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Kaduna Assembly Hires Foremost Human Rights Lawyer Femi Falana To Prosecute Ex-Gov El-Rufai For Mega Corruption
Media learnt that Falana will lead a battery of lawyers to begin unravelling the monumental corruption on Thursday in Kaduna.
Kaduna House Of Assembly has hired human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN) to prosecute the former governor of the state, Nasir El-Rufai corruption.
It was learnt that Falana will lead a battery of lawyers to begin unravelling the monumental corruption on Thursday in Kaduna.
Earlier in July, the Kaduna State House of Assembly reaffirmed its position on the allegations of financial misconduct levelled against former Governor El-Rufai.
According to the Assembly’s findings, El-Rufai’s administration diverted a staggering sum of N423,115,028,072.88 during his tenure.
The Assembly also denounced the attempts made by some political appointees, who recently held a press conference in Abuja, to discredit the House and conceal the alleged fraud committed by the El-Rufai government.
A statement released by the Chairman Fact-Finding Committee and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Henry Magaji, said, “The attention of the Kaduna State House of Assembly has been drawn to a press conference addressed by some senior political appointees of the immediate past administration of Malam Nasir El-Rufai.
“In the press conference, the former political appointees made strenuous efforts to pick holes in the report of the Probe Committee. They resorted to name calling and wild allegations on the motivations for the House Probe. We wish to state as follows:
“The press conference was just a rehash of the vituperations and innuendoes heaped on us by the former political appointees in their first press briefing. There was nothing new that should warrant our response. They failed to address the main issue, which is the systematic and coordinated cornering of the resources of Kaduna State through phoney contracts and outright looting.”
“If they genuinely have the interest of Kaduna State and are truly men and women of integrity, they would have applied themselves to developing the state instead of participating in the alleged pilfering of its scarce resources,” he added.
In June, the State House of Assembly demanded the immediate refund of N36 billion allegedly paid for illegal contractual transactions by El-Rufai’s government.
This was stated in the recommendations submitted by the House Committee set up to probe alleged fraud and abuse of office by El-Rufai’s government.
According to the committee, the government of El-Rufai paid the sum of N36 billion for contracts that were not done.
The committee added that the administration violated the state procurement laws.
The committee said, “That the Contractors listed hereunder should refund to the Kaduna State Government a total sum of N36,351,126,811.65 being monies paid for work either not done, overpayment or diversion as follows:- Ronchess Global Resources PLC, Chamberlayne Global Concept Ltd, M/S Prestige Integrated Services Ltd, M/S Philco Nig. Ltd, M/S Gulu Engineering & Technical Services Ltd, CCECC Nigeria Ltd, Danjiro Nigeria Ltd and Rafali Nigeria Ltd.
“Others are Sanjo Nigeria Ltd, Konstrand Nigeria Ltd, Spectrum Engineering Ltd, Bindigary Construction Ltd, Gmorli Nigeria Ltd, Shiyuma Nigeria Ltd and Farm Track Nigeria Ltd.”
The total amount involved was put at N36,351,126,811.65.
The committee also said that “unjustified cash withdrawals to the tune of N4,936,916,333.00 made between 2019 and 2022 by the Commissioner of Finance and the Accountant General of the State should be referred to the appropriate law enforcement agencies for in-depth investigation and necessary action”.
It continued: “That, the unjustified withdrawals of the sum of $1.4 Million USD from the Kaduna State Economic Transformation Account No. 0809009141 for the period of 30/10/2020 – 06/05/2020 be referred to the relevant Law Enforcement Agencies for in-depth investigation and appropriate action.”
“That, the sum of N632,456,000.00 only paid to Tulip Future Associates Ltd without official engagement as Consultants be recovered by the State Government,” it added.
News
Trump Announces Pam Bondi For Attorney General after Rep Gaetz Withdrawal
After Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida abandoned his quest for U.S. attorney general, President-elect Donald Trump wasted no time in choosing another candidate for the position.
On Thursday evening, Trump announced his decision on social media.
“I am proud to announce former Attorney General of the Great State of Florida, Pam Bondi, as our next Attorney General of the United States,” he posted on Twitter. “Pam was a prosecutor for nearly 20 years, where she was very tough on Violent Criminals, and made the streets safe for Florida Families,” according to him.
“Then, as Florida’s first female Attorney General, she worked to stop the trafficking of deadly drugs and reduce the tragedy of Fentanyl overdose deaths.”
News
SAS! 38 Casualtie As Gunmen Ambush Shiite Convoys
No fewer than 38 people, most of them Shiite Muslims, were killed in northwestern Pakistan on Thursday as gunmen ambushed convoys of vehicles that had been under the protection of security forces.
The attack was one of the deadliest in months of sectarian violence in the Kurram region, a scenic mountainous district bordering Afghanistan. Pakistan is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim, but Kurram’s population of 800,000 is nearly half Shiite Muslim, contributing to a cauldron of tribal tensions.
Conflicts, often rooted in disputes over land, frequently escalate into deadly sectarian clashes. The violence highlights the government’s persistent struggle to maintain control in the region.
The vehicles had been traveling in opposite directions on the main road connecting Parachinar, a Shiite-majority town in Kurram, to Peshawar, the provincial capital 135 miles away.
The road, a vital lifeline for the district, had only recently reopened after being closed for three weeks because of an ambush on Oct. 12 that left at least 16 people dead.
During the closure, residents of Parachinar were cut off from essential supplies, including food and fuel, leading to a growing humanitarian crisis.
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One Woman, Girl Killed Every 10 Minutes Globally – UN Women
On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, November 25, the report Femicides in
2023: Global Estimates of Intimate Partner/Family Member Femicides by UN Women and UNODC reveals that femicide—the most extreme form of violence against women and girls—remains pervasive in the world.Globally, 85,000 women and girls were killed intentionally in 2023. 60 per cent of these homicides -51,000- were committed by an intimate partner or other family member. 140 women and girls die every day at the hands of their partner or a close relative, which means one woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes.
In 2023, Africa recorded the highest rates of intimate partner and family-related femicide, followed by the Americas and then by Oceania. In Europe and the Americas, most women killed in the domestic sphere (64 per cent and 58 per cent, respectively) were victims of intimate partners, while elsewhere, family members were the primary perpetrators.
“Violence against women and girls is not inevitable—it is preventable. We need robust legislation, improved data collection, greater government accountability, a zero-tolerance culture, and increased funding for women’s rights organizations and institutional bodies. As we approach the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 2025, it is time for world leaders to UNiTE and act with urgency, recommit, and channel the resources needed to end this crisis once and for all”, highlighted UN Women Executive Director, Sima Bahous.
“The new femicide report highlights the urgent need for strong criminal justice systems that hold perpetrators accountable, while ensuring adequate support for survivors, including access to safe and transparent reporting mechanisms,” said Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC. “At the same time, we must confront and dismantle the gender biases, power imbalances, and harmful norms that perpetuate violence against women. As this year’s 16 Days of Activism Campaign begins, we must act now to protect women’s lives.”
The 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action in 2025, coupled with the fast-approaching five-year deadline to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, presents a critical opportunity to rally all stakeholders to take decisive and urgent action for women’s rights and gender equality. This includes ending impunity and preventing all forms of violence against women and girls.
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