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  • Amaechi’s leadership style weakened APC in Rivers – Okocha

    Amaechi’s leadership style weakened APC in Rivers – Okocha

    A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Chief Tony Okocha, has insisted that former Governor of the State and one-time Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi’s ineptitude, not only divided the party in the state, but weakened its chances of wrestling the governorship seat from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    Chief Okocha, who said this during a chat with journalists Wednesday in Abuja, added that Amaechi’s style as APC leader in the State was the reason why the party performed very poorly in the state.

    “I can say that categorically, I can say that with verifiable facts that he was the reason why APC faltered in Rivers State. His nuances, his demeanour, didn’t point to a party that will grow.

    “You cannot know all and do all in a democracy. You gather people in a democracy and allow them to ventilate. You don’t reel orders because you are managing human beings. Human beings are special species. A human being decides to sit in one place for years but the day you make a law compelling him to sit in that place goes away.    

    “His attitude, his ineptitude, personal idiosyncrasies never pointed to a party that will grow. He divided the party himself. He said with 300 people I will win elections in Rivers State, who does that” he said.

    Okocha, who was the Chief of Staff to Amaechi, explained that after the former Governor lost the APC presidential primaries to President Tinubu, he abandoned the party and worked for Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential candidate of the PDP. He also accused Magnus Abe, former chieftain of the party in the state for abandoning the party in its very trying times.

    National Chairman Protocol and Logistics Committee of the defunct Tinubu/Shettima Grassroot Independent Campaign Council (TSGICC), disclosed that the decision of the immediate past Governor of the state, Nyesom Wike to work for President Tinubu was a face saver for the party in the state.

    According to him, if not for Wike, APC would not have gotten 25 per cent in the state.

    Wike had openly declared that he worked for Tinubu because he wanted power to return to the south.

    “He never took part in the struggle to ensure the emergence of Tinubu. When it mattered most you abandoned the man. You never believed in the course. They ran away. So, what are they laying claims to,” he queried.

    He insisted that former Governor Wike deserved a ministerial position for the work he did for the party during the presidential elections.

  • Flooding: Court stops FG from demolishing Trademore Estate

    Flooding: Court stops FG from demolishing Trademore Estate

    A Federal Capital Territory High court sitting in Jikwoyi, has ordered the Federal Government to maintain status quo in the proposed demolition of Trademore Estate, Lugbe, Abuja untill the determination of the suit before it.

    Trademore International Holding Nigeria Ltd (developers of Trademore Estate, Lugbe,Abuja), before Justice Zubairu Mohammed through their counsel, Prof Mike Ozekhome, SAN, filed a suit against some Federal Government functionaries and Agencies who had threatened to further demolish Trademore Estate, over issues concerning flooding of the estate.

    The court, in an interim injunction, restrained all the federal government defendants and their employees from trespassing, or further trespassing on, demolishing or further demolishing Trademore Estate, known as Plot 1981, Sabon Lugbe, Abuja.

    In the said writ of summons filed by Prof Ozekhome, Trademore International Holding had, amongst other  reliefs, asked the court to restrain the Hon Minister of FCT, the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council ( AMMC ) and the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) from demolishing the estate with the buildings and appurtenances thereon; or evicting the occupants from the said Trademore Estate; or from trespassing on in any manner howsoever, into the Trademore Estate, Lugbe, Abuja; or from carrying out any further or fresh demolition exercise of any structures or buildings in the said estate; or in any way interfering with the plaintiff’s exclusive right of ownership and possession of the said property.

    Trademore Holding in the main suit complained to the court about earlier illegal, wanton and unconscionable demolition of buildings belonging to innocent occupants in the estate by agents of the Defendants when it was manifestly clear that the three floodings ever experienced in the estate since it was built in 2007, were all caused, not by the Plaintiff or occupants of the estate, but by acts of gross negligence occasioned by the Defendants; or through outright inaction by agents of the Federal Government, by refusing to implement  any of the anti-flooding measures jointly devised and agreed upon at various meetings and through several correspondences by representatives of the Federal government and Trademore Holding International Ltd (owners of the Trademore Estate ). 

    The Plaintiff argued, amongst others, that if the Defendants, through the Ecological Fund had not built a very narrow carnal instead of a huge bridge to allow the free passage of water coming from a now broken down and disused dam that runs through several adjoining settlements, coupled with several unstrained excavatory acts of other developers in the area, there would have been no incidence of flooding in the estate. 

    Trademore Holding therefore sought from the court an order for maintenance of status quo and also an ex parte order of interim injunction restraining all the Defendants,or their agents, servants, employees or privies howsoever and whomsoever, from any acts for further trespass or demolition of the estate or any part thereof, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction which was also filed alongside the writ of summons, statement of claim and the motion for interim injunction.

    In the ex parte application argued today ( 12th July, 2023), by Benson Igbanoi, Esq, leading Miss Vivian Oluchi Uche (holding the brief of the Plaintiff’s Counsel, Professor Ozekhome), the learned trial Judge, Hon Justice Zubairu Mohammed granted all the Claimant’s injunctive reliefs against  the federal government functionaries and agents.

    He also specifically granted the second prayer asked for, to wit, that “all parties maintain status quo, while the Motion on Notice and Writ of Summons be served on the Defendants forthwith”. The Judge thereafter adjourned the motion on notice for hearing to the 22nd of September 2023.

  • N3bn Fraud: Counsel’s absence stalls Elixir Management’s arraignment

    N3bn Fraud: Counsel’s absence stalls Elixir Management’s arraignment

    The absence of the counsel to Elixir Asset Management Limited, Elixir Investment Partners Limited, along with two of their Directors Clara-Bittinger Mshelia-Whyte and Sarah Ogbemudia has stalled the arraignment of the accused persons. 

    The case was subsequently adjourned to October 9th, 2023 for arraignment. 

    They had been dragged before the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on allegations of fraud to the tune of over N3b.

    When the matter came up before Justice Yelim Bogoro of Court 5, the court was informed that the counsel to the defendants was unavoidably absent due to Ill health. 

    The Presiding Judge, apparently displeased that the counsel to the accused did not formally inform the court of his ill health described his actions as discourteous to the court and subsequently adjourned the case to October 9, 2023 for arraignment.

    Bogoro said: “That is not a very good presentation that the counsel will not reach out to the court. Their counsel is supposed to be here to defend them.

    “He cannot stay in Abuja and claim he has a stomach upset. The defence has not written to the court that he is ill which is discourteous. I will adjourn this matter till 9th October and he should ensure that he is in court on that date”. 

    During the last adjourned date, the defendant, Mshelia-Whyte and Ogbemudia failed to honor the court invitation, which made Justice Bogoro to grant the wish of the counsel from the office of the Attorney General Moshood Adeyemi, to issue the defendants criminal sermon and set a date for the next appearance for July 11, 2023.

    In a four count charge brought against the companies and their promoters by the Federal Republic of Nigeria, they are accused of offering for subscription an unregistered product ‘Elixir Treasury Product’ valued at over N3b to the investing public including Toyota Nigeria Ltd, Kaduna Industrial and Finance Company and others.

    According to the charge, the defendants are alleged to have committed a felony to wit: with the common intent conspired among themselves together with Samuel Aikhonbare, Christopher Edordu and their other staff to do an illegal act by luring the investing public including Toyota Nigeria Limited and others by offering them an unregistered product called ‘Elixir Treasury Product’ and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of Criminal Code Act Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

    The defendants are also alleged to have conspired among themselves to do an illegal Act- diversion of Investment funds belonging to the investing public including Toyota Nigeria Limited, Kaduna Industrial and Finance Company and others and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of Criminal Code Act Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

    “That you Elixir Investment Partners Ltd and Clara-Bittinger Mshelia-Whyte both of No. 95 Medical Guild Close, V/I Lagos on or between the year 2019 and 2021 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did commit a felony to wit: diversion of investment funds to the tune of N3,213,700,150 belonging to the investing public including Toyota Nigeria Limited, Kaduna Industrial and Finance Company and others. You thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 383 (2) (f) of Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under Section 390 (7) of the same Act” The Charge stated. 

  • Plateau Crisis: Troops eliminate 3 bandits in Mangu, recover weapons

    Plateau Crisis: Troops eliminate 3 bandits in Mangu, recover weapons

    Troops of the Nigerian Army 3 Division, who were deployed to quell the crisis in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau, on Wednesday neutralised three bandits in the area.

    The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, made this known in a statement in Abuja.

    Nwachukwu said the troops obliterated the criminals when they gallantly fought through an ambush staged by the bandits, while responding to a distress call in Mangu general area.

    He said the troops recovered three AK 47 rifles, 14 rounds of 7.62 mm special rounds, one motorcycle and a Constabulary Police Identity card after successfully clearing the ambush.

    According to him, the troops are currently on the trail of some of the bandits who escaped with gunshot wounds during the fire fight. 

  • Nigeria redeems 10-year $500m Eurobond

    Nigeria redeems 10-year $500m Eurobond

    Nigeria on Wednesday, redeemed a $500 million 10-year tenure Eurobond with the due date of July 12, 2023, the Debt Management Office (DMO) has said.

    A statement by the Debt Management Office said the Eurobond was issued in July 2013 as part of a dual-tranche one billion dollars Eurobond for a tenure of 10 years at a coupon of 6.375 percent per annum.

    The DMO said that redemption of the Eurobond was a demonstration of the country’s commitment to meeting its debt service obligations.

    It said that Nigeria had previously redeemed a 500 million dollars Eurobond in July 2018, another 500 million dollars Eurobond in January 2021, and a 300 million dollars Diaspora Bond in June 2022.

    “These, together with the 500 million dollars Eurobond redeemed today, bring the total amount of securities redeemed by Nigeria in the International Capital Market (ICM) to 1.8 billion dollars.

    “Nigeria’s successful redemption of its Eurobonds and Diaspora Bond in the
    ICM over the past six years is a demonstration of its strong debt management operations and planning,” the DMO said. 

  • Group reveals plot by Gov Bello to abduct, frame SDP candidate, Yakubu Ajaka

    Group reveals plot by Gov Bello to abduct, frame SDP candidate, Yakubu Ajaka

    The Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka Campaign Organization has alleged a disturbing plot involving Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello and certain security chiefs which is aimed at suppressing the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Governorship Candidate, Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka.

    In a press statement signed by the group’s Director, Communications, Faruk Adejoh-Audu and made available to the NIGERIAN ANCHOR, the group said there is a conspiracy to abduct Ajaka and transport him to Lokoja, where he would be falsely implicated in fabricated charges and potentially face detention or even assassination.

    The details of this sinister plan, according to them, is part of an orchestrated effort to arraign Alhaji Ajaka before a Lokoja Court hastily, ensuring his indefinite incarceration. Remarkably, the State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Adeshina Yusuf, who had previously shown reluctance to investigate the campaign organization’s petition regarding an attempted assassination against Mr. Bello and his group of thugs and gunmen, is now reportedly tailing Ajaka at the behest of Governor Bello.

    “Details of the plan which began manifesting on Tuesday included hastily arraigning Alhaji Ajaka before a Lokoja Court to legally seal the plot to incarcerate him indefinitely.

    “In furtherance of the plot, the State Commissioner of Police Hakeem Adeshina Yusuf who had obstinately refused to investigate our petition of attempted assassination against Mr Bello and his band of thugs and gunmen who attacked our motorcade on June 3, 2023 is now stalking our candidate at the behest of Mr Bello to accuse him of been the aggressor in the attack.

    “Some gunmen in Mufti appeared at an address on Khartoum Street in Wuse, Abuja at about 12:30 pm Tuesday claiming they have been detailed by Mr. Yusuf to arrest Alhaji Ajaka for attempted assassination, gun possession, and terrorism as a result of the same attack carried ours by Mr. Bello and his gunmen.

    “Already Mr. Bello has put some of his friendly media editors and social media influencers on cue to disparage the SDP Candidate through stories and commentaries that will portray the candidate as a violent man,” the statement read in part.

    See the full Statement Below:

    FRESH PLOT BY KOGI GOVERNOR YAHAYA BELLO AND SECURITY CHIEFS TO SUPPRESS SDP CANDIDATE ALHAJI MURTALA YAKUBU AJAKA UNCOVERED

    The Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka Campaign Organization has uncovered a dastardly conspiracy between some security chiefs in Kogi State to abduct the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Governorship Candidate, Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka to Lokoja and frame him with trump-up charges with the aim of clamping him into detention and possibly assassinate him.

    Details of the plan which began manifesting on Tuesday included hastily arraigning Alhaji Ajaka before a Lokoja Court to legally seal the plot to incarcerate him indefinitely.

    In furtherance of the plot, the State Commissioner of Police Hakeem Adeshina Yusuf who had obstinately refused to investigate our petition of attempted assassination against Mr. Bello and his band of thugs and gunmen who attacked our motorcade on June 3, 2023, is now stalking our candidate at the behest of Mr. Bello to accuse him of being the aggressor in the attack.

    Some gunmen in Mufti appeared at an address on Khartoum Street in Wuse, Abuja at about 12:30pm Tuesday claiming they have been detailed by Mr. Yusuf to arrest Alhaji Ajaka for attempted assassination, gun possession, and terrorism as a result of the same attack carried ours by Mr Bello and his gunmen.

    Already Mr. Bello has put some of his friendly media editors and social media influencers on cue to disparage the SDP Candidate through stories and commentaries that will portray the candidate as a violent man.

    This elaborate plot is an obvious manifestation to stop the escalating popularity of the SDP Candidate in the November 11, Governorship Elections.

    Mr. Bello is a Governor whose administration has gained notoriety for violence, framing up opponents, and compromising the institutions of the polity to gain an advantage in the elections.

    Alhaji Ajaka has no record of violence whatsoever at any time in his political career, but in the last four months, the candidate and members of his campaign team have been at the receiving end of State violence from Federal security agents who have been obviously compromised to torment political rivals of Mr. Bello.

    We have cried out to all the relevant agencies of the state to rein in Mr. Bello and get him to play by the rules of engagement of electioneering to no avail.

    Where in the world is an interested party in an election allowed the pleasure to arrest opponents and clamp them into detention to prevent them from campaigning?

    This plot was hatched after a campaign outing by Alhaji Ajaka at Idah during which a mammoth crowd never before recorded in the history of rallies in Kogi State came to receive him.

    In the last Presidential and National Assembly Elections Governor Bello took several bizarre measures to intimidate the then-main opposition Peoples Democratic Party in the state by deploying earth-moving equipment to dig craters on several streets leading to polling units in the Central Senatorial District of Kogi State.

    The intimidation was so effective that the PDP had to cancel its campaign flag-off rally in the said Central Senatorial District.

    Two weeks ago, he procured security agents in the state to extra-judicially execute Mallam Kabir Bala aka Okwo, a thug he freed from prison and unleashed on defenseless citizens of the state at the dawn of the 2019 Elections. Okwo was among about 20 thugs he freed from custody across the state to use for violence and electoral mayhem in 2019.

    The moment Okwo was executed Mr Yusuf the police commissioner accused him of several heinous felonies. Yet Okwo was a revered member of the party who was even inaugurated by Mr. Bello as the Ofu LGA Coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Council.

    He was also one of the 67 delegates to the APC National Convention. At no time was he ever accused, invited, or arrested for any crime since 2019 until he openly renounced violence and announced his support for Alhaji Ajaka before he was hunted down killed, and then accused of various violent crimes.

     In the last four years, many citizens of the state have been murdered in cold blood in the build-up to elections or on Election Day the most heinous which was the procurement of a police helicopter to shoot at voters from the air on November 16, 2019.

    Mr. Bello has succeeded so far in this campaign of violence with the active connivance of the security forces in the state.

    The brazen effort to frame up a governorship candidate on trumped-up charges and use the state’s intimidated judiciary to keep him out of circulation is a new low in   Bello’s notorious desperate antics of electoral repression.

    Once again we are calling on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call this outlaw of a governor to order since we cannot press charges against him due to his executive immunity.

    Using the state institutions of compliance to suppress opponents in an election with the force of arms is akin to coup d’etat and we hereby task the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Tinubu to forestall such unconstitutional desperation even from the governor produced by his party.

    But we invite the world to take note that if anything untoward happens to Ajaka Mr Bello, The Nigerian Police, the Directorate of State Security (DSS), and the Nigerian Navy who have been eager participants in this unconscionable and unconstitutional act of repression despite our outcries be held to account.

    Faruk Adejoh-Audu

    Director, Communications, July 11, 2023.

  • Sokoto Guber: Tribunal admits Gobir’s school certs in evidence

    Sokoto Guber: Tribunal admits Gobir’s school certs in evidence

    The Election Petition Tribunal in Sokoto state has admitted in evidence, two letters on Deputy Governor Idris Gobir’s, educational qualifications and adjourned sitting until July 19.

    Tribunal Chairman, Justice Haruna Mshelia, adjourned the case after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the 2023 Governorship candidate, Alhaji Sa’idu Umar, closed their testimonies to prove their petition.

    Mshelia adjourned for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Ahmad Aliyu and Gobir to open their defence.

    The exhibits admitted are from the Saboon Birni Local Government Education Authority (LGEA) tendered by Mr. Muyiwa Akinboro SAN, the lead Counsel to the PDP, and its 2023 Governorship candidate, Alhaji Sa’idu Umar.

    Akinboro led the state party chairman, Alhaji Bello Goronyo, who was the last among 32 witnesses lined up to prove the petition at the Tribunal.

    In his testimony, Goronyo said he delegated some party members as agents and received reports on election violence and associated frauds which were compiled and submitted to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant authorities.

    He admitted that some persons were arrested for alleged violence and malpractices, however, could not attest to being prosecuted or not.

    The party chairman told the tribunal that he was not aware of any court judgment on Gov. Aliyu and his deputy, Gobir’s eligibility to contest elections.

    Akinboro also presented the Head of Operations of INEC in Sokoto, Abdulmumini Usman, who produced some election documents in evidence.

    The lead Respondents’ Counsel, Chief Jecob Ochidi, SAN and that of the APC, Hassan Liman SAN objected to the admissibility of documents and further cross-examined the witnesses.

    INEC lead Counsel Mr AbdulAziz Sani, SAN also aligned himself with the submissions of the respondents’ counsel.

    Umar and PDP approached the tribunal demanding the nullification of the March 18, 2023 election that produced Governor Ahmad Aliyu of All Progressive Congress (APC) and his Deputy, Idris Gobir as winners.

    In the petition, they alleged that the election was flawed and did not comply with electoral laws.

    The petitioners argued that at the time of the election Respondents were not qualified to contest the election and prayed that by virtue of the non-qualification of the Respondents to contest the election, votes were wrongfully attributed to them.

    They argued that the said election has become unlawful, null, and void.

    They further prayed the tribunal to mandate INEC to issue a new certificate of return to the petitioner as the duly elected Governor of Sokoto State having scored the majority of the lawful votes cast or ordered for another election excluding the Respondents. 

  • FG, World Bank train 80 animal health workers in Yobe

    FG, World Bank train 80 animal health workers in Yobe

    The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday, commenced training of 80 private and public health workers in Yobe.

    Dr Yusuf Maina, Director, Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Yobe, said the programme was being sponsored by the World Bank through the Ministry.

    Maina said that the aim of the programme was to change the way disease outbreaks were reported from analogue to digital for effective management and control.

    According to him, the training is nationwide. Today is Yobe’s turn. We have divided the training into two segments because of the volume of participants.

    “Today we are doing for the Area Officers, veterinaries who are in charge of local government areas and then private practitioners, who operate private veterinary services.

    The training for other category of participants, the surveillance agents, who are closer to people in the rural communities might be carried out next week.

    “After the training we will give them applications so that whenever they see anything reportable, they will just input, and the report will go direct to the central device for further action,” he said.

    Maina said the programme would be dealing with emerging and re-emerging diseases, adding that 75 per cent of the emerging diseases come from the animals’ side.

    “That is why WHO decided to take what is called one health. That is the human health, the animal health and the environmental health.

    “Under this one health, we come together, we strategise together and fight diseases together,” he explained.

    One of the participants, Dr Abdussalam Saleh, the Area Veterinary Officer, Nangere Local Government commended the organisers and described the training as timely.

    Another participant, Dr Hauwa Daya, said the development would ease their work and make it effective. 

  • Illegal Bunkering: NSCDC impounds 7 trucks with 315k litres fuel, arrests 15 suspects

    Illegal Bunkering: NSCDC impounds 7 trucks with 315k litres fuel, arrests 15 suspects

    The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Akwa Ibom Command, says it apprehended 15 suspects and impounded seven trucks loaded with 315,000 litres of substance suspected to be illegally refined petroleum products.

    Mr. Eluyemi Eluwade, State Commandant of the corps disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Uyo on Tuesday.

    Eluwade explained that the men of the Anti-Vandal Squad of the command arrested the suspects along Calabar – Itu highway on July 7, acting on credible intelligence.

    According to him, our newly rejigged Anti-Vandal squad has arrested 15 suspects for suspected criminal conspiracy and illegal dealing in petroleum products.

    “We also impounded seven trucks with a combined capacity of 315,000 litres of illegally acquired petroleum products.

    “Investigations are still ongoing to determine, if the product is crude oil or High Pour Fuel Oil (HPFO) as claimed by the suspects.

    “Samples of the products have been obtained and will be taken for forensic analysis in an NNPC laboratory, after which the suspects will be charged to court.

    “From preliminary investigations, the waybills presented showed an expired license to deal in petroleum products.”

    The commandant warned that the corps would not tolerate any form of criminality, economic sabotage and vandalising of government critical infrastructure in the state.

    He said this was in line with the directive of the Commandant General, Dr Ahmed Audi, adding that such act had robbed the government of huge revenue.

    Eluwade assured the people of Akwa-Ibom of his commitment to work in ensuring the security of lives, property and critical infrastructure.

    He warned criminals to desist from illegal bunkering and vandalism, because anyone caught would be made to face the full wrath of the law.

    He enjoined residents of the state, especially the youths to partner with the corps by giving it credible intelligence to work with, so as to ensure safety in the state.

  • I’m not aware of any fresh suit against me- Stella Oduah

    I’m not aware of any fresh suit against me- Stella Oduah

    Former Aviation Minister, Senator Stella Oduah, has denied knowledge of any fresh criminal charges brought against her by the police in the name of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The Senator, who represented Anambra North in the Senate, insisted that she has not been served with the purported charge.

    She maintained that she was never subjected to any kind of investigation by the Nigeria Police Force or any other security agency in regard to any fresh case.

    Addressing a press conference, the Senator, through his counsel, Chief James Ogwu Onoja, maintained that the charges have no proof of evidence bearing Mrs Oduah’s statement as required by law, while no single witness from the NYSC was listed.

    Besides, Onoja claimed that the two Police lawyers responsible for the filing of the charges did so without affixing their practicing seals while the address where the purported charge emanated indicated EFCC’s office at number 1, Court Road, Benin City, Edo State.

    He claimed that it could not yet be ascertained whether the police or the EFCC was behind the charge.

    He further explained that EFCC does not have the powers to prosecute any offence under the Penal Code, adding that the charge does not allege any offence under the EFCC’s Act but a Criminal Code.

    He further revealed that his team had been to EFCC’s headquarters for investigation on the faceless charges and that the EFCC denied knowledge of the charge.

    “The spurious allegations against our clients of not participating in NYSC have been dismissed by the Supreme Court in her favour. This country has had enough” he said, while charging that prosecutorial authorities should not be available to political hirelings, adding that the fresh charge against his client is a violation of the Code of Conduct for prosecutors as issued by the Federal Ministry of Justice and punishable under Article 7, part B of the Code.

    He, therefore, thanked Justice James Omotosho for ordering the immediate arrest of the lawyer that issued the charge and appeared for prosecution, noting that, the action of the judge is a confirmation that the court was not comfortable with all anomalies contained on the face of the charge.

    He then vowed to issue a petition to the Inspector General of Police for investigation and to call to order those bringing the image of the police to disrepute while another petition would be forwarded to EFCC to investigate impersonation and abuse of its prosecutorial powers.

    Similarly, Onoja further vowed to report the matter of filing documents contrary to practice direction on fixing of seals of legal practitioners to the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, adding that upon identifying the lawyers involved, they would be dragged before Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee in addition to facing court action for malicious prosecution of Mrs Oduah.

    “This is a new political dispensation which has promised adherence to the Rule of Law and accountability, we need a breath of fresh air”, the senior lawyer said.