Politics

Court Affirms Anyanwu as PDP National Secretary

By Web News 444

By Ifeoma Nwovu (Abuja)

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, has declared Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the valid national secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Delivering judgment, Justice Inyang Ekwo made an order of injunction, restraining the national leadership of the PDP from appointing any person as acting national secretary when Anyanwu’s four-year tenure is still running and subsisting until Dec. 9, 2025, in line with the party’s constitution.

Justice Ekwo also declared that any meeting held or resolution reached by the party to prematurely remove or prevent Anyanwu from exercising the powers of his office would be in violation of Article 47 (1) of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017), and would become null and void with no effect.

The judge also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from recognising any purported appointment of any person as national secretary of the party whether in acting capacity or otherwise other than Anyanwu, the elected national secretary of the 1st defendant (PDP).”

The court had, on November 23, last year, stopped the PDP from removing Anyanwu as National Secretary pending the hearing and determination of the substantive matter.

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Judiciary

Court Rejects Application to Extradite Abba Kyari to US

By Web News 424

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, has dismissed an application the Federal Government filed for permission to extradite the detained Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP, Abba Kyari, to the United States of America to face trial over his alleged involvement with an internet fraudster, Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi.

Delivering judgement, the judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, held that the extradition application the Federal government filed through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, was incompetent and bereft of merit.

Justice Ekwo held that Mr Malami, being the Chief Law Officer of the country, ought to be aware that the Extradition Act, which is clear that Kyari, having been docked before a court of competent jurisdiction in the country, shall not be surrendered until such case has been discharged either by his conviction or acquittal.

The court wondered why the AGF approached the court with the extradition application when he was equally the one that issued FIAT to the National Drug Law Enforcement, NDLEA, to prosecute DCP Kyari on drug-related charges.

Justice Ekwo dismissed the extradition request for being incompetent.

FRCN Abuja/Titilayo Kupoliyi

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Politics

Osun 2022: Suit to disqualify Oyetola lacks merit – Court

By Web News 611

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Thursday, declined to disqualify Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun State from participating in the impending governorship election in the state as candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The court, in a judgement that was delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo, held that the suit that sought to invalidate governor Oyetola’s nomination as flag-bearer of the APC for the election, lacked merit and deserved to be dismissed.

Justice Ekwo held that the Plaintiff, Moshood Adeoti, failed to establish a reasonable cause of action to warrant Oyetola’s disqualification.

More so, the court held that the suit, which it said was an abuse of the judicial process, was not backed with relevant laws, adding that it was brought outside the scope of section 87(9) of the Electoral Act and Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

Vanguard /  Titilayo Kupoliyi

Crime

N2.9bn : Court Grants Okorocha N5OOm Bail

By Web News 454

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, admitted Senator Rochas Okorocha to bail in the sum of N500 million with one surety in like sum.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a ruling, said granting bail was a discretionary power of the court.

Justice Ekwo said the surety, who must have a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court, must deposit the Certificate of Occupancy of the verified property with the registry of the court.

The judge, while admitting the senator to bail with a cautionary statement, ordered that his international passport be deposited in the registry of the court.

He ordered the registry of the court to inform the Nigeria Immigration Service about the state of Okorocha’s travel documents.

He further ordered the lawmaker not to travel outside the country except with the leave of the court.

Ekwo also granted Okorocha’s co-defendant, Anyim Chinenye, a bail in the terms of the administrative bail earlier granted to him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The judge adjourned the matter until November 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 for trial.

The development occurred after counsel for Okorocha, Solomon Umo, SAN, and that of Chinenye, Oba Maduabuchi, SAN, took the applications.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Okorocha is the current senator representing Imo West Senatorial District.

The lawmaker, who was the first defendant, was arraigned alongside Chinenye, Naphtali International Limited, Perfect Finish Multi Projects Limited, Consolid Projects Consulting Limited, Pramif International Limited, and Legend World Concepts Limited as second to seventh defendants respectively.

He was alleged to have laundered funds to the tune of N2.9 billion while serving as governor of Imo State.

Punch / Titilayo Kupoliyi

Judiciary

Court Validates FG’s Stance on LG Financial Autonomy

By Web News 475

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja presided over by Justice Inyang Ekwo on Monday delivered a judgement in favour of the Federal government and Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, on Local government joint accounts nationwide. 

A statement by NFIU’s Chief media analyst, Ahmed Dikko says the Nigerian Governors Forum sued the Federal Government and NFIU for interfering with state government powers to initiate transactions on Local Government Joint Accounts citing provisions of the 1999 constitution. 

The NFIU issued a guideline on money laundering risk and vulnerabilities advising all banks not to honour transactions from joint accounts. 

The statement explains that the NFIU directed that the States and Local Governments Joint Accounts should be used only for receiving funds and subsequently transferring them to Local government accounts only. 

The guidelines also reduced cash withdrawal from local government accounts to five hundred thousand Naira daily.

While reacting to the judgement,  the Director of NFIU, Modibbo Tukur said from this judgment henceforth, all transactions on Local Government funds will be disclosed to ICPC and EFCC 100% and will be reported continuously.

FRCN, Abuja/ Titilayo Kupoliyi