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Boris Johnson to back bid to overturn Owen Paterson lobbying inquiry

Boris Johnson will back an unprecedented bid to overthrow an independent inquiry that found the former cabinet minister Owen Paterson committed an “egregious” breach of lobbying rules.

Tory MPs will be instructed by party whips on Wednesday to avoid imposing an immediate 30-day suspension on their colleague by backing a motion that argues the initial probe by the parliamentary standards commissioner was flawed. Instead, a new committee would be set up to review the evidence.

The body would be chaired by the Conservative backbencher John Whittingdale and consist of four other Tories, three Labour MPs and one from the Scottish National party tasked with examining ways of overhauling the standards process, including giving those accused the power of appeal and making it more consistent with the “principles of natural justice”.

Andrea Leadsom, the former Commons leader, will propose the amendment during a debate on Wednesday about Paterson’s conduct and it is understood the chief whip, Mark Spencer, will tell other Tory MPs to support it.

Last week an investigation by the parliamentary commissioner for standards, Kathryn Stone, concluded Paterson “repeatedly” used his position as an MP to benefit two firms who paid him as a consultant. Her report said he worked for Randox and Lynn’s Country Foods and had made approaches to the Food Standards Agency and Department for International Development ministers about the companies.

Paterson said he was not guilty and “a fair process would exonerate me”. He described the process as “a major contributory factor” in the death of his wife, Rose, who killed herself last year.

A number of MPs are supporting Paterson and trying to overturn or dilute the standards committee recommendation of a 30-day suspension from parliament.

The amendment set to be proposed by Leadsom tomorrow will say that a new committee should report its findings by the start of February 2022, with a motion proposing changes to the standards committee system presented to the Commons within five days.

Other bids will also be launched to spare Paterson a long ban from parliament that could trigger a byelection. Tory MPs Dr Julian Lewis, William Wragg and Peter Bone have proposed he face no sanction “on compassionate grounds” related to his wife’s death.

Whether the amendments are selected will be a matter for the Commons Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle. He will announce on Wednesday afternoon which – if any – will be voted on when MPs begin a 90-minute debate on the report into Paterson released last week.

Bernard Jenkin, one of four Tory MPs who sits on the standards committee, recused himself from discussions during the investigation as he is a close friend of Paterson’s. Jenkin was said to have played a role in mobilising MPs to vote to prevent his suspension. Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative party leader, has also tried to drum up support for Paterson among the 2019 intake of Tory MPs.

Chris Bryant, a Labour MP and chair of the standards committee, said Leadsom’s amendment would be unjust. He told the Guardian: “The definition of injustice is you change the rules in the midst of the process. This would create a special system for one person and is completely unfair.”

His committee found Paterson broke multiple rules when he lobbied the government on behalf of Randox, a clinical diagnostics company, and Lynn’s Country Foods, a processor and distributor of meat products. The committee’s report said: “No previous case of paid advocacy has seen so many breaches or such a clear pattern of behaviour in failing to separate private and public interests.”

Paterson claimed he was acting as a whistleblower when he raised concerns about bacon and milk standards with the Food Standards Agency and Department for International Development but the commissioner said his mitigation “did not meet the conditions for this exemption”.

On only two occasions since the second world war have suspensions been contested in the Commons, it is thought, but never has one been downgraded or removed. A senior Tory MP said: “It’s a question of tempering justice with mercy. I do wonder – in the context of what he’s been through – if triggering a recall petition is an appropriate sanction.”

Thangham Debbonaire, the shadow leader of the Commons, said if Leadsom’s amendment passed, it would signal a “return to the worst of the 1990s Tory sleaze culture”. She added: “The Tories want to jettison the systems that has served us well and which has been a vital part of rebuilding public trust after the dark days of Tory sleaze this government seems determined to return to.”

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Rivers: Police detain 5 over CDC chairman’s death

The Police Command in Rivers has apprehended five suspects over the alleged killing of Chief Ndidi Livingstone, a former Community Development Committee (CDC) Chairman, Mgbuoshimini, Rumueme, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Disu Olatunji, told newsmen in Port Harcourt that after the killing, the command launched a nationwide manhunt to apprehend the perpetrators.

It would be recalled that Livingstone was murdered in front of his wife and son during a church service in his community on Jan. 13.

Olatunji said that the FID-Intelligence Response Team and personnel of the command later identified nine suspects, including the mastermind of the killing.

He said that five of the suspects died from gunshot wounds sustained after attempting to resist arrest.

“Peter Chukwu, who masterminded that operation, was tracked down in his hideout in Ibusa, Delta, on April 5. His attempt to resist arrest led to his death,” he said.

The commissioner listed other suspects linked to include, Adebayo Adebayo, 48; Success Oge, 39, Nnamdi Emmanuel, 35, John Lucas, 34, and Sunday Godspower, 33.

Others are, Ifeanyi Nwadike, 30, Chigemezu Anochirimoyeanya, 29, Chimezie Adiele, 29, and Ogolo Promise, 25.

He further said that four of the suspects, Adebayor, Emmanuel, Lucas and Promise, led the police to the gang’s hideout in Aluu Village, where their cache of weapons were recovered.

“While approaching the camp, our personnel came under heavy gunfire from hoodlums suspected to be members of the gang.

“The four suspects attempted to escape during the ambush but were caught in the crossfire, they died in the process.

“There bodies have been deposited at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital morgue for autopsy,” he clarified.

Olatunji said that two AK-47 refiles, two SMG rifles, an assault rifle, a shotgun rifle, a pistol, 10 magazines, and 150 rounds of live ammunition were recovered from the gang.

He said that efforts were ongoing to apprehend other suspects that were linked to the criminal syndicate.

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Police arrest 9 suspects over communal crisis in Kogi

The Police Command in Kogi State has arrested nine suspects in connection with a communal crisis in Itamah area of Kogi.

The crisis occurred after the assassination of the community traditional ruler, Onu Itamah Job Shagari.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Bethrand Onuoha, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja on Thursday.

The late Chief Job Shagari was on Aug. 12 assassinated by some gunmen who invaded the community.

The traditional ruler’s death had created rift between two families — the Okenyi Abu-Atika and Shagari-Ebijegor, resulting in communal crisis.

But the police said they had arrested nine suspects and they were trailing other suspects.

“What the police are calling for now is for peace to be allowed to reign in Itamah community.

“The destruction done in that community is very unfortunate and uncalled for.

“We want a situation where the aggrieved families should come to round table for dialogue toward finding a lasting solution.

A situation where the community members are involved in an eye for an eye, the whole community will be blind and there won’t be peace there at all,” he said.

Onuoha denied the allegation that the command did not respond to petitions brought before it on arson and hostilities that left some houses and other property razed destroyed.

Mr Akoh Jonah, spokesman of the Okenyi Abu-Atika, claimed that more than 40 houses were burnt during the crisis, alleging that the police arrested 11 members of his family

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Police arrest two suspects with AK-47 rifle in Bauchi

The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested two suspects with a fabricated AK-47 rifle and ammunition in the Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of the state.

Spokesperson of the command, SP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, September 12, 2024. He said the suspects were nabbed by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit while trying to sell the rifle for N580,000.

“The Bauchi State Police Command is unwavering in its efforts to combat the proliferation of small and light arms within the state. In furtherance of this commitment, the Taskforce operatives, led by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit attached to the Command, have successfully apprehended two suspects in possession of a fabricated AK47 rifle and ammunition at Boto Market in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi state,” the statement read.

“Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects, who travelled from Plateau State to Boto market, negotiated the sale of the rifle for N580,000.

“The apprehended suspects are: Abdulgafar Mohammed, male, 18 years old, from Barkin Ladi, Plateau State and Yusuf Isa, male, 25 years old, from the same address.

“A discreet investigation is ongoing, after which the suspect will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation.

Under the stewardship of the Commissioner of Police, CP Auwal Musa Mohammad, psc, Anipr, the Command has escalated efforts to locate and apprehend the manufacturers of such weapons, irrespective of their location. Ultimately, the Command aims to assure the public of its dedication to eliminating illegal firearms in the state and urges the citizens to understand that.

“Mankind must put an end to organised crime, or organized crime will put an end to mankind”, and on the “ keyboard of life, let us as citizens always keep a finger on the escape key to survive.”