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Omo Omoruyi’s Daughters In Legal Battle Over Will

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Omo Omoruyi’s Daughters In Legal Battle Over Will

From Jefferson Ibiwale, Benin City

A dispute has arisen among family members over the estate of former director-general of the defunct Centre for Democratic Studies, CDS, Omo Omoruyi, who was buried less than two months ago.

The family members had disagreed over Omoruyi’s burial arrangements as his two biological children – Amenze Omoruyi-Okungbowa and Ivie Oyenmwen Omoruyi- Idehen – both women, said to be based in Canada and the United States, had insisted on seeing their father’s corpse before the arrival of their brothers and mother from the US.

The dispute delayed plans for the burial but was eventually resolved by the Esogban of Benin Kingdom, David Edebiri, who is said to be a relative of the Omoruyi family.

Now the two daughters have instituted a case at a Benin City High Court challenging the purported will of their father and urging the court to declare that the two adopted sons of their father cannot be beneficiaries of his estate.

Joined as defendants in the suit are Union Edebiri, Donald Omorodion (executors of the will of the late Omoruyi), Imuetiyan Festus, Iduoze Nehikhare, Owere Dickson Imansogie, Sunday Omoruyi, Eghosa Omoruyi (younger brother to the deceased), Courage Omoruyi and the probate registrar.

In the writs of summon by the counsel to the claimants, N.P Osifo, the two daughters want the court to declare their father’s will null and void, as the concept is contrary to Bini native law and customs.

They also argue that the concepts of adopted male children are unknown to Bini native laws and customs and, therefore, not entitled to inherit properties from their adopted father.

Alternatively, they want a declaration that the two adopted children, being witnesses to the said will, cannot under the Will’s Act be beneficiaries under same will.

They also want the court to declare that the purported gifts to the adopted sons who were said to be witnesses to the said will now becomes the bonafide property of claimants being Omoruyi’s biological children.

Other prayers sought by the claimants include:

“A declaration that the signature purported to be signature of the claimants’ father on the will dated 28th September, 2013 is not his signature.”

“A declaration that a will that is lodged with the Probate Section of the High Court after the death of the Testator is not the Will of the Testator.”

“A declaration that the will dated 28th September, 2013 which was lodged in November 2013 is open to serious doubt as to its correctness and actual custody particularly when the Testator had died before it was lodged.”

Omoruyi died in Benin City on October 14, 2013 after a protracted battle with cancer.

Sen Sheriff, Gov Shettima Stoned By Youths In Maiduguri

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Sen Sheriff, Gov Shettima Stoned By Youths In Maiduguri

Musdapha Ilo, Maiduguri

Angry youths on Monday in Maiduguri pelted with stone the senator representing Borno Central, Ali Modu Sheriff, for abandoning them at the peak of the insurgency that has gripped the state.

Interestingly the attack on the senator came only two days after a similar one during which the convoy of the Borno State governor Kashim Shettima, was pelted in Maiduguri with stones, sand and sachets of  water by some irate youths.

In the attack on the senator, youths lined the streets leading to the palace of the Shehu of Borno in their dozens like a welcoming party but threw stones, sachet water and other objects at his convoy

The youths alleged that Sheriff, who was governor of the state for eight years, had turned his back on them and that he was no longer welcome to the home he abandoned for years.

The senator had to be ferried into the palace of the Shehu of Borno by his security details amidst the throwing of stones by the youths who succeeded in vandalising his car.

A close political associate on the senator who does not want to be named insisted that the attack on Sheriff was the handiwork of political associates of the present governor who had alleged that the early attack on him was instigated by the former governor.

He claimed that the former governor remains a popular figure in Borno and wanted by the old and young ones alike.

In the attack on governor Shettima’s, his convoy was heading towards the Maiduguri International Airport when it ran into a mob of young men who suddenly started chanting antagonistic songs and began to haul stones, sands and satchet water directly at the governor’s vehicle.

It took the intervention of policemen of the nearby Police Crack Squad who fired canisters of tear gas into the air to disperse the mob.

After the attack, the governor’s spokesman, Isa Gusau, alleged that it was masterminded by hired political thugs brought in from outside the state.

Talks Resume For Ceasefire In South Sudan

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Talks Resume For Ceasefire In South Sudan

Delegates from the government of South Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement, SPLAM, opposition group on Monday in Addis Ababa began face-to-face negotiations to end ongoing hostilities in the country.

The talks are being mediated by the Intergovernmental Authority for Development, IGAD, at the Sheraton Hotel, Addis Ababa and assisted by envoys from the United States, the United Kingdom and Norway.

The IGAD’s chief mediator, Lazarus Sumbeiywo, said at the opening of the meeting that the warring factions were meeting face-to-face to harmonise documents and positions to provide framework for a cease fire deal.

IGAD’s effort for cessation of hostilities between the South Sudan government and SPLAM/SPLA rebel group had been stalled by the refusal of the two parties to soft-pedal on conditions they set for a cease fire agreement.

South Sudan’s former Vice President, Reik Marchar, on Sunday insisted on the release of the 11 opposition politicians being detained by the Salva Kiir-led government as a condition for the cessation of hostilities.

Marchar had earlier, during a three-hour meeting with the mediators on Saturday, also expressed concern over the involvement of the Ugandan Army in the internal crisis of South Sudan.

He had equally expressed fear on the implementation of the agreement by the South Sudan government as well as the benefits the opposition would get from the whole process.

President Kiir on the other hand had dismissed calls for the release of the 11 political detainees, insisting that their release must follow the country’s legal procedure.

Okah’s Family Accuse Prison Authorities Of Poisoning Their Son

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Okah’s Family Accuse Prison Authorities Of Poisoning Their Son

The family of Charles Okah, who is being detained in Kuje prison on charges relating to the unfortunate October 1, 2010 bombing has accused the Nigerian Prison Service, NPS, of deliberately poisoning him with the motive of turning him into an imbecile.

According to a statement titled: “Okah Family Raises Alarm Over Charles Okah’s Health” which was signed by Felix Amaebi Okah and Dadiowei Okah, the family accused the prison authorities of administering a drug known as Epilim 200 (sodium valproate or ESV), allegedly prescribed by one Professor Bwala, a consultant Neurologist at the National Hospital Abuja, which is said to be having an adverse effect on him.

The statement said that the drug was initially prescribed to treat the damage to Okah’s neurological system caused by too much exposure to high level of fumigant chemicals, which the family said had claimed the life of one of his cellmates identified as Francis Osuwo.

However, observing his negative reaction to the drug, the statement said Okah had complained to his wife Angela Uchechi during a visit and that the matter was brought to the attention of one Dr. Ajayi of the Kuje Prison Clinic, who allegedly continued to be administer the medication against his wish.

The family pointed out that the said drug which was administered daily to Okah was deliberately not reflected in the records that show his daily drug consumption.

“We suspect strongly that the Nigerian Prison service (NPS) with an antecedence for poisoning political prisoners from orders from above, have deliberately and systematically poisoned Charles Okah into becoming an imbecile,” the family alleged.

The family has therefore appealed to the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA and the Human Rights Watch to carry out an independent investigation into the matter, in order to bring all those involved to book.

Okah was arrested following the Independence Day bombing in Abuja in 2010 and has been charged to court for terrorism.

In December last year, Justice Gabriel Kolawole of an Abuja High Court ordered that a psychiatric test be conducted on Okah to ascertain if he was fit for trial or not.

The terror suspect had been brought into the court in a wheel chair and his lawyer, John Ainetor had accused prison officials of deny him adequate medical attention.

We Were Arraigned For Refusing To Offer Bribe – Robbery Suspects

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We Were Arraigned For Refusing To Offer Bribe – Robbery Suspects

Two men charged with armed robbery before an Ikeja High Court told the judge that they were framed up by the police for refusing to offer bribe after their arrest more than five years ago.

The two men – Kingsley Ogwunze and Benjamin Nwafor – while testifying before Justice Lateefat Okunnu, told the court that they were arrested separately at Charity Bus Stop on Apapa-Oshodi Expressway on December 7, 2008 and had never met until February 4, 2009 when they were first paired up by the police for arraignment at an Ikeja Magistrate Court.

According to them, they were remanded in Kirikiri Maximum Prisons, Lagos, after their arraignment on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy and armed robbery.

Ogwunze, the first defendant, who claimed to be an undertaker, said he was arrested by plain-clothes policemen while he was going to collect money from a customer and that despite showing the policemen his identity card and driver’s licence, they still bundled him into a commercial bus along with some other persons.

“When we were inside the bus, they told me to cooperate and that I should give them money. But I refused because I had done nothing wrong. As we were going, the bus stopped and some persons came and gave the policemen money to release their relatives and friends, who were also in the bus,” he said.

He said he was later taken to Makinde Police Station, Mafoloku, where the Police detained him for several weeks after seizing his wallet and mobile phone which prevented him from reaching his family members in Abia.

“From there, I was taken to Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja, where I was tortured physically for several weeks to make a confessional statement. Later, one Inspector Cyprian, came to meet me that if I could raise money that they will let me go, but I told him I had no money.”

Ogwunze said he was eventually charged to court for allegedly conspiring with the second defendant, Nwafor and others at large for robbing people of their mobile phones.

Under cross-examination by the prosecution counsel, Femi Adamson, the first defendant insisted on his innocence.

He said: “I have never met the second defendant and I do not know him. My Lord, the job I do is far better than snatching of mobile phones. I want the court to strike out this case because I do not know anything about it and my future is at stake.”

Also testifying, Nwafor, who claimed to be a trader, corroborated the first defendant’s claim.

He said he had never met Ogwunze and was surprised when they were charged to court together.

The case has been adjourned to March 3 for adoption of final addresses.

Protesters Shutdown Bangkok To Oust PM

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Protesters Shutdown Bangkok To Oust PM

Thousands of protesters on Monday blocked roads in parts of the Thai capital, Bangkok, in a bid to force out Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and replace her with an unelected “Peoples Council” before elections in February.

The protesters built barricades and occupied key road junctions in a festive mood, waving flags amidst chants and dancing and wearing tee-shirts with the inscription “Shutdown Bangkok”.

Major intersections that normally team with cars and trucks were blockaded, but trains and river ferries were operating, most shops were open and motorbikes plied the roads freely.

“Don’t ask me how long this occupation will last,” protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban said in a speech to supporters carried by the movement’s BlueSky television channel. “We will not stop until we win.”

The government has deployed 18,000 security personnel to maintain order, but police and soldiers are maintaining a low profile.

The protests are the latest chapter in years-old political crisis that has gripped Thailand since Yingluck’s older brother, fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, was ousted by royalist generals in 2006.

The recent rallies were triggered by a failed amnesty bill that could have allowed Thaksin to return without going to jail for a past corruption conviction.

The billionaire tycoon-turned-politician has strong electoral support in northern Thailand, but he is reviled by many southerners, Bangkok’s middle class and members of the royalist establishment.

Social Media Training Scholarship Open To Journalists

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Social Media Training Scholarship Open To Journalists

Mid career journalists with at least three years of experience in broadcast, print or online journalism in the Middle East and North Africa can apply for a scholarship in the Netherlands.

The Radio Nederland Training Centre, RNTC offers a two-week course on “Mastering Social Media,” sponsored by the MENA Scholarship Programme (MSP).

The course will focus on how social media can help in building new networks, technical aspects of checking sources and the best way to establish reliability.

Applicants must not be older than 45 years and must have at least three years of experience in broadcast, print or online journalism and must also have secondary, professional education or training in media.

Candidates also must have computer skills, be fluent in English and should be nationals resident in Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Syria or Tunisia.

To apply, interested journalists should submit a letter of motivation in English (150-250 words) not later than February 4.

For more information about the scholarship, click here and about the course, click here.

Senator Ndume’s Convoy Attacked By Nigeria Airforce Pilot

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Senator Ndume’s Convoy Attacked By Nigeria Airforce Pilot

Musdapha Ilo, Maiduguri

As the news of the shooting of Senator Magnus Abe by the police in Port Harcourt continues to elicit reactions, another senator, Muhammed Ali Ndume, has alleged that his convoy was attacked by men of the Nigerian Airforce over the weekend in Borno State, where he had gone to sympathise with recent victims of the Boko Haram insurgency in Ardoko, Arbaku, Ngoshe, Pulka and other remote villages.

Ndume said he was just returning from Gwoza, where he went to present a letter of appointment to the Emir, Iddrisa Timta, who was to be upgraded to a first class emir and had reached Pulka village when the attack took place.

He told journalists that as the villagers lined the street to wave and cheer at him, suddenly, a bomb dropped from the skies and exploded causing his vehicle to skid off the road.

According to the senator, three other explosions followed as his convoy scampered for safety.

“Initially I thought it was the Boko Haram that were attacking us; we even thought it was some people waiving at us from the road side that detonated the bomb,” he said.

However, he said when his convoy eventually stopped; he was told by one of the army personnel escorting him that the bombs were from the Airforce.

Ndume said they quickly ran to a military base close by to intimate them of the incident.

“At the military base, the soldiers there tried to establish communication with the pilot of the jet but could not get across and after some minutes they said that it might be an operational blunder from the Nigerian Airforce,” he narrated.

But Ndume, who was not satisfied with this explanation, wondered why the Airforce pilot would fire four straight bombs at a moving convoy without bordering to verify with ground forces.

The lawmaker said the attack shows clear unprofessionalism on the part of the military and suggests that some of the victories over insurgents which it had announced in the past may have actually been cold blood murder of innocent citizens.

“I thank God for sparing my life; I could have been dead or members of convoy too would have been killed, and when the military say it was a blunder, only their story would have been heard, perhaps there wouldn’t be any other person to speak for me,” he said calling for more investigation into the matter.

Ndume had been arrested and detained in 2011 on the suspicion that he had links with members of the Boko Haram sect.

He was later arraigned before a federal high court in Abuja on terrorism charges and was accused of sponsoring members of the group, among other offences which he denied.

The Court of Appeal on December 3, 2013 struck out a motion by the senator to set aside the ruling of the trial judge, who admitted in evidence DVDs containing alleged conversation between him and spokesman of the Boko Haram sect, Ali Konduga.

Read also:

Boko Haram Plans To Wipe Out Christians In Borno – Rep

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Boko Haram Plans To Wipe Out Christians In Borno – Rep

Musdapha Ilo, Maiduguri

A member of the House of Representatives, Peter Biye, from Gwoza/Chibok in Damboa in Borno State has alleged that there is a plan by the Boko Haram sect to wipe out Christianity in the state.

Biye made the allegation after gunmen attacked Sabon Gari village in Hambagda Jaji ward of Gwoza local government area of the state killing eight persons and injuring several others.

He said since the beginning of the endless attacks launched by the sect in 2009, over 200 churches have been completely razed down, leaving only about eight churches in the whole of Gwoza Council, a Christian dominated area.

It would be recalled that barely four days ago, unknown gunmen stormed the lawmaker’s village at about 8pm, carting away over 70 domestic animals and setting several buildings ablaze.

The gunmen also burnt 30,000 pieces of exercise books, 30,000 packets of pen, sewing machines, generating pump machines, 30,000 packets of chalk among others which Biye said he bought at the cost of over N38 million for distribution to schools and people in his constituency to cushion the effect of insurgency in the area.

The lawmaker who is the only Christian House of Representative member from Borno state lamented that since he was elected by the people of his constituency, there has been daily attacks targeted at Christian communities in Gwoza, Chibok and Damboa council areas, a situation he said forced him to stop visiting his people, including his family members for the past two years.

He also expressed disappointment over what he described as “non- challant attitude” of security operatives to secure his constituency which is one of the worst hit by Boko Haram crisis.

“What is happening in my constituency is very unfortunate, people are being killed by terrorists on daily basis, churches are being burnt, and if people like my Honourable self, who is also a member House Committee on Army will alert military authorities that based on intelligent report my village will be under attack by terrorists, and nothing was done to secure the area, then it is unfortunate,” he lamented.

He added: “As I am talking to you now, I have spent over two years without going to see my people because I am no longer safe, all my projects which was aimed at alleviating the economic hardship of my people have been destroyed.”

APGA Wins 20 Of 21 Chairmanships Seats In Anambra

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APGA Wins 20 Of 21 Chairmanships Seats In Anambra

The ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in Anambra State has won 20 chairmanship seats out of 21 in Saturday’s local government elections in the state.

The acting chairman of the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission, ANSIEC, Sylvester Okonkwo, announced the results in Awka on Sunday.

Okonkwo said elections were not conducted in Nnewi North local government area due to the late arrival of materials.

He said it was unanimously agreed by parties that the election be conducted on January 18.

He said that APGA won a total of 304 councillorship seats out of the 327 in the state, while the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, followed with 12 councillorship seats. The Progressives Peoples Alliance, PPA, and United Progressives Party, UPP, secured one councillorship seat each.

Okonkwo commended the people of the state for eschewing violence before, during and after the polls, even as he said there was a report of interception of a vehicle conveying election materials.

He urged those who disagree with the outcome of the election to seek redress in court.

The chairman recalled that local council election was last conducted in the state in 1998 while attempts to conduct the poll before Saturday had met brick walls.

He noted that attempts were made in December 1998, December 4, 2004, February 2005, November 2011, October 5, 2013, December 14, 2013 and December 21, 2013 before it was finally conducted on January 11.

In his reaction, the chairman of APGA in the state, Mike Kwentor, ascribed the party’s victory to the infrastructural development of the state by governor Peter Obi.

Kwentor said the party was not bothered by the postponement of the election in Nnewi North, boasting that the party will win the election when conducted.

“That other political parties got pockets of victories show that there is democracy in Anambra,” he said.

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