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Category: Judiciary

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    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested former Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku, over allegations of N27 billion fraud.

     

    Top sources within the commission confirmed that the former governor was arrested on Friday and was still in the anti-graft agency’s detention as of Friday evening.

     

    One of the sources revealed that at least 15-count charges had been filed against Ishaku and he would be arraigned in court soon as evidence against him had been compiled.

     

    Ishaku is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party and served as the governor of Taraba State from May 2015 to May 2023.

     

    In May 2021, the anti-graft agency also arrested three officials who served under his government for allegedly involved in a N21 billion scam.

     

    It was learnt that the state officials were a permanent secretary, a Director of Finance and Account and a cashier in the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

     

    It was gathered further that alleged stolen public funds under the Ishaku government were withdrawn from the state’s accounts through cheques in tranches of at least N10 million each.

     

  • Whistleblower, Isaac Bristol granted bail

    Whistleblower, Isaac Bristol granted bail

    The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted Whistleblower, Isaac Bristol, also known as PIDOMNIGERIA, bail.

     

    This was announced by the 2019 and 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, in a short post on his X handle.

     

    Recall that the court had, on the 11 of September 2024, postponed his bail hearing to the 27th of this month.

     

    His lawyer, Deji Adeyanju had confirmed the postponement in a WhatsApp message.

     

    “The court granted bail to the protesters, but moved Bristol’s bail application to the 27th of this month,” Adeyanju said.

     

    Bristol, after his arrest by the police in August 2024, was charged with nine counts, which included terrorism, money laundering, cybercrime, and evidence tampering.

     

    The charges are in connection with his whistleblowing activities, where he was alleged to operate the X handle of “@PIDOMNigeria,” where exposes alleged misccountry of public officials and regular Nigerians.

     

  • EFCC Accuses Yahaya Bello, others of acquiring property in Abuja, Dubai 

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed fresh charges against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Mr Yahaya Bello and two others at a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.

     

    In the suit marked: CR/7781/2024, Bello, Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are accused of spending over N110 billion of public funds to acquire several properties in Abuja and in Dubai.

     

    The suit dated September 24 but filed on September 25, by the anti-graft lawyer, Mr kemi Pinheiro, SAN, accused the defendants of criminal breach of trust, an offence punishable under Section 312 of the Penal Code Laws of Northern Nigeria, 1963.

     

    Count one of the charge reads: that you, Yahaya Adoza Bello, Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu sometimes in 2016 in Abuja, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourble Court agreed amongst yourselves to cause to be done an illegal act to wit: criminal breach of trust in respect of the total sum of N110, 446, 470, 089.00 (One Hundred and Ten Billion, Four Hundred and Forty six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Eighty Nine Naira) entrusted to you”.

     

    In count two they were alleged to have sometime in 2023, in Abuja, whilst having dominion over the state’s treasury, dishonestly used the total sum of N950,000,000.00 (Nine Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) for the acquisition of a property known as No: 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja.

     

    In count 11, the defendants were alleged to have used over Five million Dirhams to acquire a property in Khalifa, Municipality, Dubai.

     

    Count 14 reads: That you Yahaya Adoza Bello, Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu sometime in 2021, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, whilst having dominion over the state’s treasury, dishonestly sent the total sum of $570,330.00 (Five Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty United State Dollars) to account No. 4266644272 Domiciled with TD Bank, United State of America.

     

    Count 15 claimed that the defendants sometime in 2021, in Abuja, whilst having dominion over the state’s treasury, dishonestly sent the total sum of $556,265.00 (Five Hundred and Fifty Six Thousand, Two Hundred and Sixty Five United State Dollars) to account No. 4266644272 Domiciled with TD Bank, United State of America.

     

    Meanwhile, the former governor in count 16 was alleged to have sometime between 2017 and 2018, in Abuja, had under his control the total sum of N677, 848,000 (Six Hundred and Seventy Seven Million, Eight Hundred and Forty Eight Thousand Naira) unlawfully obtained from BESPOQUE BUSINESS SOLUTION LIMITED.

     

    In the last five months, the Commission have attempted to arraign the former governor before a Federal High Court, Abuja, on an alleged money laundering charge to the tune of over N80 billion, but has not been successful.

     

    The anti-graft agency reacting to Bello’s absence in court on Wednesday, pointed out that the former governor “should be more interested in clearing his name than playing the victim and crying persecution, where none exists.

     

    The Commission however stated that it is not deterred by this, and other shenanigans by the ex-governor.

     

    ” The Commission remains committed to ensuring that the law takes its course in the money laundering charges already filed against Yahaya Bello in Court.

     

    “EFCC is eager to engage the former governor in the courtroom where the avalanche of evidence so painstakingly assembled can be presented and arguments marshalled for justice to be served to all parties involved in this saga.

     

    ” The true test of Yahaya Bello’s willingness to abide by the law in the criminal proceedings instituted against him at the Federal High Court Abuja by the EFCC, is to present himself to the court in obedience to the order of Justice Nwite. His presence in court is the only step that will convince Nigerians that his touted submission to the EFCC which was widely reported in the media on September 18, was not a stunt”, Head, Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr Dele Oyewale had said in the statement.

     

     

  • CJN inaugurates 87 new SANs as s/court marks new legal year

    CJN inaugurates 87 new SANs as s/court marks new legal year

    The Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, will September, 30th swear-in 87 new Senior Advocates of Nigeria(SAN) as part of the programmes lined up to formally herald the 2024/2025 legal year of the Court.

    A statement signed by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Dr Akande Festus, said the CJN will deliver a state-of-the Judiciary address, with a view to highlighting the performance of the Supreme Court in particular, and the Nigerian Judiciary in general, in the 2023/2024 legal year.

    The statement also revealed that other leading stakeholders in the Justice Sector will present speeches bordering on the state of the justice sector of the country.

    These include: Hon. Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chairman of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN), President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), amongst others.

    It will be recalled that the Supreme Court commenced its annual vacation on Monday, 22nd July, 2024. Though the Court had started sitting since Monday, 23rd September, 2024, the new legal year ceremony is now being formally held in accordance with our tradition.

    All the programmes outlined to mark the formal commencement of the new legal year will.

  • Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s case to Oct 30 as he heads to Supreme Court

    On Wednesday, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja adjourned the alleged money laundering case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, to October. 30.

    This follows Bello’s appeal at the Supreme Court seeking to set aside the arrest warrant issued by the trial court on April 17.

    At the proceedings, Wednesday, Counsel to Bello, A.M. Adoyi, drew the court’s attention to the fact that the issue of arraignment of the defendant was the subject matter of an appeal already entered by him at the Supreme Court.

    He said he would like to draw the court’s attention to the appeal by virtue of the affidavit of record filed on September 23.

    “The appeal number is SC/CR/847/2024 and SC/CR/848/2024. That means the most appropriate thing to do is to await the decision of the Supreme Court in the aforesaid appeal before taking any step for arraignment so as not to render the appellant’s appeal null or to pull the rug out of the feet of the Supreme Court,” the Defendant’s lawyer said.

    Counsel for the EFCC, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, however, told the court that the Defendant’s Counsel were turning the court into a place for entertainment.

    He said, “Secondly, an appeal the defendant filed at the court of appeal disputing the mode of service of the charge and proof of evidence on their counsel was dismissed by the Court of Appeal on the 28th of August this year.

    “The Court of Appeal said the mode of service was good and proper service. The appellant shall not take any further step until he submits himself. But they took another step.”

    It will be recalled that the former governor submitted himself to the EFCC last Wednesday, accompanied by the Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, but the EFCC reportedly refused to interrogate or detain him.

    It was later reported that EFCC operatives allegedly laid siege on the Kogi Government Lodge in Abuja to arrest the Governor at night.

    Responding, Pinheiro said, “They have three applications on this – two before your lordship and one before the Supreme Court. I will now urge your lordship to demonstrate audacity of coercive power on him.”

    Adoyi, Bello’s lawyer, however, argued that the life issue of the matter slated for today (Wednesday), which is the arraignment, “is subject to an appeal by the defendant at the Supreme Court.

    “In the interest of justice, we should await the decision of the Supreme Court on the issue.”

    Reacting, Justice Nwite said, with the submission made by the counsel, he would have to decide the issues raised in one way or the other.

    Therefore, he adjourned the matter to 30th of October for ruling and arraignment

  • Tinubu Asks Senate To Confirm Kekere-Ekun As Substantive CJN

    Tinubu Asks Senate To Confirm Kekere-Ekun As Substantive CJN

    President Bola Tinubu has formally requested the Nigerian Senate to confirm Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as the substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).
    This request was communicated through a letter, which was read aloud by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio during a session on Tuesday.
    Justice Kekere-Ekun has been serving as the Acting Chief Justice since August, following the retirement of her predecessor, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola. President Tinubu had earlier sworn her into the acting role.
    In his letter, the President referenced Section 231(1) of the Nigerian Constitution.
    Tinubu stated, “Pursuant to 231(1) of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria of 1999 as amended which gives the power to the president powers to appoint the chief justice of Nigeria (CJN) on the recommendation of the National Judicial Commission (NJC) and subject to confirmation of the Nigerian senate,” the number one citizen said.
    “I have the honour to forward the nomination of Honourable Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun CON for confirmation as CJN.
    “While it is my hope that this request will receive the expeditious consideration and confirmation of the senate, please, accept distinguished senate president the assurances of my highest consideration and personal regards.”
    Following the presentation, Senate President Akpabio referred the matter to the Committee of the Whole for further consideration, with deliberations set to take place on Wednesday.

  • Fifth year in DSS detention won’t kill me – Nnamdi Kanu

    The Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu says an additional year in detention by the Nigerian Government will not kill him.
    The pro-Biafra agitator disclosed this on Tuesday while speaking to journalists upon the resumption of his trial in the Federal High Court in Abuja.
    He expressed dismay that the Court has refused to abide by the determination of the Supreme Court on his request for bail.
    He accused the court of cherry picking what was contained in the Supreme Court Judgement.
    The IPOB leader insisted that there cannot be any trial when key sections of the Nigerian Constitution have been allegedly violated by the Court.
    “I am surprised that a high court refused to abide by the determination of the Supreme judgment. The cherrying picking of what was contained in the judgment is what I am against. It should be implemented holistically. I am not against any trial after all I am innocent. They have nothing against me, but there can not be any trial when the key section of the Constitution and a key section of the Supreme Court judgment have been violated by a court of law.
    “This is my Fourth year in solemn confinement in detention. The fifth year won’t kill me” he said.
    Recall that since June 2021, Kanu has been arrested by the Nigerian Government and has been under the custody of the Department of State Security Service despite the wide range of calls for his release.
  • Northern APC: Court dismisses suit seeking Ganduje’s removal as APC chairman

    Northern APC: Court dismisses suit seeking Ganduje’s removal as APC chairman

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, Monday, dismissed a suit seeking the removal of Dr Abdullahi Ganduje as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    In the ruling, Justice Inyang Ekwo held that the the Plaintiff, APC North Central Group is not a juristic person having not been registered in law and therefore has no legal power and capacity to file the suit.

    Dismissing the suit, the court maintained that there was no cause of action against the defendants since the plaintiff has no power under any known law to Institute any case in any Nigerian court.

    The Judge also held the the plaintiff failed to explore the internal mechanism for peaceful resolution of issues before rushing to the court.

    Besides, Justice Ekwo held that appointment of officers for APC by its National Executive Committee is an internal affairs of the party which no court can dabble into.

    The Northern Central APC Group had dragged Ganduje, APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the court praying for nullification of appointment of Ganduje by APC on the ground of gross violations of the party’s Constitution.

    Specifically, the North Central APC group claimed that the appointment of Ganduje breached Article 13 of APC Constitution because it was not done through democratic process enshrined in the party’s law.

    The plaintiff, the North Central APC Forum led by Saleh Zazzaga, had filed the suit to query the propriety of Ganduje’s appointment as the National Chairman of the APC when he is not from the North Central geo-political zone, whose turn was to fill the position.

    In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/599/2024, the plaintiff listed Ganduje, the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the 1st to the 3rd defendants respectively.

    The plaintiff in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/599/2024, asked the court to, among others, restrain Ganduje from further parading himself as the chairman of the APC.

    It also prayed the court to issue an order directing INEC not to accord recognition to all actions taken by the APC, including congresses, primaries and nominations, since Ganduje became APC Chairman on August 3, 2023.

    The plaintiff contended among others, that Ganduje is occupying the office of the APC chairman illegally, not being from a state in the North Central geo-political zone.

    It argued that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the APC breached the party’s constitution when it appointed Ganduje, from Kano State in the North West geo- political zone to replace Abdullahi Adamu from Nasarawa State in the North Central geo-political zone.

    It also argued that Ganduje’s appointment to replace Abdullahi was contrary to Article 13.5(1) f of the APC constitution and ultra-vires the powers of the NEC of the party, among other prayers.

  • Kogi Women Protest Alleged EFCC Harassment o Yahaya Bello, Call for Presidential Intervention

    In what some observers have termed as a drama sketch being acted at the pleasure of the powers that be, a large crowd of women took to the streets on Saturday to protest what they called the harassment of former Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
    The protesters appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene, urging him to rein in the EFCC. They maintained that Bello had accomplished more for the state than any other governor since its inception.
    Led by various community leaders and political supporters, the women gathered in Lokoja, the state capital, denouncing what they called a politically motivated “witch-hunt” by the EFCC.
    The group urged the President to act swiftly by ensuring the EFCC allows the judiciary to handle the matter. They claimed that the agency’s actions earlier in the week were part of a targeted attempt to damage Bello’s reputation, warning that they would not stand idly by and watch his safety be jeopardized.
    “We stand with our leader, Yahaya Bello in this trying time. We believe he has been targeted unfairly and we demand justice. We won’t watch him lose his life,” one of the protesters, identified as Hajiya Halima Abass, said.
    “The EFCC should focus on genuine cases of corruption, not political vendetta,” another protester, who simply identified herself as Mrs. Boluwaji, added.
    The various women group leaders, who spoke in their local dialects – Igala, Ebira, Yoruba and others – urged the EFCC to be professional in its “handling of the case against the state leader, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.”
    They chanted songs, saying that Kogi people were fearless people and reiterated that they would not stand by and continue watching what they called a show of shame, especially after the former governor had made himself available to EFCC.
    They wondered why the EFCC refused to interrogate or detain him while he was in their office but rather went shooting at night at the Kogi Government Lodge to arrest a man who had voluntarily walked up to them earlier in the day.
    “We Kogi people of Ebira descent cherish what our son, Yahaya Bello, did for us as governor. That is why we’re out on the streets to ask EFCC to leave him alone.
    “We are not giving him out to anyone to crucify. He will come back to us hale and hearty,” one of the women leaders from Ebiraland, who simply identified herself as Hajiya Fatima, said.
    “We, the Igala people from Kogi East, we are here because of our leader, Alhaji Yahaya Bello. He has never done anything bad to us. To those people that are looking to take him, please leave him alone. We have never seen the kind of his government before. He did well for the state,” another women leader who identified herself as Deborah said.

  • #EndBadGovernance: Court grants bail to Baze Uni senior lecturer

    The Sokoto state High Court has granted bail to Dr. Abubakar Alkali, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Petroleum and Gas Engineering at Baze University.

     

    Dr. Alkali had been detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) for the past three weeks on allegations of supporting the #EndBadGovernance protests.

     

    A lawyer familiar with the case shared the news with SaharaReporters, praising the intervention of legal bodies.

     

    His words: “Dr. Alkali, the Baze University lecturer, has just been granted bail by Sokoto State High Court.

     

    “We also want to commend the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the NBA Citizens’ Liberties Committee, and the Sokoto Branch of the NBA for their unwavering support and intervention in this matter.”

     

    The detention of Dr. Alkali, initially brought to public attention by his lawyer Deji Adeyanju, had sparked significant concern.

     

    On September 14, 2024, Adeyanju posted on Facebook, revealing the lecturer’s abduction by the DSS and his subsequent detention in Sokoto State.

     

    “Dr. Abubakar Alkali, senior lecturer at Baze University, was abducted by the DSS three weeks ago and taken to Sokoto State for supporting the #EndBadGovernance protest. He has been in custody since then,” Adeyanju’s post read.