Unlawful possession of firearm: 3 suspects granted N150,000 bail each

An Upper Area Court in Gudu District, Abuja, on Tuesday admitted 3 suspects, Emmanuel Abaronye, Williams Gwabee and Joel Okechukwu to bail in the sum of N150,000 each for unlawful possession of a locally-made pistol.

The presiding judge, Alhaji Umar Kagarko, ordered the defendants to produce one surety each in like sum, and adjourned the case till April 25 for hearing.

The accused, Abanonye, 30, Gwabee, 25 and Okechukwu, 27, all of Orozo, Abuja, are answering to a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and unlawful possession of a locally made pistol.

The Prosecutor, Umoh Inah, told the court that the accused were arrested by a police patrol team from the FCT command, Abuja, on Dec. 31, 2015.

He explained that the defendants were found to be in possession of a locally-made pistol and could not give a satisfactory explanation as to how they got the weapon.

The accused however pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The offences according to the prosecution contravened Sections 97 and 319 of the Penal Code.

NAN

Read More

#FreeEse: It's unislamic for a 14 year-old girl to give herself for marriage - Emir

Emir of Kano, HRH Muhammad Sanusi II, has ordered the immediate release of Ese  Oruru to the Police DIG, Zone 1, Kano, as a first step in the process of reuniting her with her parents.

Sanusi who issued the order to Kano sharia court also distanced himself and the Kano Emirate Council from the alleged abduction.

“I have ordered the Sharia Commission to liaise with the office of Assistant Inspector General of Police, zone 1, to repatriate and reconcile the teenager with her family immediately.

“The emirate had intervened earlier over the abducted girl and took the appropriate decision of sending her back to her parents and advised that her health condition be checked,” he said.

The Emir said that when he heard that the underaged girl had married herself off to a man from Kano, he advised that she was too young to do so and should seek her parents' consent.

“It’s un-Islamic for a lady of her age to give herself off for marriage and also unacceptable for the lady to leave her parents just to get married to any man, anywhere and especially in Islam.

“On that note, I instructed that the lady be taken to the AIG in Bayelsa, and he should hand her over to her parents,” he said.

Read More

Agatu killings politically motivated - PDP

The Benue State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr Emmanuel Agbo, has alleged that the massacre of Agatu people was orchestrated by people who were out to punish them because they “overwhelmingly voted for Senator David Mark” in the last re-run election in Benue South senatorial District.

Speaking at the PDP headquarters where he led members of the state executive council on a solidarity visit to the national chairman of the PDP, Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff, Dr Agbo decried the silence of government despite the widespread killings.

“We have witnessed massive attacks on several communities in Agatu Local government area of the state that have resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives and properties worth billions of Naira. We have reason to believe that this recent attack on the Agatu people was punishment for their resolve to vote overwhelmingly for Senator Mark,'' he said.

Responding, Modu-Sheriff vowed to take up the matter of the killings with the Inspector General of Police.

“I am going to sit with the inspector General of Police over the complaints that you have told me. As a party, I will do everything to ensure that our rights are not taken for granted. We will follow this issue to its logical conclusion to make sure that none of our members is intimidated and harassed,” he said.

Read More

Total conquest: 5000 cattle, armed Fulani herdsmen take over Agatu land.

The Commissioner of Police in Benue State, Northcentral Nigeria, Mr Paul Yakadi on Monday confirmed the occupation of a section of Agatu Local Government Area where marauding Fulani herdsmen last week killed over 300 indigenes and displaced over 7000 persons.

Yakadi said that the land left by fleeing Agatu people is now occupied by no fewer than 5000 cattle and Fulani herdsmen armed with sophisticated weapons.

Reports from the area indicate that the herdsmen have continued to kill the villagers despite President Buhari’s announcement of a security team to forestall further attacks.

Yakadi who led the police team
the ravaged communities, confirmed that seven villages, including Okokolo, Aila, Adagbo, Akwu, Omikuidi, Ocholonya and Odugbeho are completely deserted.

He said that the invaders attacked Agatu from Naka in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State, Loco and Doma in Nasarawa State.

“The worrisome renewed attack on the Agatu communities by Fulani herdsmen was as a result of the alarming influx of the herdsmen into the area through neighbouring towns of Naka in Gwer West local government area of Benue State, Loco and Doma of Nasarawa State, where cattle are made to swim across the water to Agatu. The Command, which was on an assessment tour of the area few days ago to identify areas that security needed to be beefed up, discovered Fulani herdsmen armed with sophisticated weapons with their cows numbering over 5,000.

“We saw a number of houses that were either burnt or destroyed and foodstuffs from these areas were looted and some were burnt. The team also discovered that the following villages; Okokolo, Aila, Adagbo, Akwu, Omikuidi, Ocholonya and Odugbeho were deserted with no trace of persons living there while three corpses were seen in Aila and Adagbo,” he said.

Credits: Vanguard

Read More

Ese Oruru before and after she became Aisha Chuwas (Photo)

See pictures of Ese Oruru before and after she became Aisha Chuwas as depicted in The Herald.

The Herald reports that Ese has insisted that she came to Kano to become a Muslim and marry Yunusa and would not like to return to Bayelsa.

Ese now addresses herself as Aisha Chuwas, according to reports.

Read More

Court remands Abba Moro in prison.

Former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro was on Monday remanded in prison custody pending the determination of his application for bail.

However, Justice A. I. Chikere of the Federal High Court, Abuja granted bail to Moro's co-accused, Mrs Anastasia Nwaobia as she had just been equally released on bail by the EFCC.

Abba Moro's bail application will be heard on Wednesday.

Read More

Ese Oruru's abductor liable to N500,000 fine or 5 years in prison - Minister

The abduction and forced marriage of 13 year-old Ese Oruru by a certain Yunusa from Kano State which has been trending in the social media has drawn the attention of the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Aishat Al-Hassan.

Yunusa allegedly abducted Ese
in Opolo, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, in August, 2015 and took her to Kano where he forcefully converted to his wife and renamed her Aishat.

Al-Hassan who was the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Taraba State in last year's general elections condemned Yunusa's action which she described as illegal.

“Our laws are very clear on the case. Ese Oruru is 14 and as such cannot consent to marriage. Any such union she’s in is illegal.

“I have been in touch with the police authorities in Kano over Ese’s immediate release to her parents and we are making progress.

“I can assure you that I will use all my powers and influence as a Minister and woman to secure the release and return of Ese Oruru.

“Ese is still a child under our laws, and her right to freedom of movement is subject to parental control. She must be returned.

“Child Rights Act says no person under 18 is capable of contracting a valid marriage, and a marriage so contracted is null and void.

“The Act also clearly states that anyone who marries a child is liable to a fine of N500,000 or 5 years imprisonment or both.

“No culture, religion or personal conviction supersedes the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Ese Oruru must return home.

“My ministry is on this case and we will ensure full prosecution of anyone who is found to have contravened the law,” she said.

The Minister assured that Ese who is now 14 will soon be released and reunited with her parents.

Read More