Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, have rescued a three-day-old baby while carrying out a raided on Moonlight Maternity home, an illegal clinic in Enugu, where babies from unwanted pregnancies sold.

The 74-year old proprietor of the clinic, Ben Agbo, has been arrested after admitting he had been operating the clinic for over nine years, selling babies to those in need under a humanitarian service of the clinic.

Also, a nurse working with him was arrested.

The state NSCDC commander, Nathaniel Ubong, while parading the suspects, said they were arrested following a surveillance mounted by his men around the maternity home after a tip off by a patriotic citizen on the illicit activities going on at the maternity home.

Ubong said he became more curious when it was discovered that the said maternity home was not on the list of hospitals submitted to his unit by ministry of gender affairs as among those accredited for child fostering in the state.

He said his men recovered some vital documents relating to past sales of babies by the clinic under the guise of child fostering which the doctor had no authority to conduct.

Agbo told newsmen that although his clinic was not accredited to conduct child fostering, he was using it to render humanitarian services to couples who were finding it hard to produce babies of their own.

The Lagos state government has said that it will soon commence the demolition of all structurally defective buildings as soon as it concludes investigations on such structures across the state.

The state commissioner for special duties, Wale Ahmed, assured Lagos residents while inspecting a three-storey building that collapsed on Thursday in Ebute Meta.

He promised that the government will do everything possible to avert future occurrences of collapse buildings.

“Every building marked for demolition will be pulled down as soon as the agencies assigned to work on them conclude their investigations,” he added.

Ahmed  said that the state governor, Babatunde Fashola, was still awaiting recommendations from the constituted committee drafted to look into building collapse in the state.

The information officer of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, in Lagos state, Ibrahim Farinloye confirmed that no fewer than seven bodies were retreaved from the collapsed building while a one year old child, three women and five men were rescued from the debris of the structure.

A motorcycle seller who is one of the occupants of the ground floor of the building, Chukwudi Ezeobi, told reporters that about 200 Honda motorcycles valued at N20 million were in his shop in the building before the incident.

Another motorcycle seller, Ambrose Aneke, said that he had about 100 cartons of motorcycle spare parts valued at about N3 million in the building.

Also speaking to reporters, the chairman, Mainland Local Government Area, Oladele Adekanye, promised that the council would contribute its quota in identifying defective buildings within its locality.

Adekanye, however, urged tenants to be vigilant while renting houses.  He said that the council would ensure that the developers of collapsed buildings are brought to book.

Former chief security officer during the late Sani Abacha military regime, Hamza Al-Mustapha, has been absolved of all charges relating to the murder of Kudirat Abiol by the Court of Appeal in Lagos.

The verdict, which is a unanimous decision from a panel of three justices headed by Amina Augie, overturns that of the Lagos High Court delivered by Justice Mojisola Dada on January 30, 2013 which sentenced him to death by hanging.

Augie held that the Lagos High Court that convicted Mustapha, a retired colonel, for the murder of Abiola, was “stroked to secure a conviction by all means.”

Al-Mustapha had appealed the judgement of the High Court, in a 40-paragraph brief of argument filed by his counsel, Joseph Daudu, claiming he was convicted of serving in “a hated administration”.

He said the judgment was based on “unreliable and discredited” testimonies of the star witnesses of the prosecution and prayed the appellate court to set aside his conviction for the murder of KudiratAbiola by the High Court.

Justice Ibrahim Saulawa of the Court of Appeal, who was initially handling the case, suddenly announced his withdrawal on May 30, citing personal reasons, causing the case to be transferred toAugie.

The appellate court ruled on Friday that there was no direct circumstantial evidence that Mustapha conspired with anyone as evidence of prosecution witnesses in that regard were contradictory.

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The court also discharged Lateef Shofolahan, co-accused withMustapha.

The two were first arraigned in October 1999 on a four count charge bothering on conspiracy and involvement in the murder of late Kudirat Abiola, wife of a late politician, M.K.O. Abiola.

Kudirat was shot dead along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway on June 4 1996, at the age of 45.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday made its final submission in the battle for ownership of the $15 million Ibori bribe by contending that Delta Sate government cannot claim a money it never accepted existed.

Delta State government had approached the Federal High Court,Abuja asking that the money, with which former governor JamesIbori tried to bribe former EFCC boss, Nuhu Ribadu, be given back to the state.

Counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs, said at the resumed hearing of the case, that the Delta State government’s claim to the bribe lacked merit as it had in 2007 instituted an action against the commission and the attorney general of the federation stating thatIbori should not be investigated and that the state had lost no money from its treasury.

“My Lord, it is too late for the Delta State Attorney General to lay claim to this money because of his action where he instituted a case against the Commission saying the governor should not be investigate,” the EFCC counsel said.

He added that paragraph 10 of the affidavit deposed in the said case by the Delta State attorney general, stated that the state accountant general, after a thorough investigation, had concluded that no money was lost and that they have no complaint of any missing money.

Jacobs urged the court to dismiss the claim by the Delta State government to the $15 million and order the final forfeiture of the sum to the federal government, in line with provisions of section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.

He averred that since the commission had clearly maintained that the money was given as a bribe, and owing to the fact that no one had  proven ownership, Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences has given the court power to order the final forfeiture of the money to the federal government.

Justice Gabrael Kolawole fixed September 20, when he will deliver judgment on the ownership of the bribe money.

The $15million was allegedly given by James Ibori, a former governor of Delta State to the Commission as bribe to stave-off arrest by former chairman of the EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu.

Ribadu cried foul of the move and lodged the money at the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

After about five years, the EFCC in July 2012 approached the court through an ex-parte application, requesting for an order forfeiting the Ibori bribe to the Federal Government as unclaimed proceed of crime.

Following the application, the court on July 24, 2012, ordered theEFCC to publish an interim order of forfeiture in a national newspaper (Thisday Newspaper), alerting any one with claim to the said money to state such claims within 14 days.

Three parties, including the Delta state government indicated interest.

While the others have since abandoned their claim to the Iboribribe, the Delta State government has maintained its claim of ownership.

Justice Danladi Yakub Umar

Three directors, six deputy directors and seven assistant directors have been appointed to man strategic departments in the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

The Chairman of the agency, Justice Danladi Yakub Umar, who confirmed the appointment said the exercise received the endorsement of office of the head of service of the federation.

"This exercise not only reflected the Federal Character Principle but also the officers merited their new position going by their records of service and dedication to duty," he said.

Some of the promoted officials, he said had, been stagnated in one position for over eight years.

The directors are Ehigie Thompson E. from Edo State who heads planning, research and statitistics, Abudulmalik Shuaibu, also from Edo State who heads litigation department and Abdul-Azeez Badisha from Adamawa State who is now in charge of administration.

The newly elevated deputy directors are Gado J. Zanyadada from Nassarawa,(Personnel), Bassey Essienawan, (Training) from Cross River State and Enwa C. Agbor, (SERVICOM) from Cross River State.

Others include Julius M. Koplang, (Accounts) from Plateau State, Anikwem O.B., (Final Accounts), from Enugu State, Agaba Peter A.,(Budget) from Cross River and Sambo Umar J., (Audit) from Kduna State.

Also elevated were five assistant directors across existing Units including procurement to be supervised by Ahmad Aziz I. from Kogi State, Didel Justine R. to supervised Maintenance, from Plateau State, the new AD Admin. is Anyanwu Chukwuma, from Imo State and AD (Zonal Office) is Korie Vitus K.O. from Imo State.

The tribunal also recently approved the participation of four senior staff, to attend the upcoming International Bar Association Conference (IBA), coming up in October 2013 in Boston, United States of America, while an undisclosed number of lawyers of the agency will attend the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Conference, coming up 25th August, 2013, in Tinapa Cross River State.

Also, other staff of the Tribunal are equally sponsored to attend various workshops in the areas of their schedules to the Tribunal.

As the leaders of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood are being rounded up, the Egyptian prosecutor’s office has ordered the arrest of Mohammed Badie, the supreme leader of the group.

Badie is accused of inciting protesters into violence, following the death of 51 people in Cairo on Monday during violent clashes between pro-Morsi protesters and security agents.

Nine other leading Brotherhood figures, including Badie’s first deputy, Khairat El-Shater, are also on the most wanted list.

This comes as the group rejected an offer by the new prime minister to be part of an interim cabinet.

Badie and El-Shater are seen by opposition officials as the real power Morsi while he was in office.

Badie was the original muslim Brotherhood candidate before prior convictions forced him to resign and let Morsi take his place.

In reaction, the Brotherhood dismissed the accusations against its leaders as “nothing more than an attempt by the police state to dismantle the Rabaa protest.”

Protesters remain at the Rabaa al-Adawiya in Cairo, and al-Jazeerareports that the wanted leaders are among them as it is a pretty safe place to be if the military and police want to avoid any more bloodshed.

Meanwhile, the deposed President is still under house arrest at an undisclosed location in Egypt just a year and a few days after he became Egypt’s first democratically elected President.

At least a dozen of his closest aides and advisors are also under house arrest.

The Governor of Yobe State, Ibrahim Gaidam, has reiterated calls for telecommunication service in the state to be restored to avert more catastrophes and aid free flow of information from distressed persons and those with useful information that could lead to the clampdown of terrorists.

Gaidam told a team from the defence headquarters who paid him a  courtesy visit at the Government House in Damaturu, that the attack last Saturday on a boarding school in the state could have been prevented, if there was free flow of information.

The governor said the criminals who attacked a secondary school inMamudo town in which 33 persons were killed were sighted by people in the town some hours before the attack but could not report the suspicious movement to the Joint Task Force, JTFbecause there was no GSM service.

Yobe is one of three states currently without GSM service because of the state of emergency declared by President GoodluckJonathan.

Others are Adamawa and Borno States.

The governor also called on the JTF operating in the state to review its strategies to achieve more results.

The chief of research and development, defence headquarters, Collins Ariahu, who led the team to the governor’s office, said that the military is determined to ensure peace and stability in the state.

READ ALSO:

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• Ibori $15million Bribe: Delta Has No Claim Since It Denied The Crime – EFCC
• Code of Conduct Appoints New Directors
• Polytechnic Director Jailed 9 Months For Using Forged Certificate
• Egypt Orders Arrest Of Muslim Brotherhood Leader

He said he would submit the report of his findings to the defenceheadquarters for necessary action and assured that attacks such as the one last week at GSS Mamudo would not happen again.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has also urged the President to restore cell phone services in the three states under emergency rule to facilitate communications between residents and security agencies.

The House said restoring the service would also enable the circulation of useful security information to fight insurgency in the country.

The House of Representatives has condemned in strong terms the fracas at the Rivers State legislative house on Tuesday and assumed interim control of the assembly in accordance with the Constitution.

Section 11, sub section 4 of the 1999 Constitution states that: “At any time when any House of Assembly of a state is unable to perform its functions by reason of the situation prevailing in the state, The National Assembly may make such Laws for the peace, order and good government of that state…until such time as the House of Assembly is able to resume its functions; and any such laws enacted by the National Assembly pursuant to this section shall have effect as if they were laws enacted by the House of Assembly of the state.”

At a special session presided over by the deputy speaker, EmekaIhedioha, on Wednesday, the members described as embarrassing and shameful the attempt by five anti-Amaechi lawmakers to dislodge the leadership of the House of Assembly.

They equally expressed anger over the action of the Rivers State Police Commissioner of Police, whom they said had continued to promote illegality in the state.

The federal lawmakers called for the removal and investigation of the police commissioner.

Also, the Inspector -General of Police, M.D Abubakar has vowed that any officer found guilty of misconduct would be appropriately sanctioned.

“I have sent a DIG (Deputy Inspector General) in charge of operations, he is in Port Harcourt and he will give me brief on all the happenings and the action taken by the Police in Rivers State and necessary action will be taken against anybody who has done anything stupid,” he said.

A five-man anti-Ameachi team of the Rivers State House of Assembly on Tuesday attacked the Speaker of the House,Otelemaba Amachree and the Majority Leader, Chidi Lloyd, with the assistance of some hoodlums.

In the process, at least four persons, including the Speaker and Lloyd were injured and rushed to the hospital, while the mace was destroyed.

The fracas is believed to be connected with the on-going silent battle between President Goodluck Jonathan and the state governor, Rotimi Amaechi; and a plan to impeach the Speaker.

Tensions have remained high as hundreds of pro and anti Amaechiyouths took over the streets of Port Harcourt protesting recent developments in the state.

While supporters of the Speaker criticized the attempt by a minority of five to impeach the Speaker, anti Amaechi elements denounced the alleged interference in legislative business in order to protect his own political interests.

The chairman, Senate committee on petroleum (downstream), Magnus Abe, has criticised the attack on the Speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly, Otelemaba Amachree on Tuesday.

He described the attack as a shame and a slap on democracy.

A fracas ensued between five – man anti-Rotimi Amaechi group of the assembly and the remaining 27 members just as the Speaker and the Majority Leader, Chidi Lloyd, arrived at the Assembly for the day’s sitting.
It was gathered that the anti – Amaechi group, arrived with some hoodlums and started beating up Amachree and Lloyd and, breaking the mace in the process.
It is believed that the move of the five members who are on the side of Nyesom Wike, a minister in Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet and a sworn enemy of the Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, is part of a grand plan to impeach the Speaker.

With the Speaker and Lloyd wounded and ferried to the hospital, others members of the House fled the assembly complex momentarily allowing the five anti Amaechi members sit and attempt to impeach Amachree.