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Thugs Invade Court, Chase Out Judge Over Olu Of Warri Tussle

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A gale of condemnation has greeted Thursday’s invasion of the High Court of Justice, Warri by suspected Itsekiri supporters and sympathisers of the Olu-designate of Warri kingdom, Prince Tsola Emiko.

The Nigerian Bar Association and human rights lawyer, Mr Oghenejabor Ikimi, denounced the invasion as barbaric and contempt of court.

Thugs and women chanting war songs invaded the court where a suit challenging the emergence of Prince Tsola Emiko as Omoba was billed to commence on Thursday.

READ ALSO: 400-year-old Missing Crown: Itsekiri Son Recommends Alternative Crowning Of Olu-designate

Son of the immediate past Olu, Ogiame Ikenwoli, Prince Oyowoli Emiko, his uncle, Prince Bernard Emiko and others instituted the suit to challenge the emergence of the 37-year-old son of the Ogiame Atuwatse II (19th Olu) as Olu-designate.

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“The court was listening to a case of ex parte motion for service when the pandemonium broke out. A date had not even been taken when the incident occurred and everybody scampered for safety,” a senior lawyer told our reporter.

Hon Justice V. Akpoje, the presiding judge, and Chief Efe Akpofure, SAN, were whisked away to safety by officials of the Department of State Security (DSS) through the backdoor of the Court.

It was gathered that prior to the invasion, Chief Akpofure (SAN), who is counsel to the plaintiff, had raised concerns about possible breach of peace in the premises but was assured by a palace stakeholder, who is also a lawyer.

READ ALSO: Keys To Missing 400-year-old Olu Of Warri Crown Recovered, Palace Chief Fingered

Warri Branch of NBA expressed shock and sadness at the “unprovoked attack and invasion of the court premises by thugs/hoodlums, which led to the disruption of the Court proceedings in the suit challenging the succession to the stool of Olu of Warri kingdom.”

A statement by the Branch stated: “From reports available to us, the proceedings were going on peacefully until it took a new twist when a crowd of thugs/hoodlums invaded the court, armed with dangerous weapons, and chased away judicial staff, litigants, lawyers, including a SAN, who was representing one of the parties, and disrupted the proceedings.”

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Chief Emmanuel O Uti and Joseph Omonoseh, Chairman and Secretary of the association respectively, who signed the statement, said the action of the thugs was barbaric and called on the Inspector General of Police and Commissioner of Police to investigate and unmask the perpetrators.

The lawyers urged security operatives to provide adequate security in and around the court premises in the state to prevent reoccurrence.

READ ALSO: Warri Monarch Successor Tears Itsekiri Apart As Ayirimi Describes ‘Olu Of Warri Designate’ Unveiling Kangaroo

Speaking in the same vein, Oghenejabor Ikimi Esq, a human rights lawyer, described the invasion of the High Court as contempt, noting “that is not how to win a legal case.”

(NATION)

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Man, 38 Escapes Assassination Attempt In Benin

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Innocent Omoruyi

By Omokha Andrew

A 38-year-old activist, Innocent Omoruyi, narrowly escaped assassination in the early hours of Wednesday, July 19, 2023 as his residence at Obe Community,Sapele Road in Benin city was attacked by yet to be identified gun men.

The attack which eye witnesses say was viciously executed on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 bore the markings of a dreaded cult group terrorizing Benin City, the state capital.

The Obe, Sapale Road incident, it was learnt, happened soon after Omoruyi left the house to attend to matters of interest some few metres away from his home.

The assailants were said to have shot sporadically in their frustration as residents scampered for safety.

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However, Omoruyi escaped unharmed.

One of the eye witnesses who craved anonymity said: “The felons apparently went for the kill, weilding guns and other dangerous weapons. “We are shocked that they didn’t see Innocent Omoruyi who was just some few metres away from home when they arrived”.

“How that happened, only God knows and it was obvious that it wasn’t his time to die yet and just before that not long ago his business place on Lagos Street, Benin City was burnt down in the middle of the night by unknown arsonists.

“This sequence of events is not ordinary. We know it’s politically motivated due to the role he played in the last general elections. He has been advised to go into hiding at the moment for his personal safety”, he concluded.

When contacted, the police Public Relations Officer Chidi Nwabuzor said he was yet to get any information as regards the latest incident. He promised to feed our correspondent with relevant details as soon as they become handy.

Our information source however revealed that the matter has already been incidented at the Love World Police station on Sapele Road, Benin city.

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Nigeria To Earn Over $4bn Revenue As FEC Okays Concession Of Abuja, Kano Airports

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Nigeria will earn over $4 billion in nominal revenue as the Federal Executive Council, FEC, on Wednesday okayed the concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, to the Corporacion American Airport Consortium, a Luxembourg-based company.

James Odaudu, the Special Assistant on Public Affairs to the Minister of Aviation, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

According to him, the Council also approved that the Federal Ministry of Aviation would be renamed the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace.

READ ALSO: ATMs To Be Upgraded For Loans Services As CBN Gives Banks Ultimatum…

The statement noted that the company would make combined upfront payments of $8.5 million for the concession of NAIA and MAKIA.

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He added that the development would spur evidential growth within the Nigerian aviation industry.

In alignment with the Aviation Roadmap, approved by Mr President on 18th October 2016, the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace is delighted to inform all stakeholders, both local and international, and the media, that the concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano has been approved by the Federal Executive Council,” the statement said.

READ ALSO: Peter Obi, LP Must Pay N1.5million To Access Documents – INEC

In December 2022 and January 2023, Corporacion American Airport Consortium was announced as the preferred bidder for the airport’s concession after scaling through a series of evaluations of technical and financial bids.

Nominal revenues mean income not adjusted for inflation and decreasing purchasing power.

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Russia Expelled From Council Of Europe Amid War With Ukraine

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The Council of Europe says it has expelled Russia with immediate effect after 26 years of membership because of the Ukraine war.

The Committee of Ministers took the decision in a special session, the rights body announced in the French city of Strasbourg on Wednesday.

Earlier, Russia had already declared its withdrawal from the Council of Europe after it had taken steps to exclude it.

On Tuesday evening, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe voted unanimously in favour of Russia’s exclusion.

Russia joined the Council of Europe on Feb. 28, 1996.

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Together with the formal notification of the withdrawal, the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe also received information from the Russian Federation on Tuesday about its intention to denounce the European Convention on Human Rights.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, the leaders of the Council of Europe once again condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

READ ALSO: Ukraine: Horror As Russian Forces Shoot People Queuing For Bread

They expressed their solidarity with the Russian people, who continue to belong to the European family and share its values.

The body said it would continue to stand by Ukraine in the fight against the aggressor.

The Council of Europe monitors the observance of human rights in its 46 member states and is not part of the European Union.

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The body reacted to the Russian invasion of Ukraine two weeks ago by suspending Russia’s membership, this decision was considered historic.

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