News

Appeal court upholds Maryam Sanda’s death sentence

Published

3 years ago

December 5, 2020

The court of appeal sitting in Abuja has declared as appropriate the death sentence imposed on Maryam Sanda over the death of Bilyamin Mohammed Bello, her husband.

Sanda and three others were arraigned by the Federal Government on a two counts bordering on culpable homicide.

She was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging on January 27, 2020, by Yusuf Halilu, the trial judge.

“She should reap what she has sown, for it has been said that ‘thou shall not kill’ and whoever kills in cold blood deserves death as his own reward,” Halilu said.

“Convict also clearly deserves to die, accordingly I hereby sentence Maryam Sanda to death by hanging until she dies.”

Aggrieved by the death sentence, Sanda approached the appellate court seeking to upturn the trial court’s judgment.

In a notice of appeal predicated on 20 grounds, the appellant through her legal team described the judgment of the trial court as “a miscarriage of justice”.

She submitted that the judge relied on circumstantial evidence as there was “lack of confessional statement, absence of murder weapon, lack of corroboration of evidence by two or more witnesses and lack of autopsy report to determine the true cause of her husband’s death.”

She also submitted the trial judge “erred and misdirected himself by usurping the role of the police when he assumed the duty of an investigating police officer (IPO) as contained in page 76 of his judgment.”

But on Friday, the appellate court upheld the death sentence.

News

Soludo renames Anambra Airport after literary icon, Chinua Achebe

Published

1 hour ago

October 1, 2023

Trends Admin

Chinua Achebe, Governor Chukwuma Soludo

Soludo renames Anambra Airport after literary icon, Chinua Achebe

Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, has renamed the state’s International Passenger and Cargo Airport after late Chinua Achebe, a novelist, to immortalise him for making an indelible mark on the history of human civilisation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Achebe a native of Ogidi in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state, died on March 21, 2013, at age 82, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Soludo said this on Sunday in Awka at the Independence Day parade, to mark Nigeria’s 63rd anniversary, describing Achebe as an example of Africa’s unsung hero.

“Achebe, a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic, gave the African literature an identity and a voice and he rightly reconstructed and refined the identify of the people,” he said.

The governor said that Achebe was not just an Anambra hero nor a Nigerian hero, but an African and global hero and yet largely unsung at home.

He said that henceforth, the state shall be deliberate in fishing out and celebrating its largely unsung heroes as motivation to children and youths.

“Unfortunately, some people wrongly think of legacies in terms of brick and mortar. Legacy is about impact on human life and human civilisation.

“Achebe was not a president or governor or military. He did not build bridges or roads or airports but he will outlive most presidents, governors and ministers in our minds.

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“Achebe rejected Nigeria’s national honours twice in protest against what he perceived as injustice to his home state Anambra. Today, Anambra will finally honour him.

“After wide consultations, there is a broad consensus that no one is more deserving to be named after the first airport in Anambra than Anambra’s all-time greatest literary gift to the world, Chinua Achebe.

“Consequently, we will rename the Anambra International Cargo and Passenger Airport, Umueri, to Chinua Achebe International Airport, Umueri.

“Yes, it has to be an international airport, and we hope to work with the Federal Government to give full effect to its international status,” he said.
Soludo urged Nigerians to be intentional about making the project Nigeria work and believe in the potential greatness of the country.

“We have muddled through the past 63 years with squandered opportunities and yet with the promise of potential greatness

“No country or nation is a perfect. Every nation continues to struggle in its match to a more perfect union. The path to stability, growth and sustainability will be challenging as there are no quick fixes.

“But all of us must collectively think and work Nigeria out of the current challenges. We have no other country but Nigeria, and we must make it to work for everyone, “he said.

The governor said his administration was founded on the true progressive agenda and would continue to create the enabling environment for residents to thrive and survive.

NAN reports that the police, paramilitary organisations and students from different schools took part in the parade.

Soludo renames Anambra Airport after literary icon, Chinua Achebe

News

Fagbemi distances FG from Emefiele’s N50bn plea bargain

Published

4 hours ago

October 1, 2023

Trends Admin

Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi

Fagbemi distances FG from Emefiele’s N50bn plea bargain

JUSTICE Minister, Lateef Fagbemi has distanced the Federal Government from the N50 billion planned non prosecution plea bargain with the embattled former Central Bank of Nigeria governor Godwin Emefiele.

This is contained in a statement signed by the Director of Information in the Federal Ministry of Justice Mrs Modupe Ogundoro on Sunday in Abuja.

Emefiele was reported to have entered a plea bargain with government on condition of surrendering N50 billion to facilitate his early release from the custody of the Department of the State Service (DSS).

The plea bargain was also said to be aimed at cancelling the trial of the former CBN Chief on series of charges comprising money laundering, breach of Public Procurement Act and abuse of office.

Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN said that neither his office or the Presidency have had anything of such nature with Emefiele.

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“The attention of the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has been drawn to a report by Sahara Reporters alleging that the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele and the Federal Government of Nigeria, have agreed to a non-prosecution plea bargain arrangement.

“The report further alleges that Emefiele and the Federal Government of Nigeria, represented by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, have signed a non-prosecution plea bargain agreement and that the agreement is awaiting the signature of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,

“The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice hereby states clearly that these reports are completely false.

“It would be noted that the legal team representing Mr. Godwin Emefiele had expressed their intention in court at the last hearing to initiate a plea bargain arrangement.

“However, no such arrangement has been reached with Emefiele or his representatives.

“We wish to advise the media and members of the public to kindly disregard the said false report.

“The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice will continue to take all actions in the interest of the Nigerian public”, the statement said.

Fagbemi distances FG from Emefiele’s N50bn plea bargain

(NAN)

News

SERAP sues 36 Governors over failure to account for N72bn subsidy palliative

Published

4 hours ago

October 1, 2023

Trends Admin

SERAP sues 36 Governors over failure to account for N72bn subsidy palliative

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the 36 state governors in the country over their failure to account for the spending of the N72 billion palliative collected from the Federal Government, including details of the beneficiaries and the reliefs provided with the money.

To ameliorate the impact of the removal of petrol subsidy, the Federal Government recently disbursed N2 billion out of the N5 billion palliative package to each state of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

President Bola Tinubu had during his inaugural speech in May, announced the removal of petrol subsidy, which has led to hike in pump price as well as food prices and transportation fares in the country.

In the suit number FHC/L/CS/1943/2023 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Lagos, SERAP is seeking an order of mandamus to direct and compel each of the governors to account for the spending of the N2 billion palliative collected by them from the Federal Government.

SERAP is also seeking an order of mandamus to direct and compel each of the governors to disclose details of the beneficiaries and the reliefs provided to the poorest and most vulnerable Nigerians with the money.

SERAP is further seeking an order of mandamus to direct and compel each of the governors to instruct the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to monitor the spending of petrol subsidy palliative collected by them.

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In the suit, SERAP is arguing that secrecy in the spending of the N72 billion collected by the governors would create distrust or suspicion of the government, adding that the failure by the governors to account for the public funds is both legally and morally wrong.

The organisation is also arguing that the governors are constitutionally required to act in the public interest, stressing that government secrecy promotes arbitrariness and covers illegal acts.

According to SERAP, the right of access to official information such as the spending of the N72 billion by the governors exists to facilitate the exercise of free expression right, discover the truth, and encourage citizens’ participation in a democracy.

The organisation is also arguing that the right to access information held by public officials and bodies is also essential for collective decision-making in a democratic society.

The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Blessing Ogwuche, read in part: “It is in the public interest to direct and compel the 36 state governors to account for the spending of the N72 billion palliative and any subsequent disbursement of public funds to the states.”

“There is no democratic freedom without accountability and the basic postulate of accountability is that the people should have information about the functioning of the government.”

“Compelling and directing the governors to account for the spending of the N72 billion would increase government transparency and enhance an open and democratic society.”

“A functioning democracy rests upon participation and accountability. Citizens cannot fully participate in a democracy unless they are allowed to effectively enjoy the right to know what their government is doing in their name.”

“The right of access to information also lets in light and allows the public to scrutinise the workings of the government and find truth in them. Nigerians have the right to know how their states are spending the fuel subsidy relief funds. It is part of their legally enforceable human rights.”

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“Transparency and accountability in the spending of the N72 billion and any subsequent disbursement to the governors would help to reduce the risk of corruption, mismanagement, diversion, or opportunism.”

“The oversight afforded by public access to the details of the spending of the N72 billion palliative and any subsequent disbursement to the governors would serve as an important check on the activities of the states, and help to prevent abuses of the public trust.”

“The constitutional principle of democracy provides a foundation for Nigerians’ right to know details about the spending of the N72 billion fuel subsidy palliative. Citizens’ right to know is crucial for the country’s democratic order.”

“The effective operation of representative democracy depends on the people being able to scrutinise, discuss and contribute to government decision making, including on the fuel subsidy relief funds.”

“The removal of subsidy on petrol continues to negatively and disproportionately affect the poor and socially and economically vulnerable Nigerians in several states, undermining their right to adequate standard of living.”

“The Freedom of Information Act, Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantee to everyone the right to information, including about how the N72 billion fuel subsidy relief funds are spent.”

“By the combined reading of the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, the Freedom of Information Act, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, applicable throughout Nigeria, there are transparency obligations imposed on the 36 states to account for the spending of the N72 billion fuel subsidy palliative.”

“The Nigerian Constitution, Freedom of Information Act, and the country’s anti-corruption and human rights obligations rest on the principle that citizens should have access to information regarding their government’s activities.”

“States cannot hide under the excuse that the Freedom of Information Act is not applicable to them to refuse to provide the details being sought, as all the 36 states also have clear legal obligations to provide the information as prescribed by the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and. Enforcement) Act.”

Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.