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Court asks Security agents to Protect CUPP’s Spokesperson, Ugochinyere

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The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has ordered security agencies in the country to within 24 hours provide protection to the Spokesman of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Ikenga Ugochinyere.

The order was given by Justice Eleojo Enenche while delivering ruling in an exparte application brought before the court over failed assassination attempt on his life as well as alleged planned invasion of his home in Akokwa in Imo State by agents of the state government.

Ugochinyere is the candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the House of Representatives seat in Ideato Federal Constituency of Imo State.

His house in Akokwa was recently invaded by gunmen and properties worth millions of naira destroyed in the process and some people killed.

In a motion exparte marked: M/4710/2023, filed and argued by his lawyer, Mr. P. O. Abang, the applicant had urged the court to order the security agencies to protect his life as well as property pending the hearing of the substantive suit marked FCT/HC/CV/2328/2023.

He had in the motion dated February 13, alleged threat to life and destruction of properties amongst others.

Delivering ruling in the motion on February 16, whose certified true copy ( CTC) was sighted yesterday by THISDAY, Justice Enenche directed the concerned security agencies which are respondent in the motion to forthwith provide Ugochinyere with necessary security.

“Upon reading the Motion Ex-Parte dated 13/02/2023 brought pursuant to Section 33, 34, 35 (35) (1), 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41(1) and 46(1) Constitution of the Federel Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended); and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, and under the inherent Jurisdiction of the Honourable Court, and after considering the eight paragraphs Affidavit deposed by David Ayandare, praying for the following:

“An order of Injunction mandating and directing the 1st to 5th Respondents whether by themselves officers, agents, servants, privies to provide security in view of the imminent threat to the life of the Applicant and the continued use of the machineries of state to further harass, intimidate, arrest, detain and incarcerate the Applicant, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive originating Motion on Notice.

“And upon hearing P. O. Abang, counsel for the Applicant, “An order is hereby made directing the inspector General of Police to, within 24 hours take measures that are necessary to ensure the protection of the life and property of the Applicant. Where this is not done within 24 hours, the 1 – 5 Respondents are hereby Ordered to step in and provide the needed security pending the determination of the substantive action”.

Meanwhile, the court also made another order for accelerated hearing and determination of the main suit and subsequently fixed February 27, for hearing.

The respondents include: State Security Service, Chief of Defence Staff, Nigeria Army, Nigeria Airforce, Nigeria Navy, Nigeria Police Force, Inspector General of Police and Commissioner of Police.

Meanwhile, Ugochinyere has petitioned federal authorities and foreign missions over the failed assassination attempts on his life.

He demanded the investigation of the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma; Commissioner of Police in the state Command, Mr. Mohammed Ahmed Barde and the Chief Personal Security Officer to the Governor, Superintendent of Police, Adamu Shaba Gboyako.

The petitions, were addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Security Adviser, the Inspector General of Police.

He also sent copies to the foreign missions including the United States, United Kingdom and the European Union.

In the petition, the CUPP spokesperson accused the Imo State Governor, the Commissioner of Police in Imo State and the Chief Personal Security Officer to the Governor of being responsible for the attack on his house.

He said: “I have been tipped off that Chief Personal Security Officer to the Governor of Imo State, Mr. Shaba Adamu was the one that coordinated the armed attack on my house in Umukegwu, Akokwa in Ideato North Local Government Area on the 7th February, 2023.

“The purpose of the attack was to assassinate me based on my political views.”

Ugochinyere also alleged that the Imo State Police Commissioner refused to investigate any of the three attempts on his life obviously because he knows those behind the attacks and that their missions align.

He demanded investigation, disciplinary actions, prosecutions, visa ban, and inclusion on watch list among others on any person found wanting or culpable in the three attacks on him on 23rd December, 2022, 14th January 2023 and 7th February, 2023.

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MAMBILLA: Court halts proceedings, adjurns over EFCC’s invalid prosecution witness against Agunloye

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The hearing of the criminal charges against the former Minister of Power and Steel, Dr. Olu Agunloye, which formally began at the FCT Court Thursday, 30 May 2024 before the same Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie was stalled over presentation of invalid prosecution witness by EFCC against Agunloye

EFCC is prosecuting Dr. Agunloye for “awarding in 2003 a $6 billion Build, Operate and Transfer $¾(BOT) contract without cash backing, disobeying oral directives of the President, forging his own letter as a sitting Minister and receiving a retroactive bribe of N3.6 million 16 years after.” To prove its case, EFCC has listed seven witnesses excluding former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who had earlier volunteered to testify at the court.

At the court, EFCC presented its first Prosecution Witness (PW1), Mr Adewale as “representative of the Guaranty Trust Bank”. He was brought to discuss the GTBank statement of accounts presented by EFCC. But the moment Mr Adewale disclosed that he was not in the employment of GTBank, the defence lawyers quickly pointed out the aberration to the court which immediately halted the presentation of Mr Adewale. The court promptly stopped the proceedings and adjourned the hearing till Monday, 10 June 2024 to enable the EFCC regularise its Prosecution Witness Number One.

It will be recalled that the former Minister, Dr. Olu. Agunloye, has consistently asserted that he did not commit any crime, and that EFCC is prosecuting him to corroborate FGN’s pleas at the arbitration in France hoping to free FGN from liabilities in the Arbitration even though FGN knows that the issues that led to the international arbitration were caused under Buhari’s APC Government and not by Agunloye. However, Agunloye will have to combat the emergent bias, prejudice, and prejudgment on the part of the trial judge and has to struggle very hard for justice in Nigeria.

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EFCC to arraign Bello on Thursday over alleged N80.2b money laundering

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) has indicated it will on Thursday, April 18, 2024 arraign a former governor of Kogi State,  Yahaya Adoza Bello before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

The antigraft agency said Bello will be arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite alongside three other suspects,  Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu on 19- count charges bordering on money laundering to the tune of N80, 246,470, 088.88
The arraignment is being perfected following a warrant of arrest and enrolment order granted the EFCC by the court on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. 

Count one of the charges reads: That you, Yahaya Adoza Bello, Ali Bello, Dauda Suliman, and Abdulsalam Hudu( Still at large), sometime, in February, 2016, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to convert the total sum of N80, 246,470, 088.88 which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity  to wit, criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended”.

Count 17 of the charges read: “That you Yahaya Bello between 26th July 2021 to 6th April 2022 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable  Court aided E-Traders International Limited to conceal the aggregate sum of  N3081,804,654.00( Three Billion, Eighty One Million Eight Hundred and Four Thousand Six Hundred and Fifty Four Naira) in account number 1451458080 domiciled in Access BankPlc, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to wit, criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a), 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 15( 3) of the same Act.

Count 18  of the charges reads: “That you Yahaya Adoza Bello  sometime in November 2021 in Abuja within the jurisdiction  of this Honourable Court  indirectly procured E-Traders international Limited to transfer  the aggregate sum of $570,330.00( Five Hundred and Seventy Thousand , Three Hundred and Thirty Dollars) to account number 4266644272 domiciled in TD Bank, United States of America which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to wit, criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 15( 3) of the same Act”.

“The Commission’s attempt to execute the Warrant of Arrest lawfully obtained against Bello met stiff resistance  on Wednesday,  April 17,  2024.  The security cordon around the former governor’s residence in Abuja was breached by the current Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo who  ensured that the suspect was spirited away in his official vehicle.  
“As a responsible law enforcement agency,  the EFCC exercised restraint in the face of the provocation, waiting for his arraignment on Thursday, April 18,  2024.

“It is needful to state that Bello is not above the law and would be brought to justice as soon as possible.”

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Court bars Ganduje from parading himself as member of APC

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Yhe Kano State High Court has granted an ex parte order restraining the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, from parading himself as a member of the party.

The court ordered that Ganduje must refrain from presiding over all affairs of the National Working Committee of the APC.

The application waa said to have been granted by Justice Usman Na’abba on Tuesday, following an ex parte motion filed by Dr. Ibrahim Sa’ad on behalf of two executive members of Ganduje’s ward, Dawakin-Tofa Local Government Area, the Assistant Secretary, Laminu Sani and Legal Adviser, Haladu Gwanjo (plaintiffs), who were part of the nine ward executives who suspended Ganduje on Monday.

The court directed the four parties (respondents) joined in the matter, including the APC, NWC, APC Kano State Working Committee, and Ganduje, to henceforth, maintain status quo ante belum as of April 15th,2024 pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit on April 30th 2024

Justice Na’abba, also held as prayed, stopped State Working Committee APC Kano from interfering with the legally and validly considered decision of executives of Ganduje ward, essentially on action endorsed by a two-thirds majority of the executives as provided by the party constitution.

The ex parte order read,, “An order is hereby granted directing all parties in the suit APC (first), APC National Working Committee (second), Kano State Working Committee APC (third), Dr. Abdullah Umar Ganduje (fourth), to maintain status quo ante belum as of April 15, 2024.
“The order thereby restraining the first respondent (APC) from recognising the fourth respondent (Ganduje) as a member of APC and prohibiting the fourth respondent (Ganduje) from presiding over any affairs of the NWC and restraining the state Working Committee from interfering with the legally and validly decision of the ward executives of Ganduje ward.

“That the fourth respondent (Ganduje}is prohibited from parading himself as a . member of APC or doing any act that may _ portray him or seem to be a member of APC pending the hearing and determination of the
substantive suit.”

Nine members of the Ganduje ward proclaimed the suspension of the National Chairman of the APC over the allegation of corruption slammed on him by the Kano State Government.

The nine APC executives said they were prompted to act following a petition written by one Ja’afaru Adamu, a member of the AP from the National chairman’s polling unit.

in the petition, Adamu complained over allegations of corruption charges against the
former governor just as he urged the ward leaders to investigate the matter to redeem the dented image of the party and the implication on President Bola Tinubu’s fight against corruption.

Although the chairman and secretary of the ward failed to act on the petition filed en April 8, 2024, nine members of the executives, led by the legal adviser, acted upon the petition, a decision that led to Ganduje’s suspension.

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