A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has admitted in evidence a statement made by the late Justin Erukaa, before his death, in the ongoing N2.2 billion fraud trial of former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose.

Erukaa was personal assistant to Musiliu Obanikoro, who is testifying against the former governor.

In a short ruling yesterday, Justice Mojisola Olatoregun admitted Erukaa’s statement and marked it as Exhibit J.

The second defence counsel, Mr. Olalekan Ojo (SAN), had at the previous hearing tendered the statement Erukaa made to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the course of investigating the matter.
Ojo said Erukaa’s statement was relevant to the case, adding that it could be admitted in the absence of the deceased.

“In law, the first litmus test of admissibility is relevance. Obanikoro said in his testimony that he sent Erukaa on errands, including to collect $1 million and he came and met him in Ekiti,” Ojo had told the court.

After the judge had admitted Erukaa’s statement in evidence, the case proceeded with further cross-examination of Obanikoro, the fifth witness, to testify for the EFCC against Fayose.
While fielding questions from Ahmed Tafa, who stood in for Ojo, Obanikoro reiterated that he was into farming, with his farms in Lagos, Badagry and Ogun State.

He also claimed that MOB Integrated Limited is his son’s company.

When asked by Tafa if he knew that staff of MOB Integrated Limited were signatories to the bank account of Sylvan Mcmanara Ltd, Fayose’s co-accused, Obanikoro said, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Hearing on the case continues today.

Culled from The Guardian newspaper.

Passengers travelling from Kakamega to Nairobi “arrested” a driver who they accused of reckless driving and handed him to police.
The passengers forced the driver to stop the bus before handing him over to police.
The passengers who paid between Sh800 and Sh700 said their journey began in Kakamega on Sunday night. The bus was half full, but the driver picked more passengers along the way.
At Majengo, the driver is said to have ignored the passengers’ appeals to stop speeding.
“When we approached the steep road after Riat in Kisumu, I knew we were done,” said Maurine Odari, who boarded the bus at Majengo.

A group of passengers then went to the driver’s cabin to reprimand him. He then stopped at Mamboleo roundabout, where the passengers pushed him out of the vehicle and called the police.
“We had to act or perish. The driver seemed unfit to drive. We literally had to lift him from the driver’s seat,” said Harizon Wechuli.
The bus conductor fled.
Police arrived some few minutes past midnight and arrested the driver. The bus was impounded.
The passengers then had to walk to Mamboleo police station, where they waited for day break while others sought other means to travel to Nairobi. The bus was later towed to the police station.

In the morning, the suspect is said to have told police he was not driving the bus.
Police sources at the station said the suspect would be charged with reckless driving and endangering the lives of passengers. Police could not, however, ascertain whether he was drunk during his arrest.
Anderson Odak, the vehicle’s owner, said it was on the road without his knowledge and that it was supposed to be parked at a yard for a buyer to view it.
“We have already arranged how passengers will be transported to Nairobi but I have to sack the entire crew,” he said.

The Standard.

The Philippines officially withdrew from the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Sunday, a year after President Rodrigo Duterte announced the country would leave the organization.

Duterte’s decision became final over the weekend when the Supreme Court of the Philippines declined to grant an injunction requested by a group of human rights activists.

Duterte had announced plans to leave the organization after the ICC announced a preliminary investigation into allegations that he and his government have committed crimes against humanity and mass murder during his so-called war on drugs.

Romel Bagares, a lawyer for the rights activists, called the decision “a terrible setback in the long fight against impunity in the country,” according the New York Times, adding that the ICC was the country’s last resort given that the government has failed to stop thousands of deaths in Duterte’s bloody drug war.
Duterte began a crackdown against the sale and use of illegal drugs shortly after taking office in 2016. Critics have accused Duterte of using the campaign, which has reportedly killed thousands of people, as cover for a politically motivated attempt to consolidate power and silence his opponents.

Continue reading The Philippines Has Officially Left the International Criminal Court →

The matter against the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr Paul Usoro SAN could not go on trial today as slated because the EFCC failed to serve the defendants counsels the relevant documents including the statements of the witnesses in conformity with the provisions of the Administration Criminal Justice Act.

The Counsel to Mr Usoro Mr Adedipe SAN had previously served the prosecution a motion which is praying the court to order the service of the statements on the defence.

The EFCC argued that the motion was not ripe for hearing being served on them on Friday.

However it was contended by the counsel to the defendants that if the EFCC had complied with the rules,the issue of the motion could not have arisen and trial would have proceeded.

In another development, the EFCC also failed to respond to the motion of Mike Ozekhome SAN who served them a motion to vacate the bench warrant against some witnesses in the matter. The Motion was served on the 4^th of March 2019 and was ready for hearing but the EFCC failed to file a response and asked to be given time to respond.

Another motion challenging the inclusion of the Governor of Akwa Ibom in the counts and challenging the Jurisdiction of the court was filed by the counsel to the governor Dr Mekunye and EFCC was yet to respond to it.

Mr Usoro who was charged for receiving his professional fees from the Governor of Akwa Ibom state has maintained that the monies paid to him were part of his Professional fees and monies paid to him as Coordinating counsel for the benefit of other counsel which he duly transferred to them.

Aikawa J, expressed his desire for a timely dispensation of the matter    .The Matter was adjourned to the 17th of April 2019 for hearing of pending motions. 

Outrage grew in Tunisia this past week after 11 premature babies died in less than 24 hours from infections acquired in the same hospital as doctors and patients expressed frustration over the country’s struggling public health care system.

The babies died recently at the Rabta hospital maternity ward in central Tunis, the country’s capital, after nosocomial, or hospital-acquired, infections led to deadly septic shocks, the health ministry said.

Four more babies died later, and two of those deaths were also linked to the infection, said officials at a news conference at the health ministry on Friday.

After the deaths, Abderraouf Cherif, the health minister, who had been nominated just months ago, quickly resigned. Several top health officials were fired.
Sonia Ben Cheikh, the interim health minister, called the deaths a “national disaster” and said officials suspected a problem with the sterile room where hospital staff members prepare the premature babies’ nutrients, which were delivered intravenously.
“We have doubts on the sterilization of the room and of the tools, which may have led to the infection,” she said at a news conference on Monday, adding later on local television that the department where the newborns died was short on workers, with only three doctors for 40 beds.

Continue reading 11 Premature Babies Die in Less Than a Day in Tunisian Hospital, Sparking Outrage →

(COMPLIANCE WITH THE FEDERAL CHARACTER PROVISIONS OF THE 1999 CONSTITUTION DOES NOT DEPEND ON VOTING PATTERNS DURING ELECTIONS)

(By Sylvester Udemezue)

I humbly suggest that in order that Nigeria may experience genuine unity and make concrete progress, concepts such as 97 per cent and 5 per cent must never again be allowed to have a space in our national or political life, or to guide our leadership decisions or attitude. Such concept destroy rather than heal, disunite us rather than unite us. Accordingly, any political party that wins in the general elections must ensure it carries every section of the country along.

Compliance with Chapter Two (the federal character provisions) of the 1999 Constitution is mandatory and does not depend on voting patterns during elections. Compliance with the provisions is required in order to ensure equity and fairness and to afford every section of the country a sense of belonging. Feeling of a sense of belonging is the most important requirement for an honest peace, strong unity and genuine progress in Nigeria 🇳🇬 . Take my words for it! It is either we wholeheartedly embrace it to make the progress we desire, or unwisely reject it to remain the way we are—- stagnant, stagnating, suffocating and directionless.

Section 13(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFRN), 1999 as amended provides that “it shall be the duty and responsibility of … government, and of all authorities and persons, exercising legislative, executive or judicial powers, to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of Chapter Two of this Constitution. Section 14(1) of Chapter Two of the CFRN, 1999 provides that “the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be a State based on the principles of democracy and social justice” while section 14(3) states that “the composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few State or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies.”
Says section 15(2): “National integration shall be actively encouraged, whilst discrimination on the grounds of place of origin, sex, religion, status, ethnic or linguistic association or ties shall be prohibited.
Finally, according to section 15(4), “the State shall foster a feeling of belonging and of involvement among the various people of the Federation, to the end that loyalty to the nation shall override sectional loyalties.” One therefore expects a more tolerant and an all-embracing leadership during the 2019–2023 tenure of the party currently in power.

Continue reading Why The Ruling Party Must Ensure an Equitable Spread of All Political Leadership Positions Across All Geopolitical Zones in Nigeria by Sylvester Udemezue →

Police on Sunday detained lawyer Assa Nyakundi to help with investigations after he accidentally shot to death his son near their house in Nairobi.

Mr Nyakundi, who reported the incident to the police, said he was travelling to his Muthaiga North house from church with his son, 29, in the back seat of his Toyota Axio car.
As they neared his house, he told police he leaned back to retrieve his pistol from a seat pouch and accidentally shot his son in the chest.

He said the son was pronounced dead on arrival at the Aga Khan University Hospital where he took him after the incident.

The police said they have visited the scene of the crime near the Judicial Training Institute in Muthaiga North and the Aga Khan University Hospital.
“The said firearm loaded with 14 rounds of 9mm bullets and the m/v have been kept as exhibits,” said the police.

The body of the deceased is at Aga Khan University Hospital mortuary for post-mortem.

Source: Daily Nation

The Delta State Government has said it will punish anyone found culpable in the viral video that shows a schoolgirl, Success Adebor, reportedly sent home over her parents’ failure to pay for her second term examination and books.

The video of Success, a primary three pupil of Okotie-Eboh Primary School 1, Sapele, in the Sapele Local Government Area of the state, had gone viral after she was allegedly sent home by the head teacher of the school.
The seven-year-old girl in the video which has attracted the attention of Nigerian celebrities, including a comedian, Ayo Makun, aka AY, and Instagram sensation, Mr Jollof, has said she preferred to be flogged to being sent out of school.

The state Commissioner for Education, Mr Chiedu Ebie noted that the state government operated a free education policy and it was illegal for the school authority to demand examination levy or any other unauthorised levies from pupils.
“The fact is that we (government) operate free education policy in Delta State,” Ebie said.

Continue reading Delta threatens to sanction school head, others on trending Miss Success’ video →