News

Court Of Appeal Announces Temporary Shutdown Over Security Concerns

Published

2 days ago

October 28, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Court of Appeal, Owerri Division, has announced a temporary closure due to security concerns.

From Monday, October 28th, to Friday, November 1st, 2024, the court will be closed to lawyers and litigants.

This decision comes despite previously issued hearing notices for the same period, which are now cancelled.

A press release signed by the Deputy Chief Registrar informed lawyers and journalists of this sudden change. The notice cited security concerns as the compelling reason for postponing this week’s sittings.

“Despite the fact that we have issued a HEARING Notice against 28th of October to 1st November, we are compelled by some security concerns to postpone the sitting this week. All Hearing Notices issued stand to be cancelled,” it said.

“We issued this information ahead of time to save your time, energy and money. We are sorry for any inconveniences this might have caused you.”

However, details of the security concerns remain unclear, as the court’s announcement did not provide further information.

News

JUST IN: Zamfara PDP Member Defects to APC

Published

50 mins ago

October 30, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

A member of the House of Representatives, Rep. Suleiman Abubakar Gumi, representing Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency of Zamfara state has defected from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

This defection was transmitted in a letter read by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas on Wednesday at plenary.

Rep. Gumi in the letter, said his reasons for defection was as a result of the crisis in his Constituency where there are two PDP chairmen.

The letter reads in part: “It is as a result of the internal and external crisis in the PDP in the state. The party lacks structure in the state”.

Meanwhile, the Minority Leader, Rep. Kingsley Chinda, raised a constitutional point of order that having two chairmen in a Constituency cannot be defined as a problem in the PDP and not enough reasons according to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“You are aware that when a member leaves his political party the rules are very clear. According him these two chairmen are in his Constituency.

“I ask Mr Speaker, that you act according to our rule and Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“You sit here today as our leader. The constitutional provision on what happens when one decamps to another party is clear.

“There is a time to do the right thing and the time has come for the Speaker to do the right thing. You swore to protect the constitution of this country at all times.

“I ask Mr Speaker that you act according to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Chinda said.

Naijablitznews.com reports that Rep. Gumi’s defection is coming barely two weeks after he was made the chairman House Committee on North West Development Commission, a newly created Committee approved by the leadership.

Gumi until his recent appointment was the chairman House Committee on Safety Standards.

News

Just in: Federal High court stops CBN from releasing allocation to Rivers govt

Published

1 hour ago

October 30, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

A Federal High Court in Abuja has stopped the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, from further releasing monthly financial allocations to Rivers state government.

The court held that the receipt and disbursement of monthly allocations since January this year by Governor Siminalayi Fubara was a constitutional aberration that must not be allowed to continue.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, who issued the order on Wednesday, held that the presentation of the 2024 budget by Fubara before a 4-member Rivers House of Assembly was an affront to the Assembly.

Specifically, the judge said that Fubara action in implementing unlawful budget smacked gross violations of the 1999 Constitution he swore to protect.

The judge therefore restrained CBN, Accountant General of the Federation, Zenith Bank and Access Bank, from further allowing Fubara to access money from the Consolidated Revenue of the Federation Account.

News

Reps Pass For Second Reading Bill To Stop Fraudulent Deductions By Commercial Banks

Published

7 hours ago

October 30, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

As a way to find lasting solutions to issues of fraudulent deductions from customers’ accounts by commercial banks, the House of Representatives has passed for second reading a “Bill for an Act to amend the Banking and Other Financial Institutions Act 202 and Other for Other Related Matters,” sponsored by Rep. Moses Fayinka, member representing Mushin II Federal Constituency of Lagos State.

In his lead debate Tuesday plenary, on the general principles of the bill, Rep. Fayinka regretted the frequent cases of withdrawals from customers’ accounts, and noted that billions of naira have been lost in the process.

“There is an alarming rise of bank fraud or unauthorised withdrawal of deposit funds in Nigeria. In the banking industry, about 101,801 cases were reported in 2022 and 48,703 cases were reported in 2023, making bank customers lose several billions of naira.

The objective of this piece of legislation, aims to stop illegal funds transactions where monies are moved from the customer’s account without the authorisation of the customer for such transaction to take place.

It is also to stop banks from the cover-up of such syndicates without reporting such action to the receiving bank and the police for necessary actions and for both the paying and receiving banks to get the culprits arrested and prosecuted and to pay all necessary bills in the course of the recovery processes.

The bill when into law also seeks to make a refund back to the victim’s account without charges.

“This Bill is in consideration to the uprising of various financial crimes within the country, with many of such passing through financial institutions or we can call it the commercial banking system.

‘We all know that virtually all banking transactions are done electronically, which means that transactions can either be ATM, POS, direct cash transfer, fast cash and many others, in which many bank customers have fallen victims and have lost their hard-earned fortune without help from any side”, he stated.

Contributing to the bill, Rep. Ahmed Jaha, the member representing Damboa/Gwoza/Chibok Federal Constituency of Borno State, criticized the multiple deductions.

He said: “Even today, people in the National Assembly saw debit alerts that they did not know where it came from. We ignore these deductions because they are negligible amounts but when you put it together, it runs into millions of Nigeria.”

Also contributing to the debate, Rep. Mohammed-Bello El-Rufai, member representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency of Kaduna Statep, called on the Central Bank of Nigeria to impose stiffer penalties on commercial banks found to be imposing charges on their customers.