Foreign

Trump Remains Mute in New York Investigation

By Web News 459

Former US President Donald Trump has declined to answer questions as part of a New York state investigation into his family’s business practices.

Mr Trump had sued in an effort to block the interview at the New York attorney general’s office on Wednesday.

State officials accuse the Trump Organization of misleading authorities about the value of its assets in order to get favourable loans and tax breaks.

Mr Trump denies wrongdoing and has called the civil probe a witch hunt.

An hour after he was pictured arriving at the Manhattan office where he was questioned under oath, Mr Trump released a statement in which he criticised New York Attorney General Letitia James and the broader investigation.

“Years of work and tens of millions of dollars have been spent on this long-simmering saga, and to no avail,” he said. “I declined to answer the questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution.”

Ms James’ office confirmed that the interview took place on Wednesday and that “Mr Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination”.

“Attorney General James will pursue the facts and the law wherever they may lead,” the statement added. “Our investigation continues.”

His deposition comes just days after the FBI executed an unprecedented search warrant at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, as part of a separate investigation that is reportedly linked to his handling of classified material.

While the attorney general’s investigation is a civil one, a parallel investigation is being carried out by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office which could result in criminal charges.

Legal analysts suggest Mr Trump may have declined to answer questions on Wednesday because his answers could have been used against him in that criminal investigation. The former president invoked the Fifth Amendment, which protects people from being compelled to be a witness against themselves in a criminal case.

The questioning lasted around four hours and included lengthy breaks, his lawyer Ronald Fischetti told US media.

BBC/Oluwayemisi Owonikoko

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Ife Protest: Osun Govt Calls for Calm, Orders Investigation

By Web News 519

Osun state government has appealed for calm over the protest that rocked ile-Ife following the violence sparked off by the face-off between the men of The Nigerian Police Force and the youths of Iloro area of the ancient town.

This is contained in a statement by the Osun state commissioner for information and Civic Orientation, Mrs Funke Egbemode.

The statement indicates that government has ordered an immediate investigation into the remote and immediate causes of the violence, especially the alleged death of a detained suspect and shooting by men of the Nigerian Police at unarmed youths.

It urges residents of the area not to take laws into their own hands by hurting more people or destroying property.

It would be recalled that some youths in Ile Ife had protested the alleged killing of a suspected ritualist who allegedly died in police custody.

Abiodun Adeoye

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JIFORM Wants Global Garnishee Order Against Human Traffickers, Investigation Of Borno Sexual Abuse

By Web News 585

The Journalists International Forum For Migration, JIFORM this week at a public lecture to mark the 100 days in office of Dr Fatima Waziri-Azi, the Director-General of the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP) called for a garnishee order to confiscate the property and illicit funds of human traffickers across the world.

At the occasion, the NAPTIP DG called for more collaboration with various stakeholders and expressed the desire to work with everyone to rid the nation of the menace of human traffickers. She added that the door of the agency was opened to genuine cooperation that would aid the advancement of its aims and objectives. 

Ajibola Abayomi, the President of JIFORM delivering a presentation on the role of media in the fight against human trafficking in Nigeria at the virtual event lauded the NAPTIP DG for his efforts on Trafficking In person matters (TIP) recommended the way forward. 

“For the Justice administration to be more effective in Nigeria there is need for facilitation of training for judges on the anti-human trafficking laws specifically with provision for garnishee orders allowing global confiscation of assets and funds belonging to the convicted human traffickers of Nigerians anywhere in the world in collaboration with international partners and countries.

“At the Internally Displaced person camp in Maiduguri, Borno State, the Federal Government should support NAPTIP to carry out thorough and independent investigations against the security personnel and the officials of Committee on Joint Task Force (CJTF) members and make the culprits accountable for alleged trafficking offences, including sex trafficking at the IDPs and unlawful recruitment and use of child soldiers in the northeast. 

“Efforts should be made to track the illicit funds being the proceeds of human trafficking flowing from overseas and from Nigeria to other nations too to further crimple human traffickers and such money should be plough back into the rehabilitation of victims of the crime.

“There should be more collaboration between the NAPTIP and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to adequately monitor the activities of job recruiting agencies in Nigeria to forestall labour trafficking and exploitation both within and outside the country at intervals” Ajibola stated. 

The JIFORM President re-echoed the need to upgrade NAPTIP to arm bearing and uniform agency with visibility in all 774 local governments in the nation, allocation of adequately funded by the Federal Government to the agency to fund its budget to allow for the recruitment of more hands and give it some oversight functions but at the entry and exit routes across the nation’s borders.   

He described the NAPTIP DG as prayer answered for the agency, who he said was a true believer in the fight against human trafficking both in and beyond Nigeria.

Ajibola said the event was an opportunity to appraise to migration matters particularly the fight against Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and Smuggling of Migrants (SOM) given the commendable efforts of the NAPTIP aimed to combat human trafficking in the country.

 “I am not just saying this to flatter the DG and her team, truly, it has been 100 days of consolidation on war against TIP and SOM with determination and renewed zeal.

“On behalf of the Journalists International Forum For Migration JIFORM, with over 350 journalists across the continents, out of which we have over 160 Nigerian journalists on the platform we have nurtured since 2018 as the rallying point for Journalists focusing on migration reportage in Nigeria and across the globe with special focus on TIP and SOM matters, I congratulate the DG and her entire team for sustaining the flying colours of the NAPTIP founded in 2003 till date.”

Speakers at the event included the Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration IOM, Nigeria, Mr Celestine Frantz who was represented by the Head of Programmes of the agency Mariam Prestage; the Executive Director of Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation, (WOTCLEF), Imaobong Ladipo-Sanusi; and the National President of Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour NACTAL, Abdul-Ganiyu Abubakar.

Adedayo Adelowo