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High Court Stops Emefiele’s Re-Arrest, EFCC Rejects N100m Fine

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The extended arrest of Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, without charge or trial has been ruled a flagrant violation of his fundamental rights by the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja.

The Federal Government and the Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) were fined a total of N100 million by the court, and they were prohibited from detaining or re-arresting the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria without a legitimate court order.

However, the EFCC declared that it would file an appeal after expressing its displeasure with the ruling.

The judgment was given in a fundamental human rights suit filed by the former CBN governor following his prolonged detention in the custody of the Department of State Services.

The former CBN governor was arrested on June 10 shortly after his suspension by President Bola Tinubu.

Though he was taken before the Federal High Court in Lagos on July 25, 2023, arraigned on illegal firearms charges and granted bail, the DSS re-arrested him on the court premises amid a clash with warders from the Ikoyi Correctional Centre.

The embattled former CBN governor was not released by the secret police until October 26, 2023, after nearly five months in custody.

Upon his release by the DSS on October 26, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission immediately picked him up and took him into custody.

He further remained in the EFCC custody until November 8 when he was taken to court for arraignment on procurement fraud charges.

In the suit, Emefile also asked the court to order the respondents to pay him N1bn damages and to restrain them from further arresting and or detaining him.

Listed as defendants in the suit were the Federal Government, the Attorney General of the Federation; the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and its chairman, Ola Olukoyede.

Delivering judgment in the case on Monday, Justice Olukayode Adeniyi said, “It is hereby declared that the actions of the first and fourth respondents and its agents incarcerating the applicants from June 13, 2023, to October 26, 2023, when he was transferred to the custody of the fourth respondent and his further detention by the third and fourth respondents without arraignment in the court of law for the commission of any offence up until November 8, 2023, when by the order of this court, the applicant was released on bail to his senior learned counsel, constitutes a flagrant violation of the applicant’s fundamental rights to personal liberty preserved by the provision of Section 35 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1979 and Article 6 of the African charter on human and peoples right.

“Also,  a sum of N100m only is herby awarded in favour of the applicant against the first and fourth respondents jointly as damages for the unlawful violation of his fundamental right to his personal liberty.

“Without prejudice to the powers of the court with respect to the criminal trial, the applicant is currently facing at the High Court of the FCT,  the respondents are hereby restrained either by themselves,  their officers,  agents, or any person acting on their behalf from further re-arresting or detaining the applicants without an order of a court of competent jurisdiction.”

During his ruling,  Adeniyi said he found the remand warrant obtained by the third and fourth respondents were questionable.

“The third and fourth respondents referred to remand warrants obtained from the chief magistrate of the FCT in Wuse.  I examined the said orders from the two magistrate courts and my finding is that the credibility is questionable,“ he said.

He noted that the practice of arresting suspects before investigation by security agencies must stop.

Adeniyi said, “Time has come to put an end to the unwholesome culture and practices of arresting and keeping a suspect in detention before the investigation of the suspect alleged of an offence.

A suspect must be allowed to have his day in court if indeed there is evidence of a commission of the crime against him.”

Reacting to the development in a statement on Monday, the EFCC said it would approach the Court of Appeal to set the judgement aside.

The anti-graft agency said,  “The decision failed to take cognizance of the fact that the former CBN boss was held with a valid order of court. Consequently, the commission will approach the Court of Appeal to set it aside.”

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Ikorodu Teacher Arrested For Physically Abusing 3-Yr-Old Boy In Viral Video [SEE VIDEO]

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The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency has confirmed the arrest of a teacher following a viral video showing the suspect allegedly physically abusing a three-year-old boy at a school in Ikorodu.

The announcement was made in a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.

The video, shared by Oyindamola, who identifies as #dammiedammie35, captured a female teacher slapping the child’s face.

The video was captioned, “Footage from Christ-Mitots School in Ikorodu, a teacher named Stella Nwadigo was witnessed mistreating and physically abusing a three-year-old boy, Abayomi Micheal.”

The footage has raised serious concerns about the safety and well-being of our little ones in school.”

Reacting to the incident, the Lagos DSVA issued a statement expressing gratitude to those who brought the video to their attention

The statement reads, “We appreciate everyone who brought the disturbing incident of a teacher who was recorded physically abusing a 3-year-old boy to our attention.

We are pleased to inform the public that the teacher in question has been arrested by Owutu FSU, and an investigation has commenced in earnest.

The agency reiterated the state government’s commitment to protecting children, emphasizing that schools must be safe and nurturing spaces.

The statement added, “Indeed, institutions of learning should be safe, warm, and protective environments for all children in their care.

The State Government remains committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of every child by enforcing strict regulations, holding offenders accountable, and working with stakeholders to promote a zero-tolerance policy for abuse in any form.”

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China Development Bank Approves $254m Loan For Kano-Kaduna Railway Project

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The China Development Bank (CDB) has provided a loan of $254.76 million for the construction of the Kano-Kaduna railway project in Nigeria.

In a statement on Tuesday, the bank stated that the funding aims to support the smooth advancement of the infrastructure project.

The CDB highlighted that the construction is being undertaken by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), with financial support from the bank.

“The Kano-Kaduna railway, with a total length of 203 kilometers, is a standard-gauge railway,” the statement reads.

“Once completed, it will provide direct rail connectivity between Kano, an important northern city in Nigeria, and the country’s capital Abuja, offering local residents a safe, efficient, and convenient mode of transportation.”

In addition to enhancing mobility, the bank mentioned that the project is expected to stimulate economic growth along the railway corridor, generating job opportunities and promoting related industries.

“The Kano-Kaduna railway project has been included in the list of practical cooperation projects for the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation,” the CDB added.

The bank stated that the construction is progressing smoothly and reiterated its commitment to collaborating closely with the Nigerian government to ensure the disbursement of funds and effective management of the next phases of the project.

On July 15, 2021, President Muhammadu Buhari launched the construction of the Kano-Kaduna railway project.

The rail project is the third phase of the Lagos-Kano standard gauge railway modernization project.

The first phase (Abuja-Kaduna) and the second phase (Lagos-Ibadan) were inaugurated for commercial operations in July 2016 and June 2021, respectively.

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ICPC Files Money Laundering Charge Against El-Rufai’s Former Commissioner

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged Muhammad Sa’idu, a former commissioner during the administration of Nasir el-Rufai, ex-governor of Kaduna, to court over alleged “money laundering.”

The Kaduna police command arrested Sa’idu over a petition for alleged diversion of public funds.

Osuobeni Akponimisingha, the ICPC’s assistant legal officer, filed the case against the former commissioner on Tuesday at the federal high court in Kaduna.

Sa’idu served as the commissioner of local government affairs, chief of staff, and commissioner of finance during the administration of el-Rufai.

The ICPC dismissed an earlier claim that Sa’idu had been exonerated of all charges after 10 months of investigation.

The former commissioner is charged alongside Ibrahim Muktar, a staff in the ministry of finance.

According to the suit No. FHC/KD/IC/2025, the defendants are charged on a two-count charge of “money laundering.”

“Sometime in March 2022 or thereabouts, Alhaji Muhammad Bashir Sa’idu, who at that time commissioner of finance, did accept cash payment of the sum of N155m from one Ibrahim Muktar exceeding the amount authorised by law, which sum you received in cash through proxy to wit: Muazu Abdu, your Special Assistant and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section2(a) and punishable under the Section 19(d) of the “Money Laundering(Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022,” the charge sheet reads.

The ICPC also alleged that within the same period, Sa’idu “indirectly took control of the sum of N155m received in cash for and on behalf of you by one Muazu Abdul from Ibrahim Muktar, which he reasonably ought to have known, formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity to wit: corruption and you hereby committed an offence contrary to section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the “Money Laundering(Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

The anti-graft agency noted that section 18(3) of the “Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022” states that “any person who contravenes the provisions of subsection(2) is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than four years but not more than fourteen years or a fine not less than five times the value of the proceeds of the crime or both.”

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