Connect with us

Government

Judge Withdraws from Trial of Fani-Kayode, Nenadi Usman

Published

on

Fani-Kayode
  • Judge Withdraws from Trial of Fani-Kayode, Nenadi Usman

Justice Muslim Hassan of a Federal High Court in Lagos thursday recused himself from the trial of a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, charged with N4.6 billion money laundering.

Fani-Kayode was charged with a former Minister of State for Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman, and a former National Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Yusuf Danjuma.

Also charged is a company, Jointrust Dimentions Nigeria Limited.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had preferred against the accused, a 17-count charge of laundering about N4.6billion.

They had each pleaded not guilty. Yesterday, Justice Hassan in a ruling, withdrew from the criminal trial of the accused.

His withdrawal followed an application by counsel to Fani-Kayode, Mr Norrison Quakers (SAN), urging the court to step aside from the suit.

Recalling the arguments of counsel for and against the application to withdraw from the case, the judge held that although counsel had not been able to show or prove any element of bias, it would serve the interest of justice for him to withdraw from the suit.

He held: “It will serve the interest of justice for me to withdraw from this suit.”

The judge further held that the case file would be returned to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ndahi Auta, for re-assignment to another judge.

He consequently, directed the accused to await further directives from the Chief Judge.

At the last adjourned date in February, counsel to Fani-Kayode, Quakers, had argued an application before the court, elucidating why it should recuse from the trial of the accused.

Quakers had contended that Justice Hassan, who worked as Head of Legal services at the EFCC before his appointment as a judge, signed the money laundering charges for which Fani-Kayode was previously prosecuted years back.
He added that Fani-Kayode was however, discharged and acquitted by Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumobia on July 1, 2015.

Quakers had argued that while judges ought to operate as if they were blindfolded, the blindfold is sometimes removed on primordial sentiments.

On the other hand, counsel to Usman, Mr. Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), had also argued his application before the court, seeking a severance of the criminal charge.

Owonikoko had urged the court to allow Usman to be tried separately from Fani-Kayode as well as for her trial to be transferred from Lagos to the Abuja division, for purposes of convenience.

He had hinged his application on grounds of Usman’s health condition, adding that she resides in Abuja and always had to travel to Lagos each time the case comes up, spending at least three days on each occasion.

He had therefore, urged the court to grant his application.

Opposing the applications, the prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, argued that the chief judge could not exercise his powers to transfer a case where the prosecution had called its first witness.

Besides, Oyedepo had argued that 13 of the listed 17 witness lived in Lagos. Moreso, in opposing the application by Fani-Kayode, Oyedepo had argued that although Justice Hassan signed the charges as head of EFCC’s legal department, the case was prepared and prosecuted by an external counsel, Mr Festus Keyamo.

He had said that the judge did not feature in the trial of Fani-Kayode at any time, adding that nothing has been placed before the court to justify the likelihood of any bias.

In the charge, the accused were alleged to have committed the offences between January and March 2015.

Is the CEO/Founder of Investors King Limited. A proven foreign exchange research analyst and a published author on Yahoo Finance, Businessinsider, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur.com, Investorplace, and many more. He has over two decades of experience in global financial markets.

Continue Reading
Comments

Government

Senate Suspends Senator Abdul Ningi for 3 Months Over Budget Padding Allegations

Published

on

Abdul-Ahmed-Ningi

The Senate has announced the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi for three months following his allegations of budget padding to the tune of N3.7 trillion in the 2024 budget.

Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central and chairs the Senate Committee on Population, had made the claims in a recent interview with the Hausa service of the BBC.

During a plenary session, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, raised a motion to address Ningi’s allegations, citing the urgent need to address what he termed as “false allegations.”

The transcript of Ningi’s interview was read on the Senate floor, prompting deliberation on the appropriate action to take.

Initially, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim proposed a 12-month suspension for Ningi, but Senator Chris Ekpeyong moved to reduce it to six months.

Eventually, Senator Garba Maidoki amended the motion further, suggesting a three-month suspension.

The amended motion was put to a voice vote, and Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the decision to suspend Ningi for three months.

Following the ruling, Ningi was escorted out of the Senate chamber by the Sergeants-at-arms.

The suspension comes amidst division within the Senate over Ningi’s claims, with some senators disowning his allegations and calling for a thorough investigation.

Continue Reading

Government

Ekiti Governor Unveils Multi-Billion Naira Relief Programmes Amid Economic Crisis

Published

on

Biodun Oyebanji

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, has announced a comprehensive relief package aimed at alleviating the hardship faced by the people of the state.

The relief programs encompass various sectors to cushion the impact of the economic downturn.

One of the key initiatives entails clearing salary arrears amounting to over N2.7 billion owed to both State and Local Government workers.

This move signifies the government’s commitment to addressing the financial burdens faced by its workforce.

Furthermore, Governor Oyebanji has approved a substantial increase of N600 million per month in the subvention of autonomous institutions, including the Judiciary and tertiary institutions.

This augmentation is intended to enable these institutions to implement wage awards in alignment with State and Local Government workers’ salaries.

In addition to addressing salary arrears, the relief programs extend to pensioners, with the approval of payments totaling N1.5 billion for two months’ pension arrears.

Moreover, an increase in the monthly gratuity payment to state pensioners and local government pensioners will provide additional financial support, totaling N200 million monthly.

The relief initiatives also encompass agricultural and small-scale business sectors.

The allocation of funds for food production and livestock transformation projects underscores the government’s commitment to enhancing food security and economic sustainability at the grassroots level.

Governor Oyebanji emphasized that these relief programs are part of the state’s concerted efforts to mitigate the adverse effects of the economic downturn and foster shared prosperity.

The comprehensive nature of the initiatives reflects a proactive approach towards addressing the challenges faced by Ekiti State residents.

Continue Reading

Government

President Tinubu Orders Immediate Settlement of N342m Electricity Bill for Presidential Villa

Published

on

power project

President Bola Tinubu has directed the prompt settlement of a N342 million outstanding electricity bill owed by the Presidential Villa to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).

This move comes in response to the reconciliation of accounts between the State House Management and the AEDC.

The AEDC had earlier threatened to disconnect electricity services to the Presidential Villa and 86 Federal Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) over a total outstanding debt of N47.20 billion as of December 2023.

Contrary to the initial claim by the AEDC that the State House owed N923 million in electricity bills, the Presidency clarified that the actual outstanding amount is N342.35 million.

This discrepancy underscores the importance of accurate accounting and reconciliation between entities.

In a statement signed by President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency affirmed the commitment to settle the debt promptly.

Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila assured that the debt would be paid to the AEDC before the end of the week.

The directive from the Presidency extends beyond the State House, as Gbajabiamila urged other MDAs to reconcile their accounts with the AEDC and settle their outstanding electricity bills.

The AEDC, on its part, issued a 10-day notice to the affected government agencies to settle their debts or face disconnection.

This development highlights the importance of financial accountability and responsible management of public utilities.

It also underscores the necessity for government entities to fulfill their financial obligations to service providers promptly, ensuring uninterrupted services and avoiding potential disruptions.

Continue Reading
Advertisement




Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending