Connect with us

News

Court Affirms ICPC’s Power To Prosecute Delta Govt Officials

Published

on

A Federal High Court sitting in Asaba, Delta State, has upheld the powers of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to investigate and prosecute officials of the Delta State Government who allegedly engage in corrupt acts.

The spokesperson for the anti-graft agency, Demola Bakare, made the development known in a statement on Wednesday.

The Attorney-General of the state had earlier filed a suit challenging the powers of the ICPC under Sections 6 and 28 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 (ICPC Act 2000) to investigate the state government’s finances and invite Delta State officials for interviews in the course of investigations.

Advertisement

READ ALSO: Abuja School Closed For One Week Over Death Of Four-year-old

The plaintiff in the suit, FHC/CS/165/2023, also contended that by Sections 120, 121, 122, 123, & 125 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), it is only the Delta State House of Assembly and the Auditor General of Delta State that have the powers to look into the state’s finances and demand documents.

However, the ICPC argued that Sections 6 and 28 of the ICPC Act 2000 empower the commission to exercise its enforcement function on “any person,” including state government officials.

Advertisement

The commission, represented by the Director of the Legal Services Department, Henry Emore, stressed that the ICPC Act 2000 does not discriminate between the state government and the Federal Government in the fight against corruption.

READ ALSO: Air Peace, Seven Countries To Revive Bankrupt Caribbean Airline

“Furthermore, there is no conflict between the provisions of Sections 6 and 28 of the ICPC Act and Sections 120-125 of the Constitution; the two are rather, complementary,” he argued.

Advertisement

In his judgement on Wednesday, May 7, 2024, Justice F. Olubanjo of the Federal High Court, Asaba Division, agreed with the submissions of ICPC in its entirety and held that Nigeria practices cooperative federalism; and as such the fight against corruption is a function of both the states and the federal government.

He also noted that the issues before the court had been settled in a plethora of appellate decisions, among which is the Supreme Court judgment in AG Ondo State vs AG Federation & 36 ORS.

The suit was therefore dismissed with no cost awarded.

Advertisement

News

Boko Haram Once Nominated Muhammadu Buhari As Negotiator – Jonathan Revealed

Published

on

Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday, disclosed that Boko Haram insurgents once nominated the late ex-President Muhammadu Buhari as their negotiator.

Jonathan said Boko Haram chose Buhari to negotiate with the Nigerian government on their behalf.

He made the disclosure while speaking at the public presentation of Scars, a book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (retd.), in Abuja.

Advertisement

READ ALSO:2027: Details Of Jonathan, Peter Obi Meeting Emerge

Jonathan said the insurgents named Buhari after his then-administration set up several committees to explore dialogue with the group.

Jonathan said: “One of the committees we set up then, the Boko Haram nominated Buhari to lead their team to negotiate with the government.

Advertisement

“So I was feeling that, oh, if they nominated Buhari to represent them and had a discussion with the government committee, then when Buhari took over, it could have been an easy way to negotiate with them and they would have handed over their guns. But it was still there till today.”

Jonathan noted that the inability of Buhari to eradicate Boko Haram terrorists showed that the crisis was more complex than often portrayed.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

Edo: Pandemonium As NDLEA Operatives Chase Escaping Driver With Shooting

Published

on

There was pandemonium at Oka Market, Upper Sakponba Road, Benin City, Friday, as operatives of the State Command of Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) shot sporadically in chase of an escaping driver.

In the course of the commotion, traders and residents took to their heels, probably to avoid being hit by stray bullets, while others were confused, not sure of what caused the sporadic gunshots.

The sporadic gunshots which lasted more than five minutes at the gate of the NDLEA Head Office, by Oka Market, followed a hot chase of an articulated vehicle driver who was said to have brushed their (NDLEA) vehicle.

Advertisement

READ ALSO:NDLEA Arrests Two Drug Kingpins, Seizes Cocaine, Heroin, Meth In Lagos

The driver, who reportedly brushed the NDLEA vehicle refused to stop for negation, which prompted officers at the scene to alert their colleagues who waited at the alert.

According to eyewitnesses, as the escaping articulated driver approached the NDLEA office, officers who were said to have been alerted by their colleagues pursuing the trailer began to shoot.

Advertisement

Seven of the tyres of the trailer were deflated by bullets of the NDLEA operatives yet the driver refused to stop.

The officers continued to shoot while pursuing him, until he was caught.

READ ALSO:NDLEA Destroys Over 18,000 KG Of Cannabis In Edo Forest

Advertisement

A source said that the driver brushed their vehicle on the way, and that every effort by the officers to stop him so they could settle the matter proved abortive; hence the gunshots and deflation of the tires.

“It was a simple thing; they jammed our men, but the officers tried to stop him so that they could settle, but the driver refused to stop. That is why the men have been shooting to stop him. Even after bursting about seven tires, he was still running, but we caught him and they are bringing him back to our office,” he concluded.

Calls and messages sent to the commander, Edo State NDLEA Command, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, were not responded to as at when filing this.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

JUST IN: Court Bars Police From Enforcing Tinted Glass Regulation

Published

on

The Federal High Court sitting in Warri has issued an order directing the Nigeria Police Force and the Inspector-General of Police to maintain the status quo in the ongoing case concerning the controversial tinted glass permit.

The case, Suit No. FHC/WR/CS/103/2025: John Aikpokpo-Martins v. Inspector-General of Police & Nigeria Police Force, came up for hearing today.

READ ALSO:Police Clear Pastor Paul Adefarasin Over ‘Gun-like’ Object In Viral Video

Advertisement

Delivering the interim order, the Court directed the police authorities to respect judicial processes pending further proceedings in the matter.

Confirming the development, Kunle Edun, SAN, who led the legal team, noted that the directive is a major step in ensuring that the rule of law is upheld while the substantive issues in the case are being determined.

Details of the ruling and the next adjourned date are expected shortly.

Advertisement

Further updates coming soon…

Continue Reading

Trending