Justice
President Buhari vows to check ‘greed of a callous few’
President Muhammadu Buhari has stressed the need for all arms of government to deploy resources to address the common needs of all citizens rather than the greed of a callous few. The president made the call at the 2nd National Summit on Diminishing Corruption and launch of the National Ethics and Integrity Policy, organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in Abuja on Monday. The summit has the theme: “Together Against Corruption”. According to him, the National Ethics and Integrity Policy project the government’s aspiration for the rediscovery of cherished traditional ethical values of honesty, integrity, hard work, truth, justice, unity, faith, and consideration for one another, irrespective of status or background. He reiterated his ear...
VP Osinbajo: Nigeria has cracks that could lead to break up
Nigeria needs focus and consistent prayers to avoid breaking up from the current cracks in the nation’s walls, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has said. This is even as he made reference to the biblical story of how Nehemiah rebuilt the broken walls of Jerusalem. The vice president, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, made the call at a church service held to commemorate Nigeria’s 60th Independence anniversary at the National Ecumenical Centre in Abuja on Sunday, according to a report. “Fortunately for us, our walls are not yet broken but there are obvious cracks that could lead to a break if not properly addressed. “Nehemiah started with fervent prayers, seeking the face of God and pleaded with his king to allow him return to Jerusal...
AGF: Why I’ll not testify before Justice Salami panel
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, on Thursday, gave reasons why he would not appear as a witness in the ongoing probe of the suspended Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, by the Justice Ayo Salami-led panel of inquiry. In a statement that was signed by his media aide, Dr. Jibrilu Gwandu, the AGF, maintained that his refusal to testify before the panel was “purely constitutional and not based on any ulterior motive”. Malami contended that as an AGF, his appearance or otherwise as a witness in any investigation should be a constitutional matter. “In establishing propriety or otherwise of the presence of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice whose responsibility is...
EFCC docks polytechnic lecturer for N27 million fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, today docked for fraud Pius Ugochukwu Ezeokafor, a former Director of Physical Planning, and now Senior Lecturer in the Department of Architecture, Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State. Ezeokafor, who is an architect faces a three count charge of obtaining money by false pretence and gratification to the tune of N27 million. He is facing trial before Justice O. A Ezeoke of the State High Court sitting in Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State. One of the charges read,”that you, Arc. Pius Ugochukwu Ezeokafor sometime between the year 2011 and 2012 at Oko, Aguata Local Government Area within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Anambra State, did commit felony to wit: with intent to defraud, obtained by false pretense ...
ECOWAS Court set to resume from extended vacation on October 7
The ECOWAS Court will be resuming its activities on Oct. 7, after its three months vacation. This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday by the media office of the justices. The court will deliver judgment in nine cases filed against eight some member states. It added that the cases were also filed against Nigeria’s Cross River State and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) and listed in the latest course list released by the Registry of the Court for the period Sept. 25 to Oct. 28. According to the court, among those listed for judgment is a case filed by Counsellor Kabineh Muhammad Ja’neh, a former Justice of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Liberia against the government. “The former Justice is challenging his removal from office on the grounds that i...
Sultan turbans 15 district heads in Sokoto
The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, on Saturday turbaned 15 new District Heads in Sokoto State. Newsmen report that the ceremony followed the demise of the District Heads of the respective areas. Mr Abubakar congratulated the newly turbaned Heads and urged them to ensure the best representation for their communities in the Sultanate Council. “Your turbanning is an added responsibility and opportunity to serve the society, as such I urge all of you to remain focused in ensuring sustainable development to the people. “You are all expected to continue to work closely with your community in ensuring sustainable peace and unity in the state,” he said. The Sultan further prayed for the new district heads and for peace and prosperity in the country. Newsmen report that those turbaned includ...
Abba Yusuf accuses Governor Ganduje of violation of due process
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate in the last general election in Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf has accused Governor Abdullah Umar Ganduje of violating rule of law and due process on alleged sales of public property. Besides, Abba has petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria, (CJN), Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad and Nigeria Judicial Council (NJC), requesting their urgent intervention on what he considered an abuse of power and breach of rules of law by Ganduje. In a petition filed by his counsel Bashir Yusuf Mohammad and addressed to the attorney general and commissioner for Justice, Kano state, the Yusuf claimed that the state government is already tampering with the public property which are already a subject of litigation. Yusuf had dragged the state government before th...
Man lands in jail for posing as female
Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of the Kwara State High Court has sentenced a 29-year-old man, Usman Muhammed, to jail for posing as a lady and using nude pictures to dupe men. Muhammed was arrested at his residence in Abeokuta, Ogun state, according to an operative of the EFCC. EFCC’s counsel, Adenike Ayoku stated that the defendant is an internet fraudster, who pretended to be female and used female nude photographs to fraudulently obtain money from unsuspecting internet users as evidenced in his Facebook and WhatsApp accounts. He was then prosecuted by the Ilorin zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a one-count charge of impersonation. The charge read, “That you, Usman Muhammed (a.k.a Adepeju Omolara and Guns Omolara Valle), sometime in February 2020 or thereab...
Edo election: Court fixes October 14 to hear PDP’s suit seeking Pastor Ize-Iyamu disqualification
Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, adjourned to October 14, to commence hearing in the suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking the disqualification of Pastor Osagie Ize-iyamu from the September 19 governorship election in Edo State. Justice Mohammed fixed the date following an agreement by parties to hear the suit after the court’s vacation period. The court had last week adjourned to September 16 for hearing in the application against the suit filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC), challenging the court’s jurisdiction being a vacation court to entertain the suit. When the matter came up, on Wednesday, counsel to the plaintiff, Chief Ken Mozia (SAN), informed the court that the matter for the day was the hearing of the APC’s objec...
EFCC arraigns banker for ‘N80 million fraud’
The Kano Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has arraigned one Kolapo Oduwole before Justice Musa Danladi of the Katsina State High Court on a six-count charge of forgery and fraud in the sum of N80,000,000( Eighty Million Naira only). Oduwole, a staff of a bank (name withheld), allegedly forged signatures of Relationship Manager of the Bank on three fixed deposits certificates and presented same to some customers and subsequently got the customers to fix their money in fixed deposit accounts controlled only by him. It was further alleged that, after the money was fixed, the defendant transferred it into various accounts to conduct his personal businesses. One of the charges read that “You Kolapo Oduwole on the 3rd March, 2020 at Katsina, within the jurisdi...
APC: Why Comrade Oshiomhole-led NWC was sacked
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has explained why its National Working Committee (NWC) led by Adams Oshiomhole was sacked. The party, in documents filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja by its lawyer, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), said the sack of the Oshiomhole-led NWC was informed by the needs to end the various internal crises that pervaded the party’s rank and file. APC, in a counter-affidavit it filed against a suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/ CS/736/2020 by Kalu Agu, who claimed to be a member of the party in Abia State, said the crises that had characterised its affairs ended immediately the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, led by Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni was put in place. It argued the suit by Agu was designed to destabilise the party’s current peace buildin...
Delta governor swears in three judges, says judiciary autonomy bill signed into law
Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta on Friday, swore in three new Customary Court of Appeal Judges for the state. The governor, who performed the function in Asaba, said that the bill for autonomy of the judiciary in the state had been signed into law. He charged the new customary court of appeal judges to ensure speedy dispensation of justice at all times. The new judges are,, Justices, Dele Okafor, Grace Abanre and Jessica Gberevbie. Okowa while congratulating the judges, said their appointments were based on their personal integrity and years of experience. He, however, urged them to bring their experiences to bear in the discharge of their duties. He thanked the Chief Judge, Justice Marshall Umukoro and the President, Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Stella Oghene, for their efforts at ensur...
