TheNewsGuru

Tag: Panel

  • Rivers: A’Court sets up special panel, begins hearing Thursday

    Rivers: A’Court sets up special panel, begins hearing Thursday

    The Court of Appeal in Abuja has constituted a special three-member panel to handle political cases from Rivers State, with sittings scheduled to begin on Thursday, November 14.

    This move follows the escalating legal tussles stemming from a rift between Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

    The feud has led to a surge of legal cases from the state, creating factions among political actors and resulting in conflicting judgments from courts of similar authority — an issue that has drawn criticism from both judiciary stakeholders and the public.

    In an effort to streamline the resolution of these disputes, Court of Appeal President Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem appointed a special panel to oversee all appeals related to the political crisis in Rivers.

    The panel, headed by Justice Onyekachi Otisi with Justices Misitura Bokaji-Yusuf and James Abundaga, will tackle cases that involve key political figures and factions within the state.

    Among the appeals set to be heard is one filed by Governor Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly, alongside cases involving both the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress regarding the alleged defection of 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike from the PDP to the APC.

    During proceedings on Monday, a panel of the court adjourned three appeals, including one filed by the Rivers State Government against the Rivers State House of Assembly and others, to be heard by the new special panel.

    The presiding Justice Hamma Barka noted, “The appeal, marked CA/ABJ/PRE/ROA/CV/1211m1/2024, is among the Rivers matters for which a special panel was constituted.”

    Senior lawyer Chief Paul Erokoro, representing the appellant, informed the court of plans to ensure that all respondents who had not yet been served would receive necessary documents before Thursday.

    He also noted that he had just received some filings from the respondents and needed time to prepare his response.

    Counsel for the first and second respondents, Ferdinand Orbih (SAN) and Dr. Joshua Musa (SAN), representing additional respondents, agreed to the adjournment request for November 14.

    Two other cases—one by the Accountant General of Rivers State against the Rivers State House of Assembly and another by the Action Peoples Party against the Independent National Electoral Commission and others—were also adjourned to Thursday for hearing by the Otisi-led special panel.

    The establishment of this panel aims to provide a clear and expedited resolution to the political disputes, marking a critical step toward restoring order amid Rivers State’s ongoing political upheaval.

  • EPL: It’s a correct decision – Premier League Panel okays Gordon’s goal against Arsenal

    EPL: It’s a correct decision – Premier League Panel okays Gordon’s goal against Arsenal

    The Premier League’s Independent Key Match Incidents Panel on Thursday gave its verdicts on the controversial goal scored by Newcastle against Arsenal at St James Park.

    According to the Panel, referee Stuart Attwell and the VAR officials were correct to award Newcastle United’s winning goal against Arsenal on Saturday.

    However, the panel said that the referees missed sending out two players in the match.

    Recall that Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta was left fuming after Anthony Gordon’s winning goal was allowed to stand following three separate VAR checks.

    VAR reviewed the ball being out of play, a foul on Gabriel by Joelinton and offside against the goal scorer. On all three checks the VAR, Andy Madley, could not find conclusive evidence of an offence.

    The panel’s findings have now said “although Joelinton does have his hands on Gabriel, there isn’t enough to award a foul as Gabriel had made an action to play the ball before any contact.”

    However, the panel was unanimous that Kai Havertz should have been sent off for Arsenal in the 36th minute for his challenge on Sean Longstaff, while Bruno Guimarães’ arm to the head of Arsenal’s Jorginho in the 45th minute was also a missed red card.

  • There shall be no witch-hunt in probing alleged looting in Abia – Panel

    There shall be no witch-hunt in probing alleged looting in Abia – Panel

    There shall be no witch-hunt in the discharge of the assignment of the Panel of Inquiry for the Recovery of Government Property and Funds in Abia.

    The assurance was given by its chairperson, retired Justice Florence Duruoha-Igwe, on Tuesday in Umuahia.

    “The panel will discharge its duty faithfully and impartially,’’ she said at its inaugural sitting.

    She said the panel was mandated to investigate alleged looting of government property and funds and the conversion of the resources to personal use by some officials between May 2015 and 2023.

    She added that the panel would exercise all the powers provided by the Laws of Abia State of Nigeria (2005) as they related to the obtaining of evidence in conducting its proceedings.

    “Ours is not an inquisition and we shall not carry on as if we have already targeted and branded anyone as guilty.

    “We are hopeful that we shall enjoy the maximum cooperation of the petitioners, counsel, witnesses and the public. This will make for a speedy disposal of matters brought before us.

    “We also pray to God to help us to make the right recommendations,’’ Justice Duruoha-Igwe said.

    In his remarks, Chairman of the Umuahia Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr Jasper Ejimofor, commended government for setting up the panel of inquiry.

    He, however, called for the backdating of the period of reference to begin from May 2003 as against May 2015 which was given to the panel.

    He noted that the looting of government property and funds was highly unacceptable and expressed optimism that the panel would live up to expectation.

    Also addressing the panel, the Attorney-General of Abia, Mr Ikechukwu Uwanna, charged it to discharge its duty creditably and promptly.

    “I call on members of the public to be bold and to be courageous in supporting the panel with whatever its needs to do this job creditably.

    “We will focus on addressing the ills that happened between 2015 and 2023 and with the outcome, we will consider extending the inquiry to the preceding administration if need be,’’ Uwanna said.

    Gov. Alex Otti inaugurated the panel on June 26 to probe his predecessor administration.

  • House of Reps summons Donald Trump over attack on US Capitol

    House of Reps summons Donald Trump over attack on US Capitol

    The House of Representatives committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the  Capitol in the  United States has voted on unanimously to sue  former President Donald Trump to a US Court.

    The Panel has insisted that Trump must honour the court’s invitation and would be held responsible for the attack on the capitol by his supporters.

    They added that failure to honour the invitation could attract severe criminal charges against him.

    The vote came after the committee spent more than two hours addressing its case – via statements from members, documents, and recorded testimony – that Trump planned to deny his 2020 election defeat in advance.

  • #EndSARS panel orders for Abba Kyari in human rights violations case

    #EndSARS panel orders for Abba Kyari in human rights violations case

    An Independent Investigation Panel on Friday ordered the Chairman, National Drug Laws Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa to produce suspended DCP Abba Kyari on March 22.

    The panel also ordered the new Commandant of the IGP-IRT, Tunde Dirsu to do the needful to ensure that Kyari is produced before the panel on the aforesaid date.

    The panel is investigating allegations of human rights violations by the disbanded special anti-robbery squad and other Units of the Nigeria Police

    Mr John Martins, representing the Chairman of the panel, retired Justice Suleiman Galadima said that the presence of Kyari before the panel was necessary owing to the fact that a petitioner’s witness had earlier mentioned him.

    “The witness testified that Kyari allegedly promised to reach out to him in respect of the missing persons and till date nothing was heard about them.

    “The above orders are made in respect of three persons who were allegedly arrested and detained by the IGP-IRT detention facility.

    ”The whereabouts of Yakubu Danjuma, Ibrahim Daniel and Choji Dung are still unknown,” he said.

    The order of the panel followed information from the panel’s counsel, Halilu Adamu, that Kyari was in the custody of the NDLEA.

    The Police Counsel, James Idachaba told the panel that the Police can no longer produce Kyari since he was no longer in Police custody, having been suspended.

    The panel had on March 8, 2022 ordered the Office of the Inspector-General of Police to unfailingly produce the aforementioned three victims before it.

    Before the panel’s order, a Federal High Court, FCT sitting in Gudu had ordered for the release of the mentioned persons but till date the order was not carried out.

  • Alleged sale of Kwara assets: Saraki kicks as panel recommends trial of ex-govs

    Alleged sale of Kwara assets: Saraki kicks as panel recommends trial of ex-govs

    A former Kwara State governor and immediate past President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has dismissed the report of a committee set up by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to investigate sales of Kwara State’s assets, which recommended the prosecution of Saraki and former governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, as well as other former government officials.

    The committee’s white paper accused the ex-governors and other government officials of economic sabotage against the state through sales of public assets to cronies at give-away prices.

    But Saraki has dismissed the panel’s recommendations, saying neither him nor his successor was invited by the panel to give evidence.

    Saraki, in a statement from his Media Office, which was signed by Press Officer on Local Matters, Mr. Abdulqadir Abdulganiyu said neither him, who left the office 10 years ago nor Ahmed, the immediate past governor got an invite to appear before any investigative and fact-finding panel set up by the Abdulrazaq’s administration.

    “Thus, it is clear that the so-called investigation being conducted is not about finding facts. It is about throwing mud and staining the predecessor of Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq in office,” he said.

    Saraki insisted that him and Ahmed would never be shy of giving account of how they managed the assets of Kwara State.

    The statement noted that both men took decisions concerning those assets in a manner that would enhance their value and stimulate economic activities in the state, which was hitherto referred to as a civil service state.

    Referring to the issue of Kwara Mall, the statement argued that based on the decision taken by the Saraki administration, the project has become the epicentre of economic activity in Ilorin, the state capital.

    “In fact, it’s importance is further underscored by the decision of the government to give the owners of businesses inside the mall a grant totaling about N1 billion to cushion the harsh effect of the ‘End SARS’ protest on their property. It is obvious that the mall today provides direct and indirect employment to hundreds of Kwarans and Dr. Saraki is proud that his administration initiated the idea where Ilorin became the first town outside Lagos to host a Shoprite in its mall.”

    On the issue of the Shonga Farms, the statement added that the farms demonstrated the cluelessness of the current governor of Kwara State and his advisers.

    “That is why on some occasions, key officials of the administration will hold the Shonga Farms as a glory of Kwara State and on some other occasions, like the case of the press statement under reference, it will seek to paint it in bad light.

    “We are surprised that other companies that this government facilitated their investment into Kwara State like Dangote Flour Mills were not being cited as examples of how the previous administrations ‘misapplied’ the resources of the state.”

    According to the statement, “this same Shonga Farms is not only a model how we need commercial farming to revolutionise agriculture in Nigeria but it is the second commercialism farm in the country. The farm today has an investment worth over $100 million and has in its service over 1, 000 Kwarans in the state. It is a project that went through the scrutiny of President Olusegun Obasanjo and the CBN.”

  • Woman accused of witchcraft petitions NHRC panel, gets N300,000 reward

    Woman accused of witchcraft petitions NHRC panel, gets N300,000 reward

    The son of a poor woman who was accused of witchcraft has testified in Adamawa State about how his mother was subjected to “cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment” by her accusers.

    The son told a panel of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) sitting in Yola that the accusation which started as a neighbourhood gossip was reinforced by a pastor who was later joined by some of his church members in abusing his mother.

    The concerned son, who spoke in Hausa before the NHRC’s Special Investigation Panel on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), said things got out of hand one day when while in church, a pastor of the church said he had a vision that his mother was a witch.

    Speaking further, he said the people in the church were also mentioning her name and saying she was the only one who could set them free.

    “My mother was tortured, beaten to a stupor, injured, and stripped naked for alleged witchcraft, cultism, initiating children and some members of the community into witchcraft,” the complainant said.

    A witness before the panel, who reinforced the charge against the woman, said that she was responsible for the death of his father, his two brothers, and a cousin.

    A lot of people from the community, including her blood brothers, were willing to testify that she was truly a witch.

    The woman’s son, still not convinced, said his mother had been suffering stigmatization and harassments in the community for accusations she knew nothing about, and urged the panel to intervene.

    The NHRC Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu, who doubles as the Chairman of the NHRC SGBV panel, told everyone present that according to the law of Adamawa State, anyone suspected of witchcraft or any perceived wrong should be handed over to the police and not paraded publicly or inflicted with any form of injury.

    The panel ruled that the respondents be investigated for alleged false accusations and offences relating to torture, inhuman and degrading treatment of the victim.

    The panel said the accused woman would be investigated for alleged witchcraft under Section 187 of the Adamawa State Penal Code 2018.

    The panel also ruled that the sum of N300,000 be paid by the respondents to the victim for the cost of treatment incurred as a result of injuries inflicted on her by members of the community.

    The panel indicated that the NHRC would make a formal complaint to the state commissioner of police to investigate the matter.

    The witchcraft accusation case was one of 14 petitions officially scheduled before the NHRC panel which began sitting in Yola on Monday.

    Proceedings were conducted in confidence, with names of individuals in the different cases kept out of public knowledge.

    The NHRC SGBV panel sitting in Yola is a continuation of a nationwide exercise that has taken place in some other centres, including Kano, Lagos and Enugu.

     

  • #ENDSARS: Panel summons ex-Zamfara governor Yerima over alleged torture, detention

    #ENDSARS: Panel summons ex-Zamfara governor Yerima over alleged torture, detention

    The Independent Investigative Panel probing rights abuses by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad and other police tactical units, in Abuja, on Wednesday, summoned a former Governor of Zamfara State, Ahmad Sani Yerima.

    The retired Justice Suleiman Galadima-led panel ordered the ex-governor to appear before it on January 12 with regard to a complaint that allegedly instigated some policemen to arrest, torture, and detain a businessman, Alhaji Musa Wapa over a business deal.

    Yerima, whose name was not originally listed as a respondent to the petition, was summoned after the panel ordered that he be joined as a respondent on Wednesday.

    The panel had observed that while Yerima’s name was numerously mentioned in the body of the petition, he was not listed as a party.

    Following an application by the complainant, the panel subsequently ordered that Yerima, who was the Governor of Zamfara State from 1999 to 2007, be joined as a respondent.

    In his testimony on Wednesday, Wapa alleged that Yerima, who later served as Zamfara West Senator between 2007 and 2019, instigated the Inspector General of Police- Intelligence Response Team to torture, and detain him for six days.

    Recalling the beginning of the crisis between them, Wapa noted that there had been a longstanding business partnership between him and the ex-governor, to the point that they were mutually indebted to each other.

    As of the time the crisis started on June 30, 2019, according to the complainant, while he was being owed the sum of N25m by Yerima, he was owed the former governor the sum of N23m.

    He said the N25m he was being owed by Yerima arose from the supply of three trailers of maize to his farm, Rufai Poultry (Nig.) Ltd.

    He, however, explained that while his obligation to pay Yerima the N23m debt, was yet due, the ex-governor on June 30, 2020, allegedly paid money to the Police team comprising of Abdullahi and Zakariyya of Area Command Kano State and IGP-IRT Panteka, Kaduna State to torture and detain him for six days.

    He recalled that a police vehicle had suddenly stopped by him where he was repairing his tractor at about 6pm on that fateful day.

    He said the policemen in the vehicle started beating him in front of other people and later seized some of his vehicles.

    He also narrated how the policemen handcuffed him and beat him continuously.

    He said that his First Bank account had been frozen by the police as a result of the issue he had with Yerima.

    He pleaded with the panel to award him N100m compensation for the alleged violations and tarnishing of his image by the police whom he said made him appear as a terrorist.

    Under cross-examination, counsel for the Nigerian Police, Mr. James Idachaba, told the panel that Wapa’s arrest was a sequel to a court order, which the complainant denied knowledge of.

    The panel fixed January 12 for Yerima to appear to tell his own side of the story.

  • BREAKING: Panel declines LCC’s demand to ‘take back’ Lekki tollgate

    BREAKING: Panel declines LCC’s demand to ‘take back’ Lekki tollgate

    The Judicial Panel of Inquiry examining the alleged shootings of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers on October 20, 2020 at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos has rejected the request by the operators of the tollgate, Lekki Concession Company, to “take back possession” of the tollgate.

     

    The Chairman of the panel, retired Justice Doris Okuwobi, in a short ruling on Tuesday, said the tollgate plaza would remain closed.

     

    The judge said the panel might have a need to pay another visit to the tollgate plaza after watching the video footage from a surveillance camera submitted by the LCC on Tuesday.

     

    Counsel for LCC, Rotimi Seriki, had counseled the panel to allow the firm “take possession” of the tollgate plaza to evaluate the level of damage for the purpose insurance claims.

     

    Seriki was highlighting an earlier request at the proceeding by the LCC Managing Director, Abayomi Omomuwa, who said save for last Friday when he led the panel on a visit to the toll plaza, the place had been inaccessible to LCC management.

     

    Omomuwa said from what he saw during last Friday visit, the level of damage was so much, it would take LCC not less than six months to fix the tollgate plaza.

     

    Omomuwa, who was answering a question on how soon the tollgate would resume operation, said, “Any projection made here will just be guesswork. When we went there that day, I saw the level of damage. The whole tolling system is completely destroyed. It will not take anything less than six months to fix.

    “I want to plead that they let us have access so that we can process insurance.”

    Emphasizing Omomuwa’s request, LCC lawyer, Seriki, said, “My humble request is that if the tribunal doesn’t have further need to visit the plaza, the LCC should be permitted to take back possession of the toll plaza for the purpose of evaluation of the damage and commence the process of carrying out necessary repairs.”

    But ruling, Justice Okuwobi said the panel agreed that it was necessary for LCC to go and evaluate the level of damage “but we will not grant that access yet. The need may arise for the panel to revisit.”

    The panel chairman encouraged LCC to make the application after the panel must have watched the video footage submitted by the firm.

     

  • End SARS: We don’t need recycled old leaders who cannot relate to our pains – Tacha

    End SARS: We don’t need recycled old leaders who cannot relate to our pains – Tacha

    End SARS: We don’t need recycled old leaders who cannot relate to our pains – Tacha

    Former Big Brother Naija, BBNaija, housemate, Anita Natacha Akide, popularly known as Tacha” has said that the Presidential Panel set up to oversee the demands of the End SARS demonstrators should have young vibrant Nigerian youths in it.

    Following the nationwide protest against police brutality, the Presidency formed a panel to reform the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS)

    Tacha in a video via her Twitter account stated that panel which constitutes old recycled leaders should also have sharp thinking Nigerian youths in it.

    “We are doing great. I never thought that a day like this will come when Nigerians will be this United.

    “Whether you are out there protesting on the streets or online retweeting, we are all doing great.

    “But guys we need a plan.what is the plan, 5 for 5 is being met in Lagos another question is, is 5 for 5 been met in Plateau, Cross-River, Abuja and other states in the country.

    “We have 36 states in this country make them no de do like say na only one state de Nigeria.

     

    “We need a plan. A panel has been set up by the government and we need Nigerian youths in that panel.

    “We need people that can relate to our pains in that panel, not the same old recycled leaders who can’t relate to our pains.

    “They can’t relate to our pains, they can’t relate to hunger, they have never starved before and they have never shot their siblings or family members before so they can never relate.

    “We need Nigerians, young Nigerians who understand this movement in that panel. They cannot be saying a maximum of six months for something that can be sorted and done if we have smart Nigerian youths in that panel in a couple of weeks,” she said.