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Thursday, May 11, 2023

BREAKING: UK Court Of Appeal Fixes Date To Hear Nnamdi Kanu’s Extraordinary Rendition Appeal

The United Kingdom Court of Appeal has fixed June 22, 2023 to hear the appeal of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu's extraordinary rendition.

Special Counsel to Kanu, Mr Aloy Ejimakor, who disclosed this in post on Twitter handle on Wednesday afternoon, commended the Kanu's family and his colleagues in the Bindmans LLP that are handling the matter.

According to Ejimakor, in an initial order, the Court ruled that “the grounds of appeal raise important issues.”

He wrote in his tweet: "Breaking: UK Court of Appeal to hear Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s extraordinary rendition appeal. In an initial order, the Court ruled that “the grounds of appeal raise important issues.”

"The appeal will be heard on 22nd June, 2023. Kudos to Kanu family & my colleagues, the Bindmans."


Breaking: UK Court of Appeal to hear Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s extraordinary rendition appeal. In an initial order, the Court ruled that “the grounds of appeal raise important issues.” The appeal will be heard on 22nd June, 2023. Kudos to Kanu family & my colleagues, the Bindmans.
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It was reported that Kanu remained in solitary confinement at the detention facility of the Nigeria's secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS) since he was renditioned from Kenyan in June 2021.

Although, the Nigerian government has not officially disclosed where it's security agencies abducted Kanu.

Court of Appeal, Abuja division had on October 13, 2022 discharged Kanu, of the 15-count terrorism charges brought against him by the federal government.

The appellate court, in a unanimous decision, faulted the process through which Kanu was brought before the Federal High Court to answer to a 15-count terrorism charges.
Reacting to the judgment, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, had said the appeal court only discharged and not acquitted Kanu.

The appeal court ruled that the arrest, abduction and subsequent arraignment of Kanu before a Federal High Court violated international convention on terrorism and, thus, robbed any court of law in Nigeria necessary jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

Justice Adedotun Adefope-Okijie, who read the judgement of the three-man panel, noted that there was nowhere the federal government showed it complied with the procedures for the extradition of the IPOB leader from Kenya.

The appellate court listed the conditions, according to the Organization of Africa Unity (OAU), which a state must meet to include a formal application for extradition to the host country, permission from court, and statement of the alleged offences in connection with the extradition request amongst others. The court explained that the requirements were aimed at ensuring that people were only extradited after full conviction of alleged committal of an offence and not for any other purpose.

United Nations working group on arbitrary detention and human rights violations in July 2022 issued a communication to Nigeria government demanding release of Nnamdi Kanu within six months of communication and to pay him adequate reparations. The deadline of the communication had since elapsed in December 31, 2022 and Kanu remained in solitary confinement in the DSS cell.

Several well-meaning Nigerians including Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization has severally appealed to the federal government and President Muhammadu Buhari to release Nkanu and allow a dialogue to prevail.

Nigerian Woman Trafficked To Ghana For Sex Slavery, Cries Out For Help From Captivity

It was gathered that Ola went missing over two weeks ago after she was trafficked to Ghana with her friend for prostitution by a Nigerian woman who promised to give them well-paying jobs.

A24-year-old Nigerian woman who identified herself as Oyindamola Ola, has been trafficked to Ghana by an unknown Nigerian woman and is currently being held hostage for prostitution.
It was gathered that Ola went missing over two weeks ago after she was trafficked to Ghana with her friend for prostitution by a Nigerian woman who promised to give them well-paying jobs.
A source said that Ola, who is currently being held hostage by her buyers, has now cried to be rescued from her captors.
She was reportedly able to put out a distress call via someone's phone from Ghana as her phone had been seized.
In the account shared by PIDOM Nigeria, she explained that a woman took her and her friend to Ghana after promising them a good job offer but on getting to Ghana, things changed as the woman kept her somewhere with someone and left with her friend.
She waited for the woman and her friend but they did not come back and after a day, she was informed that she had been sold for prostitution.
Ola said she resisted, insisting that she could not do prostitution, and told the people holding her hostage that the woman who brought them to Ghana promised them a decent job, which was why they followed her.
However, despite her resistance and explanations, the people insisted that she must do prostitution or pay them the sum of N500,000 before they could let her go, but Ola told them she did not have such an amount of money, and they made it clear to her that they would never let her go without paying them back the N500,000.
Ola lamented that they held her hostage, seized her phone and took her to a shrine for voodoo, where they cut a part of her hair and forced her to take an oath that she would become mad if she left for Nigeria without paying the N500,000 they paid to the woman who trafficked her and her friend.
She lamented that she wanted to return to Nigeria but she was being held in Ghana against her wish, adding that she did not know exactly where she was, nor did she know the whereabouts of her friend.
https://twitter.com/PIDOMNIGERIA/status/1656535918788980737

BREAKING: Bloodbath In Benue As Fulani Herdsmen Kill 28 Residents In Guma Local Council, Army, Police Operatives Demand Money To Find Corpses

SaharaReporters gathered that the residents were gruesomely killed by the jihadist terrorists and herdsmen in the local government area between Sunday and yesterday, Wednesday.



No fewer than 28 people have been killed by Fulani herdsmen in renewed attacks on Mbawa Council Ward in the Guma Local Government area of Benue State, North Central Nigeria.
SaharaReporters gathered that the residents were gruesomely killed by the jihadist terrorists and herdsmen in the local government area between Sunday and yesterday, Wednesday.
Sources who spoke to SaharaReporters on Thursday, accused the Nigerian Army and Police of complicity in the one-month daily attacks in Guma LGA.
A resident of the place who gave his name simply as Barnabas confirmed the ongoing attacks on the Mbawa Council Ward, regretting that soldiers and policemen brought to protect the people did nothing to stop the herdsmen wielding sophisticated weapons.
According to him, the police operatives are also demanding N100,000 to search for corpses of those killed on their farmlands.
He said "Since 2018 up till today our community and other Communities in Guma local government have been under Fulani herdsmen attacks. But now it is getting worse especially since two weeks now, we have not rested in this community.
"Between Sunday and Wednesday, they have killed 28 persons. On Wednesday being yesterday they killed seven, on Tuesday they killed eight, on Monday they killed seven and on Sunday it was six they killed. So that is how it continues, it has become a daily massacre and it is even close to Internal Displaced Camp (IDPs) in Daudu in Mbawa Council Ward and the army camp is also there. In fact soldiers can see those Fulanis with weapons and they will not do anything.
"Last week the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Guma police division; I don't know how he managed to get the Fulanis and called all our chiefs and some elders for a meeting with the Fulanis. At the meeting he told our people that the Fulanis want to come and live in our community and that we should allow them to live with us.
"Recently the same Fulanis killed 36 persons and today they are here saying that they want to come and live with the same people.
"There is military and police presence and every day, they are killing our people; not one, not two, not three. Each and every day the killing continues and the federal government and security agencies are not saying anything. This is how people are dying every day. This is genocide; they want to swipe us out.”
He added, “Among the seven persons they killed on Thursday, four of them were volunteer guards and three were our comrades. They were killed and one was found and two are still in the bush. It is now that the people are preparing to use vehicles to go for the second time to look for their corpses and security agents are here. We even went to the police station here and DPO asked that we should look for N100,000 to give them to escort us to look for their corpses."
Lamenting the complicit of the security agencies especially the military and police, Barnabas said that when they went to the bush with some soldiers and policemen to recover the corpses of those killed that at a point, soldiers asked them not to go further that Fulanis were in the forest nearby with guns.
"How did they know? For me the security agencies are accomplices in the ongoing killings in our communities," he stated.
However, SaharaReporters efforts to get the reaction of the Benue police command were unsuccessful as the Command's spokesperson, CSP Sewuese Anene, did not take calls.

Tribunal Adjourns Peter Obi’s Petition Against Tinubu’s Election Victory To May 17

The hearing of the petition submitted by Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate at the President Election Petitions Tribunal has been adjourned till next Wednesday, May 17.


Kenneth Okonkwo, the spokesperson for the party’s presidential campaign council, disclosed this on Wednesday via his Twitter page.

The petition is against the ‘president-elect’, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.

The court adjourned the hearing of the petition on the request for adjournment by parties to the petition.

Okonkwo said, “After a brief hearing of the matter, the court adjourned to Wednesday 17th of May, 2023, for continuation of hearing.”

“We believe God for a positive outcome with your supplications to God,” he added.

It was earlier reported that the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal earlier on Wednesday dismissed the petition of the Action People’s Party challenging the declaration of Tinubu as the winner of the February 25 presidential election and subsequent declaration as the 'president-elect'.

The dismissal of the petition followed an application by the party to withdraw its petition challenging the outcome of the election.

Counsel for the party, Obed Agu, disclosed this during Wednesday’s proceedings.

In view of the application, the presiding judge of the Presidential Election Petition Court, Justice Tsammani, in a brief ruling dismissed the suit.

Similarly, on Monday, the tribunal struck out the petition by the Action Alliance (AA) challenging Tinubu’s victory.

The AA earlier withdrew its petition at the Presidential Election Petition Court sitting in Abuja, prompting the dismissal.

No reason was given for the withdrawal.

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Autopsies on corpses found in mass graves linked to a church : Police

The police in Kenya have said that autopsies carried out on corpses found in mass graves linked to a religious cult in Kenya have revealed missing organs, thereby raising suspicions of forced organ harvesting.


Investigators said that a fresh round of exhumations was set to resume Tuesday (today).
Recall that over hundred corpses were discovered in mass graves in April near the Indian Ocean coastal town of Malindi in Kenya.
The discovery has stunned the deeply religious Christian-majority country in what has been dubbed the “Shakahola forest massacre”.
Police in the country believe that most of the bodies belong to followers of a self-styled pastor, Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, who has been accused of ordering the followers to starve to death “to meet Jesus.”
But the latest revelation showed that starvation appears to be the main cause of their death, the chief government pathologist, Johansen Oduor, reportedly said that some of the victims including children were strangled, beaten, or suffocated.
The Punch reports that court documents filed on Monday said that some of the corpses had their organs removed while police alleged that the suspects were engaged in forced organ harvesting.
Chief Inspector, Martin Munene, said in an affidavit filed to a Nairobi court that “Post-mortem reports have established missing organs in some of the bodies of victims who have been exhumed.”
He added that it is “Believed that trade on human body organs has been well coordinated involving several players,” but gave no details about the suspected trafficking.
Munene said that a high-profile televangelist, Ezekiel Odero, who was arrested last month in connection with the same case and granted bail on Thursday had received “huge cash transactions,” allegedly from Mackenzie’s followers who sold their property at the cult leader’s bidding.
The Nairobi court ordered the authorities to freeze more than 20 bank accounts belonging to Odero for 30 days.
So far, a total of 112 people have been confirmed dead, according to the Kenyan Interior Minister, Kithure Kindiki, who spoke on the matter on Tuesday after arriving in Malindi to supervise the resumption of exhumations, which had been suspended last week because of bad weather.
 Kindiki said that “Search and rescue efforts for persons suspected to be holed up in the thickets and bushes have been going on.”
Meanwhile, there have been questions about how the self-styled cleric, Mackenzie, managed to evade law enforcement despite a history of extremism and previous legal cases against him.
It was gathered that Mackenzie, who was a taxi driver turned himself in on April 14th after police acting on a tip-off first entered Shakahola forest where some 30 mass graves have now been found.
Prosecutors are reportedly asking to hold the father of seven, who founded the Good News International Church in 2003, for another 90 days until investigations are completed.
Senior principal magistrate Yusuf Shikanda said he would rule on the request on Wednesday.

Senate Chief Whip, Orji Kalu Writes Ruling APC, Insists On Senate President Despite Party’s Choice Of Ex-Minister, Akpabio

Kalu's ambition was expressed in a letter he wrote on Monday to the APC leadership and 108 senators-elect, in which he positioned himself as the best contender for the position.

Orji Kalu, the Senate Chief Whip, has written to the ruling All Progressive Congress about his “Senate President” ambitions, only hours after the party announced former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, as its handpicked candidate for the position.
Kalu's ambition was expressed in a letter he wrote on Monday to the APC leadership and 108 senators-elect, in which he positioned himself as the best contender for the position.
The former Abia State governor who said in April that it was his turn to become the Senate President, declared that he had what it took to ensure the success of the 10th Senate.
He wrote, “It is with a deep sense of joy and humility that I bring you warm greetings and that of the Abia north senatorial zone. My emergence as the senator to represent Abia north in this critical time in the history of our dear nation comes with huge responsibilities, top of which is to make quality laws for the good governance of our people.
“To be able to achieve these enviable goals, we require good leaders who will pilot the affairs of the 10th senate. Leadership of a sophisticated senate at the 10th session will need men and women with abundance of shared vision, consensus building, charisma, credibility, and pragmatism in the saddle.
“This is why I most humbly write to officially inform you of my interest to be elected the next Senate President. I make this offer to serve you and the Nigerian people with sincerity of heart, humility, and candor.
“The biggest asset I bring to the table is wisdom and experience garnered over the years in the management of human and material resources.
“I promise to work for you, promote and defend the constitution and the party, and foster a congenial and cordial relationship between the party, the executive and judiciary.

“One thing is indubitably certain: working together in unity and mutual love and respect, we can take Nigeria to the next level of peace, progress, and development.” 

There Is No Reason To Waste Your Time – South-West Monarch, Ooni Of Ife Asks Atiku, Peter Obi, Supporters To Accept 'President-Elect' Tinubu

The Yoruba king made the statement while welcoming a team led by Kenyan President, William Ruto, at the Lagos State annex of his palace.



Nigerian first-class monarch, the Ooni of Ife, has urged the supporters of the flag bearers of opposition parties, particularly Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi to declare their support for the incoming administration of the “President-elect”, Bola Tinubu.

The Yoruba king made the statement while welcoming a team led by Kenyan President, William Ruto, at the Lagos State annex of his palace.

Francis Koskie, Kenya's chief of staff, Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Group, Harry Ebohen, CEO of Propetrol, Dapo Abiodun, Governor of Ogun State, and Kunmi Demuren, a fintech executive, were among the delegation members.

The team had also met with Tinubu to discuss how Africa might work together to achieve collective development, PM Nigeria News reports.

During their visit, Ooni urged all Nigerians to rally behind Tinubu in order to establish a better Nigeria.
He said: “As the presidential inauguration approaches, I beseech you all, young and old, Obidients and Atikulates, hopeful and weary, amiable and passionate, to lay down your arms.

“There is no reason to waste time looking back; all we have is today and the future. Now is the time to embrace our diversity and uniqueness
“We may differ in opinions and approaches to achieving a better Nigeria, but we all want a nation that we can be proud of. Let us come together to support the vision of Asiwaju Gbogbo Ile Oodua.”

Speaking further at the event, Ooni said: “Symbolically, Nigeria remains Africa’s largest economy, most populous nation, and a political powerhouse. During my last visit, the Kenyan President assured me of his government’s unwavering determination to improve its nations’ and businesses’ footprints in Nigeria. I identify with Kunmi Demuren, my son and formidable partner, a fintech guru known globally for excellence. With me also was my ever-friendly and charismatic governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, who shares in the vision of new Africa, and I must pay tribute to Mr. Harry Ebohen, Propetrol’s CEO, is a business genius with extensive experience in the oil and gas and banking industries and most importantly, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

“Indeed, Africa is a continent of boundless possibilities not only of the past, but also of the present and the future. President William Ruto is impeccably devoted to work with Nigeria to lead the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) while creating an innovative future for our young people. The ambition of Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who developed Africa’s largest oil refinery and the world’s largest single-train facility, has left its imprint on the remarkable story of Africa and AfCTA. Africa is the world’s engine, and we must remodel its priceless natural resources and safeguard its age-old wealth for our progress.”

Saturday, April 29, 2023

2023 Presidential Election Is Worst In Nigerian History; Your Party Rigged, Didn't Win Because Of Anybody's Overconfidence – Labour Party Lambasts Buhari

The Labour Party (LP) has described President Muhammadu Buhari's position on the outcome of the February 25 presidential election as false and untrue.



Buhari had declared that Bola Tinubu of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), won the February 25 presidential election.

The president had maintained that the opposition parties lost the election because of their “overconfidence, complacency and bad tactical moves,” which he maintained also created more problems for them than anyone else.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, had noted that Buhari said this on Thursday when he received the Progressive Governors Forum led by their Chairman, Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State at his residence in the State House.

Buhari asserted that while the APC was working hard to retain power in the recent elections, the combined opposition was busy telling their foreign backers that they would defeat the APC.

The Peoples Democratic Party earlier calling on the international community to impose a visa ban on the Nigerian leader.

The party noted that the President position is not a true reflection of what played out during the election, claiming that Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) did not win the election.

However, the Labour Party’s Acting National Secretary, Obiorah Ifoh, in a statement reply to the President, said Buhari’s position on the outcome of the said election was false, untrue, and it was not a true reflection of what played out during the election.

He said; “There are several reasons why opposition political parties lost the 2023 election; the first is that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC snubbed the electoral act wherein it failed to upload the result from the polling unit in real time as promised and in disregard to the laws guiding the election. The INEC by so doing, created room for that election to be rigged,” the Friday statement read.

"The current APC president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu didn’t win the election, because the said election, particularly, the presidential election was manipulated and rigged beyond comprehension. So political parties didn’t lose the election because of overconfidence or complacency as proffered by Mr. President. APC in collaboration with the various government agencies simply rigged the election and rigged themselves into power.

“Let me remind Mr. President of the magnitude of violence, ballot snuffing, snatching and manipulations of results from the collation centres using security agencies, which included police, army amongst others as well as thugs to manipulate elections in favour of the ruling party.

“Recently, we saw the show of shame that took place in Adamawa. What played out in Adamawa was a microcosm of what played out all over the states during the February 25 and March 18 elections in Nigeria. Why the case of Adamawa was given huge publicity and attention was because of the involvement of an INEC National commissioner who was a victim, thus forcing INEC to take prompt action.

“From Lagos to Rivers, from north to southern parts of the country, all over, violence characterised that election. In most cases, some agents and supporters were not allowed access to the polling units.

“All of these put together, do they amount to overconfidence and complacency on the part of the opposition party? It shows that the President who promised Nigerians that he was going to give Nigerians a free, fair and credible election simply failed in his duty in giving Nigerians the election they deserved.

“The 2023 general election is the worst election the country ever had since the current republic; since 1999 to date. The 2023 general election is the worst ever as reported by virtually all the international observers and communities. In fact, the election took Nigeria back to the days of the First and Second Republics where political thugs, where violence and thuggery characterized politics and elections.

“So Mr. President is completely wrong. I believe that he was ill-advised. It was erroneous for him to say that opposition parties lost the election because of overconfidence. In fact, Labour Party won the election but it was brazenly stolen by APC. Mr. President is aware of the fact that APC did not win the election and that it was stolen,” the statement added.

Sahara Reporter

Simon Ekpa is not our member – IPOB

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has distanced itself from the self acclaimed Prime Minister of Biafra Government in Exile (BRGIE) Si...