Home Blog Page 761

One chance robbery: FCT Police impound 9 vehicles, arrest suspects

Bankole ABE
-
0
One chance robbery: FCT Police impound 9 vehicles, arrest suspects

THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command said it impounded nine vehicles allegedly used for one-chance robbery across the Territory.

The Command said it also apprehended various criminal suspects.

Briefing journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, October 25, the FCT Police Commissioner Haruna Garba said the newly created Operation Sting and anti-one chance squad carried out coordinated operations and impounded nine tinted vehicles suspected to be used for one chance activities in the FCT. 

 He said the effort was to rid the city of one-chance activities.

He listed the impounded vehicles as follows: 

  • Red Golf with Reg. No. ABJ 897 DC
  • White Peugeot 206 with Reg. No. JJJ 638 
  • Ford Vita Black with Reg. No RBC 567 MK
  • Nissan Almeira with Reg. No. AWK 260 IB
  • Toyota Corolla Gold in Colour with Reg. No. ABJ 590 AE
  • Mazda 323 Protege with Reg. No. RBC 258 XC
  • Toyota Corolla Gold in colour with Reg. No. LD 364 
  • Toyota Corolla with Reg. No. YAB 561 EH Black in colour
  • A vehicle with Reg. No. ABJ 597 TH

Similarly, Garba said that on Sunday, 0ctober 22, Police Operatives from CPS, while on routine patrol, intercepted a gold coloured Toyota Corolla with hand-inscribed Reg. No. RSH 287, suspected to be used for one-chance activities at phase 1 Federal Secretariat.

“On sighting Police Operatives, the suspect took to his heels, leaving behind both the car and the victim whom he had attempted to rob.

“In the course of searching the vehicle, a locally made pistol, jack knife and a rope were recovered from the vehicle,” the Police chief said.

One chance menace in FCT

The one-chance menace has rife in the city, with the recent victim being Greatness Olorunfemi, a young lady who was reportedly denied treatment by the Maitama General Hospital because the sympathisers who brought her could not produce a police report.

On October 1, The ICIR detailed the law’s position, getting a police report to treat a person needing emergency care.

In its several reports, this organisation has shown how the menace is rampant in the city.

One chance is a criminal group disguised as commercial drivers and commuters. They usually move around cabs in groups of two, three or four, armed with weapons such as guns, knives, hammers and other harmful objects.

They dispossess passengers of their belongings, including laptops, money, phones and other valuables. Many of them conduct their illicit business, using Point of Sale machines to empty victims’ bank accounts, using force.

The Command’s seizure of nine vehicles used for one chance within a few weeks lends credence to The ICIR report on the dimensions criminalities and insecurity take in the nation’s capital.

Other arrests by the Command

The Command also said that following a distress call of a robbery incident at the residence of one Dayo Balogun of Zone B Apo resettlement on Sunday, October 15, Police operatives from Apo division swiftly mobilised to the scene and apprehended one Ogbonna Ezechukwu living at Area 1. 

“The said Ogbonna Ezechukwu is a notorious and wanted armed robber who has broken into many homes within the Apo axis with members of his gang who are presently at large. 

“A bag containing gold earrings, a laptop, four wrist watches and other valuables was recovered from the suspect,” Garba stated.

According to the Police, on the same day, Police operatives from Mpape Division, while on routine patrol, arrested one Musa Ayelolo, a tipper driver and recovered a locally made pistol with two live cartridges from him. 

In addition, the FCT Police Command said on Tuesday, October 17, acting on credible intelligence, its Anti-Kidnapping Unit trailed and arrested one Muhammed Suleman, AKA Bardi, and in the course of interrogation, the suspect confessed to being an informant and food supplier to bandits terrorising Mpape, Bwari and Byazhin axis.

He is also a close associate of wanted bandit leaders Buba and Nasiru (surname unknown), said the Police. 

According to the Police Commissioer, operatives at Utako Division following a distress call that a Toyota Prado SUV jeep with Reg. No. KWL 276 CL was snatched at gunpoint from the owner at Utako by armed hoodlums; operatives from the Command gave the hoodlums a hot chase, forcing them to abandon the vehicle and take to their heels. 

The vehicle was recovered and has been released to the owner.

The commissioner reassures residents of the FCT that the Police would do all within their power to prevent crime.

GTCO incurs N89.46bn loan impairment in Q3

Ehime ALEX
-
0
GTCO incurs N89.46bn loan impairment in Q3

GUARANTY Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO) has reported a significant increase in loan impairment charges to N89.46 billion in the third quarter (Q3) 2023.

According to the bank’s unaudited consolidated and separate financial statements for the months ended September 2023, released on Tuesday, October 24, to the investing public, the amount rose by over N85 billion compared to N3.699 billion incurred in Q3 2022.

According to Accounting Tools, a loan is considered to be impaired when it is probable that not all of the related principal and interest payments will be collected.

The ICIR analysis of the report showed that GTCO’s loan impairment charges rose by 2,318.45 per cent to N89.46 billion in the review period.

A breakdown of the bank’s loan impairment revealed that GT Bank Nigeria incurred 96.19 per cent or N86.054 billion of the N89.46 billion charges.

Other subsidiaries which recorded loan impairment charges were GT Bank Ghana, N861.23 million; GT Bank Sierra Leone, N560.54 million; GT Bank Liberia, N2.14 billion; GT Bank Gambia, N80.85 million; GT Bank Cote D’Ivoire, N4.21 million; and GT Bank Tanzania, N27.15 million.

Meanwhile, a N265.93 million loan impairment gain reported by GT Bank Kenya Group brought the loan impairment charges to N89.46 billion.

A loan is considered impaired when it is probable that not all related principal and interest payments will be collected or recovered.

According to a report by Fitch, a global credit rating agency, Nigerian banks’ impaired loans are expected to surge on the fallout of the exchange rate reform of President Bola Tinubu.

The rating agency stated, “Nigerian banks face weaker capital ratios and higher impaired loans following reforms to liberalise the Nigerian naira and to remove the long-standing subsidy on fuel.

“The official exchange rate depreciated sharply in June following the Central Bank of Nigeria’s decision to allow the naira to trade at a market-determined rate as part of the reforms under Nigeria’s new government. The official rate has depreciated by over 40 per cent since end-2022.”

In its six-month audited financial statements for the period ended June 30, 2023, GTCO also suffered loan impairment charges of N82.96 billion from N3.52 billion in June 2022 despite being far from meeting the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) compulsory target on loan-to-deposit ratio (LDR) policy of 65 per cent.

The CBN had said it would from July 31 begin enforcement of the 65 per cent LDR policy on banks flouting its directive.

The apex bank had set the LDR policy to improve lending to customers to stimulate the real sector of the economy with the directive that for every N100 received as deposits, the banks are to lend N65 to customers.

However, most banks, including GTCO, have continued defying the CBN’s directive since the policy was enacted in October 2019.

The drawback in the impairment charge for credit losses on loans points to the hard times faced by the banks, forcing them to put aside much of their revenue to cover potential losses.

Checks by The ICIR on some banks’ half-year financial statements for the period ended June 2023, as many of the banks are yet to release their Q3 results, showed significant loans impairment losses suffered by the banks.

In the half-year results, FBN Holdings Plc incurred an N57.63 billion impairment loss from N21.71 billion in June 2022; United Bank for Africa (UBA), N143.93 billion from N11.77 billion; Zenith Bank, N207.93 billion from N25.12 billion; and Access Holdings N37.18 billion from N36.86 billion respectively.

The naira devaluation and fuel subsidy removal also lead to higher near-term inflation and tighter monetary policy, putting pressure on borrowers’ debt-servicing capacity and causing impaired loans to rise quicker than we had previously envisaged, 1qFitch added in its report.

Bayelsa guber poll: INEC removes Timipre Sylva from candidates list

Bankole ABE
-
0
Bayelsa guber poll: INEC removes Timipre Sylva from candidates list

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has removed the name of Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the list of candidates for the November 11 governorship election.

INEC also removed the name of Sylva’s ruining mate, Joshua Maciver, from the list.

 This was observed in the amended list of candidates released released by the Commission

The amended list was signed by the Secretary of INEC, Rose Oriaran-Anthony,

The column containing the names of APC candidates and his ruining mate was left empty in the list on the INEC website, with the words “court order” written.

The Commission also listed Ahumbe Chiazor as the running mate and Uchechukwu Ishiodu as the governorship candidate for the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in the state election of Imo.

In the revised document, Oriaran-Anthony clarified that the Commission’s actions complied with court orders on the lists supplied to it.

INEC amended list

According to her, the Commission received a court order regarding the APC’s nominee for the Bayelsa governorship race after it was published.

“By virtue of the provision of Section 287 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Commission is bound to enforce the orders of the court on the nomination of candidates by political parties in the state.

“The Amended list of candidates in respect of the 2023 Bayelsa State governorship election is hereby amended pursuant to the court orders served on the commission,” Oriaran-Anthony said.

She further reminded Imo voters that in compliance with Section 32 of the Electoral Act of 2022 and the timetable and schedule of activities for the election, INEC released the final list of candidates for the state governorship election on June 9.

She said after the publication, the Commission was served with an order of court for including the PRP and its candidate on the 2023 Imo State governorship election list.

The ICIR reported that a Federal High Court in Abuja disqualified Sylva from participating in the Bayelsa State Governorship Election.

In a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023, Demesuoyefa Kolomo, a member of the All Progressives Congress in the state, asked the court to determine Sylva’s eligibility for the election, given his past terms as governor of Bayelsa from May 29, 2007, to April 15, 2008, and from May 27, 2008, to January 27, 2012.

But, in his affidavit, Sylva stated he was elected once as the state’s governor, disputing the 2007 election’s occurrence. While citing an April 2008 court of appeal ruling that nullified the 2007 election, the former minister also emphasised his constitutional and legal right to contest the most-coveted seat in the state.

However, delivering judgment on Monday, October 9, the presiding judge, Donatus Okorowo, held that Sylva, having been sworn in twice and ruled for five years as governor, would breach the 1999 constitution if allowed to contest again.

Okorowo also said Sylva, who served as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources in the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, would spend more than eight years in office if allowed to participate in the election and eventually win.

Okorowo highlighted that the drafters of the nation’s constitution explicitly stipulated that a person should not be elected governor more than twice. 

He further mentioned that all parties involved in the case acknowledged that Sylva had been elected into office twice.

Okorowo stated that if Sylva could contest the next election, any citizen could contest for a political office as often as they wish.

In less than a month (on November 11), Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo state residents will elect a new governor as INEC conducts the states’ off-cycle governorship poll.

The states are three of six states in Nigeria with off-season governorship polls. 

The current governor of Imo State’s term expires on January 14, 2024; Kogi and Bayelsa States had respective terms that expire on January 26, 2024, and February 13 of the same year.

The ICIR, in this report, presented the top candidates in the three states and their chances.

Supreme Court to deliver final verdict in Atiku, Obi’s petitions on Thursday

Bankole ABE
-
0
Supreme Court to deliver final verdict in Atiku, Obi’s petitions on Thursday

THE Supreme Court will deliver its final verdict on the petition filed by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Peter Obi, on Thursday, October 26.

The two petitions contest whether President Bola Tinubu’s announcement as the winner of the last presidential election is legitimate or not.

The Director of Press and Information for the Supreme Court, Festus Akande, confirmed the news on Wednesday, October 25.

Akande noted that sufficient security measures have been implemented to prevent security breaches within and outside the court premises.

The ICIR reported that the Supreme Court reserved judgment in the petition by Abubakar, seeking to void Tinubu’s declaration as the winner of the February 25, 2023 presidential election.

A seven-man panel of the Supreme Court led by John Inyang Okoro on Monday, October 23, disclosed the reservation of the judgment after taking arguments from lawyers in the matter.

Through his lawyers, led by Chris Uche, Abubakar agued at the court that Tinubu should be sacked from the 2023 presidential race.

According to Abubakar, Tinubu was not eligible to run for office at the time specified by the Constitution.

Uche requested that the Supreme Court apply the Constitution’s provisions to nullify Tinubu’s election results.

He claimed that Tinubu had forged certificates and lied under oath.

Atiku pleaded with the Court to request a rerun between him and Tinubu if the President was not disqualified.

The former Vice President had accused Tinubu of forging certificates and lying on oath, but Tinubu, through his lawyer, Wole Olanipekun, requested that the Court dismiss the accusations.

The ICIR reports that the Supreme Court also deferred ruling on Peter Obi of the Labour Party’s appeal after dismissing the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) appeal.

While adopting his written briefs, the lawyer to Obi and LP, Livy Uzoukwu, prayed to the Court to allow the appeal and grant the reliefs sought.

Abubakar Mahmoud, Akin Olujimi and Wole Olanipekun, lawyers for INEC, Tinubu, Shettima and APC, respectively, urged the Court to dismiss the appeal for lackin

FX market digitisation: FG to demand BVN, NIN on currency transactions

Harrison EDEH
-
0
FX market digitisation: FG to demand BVN, NIN on currency transactions

THE Federal Government will make the National Identification Number (NIN) and the Bank Verification Number (BVN) a key requirement for its foreign exchange transactions soon.

This follows the government plan to automate the foreign exchange market.

The government said automation and digitisation of its foreign exchange market would ward off market speculators, who exploit the loopholes in Nigeria’s currency market.

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of Economy, Wale Edun, who disclosed the digitisation plan of the Federal Government at the ongoing 29th Nigeria Economic Summit (#NES29) in Abuja on Tuesday October 24, said through the digitisation plan, the government sought to formalise Nigeria’s currency market and ward off speculators.

“All dealings in the foreign exchange market – from the official to the parallel market where huge arbitrage has consistently occurred – would be thoroughly monitored, adding that offenders would be fished out and punished,” Edun said.

He added, “The market would be digitised and reformed such that all legal and legitimate transactions would fall within the authorities and informal market. Anyyhing outside that would be illegal and a criminal offence. For instance, if you want to pay school fees, health bill, it would be simplified such that you provide the BVN and the NIN for the transaction.

“We are doing this such that a marginal transaction such as the school fees won’t change the exchange rate.”

The minister said a plan to revamp the foreign exchange market would be unfolded very soon.

He admitted that Nigeria’s foreign exchange market was not functioning effectively due to illiquidity, adding that the government was prepared to do everything required to change the status quo.

“Foreign exchange market will be simplified and reformed such that all legal and legitimate transactions will fall within the purview of the authorities and in the formal foreign exchange market. Anything outside that will be illegal, a criminal offence and will be punishable,” Edun said.

Edun admitted that Nigeria’s foreign exchange market is illiquid, but noted that reforms would set it on a path that would ensure it works optimally for the economy.

“The market is not functioning optimally because it has run out of supply, but we’re working to make it work for all of us,” he stated.

Meanwhile, there has been concerns over the downward spiral of the naira against the dollar in the parallel market, fuelling arbitrage and speculation in Nigeria’s currency market.

For instance, the naira as of Tuesday October 24, 2023, continued a free-fall at the parallel market and exchanged for N1, 325 per dollar, creating more uncertainty in Nigeria’s economy.

Family institutes DAAF Awards for Nigerian health journalists

Joshua Ovorumu
-
0
Family institutes DAAF Awards for Nigerian health journalists

THE family of late AbdulAziz Anako Fache (DAAF), a doctor, has launched memorial awards in his honour.

The awards invite applications from print and electronic media reporters covering the Nigerian health sector.

Entries for the two award categories, each with a cash reward of N250,000, will be accepted beginning in March 2024. The award ceremony will take place in September of same year.

The family instituted the annual awards to immortalise DAAF, who died tragically of cardiac arrest on September 22, 2022, at 53.

The deceased immediate elder brother, a former Director of Public Affairs at the National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Abubakar Jimoh, a doctorate holder, said the awards were instituted to promote hard work, dedication, diligence and excellence in health reporting in Nigeria.

Nigeria to vaccinate 7.7 million girls against leading cause of cervical cancer

Mustapha USMAN
-
4
Nigeria to vaccinate 7.7 million girls against leading cause of cervical cancer

THE Nigerian Government has introduced the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine into its routine immunization system.

Consequently, the country aims to vaccinate 7.7 million girls against the virus that causes nearly all cases of cervical cancer.

The figure translates to the largest number in a single round of HPV vaccination in the African region, according to a statement jointly released by the World Health Organisation and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), on Tuesday, October 24.

Read Also:

Girls between nine and 14 years will receive a single dose of the vaccine, which global health institutions endorsed as highly efficacious in preventing infection with HPV types 16 and 18 that are known to cause at least 70 per cent of cervical cancers.

Cervical cancer, mostly caused by high-risk HPV infection through sexual contact, primarily affects the cervix and accounts for 99 per cent of cases.

In Nigeria, it’s the third most prevalent cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women aged 15-44, as there were 12,000 cases and 8,000 deaths reported in 2020, according to WHO and UNICEF.

The Coordinating Minister of Health & Social Welfare Ali Pate, while also confirming the development via his X handle said, “Saving lives and producing quality health outcomes and wellbeing of Nigerians are central to the Renewed Health Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

He also noted that the loss of about 8,000 Nigerian women yearly from a preventable disease is “completely unacceptable.”

According to the statement by WHO and UNICEF, a five-day mass vaccination campaign in schools and communities will be carried out during the inaugural rollout in 16 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The statement added that the vaccine would subsequently be incorporated in routine immunization schedules within health facilities. 

The second phase of the vaccination introduction is expected to start in May 2024 in 21 states.

“The vaccine is being provided for free by the Federal Ministry of Health through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency with support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners.

“With support from WHO country office in Nigeria and other partners, over 35 000 health workers have so far been trained in preparation for the campaign and subsequent vaccine delivery in all health facilities. Vaccination sites have been established in all 4,163 wards across the 16 states included in the phase one rollout to ensure no eligible girl is left behind. Mobile vaccination units have also been set up to ensure that remote communities can access the vaccine,’ the statement added.

Also, WHO Representative in Nigeria Walter Kazadi Mulombo, said that the development was a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s efforts to lower the burden of cervical cancer, a type of cancer which can potentially be eliminated through vaccination.

He further noted that the WHO was committed to supporting the government to increase access to the HPV vaccine to protect the health and well-being of the next generation of women in the country, adding that HPV vaccination should be included in the national immunization programmes of countries where cervical cancer is a public health priority.

According to the statement, Global vaccine shortages have hindered Gavi-supported vaccine introductions, but recent efforts to strengthen the HPV vaccine market and a single-dose recommendation are alleviating these supply issues. 

While recognising the recent development, the Gavi board approved a revitalization of its HPV vaccine program with a $600 million investment by the end of 2025. This funding aims to reach more than 86 million girls by 2025, potentially preventing over 1.4 million future deaths caused by cervical cancer.

The statement added that over 16 million girls could be protected in Nigeria alone by 2025 with the latest support from Gavi.

In the same vein, UNICEF revealed that it had procured nearly 15 million HPV vaccines on behalf of the Nigerian Government and had produced informational materials, including radio and TV jingles in multiple local languages to dispel misinformation and rumours, among others.

Despite court order, Customs refuses HEDA’s FoI request

Bankole ABE
-
0
Despite court order, Customs refuses HEDA’s FoI request

THE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has refused to respond to a Freedom of Information  (FoI) request made by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA)  despite a court judgement.

The ICIR reported that HEDA had dragged NCS to court and floored the organisation because of its refusal to respond to the FOI request.

An Abuja Federal High Court’s proceedings and judgment on the case obtained by The ICIR shows that HEDA had, on December 17, 2021, written to the NCS to provide information on the recruitment exercise it (NCS) had done that year, and details of the contract of the renovation of its headquarters in Abuja.

Information sought by HEDA

Information that HEDA sought, using the FoI, included:

  • The name of the company/firm that the NCS contracted for its recruitment screening exercise in 2021;
  • The amount the NCS agreed to pay the contractor for the exercise;
  • The process/guidelines for selecting the contractor company/firm in the recruitment exercise.

Another request was the name of the company/firm the NCS contracted to renovate its headquarters in Abuja and the amount the contract was awarded.

Weeks after the NCS failed to provide the information, HEDA headed to court and filed a suit against it, according to Section Six of the FoI, which says, “A person entitled to the right of access conferred by this Act shall have the right to institute proceedings in the court to compel any public institution to comply with the provisions of this section.”

HEDA’s suit, filed on March 28, 2022, sought an order of mandamus compelling the NCS to provide the requested information.

Lawyers Saidu Muhammad Lawal, Abdulrazak Abdulganiyu, Joshua Ifeanyi Onuekwusi, Paul Adedapo Adewuyo, Abdulrahman Uwais, and C. B. Yakubu represented HEDA. At the same time, the NCS hired Smart Akande, Abiola Olowoniyi, Jayeola Dada, and A. S. Adeyemi.

On April 12, the respondent filed a counter affidavit to the applicant’s motion on notice and also filed a notice of preliminary objection challenging the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the suit on the following grounds, to wit: that the application/ suit did not disclose any reasonable cause of action against the respondent, and that the suit/applicant constituted an abuse of court process.

The NCS also said it refused to provide the information sought by HEDA because it fell within Section 15 (1) of the FoI, which empowers institutions to deny information that could cause harm to third parties on issues relating to trade secrets.

The judgement

After both parties had filed their written addresses, the trial judge, Emeka Nwite, first dealt with the preliminary objection before going into the case’s merit.

The judge declared as untenable and inconsequential the respondent’s argument that the information sought must be denied because it was exclusively between an employer and employee bound on the personal information in line with Section 15(1) of the FOI.

He consequently dismissed the preliminary objection by the NCS.

In his ruling, after referring to various similar cases, the judge granted HEDA’s prayers and issued an order of mandamus compelling the NCS to provide the information the applicant requested.

Information the NCS must provide, as ordered by the court, include the name of the company/firm it contracted to conduct the said recruitment, the process/guidelines for selection adopted by the contracted company/firm and the NCS in the said recruitment exercise, and the name of the company/firm contracted to renovate the NCS’ headquarters in Abuja, as well as the amount awarded.

The judge said, “In my humble view, the information sought is the most simplest and harmless information that an applicant is expected to get from a public institution like the respondent. Where an institution like the respondent denies an applicant the instant information sought, it will not only defeat the very purpose of the Act, it will also encourage corruption and financial recklessness. The respondent has no valid reason to deny the applicant the information sought.”

Response to the court judgement

But more than three months after the court order, the NCS has failed to respond to the FoI request by HEDA. 

In a chat with The ICIR on the matter on Tuesday, October 24, the chairman of HEDA, Olanrewaju Suraju, said the organisation plans to file a contempt charge against the Customs for refusing to grant HEDA’s FoI request despite the court judgement.

“We have written them on the need for them to understand the court’s decision and, at the same time, comply with the court’s order within the reasonable time permitted in law.

“If we don’t have a response, we are already going back to the court to file the necessary action of contempt of court against the leadership of the customs,” Suraju said.

Suraju added that the change in leadership at the NCS should not affect the judgement because government is a continuum.

When contacted, the National Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Customs, Abdullahi Aliyu Maiwada, said he was unaware of the case but promised to consult the legal unit to get more information.

“I am not on seat; I travelled. This is a legal issue, and I cannot talk about it without consulting the legal unit and getting a proper legal briefing. 

“As far as I am concerned, I am not aware of it; I require a legal briefing. Unfortunately, I am not on seat. I have travelled out of Abuja for another official engagement, so I may not be able to deliver this information within this week,” he stated.

FoI Act

The ICIR reports that the FoI Act, signed by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011, is viewed by many as the boldest effort made by any government in Nigeria to make public officials accountable to the citizens.

Section One (1, 2 and 3) of the Act states citizens’ right to request any information of public interest from any government-funded institution or public organisation receiving funds from the government.

The ICIR further reports that, like the NCS, many institutions fail to honour the law.

To promote responses by ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and private organisations taking funds from the government to FoI requests, The ICIR, in collaboration with partners, had consecutively given awards to institutions adjudged to have responded most promptly to FoI requests over the past years. Here are the 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 winners.

Kano Pillars to appeal N1m fine by NPFL

Dotun OMISAKIN
-
0
Kano Pillars to appeal N1m fine by NPFL

KANO Pillars have vowed to appeal the N1 million fine slammed on them by the Management of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) for failing to control their fans.

In an exclusive chat with The ICIR on Tuesday, October 24, the media officer, Kano Pillars, Lurwanu Idris Malikawa admitted the fans encroached into the play area but they did so out of excitement and the encroachment was brief and caused no harm.

Malikawa pleaded for leniency from the management team.

“This is just the beginning of the season. We will plead to the league management to be lenient on us. It was the excitement of the goal that made fans come into the field. Nobody was maltreated,” he said.

A memo signed by the NPFL’s Chief Operating Officer, Davidson Owumi, on Monday, October 23, said the failure led to the fans’ encroachment into the field of play during the MatchDay four fixture against Rivers United.

The ICIR reports that at the 20,000 capacity General Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano State, the club’s supporters were thrown into wild jubilation after their ‘legendary’ captain Rabiu Ali scored in an additional minute to the end of the full time.

In an excitement of the long-awaited goal, the fans were seen jumping the barricade into the field of play to celebrate the goal which delayed the flow of the match.

After reviewing the report from the match officials, the NPFL charged the club with a breach of Rule B13.18 which states that “No one shall encroach onto the field of play or throw object towards onto the field of play or towards any match official, players or other person at any time in the course of match.”

The club was consequently ordered to pay the fine of N1m within 14 days and warned that failure to comply within the stipulated time would be considered a continuous breach of the NPFL Framework and Rules.

In another development, the NPFL’s management has warned the Heartland of Owerri to stop the restive acts of their supporters.

The club was also advised to re-orientate its supporters on fair play.

“It has come to our attention that some irate supporters of your club held players and officials hostage after the match, making it difficult for them to exit the stadium premises until a detachment of security operatives arrived as reinforcement.

“Such behavior is unacceptable and tarnished the reputation of both Heartland and the NPFL ”, read the memo signed by Davidson Owumi, the Chief Operating Officer.

Lagos doctor, Olaleye, sentenced to life imprisonment for raping wife’s niece

Mustapha USMAN
-
0
Lagos doctor, Olaleye, sentenced to life imprisonment for raping wife’s niece

THE Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence sitting in Ikeja, has sentenced the Medical Director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, Olufemi Olaleye, to life imprisonment for raping his wife’s niece.

The presiding Judge Rahman Oshodi, on Tuesday, October 24, found Olaleye guilty of the offence of defilement and sexual penetration of a 15-year-old girl.

It held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt by providing evidence before the court that supported the victim’s testimonies.

The defendant, Olaleye, was charged on two counts, bordering on defilement and sexual assault by penetration of his wife’s niece, offences which he was alleged to have committed between March 2020 and November 2021. 

The convict, who was arraigned on November 30, 2022, pleaded not guilty to the offences.

The Director of Public Prosecutions Dr Babajide Martins told the court that Olaleye committed the offence at No 17, Layi Ogunbambi close, Maryland, Lagos State.

According to the prosecution, the offences committed contravened Sections 137 and 261, of the criminal law of Lagos State 2015.

On November 20, Olaleye was granted bail in the sum of N50 million with two sureties, and was remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional facility pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions. 

While applying for bail, his lawyer Babatunde Ogala said that the defendant was a leading cancer care advocate, whose patients would suffer if remanded in prison during the course of the trial.

The senior lawyer said the offences levelled against his client were not “grievous allegations like treason” that warrant death sentence.

Meanwhile, the court ruled that he should be granted bail and ordered that both sureties must provide evidence of tax payments to the Lagos state government in the last three years, among others.

However, on December 21, the court reviewed his bail condition and reduced the bail sum from N50 million to N40 million.

During the trial, the prosecution presented various witnesses, including the defendant’s wife, who initially reported the case to the Police.

Others are, an anonymous victim, a specialist in child forensics Bisi Ajayi-Kayode, Police inspector, Esther Igbineweka, medical examiner Akinbunmi Oyebimpe, and Police officer Abe Leonard.

The wife, Aderemi Olaleye, told the court that her husband had been sexually assaulting her niece while she was living with them. 

She also testified that the defendant exposed the victim to pornography and engaged in oral sex with her, ultimately ejaculating in her mouth.

The witness stated that the girl had confided in a relative and their driver, disclosing that the doctor had been involved in sexual activities with her and had made threats to harm her if disclosed the harassment to anyone.

The complainant said on oath, “My lord, on November 27, 2021, my second cousin told my aunty who is my mother’s sister that since March 2020, Femi has been sexually abusing her and introduced her to pornography.

From there, he graduated to oral sex with her, that he does this in different places in the home where are were no cameras.”

Over the years, Nigerian girls have been victims of sexual harassment and molestation, with six out of every 10 children suffer from one or more forms of physical, sexual or emotional violence before the age of 18. More than 70 per cent children experience this violence repeatedly, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

1...760761762...3,441Page 761 of 3,441