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IPOB: Stop Writing Me Letters On Kanu’s Trial, Judge Warns Lawyer, Shifts Trial To Next Year

Published

4 years ago

December 2, 2021

Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday issued a stern warning to Mr Ifeanyi Ejiofor, lawyer to the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu to stop writing letters directly to her in respect of the trial of his client.

The Judge complained that the lawyer had written two lengthy letters to her directly as against the procedure of channelling such letters through the Registrar of the court.

Justice Nyako, while making her position known in the open court, said she will not take kindly to a repeat of breach of procedure to reach court on such issue.

Although the lawyer did not react to the Judge’s warning, he sought to move two motions on notice on behalf of his client.

Kanu’s lawyer had approached the court with a motion on notice seeking abridgement of time to bring back the trial of the Biafran leader from January 19 next year to an early date in December.

The Biafran leader was, however, not in court to witness proceedings as he was not brought by the Department of the State Service DSS where he has been on remand since his re-arrest by the Federal Government after jumping bail earlier granted him.

The Federal Government through its counsel, Mr Shuaib Labaran informed the Judge that his client has filed a counter-affidavit to vehemently oppose the request to abridge time in the trial that had been fixed for January next year.

Justice Nyako, who was taken aback by the motive of the motion, told Kanu’s lawyer that there was no judicial time for her court to bend backwards the trial date.

In the drama that ensued, the case diary of the court was read to the lawyer to establish that the court has crowded cases to attend to.

However, following the persistent plea, Justice Nyako agreed to shift other cases slated for January 18 to accommodate Kanu’s trial which will last till January 19 and 20.

In another drama, Ejiofor sought to move another application by Kanu challenging the competence of the 7-count treasonable felony charges brought against him by the federal government.

The move was resisted by the federal government lawyer on the ground that the motion was not ripe for hearing and that the business slated for the day was the motion for abridgement of time only.

DAILY POST reports that Justice Nyako agreed with the government lawyer and rejected the bid to bring the motion forward.

However, following another request on behalf of Kanu by his lawyer, Justice Nyako ordered DSS to allow Kanu to practice his faith, change his clothes and be given the maximum possible comfort in the detention facility.

Headline

Russia Blacklists Yale University In Latest Crackdown

Published

11 hours ago

July 8, 2025

Editor

Russia has labelled Yale University an “undesirable organisation”, authorities said Tuesday, part of the Kremlin’s crackdown on critics that has accelerated during Moscow’s campaign in Ukraine.

Being declared “undesirable” effectively bans entities from operating in Russia and makes anyone who works with them liable to prosecution.

According to the prosecutor general, Yale’s activities were aimed at “violating territorial integrity of the Russian Federation, imposing an international blockade on the state and undermining its economic foundations.”

The prosecutors singled out Yale’s School of Global Affairs, accusing it of preparing opposition activists to organise protests in the country.

President Vladimir Putin’s top contender, late opposition activist Alexei Navalny who died in prison in unclear circumstances in February 2024, was among the school’s fellows.

The US university joins international organisations and nonprofits such as Amnesty International, British Council, Greenpeace, Elton John’s AIDS Foundation which Moscow has labelled as undesirable.

Russia has also put on the list independent media outlets such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Meduza.

AFP

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Man Dies After Being Sucked Into Plane Engine

Published

11 hours ago

July 8, 2025

Editor

A man died after being sucked into the engine of a plane preparing to take off at Bergamo Airport in northern Italy Tuesday, an airport spokesperson told AFP.

The victim, who was “neither a passenger nor an airport employee”, forced his way onto the runway, where he was “pursued” in vain by airport security, according to the spokesperson for airport management company SACBO.

According to Italy’s Corriere della Sera daily, the man — in his thirties — burst into the airport, then used an emergency exit to rush onto the runway toward an aircraft preparing for take-off.

Earlier in the day, Spanish airline Volotea wrote on social media that its flight from Bergamo to Asturias in Spain was involved in an “incident” at 10:35 am (0835 GMT).

“One person not onboard and not affiliated with the company was seriously injured. All 154 passengers and six crew are safe,” it said on X.

“We are doing everything possible to support the affected passengers and crew, providing them with psychological support, while working in close coordination with the Italian authorities.”

The plane was an Airbus A319, according to tracking website Flightradar24.

Flights were suspended at Bergamo Airport, Italy’s third largest by passenger volume, following the incident, but resumed at midday, according to SACBO.

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Full List: 3 African Countries Ranked Among World’s Best Countries

Published

11 hours ago

July 8, 2025

Editor

Three African countries: Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa have earned spots among the world’s top-ranked countries in the 2024 Best Countries Rankings, published by U.S. News & World Report in collaboration with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and global marketing firm WPP.

According to the report, Egypt leads the continent at 35th globally, followed by Morocco at 39th and South Africa at 40th.

The rankings are determined not by economic statistics alone but by global perceptions.

Over 17,000 people—including business decision-makers, university-educated elites, and general citizens—evaluated 87 countries across 73 different attributes, grouped into ten key categories: Adventure, Agility, Cultural Influence, Entrepreneurship, Heritage, Movers, Open for Business, Power, Quality of Life, and Social Purpose.

To qualify for inclusion, countries needed to meet certain thresholds in GDP, tourism, and foreign direct investment (FDI). Final scores were correlated with GDP per capita (PPP), providing a snapshot of a nation’s perceived prosperity and global standing.

“This project is based on a proprietary perceptions survey that reaches thousands of citizens across the globe,” said Elliott Davis, a reporter for U.S. News & World Report.

“How a nation is viewed by others can play a big role in its global standing.”

Switzerland took the top spot for the third consecutive year, praised for its stability, entrepreneurship, and high quality of life.

“It’s no surprise that a stable, consistent country like Switzerland would top our rankings seven times in nine years,” Davis added.

The United States made its highest-ever appearance in the rankings at third, driven by improvements in its “Open for Business” and “Movers” subrankings, while Japan claimed second place for its innovation, influence, and advanced economy.

Other noteworthy shifts included China, which rose to 16th, and Ukraine, which fell 12 places to 80th—the biggest drop in this year’s report.