CODIFIER

Jesutega Onokpasa, a leading figure in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and ardent supporter of President Bola Tinubu, has taken issue with recent comments by Bayo Onanuga, one of the President’s spokespersons. Onokpasa accused Onanuga of creating a misleading impression regarding President Tinubu’s alleged involvement in the EFCC’s legal proceedings against former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello. In a statement released on Thursday, Onokpasa, who also chairs the Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG), criticized Onanuga for seeming overly focused on the legal challenges facing Bello, rather than allowing the judiciary to address the matter. He argued that Onanuga’s statements could lead the public to believe that President Tinubu was behind the EFCC’s actions against Bello. “Contrary to Onanuga’s implications, Yahaya Bello is not hiding under anyone’s ‘agbada,’ but is instead standing firm in court, seeking to protect his legal rights,” Onokpasa clarified. Onokpasa’s reacti...

A Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned hearing in the money laundering case brought against the immediate-past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, to January 21, 2025. At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, Counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, told Justuce Emeka Nwite that he had two witnesses already in court. He said his first application was to formally apply that the court should enter a plea of not guilty on behalf of the defendant, even in his absence. "My first application is to formally enter a plea of not guilty to the defendant, even in his absence. The second point is, not withstanding his physical absence, it is in full compliance with Section 276 of ACJA. "Flowing from that entry my lord, it is a humble request that we call the first witness," he stated. Pinheiro, SAN, in defending his application to enter a plea of not guilty for the defendant, said ...

A historic lawsuit filed by 19 state governors challenging the constitutionality of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has gained the support of no less than 5,000 lawyers. The Judiciary Watchdogs, a group of lawyers from the 36 states of the federation, commended the governors for their courageous stand. According to the lawyers, who have been vocal against corruption in Nigeria, the EFCC's enabling act was enacted without input from state assemblies, violating the principles of federalism and state autonomy. In a statement signed by Co-National Convener, Barr Real S. Dennis, the lawyers said the governors were on track for demanding constitutional compliance, state sovereignty, and accountability from the EFCC and other anti-graft agencies. For the lawyers, getting the foundation right would help the war against corruption as the agencies now, particularly the EFCC, have only allegedly been fighting proxy wars for successive Presidents.  Dennis argued...

In order to ensure persons and families displaced by flood are not exposed to water-borne diseases, the Governor of Kogi State, Alh. Ahmed Usman Ododo has begun the drilling of boreholes at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camps.  According to the state government, this will also help to ameliorate the hardship the displaced persons go through while in search of water.  The Commissioner for Information in the state, Kingsley Fanwo, who briefed newsmen on Thursday, said Governor Ododo directed the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) to immediately begin the borehole drilling in the  (IDP) camps to ensure sufficient supply of clean water. The Governor gave the directive while on a visit to some of the IDP Camps on Thursday just as he directed the provision of more relief materials to the IDP camps in the state. To ensure effectiveness, a  service provider, Komforte Koncept has been engaged by the State Government to supply the relief ma...

.Case adjourned to Nov 14, 20 for response to summons or arraignment  The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Thursday, sought for adjournment of hearing in its fresh charge against the immediate-past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello and two others, to November 14, 2024. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, who appeared for the EFCC at the FCT High Court, said at the hearing that at the last adjourned date, the court issued a Public Summons against the 1st defendant directing that same be published and that the charge be pasted. Justice Maryann E. Anenih, however, interjected, stating that she did not ask that the charge be pasted, only the summons. Oyedepo said he expected the 1st defendant to be in court on November 14, making reference to the 30-day duration of the summons, and therefore sought for adjournment till November 14 for arraignment of the three defendants.  JB Daudu, SAN, who appeared for the 2nd defendant, objected to this.  He said the matter was ...

A professor of Political Science at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria, Adebulola Osunyikanmi, has opined the need for inclusion of more women within the democratic frameworks to positively impact governance and development. Prof. Osunyikanmi, who said this on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, while delivering the 29th Inaugural Lecture of the University, titled, "Democracy and Gender Inclusion: Synthesising Political Phenomena for Good Governance", also pointed that the nation’s democracy is threatened by electoral fraud. Professor Osunyikanmi highlighted the core principles of democracy, emphasizing that it is "a system of government that guarantees the rights of citizens" and "ensures the equality of all citizens under the law", but pointed out that Nigeria is yet to achieve full democracy, as the country remains classified as a "hybrid regime" by the 2024 Democracy Index, largely due to issues such as electora...

Imo, Bauchi, Osun, Taraba join as Anambra, Adamawa, Ebonyi withdraw  The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, reserved judgment in the suit filed by 19 states challenging the constitutionality of the laws establishing the EFCC and two others to a date to be communicated to the parties. The plaintiffs, in the suit marked: SC/CV/178/2023 had argued that the Supreme Court, in Dr. Joseph Nwobike Vs Federal Republic of Nigeria, had held that it was a UN Convention against corruption that was reduced into the EFCC Establishment Act and that in enacting this law in 2004, the provision of Section 12 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, was not followed.  The argument was that, in bringing a convention into the Nigerian law, the provision of Section 12 must be complied with.  According to them, the provision of the Constitution necessitated the majority of the states' Houses of Assembly agreeing to bringing the convention in before passing the EFCC Act and others, which was all...

. Raise alarm over pressure on Supreme Court to go against principles of federalism  Hundreds of Civil Society Organizations in Nigeria have kicked against what they described as a deliberate attempt by the Federal Government to disrespect the Nigerian Constitution  and destroy the principles of federalism, using illegally constituted anti-graft agencies.  The CSOs, numbering about 200, said the attempt by the Federal Government to frustrate the hearing of the case instituted by 19 state governments, challenging the constitutionality of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and two others, was an indication that Government was aware of the illegality of the anti-graft agencies and was trying to put pressure on the Supreme Court.  In a statement on Sunday, signed by Comrade Ifeanyi Odili, President, Campaign for Democracy; and Dr. Dapo Oluwole of the Transparency and Accountability Network, TAN, the activists faulted the Federal Government's alleged...

...Says EFCC violated his fundamental human rights  Chief Executive Officer of Global Signature Hotel and Total Grace Group Limited, Dr. Henry Akinduro, is challenging the actions of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which declared him wanted, claiming the anti-graft agency has violated his fundamental human rights. The allegation against the agency by Akinduro surfaced after the EFCC declared him 'Wanted' via its official X Account,  formerly Twitter,  on October 11, 2024, in connection with fraud accusations laid by one Mr. Femi Olushakin.  He has therefore filed a N5billion lawsuit against the EFCC for allegedly declaring him wanted unlawfully. In the suit filed on Wednesday at the Federal High Court, Lagos, Akinduro told the court that the anti-corruption agency declared him wanted without any form of judicial intervention, recourse to constitutional safeguards or order of court. Akinduro’s legal team, led by renowned lawyer, Olakek...

Renowned lawyer, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, has drawn the attention of the National Assembly to constitutional issues related to law enforcement agencies in Nigeria and factors inhibiting the Government's objective of abolishing corruption as stated in Section 13 of the Constitution. In two separate letters to the Senate and House of Representatives, dated October 14, 2024, he said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission was an unlawful organisation, which he believed was "unconstitutionally established". "I very strongly believe the EFCC is unconstitutionally established. The powers under which it was established go beyond the powers of the National Assembly. The EFCC is an unlawful organization," Agbakoba, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, said. The letters were addressed separately to the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin; and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu. The Deputy Speaker doubles as the...