News

Court Admits In Evidence Two Video Clips Supporting Obi’s Petition

Published

11 months ago

June 10, 2023

Editor

The Presidential Election Petition Court admitted in evidence two video clips tendered by the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in aid of his petition challenging the conduct and outcome of the February 25 presidential election.

At the resumed hearing on Friday evening, the petitioners, through their counsel, Jubril Okutekpa, SAN, informed the court that they had subpoenaed Channels Television to produce the recordings contained in two flash drives.

Okutekpa disclosed that two separate subpoenas, dated May 30 and June 6, were served on the TV station, which he said sent one of its staff members, to tender the requested evidence.

Justice Haruna Tsammani-led’s five-member panel admitted the subpoenas in evidence and marked them as Exhibits PBH-1 and PBH-2.

One of the flash drives is said to carry video clips of an interview that the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmoud Yakubu granted before the general elections, where he assured that the results of the election would be electronically transmitted in real-time.

The other contains a press conference by a national commissioner of the commission, Festus Okoye, who reiterated the commitment of the body to electronically transmit the results.

In a move to present the content of the video clips in the open court, a senior reporter and editor at Channels TV, Lucky Obese-Alawode, was summoned to the witness box.

However, the respondents in the petition vehemently opposed the move by the petitioners.

Counsel to President Bola Tinubu, Akin Olujinmi, SAN, queried the competence of the witness on the grounds that his statement was not filed alongside the petition.

Relying on Paragraphs 4 (5) and (6) of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act 2022, Tinubu’s lawyer argued that the law is clear that a petition must be filed within 21 days after the declaration of the result of an election.

He contended that the petitioners ought to have attached all the necessary documents as well as the list of witnesses they would call in support of their case at the time the petition was filed.

“A petition which fails to comply shall not be accepted, that is what the law says. My lords, it was after the proceeding started today that the statement of this witness was served on us.

“This is over three months after the declaration of the result of the election was made.

“This witness was not listed by the petitioners, and his statement was not attached to the petition. To that extent, he is not a competent witness who can testify before this court,” Tinubu’s lawyer insisted.

He contended that the petitioners were aware that they would rely on the said video recordings, at the time they filed the petition, yet did not attach it to the list of their documents.

Aligning with the disapproval by Olujimi, SAN, the INEC, through its lawyer, Kemi Pinhero, SAN, argued that Obi and LP should have listed the proposed evidence in their petition.

However, counsel for the petitioners, Okutekpa, SAN, contended that the witness was competent enough to testify as the subpoena was an order of the court that he had no command over.

The objections, notwithstanding, the panel admitted the two flash drives in evidence and marked them as Exhibits PBH-3 and PBH-4.

Again, when the counsel to the petitioners applied for the contents of the flash drives to be played in the open court, the respondents disagreed except for the electoral commission which was indifferent.

Olujimi maintained that his client was not served with any copy of the flash drive.

He further stated that playing the video clips without his clients’ foreknowledge of their content could rob them of the right to a fair hearing.

He said, “This case is not hide and seek. We are entitled to be served with a copy so that we can know the content and be able to prepare. Until we are served, we will oppose allowing it to be played.”

On his part, the counsel for the All Progressives Congress, Solomon Umoh, SAN, said it would amount to an ambush for the petitioners to play the content of the flash drives without first serving the same on the respondents.

Ruling on the matter, the chairman of the five-man panel, Justice Tsammani, held that the position of the respondents is not prejudiced against playing the video clips but on their non-service beforehand.

However, for time constraints, Tsammani adjourned the matter to Saturday afternoon, June 10, for the video clips to be played in the open court.
PUNCH

News

Police Reacts To Trending Video Of Woman Feeding Baby Alcohol,Vow To Fish Out Mother [WATCH]

Published

7 hours ago

May 15, 2024

Editor

The spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has stated that the police will fish out a nursing mum filmed feeding her baby alcohol.

The disturbing video showed the woman who spoke in Yoruba, hailing her baby girl as she gulped the alcohol.

Reacting to the video, Adejobi wrote: ‘’Another assignment for us. This is too bad. We will fish her out. Thanks. @PoliceNG”

News

EFCC Arrests 13 Fake BDC Operators In Lagos

Published

10 hours ago

May 14, 2024

Editor

Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested thirteen fake bureau de change operators in Lagos.

They were arrested for operating BDC without an appropriate licence.

The suspects are: Abdulahi Musa, Garba Abdullahi, Dauda Hussaini, Jubril Musa, Abdulwaheed Iliyasu and Abubakar Mohammed.

Others are: Umar Saidu, Nurudeen AbdulAzeez, Hamidu Usman, Yusuf Isa, Musa Ishaka, Liman Makki and Idris Mohammed.

They were arrested during sting operations by EFCC’s operatives between May 10 and 13, 2024 at different parts of Lagos, following credible intelligence received by the Commission about their illicit business activities.

Also, a suspected currency racketeer, Kafayat Lateef was also arrested over for alleged involvement in the sale of the Naira notes in different denominations.

A sum of N2.1 million was recovered from her at the point of arrest. A statement by EFCC Spokesman, Dele Oyewale, said that the suspects would soon be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

News

Ex-CBN Gov, Emefiele Faces Fresh Charge Over Printing Of Naira Emefiele

Published

13 hours ago

May 14, 2024

Editor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has preferred a fresh charge against the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, over an allegation that he illegally printed Naira notes while he held sway at the apex bank.

The anti-graft agency, in the four-count charge it entered before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, equally accused the former CBN boss of unlawfully approving the withdrawal of about N124.8billion from the consolidated revenue fund.

According to the EFCC, the defendant, acting in violation of law and “with intent to cause injury to the public,” okayed the printing of naira notes without the approval of both the former President, Muhammadu Buhari and the board of the CBN.

Emefiele, who is already facing multiple charges both in Abuja and Lagos, is expected to take his plea before trial Justice Maryann Anenih.

Specifically, the charge against him, read: “That you Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, between the 19th day of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the CBN Act, 2007, by approving the printing of N375,520,000.00 pieces of colour swapped N1, 000, at the total cost of N11,052, 068,062 without the recommendation of the Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.

“That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, between the 19th of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, by approving the printing of 172,000,000 pieces of colour swapped N500 (Five Hundred Naira) Notes, at the total cost of N4, 471,066,040 without the recommendation of the Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.

“That you Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, between the 19th day of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the CBN Act, 2007, by approving the printing of 137,070,000 pieces of colour swapped N200 (Two Hundred Naira) Note, at the total cost of N3, 441, 005, 280 without the recommendation of the Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.

“That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, on or about the 7th day of October 2020, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 80 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended), by approving the withdrawal of the total sum of N124, 860, 227, 865.16 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation in a manner not prescribed by the National Assembly, which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.”

It will be recalled that President Bola Tinubu had on June 9, 2023, suspended Emefiele from office as the head of the apex bank.

He was later arrested at his Lagos residence by DSS operatives.

The former CBN boss was subsequently transferred to the custody of the EFCC, which on November 28, 2023, docked him on a six-count charge that bordered on his alleged involvement in procurement fraud.

Though Emefiele, who initially spent 151 days in custody of security agencies, was later granted bail to the tune of N300million and ordered to produce two sureties that the trial court stressed must be Abuja residents that have landed property within the Maitama District, the defendant could not perfect the conditions till December 23, 2023, when he was released from Kuje prison where he spent about 34 days.