CODIFIER

Court Dismisses EFCC’s Objection Against Admissibility of FCT High Court Judgment At the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, the third witness for the prosecution in the ongoing money laundering case against former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello testified that neither the state government nor its local councils made any bank transfers to the American International School, Abuja (AISA). During cross-examination by Yahaya Bello’s lead counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN), the witness, Nicholas Ojehomon, who serves as an internal auditor at AISA, also acknowledged that none of the documents showed any transaction directly linked to Yahaya Bello’s name. Earlier in the proceedings, Justice Emeka Nwite overruled the EFCC’s objection to the inclusion of a judgment from the FCT High Court—specifically from suit number FCT/HC/CV/2574/2023, filed between Ali Bello and the Incorporated Trustees of AISA. The ruling had previously resolved issues related to the payment or refund of school...

The ongoing appeal of the Benue State local government elections which began sitting yesterday may have been compromised as confirmed reports exposed a recent meeting between the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume and the immediate past President of the Appeal Court, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa in Abuja on a possible manipulation of the appeal.  Recall that Justice Bulkachuwa was seriously indicted for helping political associates of her husband, Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa to win their election cases at the Appeal Court illegally during the time she was Appeal Court President. Also recall that the same Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa was reportedly bribed by Senator George Akume in 2019 to upturn the victories of Senators Gabriel Suswam, Oker Jev, Abba Moro and some PDP members at the House of Representatives. She didn't succeed as a result of multiple public outcries. Meanwhile, Nigerian Judicial Platform in a statement by its president, Barriste...

Dr. Sandra Duru, a U.S.-based activist and journalist, has alleged that suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan offered her the sum of N200 million to falsely accuse Senate President Godswill Akpabio of organ harvesting. Speaking during a Facebook live broadcast on Thursday, Duru, popularly known as Prof. Mgbeke, disclosed that she had submitted evidence of phone conversations and call logs to authorities in the U.S. and other countries for forensic review.  These materials, she claimed, disprove the allegations of sexual harassment made by Natasha against Akpabio. Duru displayed some of the messages and call logs during the session, countering Natasha’s assertion that the two had never spoken.  She accused the embattled Senator of trying to link Akpabio to the death of a young woman when her earlier claims of sexual misconduct failed to gain traction. She urged international security agencies, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and the Nigeria Police to invest...

Dr. Sandra Duru, a Nigerian activist based in the United States, revealed alarming details on Thursday evening regarding the alleged actions of suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.  According to Duru, Akpoti-Uduaghan offered her N200 million to accuse Senate President Godswill Akpabio of organ harvesting after her earlier sexual harassment accusations failed to gain traction. During a live Facebook session, Duru presented evidence, including phone interactions, to challenge Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims that she had never communicated with her.  Duru described Akpoti-Uduaghan as a “pathological liar,” stating that the senator lied recklessly. Duru explained that Akpoti-Uduaghan had confided in her, revealing that the best way for someone to become popular in Nigeria was to attack the government, as many Nigerians are “gullible and hungry.”  Duru further stated that the senator had confessed her motivation was the promise of becoming Kogi’s governor or even th...