Tinubu's trial begins today *FG files more charges *Security beefed up in Abuja *PDP slams ACN *ACN cries foul
Written by Chris Agbambu and Lanre Adewole, Abuja
Wednesday, September 21, 2011



SECURITY agencies have been put on alert ahead of today's trial of a former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Abuja, following reports of attempts to disrupt the proceedings.


Sources said all the security agencies in the country had instructed their operatives to stop the planned importation of thugs into Abuja for today's trial of the former governor.

The sources said security agencies viewed the planned disruption of the trial as ill-conceived, especially with the security problems currently being faced in Abuja and other states.

As of last night, it was learnt that orders had gone out to all securitymen manning all entry points into Abuja to disallow anyone perceived to be a political thug from entering the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).


The security alert followed the accusation by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) was planning to disrupt the trial by importing thugs into Abuja from South-West states.


The PDP, in a statement issued by its Osun State chairman, Chief Sunday Ojo-Williams, asked security agencies to prevent thugs ferried to Abuja on Tuesday afternoon from causing mayhem in Abuja.


The PDP said it was aware that 10 busloads of thugs were hired from each of the ACN states to disrupt the trial of Tinubu and cautioned that no individual or group had a monopoly of violence.


The party said it was a surprise that the ACN could become so scared of the trial of Tinubu, even when he was not the first to be so tried.


However, the FCT Police Commissioner, Mike Zuokumor, while reacting to the allegation of the planned disruption of the trial by some hired supporters of the ACN, said it was not possible.


"I don't think there is anything like that, because we will stop it. If everybody should protest over everything, we will then have anarchy and this we will not allow in the FCT," he said.


ACN condemns harassment

The ACN has condemned the harassment of its members by the police, who stopped them from travelling to Abuja to show solidarity with their party leader, on Tuesday.


In a statement issued in Abuja, on Tuesday, by its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party expressed shock at such misuse of state power against the opposition, calling it "the beginning of a dangerous slide towards crass dictatorship."


It wondered why the police, apparently acting on orders, would deprive Nigerians of their constitutionally-guaranteed rights to move freely and express their opinions within their country, more so when they were not carrying arms or causing public disorder.


ACN said stopping the vehicles conveying the party members and confiscating the keys to the vehicles, just to ground them, was nothing but sheer government tyranny against its own people.


FG files more charges against Tinubu

[size=18pt]
Meanwhile, as the Code of Conduct Tribunal docks Tinubu today over alleged operation and maintenance of 16 foreign accounts while in office, contrary to the 1999 Constitution, the Nigerian Tribune was told on Tuesday night that an amended charge containing more counts had been filed at the tribunal by the Federal Government.
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[size=18pt]It was learnt from a source that the single-count charge earlier filed by the prosecution had been dumped for a three-count charge, which now accused him of false declaration of his assets by not disclosing the accounts in his Code of Conduct form in 2003.[/size]


[size=15pt]In regular court, the criminal equivalent of the accusation is perjury.[/size]


Nigerian Tribune gathered that the case on the operation and maintenance of the said accounts while in office was also joined to the new issues raised.


Alleged deliberate misinformation on the part of the accused was also said to be part of the amendment.


The amended charge was prepared by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and signed by Kyari Ahmed.


The account names however remained unchanged.


The amendment charge, which was reportedly filed at the tribunal on Tuesday, was said to have been accompanied by a motion for the leave of the tribunal to prefer the fresh charge, which indicated that the amended charge had not be served on the accused.


If the motion was challenged by his legal team as expected, then the tribunal would have to rule if the amended charge could replace the old charge.


Nigerian Tribune learnt that lead counsel for President Goodluck Jonathan at the presidential election petition tribunal; Chief Wole Olanipekun, is expected to spear-headed Tinubu's defence at the tribunal, while Dr Alex Izinyon is expected to lead the prosecution charge.




http://odili.net/news/source/2011/sep/21/617.html

Dont see how Wole olanipekun will save Tinubu on this one.

Great that the trial is in Abuja, and not Lagos.

Anyway,  Enjoy guys. Bye bye to Tinubu.


May your reign in Gusua be long and torturous


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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlBthbDhZ3E?version=3&hl=en_US[/flash]

As a people we have watched our nation, and especially Lagos and the South West,  fall under the spell of liars, certificate forgers, Killers,  tyrants, warmongers, and thieves and we long for the day that justice will be served. We are both angry and sorry for those that have fallen under the spell of Tinubu and cannot see what is happening right in front of their eyes. It was E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897 who once said: "The mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small; Though with patience He stands waiting, with exactness He grinds all, " Meaning, the wheels of justice do turn slowly. But in the end, everyone gets their just desserts.

Poster I dont understand what the exitement is all about:you think his trial means that Nigeria is now a Nation where justice reigns? While I'm in no vouching for him, the motive behind is arrest is another type of corruption: using state agency and resources to silence the oppositon, which is a sign of an oppressive state. But why, I'm sure we can point to at least a dozen people in PDP who have embezzled more state resources than Tinubu. Why is EFFC's radar not on any of them.

Only a fool, an ignorant person or a mischivous person will disagree that Tinubu's trial is merely part of an agenda of the PDP to destroy the most vibrant opposition:ACN.

On a more personal level, this is Jonathan's revenge against Tinubu, the same way Ibori's woes today are because he offended Jonathan.

So poster I dont undertand your reason for such strong emotions. Most PDP past governors are not any better than Tinubu.

While nemesis must catch up in one way or the other(Victory for Nemesis), but this is no way a VICTORY FOR JUSTICE, rather it,s a victory for the same old system: corruption.agree that Tinubu's trial is merely part of an agenda of the PDP to destroy the most vibrant opposition:ACN.

On a more personal level, this is Jonathan's revenge against Tinubu, the same way Ibori's woes today are because he offended Jonathan.

So poster I dont undertand your reason for such strong emotions. Most PDP past governors are not any better than Tinubu.

While nemesis must catch up in one way or the other(Victory for Nemesis), but this is no way a VICTORY FOR JUSTICE, rather it,s a victory for the same old system: corruption.