FG COLLABORATING WITH OTHER COUNTRIES ON ASSET RECOVERY, SAYS MALAMI – THISDAY PG.43

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, has said Nigeria collaborates with various jurisdictions in its efforts to recover stolen assets stashed abroad. Malami made this known at the ninth session of the Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) holding in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt.The minister according to a statement by has media aide, Dr. Umar Gwandu, disclosed that Nigeria with Pakistan, State of Palestine, Peru, Saudi Arabia and Kenya, submitted a draft resolution entitled “Enhancing access to and the use of Beneficial Ownership Information to facilitate the identification, recovery and return of assets, “ to further highlight the importance of beneficial ownership transparency.

NNAMDI KANU SUES AGF, SSS OVER ALLEGED RIGHTS VIOLATION – NATION PG.4, SUN PG.8

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has sued the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS) over alleged rights violation. Kanu, in the suit filed by his lawyer, Maxwell Opara, before the Federal High Court in Abuja, accused the respondents of denying him access to food, medical care, cloth of his choice and to practise his religion.In the fundamental rights enforcement suit, Kanu wants the court to among others, order that he be allowed to arrange food for himself at his own expense.

HOW FG BEGAN VIRTUAL PROCEEDINGS IN CORRECTIONAL CENTRES – DAILY TRUST PG.26

The fate of inmates at Nigerian Correctional Centres has received a boost with the launch of virtual court facilities at the Kuje Correctional Centre, FCT on December 6.The project, which will be replicated nationwide, will make it possible for suspects in custody to give evidence and follow their trial without being physically in court with all its logistical and security challenges. The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), said the project is in furtherance of the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) targeted at the speedy determination of cases by eliminating delays and displacement of denial of justice. He said it will further support the federal government’s policy of decongestion of correctional centres across the country. 

N800BN JUDGMENT DEBT: COURT TO HEAR SHELL’S APPLICATION FOR STAY JAN. 25 – THISDAY PG.16

The Court of Appeal, Owerri Division will on January 25, 2022, hear the application of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), seeking to stay the execution of an N800 billion judgment entered against it by a Federal High Court in Owerri, Imo State. The appellate court would also on that date hear all other pending applications including that of the plaintiffs/respondents seeking an order of court directing Shell to deposit the said judgment sum with the court as condition for hearing the application for stay as well as another seeking to set aside the Notice of Appeal filed by Shell on the grounds it is incompetent and an abuse of court process.

EFCC AS TOOL OF NORTHERN DOMINATION UNDER BUHARI – THISDAY PG.24

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was founded by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003, as an agency to fight financial crimes and work with the international Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering to ensure that Nigeria was not blacklisted by the international community, due to the weakness of previous efforts to fight money laundering and other financial crimes in Nigeria. This is because Nigeria had developed an evil reputation during the Abacha administration as an international haven for money launderers, most of whom were Northern military officers directly connected to the Abacha military junta.

COURT FIXES FEB 10 FOR ABACHA FAMILY’S N1.2BN SUIT CHALLENGING DURBAR HOTEL DEMOLITION – DAILY TRUST PG.10

A Kaduna State High Court has fixed February 10, 2022 for hearing in the suit by Durbar Hotel PLC against the Kaduna State Government over alleged illegal demolition of the property.Justice HannatuBalogun fixed the date for the hearing. The hotel, owned by the family of the late Head of State, Sani Abacha, had filed a suit over what it termed plans to take over the property despite pending appeal on the matter at the Supreme Court, which the state government filed challenging the verdicts of lower courts.

PARIS CLUB: COURT DECLINES STOPPING DEDUCTIONS FROM STATES’ ACCOUNTS – DAILY TRUST PG.7, THISDAY PG.16, NATION PG.1&4

A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday decline to issue an injunction stopping the federal government from making deductions from the accounts of states over the $418mdebt. Justice Inyang Ekwo held that the court would first determine the issue of its jurisdiction which have been raised by the federal government. The judge therefore fixed December 21 for both the application challenging jurisdiction and the main matter before it. The 36 state governors had through their counsel, Sunday Ibrahim Ameh (SAN) asked the court to grant an injunctive order against the federal government so as not to proceed with deduction of their $418 million from their accounts.

BODY OF SANS CALL ON JUDICIARY TO DEFEND INDEPENDENCE – SUN PG.7

The Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) has called on the judiciary to protect its independence by not allowing external enemies to invade its sacred sanctuary. Speaking at the posthumous valedictory court session in honour of the late Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Adamu Abdu-Kafarati, the body lamented that in recent times, there have been systematic efforts to erode the independence of the judiciary by the ruling class by way of intimidation, coercion, arm-twisting, divide-and-rule tactics and outright harassment.

JOURNALIST QUIZZED OVER REPORT ON ‘CORRUPTION’ IN POLICE – DAILY TRUST PG.7

The police Monday detained a journalist and founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), Fisayo Soyombo. He was invited over a report on the then Commissioner of Police, Joseph Egbunike, who approved the establishment of a police transit camp in six states, a project the newspaper said was either non-existent or little work done. Egbunike, now a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, was in charge of the panel set up by the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, to investigate the embattled Commander of the Police Intelligence Unit, Abba Kyari.

EVANS TO KNOW FATE ON FEB 25, 2022 – THISDAY PG.V

Justice Hakeem Oshodi of an Ikeja High Court on Friday, fixed February 25, 2022, for judgement in the trial of alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike alias Evans and five Defendants accused of conspiracy and kidnapping. The trial Judge fixed the judgement date, after listening to the final oral submissions of the final written addresses of both the Prosecution and Defence Counsel. Evans and his co-Defendants – UcheAmadi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi and Victor Aduba, are accused of kidnaping of Mr Donatus Dunu, the Managing Director of Maydon Pharmaceuticals Ltd on February 14, 2017.

NIGERIA’S ANTI-CORRUPTION TASK TEAM PLANS FRESH STRATEGY TO FIGHT GRAFT – THISDAY PG.26

The Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT), comprising 22 agencies, has said that that a new action plan would be developed to guide the implementation of its national anti-corruption strategy, including that of the extractive industry. Head, Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-corruption Reforms (TUGAR), the secretariat of the IATT, Lilian Ekeanyanwu, who spoke at the commemoration of International Anti-corruption Day 2021, tagged: ”Your Right, Your Role: Say No to Corruption,” stressed that the new strategy would be all-inclusive with sector specific strategies for necessary buy-in.

LAWYERS URGE GOVTS TO OBEY AFRICAN COURTS’ DECISIONS – NATION PG.VIII

Lawyers from across Africa have urged governments of states in the continent to learn to give effect to decisions of continental, sub-regional courts and tribunals as a way of bolstering democracy and rule of law in the continent. The lawyers, under the aegis of the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU) and other stakeholders, deplored the growing practice where countries in the continent treat decisions of African international courts and tribunals with scant regard.