Month: December 2023

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday ordered Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello to pay the sum of N500 million to the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Murtala Ajaka, for violating his fundamental rights.

In his decision, Justice Inyang Ekwo also ordered Bello to publicly apologize to Ajaka “for the gross and unwarranted violation” of his rights.

 

Justice Ekwo equally issued an order requiring the security agencies and their heads to ensure Ajaka’s safety.

The judge further made “an order of injunction, restraining the security agencies from arresting/abducting, detaining and/or further harassing, intimidating, shooting/threatening the applicant’s life and properties”.

 

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ajaka sought judicial protection against Bello in an originating motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/952/2023, filed on July 11 by his lawyer, S.E. Aruwa, SAN.

 

The Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector General of Police, Kogi State Commissioner of Police, the Department of State Service (DSS), and the Director General of the DSS were joined in the suit as respondents.

Other respondents are the Director of the DSS Command in Kogi, the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Chief of Naval Staff.

In a recent development, the Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a garnishee order, freezing a total of 24 bank accounts belonging to the Kano State Government

This order was granted in response to a suit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of Masalachi Eid Shop Owners and Traders Association.

 

The association sought compensation for the demolition of their shops, which they deemed illegal and unjust.

 

Justice I. E. Ekwo, presiding over the case, delivered the ruling on November 28, 2023, affirming the attachment of funds totaling N30 billion.

 

According to the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the ruling signed by the Registrar, Chioma Chijioke, the action is aimed at satisfying the judgment in favour of the shop owners, following the alleged illegal demolition carried out by the state in June 2023.

In the court order, Justice Ekwo specified, “A garnishee order Nisi is hereby made attaching the funds (present and future) of Kano State Government, Kano State Urban Planning and Development Authority, KNUPDA, and Attorney General of Kano State… to the tune of N30 billion in satisfaction of the judgment.”

 

Moreover, the court has mandated the garnishees to appear before it and provide cause, if any, against the order Nisi being made absolute. The Judge also stipulated that the judgment creditors should serve the defendants and Garnishees at least 14 days prior to the next hearing, scheduled for 18th January, 2024.

 

This ruling comes subsequent to an earlier judgment by the Federal High Court in Kano, where the shop owners were awarded N30 billion as compensation for the demolition of their shops.

 

The frozen accounts span across 24 banks

The Indigenes of Oyo State, working with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), have commended the state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, for reappointing the former Executive Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Nureni Adeniran, as the board’s chairman.

 

In a statement jointly signed by the Coordinator of the Oyo State Employees of UBEC, Comrade Julius Adedoja, and the Assistant Coordinator, Mrs. Mayowa Akinfenwa, respectively, and made available to journalists on Wednesday, the group declared that the first term of Dr. Adeniran heralded many developmental projects and programmes in the education sector that were not available before his appointment.

 

They attributed the developmental changes to the educationist’s dedication and experienced approach to the policies and programmes of the present administration in the state, which have positively impacted the sector.

The statement reads in parts: “Before the appointment of Adeniran in 2019, Oyo State was listed among the states with the highest number of out-of-school children, and he has worked with the state administration to change this tide. That is no longer the case; our pupils are now back in class and doing better.

 

“Dilapidated structures that used to adorn our public schools are rapidly becoming things of the past. He has really worked to change the status of our schools; pupils now go to school with pride.”

 

They, however, called on the state government to work on building staff quarters for teachers posted to rural communities to reduce absenteeism and enhance effective service delivery, learners’ enrollment, and commendable attendance

The Federal Government has decorated the newly appointed Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mrs Adepoju Caroline Wura-Ola, with her new rank.

 

Also decorated were the six newly appointed Deputy Comptrollers-General of the NIS whose appointments were approved alongside the CG by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday, December 4.

 

With the confirmation of her appointment, Wura-Ola becomes the 18th substantive Comptroller General of the NIS and third female CG to be appointed by the Federal Government. Wura-Ola had been serving as CG in acting capacity since 1st June, 2023.

Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who decorated the top echelon officers of NIS late Wednesday in Abuja with their new ranks, charged them to see their elevation as call for more work while also reminding them of the enormous task ahead of them.

 

He asked the elevated officers to be more dedicated to their duties by giving their best at all times to move the Service to enviable heights.

 

Tunji-Ojo pledged to undertake surgical review of the entire system to allow officers get to the top of their careers early enough to be able to add value and contribute meaningfully to the development of the Service, saying he was not happy that some of those being decorated as DCGs were already at the end of their careers.

The NIS is a very important agency. I believe in building stronger institutions than in building men because men will go while institutions remain.

 

“I am happy for you that today you are decorated with your new ranks; I am also not too happy because some of you are getting decorated almost at the end of your careers,” the minister said.

 

Tunji-Ojo said the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) which he is the chairman, would review and rework the whole system to put the staff and workers of Immigration Service at the centre of what the Ministry is doing.

 

According to him, the work of Immigration Service is critical to national security, noting that if the Service is doing its job well, with borders properly manned, the military, Police and other agencies would have less work to do in securing the country.

 

“We will make sure that henceforth people get promoted at the right time as against the way it used to be before I came on board as minister.

 

“I assure you that we will work to ensure the review of the whole NIS system for effective and efficient service delivery,” Tunji-Ojo said.

 

He promised to prioritise training and retraining of NIS personnel as well as enhance their welfare to encourage them to put in their best.

 

He acknowledged the fact that most of the personnel never had the opportunity to undergo any kind of training either overseas or within the country.

 

While emphasising on the need to train and retrain of officers of the Service, the Minister said deployment of technology alone, would not secure borders or provide other services provided by the NIS, hence personnel training and development must be given priority attention.

 

“This cannot continue under my watch. People must be trained to enable them to give their best, especially in the area of modern border control.

 

“The Service must regain its glory and take its rightful pride of place.

 

“If a nation cannot secure its borders, such nation can never safeguard its citizens.

 

“The ability of Nigerians to be able to sleep with their two eyes closed rests on your shoulders,” the minister told Immigration officers.

 

 

The Zamfara State High Court has sentenced one Anas Dahiru to death by hanging for killing his friend because of N100.

 

Dahiru was brought to the court in June 2017 for allegedly stabbing his friend, Shamu Ibrahim, to death .

 

Delivering the judgment, the presiding judge, Justice Mukhtar Yusha’u, said having listened to both sides, he convicted Dahiru for killing his friend.

Having heard from the counsel for both the accused and the defendant, I hereby sentenced Sadiqu Abubakar to life in imprisonment,” he ruled.

“Having listened to both sides, I hereby sentenced the convict (Anas Dahiru) to death by hanging as enshrined in Section 221 of the Penal Code,” the judge ruled.

In a related development, the presiding judge also convicted one Sadiqu Abubakar for attempted armed robbery in Bungudu Local Government Area of the state.

 

Sadiqu was convicted for attacking a businessman in Runji village of Bungudu LGA who arrested the armed robber and handed him over to police.

 

Yusha’u said having heard from both parties involved in the case, he convicted Sadiqu Abubakar under Section 221 of the Penal Code.

 

A former Secretary-General of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Frank Kokori is dead

Kokori died on Thursday in a hospital in Warri, Delta State.

 

His death was disclosed by his Personal Assistant, Atawada Oke.

Over the past few months, the former NUPENG secretary had been battling a kidney-related ailment.

 

On November 9, Kokori raised an alarm over his health status from his sick bed.

 

Twenty-four hours later, Sheriff Oborevwori, Governor of Delta, visited the elder statesman at the hospital and promised that the state would provide support for him to get “high-quality medical treatment”.

Kokori played a significant role in the struggle against the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.

 

He mobilised workers against the annulment of the election and the military junta.

 

Owing to his activism, he was arrested and detained by the military government

The Federal Road Safety Corps on Thursday disowned the Unit Commander, Central Business District Unit Command, Assistant Corps Commander IL Ibrahim, over his recent statement on Vehicle Inspection Officers, otherwise known as Directorate of Road Traffic Services.

 

Ibrahim was quoted to have said that VIO officials do not have the right to arrest road traffic violators, including overloaded vehicles and motorists caught using phones while driving.

 

But Deputy Corps Marshal, Bisi Kazeem, in a statement on Thursday, said Ibrahim’s comment was not the position of the Corps.

 

Kazeem added that the concerned official had been recalled to the national headquarters for necessary disciplinary action.

The statement read, “The Federal Road Safety Corps wishes to make a pertinent clarification regarding the pronouncement by the Unit Commander, Central Business District Unit Command, Assistant Corps Commander IL Ibrahim, that Vehicle Inspection Officers, otherwise known as Directorate of Road Traffic Services, do not have the right to arrest road traffic violators, including overloaded vehicles and motorists caught using phones while driving.

The general public is advised to disregard the statement as it had no approval of the Corps Marshal, Dauda Ali Biu, and does not in anyway reflect the corporate or general position of the Corps.

 

“It is important for the public know that the laws establishing VIOs/State Traffic Management Agencies give them the statutory mandate to make arrests on different offences depending on the state within which they operate. As such, the agencies should be given the maximum cooperation for the enhancement of safety on our roads.

On this note and in line with sustaining the Corps’ resolve that road safety is a collective responsibility, and in acknowledgement of the roles the State Traffic Management Agencies like the Vehicle Inspection Officers play in complementing the statutory responsibilities of the FRSC through enforcement of traffic laws, the Corps Marshal has ordered the immediate withdrawal of the Unit Commander to the national headquarters for necessary administrative and disciplinary actions.

 

“The public is admonished to always comply with all established traffic regulations and cooperate with security agencies deployed to maintain law and order on the highways, irrespective of their corporate mandate.”