BREAKING: Court rejects plea to restrain Nigerians from continuing #EndBadGovernance protests – Newstrends
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BREAKING: Court rejects plea to restrain Nigerians from continuing #EndBadGovernance protests

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BREAKING: Court rejects plea to restrain Nigerians from continuing #EndBadGovernance protests

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed an application seeking an order of interim injunction restraining Nigerian protesters under different platforms from continuing with the ongoing protests using the hashtags #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria. 

Justice Peter Lifu dismissed the motion ex parte, marked FHC/ABS/CS/1149/2024, on Monday, August 12, 2024. 

A motion ex parte is a kind of application where a party seeks an order of the court against another party without notifying the latter in advance. 

Applicant’s Motion 

Messrs Danladi Goje, Buky Abayomi, Adiza Abbo, and thirteen other Nigerians filed the motion ex parte (dated August 12, 2024) seeking the enforcement of their fundamental rights against the organizations involved with the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests.  

The applicants sued organizations such as Take It Back Movement, Concerned Nigerians, Nigerians Against Hunger, Initiative For Change, Human Rights Co-advocacy Initiative, Nigerian Against Corruption Initiative, Citizens For Change Advocacy Initiative, and Timely Intervention (1st to 8th respondents). 

Others sued were Active Citizens Group, Students For Change, We Coalition, Total Intervention, Refurbished Nigeria, Tomorrow Today, Our Future In Our Hands Initiative, Youths Against Tyranny, Save Nigeria Movement, Omoyele Sowore, and Social Democratic Party (SDP) (9th to 19th respondents). 

The rest are the Attorney General Of The Federation and security agencies. 

The applicants’ lawyer, Tsembelee Sorkaa, stated in his process that the right to life, personal liberty, private and family life, movement, property, and economic development of his clients is likely to be breached by the ongoing protest in Nigeria organized by the 1st to 19th respondents who are using the hashtag #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria. 

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He then asked the court to restrain the 1st to 19th respondents from continuing with the ongoing protest in Nigeria pending the determination of his motion on notice. 

He also urged the court to direct security agencies to give effect to the restraining order if granted. 

He equally requested an order of substituted service on the 1st to 19th respondents through any national newspaper, citing urgency. 

In his motion on notice, where he sought an injunction against the respondents, the lawyer argued that “the previous protests in Nigeria in 2020, hashtag #EndSARS, led to the deaths of innocent Nigerians and massive lootings and destructions of properties in Nigeria. This was widely reported in the media.” 

What Transpired in Court 

At the resumed sitting, Sorkaa urged the judge to grant his motion ex parte, saying the first to nineteenth respondents are the ones involved in the protest. 

On his prayers to serve them via newspaper publications, he explained that the respondents (1st to 19th) don’t have offices in Nigeria and there is no fixed address anywhere where they can be served personally. 

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But the judge held that it was not good for the lawyer to rush  his notice ex parte especially without providing the required affidavit to support his requests for an interim injunction and substituted service. 

“Where is the affidavit that will grant your prayers for substituted service? Don’t they have an address? Are they registered under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA)?” the judge queried, observing the lawyer “doesn’t have any affidavit to back” his motion ex parte. 

Besides, Justice Lifu said that the protest in question ended last week and there is no evidence presented before the court by the lawyer that the protesters would reconvene later. 

I have carefully considered the prayers in the instant motion (ex parte). In my view, the motion is not grantable. 

“The prayers for substituted service are not grantable. 

“The entire application lacks merit and is accordingly dismissed,” the judge said. 

The court subsequently adjourned the hearing on the motion on notice to August 29, 2024. 

BREAKING: Court rejects plea to restrain Nigerians from continuing #EndBadGovernance protests

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Tinubu extremely wealthy, can’t loot Nigeria’s treasury, says minister

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Tinubu extremely wealthy, can’t loot Nigeria’s treasury, says minister

The Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has described President Bola Tinubu as an epitome of wealth with no interest to loot Nigeria’s resources.

Olawande stated this while speaking at the Joint Union Negotiating Council’s week of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development branch in Abuja.

The minister also appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the president, noting that in no distant time there will be positive changes.

He said, “I urge you to be patient with this administration. In no distant time, the country will take good shape and the lives of the citizens will be transformed.

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“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not a pauper; he is an acknowledged epitome of wealth and so it cannot be said of him that he desires to loot the treasury of Nigeria.”

Olawande continued, “He has seen money and as a result of this, he is not interested in looting the nation’s treasury.”

He emphasized that the administration is putting in efforts to transform the lives of Nigerians through various policies of the federal government.

Olawande thanked the staff of the ministry for being supportive of the government policies and assured them that their welfare will not be compromised.

Tinubu extremely wealthy, can’t loot Nigeria’s treasury, says minister

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BREAKING: Nigeria’s inflation rate slows for second consecutive month to 32.15% – NBS

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BREAKING: Nigeria’s inflation rate slows for second consecutive month to 32.15% – NBS

Nigeria’s headline inflation rate eased to 32.15% in August 2024 down from the 33.40% recorded in July 2024, reflecting a decrease of 1.25 percentage points.

This represents the second consecutive monthly slowdown in inflation after easing in the previous month.

This is according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

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However, on a year-on-year basis, the August 2024 inflation rate was 6.35 percentage points higher than the 25.80% rate recorded in August 2023, indicating a significant increase over the past year.

On a month-on-month basis, the inflation rate in August 2024 stood at 2.22%, slightly lower than July’s rate of 2.28%, signaling a slower pace in the increase of the average price level compared to the previous month.

BREAKING: Nigeria’s inflation rate slows for second consecutive month to 32.15% – NBS

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Edo poll: Six persons arrested in Benin hotel with fake PDP letterheads, forged signatures

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Edo poll: Six persons arrested in Benin hotel with fake PDP letterheads, forged signatures

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested six young men in a hotel located in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) of Benin City with fake letterheads, stamps, and forged signatures belonging to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its chieftains.

The young men, who were apprehended with incriminating materials such as printers, mobile phones, power banks, laptops, and a photocopy machine, are believed to have been involved in drafting and circulating fake PDP letters and statements.

Their objective was to paint the PDP as instigators of unrest ahead of the forthcoming Edo governorship election, scheduled for Saturday, September 21, 2024.

The arrest, which was made following a tip-off, uncovered an elaborate scheme allegedly designed to discredit the PDP and its leaders by sending fabricated documents to unsuspecting journalists.

These fake letters and statements, according to police sources, were intended to portray the party as warmongers and troublemakers in the run-up to the critical election.

A police officer involved in the operation, who asked to remain anonymous, revealed that the suspects had been using the hotel as their base of operations for weeks.

“We found that these individuals were using forged PDP letterheads, stamps, and signatures to create fake documents.

“Their goal was to send out these documents to journalists in an attempt to misrepresent the PDP and create an atmosphere of tension ahead of the elections,” the officer said.

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In addition to the counterfeit materials, the police discovered that the young men had several technological devices, including laptops and printers, which they used to produce and disseminate the fraudulent documents.

“Their setup was sophisticated. They had everything they needed to make the documents appear legitimate, from forged letterheads to printers.

“We also found power banks, mobile phones, and a photocopy machine, which they used to mass-produce the fake letters,” the officer added.

Further investigation has revealed that the six young men were funded by a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Meanwhile, another police source disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force, Edo State Command, has come under intense pressure from senior APC figures, who are reportedly pushing for the release of the arrested men.

“Since the arrest, there has been immense pressure on us from certain chieftains within the APC, urging the command to release these individuals.

“We believe that their involvement with these young men is being covered up, and they are worried about the potential fallout from this arrest,” the source noted.

A journalist with one of the prominent national newspapers, who had been unknowingly receiving fake statements from the group, expressed shock upon hearing about the arrests.

“It’s alarming to think that we’ve been receiving statements from people who were impersonating the PDP. This shows how low some people will go to try and sabotage the other party. The integrity of this election is now under serious question,” the journalist stated.

The Edo State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement on the matter, but sources within the command say investigations are ongoing, and the suspects remain in custody.

Edo poll: Six persons arrested in Benin hotel with fake PDP letterheads, forged signatures

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