Court bars police from harrassing Saraki over alleged bank loan default

A  Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has cleared the former Kwara State Governor, Senator Bukola Saraki of any wrongdoing in a bank loan being investigated by the Police Special Fraud Unit since 2012.

The clearance given to the former governor in court was based on a legal opinion by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice that the allegations of wrongdoing against him were baseless and unfounded.

The legal opinion of the AGF was a response to the report submitted to him by the Inspector General of Police on Police findings in a complaint by Joy Petroleum Limited.

Trial judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed in his judgment in the case by Saraki against the police for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights, stopped the Inspector General of Police, IG, from inviting or arresting him over the alleged bank loan.

he court also barred the agents of the IG especially the operatives in the Special Fraud Unit, SFU, from harassing, intimidating and breaching the fundamental rights of the former governor and his aides.

The court held that any attempt to commence any further interrogation of Saraki  on an issue already declared closed by the AGF would amount to a breach of his fundamental rights.

Justice Mohammed said that it would be unfair for Saraki to be subjected to further interrogation by police having been cleared of any wrongdoing by the AGF in the report police submitted to the minister for legal advice.

The judge said that the court had no choice than to give effect to the legal opinion of the Minister of Justice that the complaints against Saraki were baseless, unfounded and not supported with any shred of documentary evidence since he has no link with Joy Petroleum Limited, the complainant.

The court also held that the police ought to have stopped any further harassment of Senator Saraki since the AGF had officially written to the IG to discontinue the matter.

The judge held: “In law, the court cannot rely on any averment that is not supported with even a faint documentary evidence. The failure of police to produce in court the provisional findings submitted to the Minister of Justice and the letter of the Minister to the Police indicates that the case was not favourable to the Police.”

All the three letters of invitation sent by Police to Saraki for further interrogation on the closed matter were quashed, and set aside by the court for having no effects whatsoever.

Saraki, had dragged the IG to court over series of letters of invitation extended to him to appear before the SFU for investigation on a bank loan resolved in his favour two years ago.

In the suit, Saraki complained of undue harassment and intimidation on the part of Police and sought for protection of his fundamental human rights to justice and fair-play.

Trouble brews in Ekiti state again

Trouble brews in Ekiti state  again.

There was pandemonium in the early hours of yesterday in Ado Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti State, where there was a free-for-all  between members of National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, and some traders said to be of northern extraction.

The development paralyzed social and economic life of the city, as most shops and banks abruptly closed.

The clash left properties worth millions of naira vandalised.

It was gathered that  trouble started Tuesday night when the wife of one of the leaders of the NURTW was allegedly molested by unknown persons along the ever-busy Ijigbo old garage area of the city.

Cases of harassment of women and bag snatching had become routine in the area where a large number of the traders reside.

It was learnt that an attempt by the enraged husband of the victim and his followers to find out who actually harassed his wife led to a fight.

In the ensuing pandemonium, at least five vehicles belonging to the drivers were vandalized while 15 houses and offices rented by the traders were either vandalized.

This provided opportunity for hoodlums wielding cutlasses and broken bottles, to break into shops and loot property and money which could not be quantified at press time.

It took the intervention of the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe and the new Police Commissioner in the state, Mr. Etop James to restore sanity.

While addressing both sides at old garage and Atikankan, the Police boss expressed regret over the incident.

Credits to the Vanguard

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Two cousins of President Jonathan reportedly kidnapped in Bayelsa

Two cousins of President Jonathan, Patience Egbeni and Kate Eni were kidnapped by 6 unidentified gunmen dressed in military uniform in Akimpelai, Ogbia LGA of Bayelsa State yesterday May 19th.

According to a source who spoke with The Nation, the women who are maternal cousins of President Jonathan were abducted at about 8.30am from their provision stores located along the riverbank.

“The victims are two maternal cousins of the President. We know that they have been preparing to welcome the President after the May 29 handover. Unless they are rescued before then, their dream of welcoming their brother will be a mirage.”the source said

Confirming the incident, the Bayelsa state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Butswat Asinim, said the gunmen were dressed in military camouflage.

“The gunmen were dressed in military camouflage. They went to the provision stores of the victims at the riverside and abducted them into a waiting speedboat,” he said.

He said the marine and anti-kidnapping squad of the police, including the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield, had been contacted and are working towards their rescue.

They Wanted Me As Sacrifice For Jonathan’s Re-Election – Patience

First Lady Patience Jonathan disclosed on Sunday that some unnamed people wanted her as a sacrifice for her husband’s re-election bid.
Mrs. Jonathan was speaking at a thanksgiving and farewell service organised for her and her husband, President Goodluck Jonathan, at the Aso Rock Villa Chapel.
The first lady also disclosed that she had in 2013 undergone 12 major operations in a German hospital within one month.
She said at the peak of her husband’s re-election campaigns in January, the devil struck again and she was in pains rushed to a German hospital where doctors told her that she must undergo a major operation immediately.
Mrs Jonathan said no sooner had she returned to Nigeria for the campaigns than doctors told her again that she had to go for another “big” operation in a bigger hospital in Germany.

Adamu Mu'azu resigns as PDP Chairman

Breaking news from the main opposition Party PDP indicates a lot more is in the offing before the handover date of May 29 2015.
The embattled PDP Chairman tendered his resignation letter this morning May 20 and his resignation is said to be with immediate effect.

According to reports Muazu said he was tired of all the stress he has been subjected to since the party lost the presidential elections. Ayo Fayose and Femi Fani Kayode have called for his resignation and that of other National Working Committee.

A PDP member confirmed Muazu's resignation on twitter and also claimed that Jonathan has asked members of the PDP Board of Trustees including Chief Tony Anenih to resign. 

Pastor Tunde Bakare Collapses, Rushed To The Hospital

Founding pastor of Latter Rain Assembly, Tunde Bakare, while giving a lecture in Lagos on Monday evening reportedly collapsed.
The unfortunate incident happened while he
spoke a“Renaissance Capital- 6th Annual Pan- African Investor Conference.”

He was reportedly rushed to Reddington Hospital.