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Court grants Saraki’s plea to amend suit against EFCC, ICPC, others

A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, granted a motion filed by the former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, seeking to amend his two separate suits filed against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and others.

Justice Inyang Ekwo granted the application after it was moved by Saraki’s counsel, Tunde Afe-Babalola, SAN, and was not opposed by the defence lawyers.

Justice Ekwo had, on January 25, struck out the two suits filed by Saraki against the anti-graft agency and others for lack of diligent prosecution.

The ex-Senate President had filed the suits marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/507/2019 and FHC/ABJ/CS/508/2019 at the FHC on May 10, 2019.

In the suits, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Inspector-General (IGP) of Police and State Security Service (SSS) are 1st to 3rd defendants respectively.

Others are EFCC, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) as 4th to 6th respondents respectively.

But after the suits were struck out on January 25, the ex-Senate President, through his lawyer, approached the court for a relisting of the cases to the cause list of the court.

Saraki had filed a motion on notice dated February 1 and filed February 3 pursuant to Order 19, Rule 1 and 3, Order 26, Rule 3 of FHC Civil Procedure Rules, 2019 to urge the court for the relisting of the suits and his prayers were granted by the judge.

However, upon resumed hearing on the cases on Monday, Afe-Babalola informed the court that a motion to amend their originating motion was filed on July 29 and that all the respondents were served on July 31.

Lawyer to the SSS, Abdulsalam Abdullahi; EFCC’s lawyer, G.I. Ndeh, including ICPC’S lawyer, Glory Iroegbu and CCB’s counsel, I.T. Mongu, did not oppose Afe-Babalola’s application to amend his originating motion.
Justice Ekwo, therefore, granted the reliefs and adjourned the matter until Feb. 6, 2025 for hearing.

“Any counsel that will be responsible for the matter not being heard on that day, will be personally penalised,” the judge warned.
NAN recalls that the former Senate president had filed the suits following the EFCC’s decision in 2019 to probe Saraki’s earnings between 2003 and 2011 when he was governor of Kwara.

The anti-graft commission was reported to have seized some of his houses in the Ikoyi area of Lagos then.

However, Saraki, on May 10, 2019, filed the two separate suits before retired Justice Taiwo Taiwo to challenge the action of the EFCC.

Justice Taiwo, who was the presiding judge then, ruled on an ex-parte application filed along with the substantive suits.

The judge ordered the anti-corruption agency (4th respondent) and the other five respondents to the suits to stay action on the probe pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed by the applicant.

The order was granted after Saraki’s lawyer moved the application on May 14, 2019.
The court had directed the parties to maintain the status quo by suspending the probe.

But the EFCC later applied that the judge should recuse himself and the matter be transferred to another court.

Justice Taiwo sent back the case file to the chief judge and the matter was reassigned to Justice Anwuli Chikere for adjudication.
When the matter came up on July 14, 2021 before Justice Chikere, EFCC Counsel, Chile Okoronkwo, complained that Taiwo’s order had hindered the agency “from performing its duty for about two years.”

The lawyer, who stated that Saraki continued to hinge on the order of the court any time he is invited, urged the court to vacate the order.

But the suits were reassigned to Justice Ekwo following the retirement of Chikere.

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President Tinubu swears in seven new ministers

President Bola Tinubu has sworn in seven newly-appointed ministers at the Council Chambers in Abuja.

Those sworn in include Nentawe Yilwatda as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction; Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi as the Minister of Labour & Employment; Bianca Odinaka Odumegwu-Ojukwu as the Minister of State Foreign Affairs.

Others are Jumoke Oduwole (Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment (Trade and Investment), Idi Mukhtar Maiha (Minister of Livestock Development), Yusuf Abdullahi Ata (Minister of State, Housing, and Urban Development), and Suwaiba Said Ahmad as the Minister of State Education.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presides over the Swearing in Ceremony of New Ministers Screened by the Senate at the State House

Monday’s swearing-in came days after their appointments by President Tinubu and subsequent confirmation by the Senate.

Calls for the reshuffling of the president’s cabinet reached new levels in the wake of Nigeria’s dwindling economic fortunes which have worsened the living standards across the country.

President Tinubu heeded the calls in October, sacking five ministers and nominating seven others. Those dismissed included Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye (Women Affairs); Lola Ade-John (Tourism); Tahir Mamman (Education); Abdullahi Gwarzo (State, Housing and Urban Development), and Jamila Ibrahim (Youth Development).

This was in addition to the reassignment of new portfolios to 10 other ministers.

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Osun: Police confirm arrest of man for allegedly killing father

The Osun State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a man identified as Saidi for the alleged murder of his father, Bale in his farm at Ilusi, Osun State.

The Osun police spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, who confirmed the arrest, disclosed that investigation has commenced into the matter.

Opalola said, “The suspect was arrested on the suspicion that he killed the father. I have been briefed about it. Investigation is ongoing.”

Village sources also revealed that the remains of the Bale was discovered on his farm on Friday after it was noticed that he had been missing for some hours.

A resident of the village, simply identified as Sakariyau, said that Bale went missing last Thursday and after a thorough search around the village, his corpse was found on his farm the following day covered with leaves.

He said, “Before he (Bale) was traced to his farm on Friday, he could not be found anywhere around the village since he left for the farm.

“When we got to his farm, we searched everywhere and found his remains covered with leaves. His head was cut off by unknown people.

“Thereafter, people around, who suspected Bale’s son, who accompanied the deceased to the farm on the day he was killed, descended on him.

“He was seriously beaten because people knew he went with his father to the farm to harvest cocoa. He initially denied killing the man, but he later admitted committing the crime after he was seriously tortured by some angry youths.

“The cocoa produce already harvested and the motorcycle of the deceased were found on the farm. The boy was later handed over to police and he was taken to the Iperindo station for further investigations.”

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Appeal Court acquits ex-CJN Onnoghen

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has discharged and acquitted a former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, from his conviction of false assets declaration by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

The conviction of Onnoghen was thrown out by the appellate court following the resolution of the issues that led to his trial and conviction.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari had on January 25, 2019, about 29 days before the presidential election, suspended Onnoghen from office as the CJN and swore in the next most senior jurist of the Supreme Court, Justice Tanko Muhammad, to take over the leadership of the judiciary.

Delivering judgment, the Presiding Justice, Justice Abba Mohammed, adopted the terms of settlement between the federal government and Onnoghen.

He also ordered that the four bank accounts of the former CJN forfeited be returned to him.

Shortly after the judgment, Counsel to Onnoghen and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Adegboyega Awomolo, thanked President Tinubu and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Lateef Fagbemi for ensuring the resolutions of the issue.

Onnoghen’s suspension came barely eight hours after he announced his decision to inaugurate judges who would preside over election petition tribunals.

Ex-President Buhari’s action elicited varied reactions from both within and outside the judicial circles, with the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, describing it as a coup against the judiciary.

Onnoghen was later convicted by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, on a six-count corruption charge that was preferred against him by the Federal Government.

It was alleged that he made a false declaration to the Code of Conduct Bureau.

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