Sahara Reporters Latest News Friday 8th November 2019
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 08/11/19
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BREAKING: Falana To Take Up Case Of FUNAAB Student Rusticated Over Facebook Post
Femi Falana
Femi Falana
Leading lawyer, Femi Falana, has said he would take up the case of Ifemosu Adewale, a student of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, who was expelled over a post on Facebook.
Falana revealed this while speaking at a colloquium in Lagos on Thursday.
He said he had spoken with Adewale and the case would be taken to court.
He said, “A young man just met me now that he wants to take his school to court.
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FUNAAB Expels Student Over Letter To IGP, Alliance With Sowore
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“He wrote an article on armed robbery case in FUNAAB and the school authority felt offended and rusticated him.
“I have asked him to see me next Tuesday. We will take up the case and we will go to court.”
FUNNAB’s management had expelled Adewale after his post on Facebook condemning the indiscriminate arrests of students and also the lack of adequate transportation system on the school’s main campus.
He however, revealed to SaharaReporters that he was expelled solely on his alliance with Sowore and the #RevolutionNow Movement.
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Court To Hear Suit Seeking Final Forfeiture Of Properties Linked To Saraki December 5
The Federal High Court, Lagos, has fixed December 5 to take arguments on whether or not two Ikoyi houses belonging to ex-Senate President, Bukola Saraki, should be permanently forfeited to the Nigerian Government.
Justice Mohammed Liman had on October 21 ordered the temporary forfeiture of the houses “lying and known as No. 17A McDonald Road, Ikoyi,” to the government.
The judge had ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to publish the temporary forfeiture order in a national newspaper.
He adjourned till Thursday for anyone interested in the houses to appear before him to show cause why they should not be permanently forfeited to the government.
At the resumed proceedings on Thursday, EFCC lawyer, Abdullahi Idris, told the judge that the order was published in The Nation newspaper as ordered by the court.
The judge fixed December 5 to hear from Saraki and any other interested.
The EFCC had told the judge it reasonably suspected that the properties were acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.
It alleged in a supporting affidavit that Saraki, who served two terms as Kwara State governor between 2003 and 2011, “withdrew over N12bn cash from the account of the Kwara State Government and paid same into his accounts domiciled in Access and Zenith banks through one of his personal assistants, Abdul Adama, at different intervals.”
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BREAKING: DSS Confirms Receipt Of Court Order To Release Sowore, Refuses To Comply With Directive
Court order submitted to the DSS
Received copy of court order by the DSS
For the second time in about one month on Thursday, the Department of State Services failed to obey a court order directing the release of pro-democracy activist and Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore.
The agency, which was on Thursday morning served with the latest ruling of a Federal High Court, Abuja, by the court’s bailiff and lawyers to Sowore, acknowledged receipt of the document but refused to obey the directive.
As at the time of filing this report, there was no indication that the agency was ready to honour the court order and release Sowore and Olawale Bakare widely known as Mandate, who had been detained in their custody since August 3 and 5, 2019 respectively.
In a precursor to Thursday’s refusal to honour the order issued by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, the DSS turned back the court’s bailiff and Sowore’s lawyers on Wednesday at around 4:30pm, claiming that the agency could not attend to the document because they had closed since 3:30pm.
The team was asked to return to the facility at 10:00am on Thursday to serve the court order.
However, several hours since acknowledging receipt of the fresh order to release the two men, the DSS is refusing to do so despite the defendants perfecting their bail conditions.
Court order submitted to the DSS
Received copy of court order by the DSS
Recall that the DSS also flouted an order issued by Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the same court directing it to release Sowore after he met an initial bail condition set.
In his ruling on September 30, Justice Taiwo had asked Sowore to deposit his international passport with the court as condition for his release by the secret police while setting a date for the commencement of trail on the charges brought against him by the DSS.
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BREAKING: DSS Yet To Release Sowore, Bakare Despite Being Served Fresh Court Order
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But despite meeting that mandate the next day, the secret police refused to release Sowore, instead filing charges of money laundering and cyberstalking President Muhammadu Buhari against him – a development that has continued to attract condemnation from around the world.
Sowore was arrested in Lagos in the early hours of August 3, 2019 by the DSS for calling on Nigerians to take to the streets in peaceful demonstrations to demand for a better country from the President Buhari-led administration.
The government views his action as capable of bringing the regime down and has adopted desperate measures to keep him out of circulation for daring to speak truth to power.
In recent times, the DSS has earned a notorious reputation for flouting court orders by continuing to hold on to all those perceived to staunch critics of President Buhari’s regime.
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CAUGHT ON TAPE: How Nigeria’s DSS Operatives Illegally Abducted Sowore
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E2%80%99s-victory Appeal Court Affirms El-Rufai’s Victory
The Court of Appeal in Kaduna on Thursday affirmed governor of then state, Nasir El-Rufai, as winner of the March 9 governorship election.
The court upheld the judgment of the election petitions tribunal that had earlier declared El-Rufai as winner of the exercise.
Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Isa Ashiru, had approached the tribunal but his petition was dismissed for lack of merit.
Ashiru and the PDP had asked the tribunal to cancel a total of 515,951 votes, which they claimed were unlawfully allocated to the All Progressives Congress as well as 124,210 unlawful votes, which they said were added to the PDP through wrong or double entry on the result sheets by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
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E2%80%99s-electoral-victory JUST IN: Appeal Court Affirms Okorocha’s Electoral Victory
The Appeal Court in Owerri, Imo State, on Thursday upheld the electoral victory of Senator Rochas Okorocha representing Imo West Senatorial District, according to PUNCH.
Chairman of the panel, R.A Ada, who read the judgment, said that the appeals filed by Senator Osita Izunaso of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, and Jones Onyereri of the Peoples Democratic Party, against Okorocha lacked merit.
The jurist contended that the judgment of the lower court, which upheld Okorocha’s election was in order.
The panel said that the petitioners could not prove their allegations of violence, over-voting, mutilation of electoral results and hijacking of electoral officers.
The justice said that the petitioners could not prove the allegation of duress as the returning officer alleged.
Okorocha had on February 23 defeated Onyereri and Izunaso but the returning officer alleged that he declared Okorocha winner under duress.
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JUST IN: Court Orders INEC To Restore SDP Candidate In Kogi Election
The Independent National Electoral Commission was on Thursday directed by the Federal High Court, Abuja, to restore candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the November 16 governorship election in Kogi State, Mrs Natasha Akpoti, on the ballot.
Justice Folashade Ogunbanjo-Giwa pointed that the INEC went wrong by refusing to accept the SDP and its candidate on the ballot.
According to Ogunbanjo-Giwa, the electoral umpire lacked the powers to prevent any candidate from participating in the election without a court order.
Video of INEC Chairman Behind Natasha Akpoti's Disqualification From Kogi 2019 Guber Election – Official
INEC Chairman Behind Natasha Akpoti’s Disqualification From Kogi 2019 Guber Election – Official
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E2%80%99s-trial-ascertain-health-condition Court Adjourns Maina’s Trial To Ascertain Health Condition
Maina in court
Maina in court
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The Federal High Court, Abuja, has adjourned the trial of former Chairman of the defunct Police Pension Task Force, Abdurasheed Maina, to November 21 and 22, 2019 so that the Nigerian Correctional Service can ascertain the true condition of his health.
Maina on Thursday appeared before Justice Okon Abang, the presiding judge, in a wheelchair.
Justice Abang had earlier announced that the reserved ruling on the bail application filed on behalf of Maina was not ready.
He said the heavy workload on the court made it impossible to deliver the ruling on Thursday.
The ex-pension boss is being tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over an alleged N2bn fraud.
He was arraigned alongside a firm, Common Input Property and Investment Ltd, before the court.
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BREAKING: DSS Yet To Release Sowore, Bakare Despite Being Served Fresh Court Order
The Department of State Services is yet to release detained activists, Omoyele Sowore and Olawale Bakare, despite being served a fresh court order by a bailiff of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday.
The new order was signed by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the same court following the perfection of bail conditions by the defendants.
Recall that the DSS had on Wednesday turned back the court bailiff and the defendants’ lawyers, who had gone to serve the court order, claiming that they had closed for the day as at 3:30pm.
The court bailiff and lawyers were asked to return on Thursday by 10:30am to serve the DSS the fresh order for their release.
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BREAKING: DSS Turns Back Bailiff, Sowore’s Lawyer After Perfection Of Bail, Says We Close At 3:30pm
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Though the court bailiff succeeded in serving the order to the DSS on Thursday morning, the agency is yet to comply with the directive.
One of the lawyers, Effiong Inibehe, who confirmed the development to SaharaReporters, said, “I just left Sowore and Mandate at the DSS headquarters, I can confirm that the agency has been served with the order of Federal High Court directing their release having perfected their bail conditions.
“We are waiting for compliance. I cannot say more than this now.”
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BREAKING: DSS Still Holding Sowore Hours After Fulfilling Bail Condition, Prevents Falana From Seeing Him
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E2%80%99s-tertiary-institutions-olabisi-deji-folutile Time For Sexual Harassment Policy In Nigeria’s Tertiary Institutions By Olabisi Deji-Folutile
Olabisi Deji-Folutile
Olabisi Deji-Folutile
Three remarkable things happened this week with regard to the fight against sexual harassment in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions. First was the unveiling of a policy document on sexual harassment at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Second was the sacking of eight lecturers at the Akwa Ibom State University, Uyo, for sexual offences, and the third, the second reading of the sexual harassment bill at the Senate.
The UNIPORT policy document defines the rules of engagement between lecturers, university administrators and students of the university. One of these rules is that lecturers should not hug their female students. The university’s Vice Chancellor, Prof Ndowa Lale, advised teachers whose trousers’ zippers were not well sewn to approach their tailors for necessary amendments in order for them to retain their jobs.
Lale also made it clear that the university was committed to protecting the young men and women put in its care from those that might want to use their privileged positions to get sexual favours. With this, UNIPORT appears to have taken the lead in sending an unambiguous signal to sexual predators on its campus since the BBC’s video on s**-for-grades in some African universities went viral. This is commendable.
On its part, the Akwa Ibom State University reportedly sacked eight lecturers found guilty of sexually assaulting and extorting their students. The university’s VC, Prof Eno Ibanga, explained that the decision to relieve the lecturers of their jobs was taken after a thorough investigation into their cases. He also swore to run an institution that could stand the test of time. This is also cheering news and hopefully, randy lecturers and others in the university community would have got the right signal as to what awaits them should they be found guilty of such offences in the future.
As per the proposed legislation on sexual harassment, it was sponsored by the Senate Deputy President, Ovie Omo-Agege. The bill, titled, “A Bill for an Act to Prevent, Prohibit and Redress Sexual Harassment of Students in Tertiary Educational Institutions and for other matters connected therewith 2019”, has 27 clauses. The bill proposes up to 14 years jail term with a minimum of five years without an option of fine for any educator, who commits sexual offences in tertiary institutions.
It also defines sexual offences as including sexual intercourse with a student or demands for s** from a student or a prospective student or intimidating or creating a hostile or offensive environment for the student by soliciting for s** or making sexual advances.
Other forms of sexual harassment identified in the bill are “grabbing, hugging, kissing, rubbing, stroking, touching, pinching the breasts or hair or lips or hips or buttocks or any other sensual part of the body of a student; or sending by hand or courier or electronic or any other means naked or sexually explicit pictures or videos or s** related objects to a student, and whistling or winking at a student or screaming, exclaiming, joking or making sexually complimentary or uncomplimentary remarks about a student’s physique or stalking a student.”
Despite being little drops in the ocean, these developments are worthy of attention, especially in a country where simplistic responses are usually given to important and urgent national maladies. An example of such simplicity, for instance, was reflected in the utterance of the Education Minister, Adamu Adamu, at the unveiling of the UNIPORT policy document. Represented by the Assistant Director, Tertiary Department of the ministry, Mrs Ijeoma Duru, the minister advised female students to stop throwing themselves at their lecturers. He said, “They (female students) should stop going to lecturers unnecessarily and should not harass their lecturers. Girls should read their books and be able to defend their certificates.”
Imagine a minister of education in this age and time offering such a biased and simplistic solution to a serious matter – a problem that has cost many female students their university education, leaving several others traumatised for life. Left to the minister, the female students are the ones throwing themselves at their lecturers. In other words, lecturers are the victims of sexual harassment.
How can a minister with such a myopic attitude think of taking any reasonable step towards solving a problem as serious as sexual harassment in the nation’s tertiary institutions? No one is denying the existence of some female students that believe they can use what they have to get what they want, but what is the population of such compared to the number of male lecturers that see their students as small animals that they could prey on? Of course, in the same vein, it would be wrong to assume that all lecturers are sexual perverts. As a matter of fact, I believe those causing problem in the system are in the minority. To have a better understanding of the problem, one would have expected the education minister to commission a study into the problem. The results from such a study would have offered a reliable and scientific insight into the problem. The minister could then speak based on facts and figures. Government officials should learn how to hide their bias, especially when speaking on sensitive public issues.
It is also worth emphasising that sexual harassment is not peculiar to Nigerian higher institutions, neither is it unique to campuses, so there is no point vilifying the Nigerian womenfolk. It happens in workplaces, media houses, among politicians, in the entertainment industry and even in religious organisations. Almost two thirds of UK students and graduates, for example, are said to have experienced sexual harassment while at university, according to a research by Revolt Sexual Assault in partnership with The Student Room. In the same vein, between 20 and 40 per cent of female students in the US are said to be harassed in the university, according to the New York Times.
When the Australian Human Rights Commission conducted a national survey on the prevalence of sexual harassment at Australian universities in 2016, one in two university students was found to have been sexually harassed at least once in a university setting. The report, released in 2017, also noted massive under-reporting of the problem. The survey found out that 94 per cent of students that were sexually harassed didn’t make a formal report or complaint to their university.
When Australia realised the problem of under-reporting, it initiated a campaign to raise awareness of sexual assault and sexual harassment in its 39 universities. It also went further to provide better support services for students, encouraging universities to share resources on best practices. That is a good example of adopting a reasonable approach to solving a serious problem, not trading blames.
Before anyone is deceived into believing that lecturers in advanced countries also harass their students, it is important to note that cases of sexual harassment in these countries are mostly among students on campus-not lecturers harassing students.
Going forward, beyond the sacking of randy lecturers as done by the Akwa Ibom State University, such lecturers should also be blacklisted. The Federal Government agencies in charge of tertiary institutions, the university community and the Academic Senior Staff Union of Universities all have a huge role to play in this regard. These institutions should make the blacklist publicly available for anyone to be able to check. If properly done, this will render sexual predators permanently unemployed as it would be difficult for them to get another job once sacked in any tertiary institution in the country. ASUU and other academic unions in polytechnics, colleges of education and other tertiary institutions should have a register for all their members. Blacklisted lecturers should be flagged and their rights to teach withdrawn.
In addition to this, the federal agencies overseeing the activities of tertiary institutions in the country should jointly commission a research into the problem and come up with a national policy on the issue. Other tertiary institutions should work towards having their own sexual harassment policy. This should explicitly state the process of seeking redress by students, what constitutes harassment and the punishment for harassers.
Aside this, tertiary institutions should encourage the use of anonymous reporting tools. There should be awareness campaigns on how to report cases of harassment on campuses. Many institutions have their own radio stations that could be used for this purpose. Students should be encouraged to come forward to tell their stories without fear of being intimidated, embarrassed or punished.
Olabisi Deji-Folutile is a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors. Email bisideji@yahoo.co.uk
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Sowore Vs Buhari: President Buhari Has Turned Nigeria Into Evil Empire By Bayo Oluwasanmi
Bayo Oluwasanmi
Bayo Oluwasanmi
Is Nigeria an evil empire? Yes! In my own opinion, President Muhammadu Buhari has turned Nigeria into evil empire. Since Buhari’s arrival in Aso Rock, the evidence that he has turned Nigeria into evil empire grows every day.
The barbaric clampdown on critics of Buhari’s evil regime makes Sani Abacha, Nigeria’s erstwhile brutal military maximum dictator, a ‘progressive democratic president’. Buhari as president in a democratic government has taken over all the three branches of government- executive, judiciary, and the legislature. He now controls all the three branches of government. Separation of powers, checks and balances have been completely wiped out.
Judges now wait on Buhari to write their judgment. The National Assembly has been pocketed. The legislators are as good as dead. The military and the police have become sniffing dogs for Buhari to hunker down critics of his evil rule.
Omoyele Sowore and Olawale Bakare (Mandate) were abducted 100 days ago in the wee hours of the night in their hotel suites without warrant for being part of a peaceful protest tagged #RevolutionNow. Buhari ordered his secret police DSS to keep Sowore and Bakare in detection for 45 days without bail and without trial. At the expiration of 45 days in solitary confinement, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) the attorney for the duo petitioned the court for bail. Justice Taiwo Taiwo the presiding judge, granted the defendants bail. In his characteristic manner of defying court orders, Buhari directed DSS that the defendants should not be released.
Mr. Falana went back to court to seek order to compel the government to obey Justice Taiwo Taiwo’s bail order. Meanwhile, Buhari in his mischievous desperation to keep Sowore in detention, transferred the case to Justice Ojukwu. As expected, Justice Ojukwu didn’t disappoint Buhari. She granted Sowore and Bakare bail with conditions literally impossible for the defendants to meet. Again, Mr. Falana was back in court. He asked the court to relax the bail conditions. Justice Ojukwu agreed to liberalize some of the conditions. Yesterday, the full trial of trumped up charges of treason, money laundering, and insulting Buhari against Sowore and Bakare began in federal high court Abuja.
But the hearing didn’t go far because Buhari had directed DSS that government witnesses will testify with masks over their faces. As expected, Mr. Falana kicked against masked witnesses. Mr. Falana said he would not agree to “secret trial.” Masked witnesses? Only in a Zombie nation ruled by Zombie President and with Zombie citizens could that happen! Mr. Falana said all conditions for bail for his clients had been perfected and that they would be released yesterday. Justice Ojukwu approved the bail. But when Mr. Falana got to DSS office to secure the release of his clients, Buhari had instructed DSS not to release them. DSS explanation was the office had closed for the day. The case has been adjourned until December 5 and 6.
The violent violation of press freedom and rule of law by Buhari is an uncomfortable reminder of Decree Number 4. Decree 4 is a media-gagging rule imposed by Buhari when he was a military ruler. It criminalized the publication of “any message, rumor, report or any statement” that brought the government or any public officer “to ridicule or disrespect.”
Under Buhari, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) documented detentions, assaults, and harassment of the press. Jones Abiri, editor of the Weekly Source was detained without charge in 2016 and denied contact with his family or a lawyer for over two years. Samuel Ogundipe Premium Times reporter was detained and prosecuted for refusing to reveal a source. In 2017, four Nigerian journalists- Famous Giobaro desk editor with the state-owned Glory FM 97.1 in Bayelsa State, Lawrence Okojie of NTA in Edo State, Ikechukwu Onubogu a cameraman with Anambra Broadcasting Service, and Abdul Ganiyu Lawal a freelance broadcast journalist in Ekiti State were all shot dead by unknown gunmen.
In 2018, Tony Ezimakor the Abuja bureau chief of Daily Independent was arrested and detained by DSS for a week without charges. Chido Onumah on his arrival at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Abuja was whisked away by DSS for wearing T-Shirt with inscription “We Are All Biafrans.” The list is growing everyday.It’s no secret that even before the end of his first term, Buhari has become deflated, depressed, paralyzed, powerless, and disillusioned about his own leadership. Here we have a president who lost the air in his sails because he has no vision, no purpose, and there is no progress. Leadership without visionary perspective is meaningless. Buhari should be reminded that brutality, despotism, and cruelty do not make a leader. A leader must give up the pursuit of wickedness and revenge. Buhari missed so many opportunities to define his core values as a leader. The example of a leader determines the experience of the people. A nation’s leadership determines the direction of the whole country. Now we know why Buhari is so handicapped to fight corruption and other problems facing the country.
Nigeria’s history of corruption is long and benighted. Why is the president so impotent in dealing with brood vipers of his administration? The scale and scope of graft on Buhari’s watch are unbelievable for a “government of change” supposedly led by a “man of integrity.” His administration serves as a repository for professional crooks, experienced rogues, and born-again thieves.
More evidence of grand-scale graft in Buhari’s administration continues to defy reasoning and explanation. In the face of all these graft and greed, the president is criminally quiet and self-possessed and maintains a starchy reserve. He’s never been outraged by the brazen crookedness of his cabinet members on corruption. His trajectory crusade against corruption has been jagged. Instead, he derives joy and satisfaction in arresting and jailing critics of his barbaric regime.
It bears repeating that Nigeria and Nigerians are going trough troubling times under the despicable, primitive, and oppressive Buhari. Buhari has taken away our freedom of press, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of association Welcome to the newest evil empire of the 21st century!
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