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FG Dragged To Court Over NANS Nnamdi Felix / Abuja A legal practitioner, Mr. Abubakar Sani, on Friday dragged the Federal Government before a Federal High Court siting in Abuja challenging the legality of the National Association of Nigerian Students and asking that the students body be proscribed by the court. Mr. Sani brought his suit under public interest litigation pursuant to fundamental rights enforcement procedure rule, 2009 and sections 26, 40, and 215 of the constitution as well as Articles 7, 10 and 17 of the African Charter. He contended that sections 1 to 6 of the Students Union Activities Control and Regulation Act 1989 restricts student union's activities to their particular campuses and did not provide for a multi campus or a single nationwide umbrella students body like NANS and stated that the "illegal students union" infringes on students freedom of association under section 40 of the Nigerian constitution. According to Sani, the nationwide Nigeria...

Plots to Assassinate IBB, Dasuki Uncovered By SSS Nnamdi Felix / Abuja Nigeria’s State Security Service,SSS, on Wednesday stated that it has uncovered a terrorist plot to attack two prominent Nigerians. The targets of the  plot include former President Ibrahim Babangida and former Sultan of Sokoto, Ibrahim Dasuki. Briefing newsmen on the development at the SSS headquarters in Abuja, the Deputy Director of Public Relations, Ms. Marilyn Ogar, said that the principal suspect, Mr. Abdullahi Mustapha Berende, confessed that  he was tasked to provide names of prominent Nigerians who if attacked could unsettle the West. Berende was said to have given the names of former President Ibrahim Babangida and Ibrahim Dasuki, former Sultan of Sokoto, to his Iranian handlers. Ms. Ogar revealed that on the heels of measures taken to check the wave of terrorism, and based on painstaking investigations which lasted for six months, that the SSS arrested Berende,an indigene of Ilorin, Kwara state on ...

NJC Sacks 2 Judges, Sets Up Probe Panel Against Another Nnamdi Felix / Abuja The National Judicial Council has recommended the  compulsory retirement of Justice C. E. Archibong of the Federal High Court Lagos and Justice T.D. Naron of High Court of Justice, Plateau state following investigations conducted by the Council on series of petition leveled against the duo. Some of the allegations leveled against Justice Achibong were that he dismissed a grievous charge against an accused without taking his plea and refused to release the Certified True Copy of his Ruling to Lawyers. He was also accused of issuing bench warrant on some officials of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for contempt even when the counsel who was directed by the Court to serve them filed an affidavit that he had not been able to serve the contempt application. Achibong was said to have also made unfounded and caustic remarks on professional competence of some Senior Advocates of Nigeria and exhibiting glaring proce...

Suspected Terrorists And Bauchi state Bank Robbers Docked Nnamdi Felix / Abuja Seven persons alleged to have robbed some banks Bauchi state in 2011 for the purpose of raising funds to support the dreaded Boko Haram sect to unleash their terrorists activities, were on Wednesday arraigned before a Federal High presided by Justice A. R Mohammed on a 13 counts charge. The accused persons, Usman Sani, Abdulrahman Musa, Mahmud Mohammed, Kabir Mohammed, Umar Danjuma, Ibrahim Musa Abba and Abdullahi Lawan, allegedly, on 18th July, 2011 and 4th December, 2011, at Alkaleri town in Bauchi state, with intent to raise funds and support Boko Haram's terrorists activities, armed themselves with dangerous assorted weapons, improvised explosive devices, and robbed Unity Bank of Nigeria Plc Alkalari branch in the state carting away the sum of N17.8 million, an offence of rendering support for terrorism contrary to section 4(1)(a) of the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011 and punishable under se...

Two Indians, Two Nigerians Docked For Pipeline Vandalisation By Nnamdi Felix Four persons, including two Indians and their company were on Wednesday arraigned before a federal high court sitting in Abuja on a four counts charge for allegedly conspiring and vandalisation of oil pipeline in Okene, Kogi state and dealing in petroleum products without appropriate authority or license in violation of Nigerian laws. The accused persons, Fatai Afolabi, Emmanuel Igbokwe, Tukur Mohammed, Kamal Sharma and Ashok Agarwal (both Indians) and their company, Prism Steel Mill Ltd, were alleged to have conspired and damaged the oil pipeline in Okene, Kogi state, thereby committing an offence punishable under section 1(7)(a) of the miscellaneous offences Act Cap M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. They all pleaded not guilty to the entire counts of the charge. Upon entering their plea, counsel representing the Indians and their company, Mr. Lawal Rabana, a senior advocate of Nigeria, told t...

Lawyers Directs Maina To Appear Before The Senate Nnamdi Felix / Abuja A non government organisation, Public Interest Lawyers League, PILL, on Tuesday in Abuja called on the embattled chairman of the Presidential Task Force Team on Pension, Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, to accord the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria respect by honouring the invitation extended to him to appear before it. The group's chairman, Mr. Abdul Mahmud decried Maina's refusal to honour the invitation extended to him by the legislators but also described the recommendation of the senate calling for Maina's sack as a creeping abuse and tyranny of the National Assembly. According to Mahmud, "we are dismayed at the way senator Gaya, at the inaugural public siting of the committee he co chairs, sacked Maina as the chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension. We consider the call for Maina's sack from the civil service as inappropriate and unfortunate. The National Assembly should r...

Terrorism: Senator Ndume Goes On Appeal Nnamdi Felix / Abuja A Federal High Court siting in Abuja on Tuesday dismissed an application filed by embattled Senator Ali Ndume seeking for an interim order to stay his trial before the court. The senator had sought the stay to enable him challenge the decision of the court allowing the admission of three DVDs containing records of his communication with convicted former spokesman of the dreaded Boko Haram sect as exhibits in his trial. In declining his request for a stay of proceedings in his trial, the court presided by Justice Gabriel Kolawole, gave the senator a period of 60 days to enable him challenge his decision at the court of appeal and then return to face his trial. "I understand that some pertinent events could lead to a situation where motion on stay could leapfrog to the appellate court, but I doubt if unfolding events on this matter so far have necessitated that. This matter is therefore adjourned to May 6 for mention...

PDP opposes Oyinlola’s move to regain post Nnamdi Felix / Abuja Published on Tuesday, 12th February 2013 A legal maxim which states the those who come to equity must come with clean hands, played against the sacked former national secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola, as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja was on Tuesday asked to refuse an application brought by him seeking a stay of execution on the order of the court which sacked him from office for treating the court with contempt. Justice Abdu Kafarati had on 11 January sacked Onyinlola from office while delivering judgment in a suit brought against him by a faction of the Ogun state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party and its chairman. The decision was instantly carried out by the PDP which relieved Oyinlola of his appointment. The Ogun state chapter of the party through its chairman, Engr. Adebayo Dayo, had approached the court seeking amongst others, the removal of Oyinlola ...

Convicted pension thief to remain in prison Published on Tuesday, 12th February, 2013, by pmnews Nnamdi Felix / Abuja The scheduled hearing of a bail application filed by convicted former deputy director at Nigeria’s Police Pension Office, Mr. John Yakubu Yusufu was stalled on Tuesday due to an ongoing conference in Lagos which the judge is attending. Yusufu was recently arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before a Federal High Court siting in Abuja on a 4-count charge of false assets The anti graft agency alleged that Mr. Yusufu, had on 14th February, 2012, knowingly failed to make full disclosure of his assets and liability in the Declaration of Assets Form which he filled by not declaring his interest in a company known as SY-A Global Services Limited, incorporated by him and solely owned by him and members of his immediate family. The offence is said to be punishable under section 27(3) of the EFCC Act, 2004. He was also all...

Fair Play Africa: Suspected Terrorists' Bid To Abort Trial Collapses... : Suspected Terrorists' Bid To Abort Trial Collapses Nnamdi Felix / Abuja A Federal High Court siting in Abuja on Monday held that s...

Suspected Terrorists' Bid To Abort Trial Collapses Nnamdi Felix / Abuja A Federal High Court siting in Abuja on Monday held that six suspected Boko Haram members accused of carrying out multiple bombings and killings in parts of the Federal Capital Territory and Suleja have a case to answer. The court's decision followed an application filed by the suspects for a no case submission which was calculated to scuttle their trial before the court where they are  standing trial on a five-counts charge of terrorism related offences. The suspects, Shuaibu Abubakar, Salisu Ahmed, Umar Babagana-Umar, Mohammed Ali, Musa Adam and Umar Ibrahim, in their application for a no case submission had claimed that the prosecution failed to establish any prima facie case against them. Lawyers to the suspects,Mr. Nuraini Suleiman and Mr. Kevin Emeka Okoro, had argued that the prosecution failed to establish any prima facie case against their clients and insisted that no evidence w...

FCT MINISTER RECEIVES VICTORIOUS SUPER EAGLES TUESDAY   The FCT Minister, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed will on Tuesday receive, on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan, the undisputed African Champions, the Super Eagles of Nigeria at 1.00pm at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.   The Minister after receiving the victorious Super Eagles will stop over at the National Stadium, Abuja for a mini reception in their honour.   President Goodluck Jonathan will then host the victorious team to a grand reception at the Presidential Villa in the night of same day.   Therefore, the Minister wishes to invite the general public to come out en-masse to receive, welcome and celebrate this historic victory as Nigeria records yet, another milestone, on its transformative journey to unsurpassed greatness and glory.

A Failed Plea Deal Published by TheNEWS Magazine Nnamdi Felix / Abuja In an apparent move to curtail the outrage and public out cry that trailed last Monday's conviction and sentencing of former Assistant Director of Police Pension Office, Mr. John Yahaya Yusufu, by an Abuja High Court, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, re arrested him and dragged him before a Federal High Court on a four counts charge relating to non declaration of assets. He was subsequently arraigned and remanded in Kuje Prison pending his trail scheduled to commence in March. Yusufu's current travails is a fallout of a scuttled agreement reached with the anti graft agency while negotiating his plea bargain deal. Conscious of the uproar created by the infamous plea bargain deal with former managing director of defunct Oceanic International Bank, Mrs. Cecilia Ibru, the anti graft agency pursued the deal with Mr. Yusufu quite cautiously. An insider, who is in the k...

Nigeria Internet Fraudsters Docked The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday arraigned nine of twenty suspected internet fraudsters arrested and handed over to the Commission by the Joint Task Force of the 4 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Benin . They were arraigned before Justice A. M Liman of the Federal High Court 1, Benin on separate charges bordering on conspiracy to commit felony to wit: obtaining money under false pretence. They pleaded not guilty to the charges. One of the charge reads in part; “that you Osaugwu Uchenna Kingsley (alias Sam Henric), Robinson Lucky (alias Justin Parker), Larry Edomwonyi (alias Mark Erixson), Amovie Mike (alias Jeffery Ares), Itua Samuel Robinson (alias Park Wetty, King Harry ), Iyen Oghodaro Destiny, Adesa Lucky Rute ( alias Peter Anderson, Eric Stern etc), Egbeifo John Endurance and Egbeniyi Oluwafemi ( alias Raymond Morrison, Mavis Mar) at No. 56 Siluko Road , Benin City within the jurisdiction of this Honourabl...

Terrorism Trial: FG Wants Journalists Barred. Nnamdi Felix / Abuja The  Federal Government  on Tuesday applied to a Federal High Court siting in Abuja before which Mr. Mustapha Umar, the suspected bomber of SOJ Plaza in Kaduna state occupied by ThisDay, The Moment and The Sun newspapers, is standing trial to bar journalists from covering the trial. The application was made by Mr. Simon Labaran, the lawyer leading the prosecution team at the trial. The arraignment Mr. Umar was rescheduled for today following the unavailability of legal representation for the suspected terrorist last Tuesday when he was first brought to court. The suspect pleaded not guilty to the one count charge bordering on terrorism. After taking his plea, Mr. Labaran moved the application seeking to bar journalist from covering the proceedings pursuant to section 31(3) of the Terrorism Prevention Act of 2011, which according the Federal Government lawyer, is to protect the interest of public safety as well ...

Money Laundering: EFCC Docks Jigawa Governor's SonAminu Sule Lamido arraigned, Remanded in Prison The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday arraigned Mr. Aminu Sule Lamido, son of Jigawa state Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, before Justice Fatu Riman of the Federal High Court siting in Kano on a one count charge of Money Laundering. The charge reads: “that you Aminu Sule Lamido on or about 11th day of December, 2012 at the Mallam Aminu International Airport, Kano within the Jurisdiction of the Federal High Court while transporting in cash, the sum of $50,000 (Fifty Thousand Dollars Only) from Nigeria to Cairo, Egypt, falsely declare to the Nigerian Customs the sum of $10,000 (Ten Thousand Dollars Only) instead of the said sum of $50,000 (Fifty Thousand Dollars Only) as required under Section 12 of the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act Cap F34 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and Section 2(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohi...

Subsidy Probe Bribe: Court Remands Farouk And Emenalo In Prison Nnamdi Felix / Abuja Hon Lawan Farouk and Hon Boniface Emenalo, both Chairman and Secretary of House of Representatives Adhoc Committee for the probe of the subsidy regime were on friday arraigned before an Abuja High Court on a 7 counts charge for allegedly soliciting for and obtaining the sum of $620,000 from businessman Femi Otedola. Both lawmakers pleaded not guilty to the charge. The court subsequently adjourned till 8th February, to rule on the bail application moved by their lawyers led by Mr. Rickey Tarfa and Chief Mike Ozhekome, both senior advocates of Nigeria. The court remanded the accused persons to Kuje pending the court's ruling on their bail application. Upon entering their "not guilty" plea as the charge was read to them, their lawyers moved their application for bail asking the court to grant them bail on self recognition . According to Mr. Rickey Tarfa, the bail application is ...