ELECTORAL ACT 84 (12): APPEAL COURT STOPS MALAMI – THE NATION PG. 5, PUNCH PG. 8, THISDAY PG. 10
The Court of Appeal has restrained the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami (SAN) and others from frustrating the hearing of an appeal against a judgment mandating the AGF to delete Section 84 (12) from the Electoral Act 2022. A three-member panel, led by Justice Rita Nosakhare Pemu, in a ruling, granted the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) permission to appeal, as an interested party, against the March 18, 2022 judgment by Justice Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court in Umuahia. The Appeal Court made the order in a ruling delivered at the Owerri Division on April 7, a copy of which The Nation sighted yesterday.
101 COCAINE PARCELS FOUND IN CHILDREN’S DUVETS – THE NATIONS PG. 6, THIS DAY PG. 50, DAILY SUN PG. 4
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 101 parcels of cocaine concealed in eight children’s duvets at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, spokesman Femi Babafemi said yesterday in a statement. He said the drug was brought into the country by a 52-year-old Brazilian returnee, Akudirinwa Hilary Uchenna who hails from Oru East Local Government area of Imo state. According to the statement, the suspect was arrested on Saturday, April 9 at the D-Arrival Hall of the Lagos airport upon his return from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Doha aboard Qatar Airline flight, while the 101 parcels of the class A drug with a gross weight of 13.2 kilogramme were recovered from his only check-in bag.
EFCC URGES COURT TO DISMISS IBETO’S SUIT – THE NATIONS PG. 21
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC has urged the Rivers State High court in Port Harcourt to dismiss a rights suit by the Chairman of Ibeto Cement, Cletus Ibeto, against it and a businessman, Chief Daniel Chukwudozie. Ibeto is praying the court to prevent the anti-graft agency from investigating allegations of fraud bordering on obtaining N4.8 billion by false pretence, forgery and criminal breach of trust made against him by Dozzy Oil and Gas Limited. He is asking the court to declare that his harassment by the respondents is unlawful. He also wants the court to restrain the EFCC from arresting him and to order the respondents to pay him N500 million damages for his unconstitutional arrest.
ELECTORAL ACT: COURT OF APPEAL OKAYS PDP APPEAL AGAINST FG – DAILY TRUST PG. 14
An enrolled order of the Court of Appeal obtained by journalists on Sunday confirmed that the order was made by the Presiding Justice of the court, Justice Rita Noshakhare Pemu, following the submissions of its counsel, D. C. Denwigwe (SAN). The appeal marked CA/OW/87/2022 has Chief Nduka Edede and the Attorney General of the Federation as the 1st and 2nd respondents respectively.
KANU’S LAWYER FAULTS SECRET TRIAL OF TERRORISM CASES – PUNCH PG. 9
A legal practitioner, Aloy Ejimakor, has picked holes in the new practice directions on terrorism trials recently issued by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court. Ejimakor, one of the lawyers defending the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, on the treasonable felony and terrorism charges levied against him by the Federal Government, described the new practice directions as unconstitutional, noting that it violated Section 36 of the Constitution, which requires all trials to be in public. In a statement on Sunday, the lawyer explained that subsection (3) of Section 36 of the Constitution stated that “The proceedings of a court or the proceedings of any tribunal relating to the matters mentioned in subsection (1) of this section (including the announcement of the decisions of the court or tribunal) shall be held in public.
EZEIFE ASKS FG TO RELEASE KANU – PUNCH PG. 22
A former governor of Anambra State, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, has advised the Federal Government to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Speaking to our correspondent in Awka, on Sunday, Ezeife insisted that the current insecurity challenge in Anambra State and the entire South-East is as a result of the continuous detention of the IPOB leader. He urged the South-East governors, concerned Igbo leaders and the Federal Government to collaborate and seek the quick release of Kanu. “We are also meeting today (Sunday) to deliberate on modalities in pursuit of our efforts to secure Kanu’s release unconditionally.” He also advised Governor Chukwuma Soludo to handle the issue of IPOB with utmost care.
CORRECTIONAL SERVICE SAYS FALANA’S ALLEGATION AGAINST ITS OFFICIALS WILD, UNSUBSTANTIATED – THIS DAY PG. 47
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has described the allegation that some of its officials are in the habit of arranging for convicts to evade serving terms as wild, unsubstantiated, unpatriotic and most unfortunate. A respected human rights lawyer, Chief Femi Falana had alleged last week during a media session titled, “Forget the past, forfeit the future: A nation seceding from humanity”, that some officials of the NCoS allow criminals to escape court verdicts by getting young men who will serve jail terms for criminals. But reacting to the allegation yesterday, the spokesman of the NCoS, Francis Enobore said the authorities of the Service, “have observed, with great concern, the statement credited to a legal practitioner alleging that some officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service allow criminals to evade court verdicts by getting young men who will serve jail terms for criminals. This wild and unsubstantiated allegation is unpatriotic and most unfortunate, especially coming from a respected lawyer of international recognition.”
FREE KANU, OHANAEZE APPEALS TO BUHARI – DAILY TRUST PG. 32
They also said the position of the region on the Igbo question, especially on next year’s presidency, would soon be announced.This is as Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, appealed to other Nigerians to give priority to the South East in choosing the next president, declaring the Igbo have “cried enough in Nigeria” and should be comforted. They made their position known at a civic reception organised by the Imo State Government for the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, George Obiozor, on Saturday. Almost all the leaders in the zone spoke against the continued detention of Kanu, noting that his release would douse tension in the region.
