Just in: Appeal Court acquits Nnamdi Kanu of terrorism charge – Newstrends
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Just in: Appeal Court acquits Nnamdi Kanu of terrorism charge

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The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has  quashed the terrorism charge preferred against the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, by the Federal Government.

The court also discharged and acquitted him of the seven counts slammed against him before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The court, in a decision taken on Thursday by a three-man panel led by Justice Jummai Hanatu, said it was satisfied that the FG violated the law, when it forcibly brought Kanu from Kenya to the country for the continuation of his trial.

It held that such extra-ordinary rendition, without adherence to due process of the law, was a gross violation of all international conventions, protocols and guidelines that Nigeria is signatory to, as well as a breach of the Appellant’s fundamental human rights.

The said the FG failed to refute the allegation that the IPOB leader was in Kenya and that he was abducted and brought back to the country without any extradition proceeding.

It held that FG was “ominously silent on the issue” which it described as very pivotal in determining whether the trial court would still have the jurisdiction to continue with the criminal proceeding before it.

“In law, that is a costly failure and such failure is an admittance by the Respondent.

“Where a party fails to controvert a deposition by an opponent, the issue not contested is deemed conceded”, the court held, adding that the onus was on FG to prove the legality of the Appellant’s arrest and return from Kenya.

More so, the court noted that Nigeria is a signatory to OAU Convention which it ratified on April 28, 2022, as well as the Charter of Human and Peoples Rights, which it said prescribed how a wanted person could be transferred from one country to the other.

It held that any extradition request must be in writing, with a statement indicating offences for which a person is wanted.

The appellate court held that FG’s action tainted the entire proceeding it initiated against Kanu and amounted to “an abuse of criminal prosecution in general”.

“The court will never shy away from calling the Executive to order when it tilts towards Executive recklessness”, the Appellate court held, even as it accused FG of engaging in “serious abuse of power”.

Nevertheless, the appellate court said it would be pre-judicial for it to make an order on the proscription of IPOB since the issue is still on appeal.

It held that the proscription order by the lower court would subsist until it is set-aside.

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Murdered soldiers: Military moves Delta monarch to Abuja

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Murdered soldiers: Military moves Delta monarch to Abuja

The Army has moved Ovie of Ewu kingdom HRM Clement Oghenerukevwe Ikolo, a Delta State monarch, in military jet to the Defence Headquarters Abuja for interrogation.

The traditional ruler was one of the eight people declared wanted by the military in connection with the killing of 17 soldiers in Okuama community under his kingdom.

He had surrendered himself to the police in Asana, Delta State, shortly after he was declared wanted on Thursday.

The police immediately handed him over to the military.

The suspect was escorted to the Asaba Airport Friday morning by the Commanding Officer, 63 Brigade Nigeria Army, Asaba, the Delta State Commissioner of Police and other senior military officers.

The Ewu-Urhobo monarch, accompanied by a combined team of military officers and the police as well as personal aides, later boarded an commercial aircraft and the plane departed the tarmac of Asaba Airport at about 9:10am to Abuja.

 

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Ningi will join us in few days, says Senate President

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Ningi will join us in few days, says Senate President

The Senate will soon review a three-month suspension it imposed on Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP – Bauchi Central), Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said.

He hinted that the suspended would join the Senate in a few days.

Akpabio disclosed on Friday this while answering questions from reporters on arrival from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in Geneva, Switzerland.

Ningi was suspended from the Senate activities and his entitlements withheld over his claims that the 2024 budget was padded with the sum of N3.7 trillion.

The suspended senator on Thursday in a letter written by his counsel, Femi Falana SAN, gave Akpabio seven days to recall him or face legal action.

But the Senate President said the matter would be resolved like a family affair and hopefully Ningi would return to take his seat earlier than expected.

Akpabio said, “It is a parliamentary decision. I have not seen the letter yet. But Senator Ningi is one of us. I mean what is suspension?

“I believe that in a few days he will join us. So, there is no problem. It would be resolved amicably. The Senate is a family.”

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NCC extends NIN-SIM linkage deadline

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NCC extends NIN-SIM linkage deadline

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has extended the deadline for the the second phase of SIM-NIN linkage.

Recall that the process to disconnect SIMs not linked to NIN was initiated in stages, with the second phase slated for today, March 29.

The first phase was on February 28, 2024, after NCC directed telecom operators to disconnect millions of subscribers who didn’t link their SIMs to their NINs.

The third phase is slated to commence on April 15, 2024, as previously announced by NCC in December, 2023.

However, the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS) said subscriber have been having difficulty linking their SIMs with their NINs, hence it would be unfair to bar them.

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NATCOMS’ President, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, therefore, appealed to the NCC extend the deadline scheduled for the disconnection of telephone lines not linked to NIN beyond Friday, March 29, 2024.

Meanwhile, a senior official of NCC said the commission had changed the second phase deadline.

He disclosed that the change, which will now see the deadline extended by one week, was necessitated by the Easter public holiday.

The official, who spoke in confidence with Daily Trust, said the telcos had been directed not to bar any subscriber until after one week, from Friday, March 29.

He explained that, “The telecom operators will not bar any subscriber yet. We will only be talking about barring after a week from tomorrow. Yes, technically, we can say the deadline has been extended by a week.”

Another NCC top staff member who corroborated what the first official told our reporter added that NCC yielded to appeals by some CSOs and telecom right groups calling for deadline extension because of internet glitches experienced in the country two weeks ago

NCC extends NIN-SIM linkage deadline

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