Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Saturday 4th June 2022
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 04/06/22
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Benue Governorship: Group Drags Ex-Attorney-General, Aondoakaa To Court For Violating Supreme Court Ruling
Michael Aondoakaa
A civic group, the Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency, has sued former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mike Aondoakaa, over alleged violation of a Supreme Court’s judgement.
The civic society, in suit number FHC/AB/CS/770/2022, prayed the Federal High Court in Abuja, to prosecute the former AGF for flouting a judgement by the apex court which barred him from contesting for public office for 10years.
Michael Aondoakaa
SaharaReporters in February 2022 reported that Aondoakaa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was barred from holding public office in the country.
Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun of the Supreme Court in a unanimous judgment delivered on December 10, 2021, had affirmed a judgment of the Court of Appeal, Calabar division, which had earlier upheld a Federal High Court decision that barred the former Minister under late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s administration from occupying public office in Nigeria.
In the Court of Appeal’s judgement on June 1, 2010, Justice A.F.A. Ademola had ordered, “1. A declaration is hereby made that the 2nd Defendant undermined and subverted the rule of law, the due administration of justice and integrity of the judiciary in the letters of 8th January, 2008 and 16th February 2009 written by him in the capacity of the Defendant.
“2. A declaration is hereby made that 2nd Defendant is not a competent, fit and proper person to hold office as the 1st Defendant having regards to the oaths of Allegiance and office.”
In the suit by the civic group filed by F.S. Jimba, Esq., the plaintiff joined the All Progressives Congress, APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission, as 2nd and 3rd defendants in the matter.
The CSO prayed the court to determine whether having regard to the decision of the Supreme Court in Appeal No. SC/939/2015 between Michael K. Aondoakaa, SAN vs (1) Emmanuel Bassey Obot (2) Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice delivered on the 10th day of December, 2021, the 1st Defendant is entitled to vie for, seek or howsoever indicate interest in occupying any public office in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Also, the organisation prayed the court to grant the following reliefs: “A declaration that by virtue of the decision of the Supreme Court in Appeal No. SC/939/2015 between Michael K. Aondoakaa, SAN vs (1) Emmanuel Bassey Obot (2) Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice delivered on the 10th day of December, 2021 and Section 235 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the 1st Defendant cannot indicate interest in, vie for, participate in any processes designed to produce an occupant of a public office in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
”A declaration that the conduct of the 1st Defendant in indicating interest, purchasing the expression of interest and nomination forms of the 2nd Defendant and all other steps and action taken by the 1st Defendant in his quest to vie for the office of Governor of Benue State under the Platform of the 2nd Defendant is in contravention and contemptuous of the decision of the Supreme Court in Appeal No. SC/939/2015 between Michael K. Aondoakaa, SAN vs (1) Emmanuel Bassey Obot (2) Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice delivered on the 10th day of December, 2021.”
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Herdsmen Strike In Abia, Abduct Pastor, Wife, Stab Cleric In The Chest
A cleric identified as Apostle Delight Uzo has been stabbed in the chest by assailants suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.
Uzo, according to reports, was attacked alongside some of his friends in Umuahia, Abia State.
He was said to have been stabbed in the chest and stomach and is currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.
A Facebook user, Bethel Nwakaku, on Friday, said another pastor, Uche Okoro and his wife were abducted by the attackers.
He wrote, “Can the South-East governors with the military and police force claim to be ignorant of the invasion of the Fulani bandits in Igbo land?
“This is my brother and friend Apostle Delight Uzo who was butchered and stabbed at the heart and stomach by Fulani bandits just close to Umuahia on Saturday night.
“He and one other escaped half dead while others were kidnapped Pastor Uche Okoro and his wife). Daily, Abia State University (ABSU) students are being kidnapped and some others killed. I can now vividly say that the so-called unknown gunmen are Fulani jihadists. The prelate of the Methodist Church also confirmed that his kidnapping was by Fulani.
“I beckon on the political leaders, the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force to rise and flush them out because there’s so much anger in the land already.”
Meanwhile, Isaac Victor Akachukwu on his Facebook page noted that the kidnapped persons had been released after paying a ransom of N1million.
He wrote, “Let’s pray for Apostle Delight Uzochukwu, he and other three pastors were kidnapped by Fulani herdsmen on their way back from Umuahia, he was stabbed mercilessly. He escaped as Pastor Uche Okoro was kidnapped. He and his wife were later released after N1.1million ransom with deep wounds.
“Nigeria is finished; I don’t know what else to say, I visited him today in the hospital with other pastors that came in their number. He’s in deep pain, your prayers are needed.”
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Buhari Signs 2022 Amended Appropriation Act, To Service Nigeria’s Debts With N3trillion
President Muhammadu Buhari has assented to the new 2022 Appropriation Bill recently passed into law by the National Assembly.
This was stated by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives) Umar El-Yakub.
Umar said the amended Appropriation Act will repeal the previous one passed by the lawmakers in December 2021.
An appropriation, also known as a supply bill or spending bill, is a proposed law that authorises the expenditure of government funds. It is a bill that sets money aside for specific spending.
According to him, the new law will authorise issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation the total sum of N17,319,704,091,019.
Out of this, N817,699,410,210 only, is for Statutory Transfers, while N3,978,087,110,437 only will be for Debt Service.
Also, N7,108,621,131,849 only is for Recurrent (Non-Debt) Expenditure while the sum of N5,415,296,438,523 would be for Contribution to the Development Fund for Capital Expenditure for the Year Ending on the 31st day of December, 2022.
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Former Biafran Chief Of Army Staff, Madiebo Dies at 90
A former Chief of Staff of the Biafran Army, Gen Alexander Madiebo, has died at 90 years of age.
This was disclosed in a brief statement released by his family who expressed sadness over his demise.
BBC Igbo
“We are sad to announce the passing of General Alexander Madiebo, Chief of Staff of the Biafran Army and the last of the 3 titans. He was 90,” the family said.
General Alexander Madiebo (retd.) was a commander in the Biafran Army and fought in the Nigeria-Biafra civil war. He had his military training at the Regular Officers’ Special Training School in Teshie, Gold Coast, now Ghana.
From there, he proceeded to Europe where he studied at the Eaton hall officer cadet school in Chester, England and was in December 1956 commissioned into the Nigerian Army Artillery with the rank of a Second Lieutenant.
The elder statesman who was Zik’s ADC in 1960 is one not gifted with so much talk, but action and enticing wisdom.
During his lifetime, he spoke about the civil war, situating the reason for the conflict, the problem ahead, its solution, the struggle to restore Biafra and what Ndigbo should be doing in today’s Nigeria among other sensitive issues.
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Court Jails Seven Fraudsters In Enugu Posing As US Army Personnel
File photo used to illustrate story.
Justice I.M Buba of the Federal High Court sitting in Enugu State has convicted and jailed seven internet fraudsters for one year in prison.
The convicts were arraigned before the court by the Enugu Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on offences bordering on impersonation and obtaining money under false pretences from unsuspecting foreign nationals.
File photo used to illustrate story.
A statement by the anti-graft agency on Friday, signed by its Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, said their conviction was secured on Thursday.
According to Uwujaren, the convicts were “Nwafor Clinton Chetachi, Utogbo Joseph, Omilo Collins Chimere, Enegide Ifeanyi Kizito, Chukwuajama Collins Arinze, Victor Udekwe and Chukwudi Emmanuel.”
The charge read, “That you, Nwafor Clinton Chetachi sometime in April 2022 at Owerri within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently impersonated one American military personnel serving in Syria using the name of one Britton Thomas, an American Citizen, in order to gain advantage for yourself from Kristine, a Russian woman residing in Latvia, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (3) (a) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (4) of the same Act.”
EFCC spokesman stated that all the seven defendants pleaded guilty when the charges were read to them.
Consequent upon this, Justice Buba sentenced them to one year imprisonment with various options of fine. “The fines are to be paid into the TSA account. They are also to forfeit their phones which will be auctioned by the EFCC and the proceeds paid into the Federal Government’s Consolidated Revenue Account.”
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E2%80%99t-mean-humiliate-buhari-osinbajo-others-%E2%80%93-boastful-tinubu-retracts-explosive I Didn’t Mean To Humiliate Buhari, Osinbajo, Others – Boastful Tinubu Retracts Explosive Comments After Backlash
Tinubu in London
Presidential aspirant and national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, has claimed his statement in Ogun State wasn’t meant to humiliate President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Governor Dapo Abiodun.
Tinubu had on Thursday while meeting with delegates of the APC in Abeokuta said he made Buhari, Osinbajo and Abiodun President, Vice President and governor respectively.
Tinubu in London
“You have not heard this from me before. This is the first place I am saying this,” Tinubu who addressed the delegates in Yoruba said.
“If not for me that led the war front, Buhari won’t have emerged. He contested first, second and third times, but lost. He even said on television that he won’t contest again.
“But I went to his home in Katsina, I told him you would contest and win, but you won’t joke with the matters of the Yoruba.
“Since he has emerged I have not been appointed minister. I didn’t get nor request a contract. This time, it’s Yoruba turn and in Yorubaland, it’s my turn.
“The second time, he picked another Igbo, (Edwin) Ume-Ezeoke, Nigerians didn’t vote for him. And he said that even if he went to bring the Pope to run as his deputy, Nigerians won’t vote for him, but he said, ‘You, Bola Tinubu, you have six governors, you have never lost an election before, come and be my deputy.”
“He knew all the calculations then favoured us, that is why he wanted me as his deputy, but I told him to let us build the party first. And when we finished building the party after we brought in people from the PDP, (Bukola) Saraki now saw that those from the PDP would not get anything if Buhari, a Muslim, became the president and I, also a Muslim, became his deputy. He won’t get the Senate president because the Senate president cannot also be a Muslim; that was how they started the campaign of calumny against me.
“And I told them that I have a candidate that is a Christian that I could nominate so that the party would not break. That was how I nominated Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. I surrendered my right to him (Osinbajo).
“I was asked to submit three names, Yemi Cardozo, Wale Edun, and Yemi Osinbajo, but I told them if I submit three names, they would play a game, they might make it four and pick the fourth one. I gave them one name and that was Osinbajo.”
The former Lagos governor is currently being criticised over the comments.
Reacting in a statement by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu said he only went down memory lane to provide specific instances when he brought his political clout and strategic skills to assist individuals, groups and tendencies in the party to gain political power.
The statement read, “It is on record that the leading presidential aspirant in the forthcoming primaries of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu addressed the national delegates of the party in Ogun State, with Governor Mr.Dapo Abiodun in attendance.
“In his effort to convince the party delegates to vote for him at the primaries, he went down memory lane to provide specific instances when he brought his political clout and strategic skills to assist individuals, groups and tendencies in the party to gain political power.
“These factual references are already in the public realm. They have been reported and analysed in the media in the last eight years. They are therefore, matters of public knowledge. While we recognise that recent unexpected interventions in the time table and the heat generated by the proximity of the event might have led to some anxiety, this campaign organisation believes that the main thrust of Asiwaju’s presentation, was that his huge contributions to the formation and electoral success of the All Progressives Congress should count in his favour as a true party man who desires to be the flag bearer.
“Since the video of the speech he delivered in Yoruba hit the social media, varied interpretations have been given to the speech, which in the main was about Governor Abiodun, who in the true tradition of Yoruba culture bowed to his leader after Tinubu’s short speech.
“The Tinubu campaign is not surprised why the opposition in the APC have decided to turn and twist the statement.
The former Lagos governor, a great party man remains the man to beat at the party’s convention on Monday. We are least surprised that he is the target of well-calculated and most unkind virulent attacks.”
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Anti-graft Agency, EFCC Arrests Permanent Secretary Of Niger Delta Affairs Ministry, Babayo Ardo For Misappropriating N5billion
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Babayo Ardo, a serving Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, for allegedly misappropriating N5billion.
The anti-graft agency arrested him on Thursday in Abuja and had begun interrogation, according to reports.
Recall that a few weeks ago, Ardo was accused of contravening the civil service rules which prohibit serving civil servants from participating in political activities.
Ardo had declared his intention to run for the governorship election in Gombe State on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, and he participated in the screening process as well without resigning.
This is despite a circular from the Head of Service of the Federation wherein it was reiterated that the position of the law which prohibits civil servants from participating in nominations exercises or party primaries, an order that he clearly flouted.
He could not secure the PDP Bauchi gubernatorial ticket after the primary.
The Concerned PDP Vanguard had condemned this action in a petition signed by its leader, Sani Kabiru, to both the party and his employers, the Federal Government, Kabiru reiterated that as a party, it would be counterproductive to allow people who would not respect the rules of political engagements to participate in its processes.
“It is in lieu of the above that we wish to bring Ardo’s conduct to the attention of the leadership of the PDP as well as the federal government where he is still employed.
“It is our informed opinion that the screening team ought not to have attended to him knowing fully well that he’s a serving permanent secretary who neither presented a letter of resignation nor termination of appointment,” the group had said.
Shortly before his participation in the screening exercise, another group, Ethics and Corporate Compliance Institute of Nigeria (ECCIN) petitioned the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Iyorcha Ayu, over his disobedience of the civil service rule.
The group claimed that the party might be disqualified from participating in the governorship poll as it might not be able to field any candidate if Babayo emerged as the flag bearer because his candidacy violated the public service rules.
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Russian President, Putin Meets African Leaders As Ukraine Conflict Hits 100 Days
It has been 100 days since Russia invaded Ukraine with over 4000 people killed.
Russian President, Vladimir Putin, meanwhile maintained his position blaming the West for the war and its attendant economic impacts across the globe.
The African continent has remained one of the most affected of the world by the ongoing war that has sent prices of grains, cooking oils, fuel, and fertiliser to unimaginable height.
Russia and Ukraine account for nearly a third of global wheat supplies, while Russia is also a key global fertilizer exporter and Ukraine is a major exporter of corn and sunflower oil.
But for the first time since the war started, Putin met with African Union (AU) leaders on Friday in the southern Russian resort of Sochi, where he maintained that Moscow was not to blame for the growing food crisis affecting their continent.
A State TV showed Putin greeting the Chairman of the AU and Senegalese President, Macky Sall and chairman of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, at the beginning of their talks.
As Putin continues to blame Ukraine and the West for the resulting halt in Ukrainian grain exports, Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov told reporters that, “With a high degree of probability and confidence, I can assume that the president will give exhaustive explanations of his vision of the situation with Ukrainian grain.
“The president will tell our African friends the real state of affairs, he will explain once again what is happening there, who has mined the ports, what is needed for grain to go, that no one on the Russian side is blocking these ports.”
Moscow blames the current situation on all the naval mines floating near Ukrainian ports and on Western sanctions which are hitting its own grain and fertiliser exports because of the impact on shipping, banking, and insurance.
Russia had proposed to allow vessels carrying food to leave Ukraine in return for the lifting of some sanctions but Ukraine described the proposal as “blackmail.”
But President Putin in his opening comments at the meeting with African leaders on Friday did not make reference to the food crisis. He only spoke generally on Moscow’s desire to develop ties with Africa.
Putin said that trade turnover had risen by more than 34 percent in the first few months of this year.
Meanwhile, reports showed that Russia’s army has seized much of Ukraine’s southern coastline and its warships control access to the country’s Black Sea ports.
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E2%80%93-osinachi%E2%80%99s-husband-tells-abuja-high-court My Wife Died Of Lung Cancer – Osinachi’s Husband Tells Abuja High Court
Peter Nwachukwu, the husband of the late popular gospel singer, Osinachi, has denied that he was responsible for the death of his wife.
Nwachukwu, who had been in detention for over a month for allegedly killing his wife, had on Friday to an Abuja High Court that his wife died of lung cancer contrary to the reports that he hit her.
He maintained his innocence, adding that he never hit the deceased singer.
The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice had on Friday arraigned Nwachukwu on a 23-count charge bordering on domestic violence and homicide.
The Abuja National Hospital had performed an autopsy on Osinachi but the result was handed over to the police.
But Nwachukwu, who pleaded his innocence, told the court “Let me tell the whole world, I have suffered a lot. I have been abandoned. What killed my wife was cancer of the lungs, I didn’t hit my wife.
“Cancer of the lungs killed my wife, Osinachi Nwachukwu, so I’m suffering for what I do not know,” he spoke while being moved from the courtroom.
However, despite his plea of innocence, the court remanded the accused in Kuje Correctional Facility till the end of the trial.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that Nwachukwu was arraigned before an Abuja High Court.
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E2%80%93-ipob-leader Nnamdi Kanu Is Pleased That Strangers Causing Trouble In South-East Are Being Exposed – IPOB Leader’s Lawyer
Nnamdi Kanu
Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the lead counsel to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, says the agitator is delighted, hearing that criminal activities in the South-East region are gradually subsiding.
Ejiofor made this known in an update on Thursday sent to SaharaReporters after the routine visit to Kanu.
Nnamdi Kanu
According to him, the agitator had charged the Igbos to sustain action towards ensuring total sanity in the region and expose those who had perpetrated crimes on innocent people.
The statement reads, “Consistent with the subsisting Court-ordered guideline, we visited our amiable client – Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, today. The fulcrum of our brief centered exclusively on our legal undertakings and prospects of positive outing on the next adjourned date, having reviewed the entirety of our legal strategies thus far.
“Onyendu was enthused with the news of seemingly de-escalation in criminal activities in the South-East and promptly directed for a sustained action towards total sanity on our land.
“Onyendu was delighted that UMUCHINEKE are being vindicated by the startling revelations which are irresistibly exposing the strangers in our land, and their criminal gangs alike, who are kidnapping on our soil on a daily basis.
“Onyendu maintained that no son of the soil should pause until all forms of criminalities are totally eradicated from our land, he insisted that our land should no longer be a safe haven for those who kidnap for ransom, kill or indulge in any form of prohibited acts.
“Onyendu thanked ChukwuOkike Abiama for exposing these criminals behind the sacrilegious activities on our land, and stressed further that there will be no hiding place any more for these unscrupulous elements who are desecrating our land, hiding in bushes and arrogating the rights of landlords/overlords of our lands to themselves.
”He is profoundly pleased with the unprecedented success so far recorded in containing these monsters who have nothing/ no connection whatsoever with his freedom movement. IPOB has been vindicated.
“Onyendu commended Ezigbo UmuChineke for their solidarity, resoluteness and unflinching support. He continues to encourage you all to remain focused, calm and firm, as it is only a matter of time this onerous path will be exited.
“Onyendu directed that all legal options should be intensified to ensure immediate release of Mrs. Ukamaka Ejezie (Mama Biafra) who is presently being held in the solitary confinement of the state security service.
“Onyendu was however impressed with the extent of legal engagements aggressively being deployed to ensure that she regains her freedom within the shortest possible time.
“We are not relenting in our effort to see it happen, same energy is also being dissipated to ensure the release of all UmuChineke illegally arrested and still detained across the detention facilities of various security Agencies. We implore you all to intensify in your supplications and prayers, as it is impacting so positively UmuChineke.
“This phase shall come to pass soon. Thank you all and remain blessed, UmuChineke.”
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