60 years ago, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, was assassinated at his residence in Kaduna by Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu, who was widely regarded as his adopted son !!!
With David Raya conceding tonight, it’s a good reminder that this record held by Edwin Van der Sar will NEVER be broken.
1311 Premier League minutes without conceding a goal. 🤯
Certainly, the late President Buhari didn’t get enough credit for his decisive role in saving Nigeria from being cheated of billions of dollars in the infamous P&ID case. It started in January 2010, under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, when Nigeria signed a 20-year Gas Supply and Processing Agreement (GSPA) with a British Virgin Islands company, Process & Industrial Developments (P&ID). The deal required P&ID to build and operate a gas processing facility in Calabar, Cross River State, while Nigeria would supply the gas, and in return, we would get the processed gas for power generation.
However, the deal collapsed in 2012, and the project never took off. Amid allegations of fraud and non-performance, P&ID turned around to claim that Nigeria had breached the contract by failing to supply the gas, even though it had not built any plant. So, in 2017, a London arbitration tribunal ruled in favor of P&ID, awarding $6.6 billion in damages, with interest (7% annually), the amount grew to over $11 billion by 2019, roughly one-third of our foreign reserves at the time.
President Buhari vehemently rejected the ruling and stood firm against what was clearly an attempt by P&ID and some bad actors to defraud Nigeria. He ordered a full investigation into how the contract was awarded, which led to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arresting several officials and exposing evidence of bribes, forged documents, and a lack of due process in the deal. PMB directed Nigeria’s legal team to challenge the contract and personally took the matter to the floor of the United Nations General Assembly, alerting the international community to how P&ID, with the help of some corrupt Nigerians, attempted to rob Nigeria of billions.
Under his leadership, the government launched comprehensive legal and criminal investigations, leading to the convictions of P&ID affiliates for fraud, tax evasion and money laundering. Nigeria also sought to overturn the arbitration award in the UK High Court.
In October 2023, Justice Robin Knowles of the London High Court ruled in favor of Nigeria, setting aside the $11 billion award after finding overwhelming evidence of fraud, bribery and perjury by P&ID. The judge described the arbitration as tainted and contrary to public policy.
The court further ordered P&ID to pay Nigeria £43 million in damages and to refund the legal costs. Still, P&ID appealed to the UK Supreme Court, arguing it should be allowed to pay Nigeria in naira instead of pounds.
Yesterday, the UK Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, ruling that P&ID must pay the £43 million in pounds sterling, the same currency Nigeria used to pay its lawyers.
This entire episode stands as a landmark victory for Nigeria and a legacy of Muhammadu Buhari’s resolve, patriotism and leadership in defending Nigeria’s sovereignty from international fraud.
May you continue to rest in peace, Baba. 🤲🏽
President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Katsina Governor Umar Dikko, Yusuf Buhari are walking behind the casket of former President Muhammadu Buhari's body as it is placed in an ambulance for transport to Daura for his burial.