to the first accused, Engr. Samuel Gekpe, Paul Erokoro (SAN), asked that the bail earlier granted the accused be sustained.

Thereafter, the presiding judge asked that all counsel should take a date for the determination of a motion brought by Ugbane’s lawyer that the charges against him be quashed.

The analysts, who are already in the country, will join eight other forensic experts who are staff of the anti graft commission.

The audit of 24 banks in the country by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN has led to the removal of eight Managing Directors and many Executive Directors.

While four ex-MDs had been arraigned in court, four others are awaiting trial.

Those yet to be arraigned are a former Executive Vice-Chairman of Intercontinental Bank Plc, Mr. Erastus Akingbola, ex-MD of Bank PHB, Mr. Francis Atuche, former MD of Spring Bank Plc, Mr. Charles Ojo, and the sacked MD of Equatorial Trust Bank, ETB.

It was however learnt that the enormity of the fraud uncovered in the eight banks has forced the EFCC to engage 10 forensic analysts to look into the records of these banks.

According to EFCC’s spokesman, Mr. Femi Babafemi, the suspects, Messrs Francis Atuche and Charles Ojo, are to be detained at the commission’s Ikoyi’s office till November 3.

However, Chief Magistrate Oyindamola Ogala stated that the order was subject to review.

Justifying EFCC’s interrogation of the bank debtors at a secret location, Babafemi explained that it had been empowered by an Act of the Parliament to do so.

Ojo was picked up about 11.pm at the new terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos on his way from Abuja. Sources said he was alone at the time he was picked up by operatives of the commission.

Officials of the commission told THISDAY last night that they had intensified search for Mr. Ike Orakwuotu, former managing director of Equatorial trust Bank (ETB), and said he might be formally declared wanted if he did not voluntarily report at the commission’s office by Monday.

Ojo, now in EFCC’s detention, brings the number of persons currently detained by the commission since the apex bank released the second audit reports on 14 banks earlier in the month to three. Earlier on Friday, the anti-graft agency arrested the former managing director of Bank PHB, Mr. Francis Atuche, and the chief executive officer of Falcon Security, a stock broking firm, Mr. Peter Ololo.

EFCC officials told THISDAY last night that Ojo was cooperating in the course of their investigations.

Investigation by The Nation revealed that the two suspects were picked up in the early hours of yesterday over non-performing loans.

Upon their arrest, the suspects were taken to the EFCC office in Ikoyi, Lagos for interrogation.

Atuche was later taken to his house, which was thoroughly searched by the operatives and vital documents were retrieved.

A source said a team of five operatives is presently interrogating the suspects over alleged shares tripping, mismanagement of funds, insider abuse and outright fraud.

Besides, the commission is making moves to extradite former Chief Executive and Executive Vice-Chairman of Intercontinental Bank, Mr. Erastus Akingbola, from the United Kingdom.

Chairman of EFCC Mrs. Farida Waziri made the disclosure yesterday in Benin City, the Edo State capital, at the “Prof. Ambrose Alli Annual Lecture/Awards” organised by the Visionary Leadership Development Services (VLDS).

The late Alli was Governor of old Bendel State between 1979 and 1983 under the platform of Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).

Delivering a lecture entitled: “Leadership and the Challenges of Good Governance in Nigeria”, Mrs. Waziri urged the National Assembly to pass the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill to make leaders accountable.

On the roll of multi-billion debts are frontline businessmen, corporate giants and manufacturers as well as notable politicians. They are directors of the debtor companies.

The apex bank, in a statement issued by its spokesman Mohammed Abdullahi, noted that the list is for the un-performing loans of N100million and above in Bank PHB, Wema Bank, Spring Bank, Unity Bank and Equitorial Trust Bank (ETB) as at June 30.

The list is published in an advertorial inside this paper today.

The CBN had on October 2, 2009 fired the Chief Executive Officers of Equitorial Trust Bank, Spring Bank, and Bank PHB. It ordered Unity Bank Plc to recapitalise before June 30, next year. WEMA Bank was also directed to recapitalise.

The statement reads: ” In furtherance of the efforts of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to assist the banks affected by the outcome of the recent CBN/NDIC Special Examination, we publish herewith the list of non-performing loans of N100m and above for Bank PHB, Spring Bank, Unity Bank, Wema Bank and Equitorial Trust Bank as at June 30, 2009.”

The list cuts across the various sectors of the economy – oil and gas, import and export, construction and many others.