This is the full list of prominent Nigerians and organisations the Police high command has withdrawn all police officers attached to them according to the directive of the IGP.
They include Femi Fani Kayode, several politicians , clergy men and organisations
Meanwhile ,the Inspector-General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu, NPM, mni has ordered the deployment of all legitimate force to protect lives and property of citizens including police officers and personnel of other law enforcement agencies and their families, and to prevent attacks on private/public assets from any violent person(s) or group(s) operating under any guise.
The IGP restates that Command Commissioners of Police and their supervisory Assistant Inspectors-General of Police should resist all riotous elements forthwith and checkmate any form of violent/riotous protests in line with Section 33 (1) & (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) which among other things provides for the use of such force as is reasonably necessary –
(a) For the defence of any person from unlawful violence or for the defence of property;
(b) In order to effect a lawful arrest or to prevent the escape of a person lawfully detained; or
(c) For the purpose of suppressing a riot, insurrection or mutiny.
The IGP affirms that the Force will not tolerate a repeat of the horrendous attacks and killings, arson and wanton destruction, and looting of public and private assets witnessed during the recent violent protests in some parts of the country. He warns that the Force shall deploy the full weight of the law and legitimate force (if necessary) in preventing a reoccurrence.
Recall that in the wake of the ENDSARS protests and the violence that emanated therefrom, a total of fifty-one (51) civilian fatalities and thirty-seven (37) civilian injuries were recorded, while a total of twenty-two (22) policemen were gruesomely murdered and twenty-six (26) others injured by the protesters. Two hundred and five (205) police stations, corporate facilities and private property were attacked, burnt or vandalized.
The IGP assures law abiding citizens across the country of the Force’s renewed and unwavering commitment to their safety and security especially as we approach the yuletide. He calls for the collaboration and support of citizens in the ongoing reforms of the Force
President Donald Trump’s motorcade was just pulling into the Trump National Golf Club in suburban Virginia on Saturday morning when news organizations ended days of waiting and declared that he had lost the presidency to Joe Biden.
Aides called Trump to let him know that their predictions over the past several days had come true: Every major news outlet had projected Biden to be the winner. But the president, who an hour earlier had said on Twitter that “I WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT!,” was not surprised, they said. And he did not change his plans to go ahead with legal challenges to the election results that several of his own advisers warned him were long shots at best, or to play golf.
The aides said Trump had no plans to immediately deliver the kind of concession speech that has become traditional in past presidential elections, and his campaign vowed to continue waging the legal battle across the country. In a statement issued while he was still on the golf course, Trump said Biden was trying to “falsely pose” as the winner.
“The simple fact is this election is far from over,” the president said, “Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated.”
Trump’s advisers said the president has refused to acknowledge that he has lost, maintaining his baseless accusation that Democrats had stolen the election.
President Donald Trump meets with workers at Trump campaign headquarters in Arlington, Va., on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. (Anna Moneymaker/The New York Times)
But they do not believe he will try in any way to block Biden from taking office, and said that if he has not delivered a formal concession speech by the time he departs, pressure may mount on his Republican allies, family members and friends to convince him that he must give in to the inevitable and let the American people know that he accepts their judgment.
Even some of Trump’s oldest advisers, like former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, have said publicly that he needed to have actual evidence to make the claims he has been making about the election.
“This kind of thing, all it does is inflame without informing. And we cannot permit inflammation without information,” Christie said on ABC News on Thursday night.
Now that Biden has been declared the winner, White House advisers must confront the reality that Trump will be a lame-duck president for the next 2 1/2 months.
Since early Wednesday morning, when Trump angrily declared the election to be a “fraud” on the public, he has split his time between the Oval Office and the presidential residence, watching television coverage and brooding.
Besides his children, he has spoken by phone and at the White House with a coterie of advisers, including former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, his campaign manager, Bill Stepien, his deputy campaign manager, Justin Clark, his adviser Hope Hicks, and Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee.
Vice President Mike Pence spent part of Friday in the Oval Office with Trump, but the president’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, who tested positive for the coronavirus the day after the election, has been working remotely on the campaign’s current legal challenges.
Trump’s advisers did succeed in persuading Rudy Giuliani, his personal lawyer, to stand down from some of his public allegations about fraud. But Giuliani appealed to Trump, and the president signed off on his holding a news conference in Philadelphia that started just after news outlets called the presidential race for Biden.
Some aides were candid with Trump that there was not much of a path forward, even though they said they would continue on. Only a few had doubted that Biden was likely to win, among them the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, people who spoke with Trump said.
As he played golf Saturday, aides said, Trump was surprisingly calm, given the news he had received when he arrived at the club.
But that was before he watched television coverage of Biden’s victory. Nearly two hours after an uneventful return to the White House, Trump again began posting angry, and false, tweets insisting that he had won the election and complaining that “MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WERE SENT TO PEOPLE WHO NEVER ASKED FOR THEM!”
Several Trump advisers said that while they now wanted to give the president space to process the loss, they were exhausted after four years of tumult, and were eager for clarity about what would come next.
Some aides began to focus on what they believed Trump could cite as accomplishments even in defeat, including the fact that he received the second-most votes in American history and that he drew a new batch of voters into the Republican Party.
Confined almost entirely to the White House since Election Day, Trump is eager to get out of Washington, and after musing about holding a rally this week, aides said he was likely to travel to his private club, Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida, instead. But the president has no intention of ending the boisterous demonstrations of support that he has held throughout his presidency and that always seem to energize him.
It was unclear whether Trump would follow tradition and invite Biden to the White House for a symbolic meeting like the one he had with President Barack Obama during his own transition four years ago. It is also tradition for the departing president to attend the inauguration of his successor, but Trump has ignored many of the norms of the office.
Biden, as a former vice president, does not require the tour of the White House that Trump did. Such a meeting would send a signal that could help reduce the anger of the president’s supporters over his defeat — but it would be a gesture strikingly out of character for a president who has so often sought to inflame passions.
Democrats are concerned that an array of steps traditionally involved in a presidential transition could be ignored or disrupted by Trump administration officials. But the initial stages of the transition have begun without any disruptions.
A top White House adviser, Chris Liddell, has been leading transition planning for the Trump administration, but Trump has not been involved, one White House official said, in part because of his superstitions about planning before an election, and in part because officials feared he would try to meddle with them.
As Trump’s motorcade arrived back at the White House Saturday afternoon, passing crowds of Biden supporters applauding the president’s ouster, Trump’s aides were still in varying degrees of shock about the outcome of a race that many had believed he would win.
Some of those aides had already started to leave in anticipation of a loss. Ja’Ron Smith, the most senior Black official in the West Wing and a deputy assistant to the president, sent an email to colleagues Friday saying that he was departing. One of his colleagues said it had been long planned, but others saw it as the beginning of a slow exodus as Inauguration Day draws closer.
Trump, for his part, showed no sign of ending his hunt for allegations of fraud that could lend credence to lawsuits he wants filed in a number of states. A campaign official said that Stepien and Kushner had David Bossie, the head of the conservative group Citizens United and a longtime Trump ally, to lead efforts to contest vote counts in several states.
Some of the president’s allies in the Senate said they understood why he felt entrenched.
“I don’t blame him one bit for fighting for every single vote,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.
Some of the president’s campaign donors disagreed. “President Trump should go against his nature and call off the legal dogs,” said Dan Eberhart, a Trump supporter and donor, who called Biden’s victory “unfortunate.”
But even before he leaves the White House, one of Trump’s most powerful forms of communication has been diminished. Twitter has grown increasingly aggressive about flagging the president’s false statements about “illegal ballots” and demands that local state election officials stop counting ballots prematurely.
A spokesperson for Twitter, Nick Pacilio, said in a statement that the company had flagged the president’s tweets “for making potentially misleading claims about an election.
“This action is in line with our civic integrity policy,” the statement continued, “and as is standard with this warning, we will significantly restrict engagements on these tweets.”
Prominent leaders in northern Nigeria have said the region would not succumb to any blackmail or threat of restructuring or breakup of the country.
They made this known to Daily Trust while reacting to agitations for breakup and the #EndSARS protest, seen as a plot to bring down the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
At the end of a high-powered emergency meeting of northern governors in Kaduna last Monday, they described the #EndSARS protest as a plot to effect a regime change in the country.
Senate President Ahmed Lawan, Deputy Speaker Idris Maje; Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari, ministers, Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu and traditional rulers also attended the meeting.
Some of the leaders told Daily Trust exclusively that the clamour for restructuring and breakup by some southerners was part of the plot to box the North into a corner, adding that “enough is enough.’’
In an interview with our correspondents, a former governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, said the North was being taken for granted in the Nigerian project.
“This is our government and we see some machinations against northern interest in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We must stand up and call this bluff off, for heaven’s sake. Whatever you hear me say, I say so because I do not want the solidarity, loyalty and state of patriotism that drive us northerners to be lost. This is because once we lose it, Nigeria goes. I believe that very strongly.
“We are a necessary principal holder and partner of the Nigerian federation and we must not be ashamed of saying it
“One of us is the president today. And you will never see this kind of nonsense when a non-northerner is there. I am sorry and regret to say this, but that is the reality and the truth.
“We are very liberal, once a person gets to the office, we show our respect irrespective of where the person comes from. But this seems not to be the case with them. They think they are smarter, more educated and radical than we are, so they throw any garbage at us and we take it because we want the stability of Nigeria more than they do, for whatever reason,’’ he said.
An elder statesman, Tanko Yakasai, also said the #EndSARS protest was conceived with the aim of ensuring the disbandment of Nigeria as a country.
In an exclusive interview with Daily Trust in Kano, Yakasai said that after their Monday meeting in Kaduna, the northern leaders were being diplomatic with their words by positing that the EndSARS protest was hijacked by separatists.
“They did not hijack the protest; they initiated it, but to their disappointment, even the boys were not talking about restructuring. They knew that palliatives were kept in some places and directed their attention there. They forgot about the political foundation of the protest and directed themselves to where they would get something to eat,’’ he said.
He said that even if they did not discuss much about insecurity in the North during the meeting, “it was a good thing that they could bring themselves together to advise the Federal Government on what to do to deal with that situation (the EndSARS protest).
On Afenifere’s allegation that the North is fixated on ruling the country; hence their insistence that Nigeria is indivisible, Yakasai said, “I know Afenifere and I have never heard anything good from them for the country. Their concern is that they want to rule Nigeria. But we are in a democracy where you need votes, and the majority of votes in Nigeria are concentrated in the North.”
Right from the beginning, their leaders tried to get votes from the North, but unfortunately, they adopted wrong approaches, and as a result of that, they could not get the support of the majority of the people. So I know what Afenifere means. They took advantage of the military regime of the late General Sani Abacha to agitate, not only against the regime but engaged in anti-North propaganda, which is what is still playing out.
At the age of 95, I am experienced enough to know that forever, this piece of land will be here; it will not be taken to London or Saudi Arabia. The sooner the people of Nigeria, particularly the Afenifere, agree to live in peace with all Nigerians so that they can work together and create a synergy for the development of the country, the better. But if they think that brewing trouble is the solution, one day they will find out the result.”
He said the 2023 elections, like others conducted in Nigeria, had nothing to do with restructuring as being posited by some groups. He said those groups calling for Nigeria to be restructured before the next elections should “say how they want it. But according to him, every Nigerian has the same right, so nobody will dictate to others. Let them articulate their position and present it to Nigerians, but they must know that they cannot compel anybody to go with their position.’’
‘Regime change only possible through the ballot box’
Also, Anthony Sani, a former secretary-general of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), faulted the claim of the Afenifere that the North is fixated on ruling the country. He said he did not understand the basis of such allegation, considering that Nigeria practices a multiparty democracy, which thrives on majority rule. And the president of Nigeria is elected only when he garners both majority votes and 25 per cent of votes in each of the two thirds of the 36 states.
“That means the North cannot produce a president without the support of the South, considering that they have only 19 states, which do not constitute two thirds of 36 states. It is the same with the South with only 17 states.
“The reason for such provisions is to prevent a situation where sectional leaders would emerge as national leaders. More so, in the current democratic dispensation, the South has ruled more than the North. That is to say President Obasanjo ruled for 8 years and attempted a third term bid and President Jonathan ruled for five years. President Yar’adua ruled for less than three years and President Buhari has ruled for less than six years,’’ he explained.
Asked if he believed that separatists hijacked the #EndSARS protest to effect regime change as claimed by northern leaders after the meeting, Sani said, “It may be true that some vested interests hijacked the EndSARS for their own agenda, which may include making the current regime unpopular.
“I am not sure the separatists thought they could effect a regime change through protests and looting. This is because they know Nigeria practises democracy and regime change is possible only through the ballot box.”
According to him, Nigerians must also exercise patience and count the blessings of the country.
Presidency must return to South – Afenifere chieftain
A former deputy governor of Lagos State and chieftain of Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Chief (Mrs) Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, has expressed disappointment over the recent meeting of northern governors and emirs, saying the #EndSARS protest, contrary to the thinking in the North, was not aimed at hijacking power from President Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking with Daily Trust, Bucknor-Akerele also said the South was more concerned about restructuring the country than the 2023 presidential election.
“As you saw from the statement by the southern and Middle Belt leaders, the South is now uniting. What we are more concerned with is how to restructure so that we would have a more equitable country. We are not interested in 2023 at the moment. If some people are interested, the vast majority of southerners want the country to be restructured,” she said.
She said the #EndSARS protest was not an attempt to effect regime change.
“The #EndSARS protesters were against injustice, arbitrary arrest and killings. It was a protest against a government that doesn’t see that its agents are not adhering to the rule of law.
“The protesters made their aims clear. They didn’t say they wanted regime change. They wanted a change in the way we are being policed,” she added.
Bucknor-Akerele reiterated that power must return to the South to respect the rotational arrangement between the South and North, adding that to retain power in the North beyond 2023 would be tantamount to breaking up the country.
“The presidency of this country has always been rotated between the North and South. If one group thinks they can dominate the rest of us forever, they are only asking for this country to break up because people are going to resist it,” she added. (Daily Trust)
*Absence of youth representatives stalls Lagos Judicial Panel proceedings
Controversies have trailed the ex parte order obtained by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to freeze the accounts of 20 individuals and an organisation linked to the #EndSARS campaign.
Many Nigerians especially youths have taken to social media to condemn the move by the apex bank.
Also, youth representatives at the Lagos judicial panel, who had expressed outrage decided to boycott their participation at the sitting on Saturday.
Rinu Oduala, a member of the panel is said to have been affected. The Lagos Judicial Panel adjourned its sitting till November 14th because members could not form a quorum.
TheNigerialawyer had earlier reported that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja authorised the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to freeze the accounts of 20 #EndSARS promoters with immediate effect.
The accounts are domiciled in Access Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, Fidelity Bank, First Bank, United Bank for Africa, and Zenith Bank.
According to details of the order obtained, the request, filed by the apex bank on October 20, was granted by Justice Ahmed Mohammed.
Amongst those affected are Bolatito Racheal Oduala, Chima David Ibebunjoh, Mary Doose Kpengwa, Saadat Temitope Bibi, Bassey Victor Israel, Wisdom Busaosowo Obi, Nicholas Ikhalea Osazele, Ebere Idibie, Akintomide Lanre Yusuf, Uhuo Ezenwanyi Promise and Mosopefoluwa Odeseye.
One of the EndSARS promoters whose account got frozen, Adegoke Pamilerin said, “My account has been frozen for over 2 weeks. Apparently CBN froze my account before they got a court order. Nigeria My Country, where the big and mighty do as they wish”
TheNigerialawyer learnt that the court directed the banks to freeze forthwith all transactions on the 20 accounts on the list annexed to the CBN’s application as Exhibit A and all other bank accounts of the defendants and respondents for a period of 90 days pending the outcome of investigation and inquiry currently being conducted by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Many have condemned the move, describing it as an attempt to incite a second wave of #EndSARS protests across the country.
*Calls On Arewa Lawyers & Kaduna Based Lawyers Not To Interfere
Islamic Scholar, Mallam Lawal Muhammad Gusau has stated that only a muslim Legal Practitioner can defend Rahama Sadau in Shariah Court following allegations of blasphemy of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that was levied against her.
He further stated that this is based on the fact that the alleged blasphemy will be governed by Islamic law principles from Hadith & Quran and not the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He said this in a press release statement dated 7th day of November, 2020 which was made available to TheNigeriaLawyer, titled “CONDITIONS TO BE MET IN RESPECT OF RAHAMA SADAU’S ALLEGATION OF BLASPHEMY ON THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SAW)”.
Meanwhile, the scholar said: “In response to the report by BBC Hausa transmitted on the 7th day of November, 2020 that Rahama Sadau is due to arrive to Kaduna, Nigeria with her Lawyers to defend herself on the allegation of the blasphemy labeled against her”, she needs to take note of some conditions.
However, he stated that her “Lawyer(s) MUST be a Muslim by faith. This is predicated on the fact that it is only a Muslim Lawyer that can understand the proceedings of Shariah Court. It is a matter relating to Hadiths of the Prophet and Glorious Holy Quran and not a matter relating to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
He also added that the “Police should only observe their constitutional role of conveying her to Islamic Shariah Court after conducting discreet investigation of the case in issue”.
Besides, he stated that 5 persons, including a serving Minister are going to be the scholars (ulamas) to provide their opinions in the case.
“Renowned Islamic Scholars like Sheikh (Dr.) Ahmed Mahmoud Gumi, Kaduna, Sheikh Ahmed BUK from Kano State, Sheikh Kabir Haruna Gombe from Gombe State, Sheikh Nura Khalil (Digital) from Abuja and Sheikh Ali Isah Fantami (sic) (Hon. Minister of Communication) will be the Ulamas that will give Islamic interpretation with regards to the blasphemy on the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)”.
Furthermore, the scholar commends Arewa Lawyers for not defending Aminu Sharif and Umar Farouq over a similar allegation, noting that “We expect Arewa Lawyers and most particularly Lawyers from Kaduna not to interfere in Rahama Sadau’s case”.
“Finally, we wish to call on the general public to remain calm, while assuring all Muslim faithful that justice will take its course”, he concluded.
The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami has stated that there is no sufficient evidence to prosecute 33 operatives of the defunct Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS).
TheNigeriaLawyer recalls that a Presidential Investigative Panel led by the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Mr Tony Ojukwu, probed into allegations of brutalities against SARS operatives between 2018 and 2019 and submitted its report on 3rd day of June, 2019 to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Meanwhile, the report stated that 35 Police personnel in 12 states and the FCT, are wanting for various crimes including extrajudicial killing, death in police custody, unlawful arrest, biased investigation, unlawful intimidation, harassment, criminal assault, torture, cruelty, inhuman and degrading treatment, threat to life, extortion and confiscation of property, among others.
Meanwhile, the report proposed punishment such as reduction in rank and dismissal for 33 police officers while it recommended N249m compensation to 57 victims and a public apology to 35.
Conversely, the Attorney General of the Federation Committee meant to review the report of the panel has stated that the report “does not meet prosecutorial needs” as it lacked vital exhibits, such as “medical evidence and statements of the suspects”.
“The report of the panel does not meet prosecutorial needs. No proper investigation was concluded in all the cases. Admissible evidence such as exhibits, medical evidence, statements of the suspects and witnesses that can be used in court have not been obtained or recorded in the appropriate sheet from the suspects and witnesses by the appropriate investigation team.”
The report expressed concern that the indicted officers “are still in the service and ought to go through the internal police disciplinary measures to avoid prosecuting officers in uniform”.
It listed three actions that “must be taken in earnest” for the AGF office “to be able to successfully implement the panel’s recommendations”.
Among them are that the indicted officers must be made to undergo disciplinary actions and dismissed from service where necessary, while the IGP should set up a special team to further investigate the individual cases.
It stated, “The indicted officers should be made to undergo disciplinary actions immediately and dismissed where appropriate.
“That the IGP who is well aware of the sensitivity of the matter should be advised to set up a special investigation team to conduct a thorough investigation into the individual cases.
“That after thorough investigation, the cases that are federal offences or fall within the FCT will be prosecuted by the office of the HAGF while those that are state offences will be transferred to the respective states for prosecution.”
Meanwhile, the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr Dayo Apata (SAN), said on Wednesday that the recommendations of the panel for the prosecution of indicted SARS operatives would be implemented by the AGF office.
Apata, who represented the AGF at the inaugural sitting of the Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations by members of the disbanded SARS in Abuja, said the AGF and state Attorneys-General, had already scheduled a meeting on how to fashion out the strategy for the prosecution of the cases, most of which he said were state offences.
He said, “The coming weeks will be full of activities. The Attorney-General of the Federation will be meeting with states’ Attorneys-General because some of the offences are state offences.”
Former Nigeria’s President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has congratulated Mr. Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., President-Elect of the United States of America, (USA) over his victory at the presidential poll that held on Tuesday.
Biden was declared winner on Saturday after maintaining a wide lead with Trump, the incumbent president trailing behind.
In the congratulatory letter, titled: “Message of Congratulations to U.S. President-Elect, Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect, Kamala Harris, Obasanjo said “it is victory of good over evil.
‘I join millions in the United States of America and in the rest of the world who felicitate with you, President-Elect Joe Biden, for your victory. It is victory of good over evil and it is not victory for you and the people of America alone, but victory for most people of the world, majority of whom watch helplessly as the world that had been steadily and painstakingly built since the end of the Second World War was being pulled down’.
He added; “it is not victory for you and the people of America alone, but victory for most people of the world, majority of whom watch helplessly as the world that had been steadily and painstakingly built since the end of the Second World War was being pulled down.”
According to the letter, “Not that the world was perfect and equitable but it was reasonably predictable with some measure of rule of law and respect for international agreements and treaties.”
The former president added that “President-Elect Joe Biden must restore confidence in the role of America as the largest economy in the world which has a very significant responsibility for the peace, security, stability and progress of the world.”
While also felicitating with the Vice President-Elect, Kamala Harris as the first female Vice-President of the U.S., Obasanjo said: “We in Africa are proud of her success. The first African-American President of the U.S., Barrack Obama, has Kenyan DNA in him and I am reasonably sure that the first African-American female Vice President-Elect of the U.S. will have some Nigerian DNA in her as most of those taken to the Caribbean from Africa went from Nigeria of today”.
Former Attorney-General of the Federation/Minister of Justice, (SAN), has denied being briefed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to freeze accounts of EndSARS Promoters.
There were reports yesterday that lawyers representing the CBN, led by Aondoakaa, had allegedly obtained the order freezing the accounts of 20 #EndSARS promoters for 90 days.
The order was said to have been obtained pursuant to a motion ex parte filed by the CBN before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
But a statement Friday by Aondoakaa’s Head of Chambers, Abdul Ter Kohol, said the CBN did not brief Aondoakaa to freeze the accounts of EndSARS members.
Kohol added: “He (Aondoakaa) is not in a position to know the membership of EndSARS because he never received any instructions from CBN relating to EndSARS members. All the Documents filed at federal High Court Abuja in respect of the case are public documents which can be verified or obtained. CBN cannot engage Aondoakaa verbally.”
The statement challenged the online publication that accused Aondoakaa of being hired by the CBN to freeze the EndSARS supporters accounts to produce a copy of such instruction by the CBN, adding, “launching such unfair attack on the person of chief Michael Aondoakaa appears to be pursuing long perceived personal vendetta and blackmail.”
The said suit to freeze the accounts listed the 20 defendants as Bolatito Oduala, Chima Ibebunjoh, Mary Kpengwa, Gatefield Nigeria Limited, Saadat Bibi, Bassey Israel, Wisdom Obi, Nicholas Osazele, Ebere Idibie, Akintomide Yusuf, Uhuo Promise, Mosopefoluwa Odeseye and Adegoke Emmanuel.
Others include Umoh Ekanem, Babatunde Segun, Mulu Teghenan, Mary Oshifowora, Winifred Jacob, Victor Solomon, and Idunu Williams.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 365 concerned Nigerians have filed an application before the Federal High Court, Abuja, asking the court to “reject a suit by a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress [APC], which seeks to shut down Twitter, prevent it from operating within the Nigerian cyberspace, and ultimately restrict the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and media freedom in the country.”
SERAP and 365 concerned Nigerians are asking the court “for leave to be joined in the suit as parties, and to be heard as of right, as provided for under the Nigerian Constitution, 1999 [as amended], the Fundamental Rights [Enforcement Procedure] Rules, 2009, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.”
Following endorsement by Twitter Chief Executive Officer, Jack Dorsey of the #EndSARS campaign last month, a former Presidential aspirant of the APC, Adamu Garba, filed a suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1391/2020 seeking to compel the Nigerian Communications Commission [NCC] to stop the operation of Twitter International Company in Nigeria.
But in the application filed last Friday, SERAP and 365 concerned Nigerians stated: “This application is brought in the public interest. It is important to grant the reliefs being sought, for the sake of justice, and the fundamental rights of people to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and media freedom, and as millions of Nigerians will be affected by any orders that the court may make in this suit.”
According to the suit, “The Nigerian government has legal obligations under sections 39 and 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, and articles 9 and 11 of the African Chapter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights of everyone to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association and media freedom.”
SERAP and 365 concerned Nigerians are arguing that “The determination of this suit will impact our capability to use Twitter social media platform to carry out our work to promote transparency and accountability, and respect for socio-economic rights of Nigerians, as well as seriously undermine people’s fundamental rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and media freedom.”
The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare and Opeyemi Owolabi, read in part: “SERAP and 365 concerned Nigerians have shown sufficient legal interest to warrant the granting of this application, as this will serve the interest of fair hearing, guaranteed by section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution, and natural justice rule of audi alteram partem, meaning that in any dispute the court must hear the other side.”
“SERAP, 365 concerned Nigerians and other Twitter users will be grossly affected if the orders being sought by Mr Garba are granted by the court, as his suit is seeking to undermine the constitutionally and internationally recognized rights of people to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and media freedom.”
“SERAP is a registered Twitter user with the handle @SERAPNigeria which it uses to carry out its work to promote transparency and accountability and respect for socio-economic rights of everyone, especially the socially and economically vulnerable sectors of the population.”
“SERAP and 365 concerned Nigerians seek to be joined as Respondents and to be heard as of right, in line with the Nigerian Constitution and the provisions of Order XIII Rule I of the Fundamental Rights [Enforcement Procedure] Rules 2009. Under paragraph 3(d)(e) of the preamble to the Rules, we are not required or expected to disclose by affidavit any interest in the matter.”
“SERAP and 365 concerned Nigerians are also seeking an order directing Mr Garba to serve and provide us with all the originating processes and papers filed in this suit, and for such further orders or orders as this court may deem fit to make in the circumstances.”
It would be recalled that some African countries like Burundi and Sudan have in the past shut down social media in waves of repression in these countries.
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), Lagos State Attorney-General (A-G), has ordered the release of 253 persons arrested by police over their alleged roles in the unrest following the #EndSARS protests. The A-G said in a statement that his office had determined that there was a nondisclosure of a prima-facie case against the 253 persons by the police. The statement, signed by Mr. Kayode Oyekanmi, Director of Public Affairs, Lagos State Ministry of Justice and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, said 92 persons would, however, be prosecuted. The A-G said the police had, between Nov. 4 and Nov. 5, forwarded 40 case files to the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) in respect of the 361 persons arrested in respect of crimes that occurred in connection with the protests. “Legal advice has been issued in respect of all the 40 case files received. “As of Nov. 6, the Directorate has been able to despatch legal advice in respect of 81 persons that are being charged to the various courts. The others will be despatched to court on Monday, Nov. 9. “Out of the 361 persons, the DPP shall be prosecuting 92 persons for different offences ranging from arson, stealing, breaking into buildings, armed robbery, and murder. “The office has advised that 253 persons be released forthwith for non-disclosure of a prima facie case. “In the meantime, two case files in respect of 16 persons have been advised for further investigation by the police,” the statement said. The A-G in the statement assured members of the public that his office would ensure that those arrested by the police are treated in accordance with the due process of the law. Onigbanjo also noted that his office remained committed to maintaining the rule of law and ensuring peace and order in the state.
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