The baby of the teenager arrested during the EndSARS protest in Akure was christened on Wednesday, with the wife of Ooni of Ife, Olori Naomi Ogunwusi, offering the baby scholarship to secondary school level.
Apart from the scholarship, Olori Ogunwusi also presented the new baby and the mother food items, toiletries and baby items, with a promise to visit the family from time to time.
According to her, she was touched by the plight of the baby and the mother and decided to come personally to witness the christening of the baby and give support to them.
She assured that many groups who have shown interest to support the baby and the mother will soon visit the family, urging all women not to lose hope in every situation they find themselves in.
She said “when I got the news of her release on bail, I was elated and I was moved to tears and touched that she gave birth in the prison custody.
“This baby must be special and I want to assure the mother and the baby and the entire family that I will stay with the family. Kemisola should take me as her mother, sister and friend.”
The venue of the christening, Vera Christian Assembly in Ayedun area of Akure was witnessed by many, and the church was full to the brim despite the heavy downpour.
Some of the names of the boy include Eriponmile, Elijah, Okikianu, Oluwanifemi son of Temitope.
It will be recalled that the Ondo State High Court sitting in Olokuta Medium Prison in Akure, on Tuesday, granted bail to Kemisola Ogunniyi after spending eight months in prison custody.
Kemisola was granted bail in the sum of N10 million and a surety in like sum by Justice Omolara Adejumo who presided over the case.
She was charged for arson, conspiracy, riotous assembly, stealing and malicious damage.
The young girl gave birth to a baby boy in prison custody last Wednesday, while the state government expressed its readiness to secure her bail.
The Cross River State Police command has arrested one of its personnel, Inspector Nathaniel Manasseh, over alleged gunrunning and renting his riffles to notorious criminals.
The Inspector, who was paraded alongside other suspects at the state police headquarters in Diamond Hill, Calabar, on Tuesday, June 22, was involved in gunrunning in Cross River and Imo State and had not been able to account for some arms including two AK-47 riffles.
Briefing newsmen, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sikiru Akande, urged residents of the state to assist the police with useful information that could aid in the arrest of criminals.
“Cross River is regaining its lost glory in the area of security. As a matter of fact, we remain the most peaceful state in Nigeria and nothing can break out our resolve. For our achievement, today is not unconnected with corporation enjoyed by well meaningful citizens, critical security stakeholders and corporate bodies that meets regularly to reevaluate our performance so far and the need for improvement that has led to what you are seeing today,” Akande stated.
“I want to equivocally state clear that for the police to function effectively and efficiently in any developed society requires citizen’s participation, collaborative partnership and willingness of the community to constantly equip the police with useful information that can forestall unpleasant occurrence,”
The CP revealed that amongst those apprehended include an Inspector of Police, who usually gives out his riffles on “rent” to notorious criminals and is a member of a gun running syndicate.
Speaking to newsmen, the Inspector denied being a gunrunner, claiming that he was charmed and dispossessed of some AK-47s, including a vehicle.
“I was charmed. I can’t really explain what happened and how they dispossessed me of the riffles. I am not a gunrunner.” he said.
The Federal Government has filed objection against the ruling of the ECOWAS Court of Justice on the Twitter Ban in Nigeria, stating that the ‘subject matter of the suit is not for the enforcement of any human rights recognised by the court’.
Recall that on Tuesday, the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, in its ruling, prohibited the Nigerian government from prosecuting or arresting anyone for using Twitter in Nigeria.
The suit was filed by the SERAP and 176 other Nigerians against the Nigerian government in the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice over the indefinite suspension of Twitter in the country.
A few hours to the hearing of the suit, the Buhari administration filed and served a preliminary objection, claiming that “The subject matter of this suit is not for the enforcement of any human right recognised by this Court.”
The federal government based its argument on the motion that the suspension of Twitter does not fall under the provisions of article 8 and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights hence it is not within the jurisdiction of the court.
It also argued that Twitter is not an organisation or member state of the ECOWAS.
As a profit-making entity, the Nigerian government noted that Twitter can be dissolved in compliance with national laws citing certain provisions of the Penal Code, the Federal Provisions Act, and the Criminal Code.
However, this preliminary objection by the Nigerian government was dismissed by the ECOWAS Court.
The Federal Government’s objection, read in part: “Particulars: The subject matter of the SERAP suit relates to the indefinite suspension of Twitter in Nigeria. This is not in any way connected to any Nigerian or SERAP. Individual user’s Twitter accounts are not suspended.
“The right to freedom of expression is completely different from freedom of reach. The suspension of Twitter does not fall under the provisions of arts 8 and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
“Twitter as an entity is not an organisation of any member state as it is an American microblogging networking service. The suspension of Twitter in Nigeria is not a right recognised under any treaty enforceable by this Court.
“In the unlikely event that this Honourable Court agrees with SERAP that the suspension of Twitter is a fundamental right, the dissolution or liquidation of Twitter as a profit-making entity may as well open a floodgate and vest the users the rights of a non-existent right.
“Twitter is a profit-making entity that can be proscribed/dissolved in compliance with any national laws. The compulsory shutdown of an entity cannot be termed the breach of any fundamental rights by this Honourable Court.
“The suspension of Twitter in Nigeria is in compliance with the provisions of sections 420, 419 of the Penal Code [Northern Nigeria]; Federal Provisions Act, and section 58 of the Criminal Code Act. The operation of Twitter is in violation of Nigerian domestic legislation.
“Ground Two: This Court lacks the jurisdiction to determine the criminalisation of an act under Nigerian laws. The subject matter of the SERAP suit borders on the criminalisation of Twitter operations in Nigeria pursuant to the Penal Code and the Criminal Code.
“The use and operation of Twitter in Nigeria constitutes the offences of Importation of Prohibited publication under sections 420 and 421 or the offence of possession of seditious articles under section 419 of the Penal Code Federal Provisions Act.
“In any event, there is a right of action vested in the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria, the said right vests directly on Twitter and not individual users of Twitter. This is more so that individual user’s Twitter accounts were not tempered but only the operation of Twitter.
“Nigerians and SERAP have no cause of action. The suspension of Twitter in Nigeria is in compliance with the provisions of sections 420, 419 of the Penal Code and section 58 of the Criminal Code, and sections 78 and 79 of CAMA 2020.”
The Nigerian Government on June 4 suspended, indefinitely, the operations of the microblogging and social networking service in Nigeria.
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, announced the suspension in a statement signed by his Special Assistant Segun Adeyemi citing the “persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence”.
SERAP, shortly after the government’s suspension, tweeted, “We’re suing Nigerian authorities over their ILLEGAL indefinite suspension of Twitter in Nigeria.
“Nigerians have a right to freedom of expression and access to information including online, and we plan to fight to keep it that way.
The ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja in a landmark ruling today “restrained the government of President Muhammadu Buhari and its agents from unlawfully imposing sanctions or doing anything whatsoever to harass, intimidate, arrest or prosecute Twitter and/or any other social media service provider(s), media houses, radio and television broadcast stations, the Plaintiffs and other Nigerians who are Twitter users, pending the hearing and determination of this suit.”
Vanguard learnt that the ruling followed the suit filed against the government by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 176 concerned Nigerians arguing that “the unlawful suspension of Twitter in Nigeria, criminalization of Nigerians and other people using Twitter have escalated repression of human rights and unlawfully restricted the rights of Nigerians and other people to freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom in the country.”
The court gave the order after hearing arguments from Solicitor to SERAP, Femi Falana SAN, and lawyer to the government Maimuna Shiru.
The court said: “The court has listened very well to the objection by Nigeria. The court has this to say. Any interference with Twitter is viewed as inference with human rights, and that will violate human rights. Therefore, this court has jurisdiction to hear the case. The court also hereby orders that the application be heard expeditiously. The Nigerian government must take immediate steps to implement the order.”
This development was disclosed today by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare.
After nine years of Litigation, a federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced Farouk Lawan, former chairman of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, to seven years imprisonment over the $3 million bribery charges preferred against him by the Nigerian government.
Lawan, as the Chairman of the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee, was involved in the probing of the multi-billion naira fuel subsidy fraud in 2012.
There were allegations and video evidence that he took $500,000 bribe from Femi Otedola to remove Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited (Otedola’s company) from the list of oil companies allegedly involved in the fuel subsidy fraud in 2012.
Lawan, who was arraigned on seven counts of bribery by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), was alleged to have collected $500,000 bribe from Otedola.
The charge was later amended to three counts.
Otedola, while giving evidence as the fifth prosecution witness, said the defendant had demanded $3 million and threatened to indict his oil company.
According to the businessman, he reported the matter to the Department of State Services (DSS) and was given $500,000 in marked notes.
He also said the DSS planted a camera in his house to catch Lawan red-handed.
The federal government on Monday ordered banks to immediately pay all the participants of the Extended Special Public Works (ESPW) programme.
The banks include Fidelity, UBA, Heritage, Zenith, Access, FCMB and Yobe Micro Finance.
Daily Trust had on Thursday, June 17, exclusively reported that thousands of the participants were yet to be paid their stipend while others said they were paid only once. Others alleged that they were short-changed during table payment as they were not given up to N20,000.
Officials of the Federal Ministry of Labour, National Directorate of Employment and the participating banks met yesterday where they reviewed the Daily Trust story among other issues.
They did not fault the story and instead said all the stakeholders were working hard to resolve grey areas that clouded the programme which was launched with pomp and pageantry.
The three months intervention was launched on January 5, 2021 and ended on April 5.
It was meant to cushion the effect of COVID-19 by providing jobs to 774,000 people in all the local government areas in the federation.
The participants were to be paid N20,000 each for three months. Some sources said the money might be in custody of some banks.
Daily Trust learnt from some sources that the selected participants were not issued with working tools despite the N4 billion earmarked for the purpose.
The actual amount released for the payment has not been made public amid allegations of wrongdoings.
Contacted last night, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo who supervises the public works programme, told Daily Trust that the amount so far released was N26 billion even though some sources said it was much higher.
When asked to explain the whereabouts of the working tools purchased for the programme, Keyamo said he was not involved in procurement and asked our reporter to contact the NDE.
Contacted, the Director-General of the NDE, Malam Nuhu Fikpo, asked Daily Trust reporter to meet him in the office today for details on the amounts released by the FG, what was so far paid to the beneficiaries and amount spent on logistics.
After the Daily Trust report, the federal government yesterday summoned seven banks handling the payment of the stipend.
Giving an update after the meeting, Keyamo directed all the participants, who had no problems with their bank accounts, to immediately proceed to their banks and clarify issues.
He said: “For those who do not have problems with their BVNs but have not received payments, they should go to the banks that registered them to clarify the issues.
“The banks are mandated to issue ATM cards to all participants. Participants are therefore encouraged to collect their ATM cards from the banks so that they can access their payments from various cash points without necessarily going to the banks.
“Participants are assured that their stipends would be paid as soon as all issues are resolved.”
The minister explained further that the meeting agreed that banks were no longer restricted to their initially allotted local governments.
According to him, “Consequently, selected participants are at liberty to approach any of the seven selected banks nearest to the local government where they were selected.
“So far, the NDE has authorised the payments of one-month stipends to all those that have been verified. As shown above, all parties are making strenuous efforts to resolve issues of those yet to receive the first month stipends before the commencement of the second tranche of payments.”
The meeting had in attendance, representatives of the office of the Minister of Labour and Employment, who were: Olua Davidson, Faniyi Fatogun and Christopher Omoaghe.
Others were: representatives of the National Directorate of Employment, Olaomi Roseline Silvia, Dauda Idris, Samaila B. Mamman while the representatives of banks at the meeting included: Atinuke Sayo-Adeyemi (Access Bank), Alero Bola-Pelemo (FCMB), Fatima Garba (Fidelity Bank), ChiChi Alek (Heritage Bank), Arerepade Akagwu (UBA), Soibiye Iketubosin (Zenith Bank) and Sheriff Mohammad Ibrahim (Yobe Micro Finance Bank).
A document released after yesterday’s meeting showed that Fidelity Bank registered 104,596, verified 96,413 and paid 92,394 participants. UBA registered 100,800, verified 87,427 and paid 73,531. Heritage Bank registered 102,000, verified 84,620 and paid 61,800. Zenith Bank registered 92,700, verified 65,824 and paid 58,732. Access Bank registered 105,000; verified 62,733 and paid 58,638. FCMB registered 118,209; verified 50,083 and paid 32,696 while Yobe Microfinance Bank registered 16,642; verified 16,642 and paid 16,642.
A final year student of the Akwa Ibom State University, Ekpo Iniobong, has revealed his plan to drag the institution to court over his suspension and subsequent expulsion.
According to Punch Metro, the final year student of the Department of Agricultural Engineering was first suspended by the management in September 2020 and then expelled via a letter dated April 9, 2021, for allegedly criticising the state governor, Emmanuel Udom, in a Facebook post.
Iniobong, through his lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, sent a pre-action notice to the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof Nse Essien, dated June 18, 2021, seeking his immediate and unconditional reinstatement, among other demands.
The notice read in part, “At no time did the Akwa Ibom State University invite or summon our client to appear before the university’s Students’ Disciplinary Committee prior to his indefinite suspension. Our client was not shown, confronted or availed with the purported abusive post.
“It is apparent that the university acted in contravention of Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended and Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights.
“Consequently, we hereby demand the following: immediate and unconditional reinstatement of our client; restoration of all studentship rights accruable to all students of the university; and the payment of the sum of N20m to our client, representing damages for the gross breach of our client’s fundamental human rights and the resultant depression he has suffered.”
When PUNCH Metro contacted Iniobong, he said the school had yet to prove any case of defamation against him, adding that it did not find him guilty of any offence before he was expelled.
He stated, “My ordeal started in September 2020 two days after the university announced resumption after the COVID-19 lockdown; my sister called me from Lagos that I had been suspended indefinitely. The reason for the suspension was that I refused to honour an invitation from the Students’ Disciplinary Committee.
“I went to the school to meet the secretary to the CSO and other persons. They told me that they hadn’t seen any letter of indefinite suspension. I returned to my department to get the original copy of the letter. Since they said I refused to honour an invitation, I asked my department to show me the invitation letter. The department and the HoD responded that they didn’t receive any invitation.
“I wrote to the Students’ Disciplinary Committee that I didn’t receive any invitation. I continued with my exams. By November, the committee had yet to invite me for any hearing. I went to the school on November 16 only to see a second invitation letter by the committee. When I asked the committee for a copy of the first letter, I was told to get out. They gave me a second invitation letter without the first.
“In January, they pasted my picture on the school gate without any indication that they had found me guilty. I got a third invitation. When I rushed to the meeting, they told me that I was not supposed to be invited that it was a wrong invitation. I continued to attend classes, because they did not give me a proper letter of suspension. I have taken my first semester 500-level exams already. My last meeting with them was on March 3. They didn’t prove in any way that there was any defamation of character. I got an expulsion letter on June 15, 2021.”
When the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Akaninyene Ibanga, was contacted, he said he would not speak on the matter.
“I am not ready to speak on that subject matter,” he simply stated.
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of George AbangEkpungu as the Secretary of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The appointment is contained in a statement signed on Monday by the spokesperson of the Office of Attorney General of the Federation and Ministery of Justice, Umar Jibrila Gwandu, in Abuja.
According to the statement, the appointment is for a fresh tenure of five years.
Also appointed as Board Members of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission are Luqman Muhammad (South South), Anumba Adaeze (South East), Alhaji Kole Raheem Adesina (North Central) and Alhaji Yahya Muhammad (North East).
This appointment was in line with Section 2 (1) and Section 4 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act, 2004.
According to the statement EFCC has been operating without Board Members since 2015.
President Buhari has already directed the forwarding the names for confirmation of the Senate.
The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Oye (FUOYE), Ekiti State, Prof Abayomi Sunday Fasina, was on Thursday grilled by agents of the police’s Special Fraud Unit (SFU) on fraud allegations but was later granted administrative bail, Daily Sun has learnt.
SFU operatives had reportedly stormed the FUOYE campus with a warrant for the arrest of the Vice Chancellor but Prof Fasina was found to have fled and gone into hiding somewhere within the campus.
However, unknown to Prof Fasina, other SFU agents laid ambush and arrested him at his hideout, taking him to the Ekiti State Police Command for interrogation.
According to a source, the FUOYE VC sought for bail on self-recognition but it was refused until the registrar of the university secured an administrative bail, whereupon Fasina was released to him.
The embattled FUOYE VC was asked to report to the SFU office in Lagos on Wednesday to answer questions regarding fraud allegations against him.
Another source told Daily Sun that the fraud allegations are based on a petition against the VC by a civil society, which has accused Fasina of receiving double salaries from Ekiti State University EKSU and FUOYE.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and Ekiti-based lawyer petitioned the Minister of Education and management of EKSU about the double salary payments to Prof Fasina.
EKSU management set up a panel and the committee indicted Fasina for collecting double salaries and confirmed that the embattled VC is still an EKSU staff and recommended for his recall. Despite the petitions from ASUU and the lawyer, Fasina emerged VC of FUOYE.
Prof Fasina did not respond when contacted for comment by our correspondent via phone, SMS and WhatsApp.
Speaking on his behalf, his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Wole Balogun, said the VC had assumed the SFU agents were kidnappers and had to escape. He promised to send a statement on the issue but has so far not done so as of press time.
A 13-year-old boy identified as Abubakar has allegedly hacked his father, Osariakhi Oronsaye, 79, to death in Edo State.
It was gathered that the incident happened at Egbon Estate in Evbuotubu, Benin City on Sunday, June 20.
According to Nigerian Tribune, the septuagenarian had earlier reported his son to the Evbuotubu Police Station a week earlier when the boy threatened to kill him.
However, upon arrest, the father was said to have had a change of mind and pleaded with the police to let the boy go.
In the early hours of Sunday, the young boy carried out his threat as he allegedly axed his father to death in his sleep.
Spokesperson of the State Police Command, SP Kontongs Bello, who confirmed the incident on Monday June 21, said that the advice of the state’s Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, would determine the fate of the minor.
Kontongs noted that the minor status of the offender had made it imperative for the Command to liaise with the DPP, noting that everything would be done to unravel the case.
“I can confirm to you that the command is discussing with the DPP over the case. It is an unfortunate case but we are also conducting our investigation to ensure that we unravel the case. The culprit is a minor so we must be sure of what we are doing,” the PPRO stated
