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Court Adjourns Trial Of Lagos Plastic Surgeon

A Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday adjourned proceedings until October 24 for adoption of written addresses in the trial of a surgeon Dr. Anuoluwapo Adepoju, who is charged with alleged evasion from investigation into a failed plastic surgery by the Federal Competition and Consumers Protection Commission (FCCPC).

The case, which was scheduled for adoption of addresses yesterday, could not go on.


Adepoju is standing trial alongside her clinic, the MedContour Services Limited, on a five-count charge bordering on refusal to honour an invitation for investigation into a post-body surgery complications, as well as production of investigation documents.


She was re-arraigned on July 17, 2020, alongside her medical outfit before Justice Mohammed Liman where she pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail on self recognisance.

Trial has since commenced in the suit and the FCCPC had also since closed its case.

Her defence counsel filed a no case submission on grounds that no case had been established against her by prosecution to warrant her entering a defence.

Meanwhile, Justice Liman had ruled against the no case submission by the defendant on April 7, 2022 because the evidences before the court satisfied the elements of the criminal charges pending against the defendant.

The court had then adjourned the case for the defence to open its case.

The case, however, has suffered several adjournments for various reasons. On May 5, 2023, the defence opened its case and called the first defendant as sole witness.

The defendant was led in evidence and also cross examined after which the court adjourned the case until June 21, for adoption of written addresses.

On June 21, the court did not sit and the case was then adjourned until July 17 (yesterday) when the case was further adjourned till October 24.

In the five-count charge brought against the defendants, the prosecution alleged that the first defendant failed to appear before the FCCPC in relation to investigation into a reported failed plastic surgery in compliance with the commission’s summons dated April 15, 2020.

The prosecution also alleged that without sufficient cause, the first defendant also refused and failed to produce documents which she was required to produce in compliance with the commission’s notice of investigation dated April 14, 2020.

The defendant was alleged to have prevented and obstructed the commission from carrying out its investigation into the said issue.


The offences contravened the provision of Sections 11(1)(a), 33(1)(a), 110, 113(1)(a) and 159(4) of the FCCPC Act, 2018.

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Intl. Airlines Adjust Exchange Rates For Tickets To N803/$1

International airlines in Nigeria have adjusted the exchange rate for selling tickets to Nigerians to N803/$1, according to reliable sources in the travel agency, IATA.


The International Air Transport Association (IATA) informed stakeholders that the IATA exchange rate would change from N776.90/$1 to N803.90/$1.


They have advised ticket agencies to close out unfinished ticket sales by the close of business Monday to avoid a potential rise in ticket prices.


This adjustment is a response to the recent depreciation of the naira, as demand pressure exceeds the supply of foreign exchange.

Recall last week that the exchange rate depreciated to N803.9/$1 on the I&E window, reaching its weakest level to date. It seems that this is the rate currently adopted by the airlines.

However, a quick check on the FMDQ portal indicates that rates have slightly improved, closing at N795.28/$1. The NAFEX rate closed at N772.21/$1, suggesting that rates may change again in accordance with market realities.

Airlines began benchmarking ticket sales against the value of the exchange rate at the I&E window after the Central Bank revised guidelines for the operations of the forex market.


Meanwhile, the exchange rate on the parallel market depreciated to N820/$1 on Monday while peer-to-peer traders exchanged at about N818/$1.

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LP to Tinubu: There won’t be anarchy when you are evicted by law

The Labour Party (LP) has told President Bola Tinubu that his removal from office by the court will not cause anarchy in the country.

Tinubu had asked the presidential election tribunal to dismiss the petition filed by LP seeking to nullify his victory on the grounds that he did not secure 25 percent of the lawful vote cast in the federal capital territory (FCT).

Tinubu, through Wole Olanipekun, his counsel, in a final written address to the tribunal against the petition, said the FCT is the 37th state for electoral purposes and any other interpretation would “lead to absurdity, chaos, anarchy and alteration of the very intention of the legislature”.

Olanipekun said the petition is novel and not familiar with the country’s electoral laws.

 

Reacting, the LP in a statement on Monday by Obiora Ifoh, national publicity secretary of the party, said Tinubu’s comment was unnecessary since the matter is before the court.

The LP said the All Progressives Congress (APC) must be cautious in its approach to the matter which is still in court, noting that no amount of pressure on the judges in the tribunal can change the processes and requirements that the law has put in place.

“We are worried that the statement which formed part of his submissions and was contained in his final written address against the Labour Party’s petition pending at the PREPEC, and meant to be in the exclusive custody of the court was leaked to the media,” the statement reads.

 

“We still do not know the reason behind this act of desperation, even when the matter is still pending in court. We will however be careful not to term the action as sub-judice.

“Having said that, the Labour Party thinks that the statement was unnecessary since the matter is already before the court, and going ahead to pontificate on it could be construed as interference in the duties and responsibilities of the judiciary.

“The truth of the matter is that there are no sentiments when it comes to matters of law. The law is the law and once the law has stipulated the manner and how a matter must be carried out, it must follow that pattern.

“If the law has stated the requirement that a presidential candidate must meet before he can be declared, there is no shortcut to it.

 

“Therefore, if the constitution which is the ground norm of the law in Nigeria has stated clearly that you must score at least 25 percent in FCT before the president can be declared, anything short of that can not remedy it.

“We insist that no amount of threat from the APC on the judges in the tribunal can change the processes and requirements that the law has put in place. It must be followed and that is the position of the Labour Party.

“Let me assure the APC and their leaders that if there were no absurdity, chaos, and anarchy when they forced their way into power, Nigeria will still witness peace when they are eventually evicted from power.”

[TheCable]

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Five Kuje inmates bag varsity degrees, 200 enrol at NOUN

Five inmates of the Kuje Custodial Centre have bagged university degrees in various disciplines at the National Open University of Nigeria.

This is as over 200 inmates at the centre are enrolled in tertiary education.

Speaking during the presentation of certificates to the graduands in Abuja on Monday, the Controller General, Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, said education was a potent means of rehabilitation.

Represented by the Controller of Corrections, FCT Command, Ibrahim Idris, Nababa expressed confidence that the inmates could compete favourably with their counterparts without stigmatisation.

 

He said, “Education is transformative and a powerful rehabilitative tool for development in every society. Therefore, with these certificates, they are fit to compete anywhere without being stigmatised.

“We appreciate the National Open University of Nigeria for their unwavering support to the correctional service all over the federation in ensuring that inmates are reformed through education. Over 200 inmates have enrolled in tertiary education in the Kuje centre alone.

“We encourage other inmates of the facility to take advantage of this free education and other vocational skills to equip themselves for success in larger society upon release.”

He also pledged to continue the service’s partnership with the institution in curbing insecurity in the country.

The Vice Chancellor, NOUN, Prof. Olufemi Peters, who spoke through the National Coordinator, Special Study Centres, Mrs Modupe Adesina, urged all inmates to make the best of the opportunity that had been given to them through a partnership between the Nigerian Correctional Service and NOUN to improve and empower themselves.

The Centre Director, Controller of Corrections, Francis Enobore, called on the public to desist from stigmatising ex-offenders, saying they have been corrected, and should be accepted back into society with all rights and privileges, to avoid going back to crimes.

[Punch]

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Tinubu Asks Tribunal To Ignore Obi, Atiku’s Evidence, Increase His Score To 8.8 Million

Lawyers representing President Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima have urged the Presidential Election Petitions Court sitting in Abuja to increase their client’s votes from 8,794,726 declared by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission Mahmood Yakubu, to 8,800,369 votes.

Tinubu’s lawyer, Wole Olanipekun SAN, told the PEPC to uphold the testimony of its star witness, Senator Michael Opeyemi, who told the court that in Kano State, the votes secured by Tinubu were not properly recorded and had a shortfall of 10,929 votes.

Recall that on March 1, INEC’s Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu announced Tinubu as winner of the polls with 8,794,726 votes while Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of the Labour Party were said to have scored 6,984,520 votes and 6,101,533 votes, respectively.

But the first and second runners-up as declared by INEC, filed separate petitions asking the PEPC to nullify Tinubu’s election victory.

During his defence of Tinubu’s victory however, Olanipekun tendered INEC certified national election result sheet and Kano state presidential result sheet as evidence.

In their final written address, Olanipekun told the court that Tinubu’s actual score in Kano state was not reflected in the final results declared by the INEC chairman.

He urged the court to declare that it was an arithmetic error and order that 10,929 votes be added to Tinubu’s score.

“In paragraph 83 of the respondent’s reply, it has been pleaded that the votes scored by him in
Kano State was discounted by 10,929; Exhibits RA20 and RA21 were tendered before this
Honourable Court and the sole witness called by the respondents was made to speak to them,
identifying the figures relevant to the pleading as appearing in column 9 of each of the exhibits,
that is, the votes recorded in RA20(Form EC&D) was discounted by 10,929 in Exhibit RA21
(Form EC8D(A).

“It was a mere arithmetical error which is apparent on the two exhibits. Thus, the court has the power and jurisdiction to add the discounted figure of 10,929 to the final votes of 8,794,726, recorded for the respondent, to make his votes come to a total of 8,800,369, in conformity with Exhibits RA20 and RA21. We urge the court to so hold,” Olanipekun prayed separately in his address to Obi petition.

He also brought same submissions in the petition by filed Atiku, having tendered the result sheet for Kano and the national election.

Furthermore, Olanipekun asked the court not to consider Obi’s evidence because his star witness, the chief spokesman of the LP Presidential Campaign Council and National Director, Media, Labour party, Yunusa Tanko, allegedly “dumped” it on the court without demonstrating it.

“This witness also admitted that he did not open the various envelopes dumped on the court, because there was no time, and as such, he only opened some.

” Accordingly, we respectfully urge this Honourable Court to take note of the fact that the petitioners only succeeded in dumping their documents before this Honourable Court, without the requisite demonstration and linkage with the relevant portion of the case.

“We urge the court to observe that this petition(by Obi) has been prosecuted without the relevant documents, in respect of which the court could have taken a decision in their favour,” Olanipekun prayed.

The learned silk equally asked the PEPC to declare that the reports tendered by experts and a statistician in Obi and Atiku’s case were premeditated and not truthful.

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Make Use of Nigeria’s Youthful Technocrats – CSO Urges Tinubu

The Amalgamated Civil Society Organizations of Nigeria (ACN), a non-profit, non-governmental, anti-corruption organization, has called for the inclusion of the youthful Nigerian population into governance.

ACN which has over a million civil society groups (both CSOs and NGOs), has called for inclusion of the youthful Nigerian population into governance.

This call is coming as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is about constituting his cabinet and other organs of government since assuming the mantle of leadership.

The Amalgamated CSOs/NGOs said they are joining the clarion call by opinion leaders, traditional rulers, women groups, youth groups and well-meaning Nigerians, that the time of using recycled politicians, failed or disgruntled politicians, is over, as the group observed that the nation was full of youthful technocrats and bureaucrats with a lot of energy that are eagerly waiting to contribute their quota to National Development.

The ACN therefore, solicited for the cooperation of the present administration to look beyond former governors, ministers and people that have hitherto brought Nigeria to where it is today. The group rather urged President Tinubu to look for viable, virile, professional and youths presently occupying the various offices nationwide and continue to engage them, instead of using worn-out, fatigued and corrupt leaders that have brought the country to its knees.

In a press release, the National President of the Amalgamated CSOs of Nigeria (ACN), Comrade Gbenga Ashiru Abiodun and its General Secretary, Comrade Yakubu Abdullahi, posited that “the continued usage of old hands will not augur well for the country, knowing full well that, most of them are facing graft issues and corruption allegations over their necks.” The group added that, again, “age was not on their side as they no longer have what it takes to preside over 21st Century organizations, as they are fatigued and too old to take modern decisions capable of bringing the desired change.”

The Amalgamated CSOs said President Tinubu was a change agent who is fixed on changing the country. Therefore, he should work with the youthful population, comprising both male and female, to change the narrative on ground as well as look at the possibility of using proactive youths, presently occupying positions of authority who are already doing well with or without supervision.

According to the anti-corruption organization, they want government to make use of the youths, to enable them head strategic positions in the present administration. They equally appealed to Nigerians to prevail on the President to tow this line that will bring an overall socio-economic development of the nation.

The CSOs noted that the youths are already playing a significant role in governance, because “65 per cent of Nigeria’s population is under 25. Therefore, we need to prioritize the affairs of the youthful population like never before. They also echoed that, “the collaborative efforts between generations are vital to achieving a sustainable effective and efficient governance that serves the collective interest of all.”

The Amalgamated group noted that “fresh and viable young people bring fresh perspective to issues and matters that affect the generality of Nigerian,” adding that, the youthful population of people in governance presently can also be taking into cognizance as most of them are doing extremely well, “like the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi and others who are daily changing the narrative in their respective endeavours and have become Nigerian youth ambassadors globally, for making efforts to change from below, under him, the organization has been repositioned and rebranded.”

The ACN also emphasized that the inclusion of youths and young people in the present administration, will promote “inclusivity, diversity and intergenerational dialogue between the old and the new, thereby leading to a robust, more rounded and equitable decision making that is expected in today’s management globally. The CSOs further advised the President to retain, promote and elevate outstanding young people inherited from previous administrations, looking at some high performing government agencies today led by youths and who are doing the nation proud.

They earnestly called on President Tinubu to discard and retire those so-called leaders that have brought the nation to “where we are today,” as the CSOs noted that “those so-called politicians do not mean well for the country, but only work towards achieving their self-serving agenda.”

The ACN has therefore reiterated that the only way that change can percolate to the grassroots of the country is by using strong, youthful energy backed up by sound decision making personalities who are desperate to bring change.

And, this, they observed, “can only be achieved by the young people who have a vision already of what they want Nigeria to look like or be in the next millennium.”

They advised that President Tinubu should retire and tell the old brigade to their faces to go and relax and be honourable advisers from the sidelines, “as these groups of people are too old and cannot add value to the system as envisaged by the President who is poised and ready for a change like the young people.”

The CSOs have therefore called on all Nigerians and well-wishers of the present administration to advise the President on this line of action of choosing the youths as against the tired legs, as well as make use of high performing youths presently occupying positions, to bring the needed change and transformation Nigeria so desires.

[authorityngr]

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AMCON mulls liquidation, return-to-shareholders options for embattled Arik Air

The pending court hearing notwithstanding, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has hinted on plans to withdraw from ownership and operations of embattled Arik Air.

 

AMCON, which is the Federal Government’s special purpose vehicle for asset recovery, foresees its withdrawal in the nearest future, either by means of a win-win negotiation with the Arik shareholders or outright liquidation of its assets.

The Guardian sources hinted that AMCON’s takeover of the “technically insolvent” airline in 2017 was more of a political and economic consideration of the then administration, than survivability of the distressed airline. Hence, the decision to withdraw grips from the airline soon.

It will be recalled that AMCON took over Arik Air in February 2017 as part of measures to “save” the airline from “imminent collapse”. AMCON had cited gross mismanagement by the owners of Arik, and debt of over N300 billion.

In a recent twist to the development, the Chairman of Arik Air, Johnson Arumemi-Ikide, attempt to reclaim the airline’s headquarters following a Federal High Court ruling that faulted AMCON on transparency, transfer of Arik’s asset to float a new airline, and barring of Arumemi-Ikide and co. from the Arik Air facilities.

The Receiver Manager of Arik Air, Kamilu Omokide, yesterday confirmed that AMCON, besides the liquidation option, still has other cards of a peaceful reclaim of assets laid on the table for the shareholders.

Omokhide said it was clear from the outset that the airline was in distress since 2015, and has been making losses since 2014 till date, especially due to its wrong strategy in international expansion and punching above its borrowing weight.

He, however, reiterated that AMCON had on at least three occasions – in 2018, 2019 and 2022 – made efforts at amicable settlement of the debt, for the return of the airline back to the shareholders.

In a 2018 memo to AMCON, the shareholders had hinted of a ready investor willing to settle the Arik’s outstanding. The Management of AMCON agreed (subject to regulatory approvals) to settle the then indebtedness of Arik Air with the payment of the sum of N65 billion to AMCON in full, and final settlement of AMCON’s debt of N135.3 billion.

Again, following a December 2019 letter, the major shareholders of Arik approached AMCON for a meeting to negotiate a discount on the expired offer to pay N65 billion. The Receiver Manager invited them to a meeting with the Management team of AMCON. No further reply was received, though later blamed on the ill-health of the Arik founder.

Omokide said: “If the entity (shareholders) is ready to cooperate, then we will support them. There are several options to consider, not just the liquidation. The owners of the company can work with AMCON to bring in new investors.

“We can do a scheme of arrangement. Some of the methods can work side by side. They can also approach AMCON and give a settlement that is good and AMCON will give concessions. They will put monies and assets down, and AMCON will move on,” he said.

Omkide assured that despite the frosty relation that has landed the parties in the law court, AMCON will not reject money proposed by the shareholders.

“If they come to the table with a good proposal, AMCON will look at it. The frosty relationship for AMCON is normal, because we know that recalcitrant debtors will not want to pay anyway.

“We have seen this in many cases, but we are focused on our objective, which is to recover. If after the drama, the somersaulting and the screaming, the debtor puts money on the table, AMCON will smell it, and if that is good, AMCON will eat it, and take a walk. That is what AMCON is called to do. AMCON is not emotional about the attacks. It is not a personal issue,” Omokide said.

[Guardian]

 
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APC top positions: Why Adamu, Omisore lost out

Senators Abdullahi Adamu and Iyiola Omisore left their positions yesterday as national chairman and national secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) following complaints about lack of accountability and non-inclusive leadership.

They were also accused of personalising their positions and sidelining critical organs, particularly the National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC).

Besides, Adamu and Omisore, according to sources, lost out in the power game because of an indictment in the party’s audit report.

The sources said the chairman had become a source of division in the NEC and NWC.

Adamu and Omisore came into office in March last year.

APC National Vice Chairman (Northwest), Salihu Lukman, has consistently accused Adamu of violating the constitution of the party.


The infractions listed by him included the refusal to tender financial accounts, lack of budget for NEC approval, absence of women, youths and persons with disability wing; refusal to set up committees on establishment, finance, inter-governmental, conflict and reconciliation, and refusal to review the last general election.

Adamu was alleged to have acted at “variance with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, APC governors and members of the National Working Committee.”

Also, the audit report on their tenure was “untidy and suspicious,” the source said.

But ahead of horse-trading in the post-Adamu era, former Nasarawa State Governor Umar Tanko Almakura may become the next National Chairman, with National Vice Chairman (Southwest), Mr. Isaacs Kekemeke as National Secretary.


Contrary to speculations of a concession to the Southeast, Southwest was still pushing to retain the post of National Secretary.

It was learnt that APC leaders have decided to consider those grounded in party politics to lead it.

While Al-Makura has been a party leader since 1979 when he was the youth leader of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN), Kekemeke was a grassroots party coordinator and a former chairman of APC in Ondo State.

Sources said although President Tinubu wanted Adamu to be left in his position, many NWC and NEC members disagreed, insisting that the former chairman was “working at cross-purposes with” the President and other party leaders.


It was gathered that he was advised to resign by some of the leaders of the party.

The allegations against Adamu were unacceptability of Tinubu’s leadership, alleged contempt for the President, and open dissenting views with the President and APC stakeholders.

A source said: “Sen. Adamu was never on the same page with President Tinubu. Apart from his often repeated remarks that Tinubu was not his preferred candidate for the presidency, there were some campaigns he didn’t participate in.

“Adamu’s leadership is seen as bellicose. An example of this is when he publicly disowned the list of principal officers of the National Assembly as announced by the presiding officers who consulted him.

“Adamu described the announcement of the list as a mere rumour, casting a slur on the process. He failed to upturn what the leadership of the lawmakers did.

“There have been unguarded statements by Adamu. Without any medical report, he declared an ailing Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu as incapacitated, which embarrassed many party leaders, members and others.”

Another source said Adamu was also in a cold war with some APC governors and members of the National Working Committee (NWC).

The source added: “Adamu’s conduct and utterances were at variance with President Tinubu, APC governors and members of the National Working Committee.

“He has been presiding over a divided NWC because he took advantage of his age and past party and executive positions to ride roughshod members. He adopted an authoritarian style.

“No NWC member can offer alternative views and he didn’t accord them their rights and privileges as equals in a working committee.

“When the tension was high, Adamu and NWC members reached a truce on May 3rd with a pledge to allow all the structures to function optimally.

“But by May 10th, the agreement was deadlocked. Since then, there has been no peace in the NWC.

“All NWC members were not in sync with Adamu and it was not surprising that they ganged up against him.”

The audit report on the finances of APC led to pressure on Adamu and Omisore to quit.

A member of the NWC said: “The financial outlook of APC is untidy. NWC members were not pleased with it.

“There are so many queries to be answered by the party’s leadership. And no leader, including President Tinubu, can gloss over the discrepancies in APC’s account.”

Asked why Omisore’s fate was tied to Adamu’s, the source added: “These leaders acted like Siamese twins on all issues, including the financial management of the party.”

The horse-trading for the offices of the national chairman and the national secretary has started.

It was learnt that some governors, ex-governors and party leaders were already closing in on Al-Makura as the next national chairman and Kekemeke as secretary.

A former governor said: “APC governors and party leaders have been meeting on who should lead the party. The permutations so far have been in favour of the national chairman returning to Nasarawa State with ex-Governor Al-Makura highly favoured. We need to demonstrate that we have nothing against the people of Nasarawa.

“Some of our leaders have been pushing for the retention of the slot in the Southwest with Kekemeke as a favourite.”

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Last modified on Tuesday, 18 July 2023 05:45

OPEC: NIGERIA’s oil output drops 5.5% to 1.249 mb/d oil theft persist

NIGERIA’s oil output dropped month-on-month, MoM, by   5.5 per cent to 1.249 million barrels per day, mb/d, in June 2023, from 1.184 million mb/d in May 2023.

Also, on year-on-year, YoY, the nation’s oil output dropped by 17.6 per cent to 1.249 mb/d in June 2023, from 1.515 mb/d in the corresponding period of 2022.

In its latest July 2023 Monthly Oil Market Report obtained by Vanguard, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, disclosed that this was based on data obtained from official sources.

The report did not consider Nigeria’s condensate output, currently hovering between 300,000 and 400,000 bpd, meaning that when this is considered, the nation’s total output would be much higher.

However, in its latest July 2023 report, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, has it that Nigeria’s daily oil production lagged behind the OPEC quota in June as it rose marginally by 4.9 per cent to 1.241 million barrels compared to 1.183 million barrels recorded in May 2023.

NUPRC in its oil production figures indicated that in total crude oil production and condensate oil amounted to 1.472 million barrels per day last month, an increase of 3.15 percent when compared to May production of 1.427 million barrels per day.

[Vanguard]

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60 Lawyers Sue SSS For Refusing To Release Emefiele

No fewer than 60 legal practitioners on Monday, approached a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory to begin committal proceedings against the State Security Services (SSS).

The lawyers said the suit was hinged on what they described as a violation of multiple judgments and orders of the court directing the agency to release a former Central Bank Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele.

The lawyers led by Mr Maxwell Opara and Mr Ahmed Tijani, prayed the court to commit the SSS to prison until it clears itself of the contempt.

The lawyers filed a motion before the court for the issuance of Form 48 and Form 49, which are the forms used to commence proceedings to commit a contemnor to prison.

The lawyers said that by the judgments and orders of Justice M. A. Hassan, Justice Hamza Muazu and Justice Bello Kawu, the SSS Director-General ought to have released Emefiele from detention.

In an affidavit in support of the application, the lawyers deposed to the fact Justice Hassan restrained the respondents, particularly, the SSS from arresting, detaining, or interrogating Emefiele.

This was with regards to offences connected to terrorism financing, money laundering, round tripping and financial crimes of national security dimension.

They also deposed that despite the clear and positive orders of the court, the DSS went ahead to arrest and detain Emefiele and had detained him for over a month while shopping for evidence, which did not exist.


Addressing newsmen after filing their processes, Opara said the group would pursue the matter to its logical conclusion and ensure that Bichi was sent to prison.

He said this was to serve as a deterrent to other heads of security agencies that disobedience of court orders would no longer be tolerated.

Opara also said it was preposterous that the SSS had accused Emefiele of having committed heinous crimes against the state only for it to now file a charge of possession of a validly registered pump action rifle against him.

“Is it not clear enough to Nigerians that the SSS is persecuting Emefiele if after holding him for five weeks they can only file a ridiculous charge of possessing a validly registered pump action gun?”

“This clearly shows that the travail of Emefiele is more for political reasons than for any other.”

(NAN)

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