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Boko Haram's offer of a conditional ceasefire throws up more questions than answers By Nnamdi Felix Published by TheNEWS Magazine on 11th November, 2012 About a forthnight ago, the violent fundamentalist sect, Boko Haram, waved some sort of an olive branch when it issued conditions for a ceasefire to the federal government. The group has been behind the killing of over 2500 people and unfettered destruction of properties in the northern part of the country. Nigerians, who had become traumatised with the wave of violence, heaved a sigh of relief at the prospect of an end to the menace of the sect and the untold hardship it had engendered. Many citizens happily raised their voices in support of the call for negotiations by the sect. The peace offer is, however, fraught with questions. The source of the offer, one Abu Muhammad Ibn Abdulazeez, in a teleconference with some journalists in Maiduguri, said the group was willing to lay down its arms and dialogue through intermediarie...

Discrimination Mars Swearing In of Court of Appeal Justices Nnamdi Felix / Abuja The swearing in ceremony of some Court of Appeal Justices at the Supreme Court complex in Abuja on Monday was marred by the discrimination meted out to one of the female justices whose name was removed on the basis of a controversial petition against her on the grounds that the state she represents is not her state of origin. A list of twelve Justices was initially released by the apex court for the swearing ceremony but the inclusion of Justice Ifeoma Jombo-Ofo, who was appointed a High Court judge on 4th November 1998 following her call to Bar in 1979, as representing Abia state where she had served for many years after her marriage to Mr. Jombo- Ofo, an indigene of the state, drew the ire of some indigenes of the state. Information gathered from the apex court indicate that a petition was forwarded to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, alleging that Justice Jombo-Of...

Clark wants EFCC boss sacked over Ibori's money Published on Thursday, 1st November, 2012 by pmnews Nnamdi Felix /Abuja The war of words raging between Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde and elder statesman and leader of the Niger Delta, Chief Edwin Clark, over the controversial $15 million bribe money offered by former governor of Nigeria’s oil rich Delta state to former chairman of the EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu, continued Thursday as the elder statesman restated his call for the sack of Lamorde from the agency. In a media briefing at his Abuja home, Chief Clark blasted the EFCC chairman over his application before a Federal High Court siting in Abuja asking that Clark, be summoned before the court for making prejudicial statements over ongoing proceedings in the alleged bribe money still at the custody of the Central Bank of Nigeria. The anti graft agency had approached the court seeking for the forfeiture of the money to the feder...

Amnesty International Accuses Nigeria of Abuse on Terror War Published on 1st November 2012, by pmnews Nnamdi Felix / Abuja The Amnesty International on Thursday in Abuja released its report on the observed atrocities carried out by the dreaded Islamic fundamentalist sect, Boko Haram as well as the serious human rights violations perpetrated by Nigerian security operatives in response to these acts of terrorism, including enforced disappearance, torture, extra judicial executions, torching of homes and detention without trials. The report titled Nigeria: Trapped in the circle of violence, documents these violent acts by Boko Haram and the response of the Nigerian security forces against persons suspected to be members of the sect. Presenting the report to the public in Abuja, the Secretary General of the global body, Mr. Salil Shetty, noted that the cycle of attack and counter attack had been marked by unlawful violence on both sides, with devastating consequences for the human...

Adekeye, Apex Court Jurist, Bows Out By Felix Nnamdi / Judiciary Correspondent Published on Wednesday, 31 October, 2012 by pmnews Supreme Court jurist, Justice Olufnlola Oyelola Adekeye, who attained the mandatory retirement age of 70 years on 28 October, retired from service in a valedictory session held in her honour on Wednesday at the Supreme Court complex in Abuja, Nigeria's capital. The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukhtar, praised Justice Adekeye’s great ability to incisively deal with issues in a matter and noted that the retiring jurist communicates in the most simple and analytical manner that is highly commendable. "Justice Adekeye is very versatile, a quality she brought to bear on her judgments. It is no wonder she was found worthy for appointment as presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal in the Ilorin Division in 2008," the CJN added. Also speaking at the event, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Moham...

Court Throws Out Bakassi Indigenes' Suit Published on Wednesday, 24 October, 2012 by pmnews Nnamdi Felix / Abuja A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday threw out the suit filed by indigenes of Bakassi in Cross Rivers state seeking for an order to void the Green Tree Agreement that Nigeria signed with Cameroon in 2006. The Green Tree Agreement officially marked the ceding of the oil rich peninsula to Cameroon by Nigeria and it also gave effect to the 2002 judgment of the International Court of Justice declaring Cameroon as the lawful owner of Bakkasi. The applicants had sought for an order of mandamus compelling the Federal Government to re possess, occupy and take full legal and administrative control of the Bakassi Peninsula. Delivering ruling on the motion ex parte, Justice Gabriel Kolawole held that the reliefs being sought by the plaintiffs were political in nature. He said that it was clear that the applicants counsel had a misconception of what he w...

Ndume Admitted Links to Boko Haram, Says SSS Published on Wednesday 24, October 2012 by Nnamdi Felix / Abuja An operative of the State Security Service, SSS, on Wednesday told a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that embattled Senator Aliyu Mohammed Ndume who is standing trial for allegedly providing finance and logistics to the dreaded Boko Haram Islamic fundamentalists sect, admitted having links with the sect. Senator Ndume represents Borno South Senatorial District at the National Assembly. The operative, Mr. James Ene Izi appeared as prosecution witness 2 in the on-going trial of the senator and made the disclosure while giving evidence. He further stated that the embattled senator confessed to having telephone interactions with the jailed former spokesperson of the sect, Ali Konduga in a voluntary statement he offered during interrogation at the SSS headquarters. Mr. Izi added that when the senator and Konduga were made to face each other, Ndume claimed to be see...