Judicial Review Under Threat by Kogi State’s Electoral Dispute

 

By Ayegba Jeseph

The Kogi State Governorship Elections on November 11, 2023, were marred by controversy as the illegal government of Governor Yahaya Bello tried to interfere with the judicial review process.

Bello’s Commissioner of Information, Kingsley Fanwo, who was exposed as a liar by Bello himself, asked INEC to ignore the Kogi State Elections Tribunal’s order to inspect the election materials.

This was seen as one of the many desperate attempts by the Kogi Government, led by Fanwo, to sabotage, undermine, or hinder the tribunal’s work, casting doubt on the validity of the electoral process.

Mr. Bello and his security accomplices resorted to extreme measures on November 29, 2023, by dressing more than 500 thugs in SDP T-shirts to stop the inspection of election materials.

Moreover, planned attacks on the Resident Electoral Commissioner on December 1, 2023, and the Secretary of the Election Tribunal on December 6, 2023, showed the government’s resolve to disrupt the judicial review process.

In an unprecedented move, election materials were moved to Abuja to protect them from being destroyed by the illegal government, resulting in an indefinite postponement of the Tribunal on November 30.

Despite these obstacles, the SDP is determined to pursue its petition within the legal 180-day period.

The recent rant by Mr. Bello’s spokesperson, Fanwo, demanding a stop to the inspection of materials is seen as a continuation of their campaign to discredit the process and waste legal time.

However, the SDP stands firm in challenging the outlaws and calls for a fair judicial review to decide the outcome of the alleged electoral fraud.

Despite attempts to kill INEC officials and tribunal members and using thugs to disrupt the process, the SDP stresses that stolen mandates will not be protected by such tactics.

The time is running out as the judicial review process continues

2 'okada' armed robbers arrested with POS machine

 

By Jide Fashola

On Thursday, two ‘okada’ armed robbers were arrested by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) around the Jubilee Bridge area Abule-Egba Lagos State. The suspects had a Point of Sale (POS) machine that they used to force victims to transfer money to a hidden account. Phones, ATM cards and wrist watches belonging to some victims were also found on the suspects.

The arrest of the suspects was confirmed by Mr. Adebayo Taofiq, the Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA. Taofiq said the suspects and their vehicle, a painted ‘T4’ commercial bus (APP 406 YE), were caught by LASTMA personnel at the U-turn area of Abule-Egba. He said one of the suspects ran away with a P.O.S machine before the police came.

He said initial investigations showed that the suspects were ‘okada’ armed robbers who had been terrorising Abule-Egba and its surroundings.

“Further investigation showed that they were pursued by the public after they saw a man being thrown out of their vehicle after they robbed him of his things. “They drove dangerously to avoid being arrested until they were finally stopped by LASTMA officials who were managing traffic around the Abule-Egba area.

“The two suspects were then handed over to the police from the ‘Ile-Epo’ Police Division for more investigation” he said.

Fake doctor’s treatment and how the pregnant woman died in Kano

Muhammed and Ugwu

 

 From Usman Abubakar
 
Police operatives in Kano have arrested a fake medical doctor, Chidera Ugwu, accused of administering injections and drugs to a pregnant teenager which led to her death.
A statement by the police spokesman, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said one Nura Balarabe informed the police that 19-year-old Ukasha Muhammed, a resident of Langel village of Tofa local government, allegedly impregnated his sister Amina Bala, 19, and approached the fake doctor for help.
The statement said Ugwu, 24, a resident of Lanbum Banki in Tofa local government administered the injection with the intention of aborting the pregnancy which resulted in the death of Amina.
“Investigations revealed that the said Chidera Ugwu has allegedly been administering fatal injections to pregnant women, leading to tragic consequences.
The arrest of the quack doctor signifies a significant breakthrough in our ongoing efforts to safeguard the lives and well-being of all the residents in the state,” the police statement reads in part.
 The Police Commissioner, Muhammed Usaini Gumel, in the statement, appreciated the public’s patience and trust in the police as they investigate the horrific crimes.

Police arraign scavenger for allegedly receiving stolen bicycles

 

By Ayegba James

The police in Abuja, on Thursday, arraigned a 25-year-old scavenger, Mubarak Isya, for allegedly receiving stolen bicycles.

Isya of Kubusa Pantaker area of Abuja is facing trial before a Lugbe Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, charged with receiving stolen property.

The prosecution counsel, Mr Stanley Nwaforaku, told the court that one Mohammed Aliyu of Durumi, Abuja, reported a case of theft at the Durumi police station against one Peter Elisha and Ali Hassan on Dec. 17.

Nwaforaku said during police investigation, Elisha and Hassan confessed to stealing the bicycles belonging to one Mr Jonah Izuka, and selling it to the defendant.

The prosecutor said when the defendant was later arrested, he admitted that he bought the bicycles from Elisha and Hassan.

Nwaforaku said that the offence contravened section 317 of the Penal Code.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The judge, Malam Aliyu Kagarko, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000 with one surety in like sum and that the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and must produce reliable means of identification.

He adjourned the matter until Feb. 16 for hearing. (NAN)

Soldier criticises Sanwo-Olu, supports soldiers’ privilege to drive on wrong lane

 

 By Jide Fashola

A soldier has criticised the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for arresting his colleague and three other motorcyclists for going on the wrong lane on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. The soldier, whose identity is unknown, defended his colleague in a viral video on Thursday, and blamed Sanwo-Olu for insulting a soldier as ‘useless’ in front of ‘rude civilians’.

Ishieldpoint found out on Tuesday that, Sanwo-Olu ordered the arrest of a soldier and three other motorcyclists for violating traffic rules on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. In a viral video, Sanwo-Olu was seen telling his men to put one of the motorcyclists who said he was a soldier into the vehicle, saying that he was going to jail him.

The soldier who reacted to the arrest, said the state governor had no authority to arrest a soldier, especially near his barracks. He said that soldiers are not under the command of any state governor but their senior officers. He said, “Did your governor just call a soldier, lance corporal useless? a lance corporal…This man has a broken arm, they shot at the man. He has metal in his hands.

CAF increases the AFCON winner's award money to $7 million

 

By Ayegba James

The cash prize money for the 2023 TotalEnergies African Cup of Nations has been boosted by 40 per cent by the Confederation of African Football. The continental football body announced this on its website on Thursday.

CAF said that the 2023 AFCON champion will get $7 million while the second-placed team will receive $4 million. The two teams that reach the semi-finals will get $2.5 million each and the four teams that make it to the quarter-finals will earn $1.3 million each.

The CAF President, Dr. Patrice Motsepeon, said in a statement, “CAF has achieved significant progress in the last two years in raising the prize money of the AFCON and all its other major competitions. We have raised the prize money of the AFCON winner to USD 7,000,000 which is a 40% rise from the previous AFCON prize money. I am hopeful that some of the prize money will help develop football and also benefit all the football stakeholders, as well as support our member associations with their administrations.”

The prize money for the winner was increased from $4.5 million, which means an increase of about 11 per cent. The decision was made in Douala, Cameroon, during the meeting of the Executive Committee of the CAF. Super Eagles coach, Jose Peseiro’s side was placed in Group A with hosts, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea Bissau, and have chosen the slogan ‘Let’s Do It Again’ as their motivation to win a fourth Africa Cup of Nations title in early next year.