Judge
Obudu contract debt: Appeal court reserves judgment against Cross River
The Abuja division of the Court of Appeal has reserved judgment in the appeal filed by a private firm, Zedici Capital Ltd, against the Cross River State Government over a N3.8 billion contract debt. The appellant, Zedici Capital Ltd, is the firm that remodelled the Obudu Mountain Resort in Cross River State, now a subject of litigation. The three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, headed by Justice Peter Ige, reserved the date after counsel to the parties had adopted their legal submissions for and against the appeal, that is challenging the judgment of a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which had in 2019, refused to affirm the arbitral award to Zedici Ltd over its investment of N3.8 billion in the resort. Justice Ige announced that a date for the judgment would be comm...
Seven Indians, Nigerians docked for ‘cocaine importation’
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on Friday arraigned seven Indians and three Nigerians before the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court for allegedly smuggling 43.1 kilogrammes of cocaine into the country. The Indians include Shedrack Yurama; Singh Vikash; Kunnaserypallam Ashraf Inzam; Xaiver Fernando Santhanaria; Mandal Surjeet Ashok; Tandel Pratikkumar Pravinbai; and Barthwal Rohan Sunil. Their Nigerian alleged accomplices are Tobi Ojo; Kunle Animashaun and Omozusi Enorose Terry. Also arraigned before the court alongside the defendants was a limited liability company, Oilways Logistics and Energy Limited. The defendants were arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy and unlawful importation of cocaine. The defendants, according to the charge marked FHC/L/100c/2021, were ar...
INEC promises to train Malawian electoral body on delineation, creation of polling units
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has promised to teach its Malawian electoral commission counterpart the tricks it used in the delineation of constituencies and creation of polling units. Speaking when his Malawian counterpart, Justice Chifundo Kachale, led a delegation on a courtesy visit on him in Abuja on Thursday, National Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, said he understand that the Southern African country is also faced similar challenges Nigeria had previously. He announced to the delegation that the Commission is currently undergoing a historic voter registration exercise, emphasizing: “We are also doing the voter pre-registration online, which will now be completed physically in person at designated centres nationwide. So you are coming at the right time. ...
My wife lost her memory the two times she had our children – man tells court
A Sharia Court in Magajin Gari, Kaduna, Kaduna State, has granted the prayer of one Aminu Abdulkareem, a business man for divorce on grounds that he no longer loved his wife, Aisha Sanusi. According to newsmen, Aminu, who resides in Mahuta, Kaduna, in his petition, said his wife also lost her memory whenever she was close to giving birth. Delivering judgment, the judge, Nuhu Falalu granted Aisha custody of their six-year-old child and ordered Aminu to pay N15, 000 monthly for the upkeep of the child. He also ordered Aisha to allow the child’s father see him without any restriction. Earlier, Aminu said: “The love is no longer there. I want to divorce her. I also want custody of our two children.” Aisha, who lives on Abeakuta Street, Kaduna, through her counsel, Elizabeth Yayok, did not obje...
Court sentences man to death by hanging
A Kano State High Court, sitting on Wednesday, sentenced a 20-year-old man, Salisu Muhammad-Yakasai, to death by hanging for stabbing his football coach, Mujittafa Musa, 32, to death with a knife. The convict, who resides at Yakasai Quarters Kano, was convicted on a count charge of culpable homicide. The prosecution Counsel, Mr Lamido Sorondinki, told the court that the convict committed the offence on March 2, 2019 at Yakasai Quarters Kano. Sorondinki said that on the same date and at about 11:20 p.m the defendant had an argument with Musa at Gangare in Yakasai Quarters. He said that in the process, the convict stabbed the victim on his chest twice and was rushed to Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital Kano where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor. The prosecutor produced four witn...
IPOB’s lawyer reacts to Nnamdi Kanu’s arrest, extradition
The lead counsel to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has said the arrest and arraignment of Nnamdi Kanu earlier Tuesday was without his knowledge. “We have just confirmed through a correspondence from the Federal High Court Abuja about the arrest and the extradition of my Client- Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by the Nigerian State,” Mr Ejiofor said in a statement on Tuesday evening. “He was brought before the Federal High Court No 2 Abuja today on an Eleven count charge, though without our knowledge,” the attorney added. He said regardless of the offences or charge against his client, he is still presumed innocent of the allegation under the law. Mr Kanu, who is being prosecuted on charges of treasonable felony, was re-arrested and returned to Nigeria on Sunday, the A...
Trader docked for ‘cheating’ businessman
A trader, Salisu Sani, 30, on Thursday appeared in an Upper Area Court in Gwgwalada, FCT, for allegedly cheating a businessman of N76,000. The police charged Sani, who lives in Kwali, FCT, with two counts of criminal breach of trust and cheating. The prosecution counsel, Abudullahi Tanko, told the court that the complainant, Amachi Theophilus, of opposite Rhema Hospital, Kwali, Abuja reported the matter at the Kwali Police Station on April 29. Tanko said that the complainant gave the trader four bags of rice and he sold and converted N76,000 to his personal use. He said that the offence contravened the provisions of sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code. The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge. The judge, Sani Umar admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N80,000 with one reaso...
Court restrains Ondo governor from sacking chief judge
A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, stopped Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) of Ondo State from removing the Chief Judge (CJ) of the state, Justice Oluwatoyin Akeredolu, from office. Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a ruling, restrained the governor and five others seeking to remove the Chief Judge from office on the grounds that they lacked constitutional powers to do so. Justice Akeredolu had approached the court for an order restraining the defendants from illegally removing her from office without recourse to the National Judicial Council (NJC). Delivering ruling in the application, Justice Ekwo held that the powers to investigate, probe and indict any judicial officer for any misconduct in the discharge of duties is constitutionally vested in the NJC only. According to the judge, b...
JUSUN strike: How we decongested our cells – Police
The police in Lagos say they have devised means to decongest their cells amidst the prolonged strike by the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN). The police spokesperson in the state, Muyiwa Adejobi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday that the decongestion was carried out in collaboration with the office of the Chief Judge and Attorney-General of the state. NAN reports that JUSUN, on April 6, directed its members to shut down all courts across the country, demanding the implementation of the law granting financial autonomy to the Judiciary. “The command had been managing the situation in collaboration with the office of the state chief judge,” Mr Adejobi said. He, however, did not give the number of suspects that had been granted bail. “We work with the office of the CJ an...
Nicaragua orders arrest of opposition leader, police enter home
Nicaraguan police entered the home of opposition leader Cristiana Chamorro on Wednesday after prosecutors sought her arrest for money laundering and other crimes, according to judicial authorities and television footage. In a statement, Nicaraguan judicial authorities said prosecutors wanted Chamorro detained on suspicion of crimes including “ideological falsehood” and money laundering “to the detriment of the State of Nicaragua and Nicaraguan society.” Neither Chamorro nor her representatives could immediately be reached for comment. A judge in the capital Managua put out the arrest order, acceding to the prosecutors’ request, the statement said. Social media and television channels broadcast live images of police entering Chamorro’s home. Chamorro is the daughter of Violeta Chamorro, who...
Guatemalan president says graft fighter biased, ahead of Harris visit
Guatemala’s President Alejandro Giammattei criticized the country’s best-known graft prosecutor for what he said was a left-wing politicization of the fight against corruption, a view at odds with strong U.S. backing for his work. Speaking in an interview with Reuters late on Tuesday, Giammattei nonetheless expressed hope that a visit to Guatemala next week by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will produce shared strategies to create prosperity in rural areas prone to emigration. Harris, a Democrat, is in charge of Washington efforts to tackle the causes of mass migration from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, collectively dubbed the Northern Triangle, including a focus on corruption and poor governance that she says limit opportunities. There is a $4 billion U.S. aid package to the reg...
House member: Lai Mohammed destabilizing Kwara, destroying APC
The All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker representing Offa/Oyun/Ifelodun Federal Constituency of Kwara State at the National Assembly, Hon Tijani Kayode Ismail, has accused the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, of destabilizing the state and destroying the party. Ismail spoke at a press conference in Ilorin on Wednesday in reaction to the recent comments by the minister. According to him, “There were crises before the party’s primary election and after the emergence of party candidates, I could remember when Alhaji Lai Mohammed made attempt to replace the names of some candidates. “He personally told me to step down for Gbenga Power which I resisted and he later sponsored Gbenga to challenge my victory in Court. Thank God, I came out victorious. “Alhaji Lai, as ...