Kingz Magazine: 01/18/16

Monday 18 January 2016

Nnamdi Kanu not ill, bubbling in detention – Lawyer

Lawyer to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Vincent Obetta, has revealed that the embattled leader is not ill and has not been tortured while in custody of the Department of State Services, DSS.

This is contrary to reports in the media, claiming that his health status was deteriorating.
Obetta, in a statement said Kanu who also doubles as the Director of Radio Biafra is in high spirit not minding the fact that he is in custody.

He said, “I would like to say that as a solicitor and advocate of the federal republic of Nigeria, I have sworn to an oath, to defend the defenceless and above all, to say the truth and be fair to all, at all material times,”
“Having said that, I must add that I have been inundated with calls and I also read in several mediums, all manner of ruse about my client; that he has been tortured by the DSS, transferred to a more deadly cell, and also that he has been critically ill.

APC Reps members sue Dogara over mace-protection rule

PIC.15.SPEAKER-HOUSE-OF-REPRESENTATIVES-YAKUBU-DOGARA

Eleven members of the House of Representatives have dragged Speaker Yakubu Dogara to an Abuja High Court over the new rules passed by the House on October 8, 2015.

Joined in the suit are the House of Reps and its clerk Sani Omolori, Daily Trust reports.
The new rules were adopted based on the report of the Rep Aminu Shagari-led 15-member ad-hoc committee that reviewed the standing orders carried from the 7th House.

The new rules among others provide that any member that “approaches the mace with whatever intent” during an uproar shall be meted with a suspension of a period not less than six months.

Mutiny: Grant convicted soldiers presidential pardon – Falana begs Buhari

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, on Sunday appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to grant presidential pardon to a group of military personnel convicted for mutiny.

Falana in an open letter to Buhari, said the appeal for the pardon of the soldiers became necessary since it has been established that the fund meant for the purchase of arms for members of the Armed Forces fighting insurgency were diverted. He said such was the reason for the protest by the convicted soldiers.

According to Falana, “Since the demand of the convicted 70 soldiers and others found justification in the criminal diversion of the huge fund provided for the purchase of arms and armament to fight the terrorists, there was no legal and moral justification for the conviction and sentences imposed on them by the courts-martial.

“No doubt, General Buratai identified the gross injustice meted out to the soldiers. But instead of quashing the unjust findings of the courts-martial he merely reduced the death sentences passed on 66 out of 70 condemned soldiers to 10 years imprisonment.”

Navy Handover Vessel, Boat With N11m Stolen Diesel To EFCC

The Nigerian Navy said it had handed over a vessel and wooden boat with about 10,000 litres of suspected stolen diesel worth N11 million to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The Nigerian Navy also handed over two crew members of the vessel to EFCC to commence further investigation and possible prosecution.

Handing over the vessel and the wooden boat to the EFCC, commander of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, Port Harcourt, Commodore Sanusi Ibrahim, said the vessel, MT Purity, was arrested transporting the petroleum product without permit.
Ibrahim stated that Nigerian Navy troops during a routine patrol of creeks and waterways on December 2, 2015, accosted the vessel carrying diesel believed to have been illegally refined.

APC In Disarray Over Faleke’s Decision

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi state is at a crossroad following the decision of the state’s deputy governor-elect, James Faleke to boycott the January 27 swearing-in ceremony in the state.

James Faleke has refused to recognise Yahaya Bello as Kogi state governor elect.

Faleke who was the running mate to the late Abubakar Audu, the APC candidate in the November 21, 2015 governorship election has insisted that he would not be deputy to the governor-elect, Yahaya Bello.

Pipe Explosion: Joint Task Force Closing In On Militants

The Nigerian Military has said that it is closing in on militants who allegedly blew-up oil pipelines belonging to the Nigeria Gas Company, Chevron Nigeria Limited and Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC).

Warri pipeline bombing

Major General Alani Okunola, commander of operation “Pulo Shield” in the Niger Delta, said that the task force was closing in on those who are blowing up oil-pipelines.