Politics

The Kwara State Government has said that it will not condone cultism in all its tertiary institutions. The Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Alhaji Aliyu Lade, made this known on Friday when he paid an unscheduled visit to Kw...

The Court of Appeal, Lagos, on Friday upheld the judgment of a Lagos High Court which convicted the General Overseer, Christian Praying Assembly, Chukwuemeka Ezeugo and sentenced him to death.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Ezeugo, popularly known as Rev. King, who was charged with six-counts bordering on attempted murder and murder, was convicted by Justice Joseph Oyewole on Jan. 11, 2007.

Oyewole sentenced Ezeugo to death by hanging, for the murder of a church member, Ann Uzoh.

Ezeugo was said to have poured petrol on the deceased for an offence which he classified as "acts of fornication," and set her ablaze.

The convict, through his counsel, Mr Olalekan Ojo, had, however, filed an appeal on Nov. 5, 2012 raising a plethora of issues for determination and urging the court to upturn the verdict of the lower court.

Justice Fatima Akinbami, in a lead judgment at the appellate court, held that all issues raised by Ezeugo in his appeal, failed.

``This appeal is devoid of any basis and accordingly fails.

``The judgment of the High Court is hereby affirmed, and the conviction imposed on the appellant, is also affirmed" Akinbami ruled.

She said that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and faulted an alibi raised by Ojo that the appellant was not at the scene of the offence.

According to her, the evidence of some prosecution witnesses pinned the appellant to the scene of the offence, throwing out arguments by Ojo that the evidence was tainted.

Akinbami said that even the evidence of a tainted witness is admissible, once it is material to the case, noting that all evidence adduced by the prosecution witnesses were unanimous.

She said that they all pointed to the fact that the appellant actually used matches and petrol to set the deceased ablaze.

``Each of the prosecution witnesses gave evidence as to how the victim was beaten and burnt by the appellant.

``To my mind, there is no contradiction whatsoever and even if there were, it is immaterial, since all the witnesses were unanimous," she said.

According to Akinbami, the evidence of some doctors also showed that the deceased died as a result of the burns.

She held that the trial judge was at liberty to write his judgment in his own style, provided it sets out the issue for determination, shows a clear understanding of the facts as stated and arrives at a logical conclusion.

The judge condemned the attitude of some pastors toward their congregation, noting that the circumstances surrounding the death of the deceased were rather bizarre.

``It is so devastating how some men of God will give out to their congregation scorpion, instead of fish, and stone, instead of bread.

``It is indeed sad and unfortunate," Akinbami said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justices Amina Augie and Ibrahim Saulawa consented to the judgment.

NAN reports that the appellant’s counsel informed the court of his intention to challenge the verdict at the Supreme Court. (NAN)

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) said it had intensified campaign on peace and security in the country.

Fielding questions from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, the Director-General of the Agency, Mr Mike Omeri, said the agency would ensure that Nigerians, irrespective of their class and status, lived in peace.

He said, ``The Do the right thing campaign'', being conducted by the agency, followed the need to restore value and attitudinal change in Nigeria.

Omeri attributed the lingering security problems witnessed in the country to ``erosion of values'', adding that Nigerians should resist people who were bent on perpetrating violence.

He said the recent traditional rulers meetings held in Ekiti and Katsina were borne out of the desire to curb violence in the country.

The Director-General described the roles of traditional rulers as `germane'' to the realisation of peace and restoration of security to their domain.

Omeri said the objective of the zonal peace forum in the South West and North East was to integrate traditional institutions, which were the closest to the people in resolving security issues.

He said NOA would partner with security agencies to ensure that the ``Do the right thing campaign'' programme succeeded.

Omeri said that the agency was committed to restoring and upholding values. (NAN)

Eze Nnanna Oparaocha-Ekwe, the traditional ruler of Ulakwo in  Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo, has accused a policeman of complicity in a failed attempt to kidnap him. Oparaocha-Ekwe alleged in a petition to the Police Commissioner...

A Lagos High Court in Ikeja on Friday granted the application by a former Managing Director of Finbank Plc, Okey Nwosu, seeking for the release of his international passport for renewal.

Justice Lateefat Okunnu ordered the release of the passport while ruling on the application filed by Nwosu's counsel, Mr O. Kalu.

The Judge, however, directed that both the new and old international passports be returned to the custody of the court's Registrar after the renewal.

Nwosu and three former directors of Finbank Plc, Dayo Famoroti, Danjuma Ocholi and Agnes Ebubedike, were charged for allegedly stealing N10.9 billion belonging to the bank.

Following the ruling, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) called one of its investigative officers, Mr Emmanuel Damudu, to testify against the defendants.

Damudu told the court how N18 billion was debited from Finbank's sundry account and used to purchase bank shares for seven fictitous companies.

The witness, who was led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), said the transactions were carried out on the instructions of the defendants.

He said the companies were Ferbond Real Estate Ltd., Busch Modern Machine Tools Ltd., Tyco Food Processing Ltd., Omdidem Ltd., Eureka Ventures Ltd., Coastal Lake Ltd. and Cannon Investment Ltd.

He said some of the shares purportedly bought for the companies were later allocated to the defendants and other directors, who paid for them.

The case was then adjourned till Feb. 26 for continuation. (NAN)

Ezenwa Nwagwu, is the Chairman of Partners for Electoral Reform (PER) . In this interview, with Chibuzo Ukaibe, he speaks on the planned merger of the opposition parties and highlights the need for fresh values and personalities as panacea to its succe...

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rebuffed insinuations of crisis between President Goodluck Jonathan and the governors of the party, and insisted that members of the National Working Committee (NWC) remained solidly behind the party’s natio...

The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) may join the list of proscribed political parties in the country if it fails to satisfactorily explain to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), why it is flouting the 1999 Constitution. LEADERSHIP ga...

The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in Katsina State has chided state governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema for allegedly trying to muzzle dissenting views in the state, accusing him of being allergic to critical views on how the state is being governed. ...

Information Minister Labaran Maku on Wednesday urged the three tiers of government to align their political differences and work for the progress of the country.Maku made the call in Abakaliki during the good governance tour of the state.

``There is need for a synergy between the three tiers government to work toward the progress of the nation's democracy,” he said.

Maku, who is leading the team, said the tour was all about the people and not the government, noting that development and progress was not about age but leadership.

``Progress is not about age but leadership issue and proper management of available resources.

``The good governance tour of states is a constructive engagement where progress, problems and prospects of the tiers in a particular state are x-rayed,” he explained.

The minister said the tour was also designed to address the challenges of the country's democracy in the past 14 years.

``Our culture of democracy is still problematic. We often criticise and condemn what is on ground.

``This tour will expose the silent transformations going on in various states of the federation and at the same time prove critics right or wrong in their assessments,” he said.

The minister advised politicians to see themselves as arrow heads projected by God to lead.

He added that the team's findings at each state would be beamed to the rest of the world via the social and conventional media.

Responding, Gov. Martin Elechi described the tour as healthy for the country and its democracy.  

``The tour will help Nigeria to advance in all facets of the economy as the team should be able to tell the world the truth about each state’s development strides,” he said.

Elechi said the state government was anchored on three policies of civil service reform, attitudinal change and infrastructure development.

He said the success and advancement of any society depended on the three areas.

The News of Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the team later inspected some federal and state projects in the state.

The projects included the dualisation of a portion of the Abakaliki-Enugu expressway, the new central bank building, the new secretariat at Ochudo City and the international market.

Ondo Gov. Olusegun Mimiko on Wednesday advocated for more emphasis on vocational education to address the alarming rate of unemployment in the country. Mimiko identified skill acquisition as a major panacea for curbing joblessness and youth restiveness...

The Kwara Government has warned people living on  Unity road and  Amilegbe area of Ilorin against dumping refuse inside Asa River. Mr Tunji Morounfoye, the  Commissioner for Environment and Forestry, gave the warning  in a statement...

President Goodluck Jonathan said on Wednesday in Abuja that his administration would ensure equity and fairness in appointment to political offices and employment into the Federal Civil Service. The president gave the assurance at the swearing-in cerem...

Recently, the media was awash with reports of a seeming disaffection between President Goodluck Jonathan and his deputy, Vice President Namadi Sambo, over the latter’s purported plot to unseat his boss in the 2015 presidential poll. In this piece...