IPOB Leader’s Lawyer, Bruce Fein Flays British Government For Abandoning Its Citizen, Kanu Amid Illegal Detention, Rights Violations By Nigerian Government

The Working Group had declared the arrest of Kanu as unlawful and an infringement on his international human rights

Bruce Fein, the international counsel and spokesperson for Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has described the position of the United Nations Working Group as legally binding on the Nigerian government. 

The Working Group had declared the arrest of Kanu as unlawful and an infringement on his international human rights. It also called for the immediate release of the IPOB leader and compensation to be paid to him by the Nigerian and Kenyan governments for the way he was treated.  

The Working Group on arbitrary detention, under the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR), disclosed this in a statement published on its website.  

The group comprises scholars and experts who specialize in human rights issues and related laws. 

Fein had petitioned the group over an alleged gross violation of his client’s rights. 

The UN group in its report also described Kanu’s repatriation from Kenya in June 2021 as an “illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional extradition.” 

Fein in a letter to Catriona Laing, British High Commissioner to Nigeria, said Kanu is a British citizen and should be defended from a “lawless nation”. 

He asked the UK government to ask its Nigerian counterpart to comply with the UN Group’s declaration calling for the immediate, unconditional release and reparation of the IPOB leader. 

The letter reads in part, “On July 20, 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued a unanimous opinion addressing United Kingdom citizen Nnamdi Kanu’s kidnapping, torture, extraordinary rendition, and protracted detention without trial by Nigeria acting in collusion with Kenya. 

“Among other things, the Working Group Opinion called upon Nigeria ‘to take urgent action to ensure the immediate unconditional release of Mr. Kanu.’ Paragraph 107. The Opinion catalogued the serial human rights violations of Nigeria and Kenya regarding Mr. Kanu: ‘The deprivation of liberty…in contravention of articles 2, 3, 7, 8, 9,10, 11, and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and articles 2, 9, 13, 14, 16, 19, and 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights….’ Paragraph 105. 

“The villainous maltreatment of Nnamdi Kanu by Nigeria and Kenya prompted the Working Group to refer his case to Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. Paragraph 109. More than one month has elapsed since the unambiguous Working Group Opinion. 

“Nigeria has sneered at the Opinion as nothing but a scrap of paper like Belgium neutrality scorned by Germany in World War I to which Britain responded with war. 

“Once upon a time, the United Kingdom fiercely defended its citizens against lawlessness by foreign nations. It fought the War of Jenkins Ear in 1739 with Spain over an amputated ear of a British Captain by Spanish coast guards in the West Indies. 

“Nnamdi Kanu is a British citizen. He has suffered far more than Captain Jenkins at the hands of Nigeria and Kenya as corroborated and held by the U.N. Working Group. Yet you have done nothing to secure Mr. Kanu’s immediate and unconditional release as mandated by international law. Indeed, you have idled like Nero fiddling while Rome burned. You cannot claim ignorance. 

“A copy of the crystal-clear Working Group Opinion is before you. You are embarrassing the United Kingdom and the cause of human rights. Think of the stupendous contrast. The United States is moving heaven and earth to obtain the release of a United States basketball player from Russia after she pled guilty to a drug violation. It has offered to trade a notorious imprisoned arms trafficker Viktor Bout in exchange for Britney Griner’s freedom. 

“Nnamdi Kanu, unlike Mr. Griner, is innocent. He has not been convicted of any crime. Indeed, he is a victim of multiple crimes perpetrated by Nigerian and Kenyan authorities. Yet you and your superiors continue to permit Mr. Kanu to suffer in a Nigerian dungeon in flagrant violation of international law. 

“Have you no sense of decency? Has Great Britain sold its soul for a mess of pottage? Is the United Kingdom the land of Magna Carta and the immortal Winston Churchill with his dauntless denunciations of Nazi Germany? Russia’s attack on Ukraine is a tea party compared with Nigeria’s ongoing genocide of Biafrans—the Holocaust sans the gas chambers. It is not acceptable under law or God that Great Britain would declaim against the former and ignore the latter. Your silence is making Great Britain’s presidency of the United Nations Security Council a joke. 

“I regret the resort to language outside the customary euphemisms of diplomacy. But justice for Nnamdi Kanu and 70-80 million Biafrans is too important to be left to ambiguous clues or semaphore. I would respectfully request that you inform me promptly of the steps you have taken or contemplated taking to secure Nigeria’s compliance with the Working Group Opinion calling for Nnamdi Kanu’s immediate, unconditional release and reparations. 

“Nothing would gratify me more than for you to earn an honored chapter in the annals of human rights and international law.” 

Toyin Lawani: “I was raped by my uncle at 15, got pregnant”

Toyin Lawani has disclosed that she was raped at the age of 15 by her uncle and got impregnated by him.

The celebrity stylist recounted the traumatic childhood experience in a chat with media personality Chude Jideonwo.

According to her, the uncle tried to bully her into silence, but she summoned the courage to tell her aunt, who took her to the hospital to abort the pregnancy that resulted from the rape.

She said;

“I got raped by my uncle when I was 15 years and I had to go to my grandmother’s place in Ibadan. I didn’t tell my mother, but had to tell one of my aunties. They had to take me to a hospital in Ibadan, the pregnancy was about five months already because I didn’t tell anyone and it was so hard for me.My mum was so disappointed and hurt. She could not take it”.

“The person was so close to my family which is why I am so strict with my kids. I don’t trust anyone, even your brothers, sisters, anybody can betray you. Nobody can come close to my children anyhow, you can’t trust anyone, even your brothers and sisters. I lost my innocence at a very young age and I hated my mum so much for it because she wasn’t there for me; she was always at work. It traumatized me but now I understand”, she added.

Court to hear certificate forgery suit against Tinubu on september 7

The Federal High Court Abuja has fixed September 7, for the hearing of a legal suit seeking the disqualification of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), from contesting the 2023 elections for allegedly presenting the forged certificate.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed fixed the hearing, just as it granted an ex-parte order for substituted service on Tinubu who had invaded personal service of court processes.

The Plaintiffs, who are four chieftains of the APC are praying the court for an order disqualifying Tinubu from contesting or participating in the forthcoming 2023 presidential election as a candidate of All Progressives Congress on the grounds of the information he supplied to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the presidential candidate of the party.

Counsel to the Plaintiff, Goddy Uche, told the court that substituted service has become necessary because all attempts to serve the presidential candidate have proved abortive as he cannot be reached.

In a brief ruling, the Vacation Judge, Justice Mohammed ordered that the Court process to be served on the National Secretariat of APC and that such service shall be deemed as having been properly served on Bola Tinubu.

He further adjourned the case to September 7, for a hearing.

In the suit, the plaintiffs had posed the following questions for determination: Whether having regard to the provision of sections 1 (3); 4(1)and 2; 14(1),(2)(a), and (c)and 42(1)(a)and (b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,1999 (as amended), the provision of section 29(5)of the Electoral Act, 2022 as enacted by the 4th Defendant which modified the provision section 31(5) of the Electoral Act,2010(as amended) is not ultra vires the 4th Defendant and therefore unconstitutional, null, void and of no effect whatever.

Whether having regard to the decision of the Supreme Court in the case Modibbo Vs Usman (2020) 3 NWLR(PT.1712)470 and the provision of section 137(1)(j) the 3rd Defendant has not presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the 1st Defendant and thereby disqualified from participating in the forthcoming 2023 Presidential General Election.

They also prayed that upon the favourable determination of the above questions, for the  following reliefs:

A declaration of the Court that the provision of section 29(5) of the Electoral Act,2022 is ultra vires the 4th Defendant and unconstitutional, null, void, and of no effect whatsoever.

An order of the Court striking out/striking down the provision of section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022 from the Electoral Act and the body of extant laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria same being ultra vires the 4th and 5th Defendants, unconstitutional, null, void and of no effect whatsoever.

A declaration that the 3rd Defendant has presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission for the purpose of seeking to be elected into the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

A declaration that the 3rd defendant stands disqualified from participating in the 2023 presidential election as a candidate of the 2nd Defendant has presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission for the purpose of seeking to be elected into the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

An order disqualifying the 3rd Defendant from contesting or participating in the forthcoming 2023 Presidential general election as a candidate of the 2nd Defendant.

In a 33-paragraph affidavit in support of the suit deposed to by Ibiang Miko Ibiang the plaintiffs averted that Tinubu falsely swore to an affidavit in 1999 in which he claimed to have attended St. Paul Aroloya Children Home School, Ibadan -1958-64 and Government College, Ibadan -1965-68 and presented same to INEC.

That the deposition had turned out to be false and that in order to conceal the falsity of the information he submitted to INEC, he had omitted to provide any information whatsoever relating to his primary and Secondary schools in his INEC form for the 2023 election.

Culled from ChannelsTV

NIS arrest suspected arms peddlers along Nigeria-Cameroon border

The Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, has arrested three men suspected to be arms peddlers at Mfum, the border community along the Nigeria–Cameroon border.

The Comptroller in charge of Mfum Border Command, Ndubuisi Eneregbu, announced the arrest in a press statement on Sunday in Calabar.

According to the Comptroller, two Nigerians and one irregular Cameroonian migrant, who confessed to be a member of the Ambazonia separatist group, were arrested on a motorcycle with arms and live ammunitions.

“The suspects were found with among other things, a small bag containing incriminating items such as one Beretta pistol, one locally made pistol, three live ammunitions, charms and one TECNO BC3 Android phone.

“They were four suspects; the fourth person, currently at large, left them with the bag containing the incriminating items

“Preliminary investigation revealed that one of the suspects, the Cameroonian, is a member of the Ambazonia separatist group in the Republic of Cameroon.

“The three suspects along with the incriminating items have been handed over to the Divisional Police Officer Etung Division, Etung Local Government Area for further investigation,” he said.

He noted that in spite of certain logistic challenges, the officers and men were prepared to apprehend anyone found perpetrating illegalities and sabotaging the economy of the country.

Mfum is a commercial border town in Etung Local Government Area of Cross River where Nigerians and others engages in international trade.

They engage in trade by conveying commodities ranging from food items, petroleum products and more across the lines into the Republic of Cameroon.

NAN

Obidients Are Noisy, Loud, Intolerant, Proselytisers, Condescending – Senator Nnamani Lambasts Peter Obi’s Supporters

Nnamani earlier warned members of his Ebeano political family to dump the “Obidient Movement”. 

Aformer Governor of Enugu State and senator representing Enugu East senatorial district, Chimaroke Nnamani says supporters of Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi are noise makers who do not tolerate others. 

Nnamani earlier warned members of his Ebeano political family to dump the “Obidient Movement”. 

The former governor is the founder of the Ebeano political dynasty in Enugu State. 

In a post on his verified Facebook page on Sunday, the lawmaker claimed that Obi’s supporters, who are known as Obidients, are less than 0.25 percent of the entire 200 million Nigerians. 

He stated that his followers belong to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and that they cannot labour for another party to inherit. 

He said, “There is no Obidient PARTY! The name is LABOUR Party. A political party with candidates in all offices, including governorship. 

“Our party and platform is different and that is PDP. FACT If we blur the distinction and foolishly vote Obidient that is Labour Party for President? 

“For the minority ELITES it is easy to reverse 2 weeks later! For the majority over 98percent that is major “confuse’ ‘as they say on the Streets’ Confuse Yamaru” as Umu Asadu will put it! 

“Remember these advocates are Noisy, Loud, Intolerant, Proselytizers, Condescending but less than 0.25percent of our 200 million population. That is a generous guess of those propagandists controlling the NARRATIVE. Only a narrative. 

“If Obidient is Peter Obi only why field candidates in other offices? Why do we establish foundation and beach head for Labour Party? In battle do you give invaders your beach head to Land (please forgive my war analogy, for want of more graphic example) and now seek to drive them away? ebeanoFAM answer my question. The answer is blowing in the wind”. 

Buhari's Decision To Impose New Taxes On Nigerians Will Kill Businesses, Lead To Job Losses, Employers’ Association Warns

The Nigeria Employers' Consultative Association (NECA) has noted that the combination of a struggling aviation sector and roads taken over by bandits had worsened the economic situation in the country.  

This has resulted in 18.6 percent inflation, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. 

“These have continued to worsen the promotion of commerce and the increase the rate of de-industrialisation of some regions of the country,” NECA director-general Wale Oyerinde, said. 

Oyerinde asked for a comprehensive strategy to address the nation's economic difficulties, describing them as multifaceted, News Agency of Nigeria reports. 

There has never been a better time, according to Oyerinde, for the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to reevaluate its economic strategies and strengthen ties with the organized private sector. 

‘’The nation is currently faced with multiple challenges: a dire combination of spiralling inflation; rising energy cost; scarcity of foreign exchange (forex); the dwindling value of the naira, and an almost comatose aviation sector. Also, a stuttering education system; rising debt; depleting foreign reserves and rising fuel subsidy expenses, among others, threaten to lay bare the country’s economy,” Oyerinde said. 

He added, “In April 2022, the World Bank warned that the rising cost of fuel subsidy could significantly impact public finance and pose debt sustainability concerns: alas, this projection is almost happening. The fiscal performance report released recently by the government confirmed the accuracy of these projections.” 

The NECA DG, therefore, called for the start of a deliberate and economic-priority-influenced approach, along with extensive consultation with stakeholders to curb the problems. 

He said, "While the challenges of revenue shortage are acknowledged, burdening businesses with new taxes or levies will be counter-productive and self-destructive action. 

“Overburdening already burdened businesses will only result in business closure and an increase in job losses, with negative consequences for our social and economic stability." 

According to him, Buhari's government should rather broaden the tax net, reduce waste in governance, and give priorities to economic projects that will stimulate the economy and provide an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.  

This, according to him, will lay the groundwork for new foreign direct investment and potentially increase foreign exchange inflows into the country, which will boost the strength of the naira. 

The NECA director-general also urged the government to repair the four national refineries and encourage the development of modular ones as a first step toward eliminating fuel subsidies entirely. 

He also urged the regime to implement interventions aimed at raising living standards to boost consumption and enterprise sustainability to foster job creation. 

‘’While forex scarcity persists, allocation of the available forex to manufacturing and other productive sectors of the economy should be given priority,” Mr Oyerinde stated 

 

NDLEA arrests pastor with crystal methamphetamine in Akwa Ibom

A trans-border drug dealer, Pastor Anietie Okon Effiong has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, with three drums of crystal methamphetamine, locally called meth, believed to have been imported from India.

The consignment weighing 90 kilograms and loaded into a commercial bus with registration number RSH 691XC at Ojuelegba in Lagos was intercepted during a stop and search operation along Umuahia – Ikot Ekpene highway on Saturday 6th August 2022. The dangerous drug packed 30kg in each drum was meant for Pastor Anietie Okon Effiong, who was arrested in a follow up operation at Oron beach in Oron. The recovered Meth drums were meant for onward delivery to the Republic of Cameroon.

This comes on the heels of four seizures of the same illicit substance weighing 4.074kg going to Australia, Indonesia and Philippines with a 3kg cannabis sativa heading to Dubai, United Arab Emirates at some courier companies in Lagos. The consignments were concealed in body cream, hot burner iron and beads.
Meanwhile, in Sokoto, a 90-year-old retired soldier, Usman Adamu was arrested on Wednesday 3rd August in Mailalle, Sabon Birni LGA for supplying bandits illicit drugs. At the time of his arrest, the suspect was caught with 5.1kg cannabis sativa.

At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, a 37-year-old indigene of Ovia LGA, Edo State and resident in Italy; Solo Osamede has been arrested for ingesting 41 wraps of heroin. He was nabbed and taken into custody for excretion while attempting to board a Turkish Airline flight to Milan, Italy via Istanbul, Turkey on Saturday 30th July. The swallowed wraps of the illicit drug were recovered in four excretions, which the suspect completed on Monday 1st Aug.

In the same vein, a female passenger Jatau Lydia Lami was arrested at the Lagos airport for attempting to export 1,700 tablets of Tramadol 225mg concealed in her luggage to Istanbul, Turkey via a Turkish Airline flight on Sunday 31st July.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect, a mother of three, hails from Zango Kataf LGA, Kaduna State and lives in Istanbul, Turkey with her family. She blamed her action on pressure to raise N5million ransom to free her mother from the captivity of bandits who kidnapped her since June.

Also at the SAHCO export shed of the airport, attempts by some freight agents to export two consignments of cannabis in a consolidated cargo to Dubai, UAE on Thursday 4th Aug were thwarted by NDLEA operatives who have arrested two of them in follow up operations. They are: Oladipupo Oladapo Fatai and Animashaun Qudus, while two others are still at large.

In Zamfara, NDLEA operatives on Thursday 4th Aug intercepted a truck from Benin, Edo state enroute Sokoto with 50,000 tablets of Diazepam owned by a drug dealer, Umaru Attahiru, while in Kogi, 14 sacks containing 1,376 bottles of codeine based syrup weighing 190.4kg were seized along Okene-Abuja highway on Wednesday 3rd Aug.

The exhibits were found in a delivery bus coming from Onitsha, Anambra and heading to Abuja. Follow up operation in Abuja same day led to the arrest of Jude Ikenna and Ozoemene Cornelius.

In Kaduna, four suspects: Sulaiman Rabi’u; Sanusi Sha’aibu; Ma’aruf Habibu and Christian Nnachor, were arrested in Zaria, Tafa and Romi Kaduna with 106, 770 tablets of Tramadol 225mg, Diazepam, Exol-5 and 100 bottles of codeine cough syrup.

In Enugu, 143.5kg cannabis sativa was recovered from locked up stores in new market area of the state capital on Saturday 6th Aug, while in Delta, a suspect, Ike Okparachi, 42, was arrested at Abraka Junction, Asaba with 10,550 tablets of Tramadol 225mg; Swinol; Rohypnol; and 3,105 bottles of codeine syrup as well as 69grams of Molly.

Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men of the Akwa Ibom, MMIA, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kogi, Delta, Enugu, and Kaduna Commands of the Agency as well as those of the Directorate of Operation and General Investigation, DOGI for their recent feats. He charged them and others across the country to remain focused and vigilant.

Father narrates how kidnappers who demanded N50m ransom killed his son after collecting N500,000

A father, Malam Tukur, has narrated how kidnappers killed his 32-year-old son, Abdulmalik Tukur after collecting N500,000. 

The victim was abducted from his family house in Vinkilang community in the outskirt of Yola, the Adamawa state capital, alongside six others on Monday night, August 1, 2022. 

According to Daily Trust, the other five victims were said to have been separately released after ransom of up to N400,000 was paid for each of them.

Malam Tukur confirmed that the kidnappers had demanded N50 million for the release of his son. 

After three days of negotiation, an agreement was reached with the victim’s family who then sent a representative to deliver the sum of N500,000 at a spot in the bush.

A family member delivered the money around 7pm on Thursday and the kidnappers made him and Tukur to count the notes to confirm that the money was intact.

"After they helped them count the notes, they released Tukur to return home. As he started walking to freedom, they shot him without any explanation," his father said.

He said the murder left family and friends both in Yola and in their home town of Numan shocked, saying they have left the matter to God.

Abdulmalik was born in Numan and grew up in Kasuwan Izala Numan where he attended Bright future for both is primary and secondary education. He then proceeded to Futy (now Modibbo Adama University) where he earned Btech Biotechnology.

A former classmate, Chinenye Sylvester described Abdulmalik as a fun loving, intelligent, and jovial young man.

"One of the best students in my class. Full of big dreams and a friend to everyone that crosses his path. This is heartbreaking." 

"Malik is a young man full of dreams, his family struggled to give him good education by attending the best schools in town despite their economic background. Unfortunately they didn’t reap what they sow. But then as people of faith that’s the will of God." another person wrote. 

Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson break up after 9 months of dating

Reality TV star and business magnate Kim Kardashian and her actor-comedian boyfriend Pete Davidson have reportedly parted ways. As per an E! report, the two have decided to end their relationship of nine months, but remain friends.

A source close to the couple told the news portal that the reason for Kim and Pete’s break up is the “long-distance dynamic and their demanding work schedules”.

Keeping Up with the Kardashians Kim had made her relationship with Davidson Instagram official in March this year. She had posted a few love-soaked photos with the actor-comedian after the two were spotted together on numerous occasions.

According to reports, while Kim and Pete began dating in 2021, they have known each other for many years. They were often spotted going out together and in February this year, Pete referred to Kim as his girlfriend for the first time publicly during an interview with People magazine.

Both celebrities have always made headlines for their personal lives. Kim filed for divorce from rapper husband Kanye West after six years of marriage. They have four children—two daughters and two sons in 2021.

The comedian was previously in relationships with singer Ariana Grande, and actors Kate Beckinsale, Kaia Gerber, Margeret Qualley and Phoebe Dynevor. He was one of the youngest-ever cast members on SNL, while Kim’s net worth shot up to over $1 billion last year after she sold a stake in her cosmetics brand to Coty.

Unknown gunmen invade police station, kill 4 officers and burn vehicles in Imo state

 

Nigerian Police Officers were killed on Friday night, August 5, when unknown gunmen attacked the Agwa Divisional Police headquarters in Oguta Local Government Area, Imo State.

The assailants invaded the area shooting sporadically before gaining access into the station.

According to a police source, the incident has triggered tension in the entire local government.

He said the gunmen burnt some vehicles in the station and destroyed other valuable items.

"There was an attack in the station and we learnt that about four officers were killed. The total damage cannot be ascertained at the moment," he said.