Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has challenged the Nigeria Bar Association to work towards reforming the Nigerian judicial processes to ensure the speedy dispensation of justice in the country.

Professor Osinbajo posed the challenge on Wednesday when he virtually declared open the Annual National Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association in Lagos, where he represented President Muhammadu Buhari.

The vice president wants to see judicial reforms that will fast track all court cases so that the longest will be a maximum of 15 months.

“Reform is urgent because the fabric of our society is stitched together by our system of justice and law enforcement,” he said.

“We cannot afford to have the stitches come undone. The first issue I would like to commend to your consideration is the terribly slow pace of trials in our courts.”

For Osinbajo, fixing a time limit as has been done with cases in the Supreme Court might lead to speedy trials.

“My question then is that why can’t we have timeliness on all cases? Why can’t we put in place the rules that will state that a criminal trial all the way to the Supreme Court must not exceed 12 months in duration?

“Why can’t we do the same for civil cases even if we say it that civil cases must not go beyond 15 months – between 12 and 15 months? I think that for me will be stepping forward.

“The question of speed raises a related concern in the context of a competitive global economy, a speed of our legal institutions and processes must match up with the global pace of transactions,” he said.

Besides speedy dispensation of court cases, Osinbajo noted that multiple and conflicting court orders are making a mockery of the judicial process while highlighting the need for reforms in that area.

Source: Channels TV

Sunday Shodipe, a suspected serial killer in Ibadan, Oyo state capital, says a herbalist mounted pressure on him to escape from police custody.

The 19-year-old disclosed this on Wednesday when he was paraded by Nwachukwu Enwonwu, the state commissioner of police.

Shodipe was arrested alongside two others in June in connection with a series of killings in Akinyele local government area of the state.

He, however, escaped from Mokola station where he was kept on August 11 but was rearrested on Sunday.

Explaining his escape, Shodipe said he fled the police station to carry out rituals in the interest of one Idris Ajani, a 50-year-old herbalist he was arrested with.

He said the herbalist threatened him in custody, saying there would be dire consequences if he did not escape to continue the killings.

He added that he killed another woman while he was on the run.

“Baba( herbalist) had been telling Officer Funsho to open the gate to allow us to take our bath but the officer did not answer him,” Shodipe said.

“Baba later told the officer that he needed to drink gin as an herbalist to prevent spirits from draining his blood but the officer still did not answer him.

“Baba had been blaming me for telling the police and the public that he was the one that sent me to kill and that I would have been released from the custody if I had been untruthful.

“Baba also told me that something terrible might happen to him if he stayed too long in police custody because of the sacrifices he had not been performing since his arrest.

“So, when the police later allowed me to go and bath in the evening at about 7.pm, I used the opportunity to escape and went to Akinyele to kill another woman.

“Baba sends me out and tells me to kill by reciting his name, Idris Adedokun Yunusa Ajani, in incantations. So, I killed the women to ensure Baba’s safety.”

The suspect added that he ran to Bodija where he was rearrested to fend for himself by carrying a luggage using a cap to conceal his identity.

Enwonwu said Shodipe, who was in police custody due to the congestion at the Nigeria Correctional Service facility in the state, would now be taken to the facility.

“The police officer involved in Shodipe’ s case is paying dearly for it and he is still in police custody facing disciplinary action which has been completed at the level of the command and forwarded to Abuja,” Enwonwu said.

The Chairman, Board of Directors, First Bank of Nigeria, Ibukun Awosika wants Nigerians to take their destiny in their own hands and build the country.

Awosika who was speaking during the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) 2020 Conference on Tuesday, believes that instead of complaining about issues plaguing the country, Nigerians, particularly lawyers, would have to take extra steps to address those challenges.

“With all due respect and no offence meant,” she said, “I just want us to know that for us to build a nation we all dream of, the one we complain about every day, we are going to have to go outside of ourselves; we are going to have to decide that enough is enough and it is time to use everything that we have to make a difference.”

According to her, the NBA should take stock of its activities since existence and reflect on the impact the body has had over the years.

For the banker, the NBA has all it takes to be a major building block in the country, citing their knowledge and expertise as well as number.

“For sixty years with thousands of members, with thousands of lawyers and many new lawyers graduating every year, how has the country been fully impacted by the knowledge that we have and the understanding that we possess in terms of building an equitable country where justice reigns? she asked.

Awosika added that whether at the political or judicial level, the NBA, has “the strength of number, we have the capacity through knowledge. We have the power of influence at every level.”

‘Am I a Nigerian?’

This year’s NBA conference runs from August 24-26, 2020, and will have several dignitaries including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), in attendance.

The event will also see the former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi; Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and a former Education Minister, Obiageli Ezekwesili speaking.

According to the NBA, the theme of this year’s conference is: ‘Am I a Nigerian – A Debate on National Identity, the Indigeneship-Citizenship Conundrum.”

The Federal Executive Council has approved N722.3 million for eight field forensic auditors to audit the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The payment will come directly from the Presidency as the National Assembly is on break and the 2020 budget for the NDDC has not been passed.

Channels Television learned the field auditors will also look into the 12,000 abandoned projects in the Niger Delta.

The Minister of Niger Delta, Mr Godwill Akpabio, disclosed this on Wednesday after the virtual FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The NDDC became a subject of controversy over allegations of corruption in the award of contracts and the non-payment of Nigerian scholars under the payroll of the commission.

Following this, the National Assembly invited Akpabio and the NDDC boss, Daniel Pondei to probe the activities of the agency.

Appearing before the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC in a public hearing on July 20, Akpabio accused the lawmakers of benefitting from most contracts awarded by the commission.

However, this did not go down well them as the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila threatened a legal action should the Minister fail to name the purported lawmakers involved in the contracts.

The House also asked Akpabio, to publish the names of the members of the National Assembly who got contracts.

In a statement issued on July 28, the spokesman for the House and Committee Chairman on Media Affairs and Publicity, Benjamin Kalu, said that the minister had alleged that 60 percent of all the NDDC projects were awarded to members of the lawmakers between the months of January and May 2020.

Kalu explained that following the claim, the leadership of the 9th House issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Akpabio to publish a list of the lawmakers.

The House spokesman revealed that the lawmakers evaluated the minister’s letter and the directive to press charges against him have not been lifted.

Also, President Buhari reacted to the controversy trailing both the commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The President who spoke after the Sallah service on July 31, said some people trusted by his administration have abused the privilege.

Senate Joint Committee on Finance and National Planning has directed the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris, to investigate the payment of $18.323billion being dividends accrued to the country from the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited, between 2004 and 2020.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Solomon Adeola, gave the directive following disclosures from NLNG officials during the panel’s stakeholders’ interactive session on the 2021-2023 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP), in Abuja.

Adeola, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Kayode Odunaro, in Abuja, the AGF was mandated to investigate the amount was actually remitted to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and how much was actually remitted to the Federation Account.

The AGF was also to determine if there was any deduction by NNPC, how much was deducted and who authorized the deductions as well as the exchange rates that applied for the amount that was remitted over the years under reference.

According to the statement, Mrs. Eyono Fatai-William, the general manager (External Relations and Sustainable Development) of NLNG had presented a financial summary of the company from 1999-2019 and said the NLNG had paid a dividend of over $18 billion to Nigeria between 2004 and 2019.

Fatai-William also insisted that the NLNG is committed to a culture of transparency and integrity.

However, when Adeola asked the Accountant General of the Federation, to confirm if the dividend was actually paid into the Federation Account, he said it was difficult to immediacy determines if it had been paid because the dividend is usually paid to the NNPC – that represents the Federal Government in the NLNG.

Adeola therefore directed the Accountant General to investigate the payment and report back to the Senate within two weeks.

Nigeria has about 53 per cent shares in the NLNG, according to the statement.

A Senior magistrate court of Katsina State in Funtua has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of two (2) officers in the Department of State Services (DSS) in Katsina State namely Ibrahim Abubakar and Usman Abubakar for assaulting a practicing lawyer, Naziru Suleiman Esq.

“Their arrest warrant was due to their absence before the court without satisfactorily excusing themselves, which constitute disrespect to the court and therefore a contempt”, as quoted in the order.

In the court order seen by Katsina Post dated 12th of August and signed by Shamsu Umar, the magistrate court asked the Commissioner of Police Katsina State to effect the arrest under the provisions of Sections 24 (1) and 30 (f) and 62(1) of ACJL Katsina State.

“The Court having heard the Application for the bench warrant against the defendants from the learned counsel to the complainant for the absence of defendants before the court for their trial.

“The Court is of the view that the application is of merit by the following reasons: Firstly, as rightly stated by the learned Counsel for the Complainant, this case is a criminal before the Court and the presence of the defendants is necessary couple with the fact that the duplicate of the Court summon is signed by one Abubakar Abdullahi of DSS Office Katsina on 5 August 2020.

“Also that the Court bailiff have sworn to an Affidavit of Service to the effect of carrying out the service as ordered by the Honourable Court which request the Director DSS Office in Katsina to serve the defendants who are his personnel serving at Funtua Office for their appearance before this Honourable Court for their trial.

“Their absence today before this Honourable court without satisfactorily excusing themselves, Constitute to disrespect to the Honourable Court and therefore a contempt, accordingly bench warrant is hereby issued against the defendants, the arrest warrant shall be issued to Commissioner of Police Katsina State to effect the arrest under the provisions of Sections 24 (1) and 30 (f) and 62(1) of ACJL Katsina State 2019.

“The case is adjourn to 27″ of August 2020 for Mention.”

The arrest warrant was issued following application for direct criminal complaint of criminal conspiracy 59 (2), assault or criminal force 237, criminal intimidation 373, (a) and use of insulting or abusive language contrary to section 375 and 372 penal code by a team of fifteen (15) lawyers led by Lawal Amah Esq dated 14th July, 2020 before the court requesting for criminal summons to against the Defendants.

“Kindly cause a criminal summons to issue against the Defendants on the following terms:

“The Complainant in the course of discharging his constitutional duties. On the 10” July, 2020 at about 6:02pm went to the office of department of state services (DSS) to accompany his client invited by the department.

“On reaching the department office at Funtua The Complainant was accosted by the Defendants To the extent that the defendant slapped the Complainant and pushed him out of his office as if that is not enough, they went on to intimidate and insult the Complainant by uttering the following word:

“Dan ubanka ka fita duk wanda zaka gaya mawa, ka gaya mashi nan ba katu bace” meaning: “This is not court of law, go and tell anybody you so wish”.

“Na bugi banza, rubuce-rubuce ne suje suyi, ba abinda zai faru, Meaning:

“I have beaten an idiot and that nothing will happen let them write to anywhere”.

“Your worship it is on these premise we are lodging a Complaint of criminal conspiracy 59 (2) assault or criminal force 237 criminal intimidation 373 (a) and use of insulting or abusive, language contrary to section 375 and 172 Penal Code Law Katsina State 2019”.

katsinapost

The Vacation Judge, Lagos Judicial division of the National Industrial Court, His Lordship, Hon. Justice Isaac Essien has dismissed the preliminary objection filed by the National President- National Union Of Food, Beverage And Tobacco Employees, Comrade Lateef Oyelekan and 18 others challenging the jurisdiction of the Court to hear the matter brought by Comrade Abiodun Philip and 29 others for lacking merit.

The Court held that an intra union dispute which relates to the interpretation and application of the constitution of the union can be filed in the court and the court is vested with original jurisdiction to hear and determine the matter.

From facts, the Applicant had filed a preliminary objection sought for an order striking out/dismissing the suit for want of jurisdiction on the grounds that the case is an intra-union dispute which must be subjected to the provisions of the Trade Dispute Act, that the subject matter has been apprehended by the minister of Labour and Employment and the suit discloses no reasonable cause of action and also abuse of court process.

In response, Comrade Abiodun Philip and 29 others argued that by the content of the affidavit and the prayers sought for in the originating summons, the suit discloses a reasonable cause of action urged the court to dismiss the objection.

In his ruling, the presiding Judge, Justice Essien held that where the subject matter of intra union dispute revolves around or relates to the interpretation and application of a trade union constitution, that the court has original jurisdiction to hear any suit brought in that respect.

“It is, therefore, logical to say that intra union dispute cannot be brought to this court in its original jurisdiction. However, once the intra union dispute relates to the interpretation and application of the constitution of a trade union, S.2(1) of the Trade Dispute Act must bow to the superior authority of the constitution, this leads us to what was the subject matter of the originating process.”

Visit Judgment’s Portal for full ruling.

A group has resolved to truncate the forthcoming inauguration of the NBA President-elect, Mr. Olumide Akpata by securing an injunctive order of a Court through a “friendly” Judge.

This was a resolution at a virtual meeting of the Group held on 20th day of August, 2020 which was attended by prominent Lawyers in Nigeria.

This development is coming in the wake of the keenly contested July 2020 NBA elections.

The Group appears to have taken over sectional platform to vent their misgivings and legitimize their grievances about the election.

It gathered that at the virtual meeting, the Group, while claiming that the election which had over 19,000 lawyers voting was a fraud, boasted that they will use the instrumentality of Nigerian court system to truncate the inauguration scheduled for 29th August 2020.

A source disclosed that the meeting was attended by one of the contestants in the concluded elections with his supporters who are prominent Lawyers.

At the meeting, these prominent supporters made it clear that they were perfecting plans to obtain an injunctive relief from a friendly judge.

The meeting attendees further resolved to create a rival body to the NBA. Particularly, the prominent supporters were in a hurry to approve a new draft constitution for the Group and concluded that it was time to form a parallel body to the NBA.

They set this in motion by setting up a committee to finalize the details the constitution of this parallel organisation.

In a related development, a prominent Lawyer, had at the meeting boasted of rallying some first-class traditional rulers to call the Ooni of Ife and impress on him not to receive the NBA President-Elect at his palace two Sundays ago.

This development is worrisome, and it appears the intent is targeted at frustrating the efforts of the President-Elect of the NBA and his team as they gear up for the commencement of the new administration.

Lawyers and indeed Nigerians are hoping that the Group will allow reason to prevail and desist from the path being towed for the good of the NBA.