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Land Dispute: Malami Confirms Sending Policemen To Magodo, Slams S’West Govs

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2 years ago

January 5, 2022

Editor

The Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), on Wednesday, said policemen were dispatched to Magodo Phase 2 Estate area of Lagos State because the state government refused to implement a Supreme Court judgment.

Malami also faulted the criticism of the South-West governors, saying nothing was unruly about the operations of the police officers’ presence at the estate.

This was contained in a statement by Malami’s Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Umar Gwandu.

For days, policemen besieged the estate in the company of suspected land grabbers and members of a family who had planned to demolish property in the choice estate to execute a Supreme Court judgment. The development caused commotion at the estate as landlords and tenants panic over their fate.

Recall that a Chief Superintendent of Police, Abimbola Oyewole, on Tuesday openly defied the order of Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to vacate the estate.

The CSP had told the governor that he and his armed colleagues were at the estate on the orders of the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba; and Malami.

The South-West governors had in a statement signed by Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, on Wednesday faulted the alleged roles of the IGP and the AGF.

“We condemn, very strongly, this brazen assault on decency. We call on the IGP to explain the justification for this intrusion. This is not acceptable. Any expectations of rapprochement between so-called federating units and federal security agencies are becoming forlorn, progressively, due to deliberate acts which mock our very avowal to ethics and professionalism.

“We condemn, in very clear terms, the role of the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami SAN in this act of gross moral turpitude,” the governors said.

But reacting in a statement Malami said, “It is important to state that the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation belongs to the Executive arm of the Government. The Supreme Court belongs to the Judiciary.

“The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice takes exception to the Southwest Governors unjustifiable insinuation of impunity against the office of the Attorney General over execution of a judgment of the Supreme Court.

“The role of the executive is, in this respect, simply to aide the maintenance of law and order in due compliance with rule of law arising from giving effect to the judgment of the apex court of the land.

“Let it be known that the issue is regarding a Supreme Court Judgement that was delivered in 2012 long before the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in office at a time when Malami was not a Minister.

“The judgment was a reaffirmation of the judgments of Court of Appeal and High Court delivered on 31st December, 1993.”

“It is widely reported in the papers that the Lagos state Governor was quoted to have said “I’ve spoken extensively with the Inspector-General of Police and the Honourable Attorney-General, and we’ve resolved all the issues”.

“The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, would appreciate if the coalition of the Governors will help to unravel the circumstances preventing the Lagos State Government from enforcing the court order despite several attempts from 2012- 2015 and so-called settlement initiative started in 2016.

“Some of the cardinal pillars of democratic Government are the doctrine of separation of powers and obedience to the rule of law inclusive of Court Orders.

“It is a common knowledge that execution of the judgment and orders of Courts of competent jurisdiction, and the Court of last resort in the circumstances remains a cardinal component of the rule of law and the office of the Attorney General wonders how maintenance of the law and orders in the course of execution of the judgment of the supreme can be adjudged by imagination of the governors to be unruly.

“We want restate that sanctity of the rule of law is not a matter of choice,” the statement added.

(PUNCH)

Related Topics:Magodo land Dispute Malami

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Catholic Monk Comes Out As Transgender, Urges Church To Embrace Trans Members

Published

4 hours ago

May 21, 2024

Editor

A Catholic monk came out as transgender this month, saying the church has “to deal with” trans Catholics.

On May 17, Brother Christian Matson, a Catholic monk in Kentucky, told Religion News Service, “This Sunday, Pentecost 2024 (May 19), I’m planning to come out publicly as transgender.”

“You’ve got to deal with us, because God has called us into this church. It’s not your church to kick us out of—this is God’s church, and God has called us and engrafted us into it,” Matson, who holds a doctorate in religious studies, told the Church regarding transgender Catholics.

Matson transitioned during college and converted to Catholicism four years later. He hopes his coming out will spark meaningful discussions about the inclusion of transgender individuals within the Catholic community.

His announcement comes just a month after the Vatican released “Infinite Dignity,” a 20-page document that criticizes gender theory, abortion, and surrogacy as attacks on humanity’s connection with God.

Matson expressed disappointment that the Vatican’s stance on trans issues lacks scientific engagement. He has written multiple letters to the Vatican, urging leaders to interact more with transgender individuals.

Matson sought advice from a canon lawyer when he felt called to serve in the Church. The lawyer suggested the role of a diocesan hermit, which does not distinguish based on sex or gender.

Despite this, Matson faced rejections from several communities before finding acceptance in Kentucky.

“People who knew me said, ‘You clearly have a religious vocation,’ and these were all people who knew my medical history,” Matson said.

However, those responsible for decision-making within communities often refused to meet with him.

Bishop John Stowe, a prominent advocate for LGBTQ+ individuals in the Catholic Church, received a letter from Matson in 2020 and oversaw his vows in 2022.

Catholic monk comes out as transgender, urges Church to embrace trans members
Bishop Stowe gave Matson permission to come out as transgender

“My willingness to be open to him is because it’s a sincere person seeking a way to serve the church. Hermits are a rarely used form of religious life … but they can be either male or female,” Stowe told the RNS.

Matson spent his initial year almost entirely in prayer or working at a local theater and renewed his vows in 2023.

“I don’t have a hidden agenda, I just want to serve the church,” Matson said. “People can believe that or not.”

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JUST IN: One Dead, Many Injured As Deadly Turbulence Hit Singapore-bound Plane

Published

13 hours ago

May 21, 2024

Editor

One person died and multiple people were injured on a Singapore Airlines flight that experienced “severe turbulence” while heading from London to Singapore before it was diverted to Bangkok on Tuesday, the company said.

“We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER. There were a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew on board,” the airline said on Facebook.

The PUNCH reports that the airline also on its X account, #SingaporeAir, confirmed the incident.

It posted, “Singapore Airlines flight #SQ321, operating from London (Heathrow) to Singapore on 20 May 2024, encountered severe turbulence en-route.

“The aircraft diverted to Bangkok and landed at 1545hrs local time on 21 May 2024. We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER. Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.

“Our priority is to provide all possible assistance to all passengers and crew on board the aircraft. More details at https://bit.ly/4bLqfCF. Regular updates will be provided on our Facebook and X accounts.”

The airline added that it was working with Thai authorities to provide medical assistance to passengers, and was sending a team to Bangkok to provide any additional assistance needed.

Turbulence during a flight refers to the irregular or unpredictable movement of air that causes the aircraft to experience sudden, erratic motions.

It is a common occurrence and can range from mild bumps to severe jolts.

Details later

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Iran President Had ‘Lot Of Blood On His Hands’ – White House

Published

1 day ago

May 20, 2024

Editor

Iran President Ebrahim Raisi had a “lot of blood on his hands”, the White House said on Monday despite Washington offering condolences after his death in a helicopter crash.

“This was a man who had a lot of blood on his hands,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters, saying Raisi was responsible for “atrocious” rights abuses in Iran and had supported regional proxies including Hamas.

Kirby said, however, that “as in any other case, we certainly regret in general the loss of life and offered official condolences as appropriate.”

Earlier, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, announced on Monday five days of mourning for President Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash.

“I announce five days of public mourning and offer my condolences to the dear people of Iran,” said Khamenei in an official statement a day after the death of Raisi and other officials in the crash in East Azerbaijan province.