President Muhammadu Buhari has extended his anti-corruption war to super rich public officers who own fleet of cars and properties suspected to have been acquired through fraudulent means, The Punch reports.
Anti – corruption agents are now reportedly beaming their search lights on civil that possess many properties in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
In the regard, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has mandated its Assets Tracing, Recovery and Management Unit (ATRMU) to interrogate and recover ill-gotten assets in the possession of suspects.
A source told The Punch that any civil servant suspected of using his office to enrich himself would be charged to court and if found guilty, properties in his possession would be confiscated.
“The ICPC is intensifying efforts to retrieve some of these stolen assets from those involved. You know that the commission has a unit called the Assets Tracing, Recovery and Management Unit. This is the unit that is involved in probing those who have such assets with stolen funds,” the source said.
In some other news, This Day reports that controversy has trailed announcement of the death of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse II, after the Royal Traditional Council of Ile-Ife denied the news of his death.
Reports had circulated in the media that Oba Sijuwade died on Tuesday, July 28, in a UK hospital, of an disclosed illness.
But in a twist , the Royal Traditional Council of Ile-Ife , said the reports in the media that the monarch had died in a London hospital from an undisclosed ailment was untrue. It added that the paramount Yoruba traditional ruler was “alive and well”, and preparing for his son’s wedding this weekend.
The secretary, Royal Traditional Council of Ife, High Chief Adetoye Odewole, maintained that the the Ooni was “hale and hearty and even spoke to the chiefs on the phone a few hours earlier.”
The Guardian reports that denials iof the Oba’s death continued at the St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington West London where the Ooni was reported to have died.
Inquiries made by The Guardian at the front desk of the UK hospital around 2. p.m was met with denials by officials at the front desk of the hospital.
“I know what you’re after . I’m a Nigerian myself .He’s not here, he didn’t die here. That’s the truth. I know that for sure,” the paper was told.
A follow up at another hospital, Trust Hospital, the BUPA Cromwell in South West London, also proved unsuccessful as the newspaper was told that nobody matching the age range of the monarch passed away there Tuesday evening.
The Sun reports that the death of the Ooni of Ife has shaken the ancient city of Ile-Ife to its foundation as thousands of people thronged the palace yesterday to ascertain if the reported death of the Oba was true.
The paper reports that various parts of the town, including Mayfair, Lagere, Apakin, Modakeke and Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), mourning mood prevaded the Ooni’s palace at Enuwa and the environs.
This was even as the Palace authorities in lle-Ife denied that the Ooni was dead.
Following the announcement of the Oba’s death, The Nation reports that Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK), Dr Dalhatu Tafida, yesterday paid a condolence visit to the London home of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade.
