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Good Morning! Here Are Some Major News Headlines In The Newspapers Today: Senate to amend electoral act to allow diaspora voting, mandate electronic transmission of election results

Published

6 months ago

October 22, 2023

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1. Ahead of the 2027 elections, the Senate is set to amend the Electoral Act to allow for diaspora voting, at least for presidential elections, to enable citizens, especially those on essential service abroad, to vote. The Senate in a communiqué issued at the end of its retreat in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa-Ibom State, also resolved to make electronic transmission of results mandatory from the next general elections in 2027.

2. Four armed robbery suspects linked to the Friday robbery in Otukpo banks have been arrested by Joint Security Forces comprising officers of the Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigerian Armed Forces, along Otukpo-Taraku road, Benue State. A video clip of the suspects is currently circulating on social media.

3. Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has told President Bola Tinubu that the Supreme Court can accept fresh evidence of alleged forgery in his challenge of the outcome of the February 25 election. The Supreme Court will commence hearing on Atiku’s appeal on Monday.

READ PDP expels Chimaroke Nnamani over alleged 'anti-party activities'

4. A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega has called for amendments to the Electoral Act, 2022. He said the President should be divested of power to appoint the chairman and National Commissioners of INEC to free the commission from partisanship.

5. Nuhu Sambo, a 19-year-old student of Al-Azhar Academy, Kofar Gayan Zaria, Marwanu, has been killed under controversial circumstances. The student, who was in JSS 3, was reported to have lost his life as a result of severe beating and corporal punishment by teachers. Confirming the incident, the Kaduna State police command spokesman, ASP Mansir Hassan, said two suspects have so far been arrested.

6. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged Nigerians to ignore what it called fake news by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) that the staff of the commission are reconfiguring the BVAS machines meant for the November 11 governorship election in Kogi State. This is contained in a post on the verified X account of the commission on Saturday.

READ Bosun Tijani eats humble pie, apologises to senators for calling them ‘morons’ in 2021 Twitter post

7. A wanted killer, Nnanyereugo Best, a.k.a. Killaboi, who was declared wanted by the police for killing his girlfriend, Augusta Osedion, a student of Lead City University, has been arrested in Sierra Leone. The suspect was said to have changed his name to Kanu Princeton Samuel and used $25,000 to purchase a Sierra Leonean passport.

8. The recently appointed Borno State Commissioner for Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, and Resettlement (RRR), Engr. Ibrahim Idriss Garba, passed away at his Guest House in 777 Housing Estate in Maiduguri, the state’s capital on Saturday morning. The cause of the Commissioner’s untimely death is shrouded in mystery.

9. National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has expressed confidence that the party will triumph in the November 11, 2023, gubernatorial election in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states. Ganduje stated this while speaking with newsmen at the Government House, Birnin Kebbi, after being hosted by the Kebbi State governor, Dr. Nasir Idris.

READ Like Peter like Onochie: Buhari’s aide denies APC membership three times

10. Two children have died while two other persons were injured in Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State when a boat caught fire. The boat was said to have caught fire following a mechanical fault in the engine, which ignited a jerry can of petrol inside it.

Related Topics:DIASPORA VOTING ELECTORAL ACT Senate

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Court knocks FG for lack of diligent prosecution in Tukur Mamu’s terrorism financing case

Published

2 hours ago

April 29, 2024

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A federal high court in Abuja has reprimanded the federal government for lack of diligent prosecution in the charge filed against Tukur Mamu, publisher of Desert Herald newspaper.

At the court session on Monday, David Kaswe, prosecution counsel, was not in court despite having entered his name on the cause list, indicating his presence.

Abdul Mohammed, Mamu’s counsel, urged the court to stand down the matter to await Kaswe’s return.

However, the prosecution lawyer was still not in court when the case was called again after the judge had delivered a judgment.

Inyang Ekwo, the presiding judge, expressed surprise over “the miraculous disappearance” of the federal government’s lawyer in court.

“I am also aware that the prosecution was in court this morning, but as to the miracle of the disappearance of the prosecution as at the time this matter comes up for hearing is beyond my understanding,” Ekwo said.

“This antic of the prosecution is only being tolerated in today’s proceeding.

“If the prosecution demonstrates that they are not ready to prosecute this matter either diligently or expeditiously, the court will make the right decision at that point.”

READ Like Peter like Onochie: Buhari’s aide denies APC membership three times

MAMU ASKS TO BE TRANSFERRED TO KUJE PRISON

Mamu’s lawyer moved an application to transfer his client to the Kuje correctional facility.

He said the prosecution had already responded to the motion.

In the application, the defence counsel said the Department of State Services (DSS) has refused to obey a previous court order which directed that Mamu should be allowed access to his doctors.

He said Mamu would get proper medical attention in Kuje prison.

“This application is brought so that we will take the defendant to the prisons because they always obey court orders there so that if we go there, he will have access to his medical officer,” he said.

“It is completely within the discretion of the court and we do not want to bring an application for contempt as that will take time.

“Therefore, we want the court to vary the order and the defendant will stay in the Kuja correctional facility. That is what we are asking for.”

READ Sylvester Oromoni: Pathologist reveals real cause of student’s death

The judge adjourned the matter until May 20 for ruling on Mamu’s application.

BACKGROUND

Mamu is standing trial for allegedly aiding the terrorists who attacked the Abuja-Kaduna train in March 2022.

After his arrest in 2022, the federal government said $300,000 was found in his possession.

He was arraigned in March 2023 by the office of the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) on a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism.

However, in March, he pleaded not guilty to all the counts and denied having allegiance to the terrorists.

Mamu is alleged to have received $120,000 as ransom payments on behalf of the Boko Haram terrorist group.

The monies were said to have been received from families of hostages kidnapped during the train attack.

He was also accused of exchanging voice note communications relating to the hostages with one Baba Adamu, a Boko Haram spokesperson.

The federal government also tagged the $300,000 found in Mamu’s possession after his arrest, as terrorist funds.

READ Court orders DSS to grant Kanu access to doctor of his choice

Mamu, an aide to Ahmad Gumi, a popular Islamic cleric, was involved in negotiations for the release of the passengers abducted during the attack on a Kaduna-bound train.

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Abuse of office: Emefiele challenges jurisdiction of Lagos court to try him

Published

2 hours ago

April 29, 2024

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The Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has deferred till the end of trial, its ruling on the application filed by the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to try him on the charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Through his lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olalekan Ojo, Emefiele submitted that he cannot be tried in the high court of any state in Nigeria for alleged acts of abuse of his office as this raises issues of constitutionality and legality.

The former CBN governor also noted that counts 1-4 of the 26 counts charge filed by the EFCC against him are unconstitutional as they are not contained in any law in Nigeria.

His counsel asked the court to make an order striking out counts one to four of the charge on the grounds that:

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. the Honourable Court has no jurisdiction to try the offence of abuse of office in relation to the office of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria which the 1st Defendant occupied at all times material to the commission of the offences and

ii. the 1st Defendant’s/Applicant’s acts said to constitute arbitrary acts resulting in abuse of office are not offences known to law as mandatorily required by section 36(12) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.

The EFCC through its counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Rotimi Oyedepo, however, countered these arguments.

Citing decided cases of the Supreme Court, he asked the trial judge, Justice Rahman Oshodi, not to defer or prevent the trial of the case on the basis of objections challenging the particulars of the counts of the information.

“That approach is intended to take us back to where we are coming from as this were the basis for Section 1 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA and the purpose for which Administration of Criminal Justice Law, ACJL was intended. The intention of our collective resolution as a nation was to to prevent undue delay in our criminal cases.

READ Court orders DSS to grant Kanu access to doctor of his choice

“I urge my lord to refuse this invitation, trial has commenced, this application to prevent the trial today is unlawful, illegal and unconstitutional and I urge the court not to depart from the decision of the apex court as to do so would amount to judicial rascality,” Oyedepo stated.