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  • Edo 2020: APC passes vote of confidence on Obaseki

    Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has passed a vote of confidence on Governor Godwin Obaseki.

    It said the unprecedented achievements of winning all the 24 seats in the State House of Assembly was a referendum of the administration and performance of Governor Obaseki.

    This was contained in a statement signed by State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Chris Azebamwan after the APC’s State Executive Committee meeting.

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    The statement said the party would continue to sustain its commitment to give Obaseki the needed support to keep it focused and on track.

    It reads in parts: “Members congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari for his well -deserved victory and the National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for the overall success of the Party in the general elections nationwide.

    “Members also noted the role of the party’s leadership in guiding our members at the National Assembly in relation to their leadership as both desirable and commendable.”

  • Three arrested for kidnap of Channels reporter

    The Nigeria Police Force has arrested three suspects involved in the kidnap of Channels television reporter, Friday Okeregbe.

    The reporter was kidnapped in Lugbe area of Abuja on 22nd of March while he was trying to park his car.

    Though it is unclear whether the reporter’s family paid ransom before his release, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of N50million for his release.

    The suspects are Hanniel Patrick ‘m’ 29years from Akwa Ibom State, Abdulwahab Isah ‘m’ 28years and Salisu Mohammed ‘M’ 32years both from Kogi State.

    According a statement in Abuja on Sunday by the Force Spokesman, DCP Frank Mba said investigation revealed that Okeregbe was not their target.

    Mba said: “In line with the IGP’s stated commitment to curb all forms of crimes and criminality, especially incidences of kidnapping and other violent crimes in the country, Police Operatives attached to Operation Puff Adder, acting on intelligence report, on 9th April, 2019 at about 6:30am arrested three notorious persons involved in the kidnap of Channels Television’s staff, Mr. Friday Okeregbe.

    “The suspects: Hanniel Patrick ‘m’ 29years from Akwa Ibom State, Abdulwahab Isah ‘m’ 28years and Salisu Mohammed ‘M’ 32years both from Kogi State have made useful statement to the Police.

    “Meanwhile, investigation reveals that Mr. Friday Okeregbe was not originally the intended target of the vicious criminals.

    “However, on that fateful day, 22nd March, 2019, at 07:45PM, he was kidnapped when the kidnappers saw him parking his vehicle at a location in Lugbe, Abuja.

    Read Also: Man, 65, arrested for raping 10-year-old girl

    “Investigation further reveals that the victim was taken to the kidnappers’ den somewhere in Karimo, Abuja and kept incommunicado afterwards.”

    Mba also said a locally made revolver gun, three live AK47 ammunitions, a battle axe, phones and masks with which they blindfold their victims were recovered from them.

    The Inspector-General of Police, Ag. IGP Mohammed Adamu reassured the Police and other security agencies are doing everything humanly possible to tame the challenges of kidnapping and other heinous crimes across the country adding that effort is being intensified to arrest other members of the gang still at large.

    He however urged members of the public to always avail the Police with useful information that will help in curbing the menace.

  • Police confirm murder of Ugochukwu Mbadi, arrest of brother’s ex-wife

    The Police in Abia on Sunday confirmed the murder of a young man, Ugochukwu Mbadi by hired killers in Aba, the commercial hub of the state.

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the state command, SP Geoffrey Ogbonna, also told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Aba that one Divine Ubasinachi, the ex-wife of Mbadi’s younger brother had been arrested for alleged complicity in the murder.

    Ogbonna said that Ubasinachi was arrested as a principal suspect in the murder because she had threatened to make the Mbadi family to cry before the murder took place.

    He said that the deceased was killed on Saturday evening in a beer palour located at No. 8 Uwakwe street.

    According to him, the deceased was shot dead in the bar owned by one Amarachi Chikezie.

    The police PRO also said that the deceased’s mother and father living at No. 9 Medical Drive in Njoku road off Ukaegbu road in Aba are all alive.

    He said that the suspect had been arrested and taken into custody.

    Read Also: Police confirm two Delta suspected robbers dead

    He added that the matter had been transferred to the state CID for further investigation.

    Ogbonna said that the deceased’s body had been removed from the crime scene and kept in an undisclosed location.

    Earlier, a source who pleaded not to have his or her name in print, told NAN that the murder, which created panic in the area, reminded residents of recent cult clashes in the area.

    The source also said that Ugochukwu was about to wed and had gone to let his people into his plans before his killers shot him dead.

    NAN

     

  • North under threats, now bandits’ land – Northern elders

    Elders of the northern region under auspices of Northern Elders Forum (NEF) have cried out that, the region is under threats.

    They lamented that, while the region still lives under horrendous Boko Haram threats, large swathes of territory in the north have effectively become bandit land.

    Chairman and Convener of the Northern Elders Forum, Professor Ango Abdullahi stated this while addressing a press conference on behalf of forum in Zaria, Kaduna State.

    The forum, therefore, demanded that, President Muhammadu Buhari demonstrate higher levels of concern and sensibility to the plight of traumatized citizens, especially in Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Benue, Niger, Plateau and Taraba.

    According to Ango Abdullahi, “the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) is alarmed and its members saddened by the recent cataclysmic collapse of security, and the sanguinary and indeed colossal threat to life and property in many parts of Nigeria but more seriously in the North.

    “Today, the North still lives under horrendous Boko Haram threats, a situation which has been aggravated by threats of banditry, kidnappings, armed robbery, marauding youth gangs, herders and farmers mini-wars, and seemingly overwhelmed or indifferent governments.

    “Large swathes of territory in our region are now effectively bandit land. Agriculture, our pride and national economic comparative advantage, the greatest employer of labour and leading contributor to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product is in ruins as animal husbandry, and crops and roots farming is in the throes of war and damage.

    REad also: Zamfara killings: Buhari has abandoned us, survivors lament

    “Our rural folk live in perpetual fear of attacks from sundry terrorist assailants without any reprieve. Our major highways and transportation systems are being abandoned as they have become death traps.

    “We see in all these the cumulative effect of a region whose economy and people, especially the youth have been abandoned. A dangerous youth bulge is indeed a recipe for crime, violence and wars. We understand that poverty and underdevelopment can create a brutish and violent society.

    “Nigeria has just emerged from a very challenging and harrowing set of elections. This experience should provide a strategic turning point in the manner that political leaders respond to our basic national challenges.

    “We hereby demand that President Buhari demonstrates higher levels of concern and sensitivity to the plight of traumatized citizens in the country, especially in the states of Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Benue, Niger, Plateau, Taraba and virtually the entire North.

    “We demand for decisive, comprehensive and fundamental governmental action against poverty, underdevelopment and insecurity.

    “Above all, we demand that President Buhari shows leadership and compassion which are the reciprocal expectations of the Nigerian people from their President. Should the citizens of the most populous black and African country and blessed with bounteous human and material resources be running away from bandits and criminals and become entangled in a causative web of crime, poverty, misery and underdevelopment?

    “Without justifying the emigration of our people to other lands, we now see how and why our young men and women seek escape to Europe across the Sahara Desert to pursue menial jobs and Perilous. We now painfully see how desperate Nigerians running away from home, become victims of xenophobic attacks in some countries.” Northern Elders lamented.

    They, however, argued that, Nigeria has the resources to build a better nation and said that, as people of conscience, they will insist that such happens.

  • Court to EFCC: you have no power to investigate or recover civil contract debts

    A Federal High Court, Ibadan has established that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has no power to arrest anyone or investigate cases of debt recovery arising from breach of contract.

    Justice J. O. Abdulmalik in an April 1, 2019 damning judgment, a copy of which was obtained by The Nation, declared that the EFCC Act 2004 does not empower the commission to arrest, detain anyone or investigate cases of breach of contract in business transactions. It held that the commission only has power to arrest, detain or investigate financial crimes, not civil transactions.

    He gave the judgment in a case dragged before him by an Ibadan-based businessman, Elder Francis Morakinyo Afolabi, through his lawyer, Mr Joshua Olaniyan, against the commission and five others. Afolabi dragged the EFCC to court for his arrest, torture and freezing of his bank account based on a petition submitted on him by Mr Kehinde Olaniyan who trades under the name Kehinde R. Olaniyan Nigeria Enterprises over failure to fulfill his own part of a business transaction worth N14 million with the latter in 2015. The petition was submitted to the Ibadan zonal office of the commission, upon which it invited Afolabi.

    Other respondents are three investigating officers of the commission and First Bank of Nigeria PLC in whose Afolabi’s Account was frozen.

    The complainant was admitted to bail while his bank account was frozen pending the completion of its ‘investigations’. But Afolabi dragged the commission and other respondents to court seeking a declaration of his arrest and freezing of account illegal as well as publication of a public apology in two national dailies that are popular in Ibadan. He also sought N100 million damages against the six respondents in the case.

    Citing the case of Lima versus Mohammed (1999) LPELR-1973 (Supreme Court), the judge declared that “an aggrieved party in a breach of contract is to seek for civil redress by way of insisting on actual performance of the contract or seek damages for the breach.” Justice Abdulmalik pointed out that it has become fashionable for some Nigerians to use law enforcement agents to retrieve debts arising from civil transactions instead of approaching the court to do so, possibly in an attempt to dodge lawyers’ professional fees.

    The judge also held that Afolabi’s fundamental human rights were breached through his arrest and freezing of his bank account. He, therefore, awarded N500,000 damages to the applicant but absolved the bank, stressing that it was under obligation to honour the request from the EFCC for the account freezing being a commission empowered to do such. The judge set aside the directive freezing Afolabi’s bank account.

    For justice to be done, the court also held that Mr Olaniyan, who dragged Afolabi to the EFCC, should publish a public apology in a national daily whose circulation is popular in Ibadan.

    Among the seven issues formulated, six were resolved in favour of Afolabi. The court held that the commission has no power to investigate or resolve disputes arising from civil contracts, is not a debt recovery agency, declared freezing of Afolabi’s bank account illegal, declared his arrest as a breach of his fundamental human rights and a form of torture.

    He declared: “On issues one, two, three and four of the applicants, there is no gainsaid that the 1st respondent (EFCC) does not have the power to resolve or and investigate disputes arising from contracts or civil transaction. Also, as reiterated in a plethora of judicial authorities, the 1st respondent is not a debt recovery agent.”

    The judge referred to, among others, Section 6B of the  EFCC Act 2004 Laws of Federation of Nigeria which states that the commission shall be responsible for the investigation of all financial crimes including advance fee fraud, money laundering, counterfeiting, illegal charge transfers, future market fraud, fraudulent encashment or negotiable instruments, computer credit card fraud, contract scam etc.

    He insisted that the transaction between Afolabi and Olaniyan was civil, pointing out that failure to honour terms of contract does not amount to a crime. He said it is strictly a civil transaction that is outside the powers of the commission irrespective of the garb the commission put on the matter.

    “Carefully from the above facts, I do find that irrespective of the descriptive inventory lexicon employed by the 5th respondent Mr Kehinde Olaniyan) to title his petition or report to the 1st respondent, it does not dissipate the facts on the ground from being that of a civil transaction of contract which has gone wrong.

    “To cushion my point, the 5th respondent’s report to the 1st respondent can be tantamount to a cry of ‘help me collect my money from the applicant’.  Otherwise, the question will be ‘what does the 5th respondent really want the 1st to 4th respondents to investigate?’ There is no mystery about the fact, the 5th respondent supplied applicants goods worth N14,611,820:00 which has not been paid for…

    “The ‘investigation power’ vested on the 1st respondent is in relation o the commission of a crime, and not a civil transaction, as simple as recovery of debt. The requisite sections of the E inimical and Financial Crimes Commission (Est) Act Laws of Federation of Nigeria 2004 as aforementioned all referred to instance and occasion of suspicion crime.” He declared.

  • Supreme Court receives records on appeal by Zamfara governor-elect, others

    The Supreme Court has received the records of proceedings at the lower courts in relation to the appeal filed by Zamfara State’s governor-elect, Mukhtar Idris and 37 others, against the judgement of the Court of Appeal in Sokoto.

    The compilation and transmission of records by an appellant, and the receipt of such records by the Supreme Court are major requirements for a competent appeal.

    The Court of Appeal in Sokoto had, in a judgment some weeks ago, faulted the primary elections conducted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state prior to the last general elections.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), acting on the Appeal Court’s judgment, has failed to issue certificate of return to Idris (the governor-elect) and others, who are also members of the APC, elected to the state’s House of Assembly.

    Idris and others are, by their appeal, seeking among others, the setting aside of the judgment by the Appeal Court in Sokoto.

    Read also: Rivers dispute: Supreme Court seals APC’s fate, rejects its three appeals

    It was learnt that, although the records of appeal has been received at the Registry of the Supreme Court, a date it yet to be set for the hearing of the appeal.

    The Nation further learnt that parties to the appeal are required to file, serve and exchange their various briefs of argument before a date could be set for the hearing of the appeal.

    A senior court official informed The Nation that in view of the urgency involved, the case being election-related, the court could be moved to abridge time.

    The official said that the court may abridge the time for parties to file and serve their processes because of the nature of the case and the urgency involved.”

    Idris and others had last week, written to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, drawing his attention to the notice of appeal filed at the Supreme Court.

    In the letter dated April 2, 2019, authored by their lawyer, Mahmud Magaji (SAN), Idris and others argued that the judgement by the Court of Appeal in Sokoto contained no positive or direct order.

    Idris and others added that, even if there was an order arising from the judgement, they, under the law, are entitled to  21 days within which to appeal, therefore, putting the judgement in abeyance, until after the expiration of the 21days.

    They argued that, as it relates to the current case, their party (APC Zamfara) still has 21days existing along with their constitutional right of appeal.

    Part of the letter reads: “It is worthy of note that the purported judgement of the Court of Appeal, has no any positive or direct order.

    “But, assuming there is even a court order arising from the said judgement, we still have 21 days within which to appeal, thus, putting into abeyance the said judgement until after the laps of the said 21days.

    “In the case at hand, the parties still have 21days existing side by side with their constitutional right of appeal.

    “Finally, we urge INEC to abide fully with the provision of Section 143 of the Electoral Act by releasing the certificate of return to Zamfara State governor-elect as well as all the state members-elect.”

    They argued that it is the provision of Section 143(1) of the Electoral Act that: “If the election tribunal or the court, as the case may be, determined that a candidate returned and elected was not validly elected, then, if notice of appeal against that decision is given within 21day from the date of the decision, the candidate returned as elected shall, notwithstanding the contrary decision of the election tribunal or the court, remain in office pending the determination of the appeal.”

     

  • 2019 ITTF: Nigeria dominate boys’ singles

    The years of reign of Egypt in the boys’ singles event came to an abrupt end at the weekend after Nigeria claimed the large portion of the gold medals at stake in the events at the just concluded ITTF African Junior and Cadet Championship held in Accra, Ghana.

    But the consolation for Egypt came in the U-21 boys singles as Mahmoud Helmy beat Nigeria’s Augustine Emmanuel 4-1 to the title.

    But the star attraction for Nigeria were Azeez Solanke and Taiwo Matti who claimed the gold medals in the junior and cadet singles of the competition at the expense of Egypt who have dominated the division for years.

    Solanke won both the junior boys’ singles title and partnering Jamiu Ayanwale to strike gold in the junior boys’ doubles.

    In both events played on the final day, Solanke ended Egyptian hopes. In the junior boys’ singles event, after having accounted for Abdelraham Dendan at the quarter-final stage, a contest in which the Egyptian had to eventually withdraw owing to injury (11-5, 10-12, 11-7, 11-6, ret), he beat Ahmed El-Borhamy (11-5, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8) and Marwan Abdelwahab (13-11, 4-11, 10-12, 11-5, 13-11, 11-6) to secure the title.

    Defeat for Marwan Abdelwahab who, in the later rounds, had ousted Nigeria’s Abayomi Animasahun (11-9, 9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-8) and Tunisia’s Aboubaker Bourass (11-8, 11-8, 11-3, 11-7), in the junior boys’ doubles final partnering colleague Gawad El-Herazy, it was also defeat. They suffered at the hands of Jamiu Ayanwale and Solanke (11-8, 11-7, 11-6).

    The top step of the podium for Ayanwale, in the cadet boys’ singles event, after accounting for Tunisia’s Habib Ameur (11-6, 11-6, 8-11, 11-5, 11-7), it was the second step. He was beaten in the final by compatriot Taiwo Mati (11-8, 11-4, 11-9, 11-8). Impressively, at the semi-final stage, Taiwo Mati had ousted Egypt’s Mohamed Sameh (11-6, 11-3, 11-5, 11-4).

    Success for Solanke and Mati on the concluding day of play and it was more success; earlier both had been members of the successful U-21 men’s team, in addition Solanke had secured the top prize in the junior boys’ team event, Mati had struck cadet boys’ team gold.

  • Nigerian embassies need to do more — Finland

    Mr Olu Raheem, the Business Finland’s Trade Commissioner in West Africa, on Sunday said that Nigerian embassies should be made to do more to attract more businesses to the country.

    Raheem told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the embassies should mostly engage in facilitating more businesses rather than concentrate on promoting political and diplomatic relations.

    The Finnish official also suggested that a dedicated desk be established in every Nigerian mission for them to easily access information about opportunities in Nigeria.

    “Experiences have shown that it is very, very hard for foreigners to get information about Nigeria from her embassies.

    “From the Nordic perspective, the Nigerian government’s concentration is more on the political and diplomatic relations.

    “I think the Nigerian embassies should do more in being more like a stop point where foreign companies and investors can readily get accurate and updated information about opportunities in Nigeria.

    “There should be a dedicated desk in every Nigerian embassy that foreigners can readily approach to get information on procedures for visas, work permit, local content laws and other requirements,’’ he said.

    Raheem said that it had been discouraging for foreigners to be told by the embassies that their needed information would have to be sent from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja.

    The trade commissioner overseeing Business Finland in Nigeria and other West African countries said that the establishment of desks across the embassies would attract more businesses to Nigeria.

    Raheem said that there had been complaints from would be foreign businesses and investors of inadequate information on the Internet on the opportunities in Nigeria for them.

    “As much as this current administration is doing well, we think that there still the need to do more.

    “There is a lot of transparency issue to be addressed in general. It is quite hard to get reliable information about Nigeria outside this country.

    “Sometimes, the more people you ask for specific information, the more buried information these foreign companies get,’’ he said. (NAN)

  • Gridlock: Task Force clamps down on illegal traders

    Operatives of both the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences (Taskforce) Unit and the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) has jointly dislodged all illegal trading activities on road setbacks and walk-ways around Ikeja.

    The Agency has also served 72hrs notice to food vendors who are in the habit of blocking off Awolowo Road opposite Airport Hotel, Ikeja to desist from preventing residents to gain access to their respective home every night as such act contravene the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Law.

    In a statement, Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force, Olayinka Egbeyemi, a Chief Superintendent of Police, disclosed that the activities of illegal traders, hawkers and other environmental nuisances was an eye-sore which impeded free flow of traffic around Kodesho Street, Medical Road and Ikeja under bridge towards Railway line.

    Adding that the exercise was in line with Section (1) of the Lagos State Street Trading and Illegal Market Prohibition Law 2003 which prescribes a punishment of N90, 000 or a 6month jail term, for both the buyer and the seller of any goods or services on all roads across the State.

    “Despite continuous advocacy, enlightenment and appeals from the government some illegal traders and hawkers are still in the habit of violating the extant environmental laws of the State by causing disorder and serious environmental infraction on the roads through their activities”

    According to the Agency “all illegal traders and hawkers must vacate the roads in order to drastically reduce inconveniences to motorists, enhance the sustainability of the environment and protect public infrastructures which were often vandalized by hawkers and street traders”

    Egbeyemi said that government would not tolerate the disregard of law from any quarters, particularly traders who were found of converting every available space into market as such untoward acts needlessly inconvenience other law abiding citizens.

    Read also: Taskforce seizes 109 motorcycles, to destroy over 2,500

    During the exercise seven illegal traders were arrested while different types of goods ranging from fairly used clothes (okrika), shoes, belt, fairly used electronics, gas cylinders mobile phone accessories were also confiscated by the enforcement team, the seven are to be charged to court in the orders of the state commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu.

    “This is a pointer to other locations such as Oyingbo, Bariga, Mushin, Yaba, Orile-Iganmu, Apapa, Ikorodu, Mile 12, Ojota, Ojora, Obalende and Lagos Island where activities of illegal traders impede the free flow of traffic that it would not be business as usual till zero tolerance is maintained”

    While warning all market union leaders to desist from collecting illegal fees from these illegal traders and hawkers, the Agency urged owners of all illegally built kiosks and containerised shops on road setbacks and walk-ways to remove them immediately or face the wrath of the Law.

  • Banditry: Yari urges army, other security agencies to sustain operations in Zamfara

    Gov. Abdula’ziz Yari of Zamfara has called on the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to sustain their ongoing operations against bandits operating in the state.

    Yari’s call is contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the governor’s acting Director-General, Press Affairs, Malam Bashir Kabir.

    Kabir said that Yari made the call at a meeting with the Force Commander of the Operation Sharan Daji, Maj.-Gen. Hakeem Otiki at the Government House Gusau on Saturday.

    Kabir also said that the governor congratulated the Nigerian Army and other security agencies in the state for the good work they were doing in trying to check the activities of the bandits.

    According to him, reports from the areas where the bandits carried out their deadly acts indicate that efforts to flush out the criminals are yielding fruitful results.

    “I am, therefore, appealing for more efforts and sustainability from the security agencies,”  he said.

    Yari said that the incessant killing of innocent people in the state by the bandits had also resulted in the destruction of property.

    “If we recall in 2015, Zamfara was affected seriously by cattle rustling and reprisal attacks by the bandits on our communities and today kidnapping is the order of the day across the state,” he said.

    He assured the security agencies that the Zamfara government would do its best possible to assist them in their campaign against banditry and other crimes in the state.

    Earlier, Maj.-Gen. Otiki who briefed the governor on `Operation Sharan Daji’ being carried out by the Nigerian army, said that the military was carrying out operations at various locations across the state.

    He expressed appreciation for the support and cooperation given to the Nigerian Army by the state government and entire people of the state.

    According to Kabir, the governor later held a closed-door meeting with the security chiefs in the state, traditional rulers, and local government chairmen. (NAN)