₦airaland Forum

The district head of Gwale, Mannir Sunusi Danburam and two others are before a federal high court in Kano to challenge the powers and competence of the state public complaint and anti-corruption commission (PCACC) to investigate the finances of the Kano emirate council.

Sagir Sulaiman Gezawa, a counsel on the side of the plaintiffs, said Thursday that though the matter was scheduled for hearing, it could not go on because of “some oversight on the part of all the counsel in respect of the matter.

“On the last adjourned date on the 14th of November 2019, the court ordered that fresh copies of all the processes be exchanged because there was a joinder of additional parties. But parties were unable to comply with that order to file fresh processes bearing the names of the new defendants, so the matter could not go on and was further adjourned”, Gezawa said.

More details:

https://judicialsketch.com/2020/01/10/kano-anti-graft-commission-cant-investigate-emirate-district-head-tells-court/

The attorney-general and commissioner of justice of Kaduna State, Aisha Dikko, has said that there is no pending court order against the state for the release of the leader of the proscribed Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Ibrahim El Zakzaky.

In a statement issued Thursday, the commissioner said the Kaduna State government has no intention to withdraw the charges against the defendant and would rather leave it to the court to decide the case.

According to her statement, both El Zakzaky and his wife Zeenat “are facing an eight-count charge, including culpable homicide punishable with death, before the high court of Kaduna State.’’

The Attorney General noted that the court had earlier refused the accused persons’ application for bail following their arraignment in August 2018.

‘’At its last sitting on 5th December 2019, the Court adjourned hearing in the matter to 6th February 2020, and ordered the transfer of the couple from DSS facilities to the Kaduna correctional centre for the duration of trial,’’ she added.

“It is the high court that will decide the case, and the rule of law demands respect for the prerogatives of the court and the ongoing legal process”, she said adding that ‘’like any other person facing criminal trial, Malam Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and Malama Zeenat Ibrahim have been accorded due process and are being represented by their lawyers.‘’

Read more

https://judicialsketch.com/2020/01/10/kaduna-ag-says-no-court-order-for-el-zakzakys-release-against-state/

Kano anti-corruption agency has said that it's investigation of Kano emirate council's finances is well within it's legal mandates.
Chairman of the commission Muhyi Magaji Rimin Gado insisted that there is nothing personal in their investigation and he has no individual issue against the emir, Muhammadu Sanusi II.

https://judicialsketch.com/2020/01/09/investigation-of-kano-emirate-based-on-law-says-kano-anti-graft-boss/

Personnel of the Nigeria police engaged their Kano Road Traffic Agency (KAROTA) counterparts in a tussle over a truck conveying alcoholic products to parts of Kano state, North West, Nigeria.

The driver of the truck, simply identified as Bila, was flagged by KAROTA officials who were on routine patrol, but he refused to stop and sped off.

According to independent sources, the driver secured the services of police escort that shielded the truck from arrest.

Judicialsketch.com reports that the truck ran on neck breaking speed and was piloted to assumed safety somewhere in Sabon Gari, Kano.
More Details:
https://judicialsketch.com/2020/01/05/karota-police-tussle-over-truck-conveying-alcohol-to-kano/

HISBAH officials in Kano have bursted a commemoration party allegedly organized by gays.

The Sharia law enforcement operatives invaded a compound located at Sabuwar-Gandu quarters in Kano metropolis, North West Nigeria, where the suspected homosexuals were arrested, prior to the commencement of the planned event.

Judicialsketch.com gathered that the organizers of the party were new grandaunts who planned the party to commemorate their graduation from a tertiary institution. Each of them was said to have invited their same sex partners to the event.

A senior HISBAH commander, Mallam Tasiu, who confirmed the arrest of the suspected same sex party organizers, disclosed that over 50 gays were involved.

He stated that intelligence reports gathered by Hisbah operatives led to the arrest of the suspects, noting that other suspected persons were still at large.

According to him, the suspects arrested by Hisbah are currently undergoing reorientation programmes.

https://judicialsketch.com/2020/01/05/hisbah-bursts-same-sex-party-in-kano/

An aide to the detained Senator Shehu Sani has described his incarceration by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as politically motivated and one-sided.

Special Adviser to the detained senator on politics and strategy, Ahmed Suleiman, said in the statement on Saturday that the senator’s relentless criticisms of the policies of President Buhari’s administration were the real reason he was arrested and detained. He added that the name of a close ally of the president, Mallam Isa Funtua, has come into the matter but he has not been arrested.

“As far as we are concerned, Shehu Sani’s ordeal in the hands of EFCC is politically motivated. If you recall, Senator Sani has been critical of the activities of the Buhari Government, and they are not happy with him. I can assure you that they cannot silence him.

“He is supposed to be facing a civil case. How come they seized his handsets and were asking for his passwords.”

More details:

https://judicialsketch.com/2020/01/05/aide-says-shehu-sanis-arrest-was-political-one-sided/

The chairman, Zaria local government council in Kaduna state, faces imminent impeachment as the council’s legislative arm Thursday told a press gathering that they have served a notification of their intention to remove him on the council.

The executive chairman, Engineer Aliyu Idris Ibrahim Magani Sai da Gwaji is being charged by the legislature of alleged “misconduct, misappropriation of public funds and unhealthy working relationship with the legislative arm and management”, they said at the press briefing.

But in a swift reaction, the Zaria local government council denied receiving any notification of impeachment on the chairman from the legislature.

Addressing another press conference in his office, the special assistant on media and communication to the chairman, Abubakar Rilwan said no notification has been served, safe for radio announcements and social media rumours.
Read more:

https://judicialsketch.com/2020/01/04/impeachment-looms-over-zaria-local-council-chairman-as-legislature-serves-notice/

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, has warned that “the world cannot afford another war in the Gulf”, saying “this is a moment in which leaders must exercise maximum restraint.”
Spokesman for UN Secretary-General said in a press release Friday that the organization has “consistently advocated for de-escalation in the Gulf” and that the secretary general is “deeply concerned with the recent escalation” in the region following the looming conflict between the United States and Iran over the killing of an Iranian general, Qasem Soleimani.
Soleimani was killed alongside Iraq’s Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the leader of Kata’ib Hezbollah.
While the US’ Pentagon confirmed that the targeted killings followed orders from President Trump, Iran has said it views the killing of its General as an act of war and will respond accordingly.
Pentagon issued a statement on Friday justifying its action as defensive: “At the direction of the president, the US military has taken decisive defensive action to protect American personnel abroad by killing Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a US-designated foreign terrorist organization.”
The Iraqi government has also reacted by condemning the killings on its soil, tagging it as unacceptable. Iraq has not said how it wishes to respond, but US’ considerable presence and influence in the country puts Iraqi government in a difficult position.

Read more:
https://judicialsketch.com/2020/01/04/united-nations-warns-of-impending-gulf-war/

Insecurity, strangulation of government work, corruption, disregard for the rule of law, marginalisation, nepotism and the trampling of the fundamental human rights of the ordinary citizen has become the order of the day in Nigeria today.

This was the view of the Arewa Youth Consultative Movement which Thursday said they were supporting a southern presidency in 2023 because the northern political elite had failed the North and Nigeria. The group said a South-South presidency in 2023 would be desirable.

In a press conference at the Arewa House, Kaduna on Thursday, the spokesman for the group, Abdullahi Balarabe, said the North needs to allow other geopolitical zones space to also govern, adding that a youthful southern president remained the choice of the youths of the North in 2023.

He said, “It is obviously clear that our country is on a threshold, and the crossroad to which we have found ourselves is very pitiable.

Read more :
//judicialsketch.com/2020/01/03/northern-youths-clamor-for-southern-presidency-in-2023/

The demolition of the Saraki’s family house (Ile Arugbo) in Ilorin on Thursday has continued to generate controversy, as the minister of state for transport, Gbemisola Saraki, joined her brother, Bukola Saraki in protesting the seizure and eventual demolition of the property.

The state government today (Thursday) commenced the demolition of the property amidst protests from women, putting the security atmosphere in the state to test.

Gbemisola condemned the governor’s action, describing it as an attempt to obliterate their father’s legacy.

“We have a history and we are proud of that history”, she said in statement.
Read more:

https://judicialsketch.com/2020/01/02/demolition-gbemi-backs-bukola-condemns-kwara-governor/

By Bashiru Ibrahim
The recent takeover of prosecution from the Police by the Kano State Attorney General has generated a lot of controversies even among lawyers . Some are of the opinion that the Police can still prosecute despite the takeover relying basically on the following assumptions:
1. The ACJL cannot override the decisions in Osahon and Olusemo
2. Only lay Police prosecutors are affected and not legally qualified police officers
3. ACJL recognizes police powers to prosecute
4. The Police Act empowers the Police to prosecute
Because of the misconception that the Attorney General relied solely on the newly enacted Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Kano State, 2019 (ACJL), to take over criminal prosecution from the police, we would leave the ACJL out of the discourse and see whether there is any other Law in support of the takeover.
The starting point is, who is Attorney General and what is his constitutional role? In simple terms, he is the Chief Law Officer of the State and a Law unto himself. Section 211 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) is sacrosanct. It provides:
“1) The Attorney-General of a State shall have power-
to institute and undertake criminal proceedings against any person before any court of law in Nigeria other than a court-martial in respect of any offence created by or under any law of the House of Assembly;
to take over and continue any such criminal proceedings that may have been instituted by any other authority or person; and
to discontinue at any stage before judgment is delivered any such criminal proceedings instituted or undertaken by him or any other authority or person.” (underline provided)
The only caveat on the exercise of these powers is to have regard to the public interest, the interest of justice and the need to prevent abuse of legal process. However, there has always being a presumption in favour of whatever decision he takes that he has had regard to this caveat. At any rate he is a Law unto himself and no one can question his exercise of these powers, not even his appointor. See the case of The State V. Ilori [1983]ANLR 85, [1983] 1 SCNLR 94 . Where a full panel of the Supreme Court, per Kayode Eso JSC, held:
“These powers, whether under the common law or conferred by the 1960 and 1963 Constitutions (aforesaid), were not just exercised by the Attorney-General arbitrarily or on a rule of thumb. As the Chief Law Officer of the State, the Attorney-General has always exercised the powers with regard to the public interest, interest of justice and the need to prevent abuse of legal process. But what happens is that he takes sole responsibility in coming to a decision, in the exercise of his discretion, as to what amounts to public interest, interests of justice and the need to prevent abuse of legal process. It is in his taking this responsibility, that he is a master of his house and a law unto himself. Whether or not he makes any consultation is a matter peculiarly within his discretion, but whatever decision he arrives at, is his responsibility.”
“The exercise of these powers by the Attorney-General, that is, the institution and discontinuance of criminal proceedings cannot be questioned, and subject to the reserved right of his appointor to remove or even reassign him without giving any reason whatsoever for so doing, neither that appointor nor any other person for that matter can question such exercise of his powers.” (underline provided)
It is true that the Police have powers to prosecute under Section 23 of the Police Act. However, these powers are subject to the Constitutional powers of the Attorney General. The Section provides thus:
“Subject to the provisions of sections 174 and 211 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (which relate to the power of the Attorney-General of the Federation and of a State to institute and undertake, take over and continue or discontinue criminal proceedings against any person before any court of law in Nigeria), any police officer may conduct in person all prosecutions before any court, whether or not the information or complaint is laid in his name.” (underline provided)
The decisions of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal in FRN V. OSAHON and OLUSEMO V. COP respectively, decided that the Police can prosecute and not that the Attorney General cannot take over such prosecution. In fact, these two decisions are in support of the takeover under consideration. The Supreme Court decision in Osahon is a decision of the full Court of seven (7) Justices whom, except one, later became Chief Justices of Nigeria. The Supreme Court, per Belgore (later CJN) adopted the reasoning of the Court of Appeal in Olusemo thus:
“Kalgo J.C.A. (as he then was) correctly summed up the situation in Olusemo v Commissioner of Police (1998) 11 NWLR (Pt. 575) 547, 558, when he said:
“By these provisions the Attorney-General of the Federation and of the State as the case may be, are themselves empowered to institute and undertake any criminal proceedings in any Court in Nigeria and if any other person or authority instituted or undertook any such criminal proceedings in any Court in Nigeria, within their respective jurisdictions, they have the power to take it over, continue or discontinue at any stage of proceedings. In the instance, the power to prosecute or undertake criminal prosecution is vested in the Police Officer under Section 23 of the Police Act subject to the exercise of powers conferred on the Attorney-General by the provisions of Section 160 of the Constitution. It is very clear and without any doubt that the Attorney-General of the Federation has not exercised his powers under Section 160 of the Constitution in the instant case. Therefore, the Police officers powers to prosecute in the criminal proceedings in this case is not limited, restricted or controlled. Mr. Ehindero qua Police Officer is competent to prosecute in these proceedings in any Court in Nigeria including the High Court.” (underline provided)
Read more:

https://judicialsketch.com/2020/01/02/powers-of-the-attorney-general-to-take-over-prosecution-from-lay-and-legally-qualified-police-officers/

The Nigerian High Commission in Ghana faces imminent diplomatic embarrassment, as the Ghanaian authorities are set to evacuate the Nigerian mission from its base in Accra.

The Nigerian High Commission said it received a terse letter from solicitors acting on behalf of a certain Amaco Microfinance Company, Limited, Ghana on Monday giving it instructions to vacate its diplomatic property at No, 10 Barnes Road, Accra.

The letter warned the High Commission that failure to comply within the stipulated time would lead to depositing of the mission’s belongings at the nearest Accra police station.

A statement made available by Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Ambassador Olufemi Michael Abikoye indicates that the property has been broken into by the company and is being ransacked, with the likelihood of being effectively occupied.

https://judicialsketch.com/2019/12/31/ghana-nigeria-bicker-over-diplomatic-office-in-accra/

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Senator Shehu Sani.

Sani was arrested today (Tuesday) for alleged extortion of $20,000 from Alhaji Sani Dauda, the owner of ASD Motors.

Sen. Sani was said to have “approached ASD under the guise that he would give the money to Ibrahim Magu to facilitate the prosecution of the former son-in-law to the man, whose case has been pending before the EFCC”, a source close to the EFCC chairman wrote to judicialsketch.com

He was said to have collected about four million naira also in the name of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mr. Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed, for an undisclosed reason.

ASD might have contacted the security agents, who probably asked him to play along.

It is strongly believed that Senator Sani must have been scamming a lot of people, dropping the name of the EFCC boss or other VIPs in government.

Senator Sani has been very critical of Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari.

https://judicialsketch.com/2019/12/31/shehu-sani-in-efcc-net-over-alleged-extortion-fraud/

Hehehehe. The same thing has happened in Lagos and another state in the South

Hmm. You have joined the argument.....

Ever since the news broke that the attorney-general and commissioner of justice in Kano state has taken away the prosecution of criminal cases from the police in the state’s magistrates’ courts, legal practitioners across Nigeria have been voicing their takes on the matter, in their attempts to reveal the propriety or otherwise of the move.

While most of them believe it would engender diligent prosecution, some raised questions on possible discord between the step and subsisting decisions of the Supreme Court of Nigeria which avouched that the police has powers to prosecute criminal cases in Nigerian courts.

Can the attorney-general of Kano, or of any state for that matter, take away what the apex court has asserted that the police possess? If the rationale for taking that step was that most police prosecutors are not lawyers, what would happen to the lawyers among them who have, by all standards, qualified as barristers and solicitors of the Supreme Court of Nigeria?

In a Facebook coalescing point called NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION MEMBERS, a highly civilized but thought-provoking interaction, so unlike most social media engagements by Nigerians, ensued between Nigerian lawyers.

Oladiran Ayodele stimulated the argument when he sort to know what becomes of qualified lawyers in the police. He queried: “Then what will be the effect of Olusemo VS COP and FRN VS OSAHON where the Supreme Court held that a police officer can prosecute cases even up to the Apex court? Will that authority not clash with the clear provisions of the ACJL? Even the Police have trained lawyers and by virtue of section 24 of the Police Act they can prosecute criminal cases. My humble self is a counsel for the Police. Is the AG Kano state saying that I can’t prosecute criminal cases on behalf of the Police?”

Lukman Olarewaju Bello explained to Ayodele that “When the judgment of the apex or another court is in conflict with the provision of a statute, which one will prevail? I want to strongly believe that it is the provision of the law that will prevail. As we know in the cases you cited, the apex court held that police can prosecute in any court, the same apex court will hold otherwise when confronted with the provision of the new ACJL in Kano. I stand to be corrected, though.”

Ayodele however insisted that Bello’s stance “did not reflect the position of section 24 of the Police Act which holds that a Police officer can prosecute a criminal matter. That section is also a provision of the law. If you look closely at section 109 of the ACJL of Osun state, it clearly states that legal practitioners so qualified can prosecute and this includes police Counsels. The Kano ACJL will have problem of implementation.”

Read more:

https://judicialsketch.com/2019/12/31/nigerian-lawyers-react-to-kanos-removal-of-police-from-criminal-prosecution/

The federal capital territory administration (FCTA) has warned intending pilgrims to Israel against criminal activities and absconding to other countries.

Minister of state for the federal capital territory (FCT), Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, sounded the warning at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja during her farewell visit to the first batch of FCT pilgrims, saying the administration has perfected measures to apprehend pilgrims who might want to abscond from Israel to other countries.

She also said criminal activities during the pilgrimage would not be tolerated as culprits would be made to face the full wrath of the law.

More details:

https://judicialsketch.com/2019/12/30/pilgrims-to-israel-warned-to-desist-from-crimes/

A Nigerian legal practitioner in Lagos, Olumide Babalola, has asked the federal high court to stop banks in Nigeria from deducting any charge for card maintenance from their customers.

The lawyer contended that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN’s) recently introduced N50 quarterly fee was exploitative and inimical to peoples’ economic interest.

Babalola filed a civil suit in which he asked the court to declare unlawful the December 20, 2019 directive by the CBN to the Nigerian banks and non-bank commercial institutions for the enforcement of the card maintenance charge, saying it was in bad faith and not fit to be sustained.

According to him it was just “an avenue to generate income for commercial banks at the expense of the public.”

He said he was not aware of any instance where debit cards issued by the banks are maintained by the banks in any way, arguing that once a card refuses to functions, banks almost always issue a new one, which the customer pays for. He queries and demands to know the point at which banks maintain debit cards for their customers.

https://judicialsketch.com/2019/12/30/nigerian-lawyer-challenges-cbns-card-maintenance-charge-regime-in-court/

The police in Kano state will no longer handle criminal prosecutions on behalf of the state in magistrates’ courts.

Kano state attorney-general and commissioner of justice, Ibrahim Mukhtar, who revealed this to judicialsketch.com on Sunday said: “The criminal justice system in Kano has witnessed a major leap from the 24th day of December 2019 because we have put machinery in place to gradually take over the entire criminal prosecution from the police in the state.”

“We have started with 14 magistrates’ courts in No-man’s-land, where we have deployed three lawyers (state counsel) to prosecute cases before each of the 14 courts.

“In the same vein, we have also three lawyers to the three shariah courts at Kofar Kudu to prosecute shariah criminal cases.”

The commissioner said his office relied on section 211 of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, as well as the provisions of the newly promulgated Administration Of Criminal Justice Law of the state to relief the Nigeria Police from prosecuting criminal cases henceforth.

Read more:

https://judicialsketch.com/2019/12/29/kano-removes-nigeria-police-from-criminal-prosecutions/

Nigeria’s former senate president, Bukola Saraki, today (Saturday) reacted to the seizure of his land by the government of Kwara state, saying the state governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has jettisoned decency.

In a statement he personally signed and released in Lagos a moment ago, Saraki stated that the governor was only out to erase the legacy of his (Saraki’s) father and everything that belongs to the late politician.

“Yesterday night, the Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq finally showed his true colour when he announced his decision to revoke the ownership of a property rightfully held by my late father, Dr. Olusola Abubakar Saraki on Plots 1, 3 and 5 Ilofa Road, GRA, Ilorin popularly known as Ile Arugbo, (Old People’s home) which since the Second Republic, has always been used to host the weekly gathering of a multitude of aged people in the society who are provided food, money and health services, as part of the social welfare programme sponsored by the late politician. The tradition has since been maintained.

Read full statement below:

https://judicialsketch.com/2019/12/28/land-seizure-saraki-accuses-kwara-gov-of-indecency/

Nigeria’s attorney-general and justice minister Abubakar Malami has been dismissed as playing to the gallery and undermining the law he was supposed to be upholding.

A Nigerian legal practitioner, Nataniel Salifu, told judicialsketch.com that Malami has not acted as a professional in the way he has reacted to the release of former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, saying a more civilized attorney general would have kept quiet, “not going about to defend the indefensible.”

Mr Salifu said “It was grossly deceitful for the AG to say that Sowore and Dasuki were released because this government was committed to the rule of law, obedience to court orders and compassionate. You kept someone against court orders for four gruesome years and you said you were obedient to court order and compassionate. What a misnomer! Malami’s government was the exact opposite of what he claims it was”

Read more:

https://judicialsketch.com/2019/12/28/lawyer-blasts-malami-over-comments-on-dasuki-sowores-release/

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the International Criminal Court (ICC) of anti-Semitism on Sunday over its chief prosecutor’s plan to pursue a war crimes probe in the Palestinian Territories.

Netanyahu was quoted to have said: “New edicts are being cast against the Jewish people – anti-Semitic edicts by the International Criminal Court telling us that we, the Jews standing here next to this wall … in this city, in this country, have no right to live here and that by doing so, we are committing a war crime.”

Netanyahu’s stance is likely to endear him to many Israelis who believe that criticism, especially in Europe, of Israeli policies toward the Palestinians has its roots in anti-Jewish sentiment.

Judicialsketch.com reported tha the Hague-based ICC’s chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, said on Friday she would launch a full investigation into alleged war crimes in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip as soon as the court’s jurisdiction had been established.

Read more:

https://judicialsketch.com/2019/12/23/netanyahu-calls-iccs-war-crimes-probe-anti-semitic/

The Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) has dismissed claims by the federal government alleging that the leader of the group, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky is being detained for committing crimes, saying the Nigerian government is simply being intolerant to diverse religious beliefs.

The group in a statement released on Monday and signed by the president IMN Media Forum, Ibrahim Musa, said the actions been perpetrated by agents of the government has kept infringing on the fundamental and religious rights of citizens, specifically members of the group.

The group said they were vehemently opposed to the statement credited to Nigeria’s minister of information, Lai Muhammad, who claimed that the government has acted in consonance with the provisions of law.

The IMN in the statement further alleged that El-Zakzaky and his adherents were been persecuted owing to their religious beliefs.

IMN denounced the allegations levied against its leader, while urging the federal government to concede to courts orders to release the shite honcho.

Read more:

https://judicialsketch.com/2019/12/23/el-zakzaky-group-counters-lai-mohamed-say-fg-intolerant-of-diverse-religious-beliefs/

Saudi Arabia‘s public prosecutor said today (Monday) that five people had been sentenced to death and three more to jail terms totaling 24 years in the case of the killing of Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in October last year.

He however said Saud al-Qahtani, a former high-profile Saudi royal adviser, was investigated but not charged and was released. Al-Qahtani was seen by many as a major mastermind of the murder of Khashoggi.

Khashoggi has been a virulent critic of Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and was resident in the US at the time of his murder.

The Saudi writer and Washington Post columnist was killed inside the Saudi consulate after he entered the building on October 2, 2018 to obtain documentations certifying that he had divorced his ex-wife so he could remarry.

Read more:

https://judicialsketch.com/2019/12/23/five-saudis-to-die-over-khashoggis-murder/

Professor was used in the US context of a teacher.

What does the word ‘impeachment’ mean? Does it mean different things in Nigeria and the US? If so, why so? Which usage is correct? These questions formed the nucleus of the argument between Sylvester Udemezue , a law teacher at the Nigerian Law School and Farook Kperogi, a professor of journalism and emerging media at the Kennesaw State University, Georgia, USA. Enjoy.

"The people who wrote the 1999 Nigerian constitution are clearly not sufficiently educated about the meanings of the terminologies they deployed in the constitution. And they passed on their ignorance to the Nigerian news media and to the Nigerian populace." ----Kperogi.

"...The Nigerian media (who had adopted the meaning of “impeach” as used in the Nigerian Constitution for measuring the meaning and import of “impeach” as used in the US Constitution) and (2). Mr. Professor Farooq Kperogi (who also ignorantly adopted the meaning of “impeach” as used in the US Constitution in measuring the meaning and import of “impeach” as used in the Nigerian Constitution). In other words, Prof Kperogi, while accusing the Nigerian media and lawmakers of “ignorance,” himself fell far deeper into the same shit by himself displaying the same level of “ignorance” as displayed by Nigeria’s media practitioners." --- Udemezue.

"Forget the dreadfully poor grammar and ungainly structural monstrosities of the article, especially for a law professor: this is astonishingly infantile logic. My argument is that the drafters of Nigeria’s 1999 constitution misused the word “impeachment” throughout the document. The misusage can’t be vitiated by the fact of its being in the constitution. It’s like saying a factual error in a newspaper ceases to be an error if the newspaper sanctifies the error as fact." ---Kperogi.

Read full texts below:

https://judicialsketch.com/2019/12/22/meaning-of-impeachment-between-a-professor-of-journalism-and-a-law-teacher/

The leadership tussle that has dogged the Kano state football association (FA) for close to ten months may have been put to rest, following the recommendations of a reconciliation committee instituted by the state commissioner of youth and sports development, Hon. Kabiru Ado Lakwaya on Friday.

The committee, which consisted of the commissioner of youth and sports development; the permanent secretary at the ministry of youth and sports development, Alh Ibrahim Ahmad Sagagi; the director of sports, Kano state sports council, Bashir Ahmad Maizare; the chairman, Kano Pillars fans club, Bashir Idrisu Mu’azu; and Alh Aminu Ja’afaru, also has the two contending personalities, the Kano FA chairman, Sharu Rabiu Inuwa Ahlan and the challenging candidate, Muhammad Salisu Rabiu, in attendance.

The committee resolved that Mr Salisu, who has taken the FA and its chairman before a Kano high court, should withdraw the matter form court to avoid getting the state into collision course with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) which has already sent a stern letter warning of impending sanctions should the parties continue pursuing their cases in court.

Salisu told judicialsketch.com that he is willing and ready to withdraw his suit from the court, and will instruct his lawyers to do the needful in that direction. He said he was only standing up to what he called “monopolization of football administration in the state and undemocratic tendencies of a selected few.”

More details:

https://judicialsketch.com/2019/12/22/kano-fa-to-end-court-contest-as-committee-resolves-leadership-tussle/

The International Criminal Court (ICC’s) chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda on Friday said a full investigation into alleged war crimes in the Palestinian Territories is to be launched by the court, a probe she claimed could result in charges against both Israelis and Palestinians.

“I am satisfied that … war crimes have been or are being committed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip,” she said in a statement.

She explained that she did not need to request approval from judges to start the investigation because the Palestinian Territories had requested the intervention of the court.

Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu however reacted by saying the “court has no jurisdiction. This is a dark day for truth and justice. It is a baseless and outrageous decision.”

Israel is not a member of the court.

More details:

https://judicialsketch.com/2019/12/21/icc-to-investigate-war-crimes-in-palestinian-territories-as-israel-us-object/

A court in Pakistan has today (Saturday) convicted a university lecturer, Junaid Hafeez, of blasphemy and sentenced him to death.

Hafeez, a lecturer at the Bahauddin Zakariya University in the central Pakistani city of Multan, was accused of having insulted Prophet Muhammad and the Quran verbally and on Facebook in 2013.

A court in Multan found him guilty and sentenced him to death today after a lengthy trial that saw frequent delays and transfers of judges.

Hafeez has been held in solitary confinement due to security concerns since 2014 when his lawyer, prominent rights activist Rashid Rehman, was murdered, after had been threatened in open court by religious leaders and lawyers associated with the prosecution.

Hafeez’s trial has been held in a high-security jail since then.

Read more:

https://judicialsketch.com/2019/12/21/pakistani-court-sentences-academic-to-death-for-blasphemy/

The emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, Thursday, conveyed his acceptance of his appointment as the first chairman of Kano state council of chiefs.

In a letter dated 19th December 20, 2019 and signed on behalf of Kano emirate council by the secretary, Alhaji Abba Yusuf, the acceptance of the position by the emir was categorically stated thus: “Kindly inform His Excellency that His Highness, Sarkin Kano, had not rejected his appointment as Chairman, Kano State Council of Chiefs. His Highness accepted the appointment. In doing so, His Highness requested for further directives of His Excellency, the Governor. For clarity, these directives may include, appointment of other members of the Council, appointment of staff of the Council, provision of accommodation for the Secretariat and other logistics, to make the Council operational.”

Read more

https://judicialsketch.com/2019/12/20/breaking-emir-of-kano-accepts-position-as-chairman-kano-state-council-of-chiefs/

R&B star, R. Kelly pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a new indictment brought in New York alleging he bribed an Illinois official to get a fake ID for 15-year-old singer Aaliyah a day before he married her in 1994.

Chicago Tribune reported that, Kelly, 52 appeared for his arraignment before U.S. Judge Ann M. Donnelly in Brooklyn via a live television feed from a largely empty 17th-floor courtroom at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago.

He pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a new indictment brought in New York alleging he bribed an Illinois official to get a fake ID for 15-year-old singer Aaliyah a day before he married her in 1994.

The superseding indictment filed in federal court in Brooklyn last week alleged that Kelly directed someone in August 1994 to bribe the public official into making a false “identification document” for Aaliyah.

Moe details:

https://judicialsketch.com/2019/12/19/r-kelly-faces-life-in-prison-as-he-pleads-not-guilty-to-bribery-charge-over-marriage-to-aaliyah/