The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court on Tuesday granted the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) request to further detain suspended police officer Abba Kyari for 14 days.
The NDLEA, in an ex-parte application, moved before Justice Zainab Abubakar, also prayed for an extension of time with which to detain the six other suspects named in the alleged offence.
Mrs Abubakar granted the order after listening to the director, prosecution and legal services, NDLEA, Joseph Sunday, who moved the motion to that effect.
The six others are Sunday J. Ubia, Bawa James, Simon Agirigba, John Nuhu, Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne.
The ex-parte motion was dated February 15 and filed February 16.
Mr Kyari had, through his lawyer, Cynthia Ikena, approached Justice Inyang Ekwo on Monday, praying the court to admit him to bail on health grounds.
The suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), who was formerly the head of Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), had also filed a fundamental enforcement rights suit over alleged unlawful arrest and detention.
He also demanded that the court order the NDLEA to pay him N500 million damages for bridging his fundamental rights.
A Federal High Court in Jos on Tuesday sentenced former Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Ochekpe, alongside two others for N450 million fraud.
The court also sentenced Raymond Dabo and Leo Jitung to three months imprisonment each.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged them in 2018 with conspiracy and money laundering.
Delivering ruling, Justice Musa Kurna gave the convicts an option to pay a fine of N1 million each.
Ms Ochekpe and Messrs Dabo and Jitung had entered a plea of no case submission.
During sentencing, the judge held that after withdrawing the money from the bank, they did not withhold the money to themselves but delivered same to a governorship candidate, as such were not guilty of retaining the sum for themselves.
Justice Kurna, however, said they were guilty of withdrawing the N450 million which he said was above the threshold of an individual withdrawal.
He said the offences, which contravened Section 16(1) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2013 as amended, carries a minimum of three years imprisonment or a N10 million fine.
The judge, however, in his discretion sentenced them to three months imprisonment each or an option of N1 million naira in fine each.
The University of Ottawa has announced millions of scholarships for African students. The entrance and excellence scholarship will provide incoming students with a four-year scholarship to cover the partial cost of their university tuition.
Entrance & Excellence Scholarship for African Students Studying in English
The University of Ottawa is proud of the diversity of its international student body. This renewable scholarship is offered to international students who are citizens of African countries, who are admitted in the Fall 2022 term (September start date) or later with an admission average of 80% or higher, who are studying in English, and who enroll in one of the specified undergraduate programs in the faculties of Engineering, Science, or Social Sciences.
This significant financial contribution to their education reduces their tuition fees by $17,500 to $25,000 for the excellence scholarships and by $12,000 to $20,000 for the entrance scholarships, depending on the program annually. All students who are eligible for this scholarship will automatically receive it upon enrolment. It will be applied directly to their tuition fees.
The Entrance scholarship cannot be combined with the Excellence Scholarship for African Students Studying in English. Our scholarship program is one of the most generous in Canada.
It rewards not only your pre-university academic achievements, but also your achievements every term of full-time study at University. The new scholarship will give African students studying in English access to numerous pilot programs in three faculties for a significantly reduced cost of tuition.
In 2020, more than $42 million in scholarships were allocated to undergraduate students and $35 million to graduate students.
In a bid to assist students throughout the application process, the University of Ottawa will host a number of virtual sessions to answer questions and guide prospective students on the application process.
Eligibility Criteria
All eligible students are considered for this award and will be notified at the time of their admission. Although no application is required for this scholarship, recipients will be asked to submit proof of citizenship of a country of territory in Africa before receiving their first installments.
The applicant must: 1. be an international student with a valid study permit; 2. have citizenship from one of the countries in Africa; 3. be newly admitted in one of the following undergraduate programs offered in English or with the French Immersion option:
• Engineering: Civil Engineering; Chemical Engineering
• Social sciences: Sociology; Anthropology; International Development and Globalization; Conflict Studies; Public Administration
• Sciences: All programs except the Honours BSc in Biochemistry / BASc in Chemical Engineering;
Honours BSc in Physics / BASc in Electrical Engineering; and Honours BSc in Ophthalmic Medical Technology 4. be enrolled full-time; and 5. For the Entrance scholarship: have an admission average of 89.99% or lower once converted in our grading scale 6.
For the Excellence scholarship: have an admission average of a minimum of 90% once converted in our grading scale.
– Then the University would receive the application and generate a Student Number which the prospective student would use to login to the school’s portal, UOZone, and then submit their results and documents for review.
– After a successful review, they will be offered a conditional admission offer which will include the scholarship depending on their average.
The submission deadline for all 2022 nominations is by 5:00 p.m., Central Time, on or before 31st March, 2022. For more information about the Entrance & Excellence Scholarships, contact Collins.enwemasor@uottawa.ca or call +2349071235106.
Oyo State Police Command has arrested two suspected vandals whose trade in stock is the sale of railroad clips known as Pandrol.
The suspects were identified as Ibrahim Saidu (20) and Muritala Abdulahi (30).
Confirming the arrest on Monday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adewale Osifeso, said that the suspected vandals were apprehended last Friday at about 6:30 pm while in the act at Ile-Esho Area, Omi-Adio in Ido Local Government Area.
He said that the arrest was made possible by the surveillance carried out by operatives attached to Omi-Adio Divisional Police Headquarters.
Recovered were 34 railroad clips, a fish plate, a hacksaw and a damaged rail pot.
The PPRO said that the suspects confessed to the crime and had been cooperating with ongoing investigations aimed at arresting other members of the gang.
Osifeso added that the state Commissioner of Police, Ngozi Onadeko urged members of the public to provide timely information which would enable the police to curb all crimes.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Mr Isa Pantami, has revealed that the Federal Government has created a digital academy that will see to the training of over 500,000 Nigerian Youths across the country in digital skills
Patanmi made the revelation in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during the 5th edition of the TechSummit Ogun, 2022 tagged “Disruptive Innovation: Production And Distribution of Creative Content” organised to guide emerging creatives and content creators to all sorts of opportunities in the industry, according to its convener and Chief Executive Officer of VerveTree Startup, Mr Olaniyi Ayoola.
Pantami, who was represented by the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communication Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), Dr Abimbola Alale, noted that the FG has instituted about 20 different policies to guide the operations of digital economy and innovation in the country. He listed the policies to include
The minister listed the policies to include the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy which was anchored on 8 pillars, the Nigeria National Broadband Plan (2020-2035), the Nigeria Startup Bill which is in the process of being forwarded to the National Assembly and National Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship among other.
He pointed out that the government created those policies such that, “digital innovations and entrepreneurship are used to create value and prosperity for all,” adding that there is the need to empower Nigerians with skills that will imbue the adoption of digital technologies across economies.
“To this end, we have set up an online training academy, which together with other digital training outlets has led to the up-skilling of about 500,000 Nigerians.
“We also developed the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (2020-2025) to ensure that our citizens have access to, and can afford quality broadband connectivity. The Plan seeks to deliver data download broadband speeds across Nigeria at a minimum of 25Mbps in urban areas, and 10Mbps in rural areas.
The Federal Government says it will meet with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of University, ASUU, over the one-month warning strike embarked upon by its members.
Charles Akpan, the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, said this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.
According to Mr Akpan, the Minister for Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, will be meeting with the executives of the union and other relevant government agencies.
”The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, by 1.00 p:m at the minister’s conference room,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the striking lecturers had embarked on a four-week roll-over total and comprehensive strike on Feb. 14, to press home their demands.
The lecturers’ agitations include funding for the revitalisation of public universities, earned academic allowances, University Transparency Accountability Solution and promotion arrears.
Others are the renegotiation of 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, and the inconsistencies in Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, IPPIS.
The lecturers also alleged that none of its demands had been fully met by the Federal Government.
A faith-based organisation, Kwara Muslim Youths, has demanded for N113,388,000 compensation from the state government to the family of late Habeeb Idris.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Idris was allegedly killed during the hijab crisis in Ijagbo, Oyun Local Government Area of the state.
Abdurrazzaq Al-Amin, chairman of the group, made the demand at a news conference in Ilorin on Monday, explaining that the compensation is known in Islam as blood money (Diyyah).
He urged the state to award reasonable and fair compensation to the 10 Muslim victims injured during the hijab crisis.
Mr Al-Amin said the youths rejected the N1 million offered by the state government to the deceased family as compensation.
“The government should take full responsibility for the hospital bills and incidental expenses of the injured Muslims during the Ijagbo crisis.
“The government should avoid in its official and unofficial communications referring to the public schools as mission schools.
“This is very contemptuous of courts’ judgments/orders. In the eyes of the law, there is nothing like missionary-owned schools in Kwara State,” he said.
Mr Al-Amin also observed that there was the need for official discipline and sanction of the authorities of Oyun Baptist High School, Ijagbo, who flagrantly refused to implement court judgment.
He added that hosting the forthcoming Baptist convention and conference should be put on hold as a mark of respect for the late Idris.
The chairman, therefore, appealed for full implementation of the judgments of the Kwara State High Court and Court of Appeal as well as the consequential circular issued by the state government on the ownership of the schools in general.
He added that the group wanted an unhindered use of hijab in all government-owned schools in particular.
The suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP, Abba Kyari, has demanded a N500 million in damages from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, over alleged unlawful arrest and detention.
Mr Kyari, in an originating motion on notice marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/182/22, filed before Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court, Abuja, also sought for an order, directing the NDLEA to tender a written apology to him in two national dailies.
The motion, dated Feb. 16 and filed Feb. 17 by his lawyer, C. O. Ikena, also sought an order “restraining the respondent (NDLEA), its agents, servants, privies, police or anyone acting on their behalf from further harassing, detaining, intimidating, arresting the applicant unlawfully.
“An order of this court directing the respondent to pay the sum of N500,000,000.00 (Five Hundred Million Naira) to the applicant, for unlawful violation of the applicant’s constitutional right provided for in Sections 35 and 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended).”
In the motion to enforce his fundamental rights, Kyari also sought a declaration that his arrest and continued detention by the NDLEA “without bringing him before a court of competent jurisdiction from Feb. 12 till date is illegal, unlawful and a gross violation of his fundamental rights Ge said his personal liberty and freedom of movement is guaranteed by Section 35(1) of the 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Article 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act.
“A declaration that announcing the applicant in the press without giving him right to fair hearing nor establishing a prima-facie case against him is illegal, unlawful and an infringement on his fundamental right.
“A declaration that declaring the applicant syndicate of the suspect without establishing a prima-facie case against the applicant is unlawful and an infringement on his fundamental right.
“A declaration that torture, degrading and inhuman treatment giving the applicant by the agent of the respondent is illegal, unlawful and an infringement on the applicant fundamental human right.
“A declaration that refusal to grant administrative bail to applicant on alleged bailable offence is unlawful and infringement on the applicant’s fundamental human right. NAN
The suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP, Abba Kyari, who is currently in the custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, over his alleged involvement in drug trafficking, on Monday, took the Federal Government to court.
Kyari, in his suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/182/22, is praying the court to compel the NDLEA to grant him bail on health grounds, pending the hearing and determination of his fundamental right enforcement application.
In an ex-parte motion, he filed through his lawyer, Mrs P. O. Ikenna, the embattled former head of the Police Intelligence Response Team, IRT, told the court that he was being held “on the basis of a false allegation that was levelled against him”.
However, when the case was called up, Justice Inyang Ekwo, noted that the suit contained some averments that would require FG’s response.
“Upon studying the process of the Applicant and averments in support thereon, I am of the opinion that the Respondent should be put on notice”, the Judge held.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a ruling declined his request and ordered Kyari to serve the respondent – the Federal Republic of Nigeria – with the processes filed and adjourned till February 24.
Justice Ekwo’s ruling was on an ex-parte motion argued on Monday by Kyari’s lawyer, Cynthia Obianuju Ikena.
The judge held that the allegations made against the respondent are weighty, requiring that the court grant it an opportunity to be heard before a decision it taken.
Kyari is, in the substantive suit, challenging his continued detention by an agency of the Federal Government.
He claimed to be suffering from chronic diabetes, which he said was threatening his life and therefore requires urgent medical attention.
As the ongoing one-month warning strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU continues to paralyze academic activities in the nation’s public varsities, the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has declared action day to press home their demands on the need to resolve the impasse between the federal government and university’s teachers.
NANS made its stance known in a statement jointly signed by its national President, Asefon Sunday; and NANS Secretary-General, Adekitan Lukman on Monday.
The release was titled, ‘NANS National Action Against Incessant ASUU Strike’.
The students’ body in its statement on Monday, ordered the blockage of all major roads in all states across the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
NANS said the decision to block all major roads in the country was agreed upon by all organs of the students’ body on Saturday at Sokoto State University.
The NANS President said, “Nigerian students can’t continue to pay for sins we never committed, as we are paying for our education, we strongly believe we deserve the best, at the end of every industrial action, ASUU members are paid their salaries, likewise Government officials in charge of education supervision get their pays.
“It is only Nigerian students that get nothing but a waste of everything, the house rent is non – refundable, the age count is irreversible. The extension of stay on campus didn’t only affect our academic journey but destabilise our life plans, as many misses NYSC mobilisation due to age limit, many lost job opportunities arising from age factors while many became exposed to risks and crimes following the avoidable idleness mode the strike action imposed on Nigerian students.
“To act against these numerous consequences of industrial action on Nigerian students’ academic journey, I am pleased to direct the immediate commencement of planning and mass mobilisation of Nigerian students and comrades across the 36 state of the Federation and FCT in line with congress decision.
“Blockage of all major Federal Roads in all the 36 states of the Federation to be led and coordinated by NANS JCC and Zonal Executive including National officials of NANS in the state.
“Federal Capital Territory to be blocked by National Secretariat in collaboration with FCT axis of NANS.
“These became sacrosanct once ASUU and FG fail to reach compromise and get our campuses reopened on or before 28th February, 2022.
“In a clear term, Monday 28th February 2022 is hereby declared as National Action Day Against ASUU Incessant Strike Action tagged ‘#ENDASUUSTRIKEPERMANENTLYNOW’.”
Recall that ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, at a press conference on February 14, 2022, said National Executive Council of the union resolved to embark on the strike as the government has failed to implement the Memorandum of Action it signed with the ASUU in December 2020.
