The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Federal Capital Territory (FCT)

  • Court refuses Dasuki’s request to merge charges

    Court refuses Dasuki’s request to merge charges

    A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama Thursday rejected a request by former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki for a consolidation of two charges pending against him and others before the court.

    Ruling Thursday, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf said Dasuki did not substantiate his claim that he will suffer double geopardy should he be tried separately on both charges.

    “The allegation of double jeopardy was not substantiated because trial has not commenced in the other matter, so it is premature to consolidate the charges,” the judge said.

    Justice Baba-Yusuf also rejected Dasuki’s argument that the simultaneous prosecution of both cases amounted to an abuse of court process.

    He said the persons involved in both cases are not the same and the transactions on the two charges were not carried out on the same date.

    Dasuki’s lawyer, Ahmed Raji (SAN) had, while arguing the application on March 2 this year, urged the court to consolidate consolidate the two charges marked: CR/42/2015: FRN VS Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) & 4 others and CR/43/2015: FRN VS Bashir Yuguda, Sabo Dasuki & 4 others.

    Raji said the application was brought pursuant to Sections 211, 212 and 213 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.

    He said the application was intended to avoid the abuse of court processes and prevented his client from suffering double jeopardy.

    Prosecuting lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) opposed the application and said it was unfortunate that Dasuki chose to file the application.

    Jacobs, who described the application as an abuse of court’s process, noted that Dasuki filed a similar application dated May 21, 2016 which he was yet to withdraw.

    He noted that parties had agreed to have the two cases tried before the same judge, which necessitated a letter from Dasuki’s other lawyer, Joseph Daudu to the Chief Judge of the High Court of the FCT, advising that the two cases be handled by a judge in the interest of speedy dispensation of justice.

    Jacobs, who described the application as a ploy to frustrate the trial urged the court to dismiss it.

    Justice Baba Yusuf, after his ruling yesterday, adjourned to today for trial.

    Dasuki is, in the first charge of 22 counts, named with a former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, his son, Sagir Bafarawa, a former Director of Finance and Administration in the office of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu, a former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda an  Sagir’s firm – Dalhatu Investment as defendants.

    They are charged, among others, with diverting about N13bn said to have been meant for the purchase of arms.

    In the second charge of 19 counts, Dasuki, Salisu, and Aminu Baba-Kusa and Baba-Kusa’s two firms – Acacia Holdings Ltd and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited – are accused of diverting N32bn meant for purchase of arms.

    The two cases are now before Justice Baba- Yusuf.

     

  • Justice Ademola, others seek dismissal of charges against them

    Justice Ademola, others seek dismissal of charges against them

    …Fault prosecution’s case

     

    Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, his wife, Olabowale and a senior Advocate of Nigeria, Joe Agi have faulted the case of the prosecution in their trial and asked a High Court of the Federal Capital territory (FCT) to dismiss the charge brought against them by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation.

    Arguing their no-case submission Wednesday, the three, who are being tried on an 18-count charge in which they are accused of among others, of accepting gratification and illegal possession of firearms, argued that the prosecution was unable to establish a prima facie case against them

    The prosecution, led by Segun Jegede, closed its case on February 21 this year after calling16 witnesses and tendering some documents as exhibits. Rather than conduct their defence, the defendants chose to make a no-case submission.

    Adopting his client’s no-case submission Wednesday, Justice Ademola’s lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) said: “We urge my lord to respectfully hold that the prosecution did not establish prima facie case to warrant the first defendant (Justice Ademola) to enter his defence.”

    He noted that the testimony of the prosecution’s main witness – an operative of the Department of State Service (DSS), Babatunde Adepoju – who investigated the case, revealed that the N30m paid by Agi into Justice Ademola’s wife’s account could not have been meant for gratification to induce the judge.

    Ikpeazu said by the provision of Section 17(1)(b) of the Corrupt Practices and other related offences Act, under which the defendants were charged for the offence of gratification, the prosecution was required to prove that the N30m and the car, were not just “gifts or considerations,” but that they constituted “an inducement or reward” for a particular act of the judge.

    He added: “As far as this case is concerned, the prosecution has not made out a case that the N30m was received in order to influence the first defendant. There is no link. As far as there is no link, there is no reason why the first defendant should proceed to enter his defence.”

    Ikpeazu said the same principle applied to the N8.5m car which Agi was said to have bought for the judge’s son.

    He argued that the charges relating to illegal possession of firearms could not stand in the light of the licences for the two guns, which were recovered from Justice Ademola’s house during the DSS raid, having been tendered.

    Ikpeazu said since the testimony of PW16 indicating that the two licences covering years 2016 to 2018 were “current” and the failure of the prosecution to call Justice Mohammed as a witness, there was no further explanation left to be made by Justice Ademola and so he (Justice Ademola) could not be held liable for being in illegal possession of firearms

    Lawyer to the judge’s wife, Robert Clarke (SAN) argued that the prosecution failed to produce any evidence before the court to prove that the N30 million was given to Mrs. Ademola to influence Justice Ademola’s judicial functions.

    “No iota of evidence was brought before your lordship to show that the money was meant for inducement. The investigative officer (PW16) said he never investigated the second defendant.  He said what drew his attention was the money transferred by the third defendant (Agi) to the second defendant (Olubowale).

    “As far as that Count 2 is concerned, nothing has been brought before your lordship to warrant us to give an answer. In her statement, she said she used the money to pay for the event of her daughter’s wedding.

    “They (the prosecution) have not laid any evidence of fraud or corruption to warrant us to answer. She (Olubowale) said in her statement that she had never transferred any money to the first defendant,” Clarke said.

    Agi’s lawyer, Jeph Njikonye argued that the counts against his client were incompetent.

    He said, “There are two essential ingredients for there to be a valid charge (of gratification) under section 17(1)(b) of the Corrupt Practices and other related offences Act. The first element is that the person charged agrees to give or offers to give a gift – that is a mandatory element.

    “The second element is that such gift must be a reward for doing or fore-bearing to do something. For there to be a valid charge, these essential elements must be present in a charge,” he said.

    Jegede Jegede argued that the Supreme Court has held that a prima facie case must be distinguished from prove of guilt.

    He said all that is needed at this stage of the trial is for a link to be established between the evidence led and the charge filed against the defendants.

    Jegede said Agi, in his extra-judicial statement, showed that he told Justice Ademola about the N30 million and was instructed to pay the money into Mrs. Ademola’s account. He said that was the link necessary for a prima facie case to be established.

    The prosecution lawyer said even though there was no evidence to show that Mrs. Ademola transferred the money to Justice Ademola, the money was jointly used for their daughter’s wedding.

    He added that Agi was entitled to 20% ($620 million) of the $3.2 billion garnishee order given by Justice Ademola around the period he paid the N30 million into the account of Mrs. Ademola.

    Jegede said: “There are lots of issues and questions the defendants have to answer making the no-case submissions to be such that should not be granted.”

    The prosecution lawyer said the expired firearms license found in the judge’s house was still in the custody of the DSS, and could not have been a renewed copy, but an entirely new one that was tendered through PW16.

    Jegede argued that to prove the offence of illegal possession of firearm, the prosecution only had to show that the accused was found in possession of the firearm and that the accused has no valid license to possess the firearm. He urged the court to dismiss the no-case submissions.

    Justice Jude Okeke adjourned to April 5 for ruling.

  • Ecologist wants law to ban butchers from exposing meat

    An ecologist, Mr Abdullahi Aremu, has called for legislation to ban butchers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from carrying meat with motorcycles or exposing meat in markets.

    Aremu, the Director-General, Advocacy for Environmental and Sanitation Integrity, an NGO, made the call on Tuesday in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

    He described the wanton exposure of meat as “unhygienic and dangerous to human health.

    “Observation shows that many butchers, particularly in Abuja suburbs, have cultivated the attitude of exposing meat on streets and in markets.

    “The legislature at all levels should enact a law to ban this habit and punish butchers or meat sellers who expose meat on the roads and in markets,’’ he said.

    The ecologist said that exposure of meat often attracted flies, vectors of diseases, adding that the exposed meat was, therefore, unwholesome and not fit for human consumption.

    Aremu urged relevant authorities to deploy veterinary officers and health workers to abattoirs to ensure that the set standards for animal slaughtering and processing were strictly adhered to.

  • Guards Brigade rescues 79 children from traffickers in Abuja

    Guards Brigade rescues 79 children from traffickers in Abuja

    Security personnel of the Guards Brigade of the Nigerian Army have rescued no fewer than 79 children at various military check points in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and environs.

    The Commanding Officer, 117 Guards Battalion, Lt Col. Nulhayat Garba-Mohammed told The Nation that the arrests were made between January 19th and 25th 2017.

    Lt Col. Mohammed said on January 19th, one Alhaji Dahiru was intercepted at Masaka check point with 30 children aged between 5 and 10 years old. On interrogation, he claimed they children were being taken from Kano to a Quranic school in Keffi, Nasarawa state. The children were however rescued and handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Related Matters (NAPTIP).

    Also on January 20th, one Alhaji Isa Mohammed was intercepted at Masaka checkpoint with 22 children. The alleged trafficker claimed the children were being transported from Minna to Keffi to a Quranic school.

    On January 21st, another set of 12 children were rescued at Jitata check point, the children were led bu one Tanko Danladi while on January 25, a total of 15 children were allegedly being trafficked by Hassan Dauda.

    The Commanding Officer also disclosed that the Guards Battalion has been involved in tackling the high spate of insecurity and armed robbery in the Abuja-Nasarawa state corridor, working with the Nigeria Police to stem crime rate.

    “We get calls every day about a crime committed in that axis and we always deploy our men to help restore order. Car snatching is a common problem and we have recovered a lot of stolen cars in our checkpoints,” he said.

    The commander Guards Brigade, Brigadier General Musa Yusuf also called on the public to be patient at various check points around the FCT.

    He said the check points are vital to ensuring safety of lives and properties in the FCT and environs.

    “We are working hard to protect our people and we have been able to prevent many crimes especially at our various check points. We are working to reduce delay time and we want the people to always give us feedbacks that is why we have put functioning numbers at our various check points,” he said.

    The Guards Brigade is responsible for the security of the Federal Capital, ASO Rock and the presidency.

  • Ipaye: Fight corruption through effective tax administration

    Ipaye: Fight corruption through effective tax administration

    An effective tax administration system will help in the detection of economic crimes, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Ade Ipaye, has said.

    According to him, in modern systems, tax administration is increasingly being used to detect corruption and other economic crimes in addition to enforcing tax laws.

    Ipaye taught tax law at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) before he joined the Lagos State Government as Special Adviser on Taxation and later served as Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

    He spoke in Lagos during a dinner/lecture in honour of former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Lagos Branch chairman Mr Chijioke Okoli, who was conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

    The event was organised by “Friends of Chijioke Okoli” in collaboration with NBA Lagos Branch and an association of Igbo lawyers, the Otu Oka-Iwu (Law Society).

    Decrying tax evasion, Ipaye referred to a Joint Tax Board report which states that only about 10 million people are registered for Personal Income Tax in all the states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    “Out of this, 4.6 million (or 46 per cent) are in Lagos State. If you juxtapose that against the 77 million workforce which the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics has declared to be in existence in Nigeria, you can clearly see how far down we are and how a sharp decline in the price and volume of our exported crude oil can be so devastating to the economy,” Ipaye said.

    Ipaye backed the view that a multi-agency approach to fighting tax and financial crimes, including corruption, is the best recourse for a government seeking to make corruption more difficult to hide.

    He said: “The rationale is quite simple. Tax examiners are often highly trained forensic accountants or auditors or financial investigators with an ability to follow money trails, whether legal or illegal.

    “They are, therefore, well-placed to detect and report unexplained increases in wealth or suspicious transactions that could constitute a bribe.

    “Furthermore, the proceeds of corruption are also, quite invariably, subject of tax evasion, and this correlation can help in law enforcement. In most cases, wealth acquired illegally would not have been subjected to tax, even though it is not tax exempt.

    “Thus, even where illegality is difficult to prove, tax evasion and money laundering are usually easy (The famous Chicago drug baron, Al Capone (Alphonse Gabriel) was convicted of tax evasion and sentenced to 11 years imprisonment even when it was difficult to prove his drug dealing and other criminal activities). This demonstrates the potentials of taxation as a means of checking corruption.”

    According to him, with greater cooperation between tax collection and anti-corruption agencies, tax examiners and inspectors can be placed in a better position to report suspicious activities to the relevant agency to take further action.

    Ipaye believes corruption in the tax system acts as a major hindrance to sustainable economic growth as it deters well-meaning and capable long-term investors, thereby killing industries before they become viable.

    “In this sense, corruption leads to the erosion of the future tax revenue base of a country, thereby impacting future tax revenue collection,” he said.

  • Parents advocate early sex education for kids

    Some parents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have recommended sex education for children between the ages of five and 10 years to ensure they learn from the right sources.

    A cross section of parents who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews  on Thursday said children these days were fast learners and could learn the wrong things if not exposed to sex education at a tender age.

    Mr Emmanuel Leramoh, a public servant with Supreme Court, said he would start teaching his daughter who is presently three years sex education at the age of nine.

    Leramoh said at the age of nine, his daughter would have started developing some features as a girl.
    “It is better to teach her at the age of nine when she would have started developing as a woman.

    “Although there are some things that I need to start telling her even before she gets to that age, but the actual time to fully educate her is when she clocks nine years,” he said.

    Mrs Harriet Osenyi, a textile dealer, said that learning and teaching was a continuous process but she would officially give sex education to her kids at the age of ten.

    Osenyi added that it was the period most children gain admission to secondary schools and got exposed to the larger society different from the primary school environment.

    “At the age of ten, the children are entering secondary school and they mix up with other children from different backgrounds.

    “That is the right time to tell them what is obtainable in the larger society and the implication of their actions,” Osenyi said.

    Florence Nnaji, a foodstuff vendor in Kubwa metropolis said it was challenging to train children nowadays with the current exposure to adult contents on the internet.

    Nnaji, however, said she would try to teach the best she could, in spite of the worrisome trend of peer influence.

    “These days internet facility is everywhere and these children see a lot of things that we the parents don’t even have access to.

    “It is always better to start teaching them at least from the age of five because at that stage they are already inquisitive about the opposite sex.

    “Back in the days, there were inaccessible internet services to the average person, so it was hard to see children with mobile phones and gadgets.

    “It was easier for parents in those days to monitor what their children do and the level of vices in the society was minimal,” she said.

    Nnaji, however, cautioned parents on exhibiting negative attitude around the kids as they were bound to learn from their “role models’’.

    Mr Stanley Lucas, a Guidance Counselor with Junior Secondary School Dutse said children should be exposed to sex education once they began to differentiate the good from the bad.

    “Sex education is not something to keep from a child till the age you feel like, especially in this jet age when they can access so many things on the internet.

    “As soon as the child knows what is good and bad, then sex education is required.
    “The moment they start playing with the male counterparts, don’t hesitate to give sex education because while waiting till they get older, you don’t know what they do while playing in your absence.

    “It is also important that once they start asking strange questions parents should give the correct response and not distort the facts,” Lucas said.

    The counselor further advised parents to give their wards and children a very good moral upbringing to guide them early in life.

  • Reps want immediate review of FCT master plan

    Reps want immediate review of FCT master plan

    The House of Representatives on Thursday urged the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Bello, to commence the review of Abuja master plan to reflect the current social, economic and demographic realities.

    The House also urged the Minister to direct the FCT Development Control to stop the demolition of small and medium businesses within the capital city, pending the outcome of engagement with the House Committee on FCT.

    The resolutions followed the unanimous adoption of a motion under matters of urgent public importance moved by Rep. Nnenna Ukeje (Abia- PDP).

    Moving the motion, Ukeje said UN report stated that between 2000 and 2010, Abuja experienced 139.7 per cent growth, making it the fastest growing city in the world at a population of three million people.

    According to her, further annual growth of 35 per cent due in part to urban drift, migration due to insecurity, economic and social migration has left the population of Abuja hovering at about 6.5 million people, projected to hit 10 million in 2018.

    She said “there have been repeated calls for review of the Abuja master plan as stipulated, to reflect present day realities as the present situation has ambushed the city’s dream.

    “Certain deviations to the original plan such as NNPC plaza, military barracks, Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre, Asokoro express way, drainage infractions in Apo area have significantly altered the Abuja master plan.

    “These remain unchecked as they have been explained to be expedient at the time.

    “We watch with dismay as small and medium businesses become focus of demolition exercise,’’ Ukeje said.

    She expressed concern that figures released this week by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that the country was moving from recession to depression following consecutive quarters of negative growth.

    The lawmaker said that the Federal Government needed to create 30 million jobs to cater for the teeming population.

    The House then mandated its Committee on FCT to engage the Minister of FCT and relevant agencies of the ministry and report back to it
    in two weeks.

     

  • SGF assures FCT indigenes of political appointments

    SGF assures FCT indigenes of political appointments

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Engineer Babachir David Lawal, on Monday apologized to indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for their exclusion in Federal Government appointments made by the present administration, so far.

    He assured them that the omission is not deliberate and that the situation will be corrected during future appointments.

    He spoke while receiving His Royal Highness, Alhaji (Dr.) Adamu Baba Yunusa (MFR), the Ona of Abaji and Chairman, FCT Council of Chiefs.

    In a statement by the Director (Press), Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Bolaji Adebiyi, he said that he will bring the omission to the attention of President Mohammadu Buhari.

    In his remarks, the Royal Highness specifically, complained about the exclusion of FCT indigenes in the reconstitution of the Governing Councils of Federal Universities, the composition of the Federal Executive Council and more recently, the nomination of non-career ambassadorial nominees.

    He called for the anomaly to be corrected since it contravenes certain provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Federal Character Commission that specifies that the FCT should be treated as if it were one of the states of Nigeria.

    The Ona also appealed to the SGF to use his good offices to carry the FCT along when political appointments are made.

  • Abuja indigenes protest quit order by the Army

    Some indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Thursday barricaded the main entrance of the National Assembly protesting a quit notice allegedly issued to them by the Nigerian Army.

    The leader of the group, Alhaji Jubrin Mamman, said the Army recently encroached into their lands, located at Tunga Maje, along Gwagwalada-Abaji axis of the FCT.

    Mamman said that the action violated a court ruling restraining them from doing so.

    He further claimed that the security agency had given them up till the end of October to vacate the areas.

    “We will not accept to be treated as strangers in our lands.

    “We have been living at Tunga Maje and its environs for years and won’t let anyone, including the Nigerian Army, to intimidate us out of our lands.

    “We are appealing to the authorities of Federal Capital Territory to tell Army to leave us alone.

    “There is an existing court order restraining them from chasing us away from our lands but they are not obeying it.

    “That is why we have come to express our grievances,” he said.

    Mamman added that the group had earlier petitioned the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) on the matter.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the protesters, who arrived the National Assembly at 11 a.m. prevented vehicles from entering the complex.

    They displayed placards with various inscriptions expressing their displeasure over any move to evict them from the area.

    However, attempt by the protesters to force themselves into the complex to meet the leadership of Senate and the House of Representatives was resisted by the security operatives.

    The main gate was reopened at about 2 p.m. when the protesters had dispersed.

  • Court convicts Polish woman, firm over N9m fraud

    Court convicts Polish woman, firm over N9m fraud

    A Polish woman, Dora Gilmaska and her company, Icon Media and Marketing Agency Limited were Thursday convicted for fraud by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Maitama, Abuja.

    Justice Abubakar Umar, in a judgment Thursday, found the two guilty of one-count charge of fraud brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    This information is contained in a statement issued Thursday by the Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren.

    “Gilmaska was found guilty of forging and issuing a dud cheque of N9million to one Tayo Olugbemi sometime in 2012.

    “She was arraigned on November 7, 2012, and upon arraignment pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    “After diligent prosecution, Justice Umar found Gilmaska guilty and she was consequently convicted.

    “However, her sentencing has been reserved till October 4, 2016,” Uwujaren said.