₦airaland Forum

Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku has sworn in a new chief judge of the State.

He is Justice Philibus Andhetur.

The governor charged him to be fair to all in his dispensation of justice.

Andhetur succeeded Justice Josephine Tuktur who had administered the oaths of office on late former Governor Danbaba Suntai and Darius Ishaku in 2015 and this year.

Ishaku said, from the information at his disposal, he is convinced that the new chief judge will give a good account of himself and make the judiciary in Taraba state proud.

Urging Andhetur’s colleagues to cooperate with him to succeed, the governor said, “The failure of the principal officer of the judiciary is the failure of its members.”
“The judges in the state have done well, as a group. The individual appointed from among them to lead will certainly not disappoint,” he said.


see more here https://thickmatch.com/ishaku-swears-new-taraba-chief-judge/

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday arraigned one Tijani Adamu before Justice Moh’d Tukur Muazu of the Kaduna State High Court on a seven-count charge bordering on forgery, uttering and giving false information.

Adamu wanted to stand surety for one Ibrahim Adamu, arrested for an alleged fraud, and was to be granted bail pending the conclusion of investigations.

He presented documents to the EFCC claiming to be a staff of the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC.

However, when the documents he tendered were sent by the EFCC to UBEC for verification and to ascertain whether he was a staff of the UBEC, the feedback was that his appointment with UBEC was in fact terminated in 2004, and so was no longer in the employ of the UBEC.

He testified in his statement that he was approached by one Alhaji Shuaibu, a friend of his, to come and take Ibrahim Adamu on bail

Under further interrogation, he confessed that the documents, which included a letter of introduction from UBEC as a level 16 officer of the Commission, alongside others required to stand in as surety, were forged for him by a friend of his.

One of the counts reads: “That you, Alhaji Tijjani Adamu, sometimes in January 2019 at Kaduna within the Judicial Division of this Honourable Court did pretend to be a Deputy Director, Internal Audit on Salary Grade Level 16/5 of the National Primary Education Commission/ Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) which you knew to be false and in that assumed character, stood as a surety to one Ibrahim Adamu in Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 96 of the Penal Code Law of Kaduna State 2017.”

He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to him.

Prosecuting counsel, Y.J. Matiyak, urged the court to give a date for the commencement of trial, and to remand the defendant in prison, pending the trial date.

Defence counsel, A.M. Imam, however, moved the bail application of the defendant, but Matiyak, raised objections, arguing that the alleged offence bordered on felony and that he needed time to file a counter-affidavit in response to the bail application.

After listening to the arguments, Justice Muazu, ordered the defendant to be remanded in prison, and adjourned to July 3, 2019 for “hearing of bail application and commencement of trial”.


See more here https://thickmatch.com/see-surety-fraud-case-lands-self-efcc-trouble/more here

Governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) in Imo State, Uche Nwosu, has spoken on the defection of his running mate, Rt. Hon. Iheanacho Ihim, in the last election, to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday.

Nsowu, a son-in-law to former Governor Rocha’s Okorocha, was Chief of Staff in the previous Imo government.

His reaction was contained in a statement by his spokesman, Onwuasoanya Jones.

It said Nwosu believes that Ihim, like every Nigerian, reserved the right to freedom of association and that he wishes him well in his sojourn with the PDP.

He thanked thanked Ihim for his services to the State in different capacities and assured him of a continued friendship whether in politics or outside.

Nwosu encouraged his supporters never to worry over unfolding developments in the polity.

In his words; “My resolve to reclaim our stolen mandate is strong and unshaken, and I will encourage all of us to remain steadfast as there will certainly be light at the end of the tunnel.”

Nwosu, however, congratulated the newly inaugurated members of the 9th Imo State House of Assembly.

“He charges them to strictly abide by every word of their oath of office and remain loyal, first, to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the people of Imo State”, the statement added.


See more here https://thickmatch.com/imo-okorochas-law-nwosu-reacts-defection-running-mate-ihim-pdp/

Real Madrid have confirmed that Eden Hazard has completed his medical ahead of a presentation at Bernabeu.

Real Madrid have agreed a €100m deal plus add-ons with Chelsea over the transfer of Hazard, with rumors indicating the Belgium captain will take over the No.7 shirt.

Hazard arrived in Madrid early today and now he has completed his medical.

As is confirmed before, Hazard will do his presentation at Santiago Bernabeu at 19:00 CET today.


See more here https://thickmatch.com/official-hazard-completes-real-madrid-medical-ahead-unveiling/

Members of the Jigawa State House of Assembly have re-elected Hon. Idrith Garba Kareka as Speaker of the State’s 7th assembly.

The new Speaker emerged as the winner of the position unopposed as the members nominated him alone.

Member representing Kanya Babba constituency, Hon. Haladu Usman nominated Kareka for Speaker of the 7th assembly and was seconded by Hon. Abubakar Sadiq Jallo, a member representing Hadejia constituency.

Meanwhile, the member representing Guri constituency, Hon. Suleiman Musa Kadra was elected as the Deputy Speaker.

The Clerk to the House, Malam Ya’u Malam Madori announced Kareka and Kadra as Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 7th assembly following the absence of other nominations for the positions by the members.

Kareka is a member representing Jahun local government constituency and was elected as Speaker of the 6th assembly, but was impeached by the members for allegedly working against the interest of his colleagues.

In his acceptance speech, Speaker Kareka thanked members for the confidence reposed on him, and promised to work in the best interest of the 7th assembly.

see more here https://thickmatch.com/jigawa-assembly-elects-speaker-deputy/

Credit to dailypost
The Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, AYCF, on Sunday condemned claims that President Muhammadu Buhari is out to Islamise Nigeria.
The Nigerian Christian Elders Forum, NCEF, under the leadership of former Defence Minister, Lt. Gen. T.Y Danjuma (retd); ex-Military Governor of Rivers State, General Zamani Lekwot (retd); and Chief Solomon Asemota, SAN, had dragged Buhari to the United Kingdom, UK, Parliament, over alleged move to Islamise Nigeria.

Alleging that the Nigerian leader was pursuing a jihad or Islamisation agenda, they told the UK parliament that Buhari was not serious about tackling insecurity arising from Boko Haram insurgency and herdsmen-farmers crisis in the country.

Reacting, Shettima insisted that such allegation was unfounded and unrealistic.

According to him: “It’s unrealistic, some people can just sit down and imagine all sorts of things and say it. This is unbecoming of elder statesmen like Obasanjo and T. Y. Danjuma no matter how political they.

“Such statements are unfounded, even the North can’t be Islamized not to talk of Nigeria as a whole. It’s totally out of place to make such comment, however highly respected people should be positive. Its totally impossible, actions and comments.

“It’s totally impossible, not feasible even in the Northern part of the country. There is no need analysing this because it’s not possible



Get more here https://thickmatch.com/arewa-youths-speak-claims-buhari-islamizing-nigeria/

Gov Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has issued a proclamation for the inauguration of the 9th session of the State House of Assembly.

This was announced in statement by Mr Taiwo Adisa, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor.

The statement indicated that the proclamation, under the signature of the Governor, was issued to the Clerk of the House, Ms. Foluke Oyediran, on Saturday.

According to the statement, the proclamation is pursuant to the provision of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended).

The law states that the person elected as the governor of a state shall have the power to issue a proclamation for the holding of the first session of the House of Assembly of the State concerned immediately after he is being sworn in.

Makinde in the proclamation, also declared that the House shall hold its first sitting on June 10, at 10 a.m.


Get more details here https://thickmatch.com/makinde-issues-proclamation-oyo-state-9th-assembly/

As thousands took to the streets of Liberia to protest “corruption and creeping dictatorship” in the country, the government, led by President George Weah, a football star and 1995 FIFA Player of the Year, responded by blocking social media platforms.

Internet monitoring platform NetBlocks reports that “Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and messaging app WhatsApp have been blocked by internet providers in Liberia as of Friday 7 June 2019” following what citizens have termed Save the State protests.

“Liberia’s leading wireless internet provider Lonestar (AS37410) has restricted access to social media as well as Google’s Gmail service and news agency AP News, which covered this morning’s events and censorship during the Save the State protests in Monrovia” NetBlocks added.

Liberia’s Minister of Information Eugene Nagbe, according to CNN, said the shutdown was because of “security concerns.”

“We have restored some of them. We are not saying that the protesters were carrying out things detrimental to the nation, but the national security apparatus said there were threats to the country and the services were temporarily disrupted and have been restored,” Nagbe added.

The protests were organised by Council of Patriots, a conglomeration of citizens, civil society activists, youth workers and major political parties.


Get more gist here https://thickmatch.com/liberia-shuts-social-media-following-anti-corruption-protests/

The Governorship Elections Petition Tribunal in Benue on Saturday set June 24 for definite hearing of the state governorship petition.
The tribunal Chairman, Justice Henry Olusiyi, made the announcement at the end of the pre-trial session with both parties resolving that all pending issues be considered during the hearing of the substantive petition.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Emmanuel Jime and the All Progressive Congress (APC) had filed a petition challenging the re-election of Gov Samuel Ortom of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Ortom of the PDP polled 434,473 votes in the governorship election of the state declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to defeat his closest rival, Jime of the APC who scored 345,155 votes .

Olusiyi further warned that there would be strict compliance with adherence to the days to be allocated to each party during the hearing.

He said that during the pre-trial, some applications were struck out while rulings were reserved for some pending judgment day.

He adjourned until June 24 for definite hearing, adding that motion number 11 would be heard on the same date.

Earlier, Ortom’s lead counsel,Mr Sebastine Hon, SAN, told newsmen that his client was appealing against the decision to reserve ruling on its motion seeking to remove certain paragraphs from Jime’s response to his reply.

Hon explained that Mr Jime, in a response to his petition, introduced new facts and witnesses statement of oath which were not originally in the petition.

He argued that some of the paragraphs of Jime’s reply completely contravened the first schedule of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), pointing out that if those paragraphs were struck out, the petition would have no substance.

“We have made our positions on the inclusion of new witnesses. We are going to file an appeal today because it is better to address the issue now than later,” Hon said.

However, Mr Kehinde Eleja, SAN, one of the lead counsel to Jime, told newsmen that they did not introduce new witnesses as alleged by the respondents.




Get more here https://thickmatch.com/jime-vs-gov-ortom-court-decided-saturday/

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has issued a 72-Hour ultimatum to the chiefs and leaders of Andoni Local Government Area, to ensure the immediate release of three kidnapped expatriates of Raffoul Nigeria Limited, who are involved in the construction of the Unity Road in the area.

Governor Wike issued the ultimatum in a statement by his Special Assistant on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, on Saturday.

The Governor said he will formally withdraw the recognition of all Government Recognised Chiefs in the Local Government Area and cancel the Andoni aspect of the Unity Road project if the leaders failed to secure the release of the three expatriates kidnapped by Andoni youths at the expiration of the ultimatum.

Governor Wike further stated that, “Other communities across the state must take measures to protect contractors and workers executing projects for them.”

The Rivers State Governor, Wike said the same sanctions will be meted out to other communities where chiefs and leaders allow project contractors to be kidnapped by community youths.

Three expatriates working on the Unity Road connecting three Local Government areas of Khana, Andoni and Opobo-Nkoro, were abducted by armed men few days ago which has led to suspension of work on the project.


Read more here https://thickmatch.com/insecurity-wike-issues-ultimatum-andoni-chiefs-kidnap-expatriates/

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Mr Olayiwola Lasaki has been appointed as the new Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Kogi.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the former NYSC Coordinator, Mrs.Oludolapo Ahile, died on May 17, in a road accident on Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia highway in Nassarawa State.

Mr Adedapo Tayo, the Assistant Director, Public Relations Unit of NYSC, in a statement on Saturday in Lokoja, said that the new coordinator assumed duty on June 6.

Lasaki, an Assistant Director, was in NYSC office, Akure, Ondo State, until his appointment.

Tayo said Lasaki had met with the NYSC management in the state, where he extolled the virtues of Ahile, describing her as ”an upright officer that was passionate about achieving the goals and objectives of the scheme.”

He said that the state coordinator noted that the legacies of Ahile would long be remembered.

Tayo added that the management of NYSC in the state, assured Lasaki of their support and promised to work with him as a team.

He said that the state coordinator had equally paid courtesy visits to some NYSC stakeholders in Kogi, where he commended them for their support and collaborations.



Get more here https://thickmatch.com/kogi-gets-new-nysc-coordinator/

The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal will on Monday resume sitting on the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate in February 23 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Saturday on Friday.

Meanwhile,  there were indications on Friday that the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, had appointed another judge  appointed as her replacement on the five-man panel to hear the case.

Justice Bulkachuwa  withdrew as  a member and head of the five-man panel on May 22, following the allegation of  the likelihood of bias levelled against her by the PDP and Atiku.

The tribunal was said to have issued and served the notice for the Monday’s hearing on all parties to the petition on Friday.

The leader of the legal team of the PDP and Atiku, Dr Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), confirmed the development to Saturday on Friday.

“We were served the notice  today that the court will resume hearing on Monday,” he said.

Asked if he was sure that Justice Bulkachuwa’s replacement on the panel had been named, Uzoukwu said, “It is the presumption that we arrived at when we received the hearing notice on Friday. But we do not have any information about it.”

The development came barely a week after Atiku and his party  wrote to Bulkachuwa, reminding her of her promise to appoint her replacement on the  panel to enable the hearing of their petition to resume.

They said in their letter sent to Bulkachuwa on May 31 that they were already running against time due to the “strict requirement of keeping to the constitutional calendar for a petition”.

The petitioner’s letter signed on behalf of Uzoukwu by a lawyer in their legal team, Silas Onu, stated that as of May 31 when the letter was delivered at Bulkachuwa’s chambers, it was nine days since she recused herself from the tribunal  yet nothing had been heard about her replacement.



Read more here https://thickmatch.com/poll-presidential-tribunal-resumes-hearing-atiku-pdps-petition-monday/

The Kano State Police Command has suspended issuance of permission to hold any form of rally, demonstration, procession or assembly in the State.

This was contained in a statement signed by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abdullahi Haruna.

He explained that the move was to prevent and avert any threat, breach of peace or break down of law and order in face of various security challenges in the State.

He said that members of the public, Civil Society Organizations, Political Parties, NGO’s and other groups under whatever guise” are warned to adhere to the suspension order until further notice.”

Haruna noted that any person or group of persons found to engage in any unlawful assembly will be arrested and prosecuted in the Court of Law.

He said the command was always ready in maintaining peace and order.



Get more details here https://thickmatch.com/police-suspend-rally-demonstration-assembly-kano/

Justice Folayemi Omoleye of the Court of Appeal, Akure Division, has denied claims that she assaulted Pastors and worshippers of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Glory Tabernacle Parish, Ijapo-Estate, Akure.


In a statement by Justice Omoleye’s lawyer, Okedinachi Nelson, she accused the church of “campaign of calumny against her with attempt to bully her.”

Recall that the church had accused the judge of allegedly disrupting its mid-week service, “Divine Encounter” on Wednesday after she was said to have slapped a 68-year-old Assistant Pastor, Mrs Felicia Akindurojoye and another parish Pastor, Felix Solomon.

According to the statement, Justice Omoleye emphasized that, it was members of the church who assaulted her when she decided to take pictures of wares displayed for sale on her property.

She maintained that several steps had been taken towards cautioning the noise pollution usually caused by the church, adding that the church is illegally built on a canal right beside her residence

The statement read in part, “The church in question is illegally built on a canal right beside the residence of the Honourable Justice where she has been living since 1984 before the foundation of the church was laid. Ever since the emergence of the said Redeemed Church in Ijapo Estate, which is largely a residential estate, it has constituted unabated nuisance to the annoyance of the entire neighbourhood.

“The honourable Justice through her solicitors in a letter dated 22nd of May, 2019 and addressed to the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, complained about the noise and environmental nuisance constituted by the church.

“The said letter unequivocally stated that such noise amounted to a breach of the honourable Justice’s right to quiet possession/ enjoyment of her property. The said judge, who is a widow of almost 30 years, has had continued engagements with the church (which is situated on an illegally acquired plot beside her property) in relation to the constant disturbance of peace both during the daytime and at nighttime every day of the week. Despite various attempts to mediate peace terms with the church, the church failed severally to keep its side of agreements made.

“The Justice’s lawyer informed the church of the court action initiated against them on the public disturbance issue, and hence the church Pastorate and Members have been jittery.

“In response to the her Lordship’s Solicitors letter, Pastor Dele Oyesola, Pastor-in-Charge of the RCCG, Ondo Province wrote a letter delivered on 6th of June, 2019 at the office of His Lordship’s Solicitors requested for date, time and venue for a meeting between the Church and the said Solicitors in respect of the acts of nuisance complained of. It is pertinent to note that in the letter written on behalf of the church, no reference was made to any of the allegations contained in the fake news being circulated by the church.

“On the day in question, the Honourable Justice intended to have a peaceful stay at home but the usual nuisance and uncontrolled noise from the church would not allow her. On the instruction of her lawyer and in furtherance of her intention to gather evidence to present to Pastor Dele Oyesola, Pastor-in-Charge of the RCCG, Ondo Province at the meeting he proposed, the Honourable Justice, decided to take pictures of wares displayed for sale along and on her property , suddenly, one of the church members attacked her from behind, punched her and broke her phone. It took the intervention of her orderly to prevent them from injuring her. The other members came out in their troops cursing her and threatening to attack her.



https://dailypost.ng/2019/06/08/appeal-court-judge-denies-assaulting-rccg-pastors-accuses-church-bullying/amp/

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Governor Emeka Ihedioha of Imo State has finally accepted a handover note from his predecessor, Rochas Okorocha.

Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Uche Onyeagocha, received the note from Secretary to the Immediate past Governor, Arch. Emeka Duru, at the Cabinet Office, Owerri.

But the Okorocha government had claimed, in its response, that Ihedioha refused to honour the invitations from his predecessor to receive the handover notes properly before the inauguration.

The SSG, who received the document on behalf of the governor yesterday, handed it over to the Chief of Staff, Chris Okewulonu.

Okewulonu told reporters, “A copy of the hand over note should have been sent to the incoming before now for proper view between the outgoing and incoming Governor’s.

Read more here https://thickmatch.com/imo-gov-ihedioha-finally-receives-okorochas-hand-note/