The family of Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, yesterday, described the verdict of the court as shocking.

Reacting to the verdict in Kano at their Bompai residence, the family spokesman, Hadi Al-Mustapha, said “the shocking verdict has pulled a temporary setback on our concerted effort to secure his freedom.”

Devastated by the verdict and somewhat broken in spirit, Hadi Al-Mustapha, noted that the long trial, which was brought to the end yesterday, was laden with ‘political undertone,’ stressing “the case would be pursued to its logical conclusion.”

“We strongly believe in the judiciary as the last hope of the common man, but I must confess to you that we are shocked by this verdict.

But in every situation, we should give glory to Almighty Allah,” he said.

Hadi Al Mustapha, hinted “the only thing I can tell you is that we are going on appeal and we will be vindicated at last, I promise you.”

He added, that the judgment had proven beyond reasonable doubt that his brother’s case was politically motivated in the light of years it took to bring it to close. 

“Over 13 years, this man has been standing trial alongside many others but today all of them have been discharged and acquitted and my brother has been sentenced to death by hanging,” he said.

He was confident of the judgment being upturned at the appellate court, adding “we still have fate in the judiciary”. the highest court of the land will do justice on this matter and the family shall have course to smile again.”

—

Source: Vanguard

Fifteen suspects arrested by men of the Nigerian Army and Navy for conspiracy and illegal dealing in petroleum products are in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Six of the suspects are handed over to the EFCC by the Commanding Officer, NNS Pathfinder, Nigerian Navy in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and they are: Elu’u Lawrence, Daniel Luke, Emmanuel Etim Akpan, Endurance Eleyi, Gift Sunday Udo and Raphael Godspower. They were arrested along Cawthorne Channel, Rivers State on board the Tug Boat “MV CHIJIOKE” by men of the Nigerian Navy. One of the suspects: Raphael Godspower was alleged to have bunkered 30,000 litres of petroleum product without any documentation at the time of arrest.

The other nine suspects were handed over to the EFCC by men of the Nigerian Army in Benin-City, Edo State. They are: Sunday Emmanuel; Mike Joseph , Titus Okoebor , John Osagie , Iluobe Uzama , Destiny Ailaumah, Peter Adogun, Monday Ojemokhai and Nelson Airhuboyi . They were arrested at Upper Sakponba Road by Ekpe River, Rivers State. Five tankers filled with products suspected to be petroleum products were confiscated from the suspects.

Investigations showed that the tug boat which some of the suspects used for the operation was rented out to them by Winsco Services Limited. Both the Director of the company, Mr. Kingsley Chinedu Ozigbo and the Manager, Mr. Ozigbo Uzoamaka have been invited by the EFCC for questioning. The matter is still being investigated by the EFCC.

From Chuks Collins, Awka

Anambra state citizens made up mainly of members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dragged the Federal Government, the Anambra state Government,  the state\s Independent Electoral Commission(ANSIEC), as well as the chairman of the commission, Prof Titus Eze seeking the enforcement of their fundamental human rights, over the continuous non conduct of council election in the state, since 2003

The applicants yesterday at the Federal High Court in Awka, presided over by Hon Justice Peter Olayiwola urged the court to issue orders compeling the respondents to within the next three months conduct council elections in the state.

In the submission of the team of lawyers led by Chiefs Tochukwu Onwugbufor (SAN) and E.E.Egbunonu, represented by Messrs I.C. Nsofor, the applicants noted that the continuous non-conduct of the council elections in the state has impinged on their fundamental human rights,

They also prayed the court to restrain the respondents or their agents from appointing persons in whatsoever name called other than elected chairmen and councilors from managing the affairs of the 21 councils including their finances and revenues, pending the conduct of the election and the inauguration of the elected chairmen and councilors.

An order to restrain the FG and the state governments from releasing or disbursing any money accruing to the 21 councils form the Federation Account and Revenue of Anambra state. That such monies be paid into a dedicated and interest-yielding account in the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), pending when the election would be conducted. That only monies meant for the payment of council staff salaries be deducted.

Before adjourning the matter to Feb 22, the presiding learned judge warned that he would proceed with the process once he\s convinced that all the parties have been served at the next hearing date.

He specifically requested the presence of Prof Titus Eze, the ANSIEC chairman who is currently battling in another court to save his job.

The FG made no appearance while the state\s Attorney General, chief Emmanuel Chukwuma was represented.

From Citizen Reporter, Awka

It was drama, tense moments and cross arguments as substantive hearing formally went into full gear in at the Awka Tribunal in a petition filed by  defeated APGA senatorial candidate in the April 2011 National Assembly , Dora Akunyili open her case against Dr Chris Ngige, Vice Chairman of Senate Committee on Power, by calling four witnesses.

Although   the case was called up to begin hearing yesterday, the single witness that was called up to the box merely adopted her written statement and there was no cross examination.

The 3-man panel tribunal headed by Hon Justice P.O. Onajite-Kuejuboja which resumed sitting at exactly 9.00am invited the 1^st petition to continue her case cross examination of Witness DD, one Miss Rita Nwafor of Okpulu  Orji Village , Abba Town in Njikoka Ward 1.

Highlights of today’s proceedings includes a contradiction between the claim by Witness ‘AA’, Miss Chikaodili Ifeoma Nonyelu to have served as APGA agent  in the Senatorial Election re-run of April 26, 2011 and the fact that her name was not contained in the INEC’s certified true copy of list of agents for Enugwu Ukwu Ward 1, including Ebe Enuagu Code 003

Miss Nonyelu had sworn in her written deposition “My real name is contained in the list of APGA agents submitted to the 2^NDRespondent (INEC) for the election.

However in the certified True Copy which was admitted by the Tribunal as an exhibit and which Miss Nonyelu was made to read in person, the name of the APGA agent for Ebe Enuagu Hall Polling Unit Code 003 was Obiora Okafor whose photograph was displayed on page 22 of the certified list.

Answering questions, from Emeka Ngige SAN, Counsel to Senator Ngige, Nonyelu who was rather tensed up admitted that apart from being a business woman which she told the court was her profession, she is also the Personal Assistant (PA) to Prof Mrs Akunyili.

She said she was molested by ACN thugs and kept at a distance form the polling table where the electoral officials sat unlike all other agents for other political parties ,but stood by her written testimony that she was still able to observe that two booklets containing 100 ballot papers each was given to the CAN agents to thumb-print.

However when Counsel for INEC O J Nnadi, SAN sought to know how she knew that the ballot papers were for Senatorial election and not for the State Assembly elections held on the same day, she said : I don’t know”

Nonyelu  also said “I  cannot remember” when Nnadi asked  here to tell the court, which party won the State Assembly election held on the same say in the polling booth.

Under Cross examination by INEC Witness DD, Miss Rita Nwafor who claimed to be a teacher, and a voter in Central Primary School Polling Unit Code 003 Abba, admiiteed that it was political party agents who informed her that there were no results sheets for recording of votes on the April 9, 2011 senatorial elections.

Miss Nwafor testified that she did not inspect the materials herself and did not join the agents who did.

Miss Nwafor has in her written deposition averred that “The result sheets were not brought so an election did not hold in the polling unit on the election day.

A dramatic twist was introduced when Witnesses BB and CC both of whom swore to and wrote their depositions in English Language claimed they could not express themselves in English, compelling the court to introduce an interpreter to hear their testimony.

Under cross examination Witness BB Ikechukwu Okafor admitted that she completed his secondary education said she arrived at 11.30 am on the voting day and therefore could not testify to those accredited before his arrival He Corroborated the testimony of Miss Nonyelu that she was molested and taken far away from the polling booth.

When INEC Counsel asked how she knew that Miss Nonyelu was an APGA agent, he said : ‘It INEC officials that said so’.

But the climax of the drama was in the testimony of Witness CC , Mr Sunday Okeakpu who claimed in his written evidence that votes cast in his polling Unit at Orubuchi Kindergarten School was not counted and was not recorded, adding that he was there till voters ‘dispersed’.

When he was however asked what happened to those votes, he said: I do not know’. He gave his testimony in Igbo under interpretation after interventions by his lawyer Barrister Oguji, standing in for ON Obianwu SAN

The Matter has been adjourned till Wednesday February 1, 2012 for further hearing in which four witnesses including Prof Akunyili and an expert witness are expected to testify.

Before adjourning on Monday the Tribunal had granted the prayers of Akunyili and APGA to tender additional forensic evidence and the request of Ngige for forensic counter-evidence, while granting Ngige’s request to replace a deceased witness.

This afternoon at the Abuja High Court, Justice Suleiman Belgore dimissed all charges against the former speaker of the house of representatives, Hon Bankole and the former deputy speaker, Hon Nafada in the alleged misuse of the N40billion loan.

Hon Bakole and Hon Nafada had been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] for the misuse of a N40billion loan.

In discharging the two, the Justice ruled that “they did not benefit from the loan”.

Stay tuned.