World News

Lagos policemen, sheriffs invade house, destroy N500m property

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Lagos-based lawyer, Amanda Asagba, has decried the invasion of her home on Nduka Osadebey Street, Ajao Estate, Lagos State, by armed security agents, including sheriffs and policemen.

It was gathered that the men claimed to be acting on an order of the High Court of Lagos, Ikeja.

Asagba, who spoke to our correspondent on Thursday, said the officials forcefully ejected her family and destroyed assets worth over N500m.

The lawyer, who is the Principal Partner of Amanda and D. Asagba Chambers, claimed to have been living in the house for the past 25 years, adding that all her property titles were uncontested.

She said, “On Thursday, July 28, around 8.45am, I heard someone shouting from my room upstairs. I came downstairs and saw some men and I asked them how they came into my house; they told me that they had been knocking but no one answered.“One of the men told me that they were from the state high court and they had a judgment against me. It left me confused because I didn’t have any matter against anyone; I told them this, but they shunned me.

“I even told them that maybe they were in the wrong place but they refused. I later asked for their court warrant. When they showed it to me, I saw that my name was not there and I called their attention to it, but they said that my name did not have to be there and that I was a trespasser.

In the midst of all the argument, my daughters came out. They pushed all of us out and started taking out all our things. They threw out everything in the house except some things they couldn’t take out.

“They didn’t even allow me to make a phone call. We did not even know if they were armed robbers or something. Some of the men wore sheriff uniform; some were in mufti and others were heavily armed police officers who also had tear gas canisters. They were over 100 and the ones who entered the house were about 40.

“They only let me take a picture of the court warrant of possession after they had ransacked my residence and thrown everything out. Even the name on the warrant happened to be my neighbour, who was next door and whose property was seized two years ago.

Business, Politics

Attempts to secure lawyer, Inihebe Effiong’s release through sustained engagement has been unsuccessful – NBA President, Olumide Akpata

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The President of the Nigerian Bar Association NBA, Olumide Akpata, has said that various attempts employed by the association towards the release of a popular lawyer, Inihebe Effiong, have been unsuccessful.

On July 27, Effiong raised an alarm on social media after an Akwa Ibom Chief Judge, Justice Ekaette Obot, sent him to jail for one month following his alleged contemptuous conduct while in court. He alleged that he was sentenced to one month in prison after he asked the Chief Judge to remove the armed policemen in the courtroom. He shared photos of himself in the prison van after he was escorted out of the court premises. Read here.

In an update given this morning on social media, Akpata said efforts to get the matter resolved and get Effiong released from prison have been unsuccessful. According to him, the Chief Judge indicates that she is ”unwilling or unable to further entertain the matter.’ Akpata says findings by the NBA show the court did not follow due process in the committal proceedings.

He said Effiong was not given a ‘fair hearing in court and an opportunity to recant or purge himself.’ He added that the NBA will now explore the option of appealing the decision of the judge.

Read his statement below…

”Last week, I provided an update on the efforts being made by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) towards securing the release of our colleague, Mr. Inibehe Effiong, who was remanded in custody on the order of the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State on account of alleged contemptuous conduct in Her Lordship’s court.

Unfortunately, attempts to secure Mr. Effiong’s release through sustained engagements at different levels have been unsuccessful with the Chief Judge indicating that she was unwilling or unable to further entertain the matter.In the circumstance, the NBA is left with no choice but to work on an appeal against the decision of Her Lordship, and I have instructed the NBA team to work with Mr. Effiong on an immediate appeal.

This is not the outcome that we had expected because there is a high chance that Mr. Effiong would serve out his one-month custodial term before the end of the appeal.

Regardless of the conduct of Mr. Effiong in the courtroom on the date of the proceedings that led to his committal, one thing that has come out from the various accounts that the NBA has so far received is that Hon. Justice Ekaette Obot did not follow due process in the committal proceedings.

Mr. Effiong was not put in the dock, told what his wrong or contempt was, given fair hearing or even an opportunity to recant or purge himself (a courtesy that the Bench should, at the minimum, extend to counsel where counsel’s conduct is said to be contemptuous).

This on its face not only runs afoul of known practice and procedure in such cases but is also unconstitutional. In view of the foregoing and depending on the outcome of our ongoing investigations, the NBA may be forced to take this matter up with the National Judicial Council.”

Politics

Sanwo-Olu proposes law to tackle fuel tanker fires

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Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has stressed the need for Nigeria to have a uniform “Combustible Standard Law” guiding tankers and articulated vehicles.

Sanwo-Olu made the remarks at the commissioning of the Aerial Hydraulic Firefighting Truck at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos on Thursday, March 18.

The Governor, represented by his Deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, said that the law was necessary to protect lives and property of the citizens, as well as loss to fire and accidents involving such vehicles.

Sanwo-Olu noted that 45 per cent of petroleum products comes to Lagos with the consequence of trucks catching fire, destroying lives and property.

He said there was a need for the state to work with the Federal Fire Service to ensure that the combustible standards are met before the trucks are loaded.

According to him “life is the most important gift, without which nothing else matters, therefore fire that consumes lives and property is important to every one of us”.

The governor added that his administration takes fire service seriously, noting that the state first bought the aerial hydraulic platform Fire Truck as far back as 2012 and currently has four of them.

The governor disclosed that the state has about 700 firefighters employed and 500 were to be recruited very soon.

He added that there are 18 fire stations across the State.

He said: “I appreciate the State Fire Service for their consistent support.

Whenever there is a need for their service and they are called upon, they work with us well.”

Earlier in his remarks, the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, stated that the Federal Government is committed to safeguarding lives and property.

Aregbsola assured that government would not relent in its efforts towards making policies, resources, and strategies for a safer Nigeria.

The minister noted that under the Buhari administration, Federal Fire Service had spread to nearly all the states of the federation.

Federal Government will keep improving on our infrastructure and bring innovations, in the bid to protect lives and property that will help in putting fire under control.”

The minister explained that the DG54 Aerial Platform Fire Fighting Truck has 54 metres height capacity and will reach the 18th floor of high-rise buildings.

“This has been a challenge in Lagos, especially with a plethora of skyscrapers and a nightmare to fire-fighters and this will be a thing of the past now.

“The Federal Fire Service has since expanded beyond Lagos and Abuja, and now has a presence in almost all the states of the Federation,” he said

According to the Minister, fundamental changes are taking place all over the fire service.

He disclosed that property worth N1.351trillion was saved from fire in the last year, adding that 94 fire service vehicles had been approved for procurement by the Federal Executive Council.

Politics

EFCC records 646 convictions, recovers over N11 billion in 10 months.

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) says it recorded 646 convictions and recovered more than N11 billion in monetary asset this year, despite the restriction imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The acting chairman of the EFCC, Umar Abba, disclosed this while addressing the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes in Abuja on Tuesday.

The spokesperson of the commission, Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement that the Senate committee had expressed the desire of the Upper Legislative House to see a reformed and rebranded EFCC.

This, according to the committee, will help in its fight against corruption, economic and financial crimes in the country.
Suleiman Kwari, the Chairman of the committee, advised that 90 per cent of investigation should be done before “arrest is effected”.
He added that “media hype must stop”. If you want to be effective forget the media, do the work and let your work speak for you.”

Mr Kwari disclosed that the 9th Senate is determined to see that there is a constant flow of information and engagement between the Senate and the EFCC.

Aliyu Wamakko, the Deputy Chairman of the committee, expressed concern on the commission’s lean budgetary allocation for legal fees, noting that there must be adequate provision for legal fees in the EFCC budget for effective prosecutions.

Mr Uwujaren quoted the EFCC boss, Mr Umar, as telling the Senate committee that the commission has earned the confidence and trust of Nigerians because of its unblemished professional disposition.
“The EFCC is doing remarkably well above all other law-enforcement agencies in the country and that is why the UNODC and National Bureau of Statistics in the 2017 survey they conducted ranked EFCC as the most effective government agency in Nigeria,” Mr Umar said.

Reacting to the issues of seized vehicles by the commission, Mr Abba expressed pain at the deteriorating state of asset in the custody of the EFCC.
“We are working on this challenge and I am sure the Attorney-General of the Federation is coming out with a gazette so that this issue will be a thing of the past. It involves not only vehicles, but also landed properties,” he said.
The EFCC boss also weighed in on concerns expressed by the legislators on the waning impact of the Whistle-blowing policy of the federal government, blaming the situation on mischief and misinformation by members of the public who turned it to a tool for settling personal scores.
“It is true that the whistle-blowing policy has gone awry, unlike what it was at the beginning of the policy, where we received several reports from whistle-blowers.
“People started being mischievous with the policy. So we have to tread carefully as people turned it into a personal vendetta tool against individuals,” he said. He, however, revealed that the policy was being fine-tuned by the Ministry of Finance to make it more efficient.

The EFCC boss used the occasion to acquaint the legislators with the challenges confronting the agency, including the lack of adequate personnel and office accommodation, especially in the Commission’s zonal offices), and the lack of internet facility, Information and Communication Technology equipment, among others.

He canvassed for the support of the committee in overcoming these challenges through appropriation.

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