I killed my boss for Xmas money – Guard

A security guard, who was recently arrested by the Imo State Police Command for allegedly stabbing his boss to death and stealing his belongings, said he committed the dastardly act because he wanted to celebrate Christmas lavishly.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the guard, David Kwaguru, and two of his friends killed a 25-year-old final year Civil Engineering student of the Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Imo State, Mr. Innocent Ndukwe, at the deceased’s residence at 18 Enuwa Street, Egbu in the Owerri North Local Government Area of the state.

According to the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Taiwo Lakanu, after killing the suspect, the security guard and two of his friends, Friday Ayuba and Francis Amos, made away with the deceased’s Nissan Pathfinder with number plate, KRD109AD, two plasma TV sets, one home theatre and other valuables.

Confessing to the crime, the security guard said that the rationale behind their evil act was that they needed money to celebrate Christmas next month.

He said, “Since oga Ndukwe had the money (because of his wealthy parents) and expensive household electronics, we decided to kill him, put the devices inside his vehicle and drive to Plateau State where we come from.

“We waited and monitored him. And when he went into the toilet, we broke the door open, tied his hands and legs and started stabbing him all over his body. We stabbed him several times in the neck and abdomen so that he would die quickly. After killing him, we drove off in the jeep only to be nabbed by the police at West End Road in Owerri.”

Also speaking, an accomplice, Ayuba, said that it was Amos that first struck the victim in the neck while he stabbed the student in the stomach.

He said, “It was Kwagwuru who told us about the student. Since we are all from the same state, we decided to run back to Plateau after the crime, and not to return to the South-East ever again. We also planned to sell the vehicle and other valuables and share the loot.”

While parading the suspects, the CP said the police control room got a call on the incident and policemen raced to the crime scene.

He said, “As a result, the assailants who tried to escape were subsequently apprehended along West-End old Nekede road, Owerri.”

He said that the deceased was found in a pool of blood in a toilet at his residence when policemen arrived.

Lakanu appealed to members of the public to always be careful when choosing the people they employ as security guards, lamenting that most security guards, more often than not, turn against their employers by collaborating with criminals to attack them.

Judge bars journalists from Davido’s dad’s divorce case

A judge in Osun State, Justice A. O. Oguntade, at the state High Court, Ede, on Thursday barred journalists from covering the divorce proceedings involving millionaire businessman, Deji Adeleke, and his estranged wife, Teju.

Adeleke, who is the Chancellor of the Adeleke University, is the father of popular musician, Davido. Adeleke was present in court on Thursday but the estranged wife was not in court when journalists were chased out.

Oguntade had on Monday, November 16, prevented journalists who were present at the court by chasing them out of the court room.

The judge again on Thursday asked journalists present in the courtroom to go out before the proceedings started.

On entering the court, Oguntade said, “Journalists present in this court should go out. I repeat, journalists present in this court should go out now.”

The judge asked his orderly to escort the journalists out and the orderly relayed the order to the senior police officer, Adeoye Yekinin, who led a team of armed policemen deployed in the court for the divorce case.

The police officer, however, was polite in carrying out the order as he pleaded with the two journalists including our correspondent to vacate the court.

The armed policemen waited patiently for the journalists to leave before they returned to the entrance of the court.

Some of those present in court expressed shock over the heavy presence of armed policemen.

One of the lawyers present in the court for another matter said one of the parties involved in the case did not want publicity.

Counsel for the estranged wife, Mr. Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) , had during the proceedings on Monday accused the judge of bias.

Despite the allegation, Oguntade ordered journalists out of the court and instructed his orderly to ensure they were chased out of the court.

Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Saraki’s case: CJN to set up fresh Supreme Court panel

THE Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, is set to set up a fresh panel that will hear the appeal filed by Senate President Bukola Saraki, challenging the jurisdiction and competence of the charges by the Code of Conduct Tribunal over alleged false asset declaration preferred against him.

Our correspondent learnt on Wednesday that the CJNwas set to disband the Justice John Fabiyi-led five-member panel which on November 12, 2015, granted an order of a stay of proceedings in the Senate President’s trial before the CCT.

THE Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, is set to set up a fresh panel that will hear the appeal filed by Senate President Bukola Saraki, challenging the jurisdiction and competence of the charges by the Code of Conduct Tribunal over alleged false asset declaration preferred against him.

Our correspondent learnt on Wednesday that the CJNwas set to disband the Justice John Fabiyi-led five-member panel which on November 12, 2015, granted an order of a stay of proceedings in the Senate President’s trial before the CCT.

A valedictory court session is to be held for Justice Fabiyi, who attains the retirement age of 70 on November 25, 2015, his birthday.

Other Justices of the Supreme Court, who are on the panel with Justice Fabiyi, are Justices Suleiman Galadima, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, John Okoro and Amiru Sanusi.

The decision to disband the panel, according to judiciary sources, is partly due to the outcry generated by the Supreme Court’s ruling and the imminent retirement of Justice Fabiyi from the bench on November 25.

Eminent lawyers, including Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), Chief Folake Solanke (SAN), Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), Jiti Ogunye and Malachy Ugwummadu, had described the Supreme Court’s ruling as contravening provisions of sections 306 and 369 of the new Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

The ACJA prohibits granting of a stay of proceedings in criminal cases.

Sources said the CJN, who was on an official trip abroad when the Supreme Court’s ruling was delivered on November 12, would likely head the fresh panel to be constituted.

It was learnt that Mohammed might head the fresh panel that would be constituted due to a number of contentious issues in the appeal filed by Saraki in his appeal.

A source said, “With the public interest in the case and coupled with the retirement of Justice Fabiyi next week Wednesday, the panel has to be disbanded.

“It is the practice of the Supreme Court that when a number of contentious constitutional issues are raised in an appeal such as this one (Saraki’s case), the CJN is likely to head such appeal panel.”

The media aide to the CJN, Mr. Ahuraka Isah, said he was not in a position to confirm the development.

“There is no way I can know what has happened or what will happen. It is strictly a judicial issue that cannot come within my knowledge,” Isah, who spoke to our correspondent on Wednesday, said.

With the order of a stay of proceedings by the Supreme Court, the CCT, which had on November 5, adjourned till November 19 for the commencement of Saraki’s trial, must await the decision of the apex court on the Senate President’s main appeal.

Saraki, through his lawyers, led by Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN), had appealed to the Supreme Court to challenge the September 30, 2015 judgment of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed that the 13 counts of false asset declaration preferred against him before the CCT were competent.

The appeal court also affirmed that the Justice Danladi Umar-led CCT had the required jurisdiction to entertain the charges against the Senate President.

All the arguments by Saraki’s lawyers against the jurisdiction of the CCT and competence of the charges preferred against him before the tribunal were dismissed by a two-to-one split judgment of the Court of Appeal.

But the issues dismissed by the Court of Appeal form Saraki’s seven grounds of appeal, which his lawyers filed before the Supreme Court.

Following an application by Saraki’s lawyers for the appeal to be heard by the full panel of the Supreme Court, the number of Justices in the fresh panel will likely increase from five to seven.

The full panel of the Supreme Court comprises seven Justices as against five that were in the old panel.

Part of the appellant’s grounds of appeal to be finally decided by the apex court are whether the proceedings of the CCT, which sat with only two members as against the three provided for in the provisions of Paragraph 15(1) of the Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution, are competent.

The appellant also faulted the majority decision of the appeal court, where it held that there was a lacuna regarding the quorum of the tribunal.

The Supreme Court will also decide whether the CCT is a court of limited criminal jurisdiction as held by the Court of Appeal.          Meanwhile, a Lagos-based lawyer, Johnson Esezoobo, has called on the CJN to review the granting of a stay of proceedings in the trial of the Senate President at the tribunal.

A statement by Esezoobo on Tuesday described the decision by the Supreme Court as an abuse of and misuse of power, advising that “institutional safeguards should be put against abuse and misuse of power”.

He said, “From the provisions of the constitution, it is absolutely not a difficult issue to resolve except that the remedy available is not what we have been used to in our democratic practice.

“If it is agreed that when an illegality is committed, it must be redressed, we must also find out how to go about it under the constitution.”

According to Esezoobo, the order in the Saraki’s case marked the first time the apex court would commit an illegality, adding that the illegality this time round concerned a vexed national issue agitating the minds of the populace.

Esezoobo added, “I sincerely believe that the President as the Head of State and Chief Executive of the Federation, by virtue of Section 130 of the constitution, has the power to express concern and call on the CJN to explain what happened.

“He can do this through the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation as the chief law officer of the state. In his capacity, the President as the chief executive can, through the AGF, direct the Federal Judicial Service Commission or the National Judicial Council, both as Federal Executive bodies under the Third Schedule to the Constitution, to query all the justices of the Supreme Court involved in this scandalous illegality.”

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome, has however, faulted the criticisms trailing the order of a stay of proceedings granted Senate President Bukola Saraki by the Supreme Court on his false asset declaration trial.

Ozekhome described the criticisms of the order by human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), and Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) as incredible “perverse interpretation” of the law, contending that the senior advocates “seek to bind the Supreme Court with the uninterpreted provisions of a law that only applies to trial courts”.

Ozekhome, in an opinion article titled ‘Awomolo-Falana’s comment – A case of unfortunate sentiments Vs law’, argued that Section 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, which states that “an application for a stay of proceedings in respect of a criminal matter before the court shall not be granted,” only applied to the trial court, and not to appellate courts.

“It ought to be noted that the trial of Saraki, which is currently before the CCT, is not before the Supreme Court of Nigeria. From the plain wording of section 306, the ACJA does not apply to the Supreme Court of Nigeria, or any other appellate court for that matter, but to the CCT,” he added.

A valedictory court session is to be held for Justice Fabiyi, who attains the retirement age of 70 on November 25, 2015, his birthday.

Other Justices of the Supreme Court, who are on the panel with Justice Fabiyi, are Justices Suleiman Galadima, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, John Okoro and Amiru Sanusi.

The decision to disband the panel, according to judiciary sources, is partly due to the outcry generated by the Supreme Court’s ruling and the imminent retirement of Justice Fabiyi from the bench on November 25.

Eminent lawyers, including Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), Chief Folake Solanke (SAN), Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), Jiti Ogunye and Malachy Ugwummadu, had described the Supreme Court’s ruling as contravening provisions of sections 306 and 369 of the new Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

The ACJA prohibits granting of a stay of proceedings in criminal cases.

Sources said the CJN, who was on an official trip abroad when the Supreme Court’s ruling was delivered on November 12, would likely head the fresh panel to be constituted.

It was learnt that Mohammed might head the fresh panel that would be constituted due to a number of contentious issues in the appeal filed by Saraki in his appeal.

A source said, “With the public interest in the case and coupled with the retirement of Justice Fabiyi next week Wednesday, the panel has to be disbanded.

“It is the practice of the Supreme Court that when a number of contentious constitutional issues are raised in an appeal such as this one (Saraki’s case), the CJN is likely to head such appeal panel.”

The media aide to the CJN, Mr. Ahuraka Isah, said he was not in a position to confirm the development.

“There is no way I can know what has happened or what will happen. It is strictly a judicial issue that cannot come within my knowledge,” Isah, who spoke to our correspondent on Wednesday, said.

With the order of a stay of proceedings by the Supreme Court, the CCT, which had on November 5, adjourned till November 19 for the commencement of Saraki’s trial, must await the decision of the apex court on the Senate President’s main appeal.

Saraki, through his lawyers, led by Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN), had appealed to the Supreme Court to challenge the September 30, 2015 judgment of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed that the 13 counts of false asset declaration preferred against him before the CCT were competent.

The appeal court also affirmed that the Justice Danladi Umar-led CCT had the required jurisdiction to entertain the charges against the Senate President.

All the arguments by Saraki’s lawyers against the jurisdiction of the CCT and competence of the charges preferred against him before the tribunal were dismissed by a two-to-one split judgment of the Court of Appeal.

But the issues dismissed by the Court of Appeal form Saraki’s seven grounds of appeal, which his lawyers filed before the Supreme Court.

Following an application by Saraki’s lawyers for the appeal to be heard by the full panel of the Supreme Court, the number of Justices in the fresh panel will likely increase from five to seven.

The full panel of the Supreme Court comprises seven Justices as against five that were in the old panel.

Part of the appellant’s grounds of appeal to be finally decided by the apex court are whether the proceedings of the CCT, which sat with only two members as against the three provided for in the provisions of Paragraph 15(1) of the Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution, are competent.

The appellant also faulted the majority decision of the appeal court, where it held that there was a lacuna regarding the quorum of the tribunal.

The Supreme Court will also decide whether the CCT is a court of limited criminal jurisdiction as held by the Court of Appeal.          Meanwhile, a Lagos-based lawyer, Johnson Esezoobo, has called on the CJN to review the granting of a stay of proceedings in the trial of the Senate President at the tribunal.

A statement by Esezoobo on Tuesday described the decision by the Supreme Court as an abuse of and misuse of power, advising that “institutional safeguards should be put against abuse and misuse of power”.

He said, “From the provisions of the constitution, it is absolutely not a difficult issue to resolve except that the remedy available is not what we have been used to in our democratic practice.

“If it is agreed that when an illegality is committed, it must be redressed, we must also find out how to go about it under the constitution.”

According to Esezoobo, the order in the Saraki’s case marked the first time the apex court would commit an illegality, adding that the illegality this time round concerned a vexed national issue agitating the minds of the populace.

Esezoobo added, “I sincerely believe that the President as the Head of State and Chief Executive of the Federation, by virtue of Section 130 of the constitution, has the power to express concern and call on the CJN to explain what happened.

“He can do this through the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation as the chief law officer of the state. In his capacity, the President as the chief executive can, through the AGF, direct the Federal Judicial Service Commission or the National Judicial Council, both as Federal Executive bodies under the Third Schedule to the Constitution, to query all the justices of the Supreme Court involved in this scandalous illegality.”

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome, has however, faulted the criticisms trailing the order of a stay of proceedings granted Senate President Bukola Saraki by the Supreme Court on his false asset declaration trial.

Ozekhome described the criticisms of the order by human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), and Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) as incredible “perverse interpretation” of the law, contending that the senior advocates “seek to bind the Supreme Court with the uninterpreted provisions of a law that only applies to trial courts”.

Ozekhome, in an opinion article titled ‘Awomolo-Falana’s comment – A case of unfortunate sentiments Vs law’, argued that Section 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, which states that “an application for a stay of proceedings in respect of a criminal matter before the court shall not be granted,” only applied to the trial court, and not to appellate courts.

“It ought to be noted that the trial of Saraki, which is currently before the CCT, is not before the Supreme Court of Nigeria. From the plain wording of section 306, the ACJA does not apply to the Supreme Court of Nigeria, or any other appellate court for that matter, but to the CCT,” he added.

DI MARIA Express shock over Paris attack

Buenos Aires - Paris Saint-Germain star Angel Di Maria expressed his shock on Friday at the bloody attacks in the French capital after Argentina's Soccer World Cup clash with Brazil.

Di Maria's PSG team-mates Ezequiel Lavezzi and David Luiz were also playing in Friday's 1-1 at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, where a minute's silence was held before kick-off to honor victims of the violence.

"I'd only just heard about what happened," Di Maria said. "It's incredible. These things have to stop," the midfielder added.

Lavezzi, who scored Argentina's goal in the draw, meanwhile took to Twitter to express his sorrow at the attacks.

"Pray for Paris," the forward wrote above a viral image of an eye tinted by the colors of the French tricolore.

Swaziland hold Eagles to a draw

Nigeria's Super Eagles and their Swaziland counterparts played out a scoreless draw in a 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifying match at the Somhlolo National Stadium in Lobamba on Friday.

Nigeria head coach Sunday Oliseh this time opted for a centre-back pairing of Efe Ambrose and Godfrey Oboabona with Shehu Abdullahi and Elderson Echiejile playing as fullbacks.

The Super Eagles from the outset pressed high up against the King's Shield of Swaziland but lacked the sharpness to open up the defence of Harris Bulunga's men.

Tony Tsabedze was clearly the man pulling the strings for the King's Shield and in the 23rd minute he let fly from distance but his effort was straight at Nigeria goalkeeper Carl Ikeme.

Five minutes later, Lazio midfielder Ogenyi Onazi saw his free kick palmed away by Nhlanhla Gwebu in the Swaziland goal and Sylvester Igbonu's rebound attempt forced the custodian of the hosts into another save before Odion Ighalo turned the loose ball off target to let the southern Africans off the hook.

Though the Nigerians enjoyed the bulk of the ball possession at the half hour mark it counted for nothing as the Swazis' confidence level grew as the game progressed.

Dlamini nearly headed them in front in the 31st minute from a corner and then a Nigerian error at the back almost gifted them a scoring chance a minute later.

But Oliseh's charges finished the first 45 minutes better. Ighalo was slipped through on goal though he turned inside of his marker but had the ball cleared off his feet before he could shoot.

Before the start of the second half, Oliseh sent on Rabiu Ibrahim for Igbonu as he felt his team needed a creative spark from the middle of the park. Nigeria had the first chance of the business end of the game when Ighalo blazed over but it was Swaziland that showed a statement of intent.

Inside the opening five minutes of the second half, Mxolisi Lukhele and team captain Tsabedze got themselves into shooting range but failed to hit the target.

On 58 minutes, Onazi's free kick from 25 yards came off the upright to the relief of Swaziland.

Four minutes later, it was the turn of Nigeria to have their hearts in their mouths when Ikeme was forced to make a point-blank save by Lukhele following a ball over the top.

The Swazis continued to be fearless in their approach but in the 65th minute Nigeria had a scoring chance when Ahmed Musa's pass picked out Simon inside the box but the KAA Gent man's attempt to create space and shoot was blocked.

In the last 20 minutes, Swaziland captain Tsabedze turned on the style with his mazy runs but his impressive play still could not unlock the Super Eagles' backline.

Nigeria gaffer Oliseh tried as he could to get something out of the contest and sent on the attacking duo of Obafemi Martins and Kelechi Iheanacho, who made his international debut at senior level, but the Swazis held out for a famous draw in Lobamba.

The decisive leg of the 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifier will take place next Tuesday when Nigeria play hosts to Swaziland at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt.

MICHEAL CARRICK HAS ANKLE INJURY

England midfielder Michael Carrick sustained an ankle injury during England's 2-0 friendly defeat in Spain on Friday.

The 34-year-old Manchester United player was carried off the pitch on a stretcher late in the game.

"Michael has got a severely twisted ankle which normally means ligament damage," England manager Roy Hodgson told reporters.

"We won't know that of course until he's had an X-ray or a scan, but it doesn't look good."

Carrick is definitely ruled out of Tuesday's friendly against France at Wembley Stadium, although the game may be postponed following the attacks in Paris on Friday.

Bihari condemns Paris terrorist attacks

The President was reacting to the incident in a statement issued in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina.

“On behalf of the government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Buhari conveys his heartfelt sympathy to President Francois Hollande and the people of France,’’ said Adesina in the statement.

The President also extended sincere condolences to the families, relatives and friends of the unfortunate victims of the callous attacks.

President Buhari condemned the barbaric attacks which he said constituted an unacceptable affront to all human values and civilized norms.

According to him, as a country which has borne the terrible human cost of terrorist attacks, Nigeria stands in full solidarity with the government and people of France as they mourn those who have lost their lives in the attacks on Paris.

President Buhari called on all peace-loving nations of the world, to intensify ongoing multilateral cooperation and collaborative actions aimed at tackling the problem of international terrorism.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Paris terrorist attacks, which claimed about 127 lives, with at least 180 people
injured, had been described by President Hollande as an act of war against France.

The series of attacks launched by gunmen at Bataclan concert hall, restaurants and bars as well as a bomb blast at Stade de France, all in Paris city, had continued to attract condemnation across the world. ACCEPT MA CONDOLENCE DEAR FRANCE

Paris attacks result of French policy, says Asad 1:21 pm

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Saturday that French policy had contributed to the “spread of terrorism” that culminated in gun and bomb attacks which killed 128 people in Paris.

In a meeting with a delegation of French lawmakers in Damascus, Assad said France’s “mistaken policies… had contributed to the spread of terrorism.”

“The terrorist attacks that targeted the French capital Paris cannot be separated from what happened in the Lebanese capital Beirut lately and from what has been happening in Syria for the past five years and in other areas,” he said.