Labour party chairman sues Arise TV over alleged defamation, demands N100m - Newstrends
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Labour party chairman sues Arise TV over alleged defamation, demands N100m

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The National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, has sued broadcast medium, Arise TV over alleged defamation.
Abure, who is demanding N100 million compensation from the broadcast medium, claimed he was defamed when the TV outfit granted an interview to the party’s former spokesperson, Abayomi Arabambi, who reportedly made unfounded allegations that smeared his integrity.
It was learnt that Abure in Suit No: B/35/2023, filed by his counsel, President Aigbokhan Esq, on 18th January 2023 prayed the Edo State High Court to perpetually put an injunction restraining Arise TV and its agents from further defamation of his character, reputation and person.
In a statement issued by the party, which was sighted by Nigerian Tribune, Abure claimed that Arise TV on its morning show granted an interview to Arabambi which was posted on a social media platform, Youtube dated the 11th day of December 2022, wherein he made several defamatory statements against him (Abure).
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The statement further outlined some of the defamatory words, according to Abure as “That Barr Julius Abure the National Chairman of the Labor Party (LP) FORGED a court of Appeal Judgment of the 18th day of November 2022 and enlisted to INEC twenty-seven (27) candidates instead of the legally approved fifteen (15) candidates for the Lagos State House of Assembly.
 
“That Barr Julius Abure submitted a FORGED list of Twenty Seven (27) names to INEC dated 25th November 2022 signed by Barr Julius Abure as National Chairman and Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim as National Secretary and also presented the copies as evidence to ARISE TV, the morning show’
 
“That Barr Julius Abure the National Chairman of Labour Party diverted over Forty Million Naira (40,000, 000, 00) from sales of party nomination form into his private transport company account with Access Bank Plc as payment thereby grossly violated the provisions of the Labour Party Constitution 2019 as amended by enriching himself fraudulently and thereafter denied the candidates tickets after collecting their monies.
 
“That a financial audit investigation of all the Labour party’s accounts be conducted immediately to ascertain the extent of financial malfeasance and impropriety perpetrated through illegal transactions from sales of party nomination forms and expression of interest.
 
”That Barr Julius Abure, brought in four (4) thugs with improvised Arms or pistols that are not members of DSS or any of the licensed security operatives to harass him during the NWC meeting that took place at Barcelona Hotel Wuse 2 Abuja caught on CCTV Camera.
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 “That Labour Party has been completely southenized without any pan Nigeria outlook in composition.
 
”That Mr Peter Obi has never had any meaningful and fruitful meetings with the National Executive Council NEC of the party because of Barr Julius Abure and Clement Ojukwu, the National Organizing Secretary who have monopolized Peter Obi with lies.
 
“That the presidential campaign committee PCC has excluded members of the National Working Committee, NWC from the South West in the presidential campaign and noting that none of the six (6)national working committee NWC members from southwest was part of the campaign rallies in Ibadan and Ogun States amongst others.”
 
The Labour Party national chairman explained that the word referred to above in the statement was understood by him to mean he was fraudulent in his activities and in the habit of collecting bribes from party members in other to access political position.
Abure also claimed that the words used by the defendant, in the interview with the Arise TV News Morning Show, have maligned his position as the national chairman of the Labour Party and have reduced his level of standing in society.
He added that the principles of fairness, accuracy, and balance in the coverage of Political campaign activities were not observed in granting the said interview as the Television station made no effort to get his side of the matter.

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Frank Edoho Faces Fresh Allegations as Estranged Wife Breaks Silence

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Frank Edoho Faces Fresh Allegations as Estranged Wife Breaks Silence
Frank Edoho and Sandra Onyenucheya

Frank Edoho Faces Fresh Allegations as Estranged Wife Breaks Silence

Media personality Frank Edoho is facing fresh controversy following serious allegations of infidelity, emotional abuse, intimidation, and financial misconduct levelled against him by his estranged wife, Sandra Onyenucheya, amid the collapse of their marriage.

In a detailed social media statement, Sandra dismissed claims portraying her as unfaithful, insisting she had been unfairly labelled throughout the public fallout surrounding their separation. She described the situation as painful and said she was compelled to speak out to correct what she called long-standing misrepresentations about her character.

Sandra stated that she entered the marriage out of deep affection for Edoho despite resistance from her family, stressing that she remained committed even under difficult circumstances.

According to her, the marriage was allegedly marked by repeated acts of infidelity, which she claimed she later discovered through access to his private communications. She alleged that these discoveries revealed contacts with multiple women, including hotel visits, payments to women, and romantic engagements outside the marriage.

She also accused the broadcaster of subjecting her to years of emotional distress, claiming she endured humiliation, emotional trauma, and alleged physical abuse while remaining silent for a long period due to family considerations and their children.

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Sandra further alleged that she made significant financial contributions during the marriage, including assisting with the repayment of a vehicle loan and investing in property assets. She claimed that one of the properties she financially supported was later sold without her consent.

The estranged wife also accused Edoho of violating her privacy, alleging that he recorded private conversations and released them publicly, an action she described as deeply damaging and humiliating.

In another part of her statement, Sandra alleged that she was subjected to threats during arguments, claiming she was once told she would be harmed in a way that would permanently affect her appearance.

She said the situation eventually reached a breaking point when she feared for her safety, prompting her decision to leave the marriage permanently.

Sandra added that she remained silent for years due to her children and the pressure of public scrutiny, but decided to speak out so her side of the story would be understood in the future.

The allegations come amid ongoing public discussion surrounding the breakdown of the marriage, with both sides previously linked to competing claims and counter-claims in the media.

Neither Frank Edoho nor his representatives have issued a detailed public response to the latest allegations at the time of this report.

Frank Edoho Faces Fresh Allegations as Estranged Wife Breaks Silence

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El-Rufai Denies Wrongdoing As DSS Presents TV Interview In Court

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El-Rufai Denies Wrongdoing As DSS Presents TV Interview In Court
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai

El-Rufai Denies Wrongdoing As DSS Presents TV Interview In Court

The trial of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, took a dramatic turn on Monday after a witness from the Department of State Services (DSS) told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the agency uncovered alleged illegal phone interception involving the former governor through a television interview aired on Arise Television.

The witness, whose identity was concealed for security reasons and identified only as “APC,” appeared before the court as the first prosecution witness in the high-profile case involving alleged unlawful interception of phone conversations linked to National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu.

Led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, Oluwole Aladedoye (SAN), the DSS operative told the court that the agency had prior intelligence indicating that El-Rufai would appear on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme.

According to the witness, DSS operatives monitored the interview closely and later concluded that certain remarks made by the former governor amounted to a confessional statement.

“My Lord, the service got information that the defendant would appear on Arise TV Prime Time Show,” the witness said.

He explained that after watching the programme, he immediately briefed senior officials of the DSS.

“I told them that there was a confessional statement where the defendant said he tapped the conversation of the National Security Adviser,” the operative added.

The court heard that the DSS subsequently copied the interview into a flash drive and preserved it as part of the prosecution’s evidence in the case.

The prosecution later tendered the flash drive and a certificate of compliance before the court. Counsel to El-Rufai, Paul Erokoro (SAN), did not object to the admissibility of the materials.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik thereafter admitted both items as exhibits.

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Following the ruling, the prosecution applied for the interview video to be played openly in court, a request that was granted by the judge.

El-Rufai, dressed in a blue agbada, watched the footage from the dock alongside members of his legal team and other observers present in court.

During the interview played in court, the former governor spoke extensively about an alleged encounter with DSS operatives at the Abuja airport after returning from Egypt.

According to El-Rufai, security officials approached him at the airport and attempted to compel him to accompany them without presenting any formal invitation or official document.

“I came out of the plane and a young man came to me and said, ‘I am SSS and they would want to meet with me in our office,’” El-Rufai said in the recorded interview.

The former governor further alleged during the broadcast that the operation against him was ordered by the National Security Adviser.

According to him, information about the alleged directive was obtained through intercepted phone conversations.

“We listened to their calls, someone tapped the phone conversation and told us that he gave the order,” El-Rufai stated in the interview shown in court.

That statement immediately became one of the major issues raised by the prosecution in the ongoing trial.

The DSS is prosecuting El-Rufai on an amended five-count charge bordering on alleged unlawful interception of communications, breach of national security protocols, and offences connected to provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024 and the Nigerian Communications Act.

The prosecution alleged that the former governor unlawfully interfered with communications classified as part of Nigeria’s Critical National Information Infrastructure.

During the proceedings, El-Rufai also accused security agencies of being used against him for political purposes.

He claimed he was being targeted because of political alignments linked to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term ambitions.

The former governor insisted he had nothing to hide and challenged anyone to produce evidence that he stole public funds during his time in office.

Proceedings were briefly interrupted after the audio quality of the video deteriorated during playback.

Following the technical issue, the prosecution requested additional time to produce a clearer version of the recording, a move the defence did not oppose.

Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter for continuation of hearing.

Earlier, the court granted El-Rufai bail in the sum of N100 million with one surety in like sum.

The judge ruled that the surety must be a federal civil servant not below Grade Level 17 and must own landed property in either Maitama or Asokoro, Abuja.

The court also ordered the former governor to surrender all international passports and report monthly to the DSS headquarters pending the determination of the case.

Justice Abdulmalik further approved the prosecution’s request for DSS witnesses to testify under protection throughout the trial.

The court equally dismissed objections raised by the defence challenging the amended charges and granted accelerated hearing in the matter.

El-Rufai Denies Wrongdoing As DSS Presents TV Interview In Court

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ICPC Denies Blocking El-Rufai From Receiving Food, Medical Care In Detention

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ICPC Denies Blocking El-Rufai From Receiving Food, Medical Care In Detention
Former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai

ICPC Denies Blocking El-Rufai From Receiving Food, Medical Care In Detention

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has dismissed allegations that former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, was denied access to food, family members, and medical care while in detention.

The anti-graft agency described the claims as “false and misleading,” insisting that the former governor has continued to receive medical attention and family visits in line with the commission’s detention protocols.

The controversy followed allegations by Mohammed Bello, the lawmaker representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency and son of the former governor, who accused the ICPC of violating his father’s fundamental human rights.

Bello claimed that officials of the commission prevented El-Rufai’s wife from delivering food to him and also blocked his personal doctor from seeing him to discuss the outcome of recent medical examinations.

According to the lawmaker, the doctor was allegedly informed that written approval from the ICPC chairman was required before access could be granted.

However, speaking during a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, ICPC spokesperson, Okor Odey, rejected the allegations and maintained that the commission had acted within established procedures.

Odey explained that the agency operates an access-control policy that allows visitors into the detention facility between 9:00am and 6:30pm daily.

According to him, El-Rufai’s wife arrived at the facility around 7:00pm, after official visiting hours had closed.

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“The families of all defendants and suspects in ICPC custody, including the family in question, were duly informed of this protocol and have, until this incident, been in compliance,” Odey said.

He disclosed that one of El-Rufai’s wives and a housemaid had earlier delivered food to the former governor at least three times between 10:30am and 5:30pm on the same day.

The ICPC spokesman also said the commission maintains a visitors’ register containing details of all approved visits, including family members, legal representatives, and medical personnel.

Addressing allegations that El-Rufai’s doctor was denied entry, Odey said the medical personnel were only subjected to standard security and identification procedures before being granted supervised access.

“It is a standard security procedure,” he stated.

Odey further revealed that the former Kaduna governor had recently been allowed to visit both his dentist and eye doctor under ICPC escort.

He added that El-Rufai also has access to in-house medical personnel within the commission whenever necessary.

The ICPC stressed that the former governor’s detention was not politically motivated, noting that he remained in custody because he had yet to meet the bail conditions earlier granted by the court.

El-Rufai has been in the custody of the ICPC since February 19 over alleged financial impropriety linked to his administration as Kaduna State governor between 2015 and 2023.

The former governor was arraigned before the Kaduna State High Court on April 13 on an amended nine-count charge bordering on alleged fraud, abuse of office, and diversion of public funds.

The commission maintained that it would not be distracted by what it described as “dramatised narratives” aimed at undermining lawful institutional procedures.

ICPC Denies Blocking El-Rufai From Receiving Food, Medical Care In Detention

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