A Federal House of Representatives-elect, Garba Muhammad Butalawa, representing Kura, Madobi and Garun Mallam in Kano State, has died.
Garba contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He died at the weekend at Prime Clinic, Lamido Crescent, after a protracted illness.
His personal driver, Balarabe Shehu Butalawa confirmed his demise.
Mr. Bashir Sati, Secretary of the APC in the state confirmed the lawmaker’s death.
“Though he has been sick for a while but we received the news of his demise with rude shock,” he said.
The acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, has claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari does not need the permission of the National Judicial Council to appoint him as the acting CJN.
Muhammad made the claim in response to a query given to him by the NJC, the body constitutionally empowered to recommend the appointment of chief justices and heads of courts.
A group, Centre for Justice and Peace Initiative, had written a petition to the NJC, asking the council to remove Muhammad as a justice of the Supreme Court for allowing himself to be sworn in by the President without recourse to the NJC.
In his response, however, Justice Muhammad said the NJC ought to be consulted only when a substantive CJN is being appointed or re-appointed.
He said, “In my respectful view, the National Judicial Council has no role to play in the appointment of an acting Chief Justice of Nigeria in the first instance, that is to say on first appointment. The council comes in where the appointment as the acting CJN is to be renewed or extended. I humbly refer to Section 231(4) of the 1999 Constitution.”
Muhammad noted that Justice Walter Onnoghen remained the substantive CJN, adding that the latter was only suspended.
The acting CJN said if the Appeal Court or the Code of Conduct Tribunal reversed Onnoghen’s suspension, he would immediately step aside and return to his former position as a justice of the Supreme Court.
He added, “It was for the larger interest of the judiciary and the constitutionality that I accepted to be sworn in as acting CJN with the conviction that if the order of January 23, 2019 is eventually set aside, the status quo would be restored.
“But before it is set aside, there should be no vacuum in the office of the CJN and the chairman of the NJC.”
Recalling how he was sworn in by the President, Muhammad said he was summoned to the Presidential Villa by Buhari and shown the certified true copy of a motion ex parte granted by the CCT and signed by its Chairman, Danladi Umar.
He said, “On January 25, 2019, I was summoned to the Aso Villa at the instance of the President. Prior to the summons, I was not aware of the fact that the Code of Conduct Tribunal made any order on January 23, 2019.
“Furthermore, beyond what I read in the newspapers and watched on the television just like any other Nigerian, I was not privileged to see any of the processes filed by the parties before the tribunal. Hence, I could not really appreciate the merit or demerit of divergent positions.
“On the 25th day of January, the President swore me in as the acing CJN and not as the substantive CJN. Justice Walter Onnoghen remains the CJN until he is removed from office in accordance with the provision of the constitution. He is only suspended.”
He, however, said he had nothing to do with the speech delivered by the President wherein the latter accused Onnoghen of frustrating his anti-corruption war.
Muhammad admitted that he was a member of the NJC panel that removed Justice Obisike Orji of the Abia State High Court for accepting to be sworn in as chief judge by the Abia State Government without a recommendation of the NJC.
He, however, said his own case was different because he was only appointed as an acting CJN.
Muhammad further stated that the substantive head of the judiciary had been suspended by a valid court order which made it right for him to take over in acting capacity.
The acting CJN therefore appealed to the NJC to dismiss the petition written against him.
A bloody clash between two neighbours has left one dead in Onitsha area of Anambra state.
It was gathered that the deceased simply identified as Obinna, got into a heated argument with his neighbour about an undisclosed issue which resulted into a fight.
According to other neighbours, Obinna rushed to get a bottle during the fight but was stabbed to death with it by his neighbour.
Report has it that the police was notified of the incident and an investigation into the matter is underway.
Watch the video below.
See more; https://www.nationalhelm.co/2019/03/man-stabbed-to-death-during-fight-in-onistha-anambra-state.html
Late Dr Ferry Gberegbe
Images of the alleged killers of Dr. Ferry Gberegbe, who was shot in the stomach by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), have emerged as the Rivers state government has launched an investigation into the incident.
Dr. Ferry was reportedly shot at Khana Collation Centre in Rivers, during the governorship and states assembly elections in the state on Saturday, March 9th and died a week after the gunshot, at a hospital where he was receiving treatment.
It was alleged that some security men had clashed with some youths in Bori, who had openly confronted them (security) at the collation center.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said that the state government would inaugurate a panel to ensure that the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad personnel, who killed Dr. Ferry Gberegbe, a PDP agent in Khana Local Government Area of the state, was brought to justice.
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Tragedy struck in Omu-Aran, Kwara State, on Saturday when a middle-aged bricklayer, simply identified as Lukman, allegedly attacked and cut off the hand of a 60-year-old woman, Muibat Abifarin, with a cutlass.
The News Agency of Nigeria gathered that the attacker, who was said to be showing traits of insanity, also attacked two of his co-tenants in a bungalow at Orolodo Area, beside the Olomu’s palace in Omu-Aran.
Abifarin, who had her left hand severed, was said to have been rushed to Ajisafe Hospital in the community, while the other two victims with varying degrees of injuries were also being treated at Omu-Aran General Hospital.
A NAN correspondent who was at the private hospital on Sunday, reports that no visitor was allowed access to Abifarin by the hospital management, as she was said to be recovering from the surgery performed on her hand.
A nurse in the hospital, who preferred anonymity, told NAN that visitors could only be allowed around 6 p.m. when she might have fully recovered from the effect of the surgery.
She, however, described the ageing woman’s condition as stable and that she was responding to treatment.
An eyewitness account by Azeez Abifarin, a student and son of the victim, said the incident happened around 10 p.m on Saturday as the family was about going to bed.
“I think there was a kind of argument between Abeeb, my senior brother and Lukman over a dead goat being roasted by Lukman outside the compound, which later degenerated into a fight and Abeeb was attacked with a cutlass.
“It was the gory sight of Abeeb’s condition that prompted my mother, who was about going to bed, to rush out and confront Lukman over the motive of the attack on Abeeb.
“It was in the process that Lukman again raised the cutlass against my mother’s head and she quickly defended herself with her left hand before the hand was cut off,” he said.
Lukman’s father, who refused to give his name, told NAN at the private hospital where Abifarin was receiving treatment that he was informed of the incident on phone immediately after his morning prayer.
“I was shocked when I saw the extent of the attack on the victims. I was informed on phone and I rushed to the scene of the incident.
“He (Lukman) was with me in my house a day before the incident and did not show any sign of somebody harbouring any evil plans,” the man said.
NAN gathered that Lukman was promptly arrested and detained at the Omu-Aran Police Command.
The Divisional Police Officer was not available when NAN visited the station, while calls to his telephone line did not go through.
An officer in the Command who preferred anonymity, however, confirmed Lukman’s arrest, adding that investigation into the case had commenced.
(NAN)
~ Loyalists object to his quitting partisan Politics
Gbenga Daniel
Former Governor Gbenga Daniel and thousands of supporters on Sunday formally declared to jettison the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State.
The declaration touched – off a spontaneous and thunderous chanting of the APC slogans “change” and “Next level” at Daniel’s “Asoludero Hall” within his private residence in Sagamu GRA, Ogun State.
This followed intense pressure mounted on Daniel to lead them to APC and not abandoned them midstream.
The loyalists who took turn to speak, hinged their demands on the fact that their efforts contributed to the emergence of Prince Dapo Abiodun, as the governor-elect of Ogun state on the platform of APC.
The former governor who governed Ogun state on the ticket of PDP for eight years, had convened a stakeholders’ meeting of his loyalists under the aegis of OGD Political Family at his Sagamu home where he formally announced his withdrawal from partisan politics.
He disclosed that his foray into politics was accidental and necessitated by the need to “awaken the sleeping giant” – Ogun state from slumber and having met that need, it was important that he leaves the stage when the “ovation is loudest.”
Daniel also lamented that he has been “bartered, “bruised” and “called names because of politics” hence his resolve to quit even at a time there is much outcries against “sit tight leaders.”
He also narrated how he failed at getting Hon. Ladi Adebutu as well as the governorship candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC) to work together after the court had validated Senator Buruji Kashamu as the PDP gubernatorial candidate, and further lamenting that members of his political family failed to listen to him on a number of occasions.
But his supporters, said they would take none of such excuses from him, protesting that why could he even let the resignation from politics to the media without first consulting them.
One of them, Ifekayode Akinbode led other members of the OGD Political Family to prostrate for Daniel with the women holding his legs, pleading passionately that he should lead them to APC.
And arriving at a final resolution, the PDP Senatorial candidate for Ogun Central during the just concluded 2019 general elections, put the matter to a voice vote where to choose between remaining in PDP or joining APC but in unison, the all resolved to collectively join APC.
Despite repeated avowals of his commitment to a fight against corruption, the United States Department of State has said there is a climate of impunity in the President Muhammadu Buhari government that allows officials to engage in corrupt practices with a sense of exemption from punishment.
The State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, in its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2018, said Nigeria had made little progress in efforts to limit corruption in its public service.
The US Congress mandates the executive to produce a report on the state of human rights worldwide every year. For Nigeria, the findings in the 2018 Human Rights Report, released Thursday, were largely similar to those of the previous year’s report, indicating lack of real progress in the government’s anti-corruption war.
A copy of the report obtained by THISDAY said, “Although the law provides criminal penalties for conviction of official corruption, the government did not implement the law effectively, and officials frequently engaged in corrupt practices with impunity.
“Massive, widespread, and pervasive corruption affected all levels of government and the security services. There were numerous reports of government corruption during the year.”
The report stated that the country’s two key anti-corruption agencies, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had broad powers to prosecute corruption, but rarely applied such powers to conscientiously and logically prosecute corruption cases.
It stated, “The EFCC writ extends only to financial and economic crimes. The ICPC secured 14 convictions during the year. In 2016 the EFCC had 66 corruption cases pending in court, had secured 13 convictions during the year, and had 598 open investigations.
“Although ICPC and EFCC anti-corruption efforts remained largely focused on low and mid-level government officials, following the 2015 presidential election, both organisations started investigations into and brought indictments against various active and former high-level government officials. Many of these cases were pending in court. According to both ICPC and EFCC, the delays were the result of a lack of judges and the widespread practice of filing for and granting multiple adjournments.
“EFCC arrests and indictments of politicians continued throughout the year, implicating a significant number of opposition political figures and leading to allegations of partisan motivations on the part of the EFCC. In October the EFCC arrested and indicted former governor of Ekiti State Ayo Fayose on 11 counts, including conspiracy and money laundering amounting to 2.2 billion naira ($6 million). After a Federal High Court ruling, Fayose was out on 50 million naira ($137,500) bail.”
On financial disclosure, the report noted the constitutional requirement under the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act (CCBTA) for public officials, including the president, vice president, governors, deputy governors, cabinet ministers, and legislators (at both federal and state levels), to declare their assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) before assuming and after leaving office. The constitution calls for the CCB to “make declarations available for inspection by any citizen of the country on such terms and conditions as the National Assembly may prescribe,” said the report. “The law does not address the publication of asset information. Violators risk prosecution, but cases rarely reached conclusion.”
Perhaps, more chilling was the finding that arbitrary deprivation of life and unlawful killings were prevalent in Nigeria in 2018. The report cited several examples.
It said, “There were several reports the government or its agents committed arbitrary and unlawful killings. The national police, army, and other security services used lethal and excessive force to disperse protesters and apprehend criminals and suspects and committed other extrajudicial killings.
“Authorities generally did not hold police, military, or other security force personnel accountable for the use of excessive or deadly force or for the deaths of persons in custody.
“State and federal panels of inquiry investigating suspicious deaths generally did not make their findings public.
“In August 2017 the acting president convened a civilian-led presidential investigative panel to review compliance of the armed forces with human rights obligations and rules of engagement, and the panel submitted its findings in February. As of November no portions of the report had been made public.
“As of September there were no reports of the federal government further investigating or holding individuals accountable for the 2015 killing and subsequent mass burial of members of the Shia group, Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), and other civilians by Nigerian Army (NA) forces in Zaria, Kaduna State. “
The report noted the 2016 nonbinding report of the Kaduna State government’s judicial commission, which found that the Nigerian Army (NA) used “excessive and disproportionate” force during the 2015 altercations in which 348 members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) and one soldier died.
It said, “The commission recommended the federal government conduct an independent investigation and prosecute anyone found to have acted unlawfully. It also called for the proscription of the IMN and the monitoring of its members and their activities.
“In 2016 the government of Kaduna State published a white paper that included acceptance of the commission’s recommendation to investigate and prosecute allegations of excessive and disproportionate use of force by the NA.
“As of September, however, there was no indication that authorities had held any members of the NA accountable for the events in Zaria. It also accepted the recommendation to hold IMN leader Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky responsible for all illegal acts committed by IMN members during the altercations and in the preceding 30 years. In 2016 a federal court declared the continued detention without charge of Zakzaky and his wife illegal and unconstitutional.
“The court ordered their release by January 2017. The federal government did not comply with this order, and Zakzaky, his spouse, and other IMN members remained in detention. In April the Kaduna State government charged Zakzaky in state court with multiple felonies stemming from the death of the soldier at Zaria. The charges include culpable homicide, which can carry the death penalty. As of December the case was pending. In July a Kaduna High Court dismissed charges of aiding and abetting culpable homicide against more than 80 IMN members. As of September the Kaduna State government had appealed the ruling. Approximately 100 additional IMN members remained in detention.
“In October security forces killed 45 IMN members that were participating in processions and protests, according to Amnesty International (AI).”
The report recalled the January 2017 bombing of an informal internally displaced persons (IDPs) settlement in Rann, Borno State, by the Nigerian Air Force, which resulted in the killing and injuring of more than 100 civilians and aid workers.
It said, “The government and military leaders publicly assumed responsibility for the strike and launched an investigation. The air force conducted its own internal investigation, but as of December the government had not made public its findings. No air force or army personnel were known to have been held accountable for their roles in the event. There were reports of arbitrary and unlawful killings related to internal conflicts in the North-east and other areas.”
The report identified the following human rights issues in Nigeria: unlawful and arbitrary killings by both government and non-state actors; forced disappearances by both government and non-state actors; torture by both government and non-state actors; and prolonged arbitrary detention in life-threatening conditions, particularly, in government detention facilities. Others are harsh and life threatening prison conditions, including civilian detentions in military facilities, often based on flimsy or no evidence; infringement on citizens’ privacy rights; criminal libel; substantial interference with the rights of peaceful assembly and freedom of association, in particular for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) persons; and refoulement of refugees.
The report also identified as human rights abuse corruption; progress to formally separate child soldiers previously associated with the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF); lack of accountability concerning violence against women, including female genital mutilation/cutting, in part due to government inaction/negligence; trafficking in persons, including sexual exploitation and abuse by security officials; crimes involving violence targeting LGBTI persons and the criminalisation of status and same-sex sexual conduct based on sexual orientation and gender identity; and forced and bonded labour.
The report, however, noted that the government took steps to investigate alleged abuses but took fewer steps to prosecute officials who committed violations, whether in the security forces or elsewhere in the government.
“Impunity remained widespread at all levels of government. The government did not adequately investigate or prosecute most of the major outstanding allegations of human rights violations by the security forces or the majority of cases of police or military extortion or other abuse of power,” the report added.
