Month: January 2024

FELICITATION!

 

The Timi of Ede land, HRM, Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal, Laminisa the 1st, has felicitated Delta State Commissioner of Police, Wale Abass, who hails from the ancient town on his elevation to the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police.

This was contained in a press statement personally signed by the monarch and made available to the newsmen by the palace Director of media and Public Communication, Dapo Akinyele, in Ede on Thursday.

 

The Royal father eulogized AIG Wale Abass for his dedication to duty, resilience and doggedness which every Ede indigene is known for, adding that AIG Wale Abass is a courageous Officer with the courage of his forebears as great warriors.

 

The highly revered monarch also used the medium to pray for God guidance and protection over the new AIG, while also urging all sons and daughters of Ede, both at home and in the diaspora to be good ambassadors of the ancient town wherever they are.

 

“On behalf of all Indigenes of Ede in Nigeria and in the diaspora, I heartily felicitate with AIG Wale Abass on his recent elevation to the exalted position of Assistant Inspector General of Police; it is indeed a profound reward of gallantry and diligence.

 

“Without mincing words, this present assignment is an impetus for him to continue to do more in the course of protecting the lives and property of every Nigerian through systemic and pragmatic policing”, the statement read.

 

 

By Flowerbudnews
Enugu: A cleric, Rev. Fr. Daniel Onah, has urged Nigerians to put forthright and honest stewardship to make indelible mark in life even as all will surely transit to greater glory of eternity.

 

Onah gave the admonition in a homily on Wednesday at the Service of Songs for Mr Chigozie Ugwu, 39, a gallant fire-fighter, who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

 

Ugwu lost his life on Dec. 13 while fighting mid-night fire outbreak at the Motor Spare Parts Market, Coal Camp in Enugu.

The cleric said that it remained a painful death, however, he died trying to save lives and property within the state.

 

Onah, who is in-charge of Queen of Peace Catholic Church, Abakpa-Nike, Enugu, said that Ugwu remained outstanding and forthright among his fellow fire officers and with positive testimonials following his life.

 

“We are here for someone whose stewardship and sacrifice even in death stand out and just as our Lord Jesus Christ sacrificed his life for us to have eternity.

“Nigerians should make their life outstanding and holy as death can come anytime and the account of our stewardship will be required,” he said.

 

Speaking, the Director of Enugu State Fire and Rescue Service, Engr Okwudiri Ohaa, said that Ugwu was exception and passionate about the job.

 

Ohaa noted that he missed an initial employment in the service and after some years later gained employment into it.

He said: “Ugwu always lead his team by being at the fore-front of the operation and does not feel comfortable delegating operation to his subordinates.

 

“He also shown selflessness in his relationship with other colleagues and even subordinates under him directly.

 

“The Service lost a gallant fighter and someone that is highly dependable.”

 

The director said that “it is still painful after much sacrifice and numerous commendations both from the state and nation the Service had received due to his commitment to duty, Ugwu left us.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ugwu, who is Senior Fire Officer, is second in a family of eight.

 

He studied Mechanical Engineering at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, (ESUTH) where he graduated with a first class.

Until his death on Dec. 13, 2023;, he was a Watch Officer in-charge of Red Watch – one of the shifts at the Enugu State Fire and Rescue Service.(Flowerbudnews)

Justice Bolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday ordered that the five Port Harcourt-based men arraigned by the Federal Government on terrorism charges be remanded at Kuje Prison in Abuja.

The suspects are to remain in prison custody till February 2 when their respective bail applications would be determined by the judge.

 

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

In the 7-count charge, the defendants were accused of committing alleged terrorism offences by invading, vandalizing and burning down the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex in the wake of political crisis that rocked the state in October last year.

 

The crisis followed the face-off between Governor Sim Fubara and his predecessor, Minister of the Federal Capital Terrritory, FCT, Nyesom Wike.

 

Beside allegedly burning down the State House of Assembly, the suspects were also accused of killing a Superintendent of Police, (SP) Bako Agbashim and five police informants at Ahoada community of the state.

 

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

 

The Federal Government also accused them 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.

 

However, when the charges against them, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/25/2024, was read, they all pleaded not guilty to the offences.

Although the immediate past factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon Edison Ehie, was not listed in the 7-count terrorism charge, he was however represented in court by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, Oluwole Aladedoyin, on the ground that his name featured prominently in the alleged offences.

 

He challenged the allegations that he was at large alongside other suspects.

 

Justice Olajuwon did not however allow further arguments on the ground that he was not yet a defendant in the trial.

after the arraignment, the leader of the prosecuting team, Audu Garba, applied for a date for full blown trial of the defendants.

 

However, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Lukman Fagbemi, who stood for Chime Eguma Ezebalike and Prince Lukman Oladele, who are 1st and 2nd defendants, sought to move applications for their bail on the ground that they have been in the police custody since last year.

 

The government lawyer, Audu Garba, vehemently opposed the motion, arguing that he had just been served with the bail applications and needed time to study them and file a counter affidavit.

 

Justice Olajuwon agreed with the prosecution lawyer that the bail applications were not ripe for hearing. He subsequently fixed February 2 for hearing of all bail applications.

 

Pending hearing and determination of the bail applications, the judge ordered that the five defendants be taken to Kuje Prison until the adjourned date.

Isaac Fayoade, brother of former governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, confronted a minister for driving against traffic on a one-way lane in the Maitama area of Abuja.

 

The incident is believed to have happened on Wednesday night.

 

However, the identity of the minister was not revealed.

 

In a video making the rounds on social media, Fayose instructed the policemen on duty to send the defaulting minister back, urging them to exercise their authority.

 

He was heard saying: “Send them back, you are authority, they are not authority.

 

“Even if you are a minister, go back. If you are driving a minister, is this the country you people want?

Go back now, DPO is talking to you, enter your car and go back now.”

 

Fayose’s action has generated diverse reactions on social media, with many people praising him for the rare action

A staff member of a Microfinance bank at Kemta Oloko, Abeokuta, Mr Olumide Openaike, who has been missing since Wednesday, January 17, has been found in Mokwa, Niger State.

 

The wife of the banker, who also works at a microfinance bank in Onikolobo, Abeokuta, Temitope, broke the news to our correspondent on Thursday .

 

She said, “I am happy to tell you that my husband has been found in a place called Mokwa in Niger State. He called me on Tuesday afternoon.

 

“He got the phone from one of the residents there because he said those who abducted him collected his phone. We then told him to make a report at the police station there; the police officer on duty who spoke to us said he was in Mokwa.

 

Transportation money was then arranged and sent to him; he got to Ibadan yesterday, Wednesday, where he slept. His family members are at Ibadan. He will be back in Abeokuta today.”

 

WhatsApp message partly reads, “Please, I want to let you all know that Mr. Openaike Francis Olumide has been missing since yesterday, Wednesday (17/1/2024) in the morning on his way to his working place. That was when we last heard from him till now. No one has seen or heard anything about him which has never happened before. RCCG Ogun 28 brethren and his family have been in great shock and confusion for his disappearance.”

 

The spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, SP Omolola Odutola, confirmed the incident earlier in the week to our correspondent.

 

Odutola said, “One Temitope reported the case of a missing person involving one Olumide Openaike on Wednesday, January 17 around 7pm. He is said to be light in complexion.

 

“The police formations across the state are already aware and we shall keep spreading the message to give adequate publicity with the ultimate aim of finding him and reuniting him with his family.”

 

Temitope had on Sunday told our correspondent that her husband, who left home for his workplace on Wednesday, January 17, failed to return home

The Supreme Court, has upheld the election of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.

 

The court, in a unanimous decision by a five-member panel led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, on Thursday, dismissed as lacking in merit, an appeal the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr. Tonye Cole, filed to challenge the outcome of the governorship election that held in the state on March 18, 2023.

the lead judgement that was delivered by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, the apex court said it found no reason to dislodge the concurrent verdicts of the Court of Appeal and the Rivers State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which upheld Fubara’s victory at the poll.

 

The court held that Cole did not establish that the election was not conducted in compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.

 

It will be recalled that the APC pulled out from the case against governor Fubara of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, while it was being heard by the Rivers State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.

 

Despite the position of the party not to challenge the declaration of Fubara as winner of the gubernatorial contest by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mr. Cole, vowed to prosecute his petition to its logical conclusion.

 

INEC had declared that Fubara of the PDP polled a total of 302,614 votes to defeat his closets rival, Cole of the APC who got a total of 95,274 votes.

 

Dissatisfied with the outcome of the poll, Cole approached the tribunal to challenge it.

 

The appellant, among other things, alleged that the Rivers State governorship poll was marred by corrupt practices, insisting that it was not conducted in substantial compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.

 

More so, Cole, alleged that Fubara did not validly resign his previous position as required by the law, before the election held.

 

He alleged that Fubara continued to sign documents as the Accountant-General of Rivers State, even after he was nominated as the candidate of the PDP for the governorship election.

 

Consequently, he urged the tribunal to nullify the Certificate of Return that was issued to Fubara and declare that he was not the bonafide winner of the election.

 

Cole further prayed the tribunal to declare that he was the authentic winner of the gubernatorial contest.

 

However, both the tribunal and the Court of Appeal dismissed his case for want of merit.

 

Though the appellate court, in the verdict it delivered on November 28, 2023, affirmed the unanimous judgement of the tribunal that dismissed Cole’s case, it, however, faulted the lower court over its position that the petition was invalidated by the withdrawal of APC which has the statutory responsibility of nominating and sponsoring a candidate for the election.

 

The appellate court held that the fact that APC withdrew from the petition against Fubara’s victory, did not prohibit its candidate, Cole, from pursuing the appeal in his own right.

 

The Supreme Court had earlier dismissed a separate appeal that was entered against Fubara by the candidate of the Allied People’s Movement, APM, in the election, Innocent Kere.

 

The appeal was dismissed after the Appellants, through their lawyer, applied to withdraw the case.