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The Independent National Electoral Commission has issued certificates of return to the Edo State Governor-elect, Monday Okpebholo, and his Deputy, Dennis Idahosa. The certificates were issued to them by the INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of Edo State, Rhoda Gumus, on Thursday, five days after Okpebholo and his deputy were declared the winner of the
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Residents of Ruga, a settlement along Airport Road, Abuja, took to the streets on Friday to protest the demolition of their homes by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. DAILY POST reports that Wike had previously ordered a task force, “Operation Sweep,” to demolish Ruga and other communities within the nation’s capital to clear the city of
Protest rocks Abuja over mass demolitions by FCT Minister Wike
Residents of Ruga, a settlement along Airport Road, Abuja, took to the streets on Friday to protest the demolition of their homes by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
DAILY POST reports that Wike had previously ordered a task force, “Operation Sweep,” to demolish Ruga and other communities within the nation’s capital to clear the city of perceived nuisances and criminal activities.
Leading the demonstration, renowned lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju, along with Vincent Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMark, said the demolition was carried out with malicious intent.
Adeyanju expressed concern, stating that the task force burned many houses and destroyed property worth millions of naira.
He urged President Bola Tinubu to consider the plight of poor people who had been driven from their homes in Borno and other northern states due to insecurity in the region.
Adeyanju said: “There is no justification for this demolition. We are using this medium to appeal to the president to consider the plight of the displaced residents, who are barely surviving.
“Most of the residents here were forced out of their homes in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe due to insecurity.
“Most of them are artisans trying to make a living. These demolitions are excessive, and Mr President needs to act to prevent further harassment of the people.
“We are sounding a warning to those in government that peace is only achievable if the poor are allowed to live peacefully. When the poor cannot sleep, it affects everyone.
“Tinubu should call Wike to order and stop him from demolishing people’s homes and reallocating the land to rich people.
“There is no justification for demolishing these homes and allocating them to the rich. There is no overriding public interest here because the community is far from the main road.”
On his part, Otse stated: “This is strange. The repercussions of this will have a heavy toll on Abuja. This area that has been demolished is not near the main road. These people have been rendered homeless amid the ongoing hardship in the country.
“They are evicting these people without compensating them. It is sad that the elite think the poor are not part of society.”
Protest rocks Abuja over mass demolitions by FCT Minister Wike
Detectives from the Oko-oba Division of the Lagos State Police Command have busted a child trafficking ring, rescuing a two-month-old…
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday, granted a motion filed by the former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, seeking to amend his two separate suits filed against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and others. Justice Inyang Ekwo granted the application after it was moved by Saraki’s counsel, Tunde Afe-Babalola, SAN, and
Court grants Saraki’s plea to amend suits against EFCC, ICPC, others
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday, granted a motion filed by the former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, seeking to amend his two separate suits filed against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and others.
Justice Inyang Ekwo granted the application after it was moved by Saraki’s counsel, Tunde Afe-Babalola, SAN, and was not opposed by the defence lawyers.
Justice Ekwo had on January 25, struck out the two suits filed by Saraki against the anti-graft agency and others for lack of diligent prosecution.
The ex-Senate president had filed the suits marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/507/2019 and FHC/ABJ/CS/508/2019 at the FHC on May 10, 2019.
In the suits, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Inspector-General (I-G) of Police and State Security Service (SSS) are 1st to 3rd defendants respectively.
Others are EFCC, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) as 4th to 6th respondents respectively.
But after the suits were struck out on Jan. 25, the ex-Senate president, through his lawyer, approached the court for a relisting of the cases to the cause list of the court.
Saraki had filed a motion on notice dated Feb. 1 and filed Feb. 3 pursuant to Order 19, Rule 1 and 3, Order 26, Rule 3 of FHC Civil Procedure Rules, 2019 to urge the court for the relisting of the suits and his prayers were granted by the judge.
However, upon resumed hearing on the cases on Monday, Afe-Babalola informed the court that a motion to amend their originating motion was filed on July 29 and that all the respondents were served on July 31.
Lawyer to the SSS, Abdulsalam Abdullahi; EFCC’s lawyer, G.I. Ndeh, including ICPC’S lawyer, Glory Iroegbu and CCB’s counsel, I.T. Mongu, did not oppose Afe-Babalola’s application to amend his originating motion.
Justice Ekwo, therefore, granted the reliefs and adjourned the matter until Feb. 6, 2025 for hearing.
“Any counsel that will be responsible for the matter not being heard on that day, will be personally penalised,” the judge warned.
Recall that the former Senate president had filed the suits following the EFCC’s decision in 2019 to probe Saraki’s earnings between 2003 and 2011 when he was governor of Kwara.
The anti-graft commission was reported to have seized some of his houses in the Ikoyi area of Lagos then.
However, Saraki, on May 10, 2019, filed the two separate suits before retired Justice Taiwo Taiwo to challenge the action of the EFCC.
Justice Taiwo, who was the presiding judge then, ruled on an ex-parte application filed along with the substantive suits.
The judge ordered the anti-corruption agency (4th respondent) and the other five respondents to the suits to stay action on the probe pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed by the applicant.
The order was granted after Saraki’s lawyer moved the application on May 14, 2019.
The court had directed the parties to maintain the status quo by suspending the probe.
But the EFCC later applied that the judge should recuse himself and the matter be transferred to another court.
Justice Taiwo sent back the case file to the chief judge and the matter was reassigned to Justice Anwuli Chikere for adjudication.
When the matter came up on July 14, 2021 before Justice Chikere, EFCC Counsel, Chile Okoronkwo, complained that Taiwo’s order had hindered the agency “from performing its duty for about two years.”
The lawyer, who stated that Saraki continued to hinge on the order of the court any time he is invited, urged the court to vacate the order.
But the suits were reassigned to Justice Ekwo following the retirement of Justice Chikere.
Court grants Saraki’s plea to amend suits against EFCC, ICPC, others