The Kogi State Police Command has accused the Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial zone, Dino Melaye of holding a political rally without obtaining permission form the right authority.

The Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr. Wilson Inalegwu, who made the accusation in Lokoja, the state capital, said that henceforth, any form of political rally, public prossession and demonstration have been banned with immediate effect.

He confirmed that said unknown gunmen attacked people at a rally being addressed by Senator Dino Melayein in Lokoja on June 12 leading to what he called the current tensed security situation in the state.

Inalegwu said that the decision to ban political rallies was approved during an emergency meeting of the state security council held on June 13 and would remain in force until the situation improved. [myad]

The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, has said that his almost two years long trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) was a persecution even as he said that he bears no grudge to those behind such persecution.

In an official statement on his acquittal today, Wednesday, by the tribunal, Saraki said: “after undergoing the crucible of a tortuous trial, my vindication today calls for celebration.  It is my belief however that if there should be any celebration at all, it should be a celebration of the hopes that this judgment gives us as citizens that despite all the challenges that we face as a country, we are well on our way to building a country where the innocent needs not be afraid.

“You would recall that at the beginning of the trial, I maintained that I will clear my name. The conclusion of this trial has vindicated my position. With the outcome of this case, our faith is renewed in our courts and our hope is restored that the judiciary in our country could indeed provide sanctuary for all those who seek justice.”

Senator Saraki asked all his supporters to refrain from any unbridled triumphalism, adding that the challenges that Nigeria faces today are enormous and do not allow for wanton celebration. “Instead, we should all reflect on the significance of this moment and what it meant for our democracy.

“On a personal note, I harbour no grudge against anyone, regardless of the role they might have played in the persecution that I had endured in the last two years. I believe that If my trial had in anyway given hope to the common man that no matter the forces arraigned against him, he can still get justice in our courts, then my tribulation had not been in vain.”

The Senate President then thanked Almighty Allah, the ultimate Judge and the repository of all powers who alone has brought about this victory.

He expressed immense gratefulness to all his colleagues in the National Assembly for their abiding support, saying that all through his trial, they demonstrated their strong conviction about the choice they all decided to make two years ago.

“I thank members of my family for their unflinching support. I thank all friends and supporters back home in Kwara State and across the length and breadth of our country for their prayers and their sacrifices. My gratitude also goes to all members of my legal team for their tireless efforts to ensure the cause of justice is served.

“Once again, I thank my colleagues in the 8th Senate for standing firm. Regardless of the distraction of my trial, we have achieved more as legislators than the previous Senates. Now that this distraction is over, we can even achieve so much more. We must now proceed from here with greater vigour to deliver on the expectations of Nigerians and show that this 8th Senate can indeed play a central role in improving the quality of lives of our people.

“Lastly, I thank all the gentlemen of the press for your abiding interest in this case, which I believe had contributed in no small measure in ensuring that truth and reason ultimately prevailed.”

The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), todaym, Wednesday, discharged and acquitted Saraki on a false declaration of assets case brought against him.

Chairman of the Tribunal, Danladi Umar,  said that there was no evidence to continue the trial against him. [myad]

An Akure-based lawyer and right activists, Morakinyo Ogele, has demanded a public apology and the sum of N1 billion compensation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for invading the premises of The Sun newspaper

Barrister Ogele accused the anti graft agency of disrupting the daily activity of the newspaper company, and subjecting its staff to physiological trauma and molestation.

The lawyer, who spoke with news men today, Wednesday, in Akure, the Ondo State capital, threatened to take legal action against EFCC if it failed to hearken to his call.

Ogele described the action of the EFCC as barbaric.

“Seven days ultimatum is hereby issued to EFCC to tender unreserved apology to Sun and compensate the paper with N1billion.

“Otherwise, I may be forced to restrain EFCC from carrying out activities not known to law,” the lawyer threatened.

He said that the raid on the media outfit had now become a stock in trade of the commission and described the action as uncivilized and unconstitutional.

“It is designed to gag, molest and harass the press. The excuse offered to the public by the EFCC cannot be accepted, as the matter is still pending in the competent court of law”, he declared.

Ogele said the action of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had already violated section 39 (1) of 1999 constitution of Nigeria as amended.

He said that the anti graft agency carried out its statutory functions outside the organic law by such unlawful act.

The lawyer charged the Nigerian masses who believed in the freedom of the press to condemn the invasion of the Sun Newspaper premises.

Ogele sympathized with the media outfit for the damages and embarrassment and insisted that its management must drag the EFCC to court.

He, however, asked the acting chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, to respect the rule of law and desist from the “rule of force and crudity.”

The operatives of the EFCC had, in the early hours of Monday, invaded the Lagos head office of the Sun Newspaper to ascertain the state of the assets of the publishing company which has been a subject of a subsisting interim forfeiture order.

Prior to the invasion, the anti graft agency had written to the authorities of the media outfit to account for its management of the assets for the period of the subsisting court order. [myad]

The Executive Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello has described the Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial Zone, Dino Melaye as being notorious for political violence in the state warning him to desist from his old trade or face the wrath of the law.

The governor was reacting to what he called the unruly conduct, political violence and needless crisis orchestrated by Senator Dino Melaye in a bid to foil his recall from the National Assembly which led to the brutal murder of Saka Seidu, a student of the Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja.

A statement by the Petra Akinti Onyegbule, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, quoted Yahaya Bello as advising Senator Melaye “with a notorious antecedent for political violence from further plunging the State of Kogi into needless political violence and security crisis” while also asking him to honour his constituents’ rights to exercise their constitutional obligations.

The Governor who expressed regrets for the unfortunate incident and called on the people, youth and students of Kogi to remain calm, law-abiding and refrain from taking laws into their hands in the face of imminent threat to their life and security, assured them of continued safety and maintenance of security in the State.

This was even as he asked the “ embattled Senator to desist from further plunging the State into needless political crisis capable of threatening the peace and security of the people in the State.”

He said that despite his commitment towards ensuring safety and security for the indigenes and inhabitants of the State and endeavour to rid the State of insecurity and political thuggery, the embattled Senator remains hell-bent on causing mayhem in the State in a bid to save his drowning political career.

The governor then reiterated his firm commitment to ensuring continuous security and safety of lives and properties in the State as he vowed not to relent in his administration’s lofty strides in securing the life of every inhabitant in the State.

“The Governor calls on young people to desist from being readily available as cheap tools to malicious politicians’ devilish use and manipulation.

“He reiterated that their lives are precious and should not be sacrificed on the altar of any selfish politician’s political expediency.

“He recalled that the State Government had petitioned the Presidency and the Inspector General of Police in January of 2017 on the likelihood of such an outbreak of violence but wonders why no action was taken. He called on the authorities to expedite action on the petition to ensure there is no repeat of today’s unfortunate incident.” [myad]

Following the dust raised by the ethnic struggle between Igbo from the South East and Northern Youths, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has embarked on series of peace meetings with leaders of thought from different parts of the country.

According to the tweet by the senior special assistant in the office of acting President, Laolu Akande, Professor Osinbajo began the series of peace meeting today, Tuesday with the leaders and other stakeholders from the North.

He wrote: “Acting President Osinbajo will start a series of consultations with Leaders of Thought from the Northern & Eastern regions of the country this afternoon.”

Akande said that Professor Osinbajo would first meet each group separately on

different days this week and then meet them together afterwards.

“Acting President met over weekend with security chiefs and gave firm instructions on need to protect lives and property of all Nigerians always, everywhere.”

The Acting President, while speaking at a consultative meeting with Leaders of Thoughts from the Northern states of the country, at the Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja, today, Tuesday, said that government would invoke it’s full powers to crush any persons or groups that cause violence in Nigeria.

“People are bound to complain of marginalization but we must be careful the way we go about it. This is not the time to retreat but it is a time to come to gether and work together. Hate or decisive speeches will be met with decisive action. No one will be made to get away with hate speeches that will led to violence.”

Osinbajo said that government will take very seriously any hate or decisive speeches designed to cause “violence and disrupt the peace of this country. It is so because when violence starts you can not control it. Wars these days don’t end.

We owe it a duty to hand our generations a peaceful country. Leaving in a diverse country like our, we are sure to face challenges considering our diverse nature. In the past few weeks their have been louder noises of hate and decisive speeches more than the past. Their was the loud agitation about secession by some groups in the southeast and those affiliated to them. The call by a group of young people from the North giving ultimatum for those from the east to leave by October. Their are those who may say they should be ignored but I believe we need to address these issues.”

“Our diverse nature has been our strength. We do not have any sort of homogenous place. Any stone strown may hit targets that they are not intended so that we don’t create crisis not intended.”

The acting president who expressed gratitude at the presence of the Northern leaders disclosed that the consultative meetings would continue with tradition as well as religious leaders from both South and North and that the consultation will end on Sunday.

Present at the meeting are Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara, IGP, NSA, Abba Kyari, chief of staff to the president Mansur Dan-Ali, minister of defence, Adulrahman Dambazau, minister of interior among others.

Some Of the leaders from the North are Ibrahim Coomasies, Arewa Onsultative Forum (ACF) Chairman, Yakubu Pam, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) chairman Northern Nigeria, Gen Martin Agwai (rtd), Bashir Ibrahim, Kabiru Chafe, Ibrahim Wushishi, Aliyiu Wamako, Ango Abdullahi, Fatimah Abubakar and Mohammed Hyatudeen among others. [myad]

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council (OYC), Worldwide, has made it clear that the South-East zone will not accept anything less than presidency for the Igbo in the 2019 election.

Rising from its meeting in Enugu today, Tuesday, the group said it has activated all its machineries towards the actualization of the project.

In a communique issued after the meeting, which was signed by the Secretary General of OYC, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, the group said that Ndigbo would no longer play second fiddle in Nigeria politics.

It described as a sheer injustice and hatred “a situation where no Igbo has been allowed close to the seat of power for decades of years, whereas other geo-political zones have been taking turns either as military or civilian presidents.

“More annoying i‎s the fact that the North, a major beneficiary in this direction has bluntly refused to heed the call for restructuring, which has been identified as the panacea to the many socio-political problems plaguing the nation.

“Besides, they have also not only continued to express disdain over the demand for Biafra by IPOB and MASSOB, but has also ordered Ndigbo out of the North based on these agitations.

“One now wonders why Ndigbo will continued to be treated in this manner. ‎Two days the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo had re-echoed the fact that Nigeria is in a marriage. He was quoted as saying: ‘Our nation has been in marriage for a while now. Sometimes, there are quarells within that marriage. Sometimes there is disagreement. What is important is that you must remain together. You must remain united.’ “It does appear from the above that Ndigbo have perpetually remained the sacrificial lamb to keep this forced marriage together. They have remained victims of an abusive marriage, often beaten, cheated by the husband. “We have resolved today that this grave injustice cannot continue. It is Igbo presidency in 2019 with a Vice President from the North or nothing. “We are not ready any longer be treated with levity and disdain in this country and for that we are calling on all Igbo sons and daughters both at home and in the Diaspora to key into this project.” [myad]