Category: Judiciary - Page 27 - African News Today

We Lack Power to Disqualify Obaseki – INEC

8Nov

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

We Lack Power to Disqualify Obaseki – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated that it lacks the power to investigate or disqualify candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo during the September 19 election of Governor Godwin Obaseki, over alleged forgery of the University of Ibadan’s (UI) certificate. The electoral commission noted that only a court order could disqualify a governorship candidate from participating in an election. INEC stated that it could not investigate the originality, authenticity, or otherwise of the disputed UI’s first-degree certificate presented to the commission by Edo Governor because it was beyond its responsibility. The electoral commission, as the first respondent in the petition filed by Action Democratic Party (ADP) and its governorship candidate, I...

Court Requests Kogi Govt.To Pay Impeached N180m Owed Allowances Deputy Governor

4Nov

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

Judiciary, News, Nigeria

Court Requests Kogi Govt.To Pay Impeached N180m Owed Allowances Deputy Governor

The National Industrial Court in Abuja has asked the Kogi State Government to pay former deputy governor of the state, Simon Achuba, who was impeached in October 2016, N180m in unpaid security votes for 16 months. Channels TV reports that he had approached the court seeking for N921,572,758 for security vote, monthly imprest, traveling allowances, outstanding memos and statutory allocations due to his office as then deputy governor. The judgment, which was read on Wednesday by Justice Oyebiola Oyewunmi, said the sum of N180m will be paid to Achuba as outstanding security votes due to him from April 2018 to August 2019. The court ordered that if the Yahaya Bello administration does not pay Achuba within the period of 30 days, 30% interest will be paid monthly. Part of the more tha...

Judicial Panel Turns Down LCC’s Request to Assume Control of Lekki Tollgate

3Nov

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Judiciary, Lagos News, News, Nigeria

Judicial Panel Turns Down LCC’s Request to Assume Control of Lekki Tollgate

The Judicial Panel of Inquiry setup to unravel the incidence that took place at Lekki toll gate area of Lagos State on October 20, 2020 has refused the request by operators of the tollgate, Lekki Concession Company (LCC), to resume activities at the tollgate. In a brief ruling on Tuesday, retired Justice Doris Okuwobi, Chairman of the panel, said the tollgate plaza would remain shut down. According to the judge, the panel might need to pay subsequent visits to the tollgate plaza after watching the video footage obtained from a surveillance camera turned in by the LCC on Tuesday. The decision followed the plea by Rotimi Seriki, counsel for LCC, for the company to take possession of the tollgate plaza to enable an evaluation of the level of damage done to the facility for the purpos...

Judicial Panels Must Investigate Lekki Shooting, Ensure Accountability for Crime – UK

27Oct

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Judiciary, Lagos News, News, Nigeria, Security, Violence

Judicial Panels Must Investigate Lekki Shooting, Ensure Accountability for Crime – UK

The United Kingdom has called for the probe of the shooting at Lekki Toll Gate area of Lagos and other related incidents that occurred during the #EndsARS protests. Security forces had opened fire at peaceful demonstrators at the Lekki toll gate areas after protesters had camped there for weeks demanding for an end to police brutality and a reform of the force. The United Kingdom High Commission in Nigeria disclosed in a tweet on its verified Twitter handle on Monday that perpetrators of crimes must be brought to book. The Commission urged security agencies to apply restraint in its bid to restore law and order in the country. The tweet read, “We remain concerned by acts of looting & violence in Flag of Nigeria & urge security services use restraint as order is restored...

Lekki Shooting: Fashola Tampered with Evidence at Lekki Toll by Retrieving Hidden Camera without the Consent of the Panel

26Oct

By adminNo Comments

Crime, Human Rights, Judiciary, Justice, Lagos News, Law Enforcement, News, Nigeria

Lekki Shooting: Fashola Tampered with Evidence at Lekki Toll by Retrieving Hidden Camera without the Consent of the Panel

Senior Advocate of Nigeria and respected human rights activist, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has noted that removing of a camera at the Lekki Toll by the former Lagos Governor and current minister for works, Babatunde Raji Fashola, amounts to evidence tampering. In a post made available publicly, the attorney noted that it was illegal for any individual to carry out any kind of investigation at the toll at this time without the express permission of the panel. The full statement is published below. "USURPATION OF POWERS OF THE PANEL OF INQUIRY ON SARS ABUSES "On Sunday, October 25, 2020, it was widely publicized that Ministers and Governors of the South-West visited the Governor of Lagos State on a sympathy tour of structures affected by the wanton looting and destruction that took pla...

Sanwo-Olu Releases Names of Police Officers Under Prosecution for Right Violation

23Oct

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Human Rights, Judiciary, Justice, Lagos News, News, Nigeria

Sanwo-Olu Releases Names of Police Officers Under Prosecution for Right Violation

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has released a list of police officers being prosecuted for violation of human rights in the state. Sanwo-Olu who disclosed this in a post on his verified Twitter handle on Friday expressed optimism that the time is right to rebuild the state. The development comes at a time when thousands of youths across Nigeria had taken to the streets to demand for an end to police brutality and extrajudicial killings perpetrated by the operatives of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). Lagos state has been rocked by demonstrations protesting Police brutality and the shooting of peaceful protesters at the Lekki toll gate area by security operatives on Tuesday. Sanwo-Olu said, “Today seems like a good day to get on to the work of rebuild...

Lagos Shootings Amount to Extrajudicial Executions, Must Be Investigated – Amnesty International

22Oct

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Judiciary, News, Nigeria, Safety, Security, Violence

Lagos Shootings Amount to Extrajudicial Executions, Must Be Investigated – Amnesty International

Amnesty International has admitted that security operatives killed scores of peaceful protesters in two locations in Lagos State on Tuesday. This was disclosed in a statement by Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Osai Ojigho on Wednesday, noting that the killings occurred at Lekki toll gate area and Alausa where multitude of Nigerian youths have staged peaceful protest against police brutality and demanding for a reform of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). According to Ojigho, their findings which were informed by eyewitness, video footage and hospital reports revealed that the Nigerian military shot at thousands of people who were peacefully protesting as part of the #EndSARS movement in the late hours of Tuesday. “Witnesses at the Lekki protest grounds told Amnesty interna...

Seek Redress in Court, Witnesses and Evidence Readily Available – Fani-Kayode Tells Precious

4Oct

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Judiciary, News, Nigeria

Seek Redress in Court, Witnesses and Evidence Readily Available – Fani-Kayode Tells Precious

Former minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has dared his estranged wife to head to the courts to prove her allegations of physical abuse. Fani-Kayode disclosed this on his official Twitter handle on Sunday in reaction to an online viral video which showed the former minister exchanging words with his estranged wife, Precious Chikwendu. The couple recently fell out with the wife accusing Fani-kayode of physical abuse while he has rebuffed such claims. He alleged to have caught his alienated wife in bed with a married man. He said, “I have chosen to take the high horse and I refuse to allow my estranged wife to turn the affairs of my personal life into a public circus. If she has any issues let her use the right medium as a responsible adult and mother and stop secretly feeding ...

Edo 2020: Do Not Rejoice Yet, Ize-Iyamu Tells Gov Obaseki

3Oct

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Elections, Judiciary, News, Nigeria

Edo 2020: Do Not Rejoice Yet, Ize-Iyamu Tells Gov Obaseki

The All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate in the recently concluded Edo State governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has dismissed claims that the party will not contest the outcome of the election, saying a decision will be taken after collating facts. Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Godwin Obaseki was declared winner of the gubernatorial poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after garnering 307,955 votes across 18 local government areas while Ize-Iyamu polled 223,619 votes. Ize-Iyamu in a congratulatory message to the people of the state on the occasion of the country’s 60th Independence Anniversary said many people had inquired his reaction to the outcome of the since announcement of the results. “The question is after Septembe...

Breaking: Appeal Court Affirms Gov. Diri’s Election

2Oct

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Breaking News, Elections, Judiciary, News, Nigeria

Breaking: Appeal Court Affirms Gov. Diri’s Election

The Court of Appeal in Abuja today has upheld the election of the Bayelsa State governor, Duoye Diri. The court set aside the August 18, 2020 verdict of the Bayelsa State Governorship Petitions Tribunal which had ordered a fresh poll to be conducted within 90 days. The Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party (ANDP), had petitioned the court over alleged unlawful exclusion of its candidate, King George from the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The tribunal had in a split decision of two-to-one, voided the November 16, 2019 Bayelsa State governorship poll. However, a five-man panel of the Court of Appeal headed by Justice Adeliza Mshelia upturned the lower court’s verdict and validated Diri’s election. The PDP and INEC had filed separate appeals agains...