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Court Sets Aside Warrant for Maina's Arrest Nnamdi Felix / Abuja. A Federal High Court siting in Abuja Wednesday set aside the warrant for the arrest of the erstwhile chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reform, Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, issued by the police at the instance of the Senate. The court issued a perpetual injunction restraining the Senate from ordering for Maina's arrest based on the warrant already it had set aside. The presiding judge, Justice Adamu Bello, held that even though the Senate had the power to summon anyone, that power was not absolute. He however advised Maina to appear before the Senate. "The power of the Senate to summon individuals to appear before it is also subject to the fundamental human rights of the individuals as provided for in the constitution. From the reliefs sought by the applicant, the application is challenging the powers of the Senate to issue a warrant of arrest, a careful perusal of Section 35(1) show...

Suspected mastermind of Nigeria's Independence Day twin bomb blasts, Mr. Henry Okah, has been jailed for 24 years by the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Tuesday. Okah was On 21 January, found guilty on 13 counts of terrorism, including engaging in terrorist activities, conspiracy to engage in terrorist activities, and delivering, placing, and detonating an explosive device. The charges related to two car bombs in Abuja, Nigeria, in which 12 people were killed and 36 injured on 1 October 2010, the anniversary of the country's independence. The second bombing took place in Warri on 15 March 2010 at a post amnesty dialogue meeting. One person was killed and 11 seriously injured. In both bombings, two car bombs went off minutes apart in both places. The cars were parked in close proximity to each other. The court sentenced Okah to 12 years imprisonment for each of the bombings and 13 years for the threats made to the South African government after his...

Pubblished by pmnews. By Cyriacus Izuekwe. The price for adultery is fatal when one considers what happened recently in Badagry area Lagos State, southwest Nigeria, where a housewife died during sex with her neighbour, who is also married to another woman. The man, Lawrence Chukwuma, landed in trouble after he had sex with Mrs Lucy Joseph, 24 and  the woman died in the process. The incident happened at 2nd Avenue, Oke-Morosun Magbon area of Badagry. On the fateful day, the 48-year old Chukwuma from Anambra State, southeast Nigeria, reportedly woke up early and pretended that he was going to pursue his business and later came back when his own wife and Lucy's husband had gone out. P.M.NEWS gathered that while Chukwuma and Lucy were having the best of time, she suddenly started breathing heavily and became unconscious. Before Lucy was taken to hospital, she had already died and the doctors merely confirmed her dead. It was not certain what actually caused her de...

Globally aclaimed authur and illustrous Igbo son, Chinua Achebe has died! Achebe died Thursday night inside a Boston, Massachusetts hospital after a brief illness. Achebe was a David and Marianna Fisher University Professor and Professor of Africana Studies at Brown University, Rhode Island, USA.   Achebe was one of the writers that played a key role in the development of the African literature. He was among the most significant especially with his ground breaking 1958 novel Things Fall Apart, a novel that has been translated into over 50 languages and sold over 12 million copies worldwide. He died at 82.   His last book There Was A Country was published last year. The novel is about the Nigerian civil war.

Christmas Day Bomber's Trial Stalled Published by pmnews. Nnamdi Felix / Abuja / The alleged mastermind of 2011 Christmas Day bombing of St. Theresa's Catholic church in Madala, Niger state, Mr. Kabiru Umar, also known as Kabiru Sokoto, was Wednesday brought before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja for his arraignment on terrorism charges. The arraignment however failed to hold as the suspected terrorist had no legal representation. Mr. Sokoto who claims not to understand English Language spoke through the court's interpreter and said he was not aware that he was being brought to court and that he had not been served with charges brought against him by the State Security Service, SSS. He requested for a period of two weeks to enable him secure the services of a lawyer to represent him at the trial. The court presided over by Justice Adeniyi Ademola noted that the nature of the case being a terrorism related one is such that ought to be fast tracked...

Court Halts FG Deregulation Policy In Petroleum Sector Nnamdi Felix / Abuja/ The ongoing federal government deregulation policy at the downstream sector of the petroleum industry in Nigeria on Tuesday suffered a severe blow as a Federal High Court siting in Abuja has held that government lacks the power to deregulate the sector. The court's decision renders all that the government had done so far in furtherance of the deregulation process at the petroleum downstream sector a nullity. The presiding judge, Justice Adamu Bello held that the government must always fix the price of petroleum products sold across Nigeria as stipulated in the nation's statutes. The court's decision was delivered in a matter instituted by a legal practitioner, Mr. Bamidele Aturu, against the Minister of Petroleum Resources and the Attorney General of the Federation wherein he challenged the 2009 decision of government to stop fixing prices of petroleum products in Nigeria. A...

Non Declaration Of Asset: Pension Thief Gets N10m Bail Nnamdi Felix / Abuja Convicted pension thief, John Yahaya Yusufu, who slumped in court last Monday while standing trial on an alleged false declaration of assets involving the sum of N290 million have been granted bail. He was granted bail in the sum of N10 million with one surety in like sum. The court ordered that the surety must be a Director in the Federal Civil Service who must be owner of a landed property in Abuja and must submit the title documents to the property to the court's Registrar. Yusufu was also directed to deposit his International passport with the court and was ordered not to travel outside the country without the permission of the court. The court observed that the accused was remanded in prison custody since the 30th of January in a bid to save him from the public anger that trailed his sentencing by another court which tried him for embezzling some N29 billion from the Police p...

Habemus Papem! We have a Pope! At exactly 7:34pm in Vatican City, the much awaited white smoke appeared from the chimney of Siesten chapel indicating that a new Pope has emerged! Over 1.2 billion Catholic faithful across the world had eagerly awaited the white smoke and the joy at its emergence was ecstatic. Habemus Papem! We have a Pope!!! Thousands who thronged the St. Peter's Basilica to catch the first glimpse of the new Pope however had to wait till 8:14 pm when Cardinal Tauran emerged at the balcony at the Basilica to announce and unveiled the new Pope. He's Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, became a Cardinal in 2001. First South American Pope. He takes the name of Francis. At exactly 8:22 pm. The new Pope appeared at the window to speak to the crowd.

2015: Clark Seeks Automatic Ticket For Jonathan Nnamdi Felix / Abuja. Ahead of 2015 Presidential election, former Information Minister and elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark on Tuesday in Abuja made a case for an automatic Peoples Democratic Party's ticket for President Goodluck Jonathan as is done in other democracies, especially in the United States of America where Nigeria copied its Presidential system of government. Chief Clark canvassed the issue at a media briefing in Abuja where he rose in defence of President Goodluck Jonathan over claims made by Niger state Governor Babangida Aliyu of an existing single term agreement between northern state governors and the President. He stated that there was no such an agreement. The Ijaw leader pointed out that even if there was such an agreement, that the fact that the northern governors failed to keep their own part of the bargain to support candidate Jonathan at the polls had nullified any agreement whatsoever....

Lion Kills Woman While Having Sex: A woman has been killed by a lion while having sex in the bush with her boyfriend. Sharai Mawera, reports The Sun of London, was having sex with her boyfriend, who has not been named, when the big cat pounced on the woman in Kariba, near the Zambezi river in northern  Zimbabwe. Her fisherman boyfriend ran off naked while the lion mauled Sharai, a market worker. A friend told My Zimbabwe, a news website: “Unfortunately the woman was mauled to death by the lion, but her boyfriend managed to escape naked.” The pal said Sharai and her fisherman boyfriend would meet at their favourite beauty spot in the wild. He said: “The two were romping when the incident occurred. The lion came from behind and roared. “The guy managed to escape before stopping at a distance where he witnessed his companion being attacked.” Police officers and armed rangers from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority rushed to the scene where they dis...

Nigeria's Supreme Court To Decide Ekiti Governorship Case In May. Nnamdi Felix / Abuja. The Supreme Court on Monday fixed 31st May, to deliver judgment on an appeal instituted by former governor of Ekiti state, south west Nigeria, Mr. Segun Oni, wherein the former governor is asking the apex court to set aside an Appeal Court's judgment which removed him from office and to declare him the governor of the state. A full panel of the court presided by Justice Tanko Mohammed fixed the date after parties in the appeal adopted their briefs In his submission, Mr. Oni's lawyer, Mr. Joe Kyari Gadzama, a senior advocate of Nigeria urged the court to set aside the 15th October, 2010  judgment of the appellate court which sacked his client on ground of alleged likelihood of bias. He contended that the suspended President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Isah Salami who constituted and presided over the panel and also  wrote the judgment of that sacked Segun Oni f...

Nigeria's Pension Thief Slumps In Court Nnamdi Felix / Abuja Convicted pension thief, John Yahaya Yusufu, who is standing trial on an alleged false declaration of assets on Monday slumped in the dock while his trial was in progress. The accused is standing trial for not disclosing his interest in a N250 million fixed deposit which was fixed in the name of a company known as SY-A Global Services Limited, incorporated by him and solely owned by him and members of his immediate family at Zenith Bank International Plc. He was also alleged to have a N10 million fixed deposit in an account his company maintains at First Bank of Nigeria Plc and another N29 million fixed through one Mr. Danjuma Mele, who is also scheduled to testify as a witness in the trial. Soon as the court resumed, Yusufu’s lawyer, Mr. Maiyaki, moved an application seeking bail for the recently convicted pension thief. He told the court that the offence for which his client is standing trial is ordinarily bai...

University annuls degree awarded ex-governor Kalu Published by pmnews The Senate of Nigeria’s Abia State University, Uturu, has revoked the degree in Government and Public Administration that it claimed was “fraudulently awarded” to former Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu by the University. The Registrar, Mr E.O Onuoha said the decision to revoke the certificate was taken at the 69th extra-ordinary meeting of the Senate, held on Friday, March 1, 2013. The statement maintained that the action followed “the findings and recommendations of an investigative panel into allegations of a breach of Academic Regulations of the University’’ in the admission of Kalu. It further stated that the findings showed that the certificate “was fraudulently awarded’’ by the University. Onuoha, who doubles as the Secretary of the Senate, stated that Kalu did not complete the mandatory three academic years, comprising six semesters, before the certificate was awarded to him. While stating that the for...

Court Clears Jonathan To Contest 2015 Election Nnamdi Felix / Abuja An Abuja High Court presided by Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi, on Friday held that President Goodluck Jonathan is eligible to contest the forthcoming 2015 Presidential election if he so desires. The court held that Jonathan's assumption of the office of the President after the demise of late former President Umar Yar'Adua was in line with what the National Assembly aptly described as doctrine of necessity and not as a result of emerging winner in any bye election conducted after the death of the late former President. "After the death of Umar Yar'Adua, there was no election or bye election, President Jonathan was merely asked to assume the office of the President in line with Doctrine of necessity. He was not elected as the President but was made to assume office by virtue of Yar'Adua's death. Having exhausted the late President's tenure, he sought for his party's ticket and ran for th...