Just In: Court orders DSS to release Emefiele within 7 days

Federal High Court sitting at Maitama, Abuja has ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to within seven days, release the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, from detention or charge him to court.

The order was made by Justice Hamza Muazu on Thursday, July 13, 2023, after an application by Joseph Daudu, counsel to Emefiele.

The judge held that Emefiele’s continued detention without trial, amounted to a gross violation of his fundamental human rights, adding that  the Nigerian Constitution was founded on the rule of law which he said pre-supposed that everything must be done according to the law.

Detention, no matter how small can amount to a breach of fundamental rights,” the court held, adding that since allegations against the embattled suspended CBN Governor contained bailable offences, the DSS ought to grant him administrative bail, pending his prosecution.

Nevertheless, the court, said that there was evidence before it to show that there was an order from an Abuja Chief Magistrate Court that permitted the security agency to detain Emefiele for a period of 14 days to enable it to conclude its investigations.

It held that Emefiele did not establish that his arrest, detention and investigation was unlawful since it was based on a valid court order.

Describing the DSS as a reputable institution mandated to guarantee internal security of the country, Justice Muazu, said it must conduct its operations with strict adherence to provisions of the Constitution.

“Though I am in sympathy with the Applicant (Emefiele), but my sentiment will not go far to deliver judgement by granting all the reliefs sought by the Applicant.

“The Applicant has not shown that his arrest, detention and investigation were unlawful.

“However, I am concerned that the application is not without merit. The Applicant is entitled to fair hearing.

 At this point, the continued detention of the Applicant cannot be justified in the absence of any charge against him. At the very least, justice demands that Applicant should be released on administrative bail.

Consequently, I hereby male an order, directing the Respondents to within one week, charge the Applicant to court or release him on administrative bail,” the court held.

The judgement followed a fundamental rights enforcement suit that Emefiele filed through his team of lawyers led by a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr. Joseph Daudu, SAN.

Emefiele, who has been in detention since June 9, had in his suit marked: FCaccused the DSS of violating his constitutional rights to liberty, freedom of movement and fair hearing.

Just In: Tinubu emerges ECOWAS chairman

President Bola Tinubu emerged as the new chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government on Sunday in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.

President Tinubu, who is the latest entrant into the exclusive club of Heads of State in West Africa, enthusiastically accepted the honour, on behalf of Nigeria, with a solemn pledge to bear the responsibility of the office and run an inclusive administration of the regional organisation.

The Nigerian leader, however, warned that the threat to peace in the sub-region had reached an alarming proportion with terrorism and an emerging pattern of military takeover that now demand urgent and concerted actions.

He said insecurity and creeping terrorism were stunting the progress and development of the region.

President Tinubu called for collective action from member-states, pledging that under his leadership, frameworks would be harmonized to actualize the dreams of ECOWAS.

“On peace and security, the threat has reached an alarming level and needs urgent actions in addressing the challenges. Indeed, without a peaceful environment, progress and development in the region will continue to remain elusive. In this regard, we must remain committed to the utilisation of all regional frameworks at our disposal to address the menace of insecurity,” he declared.

The president noted that ECOWAS had developed a security architecture, which “covers a wide range of areas that involved kinetic and non-kinetic operations, including preventive diplomacy. There is also the Regional Plan of Action on Fight against Terrorism 2020-2024 as well as the operationalization of the ECOWAS Standby Force on Fight Against Terrorism.

“I will ensure that we immediately harmonize these plans and mobilize resources as well as the political will towards the actualisation of the initiatives. As terrorists do not respect boundaries, we must work collectively to have an effective regional counterterrorism measure,” he further stated.

On his emergence as Chairman on his first participation at the summit, having just started out as the elected leader of Nigeria, President Tinubu stated that he was humbled and honoured by the trust to assume the leadership of the regional body, pledging his commitment to serve the interest of the community.

He said: “Indeed, I’m humbled and honoured by this trust, and want to assure you of my unalloyed commitment to provide the necessary leadership with a dedication to serve the interest of the community.”

To underscore his commitment towards regional integration, the Nigerian leader declared that he would prioritize political stability, peace and security, regional economic integration and strengthening of the ECOWAS institutions, declaring that democracy and good governance remain the abiding cornerstone of peace and sustainable development.

While decrying the emerging pattern of coup d’etat in West Africa where soldiers have truncated the popular mandate, President Tinubu charged ECOWAS to stand firm in defence of democracy.

“We must stand firm on democracy. There is no governance, freedom and rule of law without Democracy. We will not accept coup after coup in West Africa again. Democracy is very difficult to manage but it is the best form of government.

“There is no one here among us who did not campaign to be a leader. We didn’t give our soldiers resources, we didn’t invest in them, in their boots, in their training to violate the freedom of the people. To turn their guns against civil authorities is a violation of the principles upon which they were hired, which is, to defend the sovereignty of their nations. We must not sit in ECOWAS as toothless bulldogs,” the President warned.

On political stability, he said: “You will all agree with me that democracy and good governance are the cornerstones of peace and sustainable development of every society. I’m fully committed to deepening democracy and good governance in the region.

“We must strengthen our democratic institutions and ensure the respect for human rights and the rule of law. I will enhance engagements with the countries in transition to ensure their quick return to democratic rule.”

The new ECOWAS Chairman called for improved private sector participation in the effort towards the economic development of Member States as well as their social integration.

“We would work collectively to pursue an inclusive economic integration, which will be significantly private sector driven, in order to unlock the vast economic potentials of our region. We would actively promote trade, investment, and business cooperation among Member States by addressing the barriers impeding intra-regional trade, as well as creating a conducive business environment.

“We must encourage economic partnerships to raise the level of trade and investments in our region, hence facilitating employment creation and sustainable development and prosperity for our citizens.

“To this end, we must look inward and work with our regional economic facilitation platforms such as the Federation of West Africa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FEWACCI) as well as the ECOWAS Trade Organisation Network to attain our desired goals,” he added.

President Tinubu assured the regional leaders of the immediate implementation of his vision for the body, declaring that:

“In furtherance of my vision for our region’s economic recovery and growth, Nigeria intends to convene an ECOWAS Extra Ordinary Summit on Trade and Investment in October 2023.

“The event will provide opportunity for Member States to showcase their potentials and encourage match-making, in order to evolve business cooperation among the various organized private sectors within the region,” he added, while calling for the strengthening of the institutions of the body.

“In the area of strengthening our Organisation’s Institutions and ensuring effective performance, we underscore the need for the conclusion of the on-going institutional reforms of the organization.

“Given that Community Levy remained the biggest source of generating funds to run our organization, we must ensure that our citizens being taxed must be positively impacted by the programmes and projects of ECOWAS. This is in line with the shift of ECOWAS slogan from ‘ECOWAS of State’ to ‘ECOWAS of People,'” President Tinubu emphasised.

He appreciated the Authority of Heads of States and citizens of the Community for trusting him to lead the West African body, saying, “Your Excellencies, let me conclude by once again deeply appreciating the Authority of Heads of State and the citizens of the Community for your trust in me. Together, we can shape a brighter future of shared values of peace, democracy, and economic prosperity of our region.”

In his welcome address, the outgone ECOWAS Chairman and President of Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embalo saluted his fellow leaders for sustaining the vision of the organisation despite the global economic headwinds and trouble spots within the region. He cited Mali, Burkina Faso and Republic of Guinea as countries where the constitutional order had been distorted while congratulating Nigeria and Sierra Leone for sustaining constitutional order through democratic process with the recent successful elections.

Just In: Super Eagles Goalkeeper, Sochima, Wife, welcome 1st Child (See Images)

Super Eagles goalkeeper Sochima Victor welcomed the birth of his first Child with his beloved Wife Juliet Chisom.

Announcing the birth of his baby boy, the Rivers United safest hand wrote "All thanks to God for safe delivery...Sochima Victor Jnr is here".

Sochima made the Super Eagles 23-man list that defeated Sierra Leone in Matchday 5 of the 2023 African Nations Cup qualifier on June 18th at the Samuel Doe Stadium, Liberia.

He led Rivers United to pick the CAF Confederation Cup ticket at the Nigeria Premier Football League Super 6 Playoffs in Lagos.

Reps set to investigate alleged 'forgery' of UTME result

 The house of representatives has resolved to investigate the alleged forgery of the unified tertiary matriculation examination (UTME) result by Ejikeme Mmesoma.

The lower legislative chamber passed the resolution during plenary on Wednesday, following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Awaji-Inombek Abiante, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker from Rivers.

Since the release of the 2023 UTME results, Mmesoma, a student of Anglican Girls Secondary School in Nnewi, has been attracting accolades from many Nigerians for allegedly being “the top scorer”.

However, the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), alleged that she manipulated her result to “deceive the public to fraudulently obtain a scholarship and other recognitions”.

 In a statement on Sunday, the exam body said the student “actually got 249 in the exam and not 362”.

However,  Mmesoma dismissed the forgery allegation against her, insisting that she printed her result from the board’s portal.

Leading the debate on motion on Wednesday, Abiante said JAMB is ascribing to itself the powers to accuse, investigate and punish without giving the opportunity of a fair hearing.

The person in question does not have the opportunity to sit here with us to be heard. She may not also have the opportunity to convoke press conferences like JAMB is trying to do,” Abiante said.

The lawmaker said it is the duty of parliament to “protect those who cannot protect themselves, especially since the person in question is a minor”.

Contributing to the motion, Sada Soli from Katsina, said the app the student printed her result from was previously utilised by JAMB some years back but the examination body stopped using it when “they realised that a similar version of it was cloned”.

“This girl was manipulated by some individuals in order to take advantage of her talents to cash-in on the privileges that come with the highest score,” Soli said

Diphtheria: 4-Year-Old Confirmed Dead in Abuja-FCTA

A four-year-old has been confirmed dead by Dr Sadiq Abdulrahman the   Federal Capital Territory Director,  Public Health Department,  following the breakout of Diphtheria in parts of the city of Abuja.

 Abdulrahman, mentioned this at a news conference on Monday, in Abuja yesterday.

Abdulrahman, while addressing the news conference, said the disease had already killed a four-year-old, adding that outbreaks earlier recorded in Lagos, Ondo, and Kano states in January, had triggered a national response by the Nigeria Centre for Disease and Control.

Diphtheria is an infection caused by strains of a bacteria known as Corynebacterium Diphtheriae which produces toxins that cause difficulty in breathing, and heart rhythm problems, and could lead to death.

The Director said the outbreak was confirmed after tests on samples of suspected cases in a community near Dei-Dei, came back positive.

“Two weeks ago, we got information from a community within the FCT of eight cases and that made our team to pick some samples.

“The samples were taken to the National Reference Laboratory, Gaduwa, and the NCDC, and one of the suspected cases came out positive,” he said.

 He urged residents to report any strange symptoms, particularly respiratory challenges to relevant authorities and tasked them to maintain good personal hygiene.

Abdulrahman said the Department was collaborating with neighbouring states, to checkmate the spread of the disease through border surveillance.

Also, the Executive Secretary, FCT Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Yahaya Vatsa, warned that unvaccinated people who lived in crowded and unhygienic environments were at high risk of contracting the disease.

He urged residents to ensure that their children were fully vaccinated, in line with the National Childhood Immunization Schedule.

“To reduce the risk of contracting the disease, FCT residents are hereby advised to ensure that their children are fully vaccinated with three doses of the pentavalent vaccine. This is recommended in the National Childhood Immunisation Schedule,” he said.

Vatsa advised individuals with any of the signs and symptoms to isolate themselves and notify the FCT Disease Surveillance Notification Officer or the Emergency Operation Center, through the FCT Call Center toll-free lines.

Tiwa Savage Paved Way For Female Artistes- Ex-Husband, Teebillz

Tunji Balogun, aka Teebillz, a music executive and estranged husband of Tiwa Savage, has stressed that his ex-wife Tiwa Savage paved the way for female artistes in Nigeria.

The music executive stated this via his Instagram page on Sunday.

Sharing a photo of his ex-wife, he wrote, “Without her, without me no female artiste will stand the chance… Let’s start the debate! She’s still the GOAT regardless.”

Teebillz who was the ex-manager of Tiwa Savage, also harped on his contributions to the success of Nigerian female music stars.

Recall that Teebillz and Tiwa Savage got married on November 23, 2013.

The couple welcomed a son, Jamal, in 2015 before officially parting ways in 2018 following allegations of infidelity and drug addiction by both parties.

Teebillz who was the ex-manager of Tiwa Savage, also harped on his contributions to the success of Nigerian female music stars.

Falana Calls On FG To Address Economic Hardship

 As a result of the fuel subsidy removal by the Federal government, Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, (SAN) has implored the Federal Government to urgently address the suffering of Nigerians.

Falana made the call while featuring on Channels TV’s Politics Today programme on Friday night.

He noted that the fuel subsidy regime is a result of the irresponsibility of the government and its failed promises to reform the oil sector.

“The government will have to move speedily to address the suffering of the people, undeserved pains inflicted on the people, because of the irresponsibility of the Nigerian ruling class,” he said.

The human rights lawyer noted that the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari did not keep to the promise he made in 2015 to fix all the refineries when he gets to power.

The human rights activist, therefore, called on the Federal Government to act fast to alleviate the citizens’ sufferings.

It would be recalled that President Bola Tinubu, in his inaugural speech on May 29, declared that “fuel subsidy is gone”, a move that has generated mixed reactions and also led to an increase in the price of petrol across the country.

 According to Falana, what is important in the implementation of government policies is to look at the impact it has on the people.

“It’s clear that those who initially applauded the removal of fuel subsidy are beginning to appreciate the enormity of the crisis that it has caused for the country. They are now mounting pressure on the government to fast-track the process of cushioning the effects of the removal,” he said.

He also urged the FG to investigate the fuel subsidy policy as implemented for years.

“No doubt there was a lot of fraud that characterized the management of fuel subsidy and the government will have to investigate that,” he said.

Chinedu Okonkwo, National President of the Independent Petrolejm Marketers on Friday June 30 in an interview with presume said the federal government has raked in N400 billion due to fuel subsidy removal in the last 30 days.