Tag: Judiciary - Page 6 - African News Today

Kenyan Cleric Refuses To Leave Jail After Release

7May

By Chukwuebuka FestusNo Comments

Judiciary, Kenya, News

Kenyan Cleric Refuses To Leave Jail After Release

A Muslim cleric in Kenya has asked a court not to free him from jail despite being acquitted of terrorism charges. Guyo Gorsa Buru said he feared he could be abducted and killed by state agents once released as is alleged has happened to other terror suspects. He was arrested in 2018 and charged with possessing material that promoted a terrorist group and for collaborating with Somalia-based al-Shabab militants. The court in the capital has allowed him to remain in custody for 30 days. Earlier, a chief magistrate at Nairobi's Milimani law courts ruled that the state had failed to prove its case against Sheikh Buru. His lawyer has asked the High Court for the guarantee of state protection for his client once freed. Read Also: Catholic Priest, Others Convicted Over Alb...

Court Sacks Ex-Speaker, Dogara For Defecting To APC

23Apr

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Judiciary, Legislature, News, Nigeria

Court Sacks Ex-Speaker, Dogara For Defecting To APC

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Friday, declared the seat of the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, vacant, following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. The court, in a judgement that was delivered by Justice Donatus Okorowo, held that Dogara, having abandoned the political party that sponsored his election, ought to vacate his seat in line with the provisions of sections 68(1) (g) and 109 (1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. His sack followed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1060/2020, which was lodged before the court by the PDP. It will be recalled that Dogara was in 2019, re-elected on the platform of the PDP to represent Dass, Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro Federal Co...

Chinese Businessman Jailed 20 years in Rwanda For Torturing Local Mineworkers

22Apr

By Chukwuebuka FestusNo Comments

African Development, Human Rights, Justice, News, Rwanda, Violence

Chinese Businessman Jailed 20 years in Rwanda For Torturing Local Mineworkers

A court in Rwanda has jailed a Chinese national for 20 years for torturing local mineworkers after a video showing him whipping a man tied to a post went viral on social media. Sun Shujun, the manager of a mine in the west of the country, was convicted on Tuesday along with an accomplice following his arrest last September. “It is clear that (Sun) tortured the victims and issued corporal punishment with malicious intent, and this is a grave crime,” Judge Jacques Kanyarukiga ruled, ordering him to serve a 20-year term in prison. Sun, who was in court for the verdict, acknowledged assaulting two workers, saying he beat them because he was “frustrated and fed up of them constantly stealing minerals”. The 43-year-old had argued for his release, saying he compensated the two by pay...

Why Osinachi’s Husband Has Not Been Arraigned –Police

21Apr

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

Human Rights, Judiciary, Justice, News, Nigeria

Why Osinachi’s Husband Has Not Been Arraigned –Police

Justice The Nigeria Police Force on Wednesday said Peter Nwachukwu, the husband of the late gospel singer, Osinachi Nwachukwu, has not been charged to court because the police await the outcome of post-mortem examinations on the deceased to ascertain the cause of death. Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, made this known in a statement on Wednesday while giving an update on the matter. Adejobi also said the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, received the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Tallen, today in his office at the Louis Edet House, Force Headquarters, Abuja. “The Minister discussed amongst other things, the plight of women in Nigeria, particularly in relation to gender and domestic-based violence. She pointed out the recent case of the famous gospel ...

21Apr

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

Corruption, Judiciary, News, Nigeria, Uncategorized

Buhari Explains Pardon Granted Ex-Gov

Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame President Muhammadu Buhari says his anti-corruption war is on course despite the pardon granted to two former State chief executives. Former Governors of Plateau (Joshua Dariye) and Taraba (Jolly Nyame) were recently given a clean bill years after conviction for graft. Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu clarified the recent note presented to the Council of State after the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM) report. His statement Wednesday night said it was a culmination of a process begun by the convicts and others concerned in line with the constitution. Shehu maintained that Section 175 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) empowers the President to exercise his constitutional powers to grant a pardon. ...

Pardoning Corrupt Persons Impairs Existence Of Anti-Graft Agencies – Wike

19Apr

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Corruption, Judiciary, News, Nigeria

Pardoning Corrupt Persons Impairs Existence Of Anti-Graft Agencies – Wike

Nyesom WIke Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, yesterday, insisted that the presidential pardon for persons prosecuted on corruption charges only suggests that there “is no need to have anti-corruption agencies in the country.” He wondered how to explain the embarrassment the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) is made to suffer by the action, as they have been made to be irrelevant. A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, said the governor spoke during an interaction with delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano State, as part of his ongoing consultations ahead of its May 28 and 29 presidential primary. Wike said: “This is the same government that complained that the judic...

Why Wike Can’t Criticise Buhari Over State Pardon -Presidency

17Apr

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Corruption, News, Nigeria

Why Wike Can’t Criticise Buhari Over State Pardon -Presidency

Nyesom Wike The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, has said the criticism issued by the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, concerning the state pardon granted by the President, Muhammadu Buhari, to a former Governor of Plateau, Joshua Dariye, and his Taraba State counterpart, Jolly Nyame, lacked moral justification. Wike had criticised the state pardon, saying it ridiculed the judiciary which had convicted both men of corruption. The presidential hopeful, who spoke in Minna on Saturday, where he met with delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party, lamented that the Buhari regime is selective in its war against corruption. He said, “I want to tell you that this government is very deceptive and they have deceived us enough. “You ...

FG Pardons Ex-Govs Dariye, Nyame Convicted For Stealing N2.7bn

15Apr

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Finance, Judiciary, News, Nigeria

FG Pardons Ex-Govs Dariye, Nyame Convicted For Stealing N2.7bn

President Muhammadu Buhari The Council of State led by the President, Muhammadu Buhari, has approved the pardon of 159 convicts including a former Governor of Plateau State, Senator Joshua Dariye; and ex-Governor Jolly Nyame of Taraba State, who were both imprisoned for stealing N1.16bn and N1.6bn respectively. Confirming Dariye’s pardon, the Commissioner for Information, Dan Manjang, told The Punch that the ex-governor had been given a second chance. He added “Every Plateau man is happy about it and we give kudos to the President for honouring us in this manner .We want to also thank whoever that has a hand in making it happen because everybody makes mistakes and you can make errors while in governance. “As of today, he (Dariye ) has been given a reprieve as if nothing has ha...

Fake Army General Remanded Over N266m Fraud

12Apr

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Judiciary, News, Nigeria

Fake Army General Remanded Over N266m Fraud

Justice Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting at Ikeja on Monday remanded a suspected imposter, Abiodun Bolarinwa, in the Ikoyi Custodial Centre over fraud. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in January 2022 arrested the defendant, who claimed to be a military general to access a N270m loan from a transportation company, Kodef Clearing Resources. Reports say that Bolarinwa allegedly told the company that President Muhammdu Buhari shortlisted him for appointment as the Chief of Army Staff and he needed a quick grant to process the appointment. It was alleged that he forged a letter of appointment bearing the signature of the president. Bolarinwa was charged with 13 counts. The charges read in part, “Bolarinwa Abiodun between ...

Court Strikes Out Eight Of 15 Charges Against IPOB Leader Nnamdi Kanu

9Apr

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Judiciary, News, Nigeria

Court Strikes Out Eight Of 15 Charges Against IPOB Leader Nnamdi Kanu

Law The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday struck out eight of the 15 counts filed against the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu. Mr Kanu was accused of various offences in the 15 counts, including treasonable felony and terrorism, offences he allegedly committed in the course of his separatist campaigns. But the judge, Binta Nyako, struck out eight of the charges in her ruling on Mr Kanu’s preliminary objection challenging the validity of the charges. Mrs Nyako ruled that Counts 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 14 were incompetent for not disclosing any valid offences against the defendant. “In this instant preliminary objection application, I have read the counts and counts 6,7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 14 have not disclosed any offence,” ...