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Good morning! Here Are Some Major News Headlines In The Newspapers Today: INEC begins distribution of election materials for governorship, assembly elections

Published

1 year ago

March 16, 2023

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1. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Wednesday began the distribution of sensitive materials for Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections. Also on Wednesday, political parties warned the electoral body against a repeat of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System glitches and other hitches that characterised the February 25 presidential and National Assembly polls.

2. Barely three days after the Central Bank of Nigeria declared old N1,000, N500 and N200 notes as legal tender, Deposit Money Banks say they are beginning to run out of the old currencies. The development led to severe hardship and pains for several bank customers seeking to withdraw funds on Wednesday.

3. The Federal Government, on Wednesday, said it is yet to harmonise efforts with states to set up palliative measures ahead of the June 2023 deadline for the discontinuation of petrol subsidy. It, however, said concerned committees would soon conclude discussions with key stakeholders as the administration winds down.

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4. The Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, have withdrawn an application they filed to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission to allow their agents to participate in the process of sorting out ballot papers that were used for the February 25 presidential election.

5. The New Nigeria Peoples Party in Kano State has accused the Department of State Services of working in collaboration with Governor Abdullahi Ganduje to undermine the forthcoming governorship election in the state. A chieftain of the party and senatorial candidate, Dr Bappa Bichi, made the allegation while addressing a news conference on Wednesday night.

6. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been ranked as the 10th deadliest terror group in the world. IPOB, a separatist group, was proscribed and declared a terrorist organisation by the federal government in 2017. According to the 2023 Global Terrorism Index (GTI), with 40 attacks and 57 deaths, 2022 is considered the group’s deadliest year.

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7. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State has opened up on its support for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the president-elect, in the February 25 elections. Chairman of PDP in Rivers, Ambassador Desmond Akawo, who disclosed this at a meeting yesterday, said the move was to ensure that power is shifted to the South.

8. The Federal Government has confirmed that the 2023 population and housing census earlier scheduled for March 29 will now hold in May 2023. While briefing State House reporters after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information, confirmed that the postponement had been ratified.

9. Against the backdrop of sustained cash crises in the economy, Nigeria’s February 2023 inflation rate recorded a decline on Month-on-Month, MoM, while showing a marginal rise to 21.91 per cent Year-on-Year, YoY. Analysts said the inflationary pressure was still much higher during the period, but was tempered by the acute scarcity of cash in the economy.

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10. The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, says 66 patients involved in the train-bus collision accident have been treated and discharged from five state public health facilities. Abayomi disclosed this in a situation update about the accident on Wednesday in Lagos.

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

Published

1 hour 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.”

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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“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.