Evans, NPF
The Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday dismissed the objection of the police to the hearing of the N300m fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by suspected kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans.
Justice Abdulaziz Anka, in a ruling on Wednesday, dismissed the argument by the police that the case was not ripe for hearing because the Inspector-General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force were served with court papers in Lagos rather than in Abuja.
Justice Anka upheld the argument by Evans’ lawyer, Mr. Olukoya Ogungbeje, that by virtue of Order 5 Rule 2 of the Fundamental Rights Procedure Rules 2009, the IG and the NPF were rightly served through their agents at Alagbon in Lagos.
The court also agreed with Ogungbeje that Mr. Emmanuel Eze, who appeared for the 3rd and 4th respondents in the case, had no right to speak for the IG and the NPF, which were joined in the suit as the 1st and 2nd respondents respectively.
The judge agreed that the suit should be heard on Wednesday as there was proof of service on the IG and the NPF, which was exhibited before the court.
Eze’s bid to get an adjournment so as to prepare well for the hearing of the case also failed as Justice Anka held that the counsel had had enough time to prepare since June when the case was filed.
Arguing his client’s case, Ogungbeje insisted that the police had violated Evans’ rights by detaining him since June 10, 2017 without charging him to court.
Ogungbeje contended that the continued detention of Evans without a court order was unlawful and a violation of the suspect’s rights under sections 35 (1) (c) (3) (4) (5) (a) (b) and 36 of the Constitution.
He urged the court to compel the police to charge Evans to court immediately or to release him and let him go if they were not ready to bring him to court and arraign him.
But opposing him, Eze, who appeared for the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, insisted that Evans’ rights were not being violated, because, according to him, Section 35(7) of the Constitution gave the police power to detain a suspected capital offender without any court order.
Besides, he argued that the offences allegedly committed by Evans were grievious and as such his fundamental rights were not absolute.
Eze said it would be premature for the police to either charge Evans to court for now or release him because the suspect was helping the police in investigations towards tracking down his gang members.
He said it would be dangerous to release Evans into the society.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Anka adjourned till August 29, 2017 for judgment.
READ: Ile-Zik Ritualist Den: Suspect burnt alive in Ikeja was a destitute — Lagos policeThe post Court rules against police in Kidnapper Evans’ case appeared first on Within Nigeria.
Adebayo Ogunlesi
Adebayo Ogunlesi was a member of Strategic and Policy Forum, one of the two disbanded by the unpredictable president. The other group was the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative Council.
Ogunlesi, heads Global Infrastructure Partners, a private equity firm and one of Fortune 500 companies. He was the only African on the panel.
The New York Times reported before Trump’s tweeted dissolution, that members of Ogunlesi’s panel were debating dissolving the body entirely as Trump wallowed deeper into bigotry quagmire. But Trump preempted their move.
“Corporate leaders had hoped that President Trump would help businesses by slashing taxes and gutting regulations. It is not clear how much he will deliver on that score. On top of that, he is putting many chief executives in the position of answering for a president with an unparalleled track record of outraging people, most recently at a contentious press conference on Tuesday when he drew a false equivalence between the white supremacists who protested in Charlottesville, Va., last weekend and counter-protesters.”, NYT reported.
Trump had earned rebuke and isolation from business leaders for supporting racial bigotry, White Supremacists and the KKK, following his remarks that failed to blame the tragic violence in Charlottesville, Virginia on the group. Instead, he blamed all the sides and the group that challenged the racists.
The leaders of three companies — Kenneth Frazier of Merck, Kevin Plank of Under Armour and Brian Krzanich of Intel — were the first to resign from the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative Council.
They resigned on Monday because Mr. Trump was slow to condemn the white supremacists during the weekend and blamed “many sides” for the violence.
When Trump moderated his tone on Monday by saying “racism is evil” and condemning neo-Nazis, he did not assuage some of the CEOs working with him.
Scott Paul, the president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, an organization backed by the steel industry and the United Steelworkers resigned. he was followed on Tuesday by Richard Trumka and Thea Lee, the president and deputy chief of staff for the union group A.F.L.-C.I.O.. The latter’s resignation followed Trump’s reversed position at a press conference at Trump Tower in New York, in which he said that “not all of those people were neo-Nazis, believe me,” referring to the white nationalists who were chanting “Jews will not replace us” as they marched with tiki-torches.
Ogunlesi’s Strategic Forum, composed some of America’s most highly respected and successful business leaders.
Members of the body were expected to meet with Trump frequently to share their specific experience and knowledge as the president implements his plan to bring back jobs and “Make America Great Again. ”
The other members of the forum were:
Stephen Schwarzman (forum chairman), chairman, CEO, and cofounder of Blackstone
Paul Atkins, CEO of Patomak Global Partners, former commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission
Mary Barra, chairwoman and CEO, General Motors
Toby Cosgrove, CEO, Cleveland Clinic
Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Larry Fink, chairman and CEO, BlackRock
Bob Iger, chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company
Rich Lesser, president and CEO, Boston Consulting Group
Doug McMillon, president and CEO, Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Jim McNerney, former chairman, president, and CEO of Boeings
Ginni Rometty, chairwoman, president, and CEO of IBM
Kevin Warsh, Shepard Family Distinguished Visiting Fellow in economics at the Hoover Institute, former member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Mark Weinberger, global chairman and CEO, EY
Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO, General Electric
Daniel Yergin, Pulitzer Prize winner, vice chairman of IHS Markit
Apart from being managing partner of Global Infrastructure Partners, Ogunlesi also serves on the boards of Callaway Golf Co. and Kosmos Energy Ltd.
At the same time he’s the chairman of Africa Finance Corp. and serves on the boards of various not-for-profits ranging from New York Presbyterian Hospital to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.
READ: US vs North Korea: Trump shares photos of U.S Jet ready to ‘Fight Tonight’, says Military solutions are now fully in placeThe post U.S President Donald Trump sacks Nigeria’s Adebayo Ogunlesi as adviser appeared first on Within Nigeria.
Ibrahim Magu
A gang of armed men on Wednesday attacked one of the offices of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Wuse Zone 7, Abuja.
The EFCC said in a statement by its spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, that the hoodlums invaded the office around 5am and started shooting indiscriminately.
The commission said although no life was lost, vehicles and other properties on the premises were riddled with bullets.
According to the anti-graft agency, the assailants were repelled by policemen who engaged them in a gun duel.
The EFCC said before fleeing, the armed men left an envelope containing a threat letter addressed to the head of the Foreign Exchange Malpractices Fraud Section, Ishaku Sharu.
Sharu is said to be in charge of corruption investigation involving manypolitically-exposed persons and retired generals.
The statement read in part, “A major security breach was recorded at the headquarters of the EFCC, in the early hours of Wednesday, August 16, 2017 as gunmen attacked the office located at Wuse Zone 7, Abuja.
“The group of heavily armed men invaded the office at about 5am and began shooting into the premises, damaging vehicles parked on the premises in the process. However, the attack was repelled by guards on duty.
“The hoodlums escaped in a getaway vehicle but not without leaving a message; a white envelope dropped by the fleeing attackers was found to contain a death threat addressed to Ishaku Sharu, a senior investigator with the commission.”
The anti-graft agency said the attack on the Zone 7 office which houses the commission’s AMCON Desk, Procurement Fraud and Foreign Exchange Malpractices Sections, is coming few weeks after another investigator, Austin Okwor, was shot by unknown assailants in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The EFCC said the latest incident had already been reported to the police.
Meanwhile, the police have commenced an investigation into the gun attack on the EFCC headquarters in Wuse, Abuja by unknown gunmen.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, said the Federal Capital Territory Police Command had initiated an investigation into the accident which reportedly occurred on Wednesday.
He explained that detectives were examining the threat letter dropped by the attackers in which they threatened to kill an EFCC investigator.
Moshood said the letter would be subjected to forensic analysis and investigation to determine its origin.
“We have not made any arrest yet, but we are looking at the evidence from the crime scene, including the threat letter dropped by the attackers, “ he stated.
READ: Armed soldiers raid Al-Mustapha’s residenceThe post Gunmen raid EFCC office in Abuja, delivers threat letter appeared first on Within Nigeria.
Anambra State House of Assembly
Mr. Francis Mmegbuaneze died barely 12 hours after participating in the primary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance on Tuesday, which produced the incumbent Governor of the state, Willie Obiano, as the party’s governorship candidate for the November 18 poll.
It was gathered that the lawmaker attended the primary from his hospital bed.
A party member told our correspondent in confidence that “because of his patriotism and love for our party, he sneaked out of his hospital bed to attend our primary. His doctor had advised him to have some rest and even to switch off his phone, but he placed patriotism above his health.
“He was hospitalised for a few days and was being treated for an undisclosed ailment.”
The Press Secretary to the House of Assembly, Mr. Emma Mmadu, told our correspondent on the telephone that the House had not been officially informed about the death.
“The family of the deceased lawmaker has yet to report his death to the House,” Madu said.
A Special Adviser to the Anambra State Governor on Legislative Matters, Chief Chiedozie Ezeugwa, described the death as a huge loss to the people of the state and to the Anambra State Government.
He said, “We were together yesterday (Tuesday); we shared joke and laughed together before it got to his turn to perform his civic duty and he went and voted.
“No one knew at all that something very disastrous was coming his way. So we lost him.”
Photos: Gov Obiano Stops His Convoy To Rescue Accident VictimThe post Lawmaker die in Anambra after primary election appeared first on Within Nigeria.
After the Suicide attack in Konduga, Borno State, a doctor at the general hospital, who did not want his name disclosed, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday that 17 people were brought in dead.
The doctor said three others died at a hospital in Maiduguri.
“Initially, 17 persons and three suicide bombers were killed at the scene of the attack, while three others, including a child, died at the hospital in Maiduguri.
“We are providing treatment to the victims admitted in the hospital while those with serious cases were referred to Maiduguri,” the doctor said.
The Head of Rescue Team, State Emergency Management Agency, Mallam Abdullahi Danbatta, said the agency’s team evacuated three bodies from the hospital in Maiduguri to Konduga.
Danbatta added that the team evacuated more than 40 people with serious injuries to the Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri.
The Commissioner of Police in Borno, Mr. Damian Chukwu, has confirmed 16 dead and 82 injured in the attack.
Tuesday’s attack occurred two days after Boko Haram insurgents sacked a nearby village, Wanori-Amarwa, killed four persons and maimed two.
Meanwhile, a relation of one of the victims, Mr. Buana Makinta, has expressed concern over the alleged lack of medication at the regional hospital.
Makinta alleged that the patients were not provided medication many hours after they were admitted.
“The medical personnel are handicapped; they only washed the blood and bandaged the wounds.
“None of the victims is provided medication due to the lack of drugs at the hospital,’’ Makinta alleged.
He called on the government and donor agencies to provide drugs and a generator for the hospital to save lives.
READ: Suicide bomber attacks gathering of mourners sympathizing earlier attacks, killed 12 Civilian JTF members, 7 mournersThe post Konduga Suicide attack: Death toll hit 17, 82 injured appeared first on Within Nigeria.
Boko Haram Leader, Abubakar Shekau ::
The Coalition Against Terrorism (CAT) has described the new video released by factional Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau as a desperate attempt to convince his sponsors that his group is still relevant for business ahead of 2019 general elections.
The group at a press conference in Kaduna said the video shows Shekau is aware that the dragnet for his capture is closing in and is now trying to reenact a psychological gimmick that had worked for him under different circumstances in the past to prove he’s still relevant.
Coordinator of the group, Shehu Garuba said the renewed directive to troops under the Mobile Strike Teams (MSTs) to hunt down Boko Haram leader in line with the 40 days ultimatum for his capture is welcome saying the groups in the coalition believe the renewed military push to capture Shekau would defeat suicide bombing in the North east.
Garuba said the group’s confidence in the ability of the military to fish out Shekau in few days time is unwavering.
“Our hope is that the troops would accelerate their mission to smoke the Boko Haram leader out given the new low to which his depravity has sunken. Boko Haram went underground to brainwash parents into coercing their girl children into becoming suicide bombers.
The military must focus on the task at hand and not be distracted by this antic of the terrorists and those behind them. It takes the worst form of perversion to recruit young girls and innocent women to die for other people’s pecuniary reasons.
“In the face of such disparately unconventional circumstances, we commend the achievements of the Nigerian military, which has done well in fighting, degrading and defeating the militant wing of the terror group. We hail the sacrifices of those that have laid down their lives to procure the measure of peace in the areas where Boko Haram once peddle terror on a large scale,” he said.
The coalition tasked the military to move the war on terrorism from the fighters and commanders of the group to going after the political assets and platforms of the insurgents saying Nigerians are in full support of any strategy that would further weaken the terrorists hence the need to go after its economic and financial contacts.
Garuba said all entities that pose as NGOs to support the terrorists and provide cover for them should also be investigated while the combination of all these should prepare the grounds for implementation of Boko Haram strategies.
“Nigerian authorities must approach internet giants like Google, Facebook, Twitter and others to secure a commitment to block pro-terrorists contents like the video released by Shekau.
“The social media sites must also be compelled to block accounts that promote Boko Haram’s activities. These organizations already comply with such requests from several countries. They either comply or are denied the opportunity to do business in Nigeria,” he stated.
The coalition also canvassed the modification of the protocols at military checkpoints to stop exempting any vehicle from search until such a time that Abubakar Shekau and other leading Boko Haram figures have been captured.
“This implies that all vehicles must be searched at these checkpoints even when they are diplomatic cars, convoys of government officials, aid caravans and even vehicles of the various military services.
“Our thinking is that the desperation of the terrorists will make them to become more ingenious in attempting to evade detection as troops close in on them. Their easiest escape would be in vehicle that would not be strictly scrutinized.
Their ability to cross geographical areas could only have been possible by hitching rides in cars that enjoy the courtesy of not needing to be screened,” he said.
The group appealed to the international agencies and politicians in the region to not only cooperate when such measure is introduced by the military but champion the stepping up of vehicular search adding that the military must commit to not criminalizing without thorough investigation any organization or politician whose vehicle is found to be conveying suspected terrorists.
He said, ‘Community, traditional and religious leaders are needed to prevail on people to stop conscripting their children, especially the girl child, as suicide bombers. Nothing on earth justifies anyone to bear and raise an offspring only to sentence the child to death in the most horrible manner.
The cooperation of everyone is needed to end this insanity of terrorism. We must join hands together as a people to fight Boko Haram.
The post Suicide bombings: Shekau trying to resell himself, says anti terrorism group appeared first on Within Nigeria.
Anti-Buhari protesters in Abuja
A group of Nigerians living overseas under the aegis of Nigerians In Diaspora Monitoring Group (NIDMG), on Wednesday condemned the alleged invasion of Wuse market in Abuja by persons protesting against the absence of President Muhammadu Buhari in office for over 100 days.
They warned that the protests which were allegedly being sponsored by “vested interests”, constituted grave dangers to Nigeria’s stability more than other ongoing existential threats.
The spokesperson of NIDMG (United Kingdom Chapter), Dr. Ibukun Ola, in an electronic statement sent to reporters in Abuja, said such protests were already stoking tension at home and disturbing the peace of those abroad for fear fear of breakdown of law and order in Nigeria.
He said, “We see the invasion of Wuse Market, which was ostensibly targeted at crippling economic activities there, as an attempt to replicate the economic sabotage usually deployed with the sit-at-home order of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), MASSOB and other secessionists in the South-East. It has no place in the nation’s capital and must not be encouraged in any other part of the country.
“We are concerned at the ethnic and religious coloration of reactions trailing the Wuse Market invasion since this can only further deepen animosity over what was originally a non-issue. While urging would be protesters of any cause to keep their activities within the public space to which they are entitled, we appeal to those who feel their space has been invaded to invite the relevant law enforcement agencies to intervene and not take the law into their own hands.”
According to him, having watched with concern developments around the “ill-conceived” protests over President Muhammadu Buhari’s medical vacation, the protests under hashtags like #OurMumuDonDo, #ResumeOrResign, #RecoverAndReform and others are stoking tension at home in Nigeria while citizens who are not sufficiently attuned to the laws in the lands of their sojourn may unwittingly fall foul of same in their effort to replicate the aberration being mislabelled as freedom of expression in Nigeria.
The NIDMG said the warning became necessary following the ugly incident of Tuesday August 15, 2017 when one of leader of the protesters, Charles Chukwuemeka Oputa aka Charlie Boy, allegedly invaded Wuse Market in Abuja and was subsequently set upon by traders into whose space he had intruded.
Ola said, “Even in Nigeria where some people erroneously conclude there are no laws, the decision of the protesters to invade a trading space depicts a deficit of reasoning since businessmen in this facility bought and owned their stalls and would not accept allow other people deprive them of their means of livelihood without repercussions. Handymen and truck pushers who rely on smooth operations at the market would similarly not condone any activity that would deprive them of their means of sustenance.
“It is most unfortunate that Charlie Boy and his protesters validated earlier claims by security agencies that criminals have infiltrated the ranks of protesters to cause trouble. They have equally proven that there are sinister motives to the protests that have become confrontational. More worrisome is the level of aggression reportedly displayed by Charlie Boy when he forced his way into the market.
“As recounted by some interviewees on Oak TV, he further attempted to retrieve a firearm from his vehicle before it was destroyed by counter protesters at the market.
The NIDMG notes that there are no “mumu” or those who live Charlie Boy’s kind of life outside Nigeria that would take to the street to harass the peace of others simply because the leader of the country is sick and is taking time to recover without breaking the law.
“As can be seen in the Wuse Market scenario, those who resort to self help thinking they were protecting their turf would get arrested when violence breaks out. We urge the police and other security agencies not to pander to political correctness but to decisively prosecute those found to have breached the law.
“Besides discouraging trouble makers in Nigeria, it would stop our citizens from trespassing on private and business spaces abroad since the #OurMumuDonDo protesters are implementing and contemplating similar foolhardiness here in London and other world cities.
“To demonstrate how protests can be used to achieve positive results, the NIDMG should facilitate public marches to highlight the more pressing issues confronting Nigeria like Boko Haram’s terrorism, the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs), killings by criminal elements pursuing secession in the south-east, growing cases of ritual killing, kidnap for ransom and baby factories in some part of the country.”
READ: Police investigate plot to bomb Abuja mosqueThe post #ResumeOrResign: Nigerians in U.K condemn Wuse Market Invasion, Ask Anti-Buhari Protesters To Address Critical issues appeared first on Within Nigeria.
