Malami Announces Take Over Of Sowore's Trial From DSS

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) on Friday announced the immediate take over of the case of Sahara Reporters Publisher, Omoyele Sowore from the Directorate of State Services (DSS).

The information  was made public by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister, Dr Umar.

 

Dr Gwandu in the statement stated that Already, the Solicitor General of the Federation, Dayo Apata (SAN) on behalf of the Attorney General has written to the Director General of DSS, Yusuf Bichi, asking for a “prompt transfer” of the casefile to the ministry.

Gwandu’s statement further stated, “The Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice upon a further review of the case, has directed the immediate takeover of the prosecution of all charges in respect of Omoyole Sowore by the Federal Ministry of Justice, in line with the provisions of Sections 150(1) and 174 (1) (a-c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”

The takeover may not be unconnected with last week’s incident when operatives of DSS invaded a Federal High Court to re-arrest Sowore while the court was still sitting. 

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu had granter bail to Sowore and gave DSS a 24 hour ultimatum to release him of bring him to court.

DSS complied with the court order only for its operatives to storm the courtroom in a gestapo fashion, with guns, even while Justice Ojukwu was sitting and presiding over the affairs of the court.

NJC concludes probe of Onnoghen, Muhammad, silent on findings

NJC concludes probe of Onnoghen, Muhammad, silent on findings

*Fails to consider asset declaration allegation

The National Judicial Council (NJC) rose from an emergency meeting on Wednesday and elected to be silent on its report on the probe of petitions against suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen and Acting CJN, Ibrahim Muhammad.

The NJC, which considered the report of its five-man committee constituted to investigate petitions against Onnoghen and Muhammad, said it has decided to send its report to President Muhammadu Buhari rather than making it public in view of “the nature of the decision reached
Its spokesman, Soji Oye said, in a statement on Wednesday, that the NJC refrained from considering the allegation relating to asset declaration involving Onnoghen, “because it’s was subjudice.”

The statement reads: “The National Judicial Council reconvened today in an emergency meeting to consider the report of the five-man committee constituted to investigate the allegations of misconduct made against Hon. Mr. Justice W. S. N. Onnoghen, GCON and Hon. Mr. Justice I. T. Muhammad, CFR.

“Council decided that the allegations relating to assets declaration that were levelled against Hon. Mr. Justice W. S. N. Onnoghen, GCON were subjudice and therefore abstained from considering them.

“Council reached a decision on the petitions written by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and others and conveyed its decision to President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR.

“Council also resolved that, by the nature of the decision reached, it would be inappropriate to publicise it before conveying it to Mr. President.”

Agriculture: NAFDAC Bans Methyl Bromide As Fumigant For Pests

Agriculture: NAFDAC Bans Methyl Bromide As Fumigant For Pests

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced ban on methyl bromide as a pest control fumigant.

A statement by Prof. Moji Adeyeye, Director General of NAFDAC, said that the fumigant was toxic and dangerous to human health.

“Methyl bromide is odorless, colourless, non corrisive and non flammable and highly toxic to a broad spectrum of insects.

” It is a class one, Ozone Depleting Substance (ODS), which depletes the ozone layer due to releass of bromine atom.

“In humans, it is readily absorbed through the lungs and most problems occur as a result of inhalation,” Adeyeye said.

The DG said that methyl bromide could cause incalculable damage to the nervous system.

She added that its odourless nature, and the fact that symptoms of its damage to the human body took a long time to manifest made it more dangerous.

She said that NAFDAC was presently carrying out surveillance aimed at identifying importers of the dangerous pesticide for sanction.

She advised farmers and importers and dealers in agricultural inputs to desist from using methyl bromide, urging them to contact the closest NAFDAC office to them for safer alternatives.

Lagos Alerts Residents On Outbreak Of Lassa Fever

Lagos Alerts Residents On Outbreak Of Lassa Fever

Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris on Wednesday alerted Lagos residents on outbreak of Lassa fever in some parts of the country, imploring members of the public to support the government in its efforts to reduce the spread of communicable diseases in the state.

Idris, who stated this at the state government Secretariat located in Alausa, Ikeja area of the state while speaking on the outbreak of Lassa fever in some parts of the country added that the signs and symptoms typically occur within three weeks after the patient comes into contact with the virus.

He listed early symptoms of the disease to include fever, headache, chills, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, backache, and joint pains, adding that late symptoms include bleeding from the eyes, ears and nose as well as mouth and rectum, eye swelling, swelling of the genitals and rashes all over the body that often contain blood as severe cases could progress to coma, shock and eventual death.

Idris said while the state government is leaving no stone unturned in improving the healthcare service delivery of the people through huge investments in the sector, Lagosians need to prevent a spread by observing a high level of personal and environmental hygiene and avoiding contacts with rats, ensuring proper collection and disposal of waste, covering all foods including left-overs and water properly, as well as washing hands properly before and after cooking of foods, blocking all rat hideouts and storing food items in rodent-proof containers.

He also advised health workers who occupy an important position in the delivery of healthcare services to the people to be at alert and have a high index of suspicion for Lassa fever and other viral haemorrhagic.

“Health workers should report any suspected case to the Primary Health Department in their various Local Government or the Ministry of Health, observe universal safety precautions when attending to all patients and wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when attending to suspected or confirmed cases,” he advised.

‘Why Re - scheduled Elections May Not Hold’

‘Why Re - scheduled Elections May Not Hold’

A civil society organisation, Citizens for Change and Advancement (CCA ), has warned that the rescheduled 2019 general elections might not hold on the new date of Saturday, February 26 due to poor preparations and massive infighting within the top leadership of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

CCA policy director, Maxwell Abaji in a statement yesterday, said that some sensitive electoral materials in some states are still in INEC custody, and not in Central Bank of Nigeria’s ( CBN) vaults as being claimed by the electoral body.

“Election materials in states like Taraba , Cross River, Ebonyi and Benue are not in CBN vaults contrary to claims by the electoral umpire. Even INEC leadership do not know the exact locations of some materials in some states as at 4pm Tuesday. It is more worrisome that these materials are yet to be audited and verified by any independent stakeholder, ”Abaji claimed.

The group further alleged that the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and the commission’s head of Operations and Logistics, Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu are allegedly keeping logistics details away from other national commissioners due to infighting and poor working relationships among INEC leadership.

“With information at our disposal, the duo of the INEC chairman and Ibeanu are refusing to work with other national commissioners on the issue of logistics with regards to this Saturday’s elections; keeping the challenges confronting the elections to themselves like they did previously, hence the sudden postponement of last Saturday.

“With the current developments at the commission and if allowed unchecked, unknown forces could capitalise on it to undermine the process, which could warrant the need to shift the elections again,” he said.

CCA therefore warned INEC to put its house in order, saying that Nigerians will not accept any further excuses for the elections not to hold as scheduled on Saturday.

FG Protests Inhuman Treatment Of 723 Nigerians By Ghana Immigration Service

FG Protests Inhuman Treatment Of 723 Nigerians By Ghana Immigration Service


The Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Amb. Michael Abikoye, has protested the inhuman treatment of Nigerians by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) with the deportation of 723 Nigerians between 2018 and 2019.

Abikoye said this at a meeting between him and the Comptroller-General of GIS, Kwame Takyi, in Ghana, with report obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

The High Commissioner said that 723 Nigerians were deported on alleged illegal stay, cybercrime and prostitution between the January 2018 and January 2019.

According to him, 81 Nigerians are deported on alleged cybercrime and illegal stay in January, while 115 have so far been deported in February on the allegation of overstay and prostitution.

The High commissioner cautioned against inhuman treatment of Nigerians by Ghana, warning that any form of torture or ill treatment of Nigerians would not be acceptable to Nigerian Government.

He said, though the High Commission would not condone any form of criminality on the part of Nigerians, saying that inhuman treatment and alleged torture of some Nigerians in Ghana would no longer be tolerated.

“Although, the GIS had linked prostitution and cybercrimes as some of the reasons for the deportation, it is improper to deport Nigerians for alleged illegal stay in Ghana.

“There are several Ghanaians living in Nigeria and the Nigeria Immigration Service has never deported any of them on ground of illegal stay, because of a sense of brotherliness between our countries,” he said.

The Ambassador, therefore, presented to the CG a copy of the Mission’s records on deportations of Nigerians from January 2018 till date.

He expressed displeasure that Nigerians were not being fairly treated, stressing that there had been reported cases of molestation, harassment and torture of Nigerians by GIS officials, especially those awaiting deportation at the GIS’s detention facility.

The Ambassador also showed photos of some of them who sustained injuries on their legs, arms and eyes in the process of the torture.

According to him, the inhuman act was against the United Nations Convention against Torture.

He appealed to the CG to prevail on his officials to treat Nigerians and other ECOWAS nationals with human face, caution and not as common criminals.

Abikoye expressed displeasure on the long detention of Nigerians in the GIS custody after proper documentation and issuance of Emergency Travel Certificate for their repatriation by the High Commission.

He appealed that considering the poor state of the GIS’s facility; the Ghana Immigration Service should expedite action in their early repatriation to Nigeria immediately after the issuance of Emergency Travel Certificates.

In his response, the CG acknowledged the existing bilateral relationship between the two countries as earlier pointed by Abikoye.

According to Takyi, the GIS are being compelled to carry out repatriation because of the conduct of some Nigerian nationals in Ghana.

He alleged that besides engaging in cybercrime and prostitution, “some Nigerians had become laws in themselves; they do road blockages in major Ghanaian streets where they drink, fight and stab one another.

“This unruly behaviour” which contravenes the local laws in Ghana has led to directive from higher authority for their arrests and eventual deportation of those who do not have the requisite immigration papers.”

The CG, however, promised to investigate alleged torture of some Nigerians.

He, however, showed the Ambassador a video of some Nigerians, obstructing justice by preventing the official vehicle of the GIS the right of way after arresting a Nigerian in Kasoa area.

The report said that the incessant deportation of Nigerians and alleged inhuman treatment of some of them, had once again brought to fore, the urgent need for Nigerian Government to hasten on earlier proposal to fix a date for hosting of the Ghana and Nigeria Permanent Joint Commission meeting. 

Purported reduction in prices of petroleum products not from us– IPMAN

Purported reduction in prices of petroleum products not from us– IPMAN

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), has urged the general public to disregard statements on purported price reduction of petrol pump price to N140 per litre from the present N145.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Alhaji ABK Aliyu, the National Chairman of IPMAN gave the advice on Tuesday in a phone interview with the News men in Yola.
Aliyu said that the statement did not emanate from the association, noting that some people used the union’s logo to issue unauthorised statements.
He further explained that the association does not have the powers to reduce pump price of petroleum products.
The national chairman advised members of the association to disregard the directive, describing it as a political gimmick.
Checks revealed that filing stations within Yola and Jimeta were selling pump price of petrol at the usual N145.
Recall that some people claiming to be IPMAN officials had directed its members to reduce pump price of petrol from N145 to N140 for the purpose of the forth coming general elections.
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