JUSTICE: Policeman to die by hanging for murder

A Rivers State High Court has sentenced one Inspector Samuel Timothy of the Nigeria Police to death by hanging for shooting and killing a sachet water dealer, Onyekachi Nwasouba. The court’s ruling is coming about five years after Nwasouba was murdered by the police at about 5am on November 10, 2010 at No. 34, Old Aba Road, Port Harcourt. Nwasouba, who was a graduate of Industrial Chemistry, was branded an armed robber by the police while he was on his way to distribute his products to customers within the Port Harcourt metropolis. The deceased was shot dead by a team of policemen, led by Timothy, at the front of his residence, even after he (Nwasouba) shouted to the hearing of the policemen that he was only a pure water producer and not an armed robber. Delivering his judgment on Monday, the trial judge, Justice Adolphus Enebeli, declared that the convict (Timothy) demonstrated an act of inhumanity through his action. Justice Enebeli, whose ruling took about three hours, however, discharged and acquitted one Corporal Moses, who had been standing trial together with the convict. The judge said that based on the testimonies of witnesses, including members of the patrol team in the case, the convict was an “inhuman, trigger- happy policeman, who engages in murder; a hater of humankind and a merciless killer.” Explaining that the killing of the sachet water seller by the convict was deliberate, Justice Enebeli, maintained that Timothy should die by hanging. The trial judge added that based on the law and the circumstances surrounding the death of the graduate of Industrial Chemistry, he had no power to reduce the sentence. “According to Section 319 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I do not have the power to reduce your sentence. That you, Inspector Timothy Samuel be hanged on your neck until you are dead,” he held. Justice Enebeli stated that Corporal Moses was discharged and acquitted because it became clear that the policemen on duty never conspired to kill the victim (Nwasouba).

GREEDY PARTY: PDP kicks as Ambode appoints Tinubu’s relatives, friends

The Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State has berated Governor Akinwunmi Ambode over the list of commissioners and advisers he sent to the Lagos State House of Assembly. The Lagos PDP Publicity Secretary, Taofik Gani, told our correspondent during an interview on Monday that most of the nominees were not competent but were only named based on sentiment. He explained that two of the nominees, Lola Akande and Deji Tinubu, are relatives of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. While Akande is the sister of Tinubu’s wife, Senator Remi Tinubu, the other nominee, Deji, is the nephew of the APC leader. Another nominee, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan, was Tinubu’s Chief Press Secretary from 2003 to 2007 while Gbolahan Lawal was Tinubu’s Aide-de-Camp when he was governor. He, therefore, stated that the change the APC was advocating in Lagos was not a positive one but one that would take the state backwards. In a separate statement, Gani urged the members of the Lagos State House of Assembly not to approve the nominees in the interest of the state. The PDP spokesman said it was unfortunate that out of the millions of competent people in Lagos, Ambode could only pick his godfather’s acolytes. The PDP added, “We also fault the nominations of Jide Idris, Akintola Benson, Anofi Elegushi, Ganiu Johnson and Folarin Coker because they had either been personal staff or relatives of a former governor of the state. Thus it will continue to be business as usual in the governance of the state as the state resources will continue to be superintendend by the former governor who is the incumbent governor’s godfather.” The statement read, “This list is so mediocre, self- serving, embarrassing that it cannot justify the delay and waste of days. Lagosians should not expect any change from Ambode. By this list, his hands are tied. He will only succeed to the extent that his godfather allows this list to serve Lagosians.” However, the APC Publicity Secretary in Lagos State, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, said the PDP was only making needless noise because it did not understand the workings of the state. He, therefore, asked the PDP to shut up. The statement read, “For the avoidance of doubt, the nominated candidates are cerebral and very competent personalities who can hold their heads high anywhere in the world and answer their fathers’ names if the need arises. They have climbed through the ladder of leadership from various departments in Lagos State to get to where they are today. “They have been tested and therefore can be trusted to add values to Lagos State. These gentlemen and women are no pushovers in their chosen profession and they are capable of assisting Governor Ambode to take Lagos to the next level.” Meanwhile, the senator representing Lagos-West senatorial district, Solomon Adeola, has commended the choice of commissioner- nominees and advisers submitted to the House of Assembly by the governor. The senator made the remark at a festival in the Epe area of the state, according to a statement by his media adviser, Chief Kayode Odunaro, on Monday. He noted that among the nominees was a professor, six lawyers, three experienced medical doctors, two journalists, among others. The statement added, “I must say I am impressed with the painstaking efforts of the governor in choosing a team that comprises an admixture of technocrats, politicians and strategists as represented by such persons as Dr. Babatunde Adejare, a medical doctor and tested state and federal legislator; Steve Ayorinde, a tested newspaper editor; Kehinde Bamigbetan, a journalist cum politician, Dr. Mustapha Akinkunmi, a financial expert, Professor Ademola Abass, a professor of law; and Kehinde Joseph, a grassroots politician of many years standing among others.”

China throws support behind UN peacekeeping

Chinese President Xi Jinping promised support Monday for a permanent UN police squad and African peacekeeping as he vowed a peaceful rise for the Asian power. Paying his first-ever visit to the United Nations, Xi took a new step to address criticism that China has not taken responsiblity commensurate with its growing size. Xi said that China, which has increasingly joined multinational defense efforts, would “take the lead” in setting up an 8,000-troop “permanent peacekeeping police squad” that could be deployed at short notice. Xi also announced $100 million in funding to the African Union to support a similar rapid reaction force, as well as a broader 10-year, $1 billion UN- China “peace and development fund.” China’s economy has soared in the past 15 years to become the largest after the United States, and the world’s most populous nation has sought to be treated as a major global power. But China’s neighbors and the United States have voiced concern over Beijing’s territorial claims, while Western nations have charged that Beijing’s interest in poor nations is purely mercantile rather than focused on development. Xi hit back in his speech, saying China was “committed to peaceful development.” “No matter how the international landscape may evolve and how strong China may become, China will never pursue hegemony, expansion or a sphere of influence,” he said in an address to the United Nations. Xi, however, said that the United Nations allowed all countries to “choose their own sovereignty and development paths.” The comment was likely a veiled allusion to the frequent criticism of China’s human rights record, which includes the imprisonment of democracy activists such as Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo. “All countries are equals. The big, strong and rich should not bully the small, weak and poor,” Xi said.

84 senators pass vote of confidence in Saraki

84 members of the house of senate have passed vote of confidence in the Senate President Bukola Saraki. This shows Saraki could continue with the leadership of the House of Senate.Detail later...

Court joins EFCC in N1.5bn rights enforcement suit

A Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday granted an application to join the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as a co-defendant in a N1.5bn fundamental rights enforcement suit. The EFCC’s Head of Operations, Mr. Iliyasu Khwabe; the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase; and a Deputy Superintendent of Police with the X-Sqaud, Zone II Police Command Headquarters, Onikan, Lagos, Ibrahim Dantoro, were also joined. The applicants in the suit are one Alhaji Suleiman Yerima, who later died in Kirirkiri prisons, and one Mr. Uwem Antia. Yerima and Antia, who were arrested for alleged fraud, are urging the court to fault their alleged transfer by the EFCC to the Zone II Police Command for further investigations and torture. They want the court to declare that it was unlawful for the EFCC and the police to be investigating them simultaneously and based on same petitions. They are claiming damages in the sum of N1.5bn jointly and severally against the police, EFCC and the authors of the petitions that the security agencies acted upon. Some other defendants in the suit are Capital Field and Investment Trust Limited, Smiles and Light Limited, Gladys Aginwa and Mr. Denis Ale. Meanwhile, the EFCC had, on June 24, 2015, arraigned Yerima and Antia before Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo of a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja. Lawal-Akapo had, immediately after their arraignment, ordered their remand in Kirikiri and adjourned to take their bail application. The applications could, however, not be heard till Yerima died in prison on July 17, 2015 due to complications on the injury allegedly inflicted on him by the police during investigations. According to the prisons authorities, Yerima died after he “became unconscious during the Eid-el- fitri prayer to mark the end of Ramadan fast.” Lawal-Akapo, while proceeding on annual vacation, had adjourned the case till November 9, 2015, but advised the accused to take their bail applications before the vacation judge. But by the time the bail applications were brought before Justice Iyabo Akinkugbe on August 4, 2015 Yerima had died. His lawyer, Mr. A.F. Adah, had urged the judge to grant the bail post-humously or to give direction in the case. But the judge struck out the bail application, saying “there is no further direction to be given.” In the five-ground post-humous bail application, Adah had accused the EFCC of stalling the hearing of the bail application till Yerima died in prison due to the maltreatment he allegedly suffered in the hands of the police. Counsel for Yerima’s co-accused, Antia, Mr. S.A. Salaudeen, however urged the court to admit his client to bail. Salaudeen, in the bail application for Antia, said, “The applicant is terribly ill as a result of injuries sustained during his detention and torture in the police custody. “The applicant’s health condition has deteriorated in prison. The first defendant, who was charged along with the applicant, died two weeks after his detention because he was not given timely treatment by the prisons authorities. “The applicant is in danger of losing his life if not granted bail.”

[UPDATED] Boardroom guru, Onosode, dies at 82

Mr. Gamaliel Onasode, technocrat and administrator, dies at the age of 82, the family confirms in a statement. He died at 8.15am on Tuesday, his son, Ese, announced in a statement.

Germany probes ex-Volkswagen CEO over pollution scam

German prosecutors have announced that they opened a criminal investigation into Volkswagen’s former chief executive Martin Winterkorn over a worldwide pollution cheating scandal. Winterkorn resigned in the midst of global outrage after Volkswagen revealed that 11 million of its diesel vehicles are equipped with devices that fool official pollution tests. The world’s top-selling carmaker admitted that it had rigged diesel emissions to pass US tests during his tenure. The investigation will concentrate on the suspicion of fraud committed through the sale of vehicles with manipulated emissions data and aims to determine who was responsible for it, prosecutors in Braunschweig said in a statement. “The investigation will focus on the allegation of fraud by selling vehicles with manipulated emission values,” the statement said. “The aim of the investigation is to clarify the chain of responsibility,” it added. In the German system, anyone can file a criminal complaint with prosecutors, who are then obliged to examine it and decide whether there is enough evidence to open a formal investigation. SOURCE-ALJAZEERA.

Pro-Saraki groups barricade National Assembly

Hundreds of protesters on Tuesday barricaded the entrance of the National Assembly in Abuja singing solidarity songs in support of the embattled Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki. They also warned anti-graft agencies to desist from being used against perceived “political enemies.” They carried placards with different inscriptions such as, “Enough is enough, we support Saraki and Ekweremadu.” Saraki is facing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal over alleged falsification of documents in his assets declaration form when he was governor in Kwara State. Details Later…

Saraki must step aside, TUC insists

The Enugu State chapter of the Trade Union Congress on Monday insisted that Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, should step aside. The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation is prosecuting Saraki for alleged false declaration of assets at the Code of Conduct Bureau. Saraki had, last Tuesday, stepped into the dock at the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja, where he was arraigned on charges bordering on false declaration of assets. He pleaded not guilty to all the 13 charges brought against him by the CCB and his trial would hold on October 21, 22 and 23. Some organisations, including labour unions, had already called for Saraki’s resignation from office. Speaking with our correspondent in Enugu, the Chairman of the TUC in Enugu State, Chukwuma Igbokwe, insisted that Saraki should step aside, pending the conclusion of his trial at the CCT. Igbokwe said Saraki could interfere with the judicial process if he remained in the position. According to him, any public office holder that has been arraigned before a court on corruption charges should step aside, until the conclusion of trial. Igbokwe said, “Any public officer that is found to be corrupt should vacate the position, or step aside to allow the judicial process take its course. If he continues to occupy the position, he can subvert the course of justice. “Now that he (Saraki) has taken his plea, he should step aside, pending when he is found guilty, or acquitted.” The labour leader added that the rule of law must be allowed to prevail in Saraki’s trial. Igbokwe said, “Nobody is above the law – he should vacate the office for now and wait for the rule of law to take its course. “In the current administration’s anti-corruption campaign, nobody should be spared. There should be no sacred cows and those in sensitive positions should step aside if they have been accused of corruption and taken to court.”

List of ministers ready

The list of ministers to be appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari is ready. The Senate may get a letter from the President requesting the confirmation of the nominees on Tuesday or Wednesday. It will be recalled that Buhari who was inaugurated as President on May 29 had promised to name members of his cabinet in September. He had at different times said he was in search of Nigerians with integrity to be part of his team that would reposition the country. There has been anxiety that the President may not be able to meet the September deadline as he was quoted recently as saying that the month was running to an end too fast for his liking. Indications have however emerged that Buhari, who is currently attending the 70th United Nations General Assembly in New York, had concluded work on the list. The list may be presented to the Senate before October 1. While reacting to an online report that Buhari had sent one of his National Assembly Liaison Officers, Senator Ita Enang, back to Nigeria with the list meant for the Senate, presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, told reporters in New York on Monday that he would not be surprised if the list was ready. He said it was within the timeline given by the President himself. “I will not be surprised if the list is ready because it is within the timeline that the President gave. He said he would name his cabinet in September. Today (Monday) is September 28, so if it happens that it is ready, it is within the timeline,” Adesina said. When asked to give an insight into the number of nominees on the list, the presidential spokesman simply said, “The constitution already gives you an idea of the number of people that can be on the cabinet because it stipulates that we must have at least one minister per state.” A top Presidency source however told our correspondent that the President did not necessarily have to send Enang back to Nigeria to submit the list since he (the President) himself and his delegation are due back in the country on Tuesday. “Senator Ita Enang is billed to return to Nigeria today. The President does not have to send him back because of the list. The truth is that the list will be given to the Senate either on Tuesday or Wednesday,” the official said.

Buhari won’t attach value to ministers – PDP

The national leadership of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, has alleged that ministers will be useless in President Muhammadu Buhari’s government. The party said the disposition of the President was not to appoint aides, but to run the government as a sole administrator. It alleged that this was the reason why President Buhari had been shifting the dates when he would appoint members of his cabinet, adding that the President had also tagged ministers as “noise makers.” The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, stated this at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday. Metuh alleged that because of the President’s disposition, those to be appointed ministers would not be respected by Buhari. The spokesman for the opposition party said, “The flip-flopped promise of our President to name a cabinet, a deadline which he shifted from two weeks of assumption of office to the end of September, is actually a reluctant pledge and done under great duress. “From his hesitancy and comments, it is deducible that President Buhari never intended to appoint ministers but rather prefers to run a monocracy and evidently does not value or respect those he would nominate as ministers. “Otherwise, how can anyone repackage the mindset of the President when he, in an interview with France 24 Television in France, stated categorically that his preference is to rule without a cabinet and denigrated ministers as ‘noise makers,’ and of no importance or value in the running of an administration? “Given this worrisome outlook, it is obvious that the Presidency would not attach any value or importance to the ministers under the new sheriff.” Metuh added that the refusal of the President to have a cabinet was already taking its toll on government’s activities, both in the country and outside. “The refusal to have ministers has resulted in the government conveying dictatorial inclinations as amply exhibited in its adamant stance in running a government without the statutory component of an executive cabinet, even when the negative consequences of this strange totalitarian approach are taking serious toll on the polity,” he added. Metuh also alleged that the recent case of the absence of Nigeria at one of the meetings at the 70th United Nations General Assembly in New York, where the issue of humanitarian crisis arising from the insurgency in Lake Chad countries including Nigeria, was a further proof of the ineptitude of the handlers of the President on national and international issues. He said his party was angry because of what he described as the President’s delegation’s dereliction of duty, which he said manifested in the snubbing of a crucial meeting where countries affected by Boko Haram insurgency sought international assistance for millions of people displaced by terrorism. He said that whereas other affected Chad basin countries were fully represented and had fruitful discussions with officials of the world body, the government of Nigeria, which had the biggest challenge of displaced persons, was nowhere to be found. He said, “Much more pathetic and shocking, but very revealing of the insincerity and ineptitude of those around the President was the disconcerting excuse by an aide of the President in trying to explain away this blunder. “Instead of admitting failure and apologising to Nigerians, the Presidency sought to hoodwink the public by claiming that the meeting was not one of the official events for which the President and his delegation are in New York, only for the official brochure of the meeting tagged, ‘High Level Event on the Lake Chad Basin’, to show that ‘high level representation from the government of Nigeria’ was scheduled to make contributions at the meeting.” But the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Mallam Garba Shehu, insisted that the meeting in question was a side-event, not an official meeting, otherwise he said it would have been listed as a UN event on its calendar of meetings. He said in an electronic mail to our correspondent that it was not true that the meeting “was a high- level meeting. High-level meetings are attended by Presidents.” Shehu added, “Only the Secretary-General can call high-level meetings. The meeting called by Stephen O’Brien, an Under-Secretary General, is a right step in the right direction. “Unfortunately, there is no record of any invitation to the Nigerian Mission as confirmed by our Permanent Representative in UN, Prof. Joy Ogwu.” Attempts to get a reaction from the governing All Progressives Congress were unsuccessful. Calls to the mobile telephone number of the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, were neither picked nor returned. A response to a text message sent to him on the subject was still being awaited as of the time of filing this report (8.10pm.).

Saudi stampede: Buhari orders headcount of Nigerian pilgrims

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday ordered the National Hajj Commission and the Nigerian Embassy in Saudi Arabia to urgently account for all Nigerian pilgrims in the holy land. The order, which was contained in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, was as a result of last Thursday’s stampede at Mina which claimed over 700 lives. Shehu explained that the Presidential order was necessitated by the conflicting reports on the number of Nigerians who died or suffered injuries in the disaster. He said the President was concerned that days after the incident, some Nigerian families were still grappling with the painful uncertainty over the fate of their relatives who travelled to Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj. The statement read in part, “The President expects the National Hajj Commission to work with the various state pilgrim boards, Islamic organisations and private travel agencies involved in Hajj operations to speedily provide a confirmed and verifiable report on the status of every Nigerian pilgrim in Saudi Arabia. “President Buhari has also directed the Hajj Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerian Embassy in Saudi the Arabia to give all necessary assistance to Nigerians who are still receiving treatment for injuries suffered in Mina. “He continues to pray that Almighty Allah will receive the souls of the dead, comfort the bereaved families, heal the injured and bring all surviving Nigerian pilgrims safely home.” Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress on Monday called for a thorough probe into the Hajj tragedy in which no fewer than 1,200 pilgrims were involved, including about 54 Nigerians died and 863 were injured. The tragedy occurred during a stampede at an Islamic event in Minna about two miles from Mecca, Saudi Arabia The event was one of the last rituals of the Hajj season, known as ‘stoning the devil.‘ NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, while condoling with the families of the bereaved and sympathising with the injured victims, said with such a high rate of death, the 2015 hajj ranks amongst the most tragic in recorded history of hajj. He said the organisation was shocked and completely at a loss by the extent of the losses this year. He therefore called for a thorough investigation on the calamity. He suggested that countries whose citizens died in the stampede should be members of the inquiry to ensure transparency. He called on the Saudi authorities to review their crowd control management techniques and administration of hajj generally. He called for urgent and best medical attention to the injured victims, amongst whom were about 61 Nigerians. The NLC boss stated that as painful as the incident was, the congress believed it was predestined. He said accordingly, the victims should be seen as martyrs who gave up their lives in worship. Wabba said, “The Nigeria Labour Congress wishes to commiserate with the families of the 767 Muslim faithful who died in a stampede on the way to Jamrat Complex (Stoning Site), Mina, Saudi Arabia. “Our special condolences go to the families and loved ones of 54 Nigerians who were among the dead. We pray for the repose and admission of their souls to heaven. “Managing a mammoth crowd, sometimes in excess of two million people during every annual pilgrimage, is no mean task and the Saudi authorities deserve some commendations certainly.” He added, “However, with over 1,200 deaths (earlier deaths caused by a crane mishap), the 2015 hajj ranks amongst the most eventful in recorded history of hajj. “We are shocked and completely at a loss at the extent of the losses this year. “Accordingly, we call for a thorough investigation of the two major incidents that led to these deaths. “For transparency and re-assurance, we urge that countries whose citizens perished in the two incidents be made members of the body of inquiry. “But most importantly, perhaps, time has come for the Saudi authorities to review their crowd control management techniques and administration of hajj, generally.”

Blogger arrested for writing story against Amosun’s wife

The Ogun State Police Command has said that a blogger, Emmanuel Ojo, is currently in its custody. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed this on Monday to our correspondent on the telephone. He said Ojo was being detained at the Command’s headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, for questioning. The suspect was said to have been trailed and arrested by security men on Saturday and detained at Ibara Police Station, Abeokuta. Ojo was arrested for a story that exposed the alleged quizzing the wife of the Ogun State governor, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun, in London, for money laundering. In the story, Mrs. Amosun was alleged to have been detained by the London Police for being in possession of US300,000. She has since denied being involved in any money laundering saga. Adejobi said the Command received a complaint from the state government about the blogger which led to his arrest. Adejobi said investigations were still being conducted on the matter. He said, “We received a complaint from the state government on the suspect, and he was arrested. Presently, he is with us at Eleweran. We are still conducting our investigations. If he is found wanting, he will be charged to court accordingly.” The Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa, said the governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, was not connected with the arrest of the blogger, as being speculated in some quarters. He, however, confirmed that the state government made a formal complaint to the police and the Director of the Department of State Services, about a false allegation that the blogger allegedly made against the governor’s wife. He said, “The government reported the matter formally to the police and the state Director, Department of Security Services. “The report by the blogger on the First lady is false and calculated to rubbish her image. The governor just arrived from the holy pilgrimage on Sunday; so he did not order the arrest of the blogger.”