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SUPEME COURT JUDGMENT:  CHIEF (DR) CHEKWAS OKORIE REACTS TO POLICE PROSECUTION OF APGA NATIONAL CHAIRMAN, CHIEF EDOZIE NJOKU JUDICIAL ABOMINATION AND THE LOUDNESS OF SILENCE Today I have decided to draw the attention of Nigerians to a judicial abomination, a criminal rascality and great travesty being perpetrated through a conspiracy by some staffers of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, some  officers of the Police and the Independent National Electoral Commission.  So great is this travesty that a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Hon. Justice Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili came out of retirement to respond to a letter seeking for the affirmation of a judgment given by a Panel she chaired.  The tragedy is that not one lawyer; senior or junior, has protested the rubbishing of the Supreme Court nor the persecution of an innocent man.  The deafening silence of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Nigerian Labour Congress, the Nigerian Union of Journalists, and Civil Society...

APGA: Edozie Njoku Arraigned Over Alleged Forgery Of Supreme Court Judgement At last, Edozie Njoku who claims to be the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA) will be arraigned today before Justice M. A. Madugu of FCT High Court 40 Bwari, Abuja, in criminal Charge No: CR/12/2022. A top APGA chieftain, who would not want to be named at this stage of the matter, confirmed the development to our correspondent in Awka, the Anambra State capital on Monday. Njoku has severally claimed to be the National Chairman of APGA against Dr Victor Oye, who several courts had authenticated as the National Chairman of the party following the party’s convention in that respect. But Njoku had recently paraded a Supreme Court judgement purporting himself as the the rightful National Chairman of the party. To further prove his case, Njoku paraded a document allegedly signed by a retired Supreme Court Justice, Mary Odili, that he claimed ruled that he was the National Chairman of the ...

 Supreme Court Orders Retrial Of Ogun PDP Guber Suit The crisis rocking the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party deepened on Monday with the Supreme Court dismissing an appeal filed before it on the nomination of the party’s governorship candidate. The Apex Court consequently ordered that the suit instituted by a governorship aspirant, Jimi Lawal, be remitted to the Federal High Court for a fresh trial. Justice Ibrahim Saulawa in a judgment in the appeal of the PDP held that the Federal High Court was wrong in declining jurisdiction in the matter of Jimi Lawal. The Apex Court agreed with the Court of Appeal in Abuja that the FHC had jurisdiction under Section 285 of the 1999 constitution and Section 84 (14) of the Electoral Act 2022 to hear the matter of Lawal on its merit. The Supreme Court therefore ordered the case be remitted to the Chief Judge of the FHC, Justice John Tsoho, in Abuja for determination by another Judge other than Justice Taiwo Taiwo who refused to...

11 DIED OF SUSPECTED FOOD POISONING IN BENUE No fewer than eleven people have died of food poisoning in the Ikobi community in the Apa local government area of Benue State. The incident, according to locals happened last week Monday when the people ate food suspected to have been poisoned. Those who were reported to have lost their lives were identified to include: Adi Ale, Ochefije Ojo, Maria Ojo, Aipu Ochefije, Aboyi Ngbede Ochefije, Mary Ochoyoda and Ehi Abu Others are: Blessing Abu, Peace Ochoyoda, Ojochono Daniel and Favour Edoh. But Police in the State confirmed that twelve people were affected but seven died. The State Command spokesperson, Catherine Anene told our correspondent on the phone on Monday that the incident happened last week Monday. According to the PPRO, a woman had gone to the house of her family members who died of food poison three months ago and cleaned up the house only for her to pack some foodstuffs from the house to her house. The same food was said to have...

GOV ORTOM DISTRIBUTES VEHICLES TO PDP CAMPAIGN TEAM Benue State Governor and Chairman of the PDP Campaign Council in the state, Samuel Ortom has distributed vehicles to the campaign team in the state. The Governor distributed the campaign vehicles Monday, November 21st, 2022 shortly after presiding over the PDP State Campaign Council and Campaign Management Committee strategic meeting held at the new Banquet Hall of the Benue Peoples House, Makurdi. According to the Governor, the vehicles were meant to enhance movement and other logistics for the campaign as the party embarks on intensive campaigns and mobilisations in the state ahead of next year's polls. Governor Ortom had earlier in his brief remarks at the meeting, reaffirmed that the party had no issues in the Benue State and was strategizing on winning the 2023 elections. He said the party in the state will not rest on its oars until it emerges victorious at the 2023 polls. "We want to work very hard with our people and ...

2022 NATIONAL SPORTS FESTIVAL: IMO ATHLETES WILL MAKE US PROUD - GOV. UZODIMMA The Torch of Unity for the 2022 National Sports Festival, which is making its way across the country has arrived in Imo State. While receiving the Torch, the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma expressed confidence in the victory of Imo athletes at the Festival in Delta State. The Governor disclosed that the movement of the Torch of Unity from state to state is an initiative of the Federal Government to unify the Nation through sports after the Civil war. He promised that the Shared Prosperity administration will support the State's sportsmen and women at the festival. The Torch was presented to the Governor by the Nigeria's first Gold Medalist and Imo indigene, Ms. Chioma Ajuwa. More photos below. 

KDSG Security Update: Sunday 20th November 2022.  Air Component of OPWP continues air strikes against bandit enclaves in Kaduna -Some bandits neutralized  The Air Component of Operation Whirl Punch has continued aerial assaults on identified bandit enclaves around Kaduna State over the last week.  According to an operational feedback to the Kaduna State Government, a major enclave south of Kidandan, Giwa LGA, which was confirmed as the hideout of a bandit Alhaji Ganai, was struck and destroyed. The bandit and several others were neutralized in the strike.  The hideout of bandit Ali Kawaje in Birnin Gwari LGA was similarly targeted and destroyed, as well as those of bandits Musa Pajelo and Kachalla Bello. Targets were also engaged and destroyed in Walawa area, Fadaman Kanauta, and Kuduru. Bandits were sighted and neutralized in locations 4km southwest of Alhaji Ishiaka, 6km northeast of Maguzawa, and 2km west of Yelwa.  Several armed bandits were sighted and neut...

Two suspects aged 32 and 43, arrested for possession of a pangolin and an elephant tusk worth R1 million at the Beitbridge bridge border line, will appear before the Musina Magistrate's Court today on charges of possession of protected Species. The suspects were arrested on Friday 18 November 2022. The suspects were arrested following a sting joint operation by SAPS members comprising of Crime Intelligence Unit, Stock Theft and Endangered Species (STES) Unit, Beitbridge Task team joined by members of the SANDF and Wildlife centre after information was received about individuals who are in possession of protected Species and have just crossed into South Africa from Zimbabwe using a boat. More photos below. 

Anti-Ayu G-5 Governors Rebranded To Integrity Group  Five governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and some aggrieved party stalwarts, on Sunday, announced the formation of the Integrity Group within the party. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the G5 Governors led by Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers have been clamoring for the resignation of the PDP National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, shortly after the party Presidential ticket was won by a northerner, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Other governors in the group are Samuel Ortom of Benue, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia. The governors and some aggrieved party leaders are currently having a strategic meeting in Lagos, which may not be unconnected to the agitation for the removal of Ayu. NAN  

EFCC Secures Final Forfeiture of N775m, Luxury Apartments Linked to Ex- Accountant General, Otunla, Fadile The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, November 21, 2022, secured the final forfeiture of the sum of N775,000,000.00, (Seven Hundred and Seventy-five Million Naira), and three properties located at No. 8 Ajay Crowther Street, Asokoro, Abuja; a Plot of land at Plot 1960 Cadastral Zone A05 Maitama District, FCT, Abuja; a Hotel which is under construction with generating set, located at Plot 621, Road 37, Gwarimpa, FCT, Abuja and a twin 4 bedroom duplex with guard quarters located at Plot 736, 7th Avenue Gwarimpa, FCT, Abuja, before Justice D.U. Okorowo of the Federal High Court, Abuja. The money and properties are the product of illicit activities of a former Accountant General of the Federation Jonah Otunla and Colonel Bello Fadile, aide to former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki. Moving a motion for the final forfeiture of the assets today,...

N700m Diezani Cash: EFCC Re-arraigns Yero, Others The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on November 21, 2022 re-arraigned a former governor of Kaduna State, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero before Justice R.M Aikawa of the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna on an eight count amended charges bordering on money laundering. The re-arraignment is sequel to the transfer of the former trial judge, Justice M.G Umar, from the State. Yero is being prosecuted by the EFCC alongside Nuhu Somo Wya (a former minister), Ishaq Hamsa (a former Secretary to Kaduna State Government) and Abubakar Gaiya Haruna (a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state) for their alleged involvement in the receipt and disbursement of the sum of N700 million paid to them by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election. At today's sitting, the prosecution counsel, Nasiru Salele, told the Court that the case was f...

Abiodun: Ogun, NNPC to reconstruct Ogijo-Sagamu Road ...unveils 4-km Oba Erinwole Road, Sagamu The Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, has disclosed the readiness of its administration to collaborate with Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to reconstruct the dilapidated Ogijo-Sagamu Road. Abiodun, who made this disclosure on Monday at the official inauguration of the 4-kilometre Oba Erinwole Road in Sagamu Local Government Area of the state, said that work would  commence on the construction of Hospital Road in Sagamu during the week. He expressed his dismay that previous administrations left the Oba Erinwole Road unattended despite its direct bearing on the socio-economic lives of the people, which according to him led to the deplorable condition of the important road. "We realized that majority of these roads have direct bearing to the economic circumstances of our people. One of such neglected roads is this Oba Erinwole Road. By the time we came into office, the road...

PRESS STATEMENT ON THE LATE OLUWABAMISHE AYANWOLA COURT PROCEEDINGS THE STATE OF LAGOS V ANDREW NICE OMINIKORON – CHARGE NO LD/18316C/2022 1.      As we approach the first post-humous birthday of Oluwabamishe Ayanwola, the Lagos State Government again empathizes with the family on the incident that led to the untimely death of their loved one. The Government wishes to reiterate that it will, through the Ministry of Justice, leave no stone unturned in ensuring the diligent prosecution of the Defendant- Andrew Nice Ominikoron. 2.      Towards fulfilling this obligation, the Defendant was arrested by the Police on the 7th of March, 2022. 3.      A five-count charge, which includes the offences of Murder, Rape, Conspiracy to Commit a Felony and Sexual Assault, was preferred against the Defendant and he has since been arraigned before Justice Sherifat Sonaike of the High Court of Lagos State on 22nd of March 2022. 4.      In the pro...