ABUJA—The Federal
Government, yesterday, opened its case against the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, as the Department of State Services, DSS, narrated before the Federal High Court in Abuja, how he was arrested in 2015.
The development came on a day the court gave permission for identities of all the witnesses that are billed to testify in the case, to be shielded.
Trial Justice James Omotosho gave the approval, following an ex-parte application FG filed through its team of prosecutors, led by Adegboyega Awomolo.
He permitted the proposed witnesses to testify behind a screen with their real names replaced with acronyms.
FG’s lawyer, Awomolo, pleaded that the witnesses needed to be protected for security reasons and given the serious nature of the case.
While the witnesses would be shielded from the public, they would however be seen by the judge and the defendant.
Kanu’s team of lawyers, led by a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Kanu Agabi, did not object to the procedure.
Sequel to Justice Omotosho’s ruling, FG presented its first witness, who was simply identified as PWAAA.
In his Evidence-in-Chief, the witness told the court that he led the team of security operatives that arrested the defendant on October 14, 2015, in one of the rooms in Golden Tulip Hotel, Lagos International Airport.
Kanu, who was arrested upon his return to the country from the United Kingdom, UK, was said to be in the company of a lady when the operatives struck.
Narrating what transpired, the witness told the court that the DSS, acting on intelligence, deployed an eight-man team of operatives to the hotel where Kanu was arrested during a room-to-room search.
He said the team decided to search all the rooms in the hotel after they could not find Kanu’s name on the manifest.
According to the witness, it was after Kanu was arrested that it was discovered that he used his native name to secure the hotel accommodation.
Kanu’s legal team
did not raise any
objection.
In the statement that was read in the open court, Kanu denied his alleged link to violence in the South East region of the country.
He maintained that his struggle for the emancipation of the South East, South South and parts of Benue and Kogi states, was his fundamental human right and not terrorism, as alleged by the government.
The embattled IPoB leader further contended that freedom fighting, which he was involved in, is neither a crime in Nigeria nor in any part of the world, describing it as a basic right.
Confirming that he established Radio Biafra, the IPoB leader insisted that it was duly registered in the UK, where he resided.
Justice Omotosho adjourned the case till Friday to enable Kanu’s lawyer to cross-examine the witness.
Kanu, whose trial started de-novo (afresh) following the reassignment of his case-file to Justice Omotosho, had earlier pleaded not guilty to a seven-count treasonable felony charge the government preferred against him.
IPoB lashes out at
FG over court
proceedings
Meantime, the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, yesterday, took a swipe at the court proceedings at the Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Omotosho, in the trial of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Spokesman of the group, Emma Powerful in a release said: “To the shock and dismay of all present, including international observers, the so-called evidence consisted of four boxes containing Mazi Kanu’s personal belongings: wristwatches, a microphone, a DJ mixer (falsely labeled a transmitter), cables, Arabian perfumes purchased for his mother and mother-in-law, a brown shoe, laptops, chargers, and phones. No bombs, guns, grenades, or attack plans were found because none existed.
“This revelation lays bare the truth: there is no evidence to support the grave accusations leveled against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The items presented in court are not weapons of terrorism but ordinary possessions of a man who has consistently and openly declared his mission as a freedom fighter dedicated to the liberation of his people through peaceful means, including a referendum.
“With utmost humility, IPoB calls on the Federal Government of Nigeria and the United Kingdom to end this charade masquerading as a trial. The persecution of Mazi Kanu and IPoB, which has led to the loss of countless lives, including his parents, must cease. We do not seek to humiliate any party but to affirm that IPoB’s mission is rooted in the pursuit of dignity, freedom, and a better life for Biafrans, the black race, and Africa as a whole.”
99 percent Ebonyi youths hawkers in Lagos, Onitsha —Nwifuru
….Flags off industrial city
By Jeff Agbodo
ABAKALIKI—GOV
ERNOR Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has revealed that 99 per cent of people hawking on the streets of Lagos and Onitsha are Ebonyians.
He said that his intention was to bring those hawking in major cities back to the state to train them in various skills in the new industrial city under construction.
The governor who disclosed this during the official flag-off of Ebonyi State Industrial City at Ezzamgbo, Ohaukwu local government area said that the state has numerous challenges such as youth empowerment which will be tackled.
He said that he has not borrowed any kobo to run the state since he assumed office about two years ago, addng that he’s determined to revive the Nkalagu cement factory and build more industries in the state.
Nwifuru said that Ebonyi will replicate Dubai economic hub where investors would be coming to invest their businesses, adding that the industrial hub will increase the GDP of the state.
“Ezzamgbo Industrial City is not merely a constructionproject. It is a comprehensive and deliberate strategy to reposition Ebonyi State as a foremost destination for industrialisation and economic expansion. It is designed to host a wide range of industries, including manufacturing hubs, technology parks, logistics centres and export facilities.
“Through this project, we aim to connect and add value to our abundant natural resources, solid minerals, agricultural products and human capital; attract both local and international investors by providing a business-friendly environment with modern infrastructure and create thousands of direct and indirect jobs. We will empower our great youths and women and additionally promote technological advancement and innovation, stimulate trade and economic integration within and beyond borders of our great state Ebonyi.
“We are deliberately situating this project in this place because of its strategic location (2:40) along a major transportation corridor and its prosperity to raw materials, skills in power, skilled manpower and markets. The industrial city will feature a web, plant and network with constant, sustainable power supply.”
through independent power solution, standardized water treatment and reticulation system, advanced waste management and environmental protection measures.
“The industrial city features broadband internet, connectivity and security architecture that guarantees the safety of investors,workers and residents.
“Our government, in collaborations with the strategic partners, is committing substantial resources to ensure the successful delivery of this critical infrastructure. Economic impact of this project cannot be overstated. The Ebonyi State Industrial Park, industrial city, will become a catalyst for transformative change across the state.
“We are doing this because it will strengthen the internal generated revenue of our great state based on the opportunities within local and community and that of international and it will prove a very high standard of living in our great state” Nwifuru stated.
Anyaoku: Mbah genuinely, quietly transforming Enugu
….As Gen. Nwachukwu, Prof. Gambari renew call for true federal constitution, good governance
Former Secretary
General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Emeka Anyaoku, has described Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State as an epitome of good governance, noting that the governor was genuinely and quietly transforming the state.
Anyaoku, however, stressed that visionary leadership and speedy development, such as being witnessed in Enugu State under Mbah, would become a mere routine with a genuine federal constitution.
The diplomat spoke at the 14th Emeka Anyaoku Lecture Series on Good Governance, themed “The Imperative of Good Governance: Nigeria in a Global Comparative perspective” and organised by the board of Youth Affairs International Foundation at the Enugu International Conference Centre, yesterday.
“Allow me the privilege of describing him (Mbah) as a truly performing governor. Yesterday, I was given glimpses of projects that have either been completed or in active progress towards completion. I saw, for example, this magnificent International Conference Centre. I saw an array of CNG buses at the Okpara Square. I saw the Smart Green Schools, which I gathered that the governor’s plan is to replicate in every electoral constituency (wards), and I learnt that there are as many as 260 of them. I was also able to visit a state-of-the-art bus station, the Holy Ghost Terminal.”
However, he said that at 92, he regretted that Nigeria was still struggling with her pluralism and numerous challenges, warning that many countries that failed to address their pluralism with genuine federal constitution had since disintegrated.
“So, I have been quite consistent in advocating for a new democratic constitution for Nigeria, which addresses our plurality. This country was more peaceful and was developing faster in the first six years of our independence, because it had a genuine federal constitution, which allowed the four regions to take care of their regional development, their social amenities, education, health, and internal security,” the octogenarian said.
To address the many challenges facing Nigeria and Africa, the Guest Speaker and Nigeria’s former Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, called for a radical restructuring of the Nigerian federal arrangement to significantly devolve power to the people, a rejig of the leadership recruitment process, retooling of the state as a guarantor of security, unity, and ideals of equal citizenship as well as fashioning out of a new elite consensus, a complete overhaul of political parties, and a greater attention to constitutionalism, among others.
Speaking, Governor Mbah emphasised that “good governance or lack of it is often the fine margins between an ascendant state and one on a downward trajectory.” He, therefore, charged leaders to move beyond the realm of ideas into the realm of practicality and renewed his call for people-centred governance and investment in the youth.
Setting the tone for the day, chairman of the event and Nigeria’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Major General Ike Nwachukwu (retd.), stressed the need for transformative leadership, which he said could not happen under the present structure of Nigeria.
“This is why I have long been advocating for the restructuring of Nigeria to become a proper federation, allowing state autonomy and bringing governance closer to the people. This also allows access to the mineral, natural, and human resources for their development.
“I stand for respect for the rule of law, the need for a forthright and independent judiciary, a more effective, and responsive military, police and intelligence services.
“I also stand for the creation of State Police and local policing for our communities.”
Platview introduces Fraudspect to check cyber fraud
By Niyi Okiri
Chief Executive Officer
of Platview Technologies, Dapo Salami, has said the company introduced a fraud alert system called ‘Fraudspect’, into the market, to provide solutions to navigating cyber and financial fraud businesses are exposed to.
“We are excited to introduce Fraudspect, designed to address the critical pain points of financial and cyber fraud. Our commitment is to empower businesses with reliable, innovative technologies that drive operational excellence and secure growth.
“Fraudspect enables real-time fraud alerts, customisable workflow engine, and actionable insights providing solutions to navigating cyber and financial fraud businesses are facing,” Salami stated, while commenting on the fraud prevention system.
The new tech leverages AI and machine learning to identify and mitigate fraudulent activities in real time, providing businesses with robust tools to safeguard their digital assets, reduce financial losses, account takeover risks and build consumer trust.
As the digital scape continues to expand, organizations are faced with growing challenges around fraud management and cyber threats. Fraudspect combats these issues, setting new technological benchmarks.
With this offering, Platview Technologies reinforces its position in delivering scalable solutions that help businesses stay ahead of evolving threats and operational challenges.
