Lawyer’s Absence Stalls Akingbola Trial  

The trial of former Managing Director of Bank PHB (now Keystone Bank), Francis Atuche was yesterday stalled as the lead defence counsel, Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN) was unavoidably absent due to national assignment.

Atuche is standing trial alongside Funmi Ademosun, before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo of an Ikeja High Court, over alleged financial impropriety in a suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

When the case came up today, Chief Idigbe, who was represented by N.K. Oragwu, through a letter asked for a short adjournment to enable him attend a national assignment, which was opposed by the prosecution lead counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN).

Pinheiro, in opposing the adjournment argued that since there are other senior advocates in the defence team the absence of Idigbe should not stall the trial.

He said there was no justification in granting the adjournment as he considered the excuse for absence as tendentious and spurous.

Pinheiro said should the court grant the request of the defence by adjourning, a cost of N100,000 should be awarded in favour of the prosecution to cover the expenses incurred for flying the prosecution witness from Abuja to Lagos and having passed the night in a hotel.

Counsel to Ademosun, Chief Robert Clarke, supported the request of Idigbe and urged the court to grant it.

According to Chief Clarke, “Chief Idigbe said he would like to continue with the cross examination himself and I think it is important to grant his request to enable him continue with the line of thought being followed. Breaking that line of thought especially in a criminal matter in a cross examination stage could amount to injustice.”

He concluded that the defendants have rights to choose who conducts their matter.

Justice Onigbanjo in his short ruling on the matter subsequently granted the defence request and adjourned the matter till 9 July , 2012 for continuation of trial.

ACN says Jonathan’s trip to Brazil is a sign of insensitive and confused leadership.

The Action Congress of Nigeria has criticized President Goodluck Jonathan for embarking on a trip to Brazil for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.

The criticism became imperative as the trip is coming Nigeria is facing what amounts to a national emergency, as citizens continue to die from gun and bomb attacks in several cities.

Jonathan's trip to Brazil is a sign of insensitive and confused leadership....ACN

Its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed said the decision by the President to travel two days after dozens of innocent Nigerians, including women and children, were killed or maimed by suicide bombers in Kaduna state, is a sign of insensitive and confused leadership.

Mohammed said the fact that the trip was announced by the presidency as the Yobe state capital, Damaturu, was being terrorized by attackers raised serious concerns about the Jonathan Administration’s commitment to the security and welfare of the citizenry.

According to him, the President should have cancelled the trip as a symbolic act of a caring leadership and out of respect for the souls that were lost and are still being lost within the space of a few days, wondering whether the President has become helpless and inured to the fate of his compatriots.

Citing examples of world leaders that have cancelled trips to global events, he said in April 2010, Chinese President Hu Jintao cut short his Latin American tour and returned home after a strong earthquake hit the west of China. 

This year, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir returned home early from his visit to China, due to the rising tension along the border of his country with Sudan, and even a phone-hacking scandal was enough for British Prime Minister David Cameron to cut short an African trade tour and return home in 2011.

POLICE CHIEF

8 Kidnappers Arrested At FESTAC Town  

The police in Lagos have arrested eight suspected kidnappers, including their victim who turned out to be a suspected duper.

The suspects had taken their victim to a hotel in the area for a business transaction.

The victim had allegedly collected some money from them on the pretext of securing documents to take them to China.

The suspects demanded a refund of their money. But the victim had been telling them that his master who will take them to China was away.

That the victim had in an attempt to pacify the group taken them to a hotel in Festac Town.

After spending about N100,000 on food and drinks on them, and being unable to pay the bill, he dropped his car and left with the gang members.

The victim was later taken to a hideout in Iba area where he was kept in a room, while the group demanded for N10 million from his family.

The victim allegedly issued the gang a N5 million dud cheque, and promised to pay the balance later.

While in the house, the victim sent out a distress message on a piece of paper which he threw into the next compound, promising to pay N200,000 to anyone who found the paper and called in the police for his rescue.

Some one picked the piece of paper and contacted the police at the Ojo Police Station who stormed the place and rescued the victim.

The victim was later arrested with the suspects following an investigation which revealed that he had allegedly duped the gang members earlier.

The alleged kidnapping was a way of paying the victim back in his own coin before the police arrested them.

Area E Commander, Dan Okoro, confirmed the incident, saying investigation was still on.

Okoro threatened to deal ruthlessly with any hotel proprietor within his area of command that harboured criminals and kidnappers.

ACN says Jonathan’s trip to Brazil is a sign of insensitive and confused leadership.

The Action Congress of Nigeria has criticized President Goodluck Jonathan for embarking on a trip to Brazil for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.

The criticism became imperative as the trip is coming Nigeria is facing what amounts to a national emergency, as citizens continue to die from gun and bomb attacks in several cities.

Jonathan's trip to Brazil is a sign of insensitive and confused leadership....ACN

Its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed said the decision by the President to travel two days after dozens of innocent Nigerians, including women and children, were killed or maimed by suicide bombers in Kaduna state, is a sign of insensitive and confused leadership.

Mohammed said the fact that the trip was announced by the presidency as the Yobe state capital, Damaturu, was being terrorized by attackers raised serious concerns about the Jonathan Administration’s commitment to the security and welfare of the citizenry.

According to him, the President should have cancelled the trip as a symbolic act of a caring leadership and out of respect for the souls that were lost and are still being lost within the space of a few days, wondering whether the President has become helpless and inured to the fate of his compatriots.

Citing examples of world leaders that have cancelled trips to global events, he said in April 2010, Chinese President Hu Jintao cut short his Latin American tour and returned home after a strong earthquake hit the west of China. 

This year, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir returned home early from his visit to China, due to the rising tension along the border of his country with Sudan, and even a phone-hacking scandal was enough for British Prime Minister David Cameron to cut short an African trade tour and return home in 2011.

Pope calls for end to attack on Christians in Nigeria

Pope Benedict the sixteenth has appealed for an immediate end to what he called terrorist attacks against Christians in Nigeria and urged all sides to avoid reprisals.

The bombed Church in Kaduna

The Pope at his weekly general audience on Wednesday expressed his concern on the persistent suicide and bomb attacks on Churches saying, he is following with deep concern the news from Nigeria, where terrorist attacks are continuing especially against Christians.

A number of Churches have been attacked across the states in northern Nigeria with untold number of deaths. Such suicide attacks have continued unabated in the last three weeks, killing people during the Church service.

The Pontiff appealed for calm, urging the perpetrators to stop killing the innocent. 

He also appealed to all groups in the country to shun “the path of vendetta” and work towards building a peaceful society where people were free to practice their religion.

Reprisals attacks in Kaduna on Tuesday, following the bomb attack on three churches in Zaria, has led to the death of dozens while gun feuds in Yobe state, since Monday has also claimed a number of lives.

The escalating violence has raised fears of wider sectarian conflict in a country reeling from months of attacks on churches, government buildings and other sites by the Islamist Boko Haram sect.

48 hours after gun battle between the Joint Task Force and suspected members of the Boko Haram sect broke out in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital; residents are still held back in their various homes and offices.

This is happening due to the dusk to dawn curfew imposed on the city on Monday, which has crippled economic activities in the north east state.

Commissioner of Police Patrick Egbuniwe said his officers and other security agents are working on dispatching those that were trapped in various places during the attack, to their various homes.

He said the attack caughtt up with so many people in their places of businesses, offices among other places of livelihood, hence efforts is being intensified towards taking them to their respective homes.

On the relaxation of the curfew the CP said the police command in collaboration with other security agencies are still studying the situation and will relax it only when normalcy has been restored.

He noted that the situation is generally calm at the moment but the relaxation of the curfew will not be rushed as they are working on ensuring permanent peace in the state.

People have remained indoors since Monday, when series of gun feuds rocked the city, living residents in their homes for fear of attack coupled with the prevailing 24 hour curfew yesterday by the state government.

Sambo meets service chiefs over insecurity in the north.

Following the persistent violence in Kaduna and Yobe states, in the last three days,Vice President Nnamadi Sambo, met with all the service chiefs in Abuja to discuss and review the security situation in the states .

The meeting, which was held at the Presidential Villa behind closed door, was attended by the National Security Adviser, General Owoye Azazi; the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshall Oluseyi Petinrin; Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika and the Director-General of State Security Service,  Ekpeyong Ita.

Others were the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall Mohammed Umar, Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ola Ibrahim and the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Abubakar Mohammed.

Figures from police and the Red Cross showed on Wednesday that at least 80 people have been killed since Monday in clashes in the two states triggered by Boko Haram, the fundamentalist sect that is waging an insurgency against the government.

According to General Azazi, there was no iota of truth in the claim that the crisis in these two states had escalated, adding that even though it was serious before, the security agents were in control.

He also stated that the Governor of Kaduna State, Mr. Patrick Yakowa, was already discussing with religious leaders on how to end the crisis.

The General noted that what should be paramount in the mind of Nigerians was how to extend the discussion to the national level.

He said the discussion in Kaduna was not late, adding that talking could never be late.

Chief of Defense staff and IGP in Kaduna

The Chief of Defense staff, Air Marshall Oluseyi Petinrin, has arrived in troubled Kaduna state with the Acting Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar in a bid to address the raging violence in the state.

The security chiefs went into a close door meeting with the governor of the state, Patrick Yakowa, as soon as they arrived.

Kaduna state came under siege after a spate of suicide bombings, targeting churches sparked a wave of reprisal and counter reprisal attacks that has left over 60 people dead.

Earlier, the security chiefs commiserated with the government and people of the state over the unfortunate bomb blast which rocked three churches in the state on Sunday.

They both assured residents that security agencies will collaborate more to ensure that normalcy returns to the state.

The Police boss has also revealed that more police officers are being deployed to troubled spots in both Kaduna and Yobe states in order to forestall any further security breach.

The Kaduna state government on Tuesday, re-imposed a 24-hour curfew all over the state, following a renewed outbreak of reprisals.

The Vice President Nnamadi Sambo, had on Tuesday, met with all the service chiefs in Abuja to discuss and review the security situation in Kaduna and Yobe states, following the persistent violence recorded in the two states, in the last three days,

The meeting, which was held at the Presidential Villa behind closed door, was attended by the National Security Adviser, General Owoye Azazi; the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshall Oluseyi Petinrin; Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika and the Director-General of State Security Service, Mr. Ekpeyong Ita.

Others were the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall Mohammed Umar, Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ola Ibrahim and the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Abubakar Mohammed.

Figures from police and the Red Cross showed on Wednesday that at least 80 people have been killed since Monday in clashes in the two states triggered by Boko Haram, the fundamentalist sect that is waging an insurgency against the government.