TodayPrice

Category: News

  • Alleged N7.1bn Fraud: FG gets nod to appeal stoppage of ex-Gov Kalu’s trial

    Alleged N7.1bn Fraud: FG gets nod to appeal stoppage of ex-Gov Kalu’s trial

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Friday, gave the Federal Government the nod to challenge the judgement that barred the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, from reopening the trial of a former Governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.

    The appellate court, in two separate rulings by a three-member panel of Justices, granted an extension of time to enable FG to file processes to set-aside the September 29, 2021, judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which stopped the EFCC from prosecuting the former governor who is currently representing Abia North in the Senate.

    It will be recalled that Kalu, who piloted the affairs of Abia State from 1999 to 2007, was earlier convicted and handed a 12-year jail term by the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court.

    The trial court convicted him alongside his firm, Slok Nigeria Limited and a former Director of Finance in the state, Mr. Jones Udeogu, over an allegation that they pilfered about N7.1billion from the Abia State treasury.

    However, following an appeal that was lodged by Udeogu, the Supreme Court quashed his conviction and remitted the case-file back for retrial.

    A seven-man panel of justices of the apex court noted that trial Justice Mohammed Idris was already elevated to the Court of Appeal as at the time he sat and delivered the judgement that convicted the defendants.

    It held that Justice Idris was no longer a judge of the High Court as at December 5, 2019, the day Kalu and his co-defendants were found guilty of the money laundering charge against them.

    According to the Supreme Court, Justice Idris, having been elevated to the Court of Appeal before then, lacked the powers to return to sit as a High Court Judge.

    Based on the judgement in favour of Udeogu, Kalu, who was already serving his jail term, through his lawyer, Prof. Awa Kalu, SAN, applied to be released from the Kuje correctional center.

    Shortly after the former governor was released from prison, the EFCC moved to re-arraign him and his co-defendants again.

    Dissatisfied with the move, both Kalu and his firm filed separate suits to challenge their retrial.

    Kalu argued that allowing the EFCC to try him afresh on the charge and same facts upon which he was earlier convicted and sentenced, would occasion him to suffer a “double jeopardy”.

    According to him, “The unassailable position of the law is that no person who shows that he has been tried by any court of competent jurisdiction or tribunal for a criminal offence and either convicted or acquitted, shall again be tried for that offence having the same ingredients as that offence, save upon the order or a competent Court.

    “The trial of the Applicant having been pronounced a nullity by the Supreme Court in its judgment dated the 8th day of May, 2020 and without more, cannot entitle the EFCC to institute the same charge against the Applicant.”

    Canvassing reasons why his trial should not commence de-novo (afresh), Kalu, said he was earlier convicted and sentenced with respect to the same 36-count charge the EFCC entered against him.

    “That following the conviction and sentence of the Applicant, the Applicant was incarcerated at the Kuje Correctional Centre where he served part of his term having spent a few days in the Ikoyi Correctional Centre”.

    He noted that the Supreme Court had in the judgement it delivered on May 8, 2020, on Appeal No: SC.62C/2019, which was filed by his co-defendant, Udeogu, held that the trial of the Appellant at the trial Court was conducted without jurisdiction.

    He argued that the apex court thereafter, only ordered the retrial of the Appellant (Udeogu), without reference to himself (Kalu).

    He, therefore, prayed the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining FG, through the EFCC or its agents, from further trying, harassing and intimidating  him with respect to the charge or any other charge based on the same facts “as the Applicant need not suffer double jeopardy.”

    Meanwhile, in a judgement he delivered on September 29, 2021, Justice Inyang Ekwo of the high court upheld Kalu’s argument and barred the anti-graft agency from re-opening his case.

    Following an appeal that was lodged by FG, the Court of Appeal, on March 6, 2024, halted the move to retry the former governor.

    The appellate court held that the record of appeal FG transmitted before it, was incompetent as it was not neither stamped nor the official designation of the person that signed it, indicated.

    The appellate court held that the flaw in the record that was brought before it, vitiated the competence of the entire appeal.

    Not happy with the decision, FG took the matter before the Supreme Court, where it obtained a favourable ruling on Friday.

    Justice Ishaq Sanni, who read the ruling, dismissed as lacking in merit, objections that were raised against the appeal by ex-governor Kalu and his firm.

    He held that the appellate court merely struck out the case on technical ground, a decision that could not be regarded as a judgement on the merit of the appeal.

    According to the Supreme Court, FG was right to seek leave for an extension of time since the three months allowed for an aggrieved party to file an appeal, had elapsed.

    It, therefore, gave FG 14 days to file its notice of appeal.

  • Restore water sacrifices, traditional worshippers urge Anambra Govt

    Restore water sacrifices, traditional worshippers urge Anambra Govt

    AWKA – Traditional worshippers in Anambra State, under the umbrella of the Nzuko Odinani Welfare Association (NOWA), have called on the state government to reinstate water sacrifices, arguing that it remains a fundamental aspect of Igbo spiritual worship.

    Their appeal comes in response to the recently approved Anambra State Homeland Security Law, which bans water sacrifices and prescribes penalties of either a ₦20 million fine, six years imprisonment, or both for violators.

    During an interaction with state government officials in Awka, NOWA President-General, Nze Ezeafor Izuegbu, and Secretary-General, Nze Dike Ugbaja, commended Governor Chukwuma Soludo for prioritizing the state’s security but urged him to reconsider the ban on water sacrifices.

    “Water sacrifice is a key aspect of Igbo spiritual practices. It has been in existence since the time of our forefathers, and without these sacrifices, we cannot perform our spiritual duties.”

    They proposed a compromise, suggesting that the government allocate designated sections of streams for sacrifices while ensuring periodic clean-up efforts to maintain environmental hygiene.

    “Water is life. If the state government stops this practice, it is taking life away from us,” they added.

    The association also urged the government to intervene against alleged intimidation of traditional worshippers by security operatives and community leaders. They pledged to support the government’s efforts in maintaining a clean and healthy environment while ensuring that unethical practitioners are identified and expelled.

    Responding to their concerns, the Commissioner for Culture, Entertainment, and Tourism, Comrade Don Onyenji, reassured the group that Governor Soludo has not banned traditional religious practices in Anambra State.

    “The governor’s primary concern is to keep Anambra’s water bodies clean and safe for both residents and tourists. Traditional religion should be practiced in a responsible manner,” he stated.

    He also appreciated the association’s willingness to support the government’s environmental initiatives.

    With this ongoing dialogue, traditional worshippers hope for a resolution that balances cultural preservation with environmental sustainability in Anambra State.

  • Suspension of Fubara: Ijaw Youth leaders drag FG to ECOWAS Court

    Suspension of Fubara: Ijaw Youth leaders drag FG to ECOWAS Court

    ABUJA–Leaders of the Ijaw Youth Council, Eastern Zone, have dragged the Federal Government before the ECOWAS Court of Justice, over what they described as illegal suspension of Governor Siminalaye Fubara of Rivers State and other elected officials, by President Bola Tinubu.

    The 12 litigants, led by Comrade Ibiso Harry, equally challenged President Tinubu’s declaration of a State of Emergency in Rivers State.

    In the suit marked: ECW/CCJ/APP/18/25, the Applicants, specifically urged the regional court to issue an order, setting aside and/or quashing the suspension of elected officials and removal of the democratic structures and institutions in Rivers state, as an imperative for the enthronement of a full- fledged democratic order.

    They further prayed the court for an order, setting aside all decisions, actions, policies and directives given or issued by the Sole Administrator that President Tinubu appointed on March 18 to superintend over the affairs of Rivers state for six months.

    The Applicants anchored their suit on Articles III and IV of the supplementary protocol amending ECOWAS Court’s protocol; Article II of the Protocol of the court and Article 33 of the Rules of the court.

    They averred that the Respondent’s President (Tinubu), who was elected into political office, lacked the powers to remove or suspend the governor of a state, who was also elected into the office.

    The Ijaw youth leaders further argued that the removal of governor Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, was in gross violation of their fundamental human rights.

    “By so doing, the Defendant has unlawfully taken away the democratic rights of the Applicants and that of the population of Rivers State both individually and collectively,” they added.

    According to the Applicants, President Tinubu’s actions have not only drowned, diffused and collapsed their constitutional rights and that of the people of the state in neo-junta governance but also put them into an unconstitutional, undemocratic and arbitrary manner of governance which they cannot fit into.

    “The implication therefore is that the applicants and the people of Rivers State have lost their existence and dignity as human beings, having been politically emasculated by the loss of the values that accompany democratic governance and deprived of leaders duly elected by them in the democratic space.”

    They maintained that President Tinubu’s actions was antithetical to tenets of democracy, adding that the president exhibited “absoluteness in determining the existence and functioning of democratic systems in national sub-units by upturning and collapsing entrenched democratic systems.”

    “The deliberate disruption of the democratic order in any part of the national structure questions the democratic practice and constitutional authenticity of the nation state, as the forceful removal of popular sovereignty in a part or fraction of the national landscape translates to the non-existence of liberal democracy and non-application and conformity with constitutional norms in the entire federation.

    “The enthronement of an illegal and unconstitutional order in any form within a constitutional democracy threatens the very idea of freedom and precipitates loss of genuineness on the part of the state and its institutions of any legitimate claim to a constitutional democracy.

    “A state of emergency cannot be guise or subterfuge for the usurpation of the executive functions of the Governor or the exercise of the law making powers of the legislature,” the applicants averred in an affidavit they filed in support of the legal action they lodged through a team of lawyers led by Chief Festus Ogwuche.

    Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for the matter to be heard.

  • Artificial Intelligence: NHRC seeks legal reforms to tackle emerging challenges

    Artificial Intelligence: NHRC seeks legal reforms to tackle emerging challenges

    ABUJA–The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, on Thursday, called for an urgent review of existing laws in the country to address emerging challenges posed by the use of Artificial Intelligence.

    The right body warned that AI, if not governed with robust ethical frameworks, could accentuate inequalities, result in algorithmic bias, invade privacy, and ultimately infringe on human rights.

    The Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, SAN, spoke at a workshop on human rights dimensions of AI governance, which the Commission organized in collaboration with International Network for Corporate Social Responsibility, IN-CRS.

    Ojukwu, SAN, stressed that the world is at a jncture in history, when technology, particularly AI, is reshaping the fabrics of societies, economies and even perceptions of what it means to be human.

    “This meeting is not a mere discussion but a clarion call for renewed focus on ensuring that technological progress does not outpace the responsibility to protect human rights.

    “We are at an intersection where we need to embrace the new digital frontier with human dignity with AI being both a catalyst and a challenge.

    “It is no longer news that AI has emerged as one of the most transformative forces of our times. Its capabilities in data processing, automation, and decision-making have opened new avenues for innovation, economic expansion, and improved public service delivery. Yet, with great power comes great responsibility.

    “Although AI is increasingly becoming more sophisticated, the central role of human oversight remains vital. Our mandate is to ensure that human judgment grounded in ethical and rights principles guides the deployment and evolution of AI.

    “As we stand on the tip of an AI-driven future, I call upon each of our policymakers, technologists, business leaders, civil society advocates, and international partners to join us in this critical journey. Let us work together to ensure that:

    “Innovation and human rights go hand in hand by ensuring that the transformative potential of AI is fully harnessed only when it elevates human dignity.

    “Our regulatory frameworks evolve through the continuous review and refining of our legal and normative frameworks to address emerging challenges while safeguarding fundamental rights,” Ojukwu, added.

    In his remarks, the President of IN-CRS, Mr. Eustace Onuegbu, equally acknowledged that the rapid advancement of AI has presented both immense opportunities and potential challenges, especially as it relates to human rights and ethical considerations.

    “This discussion is particularly relevant to the African context, where the development and deployment of AI technologies are rapidly increasing, and where the unique challenges and opportunities of this technology must be addressed,” he added.

    Likewise, a representative from United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights, Switzerland, Prof. Damilola Olawuyi, SAN, who was one of the online participants at the workshop, said there was need for Nigeria to balance the benefit of AI with human rights safeguards.

  • Terrorism Charge: Kanu docked before new trial judge, pleads not guilty

    Terrorism Charge: Kanu docked before new trial judge, pleads not guilty

    ABUJA– The detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, was on Friday, re-arraigned before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

    Kanu, whose trial started de-novo (afresh) following the reassignment of his case-file to Justice Omotosho, pleaded not guilty to a seven-count charge that bordered on terrorism and treasonable felony, which the Federal Government preferred against him.

    It will be recalled that Justice Binta Nyako, who previously conducted the case, recused herself from the matter after she was accused of bias by the embattled IPOB leader.

    Justice Nyako initially adjourned the trial sine die ( indefinitely) until the Chief Judge of the high court, Justice John Tsoho, transferred the case-file to the new judge, a development that warranted the defendant to take a fresh plea on Friday.

    Meanwhile, Kanu, whose legal team is now led by a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Kanu Agabi, SAN, tendered an apology to both the former trial judge and the prosecution counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, over his outburst in the open court on February 10 when his case was adjourned indefinitely.

    Kanu was first arrested in Lagos on October 14, 2015, upon his return to the country from the United Kingdom, UK.

    The court had on April 25, 2017, granted him bail on health ground, after he had spent about 18 months in detention.

    Upon the perfection of the bail conditions, he was on April 28, 2017, released from the Kuje prison.

    However, midway into the trial, the IPOB leader escaped from the country after soldiers invaded his country home at Afara Ukwu Ibeku in Umuahia, Abia State, an operation that led to the death of some of his followers.

    Kanu was later re-arrested in Kenya on June 19, 2021 and extraordinarily renditioned back to the country by security agents on June 27, 2021.

    Following the development, the trial court, on June 29, 2021, remanded him in custody of DSS, where he remained till date.

    On April 8, 2022, the court struck out eight out of the 15-count charge that FG preferred against him on the premise that they lacked substance.

    Likewise, the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, on October 13, 2022, ordered Kanu’s immediate release from detention even as it quashed the charge against him.

    Dissatisfied with the decision, FG took the matter before the Supreme Court, even as it persuaded the appellate court to suspend the execution of the judgement, pending the determination of its appeal.

    While deciding the appeal, the Supreme Court, on December 15, 2023, vacated the judgement of the appellate court and gave FG the nod to try the IPOB leader on the subsisting seven-count charge.

  • Utomi to Tinubu: Why no emergency rule in Lagos during Obasa saga?

    Utomi to Tinubu: Why no emergency rule in Lagos during Obasa saga?

    Prof Pat Utomi has questioned President Bola Tinubu’s motive for declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State, arguing there was no ground for such a move.

    In a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, March 18, 2024, President Tinubu cited militant vandalization of pipelines and the political situation in Rivers as reasons for consigning the state to emergency rule.

    The President also nominated Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) as Administrator to take charge of the state’s affairs after suspending Governor Siminalayi Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Prof Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State.

    However, Prof Utomi faulted President Tinubu’s decision in an interview on Channels Television, saying that the political crisis in Rivers did not warrant a state of emergency.

    The professor of political economy asserted that even when militants in Rivers were blowing up pipelines during the previous administration, the state was not subjected to emergency rule.

    Prof Utomi further questioned the president for not declaring a state of emergency in Lagos State during the crisis involving the Lagos House of Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and his colleagues.

    “What is the problem in Rivers State that warranted a state of emergency? Tell me what it is. When pipelines were blowing up like popcorn in Rivers State, was there a state of emergency?”

    Why did he not declare a state of emergency in Lagos State when the assembly was running back and forth? Why Rivers? There’s something about fairness, equity and pure decency, and I don’t see it here, and I think it’s a shame that they want to rubbish the democracy that we all fought so hard for.”

    Prof Utomi also blasted the National Assembly for endorsing President Tinubu’s declaration of a State of Emergency in Rivers State.

    According to him, the endorsement was an insult to Nigerians.

  • One feared dead as Osun communities renew hostilities over land disputes

    One feared dead as Osun communities renew hostilities over land disputes

    One person has been reportedly killed following renewed hostilities between Ifon and Ilobu communities in Osun State over disputed lands.

    Eyewitnesses reported that sounds of gunshots rented the air since the evening of Thursday while houses were still being razed in the early hours on Friday.

    The Spokesperson to Olufon of Ifon, Mr. Akeeb Adekunle, alleged that the crisis has been brewing since last week following a series of attacks on Indigenes of Ifon by Ilobu, which were reported at the police station without any succor.

    His words, “The incident escalated last night with hoodlums from Ilobu invading some of the disputed areas, especially Apenponroro burning a Primary Health Centre and residential buildings.

    “An old woman was killed in the community and her body burnt in her house. Our people are running for their safety presently”.

    Also, Chief Adegoke Ogunsola alleged that hoodlums from Ifon had been terrorizing Ilobu indigenes in the area and attempted to kidnap a victim before some people rescued him after crying for help.

    “We have reported several attacks in the Apenponroro area in Ilobu by Ifon hoodlums to the Police, but we have not received any help. But Yesterday night, the hoodlums invaded the Ilobu community, shooting sporadically into the air and burning houses till this morning.

    “We urge security operatives to come to our aide soonest to avoid carnage in the community,” he said.

    Reacting, Osun Police spokesperson Akeem Adeoti said police have been deployed to curtail the ongoing crisis in the area.

  • 2024 deadliest year for migrants – UN

    2024 deadliest year for migrants – UN

    Last year was the deadliest year for migrants, with nearly 9,000 people dying worldwide, the United Nations said on Friday, calling the “tragedy… unacceptable and preventable”.

    “At least 8,938 people died on migration routes worldwide in 2024,” the fifth year that numbers have reached record highs, the UN’s migration agency said.

    “The tragedy of the growing number of migrant deaths worldwide is both unacceptable and preventable,” said Ugochi Daniels, the deputy director of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

    “Behind every number is a human being, someone for whom the loss is devastating,” Daniels said.

    “The actual number of migrant deaths and disappearances is likely much higher, as many have gone undocumented because of the dearth of official sources,” the IOM said.

    It added that the identities and other details of the majority of victims were unknown.

    Asia, Africa and Europe had record numbers of people dying in 2024 with 2,778, 2,242 and 233 respectively.

    A total of 2,452 people were recorded as dying in the Mediterranean Sea, the main gateway for those trying to reach Europe, it said.

    Final data were not available yet for the Americas but figures so far show at least 1,233 people died.

    These included “an unprecedented 341 lives lost in the Caribbean in 2024 and a record 174 deaths of migrants crossing the Darien” jungle between Colombia and Panama.

    The Darien jungle was at one point the main migratory corridor for people trying to reach the United States.

  • Nnamdi Kanu apologises over attacks on judge, others

    Nnamdi Kanu apologises over attacks on judge, others

    Kanu, through his new counsel and former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, also apologised to the Federal Government’s lawyer, Chief Awomolo, SAN.

    The IPOB leader equally apologised to his team of lawyers earlier led by Aloy Ejimakor for also attacking before Justice Nyako.

    Kanu tendered the apology through his lead counsel, Chief Agabi, before Justice James Omotosho, the new trial judge.

    Upon resumed trial, Agabi sought the court’s permissio to deliver a message on Kanu’s behalf.

    He said he had already discussed the development with the lawyer to the prosecution and Justice Omotosho granted the application.

    Justice Omotosho had fixed March 21 for the trial of Kanu. The judge fixed the date after the case file was transferred to him.

    Kanu, who was brought back to the country in June 2021 from Kenya, was expected to take his plea as the case begins afresh (de novo).

    The Chief Judge (CJ) of FHC, Justice John Tsoho, had, in a letter dated March 4 and addressed to Kanu’s lead counsel, Mr Aloy Ejimakor, communicated the re-assignment of the case from Justice Binta Nyako to Justice Omotosho.

    The re-assignment followed the demand by Kanu and his team of lawyers for the transfer of the seven-count terrorism charge to another judge, after alleging bias.

    Justice Nyako, on September 24, 2024, withdrew from the case and sent the case file to the CJ of FHC for re-assignment.

    The judge said she could not proceed with a trial where a defendant lacked confidence in the court.

    However, the CJ sent Kanu’s case file back to Justice Nyako for adjudication, insisting that a formal application must be made by the defence before the recusal could be accepted.

    But Kanu and Ejimakor, on February 10, insisted that Justice Nyako no longer had jurisdiction to preside over the case after her recusal (withdrawal) from the matter, prompting the judge to adjourned the case indefinitely (sine die).

    Justice Ahmed Mohammed (who has been elevated to Appeal Court) and Justice Tsoho (before becoming the CJ) had presided over Kanu’s trial before it was assigned to Justice Nyako, following the defendant’s rejection of the two judges.

    Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), on Friday, tendered an apology over his recent attacks on the Federal High Court and Justice Binta Nyako.

  • We want Natasha back home to learn purposeful representation – Constituents

    We want Natasha back home to learn purposeful representation – Constituents

    The Constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District on Friday said they want to bring back Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan home, through recall to learn purposeful representation.

    Some of the constituents across the five Local Government Areas of the Senatorial district, on  the aegis of  Kogi Central Elites Forum (KCEF), made the declaration in a statement jointly signed by Mr Ibrahim Abdulazeez Ibrahim (President) and Mr Akerejola Johnson
    (Secretary) in Lokoja.

    The concerned indigenes, who are of Ebira extraction like the embattled senator, said they resolved to bring the embattled senator back home, given the alleged embarrassment she had caused the senatorial district internationally.

    They condemned, in strong terms, insinuations that the recall process against the lawmaker representing Kogi Central in the National Assembly was not endorsed by majority of the electorate in the area.

    They urged Nigerians to disregard the deliberate mischief  suggesting that people were deceived to come out for the recall exercise.

    “No one is sponsoring this recall. Our people are largely united on this cause. From the history of Ebiras, you know we cannot be deceived.

    “Even some of us who supported her on social media then are no longer with her. We cannot trade the integrity of the state and Nigeria.

    “A matter as simple as not taking an assigned seat in the senate should not be one that would warrant a “sexual harassment” national embarrassment of this nature. This is not who we are as Ebiras.”

    On the issue of INEC disclaiming the exercise, the constituents said the response was misconstrued.

    “INEC has no official role until after this signature collection phase. We are the ones that are doing the recall, the petitioners. We have to ensure that the required threshold is met before formally presenting it for verification. This is where INEC comes in.”

    They urged the public to disregard any mischievous interpretation of the recall process, saying some politicians would always release statements based on their leanings and interests.

    “For us as Ebira people, we are determined to recall  Akpoti-Uduaghan. While she is at home, she may learn the rudiments of representing her constituents better.

    “Ordinarily, we would never have allowed anyone to intimidate our daughter if she was on her right. But in this particular instance, she disrespected the senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which has clear rules and went on to introduce slants that have never been heard of in the history of the senate.

    ” This is not about content creation as many people have said.”

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the national assembly has been hit by allegations of sexual harassment against the Senate President,  Godswill Akpabio after  Akpoti-Uduaghan allegedly refused to respect the senate rules and was penalized.