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Tag: Eyinnaya Abaribe

  • IPOB: Lawyer seeks Fani-Kayode, Abaribe’s probe over Kanu’s escape

    The Federal High Court in Abuja has been asked to mandate the State Security Service (SSS) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to investigate and prosecute former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe and others over their alleged involvement in how Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) escaped from the country.

    The request formed part of the reliefs in a suit filed, on October 31, this year, by a lawyer, Isaiah Ayugu, who said he was concerned about the turn of event and the damage the scandal about Kanu’s disappearance and the claim that the Nigerian sate was responsible have had on the nation’s image both at home and abroad.

    The suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1254/18, has the Director General of the SSS, the SSS, the Inspector general of Police (IGP) and the NPF as respondents.

    Ayugu argued that by recently revelation that Kanu was in Israel, it was evident that Fani-Kayode, Abaribe, Kanu’s lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor and others, who had accused the Nigerian Army of being behind Kanu’s disappearance, knew about the IPOB leader’s escape from Nigeria.

    The plaintiff stated, in a supporting affidavit, “that the said Nnamdi Kanu, the so called self-acclaimed leader of IPOB, da group that has long been proscribed and designated a terrorist group, is alive and was seen in Israel from where he called a world press conference and made a live broadcast of his new and renewed agenda for his group.

    “In the broadcast, Kanu boasted that he will bring ‘hell to Nigeria.’ It is therefore clear that, whilst Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, Femi Fani-Kayode, Ifeanyi Ejiofor,  Tochukwu Uchendu, Emmanuel Shallow Ben, Emmanuel Kanu, Uchechi Kanu, leaders of Afaraukwu community in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia state, the different civil liberty organisations and media practitioners and so many others too numerous to mention were making several dangerous claims that Nnamdi Kanu has been killed, abducted or being held by the Army,  they were aware that he was actually out of the country, by their collective or respective assistance, from where he resurfaced in video clips of him praying in Israel and subsequent video broadcast. 

    “Because Senator Abaribe took Nnamdi Kanu on bail, the case against Nnamdi  Kanu has not seen the light of the day as Nnamdi  Kanu has now jumped bail.” 

    The plaintiff particularly seeks an order of mandamus, mandating the respondents “to immediately investigate the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Nnamdi Kanu from Nigeria when, in fact, the Nigerian Army was accused of abducting, arresting, kidnapping, killing and assassinating him.

    “An order mandating the respondents to prosecute all persons suspected or indicted of involvement in aiding Nnamdi Kanu to evade justice.”

    The plaintiff also seeks “an order mandating the respondents to investigate and prosecute Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, Femi Fani-Kayode, Tochukwu Uchendu, Emmanuel Shallow Ben, Emmanuel Kanu, Ifeanyi Ejiofor and all those who worked together to propagate and spread the inciting lies and falsehood that Nnamdi Kanu was abducted, arrested, kidnapped, detained, killed and assassinated by the Nigerian military, when indeed they were well aware of Nnamdi Kanu’s whereabouts, because they played roles in helping Nnamdi Kanu disappear from Nigeria.”

    The case is yet to be assigned to any judge for hearing.

  • Buhari’s Return: End to controversies – Abaribe

    Buhari’s Return: End to controversies – Abaribe

    A member of the National Assembly, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari’s return from his medical vacation in London, saying it will end controversies surrounding his long absence.

    Buhari left Nigeria on May 7 for medical attention in England and returned on Saturday after 104 days.

    Although he handed over power to the Vice President in compliance with the Constitution, his long absence elicited varied commentaries and protests, with some urging him to “resume or resign”.

    Abaribe, who is Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the president’s return was good news for Nigerians, and “will end the controversies that trailed his stay in London”.

    “All Progressives Congress (APC) can stop blackmailing Nigerians who ask questions about the president’s ill health and face the serious governance issues bedeviling the country,’’ he said.

    The lawmaker congratulated Buhari for his “full recovery” and expressed optimism that he would resume to continue with the business of governance.

    On his part, Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, prayed God to make the president stronger by the day now that he had returned.

    He said, “we thank Almighty Allah for making the president’s return possible. I pray he continues to get stronger and stronger in the days ahead.

    “Now that the father of the land is back, all the prophets of doom are now put to shame.’’

    Sen. Yusuf Yusuf said that the president’s return called for celebration.

    “I feel wonderful and great and I thank God Almighty that our president is back.

    “I feel this is what every Nigerian should be happy about and we look forward to seeing him resume fully so that he can continue with the good works he has been doing,’’ he said.

    Yusuf described Buhari as a man of integrity, adding that he followed the rule of law before travelling by transmitting power to the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

    He said that Osinbajo did quite well as acting president and that he didn’t see any reason for the tension that built up in Buhari’s absence.

    A retired civil servant, Mr Solomon Ehigiator, said that the president’s return would strengthen good governance.

    “We pray that God should give him divine health to be able to carry out his assignment, particularly fight against corruption.

    “Corruption has been destroying our existence and it is not easy to be uprooted once; it is a gradual process.

    “The only advice is that there should not be any ‘sacred cow’. Whoever is found corrupt should face the law irrespective of tribe, religion, age or status,” Ehigiator said.

    He urged the people to allow the president to do his work, saying that the man knew his plans for the country.

    “He contested almost four times before he won and I presumed that he has his target and should not be stampeded; people should not tell him what to do because he knows why he contested.

    “He should be able to know what Nigeria needs, because he had ruled before. So, we are not to dictate to him because he has been through all the stages,” he said.

  • Senate tasks IGP on upsurge in rape cases, sexual violence

    Senate tasks IGP on upsurge in rape cases, sexual violence

    Obviously worried by the upsurge in cases of rape and other sexual perversions in the land, the Senate has charged the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris to speed up investigation and prosecution of such cases.

    The lawmakers urged the police authorities to ensure diligent prosecution of all cases of sexual abuse, violation and violence in line with the provisions of extant laws.

    The Senate also mandated it’s Committees on Health, Women Affairs and Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters to engage relevant stakeholders with a view to resolving pending cases of sexual violation across the country.

    In view of the trauma experienced by the victims, the senators further urged the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and paramilitary agencies to establish functional help desk to provide assistance and support to victims.

    The legislators also urged the courts to revisit the penalties prescribed for such offences, including domestic violence, with the view to giving offenders the appropriate and deserving punishment.

    The resolution followed a motion by the Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Ibn Na’Allah on the urgent need to address the alarming rate of rape and assault cases against women, children and other vulnerable persons in the country.

    Na’Allah bemoaned the frightening increase in cases of sexual violence in the country, particularly rape, regretting that many of the victims were usually children below the age of consent.

    He also noted that perpetrators of sexual crimes were mostly familiar neighbours, employers of labour and close family members known to the victims.

    The senator further pointed out that sex offenders constituted serious security threat to the larger segment of the society, saying that most of the cases are not getting media attention.

    He expressed concerned that the menace has continued to spread to every part of the country, recording male and female victims.

    According to him, poor prosecution and light convictions by the concerned authorities have worsened the situation, thereby portraying the country in very bad light.

    Senators Ali Wakili, Eyinnaya Abaribe, Ben Bruce and Biodun Olujimi who also contributed to the debate deplored the rise in sex related cases and called for stiffer penalties for offenders.

  • PDP Senators allege plot to incriminate Ekweremadu, others

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the Senate on Wednesday raised the alarm, alleging plots to harass, intimidate and place the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, in detention in the next two weeks.

    Addressing journalists at the National Assembly, the senators fingered “some persons in the Presidency” as masterminds of the plot.

    Speaking on behalf of the opposition lawmakers, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe said the unnamed persons were plotting to use the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other security agencies to carry out the plot.

    According to him, the security agencies were planning to plant huge sums of money in Ekweremadu’s residence in Enugu and elsewhere, then conduct a search on the premises to fish out the planted incriminating items.

    He alleged another plot to plant a gun in his car just to frame him up.

    Condemning the alleged plot, which they said must be resisted, the senators called on peace loving members of the public to be aware of what they described as an insidious plan to cow dissenting voices in the country.

    Abaribe said the detention of former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, his Benue and Niger States counterparts, Gabriel Suswam and Babangida Aliyu respectively, has raised questions about the administration’s human rights compliance.

    “This is a worrying trend about happenings in our country today. A situation where you can be set up through the security agencies and be put in prison for nothing sounds the death knell for democracy and human rights in Nigeria,” Abaribe added.

    Others at the briefing were Ekweremadu; Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio; Senator Theodore Orji and Gilbert Nnaji among others.

  • Oil benchmark: Senate, Reps may settle for $77.5

    Oil benchmark: Senate, Reps may settle for $77.5

    The controversy trailing the crude oil benchmark for the 2014 budget may soon end following indications that the Senate and the House of Representatives may have agreed to peg it at $77.5.

    It was learnt last night that the National Assembly conference committee took the decision after reconvening from its indefinite adjournment yesterday.

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Eyinnaya Abaribe, had earlier disclosed that the committee would meet to resolve its lock-jam.

    The Nation learnt that both chambers agreed on the $77.5 to enable President Goodluck Jonathan present the 2014 budget before the lawmakers go on Christmas break.

    While Jonathan proposed $74 in the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2014 to 2016 presented to the National Assembly, the Senate earlier proposed $76. The House of Representatives proposed $79.

    Abaribe had earlier told reporters that the question of what Mr. President does is left to him. The National Assembly will, of course, be disposed to receiving Mr President anytime that he deems fit.”

    On whether the budget would be presented on Thursday, he said: “The Senate has the Rule 1b which is part of our rules which says we have options at all times to regulate our procedure. So, depending on the ground, the Senate, if it will need to sit on a Sunday, will also do so.”

  • Senate, Presidency on war path over budget

    Senate, Presidency on war path over budget

    …Warns Okonjo-Iweala over ‘incisive comments’

    The Senate and Presidency may be on war path as the upper chamber on Tuesday pushed consideration of the 2013 budget amendment to October.

    The upper chamber also warned the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Nogozi Okonjo-Iweala, against making unguarded comments that tends to pitch it with the Executive arm of government.

    Okonjo-Iweala was reported to have warned that the country’s economy would shut down in September if the National Assembly failed to consider and approve the 2013 budget amendment.

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said at a press conference in Abuja that the Senate will only consider the proposed amendment after its annual vacation.

    The Senate annual vacation begins an eight-week annual vacation on August 2 and ends on September 30, according to Senate’s amended legislative calendar.

    Abaribe said that Senators were at a loss when they read comments attributed to Okonjo-Iweala that the inaction of the National Assembly on the 2013 amendment budget will cripple the national economy.

    Okonjo-Iweala’s comments, he said, did not go down well with the Senate.

    He said that the Senate does not expect any minister or an appointee of the President to make comments which could set the Executive and the Legislature on a collision path.

    He said the implication of the minister’s comment is that the two arms of government are on a collision course.

    President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to send the 2014 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly in September.

    If the 2013 amendment budget which Abaribe described as “humongous” is not considered before the end of September, it means that the National Assembly will have two sets of budgets to consider and approve.

    Abaribe said, “Let me say that we were very perplexed when we read comments allegedly made by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy with respect to the budget.

    “First of all, the Senate does not view the comments made kindly.

    “The feeling of the Senate and indeed the National Assembly is that we do not expect ministers of the Federal Republic and appointees of Mr. President to make comments that tend to give the impression of a collision course between the Executive and the Legislature because we are all working towards the same purpose and our purpose is to make sure that we take care of the welfare of Nigerians.”