₦airaland Forum

Ralphdan:
Once a dictator always a dictator.Buhari,never using his head but his might.Lets watch out and see his next move.

One1after:
Get lost, pathetic loser.

ishiamu:
Bad news for ngeneukwenu and omenka

blackpanda:
I think most nigerians are not used to seeing our institutions work. We are used to the president's hand in every single major case. Buhari is not a prosecutor or a lawyer and neither does he have the time to be pursuing every single case. Common sense shld tell u that there are institutions whose job is to apprehend and prosecute criminals. It must not be Buhari doing everything

seunlayi:
"However, the prosecution countered his argument, saying that most of the witnesses were civilians who reside in the location of the accused person, and as such vulnerable to influence.‪”"

tHEY HAVE ALREADY EXPOSED THOSE WITNESS TO DANGER. NAIJA IS TRULY THE GATEWAY TO HELL

menix:
Chisos the carpenter!!!!!!!

Masked watin?
Ris people wan to kill my broda by calling ghost to testify against him.
soon they will bring Alhaja's on hijab to testify against him saying its the muslimi way.

FG release Kanu now!!! OR Dollar hits 1000 naira by 2nd week of March....

Signed:
Menix Mbaka
Nwoke onye Uwa Mmebi..

One1after:
Typical Ibo man that mock people but still love playing the victim card. What about your kinsmen killed all over Enugu, Ebonyi and those brutally raped in Imo. Hypocrisy runs in your blood.

Justice John Tsoho of the federal high court, Abuja, has ruled against the application of the federal government to mask its witnesses in the trial of Nnamdi Kanu‎, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and director of Radio Biafra.

Tsoho held that masking the witnesses would shield their demeanour from the court.‎

“There is no gain saying that demeanour of witnesses is very crucial in a trial,” he said.

He also held that sufficient particulars had not been provided by the prosecution to show that the witnesses were being threatened. ‎

Tsoho stated that the Department of State Services (DSS) had already disclosed the names of its witnesses and addresses, indicating that they reside in Lagos, Enugu and Port Harcourt, away from the locality of Kanu.‎

“It is not correct therefore to assert that many of the witnesses come from the accused persons location,” he said.

However, he ruled that names and addresses of the witnesses would not be made public during the trial.‎

He thereafter adjourn the case to March 7 and 11‎ for trial.
‎
Earlier on Friday, Kanu had opposed the application of the federal government to protect the identities of witnesses in his trial, describing them as masquerades.

As the hearing of the application began, David Kaswe, counsel to the Department of State Services (DSS), the prosecution, informed Justice John Tsoho of the federal high court, Abuja, that there was a possibility for witnesses to refuse testifying against Kanu, without protection.‬

‪The prosecution emphasised that it was important that witnesses be protected in the trial, explaining that the crux of the application was to seek the protection of witnesses, and not to cause a secret trial.

‪But Chuks Muoma (SAN), counsel to Kanu, argued that what the prosecution was asking for was a secret trial, and prayed the court to draw a distinction between a closed trial and protection of witnesses.

‪He added that the application implied that masked individuals would be testifying before the court.‬

‪However, the prosecution countered his argument, saying that most of the witnesses were civilians who reside in the location of the accused person, and as such vulnerable to influence.‪”

We also ask that these press men will not make public identities and residential locations of these witnesses,”‬ he said.

‪But Muoma, citing section 364 of the 1999 constitution (as amended), said that there was no provision for “masquerades” to testify as witnesses in a case as such as that of Kanu.‬

He explained that protection of witnesses could only be applied to terrorism cases, and not to that of his client, who is facing charges of treasonable felony.”

An accused person under our jurisprudence must be confronted with his accusers eyeball to eyeball,”‬ he said. ‪”My lord, it is compatible and common sense with jurisprudence that you cannot accuse someone in the streets in public and try him in the bedroom.” ‪

Caseless:
Secret or open trial , I don't care. For the fact that he's in prison, I'm fine.

Iykopeee:
The zoo lawyer wants secret trial while kanu was accused publicly? only in the zoo shits happen. No masquerade will be accepted to testify in the court. They shud Come face to face with their bags of evidence if they have balls.

dunkem21:
Masquerades to testify ..LMAO ..

seunmsg:
According to the federal government, he's guilty of treason, inciting people to violence, smuggling radio transmitter into the country etc. It is left for the court to decide if he's guilty on not.

omenka:
Eyaa. Una ndo oo.

ishiamu:
Omenka omenka omenka free my moniker I go enter u ooo

Meanwhile, Kanu, through his lead counsel, Chief Chuks Muoma, SAN, vehemently opposed the application which he said grossly lacked merit.
He argued that section 36(4) of the 1999 constitution made no provision for masquerades to testify in a trial ‎involving an alleged act of treason.
“An accused person under our jurisprudence and justice ad‎ministration must be confronted with his accusers eye-ball to eye-ball.

The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, who is facing a six-count treason charge, has opposed an application by the federal government to conduct his trial in secret.

FG had in the application it filed before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, decried that all the witnesses billed to testify against Kanu and two other pro-Biafra agitators, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi, who are facing trial with him, have declined to appear in court.


Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, sandwiched between security operaives, leaving the court yesterday in Abuja.
It said the witnesses insisted that they would not testify against the defendants unless their safety was guaranteed.

Consequently, government lawyer, Mr. David Kaswe,‎ prayed trial Justice John Tsoho to issue an order protecting the identities of the witnesses by ‎allowing them to either wear facial mask or to testify behind screens.
FG equally applied for an order excluding persons except journalists from witnessing the proceedings.

“The measure is to safeguard the lives of prosecution witnesses who live in the geographical region where the defendants come from. Since their arrest, there has been violent protests for the defendants to be released.

“The witnesses have already indicated fear to give evidence in view of perceived backlash. My lord, they have categorically informed us that unless they could be guaranteed some form of protection by the court, they would not come to testify.

“In the light is t‎his, the case of the prosecution will be greatly affected should there be any reason for the witnesses not to come to court”, Kaswe submitted.

Meanwhile, Kanu, through his lead counsel, Chief Chuks Muoma, SAN, vehemently opposed the application which he said grossly lacked merit.
He argued that section 36(4) of the 1999 constitution made no provision for masquerades to testify in a trial ‎involving an alleged act of treason.
“An accused person under our jurisprudence and justice ad‎ministration must be confronted with his accusers eye-ball to eye-ball.

“My lord we operate an accusatorial‎ system of procedure under the common law. Justice must not only be done but must be seen to have been done.
“It is not within common sense to malign and accuse someone in public and apply to try him in the bedroom. Having been accused in public we want to also be tried in public.

“We therefore urge this court not to allow masquerades to testify before it. We want to see their faces and ask them questions. As masquerades, how will the court be able to gauge their demeanour and body language? Is it by the rhythm of their dance steps?

“The tenets of justice outweigh this application and we urge my lord to reject it. It has no merit whatsoever. Secret trial is for terrorism charge, it is not for the type of offence for which these defendants were charged.
“Secret trial does not apply in a case of treasonable felony or involvement in alleged ‎unlawful society. During the trial we will prove to them that we are not an illegal organisation”, Muoma added.

After listening to the parties, Justice Tsoho stood down ruling on the matter till 2pm.

Kanu who was hitherto the Director of Radio Biafra and Television, ‎has been in detention since October 14, 2015, when he was arrested by security operatives upon his arrival to Nigeria from his base in the United Kingdom.

The defendants were alleged to have committed treasonable felony, an offence punishable under Section 41(C) of the Criminal Code Act, CAP C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

FG alleged that they were the ones managing the affairs of the IPOB which it described as “an unlawful society”.

Specifically, Kanu was alleged to have illegally smuggled radio transmitters into Nigeria, which he used to disseminate “hate broadcasts”, encouraging the “secession of the Republic ofBiafra”, from Nigeria.

However, the accused persons, pleaded not guilty to the charge on January 20, even as the court ordered their remand at Kuje prison ‎in Abuja.

Obiagelli:
Typical wise man.

arewafederation:
C'mon bro, that was intentional. Abi you no sabi pidgin English again?

MORNDEW:
,During the controversy surrounding the then President Yar'Adua's illness and the call for then Vice President Goodluck E. Jonathan to be made the acting President, It was the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) led by Pastor Tunde Bakare, Prof. Wole Soyinka and other well meaning Nigerians that took it upon themselves to organize protests and rallies to demand that Jonathan be made an acting President. These were Yoruba men who believe the right thing should be done at all times. With the pressure from these groups and the international communities coupled with divine providence, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was made an acting President in 2010.

During this time, Ankio Briggs, Edwin Clarke, Akpabio, and other acclaimed activists from Niger Delta never organized any rally, not even in PortHarcourt, Warri or Calabar. They remained silent. Fortunately when Jonathan won Presidential in 2011 and during his reign as President, the wife who is constitutionally irrelevant decided to throw shades and insults to a man who fought for her husband's emergence as the President of the most populous Nation in Africa.

During this time, the South East who later adopted Jonathan as their son, never blocked the Onitsha bridge to demand that he be made President, they were doing "Sit down look". But fast forward to 2015 General elections, Jonathan became the best thing after Ojukwu and they will do anything to bring him back to power. Incase many don't know, the acclaimed love for Jonathan was not due to the fact that Jonathan was the best for the presidency, or that he was truly their son as they claimed but because they enjoyed lots of Privileges and juicy positions during his reign as the President many of which plunged us into this present economic quagmire.

They told everyone who cared to listen how Jonathan was not allowed to rule in peace, how Apc caused every problem in Nigeria how they are Islamic party, Northern party etc. They came up with the rubbish that Amaechi is a betrayer and Judas. (I guess Edwin Clarke now is also a betrayer going by his recent utterances and dumping of the PDP) Like their gullible followers who buys into anything they utter, even when they do so for political gains, they replicated it everywhere possible and even took such illiterate sentiments that should have been questioned to the polls and crashed. Today they blame every other region for their woes.

The above background form the basis of this article. After losing the election, instead of learning from the loss that Nigerians were fed up of gross incompetence and pseudo leadership exhibited by President Jonathan, they continued with their irrelevant party sentiments, they pushed unnecessary sentiments to the South-South. This days you will hear such nonsense from some section of the youths in South-South as APC has no place in South-South and South-East, they are Islamic party with Islamic agenda and other nonsense.

I must remind my Brothers from the South-South that as at 2014, there were two States that belonged to the APC (Rivers and Edo). That the founding fathers of the PDP came from different region of the country and so also is APC. The APC has among its founding fathers Ogbonaya Onu, Tom Ikimi, Rochas Okorocha etc. From the South-South and South-East so how then is it a Northern or Islamic party? It must pointed out that every party was registered at the National level and serves as a platform for anyone to achieve its political ambition and contribute their own quota to national building. No party was registered as a Regional one.

The nonsense of terming a political party as religious or regional will not profit our Region the South-South. We must resist such nonsense being sold to us by political miscalculators. Every political party should be embraced by our people. We should not demonize any political party out of sentiments but we should criticize them based on facts, sound arguments, and having the interest of the Nation at heart. No matter what they do or say, if they must rule this nation, the votes of South-South and South-East will not be enough to earn them the Presidency seat. So lets allow them continue in their irrelevant sentiments. But when any of their politicians want to achieve their political ambition, they will jump into such party they hated yet their gullible, illiterate followers being used. Like many of them are doing now.

I am appealing to my South-South brothers and sisters especially the youths not to join in this nonsense of terming a political party as belonging to a particular region or religion. When you say a political party is for a region or religion, what do you mean by that? What do u tend to achieve with that? How do you want such region to feel about you? Before we become hated like the miscalculating region lets put a stop to that nonsense. We will rule this country again that is certain. If we must do that we will need the support of other regions and a political party to achieve that. We must not play into the hand of mischief makers, discord creators. Let us stop the saying that a particular party is for a region or religion and has no place in South-South. It will do us no good.

***I am Princewill Chimereze i believe common sense should supersede unprofitable sentiments and I believe religion should not make us stupid also and that National Interest should supersede selfish interest.*** Follow on Twitter @P_Chimereze
like our Facebook page: https://mobile.facebook.com/EnlightenNigeria-1167125733316469/
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Sources: www.enlightennigeria..com/2016/02/before-we-become-hated-region.html?m=0

https://mobile.facebook.com/EnlightenNigeria-1167125733316469/

naijaboy756:
ode! She didn't becos Fashola and Amaechi went to court to have the money shared. Tell ur dull President to do sumtin or resign. Hw I wish it is only those that voted for this scam that would suffer the consequences. Ironically, all Nigerians are suffering with no hope in sight!

arewafederation:
Phew....
English language has suffer.

You seriously need to go back to school.

Obiagelli:
Prove me wrong clown

wawaboy1:
I tot Catholic Church clergies don't take side in national politics

SunshineP:
But sincerely, he s a christian but the man donald j.trump is too harsh and lacks intolerance. If he eventually becomes america president then there will be trouble in the world. Am very sure americans don't really wants him, he is a racist and he hated immigrants.

madridguy:
Probably the Naira dey run down to Otuoke to show the Otuoke born his handiwork.

brightmexy:
One dollar to one thousand nairs on course. We ar making progressss

Tkester:
You be mumu, you suppose no say dt was an error, prolly a printers devil. Stop being silly.
Goatie!

Obiagelli:
The naira was how much when your hero became president, how much did he leave it at despite the oil boom and depleation of the foreign reserve

EHMIR:
go school u say na education u wan go,common past u no sabi spell