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Dasuki’s Trial Put Off To Next Year

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Dasuki’s Trial Put Off To Next Year

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The trial of former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, has been adjourned till January 25, 2017, following the inability of a co-accused person in the case, Salisu Shuaibu, to appear in court due to illness.

Shuaibu was a former Director of Finance and Account, DFA, in the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA.

Dasuki, a retired Colonel in the Nigerian Army, is facing trial alongside Shuaibu over an alleged misappropriation of $2.1 billion which was meant for the purchase of arms for the country’s armed forces.

The trial which was supposed to continue on Wednesday, was adjourned after the prosecution counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, informed Justice Baba Yusuf of the FCT High Court that he had been served with a medical report confirming that the defendant had been hospitalised.

Atolagbe told the court that trial could not proceed in the absence of the defendant; he therefore applied for a short adjournment pending the recovery of the defendant.

Also, counsel to Shuaibu, Adetayo Adeyemo, apologised to the court over his client’s absence.

Lawyers to other defendants did not object to the application for an adjournment since Salisu had always been present in court since the charge was filed against them.

Justice Yusuf in his brief ruling concurred that the second defendant has always been present in court since the trial commenced.

After consultations by the lawyers in the matter, it was agreed that the matter be adjourned to January 25, 2017, and this was granted by the Judge.

Similarly, the second charge which was referred from Justice Peter Affen to Justice Baba Yusuf was also adjourned to January 24, 2017 for mention, due to Shuaibu’s illness.

Also joined in the $2.1 billion arm fraud suit are Aminu Kusa, Acacia Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital.

The five defendants had pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail by the court.

The other defendants have since been enjoying their bail but Dasuki had remained in detention despite several judgements from various courts, including the ECOWAS Court.

Reasons for the former NSA’s Continued detention is best known to the Department of State Services, DSS.

Judge Pleads For More Time To Answer Corruption Case

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Judge Pleads For More Time To Answer Corruption Case
judge-pleads-for-more-time-to-answer-corruption-case
Sylvester Ngwuta

Sylvester Ngwuta, a justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, who is currently facing corruption charges, has pleaded with Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, to grant him more time in order to adequately prepare his defence.

Ngwuta is one of the Judges whose residences were raided by operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, in October, following allegations of corruption and accepting gratifications in order to deliver Judgement.

He was subsequently slammed with a 16-count charge of money laundering, age falsification and illegal possession of multiple international passports, and was docked on November 21, but pleaded not guilty.

Justice Tsoho subsequently granted him bail to the sum of N100 million, but on the resumption of trial on Wednesday, counsel to Ngwuta, Kanu Agabi, a former Attorney General of the Federation, pleaded with the court for more time.

The prosecution counsel, Charles Adeogun-Philips, a former attorney at the International Criminal Court of Justice, ICC, told the court that he was ready for the trial to commence and has three witnesses in court to enter evidence against the accused person.

“My lord we are ready to open our case today. Our witnesses are in court and we have all our arsenals ready”, Adeogun-Philips said.

However, Agabi told the court that the defence team was anxious for the trial to commence, “however, we will be pleading with your lordship to grant us an adjournment so that we can be fully prepared.”

“We have so many documents yet to access. Under the constitution, the defendant requires adequate time to prepare for his defence,” Agabi said.

He also prayed the court to direct the prosecution to furnish him with all the documents he intends to adduce in the course of the trial.

The prosecution counsel vehemently opposed the adjournment application, urging the court to refuse the request and order the matter for immediate trial.

“My lord I am terribly astonished by my friend’s application this morning. This matter was fixed by consent of parties on November 21,” Adeogun-Philips said.

He also referred to Section 396(3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015, which makes provision for day-to-day trial of the defendant.

“My lord this is indeed a high profile trial and there is need for expediency”, the prosecution counsel submitted.

He further pointed out that the prosecution had expended a good amount of resources in order to bring the witnesses to court, and asked the court to allow the prosecution to open its case and then adjourn to enable the defence to cross-examine the witnesses later.

But defence councel, Agabi, also pointed out that under the ACJA, his client was entitled to five adjournment requests, adding however that “after today we won’t ask for another.”

Ruling on the application, Justice Tsoho acknowledged that section 396(4) of the ACJA indeed made provision for a maximum adjournment of five times.

He also agreed with the defence that section 36(6) of the 1999 constitution which allows a defence to have adequate time and facilities to prepare his defence, has a wider scope, saying it also encompasses the mental preparedness of an accused to stand trial.

“Viewed towards this perspective, this court is inclined to grant the request of the defence counsel”, Justice Tsoho ruled, especially given that it was the first indulgence sought by the defendant.

The matter was eventually adjourned till January 18 and 23, 2017, for trial.

Recall that the prosecution had earlier opposed Ngwuta’s bail application release, arguing that he could interfere with evidence.

It told the court that immediately Ngwuta was granted administrative bail by the DSS, he quickly called one of the proposed witnesses to help him conceal some of the evidence against him, including N27million he hid in his bathroom at Abakaliki in Ebonyi State.

Rivers Re-run: INEC Deploys 10,294 Workers

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Rivers Re-run: INEC Deploys 10,294 Workers

Elections

As part of efforts to ensure the success of Saturday’s legislative elections in Rivers State, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, will deploy a total of 10, 294 officers for the conduct of the election.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Deputy Director, Voter Education and Publicity of INEC, Nick Dazang.

According to the statement, INEC would deploy three returning officers for the three senatorial districts, 10 returning officers for the federal constituencies, 23 local government collating officers, and 221 registration area collation officers.

“57 Collation Officers (for collation only at registration areas); 231 supervisory presiding officers; 1,840 presiding officers; 6,609 assistant presiding officers (I, II and III); 661 assistant presiding officers (VP); 363 reserve APOs (5%) of APOs; 21 constituency supervisors ( three SDs; eight FCs;  and 10 SCs); 24 LGA supervisors; and 223 RA supervisors.”

The constituencies where the election is scheduled to hold are Rivers East, Rivers West and Rivers South-East senatorial districts.

Others are Akuku-Toru/Asari Toru, Degema/Bonny, Okrika/Ogu-Bolo, Etche/Omuma, Ikwere/Emohua, Khana Gokana, Eleme/Tai/Oyigbo, and Opobo/Nkoro/Andoni federal constituencies.

The rerun election will also take place in 10 state constituencies which are Eleme, Gokana, Asari-Toru I, Asari-Toru II, Andoni, Khana II, Etche II, Ikwere, Bonny and Degema.

The INEC spokesman recalled that the rerun election was originally scheduled for March 19, 2016 but was suspended due to violence.

He explained further that the suspended exercise was also characterised by “returns made under duress by those not authorized to do so; collation made without validation; voting concluded without collation; disruption of voting, and no voting at all in some areas.”

Dazang added, however, that the elections had been concluded in some of the constituencies, results declared and winners returned by the respective returning officers before the process was suspended.

INEC Commissioners Complete  As Buhari Inaugurates Six More

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INEC Commissioners Complete  As Buhari Inaugurates Six More

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President Muhammadu Buhari has inaugurated six newly-appointed national commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The inauguration ceremony took place at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja shortly before the commencement of the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting today.

The commissioners are as follows, Ogunmola Ladipo – South West; May Agbamuche-Mbu – South South; Abubakar Nahuche, North West; Okechukwu Ibeano, South East; Muhammadu Haruna, North Central and Ahmad Muazu, North East.

President Buhari charged them to be up and doing in the discharge of their responsibilities, noting that their appointments came at a critical time in the nation’s political development.

He said his administration was concerned about the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process, adding that it was his desire to ensure that Nigerians are allowed to elect their leaders according to their conscience.

The inauguration of the six INEC commissioners brings the number of commissioners to 12 as stipulated by relevant laws; however, 21 out of 37 Resident Electoral Commissioners are yet to be appointed.

Recall that six INEC commissioners had retired shortly after the 2015 general election and their positions had remained vacant prompting criticism from various political analysts.

Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Odinkalu, at a town hall meeting and presentation of the findings of a post- 2015 elections research conducted by ActionAid Nigeria, said that the 2019 general election may be jeopardized if the situation continued.

“There is absolutely no reason why the executive should allow the number of vacancies we have in INEC to be,” Odinkalu said at the forum.

“By next month, INEC will have 28 vacancies among RECs (Resident Electoral Commissioners) and seven commissioners.

“The Executive is carrying on as if this is normal. It isn’t.

“I’m sorry to sound alarmist. But, continuing the way we are going, we will not be able to have elections in 2019. If it happens, there would be too many broken heads and dead people,” he said.

Ghana Presidential Election Underway

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Ghana Presidential Election Underway

ghana-presidential-election-underway

Voting is under way in Ghana’s presidential election in what analysts say is a tight race between President John Mahama and veteran opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo.

All seven candidates have pledged to keep the process peaceful but an opposition supporter died when a rally tuned violent on Monday.

The campaign has been dominated by the faltering state of Ghana’s economy and the issue of corruption.

Results are expected within three days.

A run-off will be held later in the month if neither of the two main candidates secures more than 50% of the votes.

The candidates signed a pact last week vowing to follow electoral rules and keep the peace.

But clashes broke out on Monday in Chereponi, a small northern town on the border with Togo. In addition to the reported death, six people are said to be in a critical condition as a result.

Defeat for Mahama of the National Democratic Congress, NDC, would make him the only single-term president since Ghana returned to multi-party democracy.

He won in 2012, but he had already been sitting president for several months following the death of his predecessor, John Atta Mills.

However he has been nicknamed “Mr Dumsor”, a local word that refers to the power cuts that have blighted the country during his term.

Akufo-Addo meanwhile is hoping it will be third time lucky for him and the centre-right New Patriotic Party, NPP, after two failed attempts in running for the country’s top job.

He has promised free high-school education and more factories, but his critics have questioned the viability of his ambitions.

Early voting had already taken place for people who would be on duty on Election Day proper.

Journalists, law enforcement personnel as well as officials of the electoral commission were allowed to cast their votes a day earlier, unlike what obtains in Nigeria where all the people involved in election duties are automatically disenfranchised.

NUJ Sues DSS For Detaining Journalist Over ‘Offensive’ Story

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NUJ Sues DSS For Detaining Journalist Over ‘Offensive’ Story

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The Kogi council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, has instituted a court case against the Department of State Services, DSS, at the Federal High Court, Lokoja, over ‘unlawful’ arrest and continued detention of one of its members, Friday Ogungbemi.

Ogungbemi, a Lokoja-based journalist, was reportedly arrested and detained by the DSS on November 30 for allegedly publishing offensive stories in the November 23 –December 15, 2016 edition of the ‘Policy and Lawmakers magazine’.

The suit was filed by NUJ counsel, J.U. Usman on behalf of the affected journalist on Tuesday, and it sought the enforcement of applicant’s fundamental human rights as well as a N5 million damages for unlawful incarceration and infringement on his fundamental rights.

The reliefs, according to the counsel, are based on three grounds including that the applicant had no criminal records and that his arrest and continued detention over the publication was unreasonable, illegal and unconstitutional.

He also held that there was a competent court of jurisdiction within 16-kilometer radius from the detention facility of the respondent wherein the applicant was detained but the respondent refused or neglected to charge him to court within the constitutional period.

On Monday the Kogi State NUJ council directed journalists in the state to boycott government activities to protest the unlawful arrest.

The directive was contained in a communiqué issued in Lokoja after an emergency congress meeting following failure of all entreaties to the state government and the DSS to secure the release of Ogungbemi.

“In view of the gross abuse of office by the DSS, probably acting on the directive of some highly placed groups or individuals, journalists should indefinitely boycott the coverage of all government activities in the state,” the communiqué read.

APC Accuses Gov Wike Of Stockpiling Arms Ahead Of Election

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APC Accuses Gov Wike Of Stockpiling Arms Ahead Of Election
Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike
Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has accused Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, and the State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of massive stockpiling of arms ahead of the December 10 legislative re-run elections in the State.

This was contained in a statement released by APC’s National Secretary, Mai Mala-Buni, on Tuesday, calling on security agencies to take urgent action to protect the lives of residents in the state.

Mala-Buni stated that the report that Wike’s security details had been withdrawn is a hoax which is intended to “deflect attention from the reports of an arms build-up and other sinister plots the Wike-led PDP administration plans to execute on Election Day.”

“Nobody is after Wike. The governor and the PDP’s diversionary and false alarm is hinged on the reality that they will lose the legislative re-run elections once security is tightened in Rivers State,” the APC scribe stated.

He also claimed that “the PDP and the Rivers State Governor are haunted by their horrible past misdeeds.”

Mala-Buni alleged that under Wike’s administration, “political thugs and criminal gangs have continued to kill and maim APC members and innocent citizens in Rivers State.”

He maintained that Saturday’s legislative re-run elections in Rivers State will further prove the resolve of the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to enshrine a free, fair and credible electoral process in the country.

“The APC hereby calls on security agencies to investigate the report of an arms build-up and be on high alert over the security situation in Rivers State under Wike’s watch and by extension the PDP in the lead-up to the Rivers legislative re-run election.

“Wike’s criminal gangs and PDP thugs must not be allowed to steal the votes of the Rivers electorate on Saturday,” the APC National Secretary stated.

Minister Pledges To Turn Around Nigeria’s Tourism Industry

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Minister Pledges To Turn Around Nigeria’s Tourism Industry
International Tourism Adviser to the UNWTO, Mr Jim Flannery; Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Mrs. Ayotunde Adesugba
International Tourism Adviser to the UNWTO, Jim Flannery; Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Ayotunde Adesugba

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has pledged to turn the enormous potentials that abound in the tourism industry into a thriving tourism economy.

Mohammed made the pledge in Abuja on Tuesday when he received the International Tourism Adviser of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, UNWTO, Jim Flannery, who is in Nigeria to assist in the review of the country’s Tourism Master Plan.

“Like I said, I want to leave a legacy as the Minister that came and transformed the Creative Industry to a Creative Economy,” the minister said.

“I want to come and leave as the Minister of Tourism that made Nigeria transit from just a country of tourism potentials to a country of tourism economy and this is why we are here today and I believe that we have all it takes to make it work.

”I am tired of Nigerians saying we have tourism potentials. I want us to start realizing those tourism potentials. I am tired of saying that tourism can create thousands of jobs in Nigeria; I want us to start creating those jobs,” he said.

Mohammed said the president Muhammadu Buhari administration has the political will to drive the process, especially by removing all the bottlenecks hindering the active participation of the private sector in the tourism industry and relaxing the rigid visa regime that discourages tourists from coming into the country.

“Our role really as government is more of regulatory and providing guidelines and protection, but the real jobs are within three groups of people: The states, the local community and the private sector,” he said.

The Minister said that the visit of the UNWTO International Tourism Adviser shows that Nigeria was taking the issue of tourism seriously.

“Today is the first concrete evidence that truly all that I said we were able to achieve at our July meeting with UNWTO is true and that’s why I am particularly glad that Mr. Flannery is here today and his presence here is the first step in actualizing one of the six promises and commitments that were made to us by the UNWTO,” he said.

Mohammed expressed optimism that tourism remains one of the avenues that will rejuvenate Nigeria’s economy and provide employment for the masses.

He said: “Tourism is so unique. It’s the only industry in the world that is pro the poor people. It’s the only industry in the world that is pro the rural area and it’s the only industry in the world where you do not need highly specialized skills or knowledge because nature in its mercy and bountifulness has created tourism sites where it wants not where we want.

“The Zuma Rock, the Owu Waterfall were put there by God. The Cross River Wild Park was not man-made. So it is one industry that if we harness properly, we can bring development right to the rural areas, create jobs and harmony.”

Responding, the UNWTO International Tourism Adviser, said there is currently a renewed interest in tourism due to its vitality and inexhaustible nature.

“Tourism worldwide is becoming recognized more and more as one of the great economic activities that is of major benefit to countries. Why is it of benefit? Because tourism unlike manufacturing industry can go into the regions and in fact it does go into communities and you don’t need major structured investment for tourism to be successful,” he said.

Lawmakers Summon NYSC DG Over Corps Member’s Death

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Lawmakers Summon NYSC DG Over Corps Member’s Death

lawmakers-summon-nysc-dg-over-corps-members-death

Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Sule Kazaure, has been summoned by members of the House of Representatives to explain the circumstances that led to the death of a corps member at the Kano State NYSC orientation camp.

This followed a motion raised by Olufemi Fakeye, an Osun State lawmaker, the state where Ifedolapo Oledepo, the deceased corps member hails from.

Fakeye in his motion noted that the demise of the 26-year-old Oledepo, a first class graduate of Aviation and Transport Management from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, was avoidable.

According to him, the deceased corps member took ill a few days after arriving at the Orientation Camp and promptly reported the condition to camp authorities. But adequate attention was not given to her as the authorities initially thought she feigned the sickness in order not to take part in the routine strenuous exercises which is part of camp activities.

Fakeye further said that the deceased was eventually admitted to the camp clinic but it appeared the camp clinic was not properly equipped.

“The camp clinic may not have been adequately equipped, as the late Ifedayo was reportedly given some “Placebo” and later injected with some substance, following which a lot of rashes manifested all over her body and her tongue became twisted,” he said.

Contributing to the motion, majority leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, said that the NYSC management should partner with the state governments to construct  well-equipped medical facility in each of the orientation camps in the federation.

Gbajabiamila also suggested that all Corps members must be enrolled under a health insurance scheme for the duration of their service year.

He advised that the expenses for the above improvement to the NYSC scheme should be contained in the 2017 budget.

The lawmakers however suggested that corps members should be allowed to take adequate rest at the orientation camps and that the rigours of camp exercise be relaxed.

Policemen, Soldiers Arrested For Rape In IDP Camps

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Policemen, Soldiers Arrested For Rape In IDP Camps

 

Displaced women in Maiduguri receiving care
Displaced women in Maiduguri receiving care

Two policemen, three soldiers, one Prison Service official, one Air Force personnel, a staff of Borno State Ministry for Agriculture and two members of the Civilian JTF have been arrested for sexually abusing women and girls in Internally Displaced Persons, IDP, camps in the North east

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Idris disclosed this at the IGP Conference on Tuesday in Abuja.

Speaking for the police, the Inspector General said that after investigations, any policeman found guilty of any offence would be dismissed and taken to court for prosecution.

Idris said police would liaise with the Army and Air Force and other agencies to make their personnel available for a thorough investigation.

“We are going to conduct a thorough investigation and if anyone is found guilty we will dismiss him then take him to court,” he said.

The IGP said the police had put in place mechanisms, which included the deployment of female police officers to IDP camps, to check future occurrences.

A report by the Human Rights Watch, HRW, indicating that Nigerian government officials and security agents sexually exploit women and girls in IDP camps in October forced President Muhammadu Buhari to order a full investigation into the sexual abuse allegation.

Buhari’s order was a bold step as the previous government had consistently denied such allegations.

The HRW report stated that government officials and others including, camp leaders, vigilante groups, policemen, and soldiers, have raped and sexually exploited women and girls in IDP camps, adding that the government has not done enough to ensure that the victims have access to their basic rights and services, or to sanction the abusers.

HRW said it documented 43 cases of rape and sexual exploitation of women and girls living in seven IDP camps in Maiduguri.

“Four of the victims (said) that they were drugged and raped, while 37 were coerced into sex through false marriage promises and material and financial assistance,” the group stated in its report

“Many of those coerced into sex said they were abandoned if they became pregnant. They and their children have suffered discrimination, abuse, and stigmatization from other camp residents,” it added.

However, most of the findings of the HRW were a confirmation of an investigative report published by www.icirnigeria.org on January 19, 2015 on the rampart cases of rape and child trafficking in IDPs camps across the North east.

The story “Grim Tales Of Rape, Child Trafficking In Displaced Persons Camps”, chronicled sad tales of rape told by victims and some aid workers in the IDPs camps but it was dismissed by the government, which said that there was no evidence even after setting up an investigation panel.

The www.icirnigeria.org story of nearly two years generated a lot of anger, particularly among international humanitarian agencies, forcing the government to set up a probe panel comprising members from the Department of State services, DSS, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, National human Rights Commission, NHRC, Journalists against Disaster, JAD, among others.

However, even on the first day of its assignment, chairman of the committee, Bilikis Mohammed Abdullahi, a deputy director in the Directorate of State Services, DSS, declared that there was no evidence of rape in the camps visited.

Not surprisingly, the panel in its report, which has never been made public, said that there is no evidence to prove such cases of sexual abuse in the camps.

Also read:

No Evidence of Rape In IDP Camps

NEMA Officials Work Against Probe Of Rape In IDP Camps

NEMA Launches Probe Into Allegation Of Rape, Child Trafficking In IDP Camps

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