JUDICIARY
Impeached Plateau Speaker Returns, Holds Plenary
From Jude Dangwam, Jos
The Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Nuhu Abok Ayuba has resumed official duty as the Speaker after a Court judgment delivered by Honourable Justice Nafisa Musa of High Court 6 in Jos the Plateau State capital.
The Speaker upon resumption led members of the State Assembly into plenary session with nine members in attendance cutting across the All Progressive Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) respectively.
The setting had in attendance five lawmakers of the PDP as two others were away on pilgrimage, Hon. Amurudu Huaani, the member representing Bokkos State Constituency and Hon.
Kwapfuan Livinus, member representing Shendam State Constituency both of the APC who tendered the apology of other members of the APC caucus that could not make it to the sitting.The plenary equally had two members on the platform of Labour Party (LP), Hon. Nanbol Listick, member representing Langtang-North North State Constituency and Hon Ezra Dakur, member representing Pankshin South State Constituency respectively.
Following the judgment of Justice. Nafisa Musa of the State High Court 6 that reinstated Rt Hon. Nuhu Abok Ayuba as the legitimate Speaker of the 9 Assembly on Monday, the aggrieved lawmakers of the APC has approached the Court of Appeal Jos Division and sought relief for stay of execution which was not granted.
The appellants including a deceased member prayed the Court to set aside the judgment of the lower Court and referred the case back to the High Court for retrial by another judge.
In an appeal notice of service made available to DAILY ASSET yesterday, Hon. Eric Dakogol the member representing Qua’an Pan North State Constituency who died in November 2022 is number six on the appeal list.
According to one of the grounds of their appeal accusing Justice Musa of error, “The learned trial judge erred in law when he entertained the claimants” suit and entered judgment in their favour in spite of the fact that the suit was incompetent which robbed the trial court of jurisdiction to entertain same.
“PARTICULARS OF ERROR: The 1 Defendant in the suit before the trial court did not challenge his removal” and sought reliefs from the Court “AN ORDER setting aside the judgment of the lower court and sending the case back to the High Court of Justice of Plateau State for retrial by another judge” which was not granted to the appellants.
JUDICIARY
Court Orders VDM to Remove Defamatory Posts on Falana, Son
An Ikeja High Court has ordered an online activist, Vincent Otse (alias Very Dark Man) to remove defamatory posts against a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana and his son, Folarin, also called Falz.Justice Matthias Dawodu also ordered VDM to bring down the alleged defamatory video which he made on Sept.
24 against the Falanas.The court also ordered the service of originating summons against VDM through his lawyer, Mr Deji Adeyanju within 14 day. The judge said: “the defendant, his agents and privies are hereby restrained from further releasing, publishing or circulating any defamatory videos, comments about the applicant.“He is to bring down the defamatory video about the applicant which was published on Sept. 24 on all his online social media handles pending compliance with the pre-action protocol of the court.“Leave is hereby granted to the applicant to serve the pre-action bundles, originating processes and all other court processes between parties herein on the defendant by substituted means through his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju.“The applicant must file and serve the pre-action bundles, originating processes and other accompanying processes on the defendant within 14 days.”The court made the orders following an ex parte originating application made by Falana and his son against the actions of VDM where he published “unverified audio recording of a one sided narrative by cross dresser Bobrisky” alleging perversion of justice by the family.Falana had in a lawsuit numbered ID/8586GCM/2024, filed against VDM, sought the order of the court to award a sum of N500 million fine for defamation of character against him.Falana in the lawsuit, also prayed the order of the court, directing the defendant to publish an apology on all his social media handles for the defamatory words contained in the viral video. (NAN)JUDICIARY
Man Bags 7 Years Imprisonment for Raping 11-yr-old in Kano
A Federal High Court sitting in Kano, on Monday, has sentenced 33-year-old Nasiru Isa to seven years in the correctional centre for sexually exploiting an 11-year old girl.
The Presiding Hon. Justice S .M. Shu’aibu convicted Isa, who resides in Darmanawa Bayan Gidan Kallo of Tarauni Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, on a one-count charge of sexual exploitation.
Shu’aibu summarily tried and sentenced the defendant after he pleaded guilty to the charge.
He held that the Prosecution Counsel, Abdullahi Babale, proved his case beyond reasonable doubt and consequently sentenced the defendant to seven years without an option of fine.
According to him, the convict is to pay additional N1 million fine as compensation.
Earlier, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Kano State Command, alleged that the defendant committed the offence at Darmanawa Quarters,Tarauni LGA, Kano State on October 5.
Babale said that the defendant allegedly lured his neighbour’s 11-year-old daughter into his wife’s room and sexually exploited her.
“The defendant had sex with the survivor on three different occasions.
“Once in the defendant’s wife’s room and twice at an uncompleted building.
“The defendant gave the survivor bread, groundnut and N20 before sexually exploiting her,” Babale told the court.
The prosecution presented two exhibits, including the confessional statement of the defendant and the survivor’s testimony, to the court to prove his case.
Babale said that the offence contravened the provisions of section 16(1) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015 and punishable under Sec 26(1) of TIP ACT 2015. (NAN)
JUDICIARY
Alleged kidnap: Ebonyi Court Adjourns Ruling on Fiat Application on Ivo LGA Chairman, 8 others Trial
A High Court in Abakaliki on Thursday fixed Oct. 17 to decide on a fiat tendered by a Lawyer, Mr Emeka Uwakwe on the trial of Mr Emmanuel Ajah, former Chairman of Ivo local government area of Ebonyi over alleged armed robbery, kidnap and murder. Ajah and eight other suspects had on Jan. 17, 2017 robbed one Mrs Pauline Osita of her N2 million, phone and other valuables.
The defendants also on Jan. 18, 2017, allegedly kidnapped one Mrs Catherine Okorie and allegedly killed her on Jan. 22 on the same year.Other eight defendants include: Chibuike Okereke, Mathew Ogbudike, Ezenwa Nwafor Okoro Ugochukwu, Kelechukwu Azubike, John Nwankwor, Chigozie Okereke and Obichi Uzoigwe.Uwakwe was authorized by the Attorney General of Ebonyi state, Ben Odoh, to prosecute the defendants trial.But the move to take over the case of the prosecutor was not granted.The Defence Counsel, C.N Mgbada, C.A. Okenu, Ifeanyi Igwe and J. N Unah argued that Uwakwe would not join in the prosecution.“The reason being that he was a member of the Defence Counsels and had been in the matter from the beginning till date.“We urge the court to reject the document on Uwakwe fiat application,” the added.The Presiding Judge, Justice Elvis Ngene, after the argument adjourned the matter until oct. 17, Nov. 21 and Nov. 28 for ruling on fiat. (NAN