A former Abia State Governor, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, will on Monday, September 20, 2021, know his fate in his fresh suit seeking to stop the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, from subjecting him to retrial in an alleged N7.1bn fraud charges brought against him.
Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja, is expected to deliver a make or mar judgment in the suit.
The Judge had on July 2 fixed the date after Kalu and EFCC adopted all processes filed for and against the suit.
Daily Post learnt on Sunday September 19 that notice for delivery of judgment has been issued and served on both EFCC and Senator Kalu through their respective lawyers by the court bailiff.
The former governor, who is now a Senator representing Abia North Senatorial district in the senate, is seeking to stop his retrial in the N7.1bn money laundering charges on the ground that he had been tried, convicted and imprisoned on the strength of the same charges.
Professor Awa Kalu SAN, counsel to the former governor, while adopting his processes, had informed the court that senator Kalu stood for trial for 12 years and got a judgment that convicted and jailed him for 10 years.
The senior counsel cited section 36 (9) of the 1999 constitution which stipulates that no Nigerian shall be subjected to double jeopardy to support his arguments
Awa Kalu insisted that the former governor, having served a period of jail term, would be made to suffer double jeopardy if allowed by the court to be put on trial for the second time by the federal government.
Professor Kalu had produced and read the Supreme Court judgment upon which the ex governor was released after five months in prison adding that there was nowhere in the judgment where the apex court made order for his client’s trial.
He had challenged the EFCC to point out to court where order for retrial was made against the former governor
The senior lawyer had then urged the court to prohibit EFCC from going ahead with the planned retrial.
However in a vehement opposition to the suit., EFCC through its counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs SAN, asked the court to dismiss the suit with anger.
He submitted that the judgment which led to the release of Kalu has been declared a nullity by the Supreme Court which also ordered retrial of the appellant in the matter, Mr Udeh Jones who stood trial along with Kalu in the same charges.
EFCC had argued that since the Supreme Court order benefitted Kalu, he must bear the burden that arose from the apex court verdict.
Jacobs described Kalu’s suit as approbating and reprobating at the same time, frivolous, irritating and sought for it’s dismissal with order on Kalu to face retrial.
In a short ruling that followed, Justice Ekwo fixed September 20 for judgment in the matter.
Specifically, Kalu is seeking an order of court prohibiting the federal government, through the EFCC, its officers, servants, others, agents, privies and any other person or bodies deriving authority from the Federal Republic of Nigeria, from retrying him on charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/56/2007 between FRN vs Orji Kalu & 2 ors, or any other charge based on the same facts de novo, there being no extant judgment and ruling of a competent court in Nigeria mandating same.
The ex governor had also applied for order prohibiting the Federal Republic of Nigeria, through the EFCC (her agent), her officers, servants, others, agents, privies and any other person or bodies deriving authority from the Federal Republic of Nigeria, from retrying, harassing and intimidating him with respect to the charge as concerns charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/56/2007 between FRN vs Orji Kalu & 2 ors or any other charge based on same facts as he need not suffer double jeopardy.
Also Kalu is asking the federal high court to restrain the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from retrying him on the same alleged N7.1b money laundering charges against him.
He contended that having been tried once by EFCC, convicted and sentenced in the same charges FHC/ABJ/CR/56/ 2007, it will amount to double jeopardy for him if he is allowed to be subjected to a fresh trial on the same charge.
GUNMEN have killed three policemen and injured two persons while setting a police vehicle ablaze at the Ezeiweka area of the commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra State.
An eyewitness said the incident happened at the spot where the policemen usually mount checkpoints in the area.
According to the source, the gunmen were apparently angered by the way the security operatives collect money from motorists with impunity
He said: “The residents usually feel secure because the area is very dangerous. But the way they extort motorists is what the people don’t like.
“The problem the policemen have is that they don’t listen or monitor the situation. Nigerians are angry because of the situation of things in the country and to continue to extort them every day brings more frustration”.
Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr Tochukwu Ikenga said information about the attack is still sketchy.
First son of Igwe Alex Edozieuno, former traditional ruler of Mkpunando, in Anambra State, was recently assassinated by unknown gunmen, Prince Chinedu Edozieuno, has alleged that he is being trailed by his father’s killers.
The young Edozieuno said he has been receiving threat calls from anonymous persons since he started making frantic efforts to help police find his father’s killers.
Prince Chinedu in a press release on Sunday morning also said he was worried that more than one week after his father was assassinated, the state Governor Chief Willie Obiano who hailed from the same community and of the same age grade as his father, has not cared to know how the family is faring after the tragic incident.
The death of Igwe Edozieuno on September 10, 2021, had sparked controversy, as it was believed that it was politically motivated, as he had just dumped the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, for the All Progressives Congress, APC, before his death.
Prince Edozieuno said: “My father and the government had been friendly and I am a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor. My father and the Governor are from the same town and were age mates.
“It is curious that since my father’s assassination, the Governor has not shown any concern. He has not called to commiserate with the family or pay a visit.
“Meanwhile, since I started reaching out to the police following the assassination of my father, I have been trailed by unknown persons. This poses danger on my life. I also receive calls asking me to drop the case even as some people I suspect that have a hand in the killing of my father jubilate openly.
“As soon as news of my father’s assassination broke out, we heard that some people started celebrating.
“When I complained to the police, they asked me how I am sure they have a hand in my father’s death.
“I call on the Presidency, the Inspector-General of Police and security agencies to come to my aid so that those who killed my father will not kill me also”, Prince Edozieuno pleaded.
He believed that those who killed his father are not far from his kinsmen, saying that his father earned the wrath of some of his kinsmen after he successfully ensured the carving out of three autonomous communities from Aguleri namely: Enugu-Otu, Eziagulu Otu and Mkpunando.
He alleged that influential people, including a prominent member of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) from Anambra East Local council has not been happy with his father because of his influence and moreso after he joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) after he was dethroned.
He debunked a rumour linking his father’s assassination to Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network (ESN), insisting that his father had no issues with the group.
He said: “Some people have tried to link my father’s death to IPOB. That is false and cheap propaganda.
“My father’s death cannot be far from the autonomous community issue because influential people from Aguleri wanted the town to remain one. My father’s death is a strong hatchet man’s job by some highly placed people”.
No fewer than 20 kidnapped victims have escaped from the deadly Rugu Forest in Nigeria Northwest after bandits who held them bound for over five months fled for dear lives on citing an air force fighter jet.
Among the victims are 18 females and 2 males abducted five months ago from Katoge village in Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina State.
One of the victims, Rabiu Mannir said they managed to escape from the hoodlums when a jet of the Nigerian Air Force caused a scare while flying over the bandits’ camp on Friday night. The development he said caused the criminals to scamper for safety, ignoring their captives.
Also, one of the female victims identified as Sahura Haruna was said to have delivered a baby girl at the kidnappers den recently as she was already pregnant before being abducted by the bandits.
“I put to bed five days ago. According to the Doctor, my baby and I are not very sound. The Doctor said our body system lacks adequate water,” Sahura said.
The Secretary to the Katsina State Government, SSG, Dr Mustapha Inuwa, said the rescued victims were brought back to Katsina by authorities in neighbouring Zamfara State and they have been medically examined and handed over to the authorities of Batsari LGA to reconcile them with their families once again.
Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, terrorizing parts of Benue State, have attacked the Yelwata community in Guma Local Government Area of the State.
The armed men who carried out the attack, on Saturday, butchered two residents and whisked another one to unknown destination.
A resident of the community, Mr Tarka said the incident triggered tension in the area, stating that more residents have been displaced.
When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO in the state, DSP Catherine Anene told our correspondent that the incident was yet to be reported to the command.
Recall that similar incident occured in the Yelwata community on August 25 when about eight persons where killed, while others were left injured.
No fewer than seven civil servants have been arrested following diversion of insecticide-treated nets in Gombe State.
The state through support from Catholic Relief Services, Global Fund, and National Malaria Elimination Programme is distributing 2.3 million insecticide-treated nets across the state.
Confirming the arrest of the men under the employment of Kwami LGA Primary Healthcare and Billiri LGA Primary Healthcare, on Saturday, Commissioner for Health Dr. Habu Dahiru, said they were nabbed following tip-off by residents.
He revealed that they had diverted about 5,450 to the market to make brisk sales from unsuspecting citizens.
Dahiru said, “A team of personnel who were charged of keeping an eye on the process to ensure that the nets does not slip into the wrong hands , were tipped by an informant that the nets were loaded in a truck in one of the markets in Gombe metropolis. This was with the sole intent of diverting them for personal aggrandizement.
“I wish to unequivocally state that the co-conspirators arrested turned out to be four staff of Kwami LGA PHC department. A total of 100 bale’s of the items were recovered from them. Each bail contains 50 nets.”
Dahiru added, “On the same note, state personnel were tipped up by an informant that similar situation was unfolding in Billiri LGA. The police were informed about three staff of the PHC department. Who were arrested and a total of nine bales of the nets were recovered.”
On his part, State Head of Service, Bapayo Yahaya, said the civil servants would be placed on half salary pending the determination of their case.
He noted that the case may warrant termination of appointments if confirmed to be true.
“My office will suspend them and they will be on half salary. If the court finds them guilty they will be dismissed. It a serious misconduct, actually what they have done is embarrassing too,” Yahaya said.
An employee of the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation, Akinlolu Ajayi, has been stopped from committing suicide.
The 54-year-old man was seen on September 15 on the Third Mainland Bridge trying to jump into the lagoon at the University of Lagos waterfront.
Ajayi was, however, stopped when the men of the Bariga Police Division on a routine patrol of the area stumbled on him, the spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, Adekunle Ajisebutu, said in a statement on Saturday.
He also said that the police would prosecute Ajayi for the action.
The statement was titled, ‘Police Officers Save Man From Committing Suicide In Lagos’.
“Pronto, the anti-crime patrol team of the Bariga Police Division on a routine patrol of the area, immediately rescued the man and took him into protective custody.
“The Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, having directed that the man’s family should be contacted for necessary action, appeals to members of the public not to take their own lives no matter the challenges they are currently facing.
“According to the CP, such challenges are merely ephemeral. The Police boss further warns that such condemnable act is not only morally wrong but is also criminal.
“Meanwhile the suspect has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for investigation and subsequent prosecution.”
A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, has convicted and sentenced two women, Onyema Bright and Edna Worleru to life imprisonment for the death of one Isreal Georgewill.
Edna Worleru, a prophetess with a church in Rumuche community in Emohua Local Government Area of the state was reported to have prepared a poisonous substance in the name of “love portion” for Onyema Bright Worlu to administer on her “manfriend”, late Israel Georgewill, who was a prophet in another church within the community.
The murder case was instituted in 2012.
But the trial Judge, Justice Adolphus Enebeli in his judgment on Thursday, found the two accused persons guilty of manslaughter.
Justice Enebeli ruled that the prosecution was able to prove their case and that the statement of the first defendant, Bright Worlu at the police station, was voluntary.
She had stated at the station that she administered the “love portion” to her “manfriend” as was prepared by her prophetess, who is the second defendant in the matter for the purpose of financial assistance but never knew it would turn out to cause his death.
The judge, after considering all the facts presented by the parties, convicted the accused to life imprisonment without an option of fine.
Speaking to journalists outside the courtroom, Principal Prosecution State Counsel, Chidi Ekah, described the judgement as “not only justice for the deceased and his family but also for the state and Nigeria at large”.
However, counsel to the first defendant, Chukwu Vincent vowed to appeal the judgement.
Following the recent jailbreak at the Kogi prisons Enugu has sought miliary and police armed reinforcement to forestall similar attack.
The attack on the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kabba, on September 12 in neighbouring Kogi State has raised fears and apprehension in sister institutions.
Controller of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Enugu, Godwin Onokohwomomo, says he has contacted the military, police and other sister security agencies to provide armed reinforcement for the prison.
Security in and around the custodial centres within Enugu State are beeling beefed up, Godwin Onokohwomomo said.
”Our officers and men are also on security red alert to ensure that all proactive security measures are activated.”
He said he has reached out to sister security agencies to provide further armed reinforcement for custodial centres in the state.
“We are looking for more armed security around our facilities. I have spoken to the heads of military formations, police and NSCDC commands in the state.
“However, we are writing official letters today to support our earlier phone discussions on the need for more armed officers and men in our three custodial centres in the state,” he added.
Mr Onokohwomomo also said that he will be embarking on an emergency tour of the custodial centres in the state to brief officers and men on the latest development.
”Every personnel must sit up. My going round is to motivate the officers and men to get focused on their duties.
“Personnel must be steadfast, ensure effective and meticulous attendance to their daily duties in order to ensure no lapses, which can be capitalised by criminal elements,” he said.
The attack on the custodial centre in Kogi on Monday saw about 240 inmates freed by the attackers. NCoS however says 114 escapees from the facility have been recaptured.
The Controller-General, NCoS, Haliru Nababa, has since then directed the activation of the immediate recapture procedure and detailed investigation to be carried out on the jailbreak.
