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Tag: law enforcement

  • Retract bribery allegation against appeal court justices, lawyers tell Sen. Abbo

    Retract bribery allegation against appeal court justices, lawyers tell Sen. Abbo

    Some senior lawyers have called on Senator Elisha Abbo to retract the unsubstantiated allegations of bribery and corruption made against the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem.

    According to the lawyers,
    Senator Abbo in his reckless and unconscionable Press Briefing described the President of the Court of Appeal as a cash-and-carry Judge, adding that Judges now send their children and agents to go around asking for bribes.

    The lawyers led by Uwemedimo Nwoko, stated that Abbo has not produced any iota of evidence to substantiate his weighty allegations.

    Senator Abbo, a former senator representing Adamawa north, in the press conference said Nwosu-Iheme and members of the panel made up of Muhammad Ibrahim and Olabode Adegbehingbe erred when they declared Amos Yohanna of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the duly elected senator of the district.

    Also, Senator Abbo, accused Justice Chioma Nwosu, elevated from the court of appeal to the supreme court, some Justices of the Court of Appeal and Judges of the various Tribunals.

    The former senator said he had written the NJC and Tinubu to stop the elevation of Nwosu-Iheme into the supreme court until an investigation is conducted.

    Reacting to the allegation, the Lawyers therefore called on the senator to retracted the allegations publicly or face the consequences of his actions in court.

    He maintained that this brand of nonsense and unprovoked attacks against Judicial Officers and the Judiciary must stop.

    “We take very strong exceptions to the criminal blackmail deliberately fabricated and calculated to impugn on the integrity and reputation of our revered and hardworking Judges and Justices by characters like Senator Abbo.

    “May I remind Senator Abbo that when he lost the case that removed him from the Senate, he openly accused the Senate President, Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio, CON of being the architect of his misfortune. When he was confronted with the task to prove
    the allegation he promptly went on his knees and apologised profusely to Senator Akpabio and retracted the allegations.

    “It is sad and most unfortunate that this Senator who shot into the limelight on account of his misconduct in a Sex Toy Shop in Abuja would have the criminal courage and effrontery to malign, denigrade and make such invidious imputations against our Justices and judiciary simply because he lost a case.

    “I wish to state most categorically that it is totally unacceptable, morally reprehensible and legally culpable for a person with Senator Abbo’s moral credentials and profound deficits in character content to embark on such character assassination against our Justices who have sacrificially built their good reputations over the years,” he said.

  • Electoral Bill Passes Second Reading, Paving Way for Electronic Transmission of Election Results

    Electoral Bill Passes Second Reading, Paving Way for Electronic Transmission of Election Results

    The Nigerian House of Representatives achieved a significant milestone on Wednesday as it passed the Electoral Act 2022 Amendment Bill for Second Reading, brightening the prospect for electronic transmission of election results to minimise fraud in the nation’s electoral process.

    The Bill sponsored by Hon. Francis Waive, representing the Ughelli North/Ughelli South/Udu federal constituency of Delta State, aims to amend the existing Electoral Act to facilitate the electronic transmission of election results.

    During the debate on the general principles of the bill, Hon. Waive underscored the inadequacies of the current Electoral Act 2022 and emphasized the importance of modernizing it to accommodate electronic transmission of election results. He argued that such an amendment is essential for strengthening Nigeria’s democracy and combating electoral fraud.

    In addition to advocating for electronic transmission, Hon. Waive proposed a regular review of the voter register every ten years. This measure, he argued, would contribute to the overall transparency and fairness of the electoral system by ensuring accuracy and integrity in voter data.

    The advancement of the Electoral Act 2022 Amendment Bill to its Second Reading marks a significant step forward in Nigeria’s electoral reform efforts. If passed into law, it has the potential to usher in a new era of transparency and accountability in the country’s electoral processes.

  • Absence of Ribadu, General Musa, others stall Senate’s interface with security chiefs

    Absence of Ribadu, General Musa, others stall Senate’s interface with security chiefs

    The Absence of National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa and others, stalled planned interface of the Senate with the service chiefs and heads of security agencies on Wednesday.

    The Senate had on Tuesday last week through resolution adopted from collective motion on insecurity, summoned the Service Chiefs and heads of security agencies for grilling in plenary.

    The planned interface, as announced by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance, and other Financial Institutions, Senator Adetokunbo Abiru, on Tuesday was specifically fixed for Wednesday and Thursday this week.

    But the Senate in plenary on Wednesday announced that the interface could not hold due to the absence of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, and Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa .

    President of the Senate , Godswill Akpabio, who made the announcement said apology, was received from Ribadu on his absence but that he and the Chief of Defence Staff, must be present at the very important session.

    He added that aside Ribadu and General Musa, the Senate has also resolved to add other security heads to the planned interface session.

    Those included at the planned session now postponed to Tuesday next week, are the Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawale, Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Geidam, Minister of State for Police Affairs, Imaan Ibrahim, Minister of Interior, Hon Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, Minister of Finance, Olawale Edun and Director General of National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar

    Akpabio in his remarks, thanked the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Taoheed Lagbaja , Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Hassan Abubakar, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and Director General of Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi, for honouring the Senate’s invitation.

    “We thank you all for honouring our invitation for the very important interface on way out of the lingering security crisis at hand. But due to the absence of the NSA and the Chief of Defence Staff, the interactive session will no longer hold today.

    “Besides, the Senate in its wisdom, has decided to add other public officers whose offices are connected to security matters, to be part of the interactive session .

    “Clerk of the Senate , has been directed to write them ahead of Tuesday next week , now fixed for the session.

    “We need their presence along with those of you here today , for holistic and comprehensive brainstorming on the problem at hand and required solution “, he said .

  • LinkedIn Unveils “Catch Up” Feature

    LinkedIn Unveils “Catch Up” Feature

    LinkedIn is set to enhance user engagement with the introduction of a fresh feature called “Catch Up” in the revamped My Network section. 

    This new tab aims to bridge the gap in communication among users by highlighting significant updates from their connections, such as new jobs, work anniversaries, or job postings.

    Users can easily interact by liking posts with a single tap or initiating a direct message using automatically generated prompts, fostering more meaningful connections.

    The redesign doesn’t stop there; LinkedIn is relocating options like connection requests, newsletter invites, events, and connection recommendations to a designated tab named “Grow.” 

    This strategic move aims to streamline user interactions and provide a more organized and efficient networking experience.

    Additionally, LinkedIn is rolling out an AI-powered messaging feature for premium users, assisting them in crafting compelling first messages to individuals not yet in their network. 

    Leveraging data from both profiles, the feature offers ready prompts for introductions, seeking advice, or discussing work experiences. 

    Users maintain the flexibility to customize these messages before sending, enhancing the personal touch in professional communication.

    This innovation follows LinkedIn’s previous initiatives in integrating AI across its platform. 

    From AI-assisted writing features for profiles, ads, and collaborative articles to an AI assistant for learning and soft skills advice, LinkedIn continues to leverage technology to cater to the evolving needs of its user base.

    With a keen eye on the job market, LinkedIn aims to be a central hub for job-related activities. 

    Recent tools like “Job Collections,” released in January, allow users to explore job openings through various filters.

  • Police Denies Involvement In Formation Of Vigilante Group

    Police Denies Involvement In Formation Of Vigilante Group

    The Commissioner of Police in Nasarawa State, CP Shehu Umar Nadada, has dismissed claims of the police command’s involvement in the creation of a Fulani Nomad Vigilante team. 

    This comes in response to the recent formation of a 1,144-member security team by the President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Abdullahi Bello Bodejo.

    During a courtesy visit by members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, CP Nadada clarified that the command had no prior knowledge of the establishment of the Fulani Nomad Vigilante team and cannot be held responsible for their actions.

    While acknowledging that the police provided security during the inauguration ceremony, CP Nadada emphasized that it was done solely to prevent potential disruptions and maintain law and order.

    Residents had expressed concerns about alleged collaboration between the police and the nomad vigilante group, but the Commissioner affirmed that the police only secured the event venue and had not officially endorsed the vigilante team.

    In his statement, CP Nadada asserted, “We have been working with some vigilante groups that are recognised by the government, but we will not work with any vigilante that is not recognised by the government.”

    The Chairman of the NUJ, Nasarawa State Council, Salihu Alkali, congratulated the CP on his recent posting and pledged cooperation to ensure the success of the police command’s programs.

  • Senate Summons Service Chiefs Amidst Security Concerns; Economic Meeting Postponed

    Senate Summons Service Chiefs Amidst Security Concerns; Economic Meeting Postponed

    In response to the escalating security challenges gripping the nation, the Senate has called for a crucial meeting with the Service Chiefs, scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday.

    This decision has prompted the postponement of another significant meeting – a session with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Yemi Cardoso, and the economic team, initially slated for Tuesday, February 6, 2024.

    Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance, and other Financial Institutions, Senator Tokumbo Abiru, clarified the rationale behind the rescheduling. He elucidated that the delay stemmed from the House of Representatives’ consultations with the CBN Governor concerning the country’s economic status. Senator Abiru emphasized the importance of understanding and cooperation among legislative counterparts, underscoring the need for patience.

    Consequently, the meeting with the economic team has been deferred to Friday, February 9, 2024, at 9 am. This adjustment aims to allow ample time for discussions with both the Service Chiefs and the economic experts.

    Postponing the meeting, the Chairman Banking Committee, Senator Tokumbo Abiru said “our plan today is to have a session with the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN and the essence of the meeting is well known to all of us, which has to do with the economic situation in the country. But some how, the CBN governor has been held back in the House of Representatives as the House tries to do consultations with him regarding the situation of the economy as well.

    He said that was why the meeting was initially delayed, adding that their part “we should be rational in trying to see reasons with our brothers and sisters in the House of Representatives and the CBN governor.

    “To that extent, on our part we have to adjourn our own to Friday February 9, 2024.

    Another reason according to Senator Abiru, which he deemed proper to explain, was the meeting of the Senate with the Service Chiefs.
    “Tomorrow, we have a session with the Service Chiefs and that may extend to Thursday because they are issues of very serious concern to us. In order to play safe, to have enough time to interact properly with the economic team, which means we will extend the invitation beyond the governor to also include the economic team”, he added.

  • EFCC Arrests Pastor for N1.3billion Fake Grants, Money Laundering

    EFCC Arrests Pastor for N1.3billion Fake Grants, Money Laundering

    Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested the General Overseer of Faith On The Rock Ministry International, Apostle Theophilus Oloche Ebonyi, for defrauding church members and other Nigerians to the tune of N1, 319,040,274.31(One Billion Three Hundred and Nineteen Million, Forty Thousand, Two Hundred and Seventy Four Naira, Thirty One Kobo) by using fake grants from the Ford Foundation.

    Ebonyi was arrested for defrauding his victims, comprising Non Governmental Organisations, NGOs and individuals by advertising an intervention project through his NGO (Theobarth Global Foundation) claiming that the Ford Foundation was offering a grant of $20,000, 000 (Twenty Billion United State Dollars) to assist the less-privileged in the society.

    He allegedly beguiled his victims to subscribe as beneficiaries of the phony grant by asking them to pay for registration forms and clusters. Each subscriber was made to pay N1,800,000 (One Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira) only. Through this arrangement, Ebonyi allegedly raked in N1,391,040, 274.31. His subscribers are innocent and unsuspecting Nigerians and NGOs across the country.

    Investigations by the EFCC showed that Ford Foundation had no arrangement, grant, relationship or business with Ebonyi. The Foundation pointedly disclaimed him and his NGO stressing that it had no link whatsoever with them. The Commission has also traced five properties he acquired as proceeds of his criminal dealings.

    Ebonyi is still reportedly reaching his subscribers on some social media platforms to market his spurious grant from Ford Foundation.

    He would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

  • Court orders Gov Fubara loyalists remain in prison custody

    Court orders Gov Fubara loyalists remain in prison custody

    Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon, had ordered that the five loyalists of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State to remain in prison custody, as the court refused to grant them bail.

    The federal high court, Abuja, rejected and dismissed their application for bail for lacking in merit.

    They were charged with terrorism offences by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and argued by Lukman Fagbemi SAN.

    The five defendants charged with terrorism are Chime Eguma Ezebalike, Prince Lukman Oladele, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Osiga Donald and Ochueja Thankgod.

    Refusing the bail application,
    Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon held that they did not provide special circumstances to warrant their respective release from remand at the Kuje Prison in Abuja.

    The judge insisted that the defendants, especially Chime Eguma Ezebalike and Prince Lukman Oladele, failed to give cogent and verifiable evidence to back up their request for bail.

    Also, the Judge held that in their affidavits in support of request for bail deposed to by one Mariam Alawiye, an office assistant, she claimed to have obtained information and exhibits on the defendants from some persons but refused to share the identities of the persons with the court.

    Justice Olajuwon explained that an affidavit evidence must supply names of those who volunteered information about defendants in a criminal charge as stipulated by Section 115 of the Evidence Act.

    The Court held that rather than containing facts as required by law, the affidavit contained extraneous issues that are not relevant to persuade any court to grant bail.

    The Court disagreed with an assertions by the deponent that the defendants would not jump bail, commit any other offence or interfere with witness and investigation adding that claims were vague and hearsay because the deponent did not establish or produce any evidence.

    To compound the problem, the Judge said that the defendants are charged with terrorism offences which are not ordinarily bailable.

    In the application of Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Justice Olajuwon said that the claim of his 10 years of chronic hypertension and high blood pressure was not supported with any medical documents.

    Besides, the Judge held that the counter claim by the IGP that the sickness can be managed by medical personnel of the prison was not disputed

    While dismissing the bail request, Justice Olajuwon ordered them to remain in Kuje Prison from where they would be coming for their trial.

    The Judge subsequently granted accelerated hearing and fixed February 8 for opening of trial by the Inspector General of Police IGP.

    The IGP had on January 25 slammed terrorism charges on the five Port Harcourt-based men who allegedly invaded, vandalized and burnt down Rivers State House of Assembly last year.

    They were alleged to have committed the alleged terrorism offences during the wake of political upheaval that rocked Port Harcourt in October last year.

    In the charges against them marked FHC/ABJ/CR/25/2024, police alleged that
    apart from burning down the State House of Assembly, some of them were said to have killed a Superintendent of Police, (SP) Bako Agbashim and five police informants at Ahoada community of the state.

    The police informants said to have been killed by the defendants are Charles Osu, Ogbonna Eja, Idaowuka Felix, Paul Victor Chibuogu and Saturday Edi.

    They were also accused of using various cult groups, namely- Supreme Viking Confraternity, Degbam, Iceland and Greenland to unleash mayhem on the people of the state and their commercial activities.

    Specifically, they are alleged to have on October 29, 2023 at Moscow Road in Port Harcourt conspired to commit acts of terrorism by wilful destruction of public properties by invading, attacking, destroying and burning of the Rivers State House of Assembly, an offence punishable under section 26 of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022.

    Part of the charges read, “That you, Chime Eguma Ezebalike, 37 years, business man of Street 5, Radio Estate Ozuoba, Port Harcourt, Prince Lukman Oladele, 47 years of Okocha Street, Port Harcourt, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Hon Edison Ehie and others now at large on 29th of October 2023 at Moscow Road in Port Harcourt, while acting in concert conspired together to commit felony to wit: acts of terrorism by wilful destruction of public properties by invading, attacking, destroying and burning of the Rivers State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 26 (1) of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022.

    “That you Chime Eguma Ezebalike, 37 years, business man of Street 5, Radio Estate Ozuoba, Port Harcourt, Prince Lukman Oladele, 47 years of Okocha Street, Port Harcourt, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Hon Edison Ehie and others now at large on 29th of October 2023 at Moscow Road in Port Harcourt, while acting in concert and armed with dynamite, iron rods, lighters and other offensive weapons willfully and maliciously invaded, attacked and set fire on the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 1 of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

    ,

  • No plan to increase NYSC’ Allowance-FG

    No plan to increase NYSC’ Allowance-FG

    The Federal Government has said it is not certain there will be an increase in the monthly allowance of serving members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

    The Minister of Youth Development, Jamila Bio-Ibrahim, made this known on Sunday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.

    Bio-Ibrahim said there are no immediate plans to increase the monthly allowance of corps members following the food inflation and increasing cost of living in the nation.

    The minister stated that the government would find innovative ways of ensuring that corps members’ welfare is well taken of.

    She said, “We can’t say for sure, we all understand that resources are dwindling, even oil revenues are not as they used to be but we will find innovative ways of ensuring that corps members’ welfare is taken of. ”

    Recall that former President Muhammadu Buhari, in January 2020, raised allowance for corps members from N19,000 to N33,000, about a year after he signed the new minimum wage bill into law in April 2019.

    Speaking further, the minister said the government has announced a reform of the NYSC scheme and is planning to make it a revenue-generating scheme and agency.

    She said, “When it comes to remuneration and looking totally at the holistic funding of the NYSC, we have announced a reform of the NYSC scheme itself. So, we want the scheme to go beyond that social programme of government to be that revenue-generating scheme and agency.

    “The reforms which transform the NYSC into a revenue-generating agency and prepare the corps members for the job market and to be decently and gainfully employed or to be employers of labour through entrepreneurship and of course, perfect matching into primary assignment and all the support they need in that career path.”

  • FG Says NYSC Will Soon Be Revenue Generating Agency

    FG Says NYSC Will Soon Be Revenue Generating Agency

    The Bola Tinubu-led federal government has unveiled a fresh plan to transform the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) into a revenue-generating agency.

    The Minister of Youth Development, Jamila Bio-Ibrahim, disclosed this during an interview with ChannelsTV on Sunday night.

    Asked if there were immediate plans to increase the monthly allowance of corps members, the minister said the government was working on reforming the NYSC scheme to reflect the present realities of the nation.

    “We all understand that resources are dwindling, even oil revenues are not as they used to be but we will find innovative ways of ensuring that corps members’ welfare is well-taken care of,” she said.

    “When it comes to remuneration and looking totally at the holistic funding of the NYSC, we have announced a reform of the NYSC scheme itself. So, we want the scheme to go beyond that social programme of government to be that revenue-generating scheme and agency.

    “The reforms which transform the NYSC into a revenue-generating agency and prepare the corps members for the job market and to be decently and gainfully employed or to be employers of labour through entrepreneurship and of course, perfect matching into primary assignment and all the support they need in that career path.”

    She noted that corps members were no longer posted to states deemed unsafe in the wake of worsening security conditions in the country.

    “As an immediate intervention of the government and the NYSC as an agency, we have actually stopped posting corps members to the very unsafe states.

    “We have been doing it. We have been doing it in the past. There are states we have not been posting corps members to to ensure their safety,” she added.

    According to her, the security of corps members requires collaboration with other agencies of government.

    “When it comes to security matters, it is a multi-sectoral approach. So, it is not the NYSC alone and the ministry that is involved. We are working with security outlets to ensure corps members are safe,” the minister said.