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Judge orders NCoS to give detained Binance chief wheelchair
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, ordered the officials of the Kuje correctional facility to provide the detained Binance Holdings Limited executive, Tigran Gambaryan, with a wheelchair.
The order followed an outburst from Gambaryan, shortly after the court adjourned.
Justice Nwite had stepped out of the courtroom for a few minutes before returning to his seat.
Gambaryan, who was walking with crutches, abruptly stopped in front of Justice Nwite and lamented that his health had deteriorated since his remand at Kuje due to inadequate medical care.
He admitted to the judge that although he had been living with a herniated disc for the past 12 years, his condition had worsened due to the lack of proper medical attention at the facility.
Gambaryan also mentioned that he had difficulty walking and would appreciate it if his counsel’s request for a wheelchair was taken seriously.
Justice Nwite questioned the prison official present in court about why Gambaryan had been denied a wheelchair and subsequently ordered that one be provided.
The officials complied and Gambaryan was wheeled out of the courtroom.
Earlier, his counsel, Mark Mordi (SAN), informed Justice Nwite that his client’s health was deteriorating.
He said Gambaryan’s condition had worsened due to the negligence of prison officials and that he could not walk without assistance.
Mordi added that they had requested a wheelchair for Gambaryan, but the prison officials had refused to provide one.
The counsel said his client experienced excruciating pain while making his way into the courtroom using crutches and that a wheelchair would have alleviated such pain.
He further added that a fresh bail application had been filed.
“My Lord, a bail application was filed on August 28 regarding the second defendant’s health condition.
“My client’s health has continued to deteriorate. He couldn’t move without assistance and was crying as he made his way here this morning,” he said
The prosecution counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, responded that he had filed a counter to the application.
He argued that the defendant was exaggerating his illness, adding that the Office of the National Security Adviser had provided a copy of Gambaryan’s health record, which showed that his condition was not as serious as claimed.
Iheanacho added that he was at a loss as to why the prison officials had not presented the health record to the court.
He said Gambaryan had lived with his health condition for the past 12 years without it threatening his life, but now complained about the severity of the illness.
The counsel for the first defendant, Tonye Krukrubo (SAN), told the court that the matter was for the continuation of trial when it was called upon.
He complained that the Central Bank of Nigeria officials who were subpoenaed to bring documents that could be downloaded from their website had not provided the complete set.
“There’s an issue I think we should raise with your lordship. We requested documents from the CBN that should have been downloaded. My Lord remembers that we subpoenaed the CBN, and as of now, I am not aware that they have provided the documents,” he said.
Krukrubo was later handed some documents by the prosecution counsel who said the officials were earlier present and handed them to him and he insisted they were incomplete.
Iheanacho requested an adjournment to allow time to communicate with the CBN about the incomplete documents, suggesting that one or two days should be sufficient to resolve the issue.
In response to the fresh bail application filed by Mordi, Justice Nwite said he was hearing of it for the first time and thus could not address it at that moment.
He, thereafter, adjourned the case until September 4 for continuation of the trial.
Binance, its exchange British-Kenyan regional manager for Africa, Nadeem Anjarwalla, and Gambaryan are facing money laundering charges to the tune of $35m brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Gambaryan and Anjarwalla were initially detained by the Office of the National Security Adviser.
However, Anjarwalla fled lawful custody on March 22, 2024, while Gambaryan was transferred from ONSA custody to the EFCC custody and later to Kuje correctional facility, where he is currently being held.
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Air Force Begins Moving Electoral Materials For Edo Guber Election
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has began airlifting the sensitive election materials for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to Benin, Edo State, ahead of the upcoming governorship election scheduled for September 21, 2024.
This was disclosed on Wednesday by the Deputy Director, Public Relations and Information, Group Captain Kabiru Ali.
The operation is part of the NAF’s efforts to ensure the timely and secure delivery of materials necessary for a smooth electoral process.
This development reinforces the collaboration between NAF and INEC to facilitate logistics and ensure a peaceful election in Edo State.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, had previously reiterated NAF’s commitment to providing airlift support for the swift movement of electoral materials during a meeting with INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
This airlift operation is a crucial aspect of NAF’s constitutional responsibility to provide Military Aid to Civil Authority, underscoring the force’s dedication to supporting democratic processes in Nigeria. With the election just days away, the NAF’s timely intervention will help ensure the successful conduct of the governorship elections in Edo State.
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State had earlier accused the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, of working with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to hunt the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members and supporters in the state and force them into hiding ahead of September 21 governorship election.
Obaseki, who made the allegation when a delegation led by the former Head of State, Abdusalam Abubakar, met with him to get the governor and his party to sign peace accord, said that the IGP had made nonsense of his (Obaseki’s) role as the chief security officer of the state.
The governor had said that the police chief obtained a warrant to arrest 60 members and supporters of PDP in Edo and that the IGP sent an armed “gang” of policemen who invaded the state, attacked PDP members, shot at a local government chairman and arrested 10 persons who are currently being detained in Abuja without charges.
Asked by the former head of state if his party would sign the peace accord, Obaseki said, “The person who is supposed to enforce the peace accord is now an active participant in creating a destructive environment.
“We are now in a situation where from the Inspector General’s office, there are armed gang policemen who came into Edo State, invaded, arrested and took away PDP members.
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“Dancing gives me abundant joy and peace of mind”-Gov Adeleke
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has given reasons why he loves dancing.
The ‘Dancing Governor’, as he is fondly called, revealed this on Wednesday while responding to a tweet on X.
An X user, @Iwogoke, while praising the governor, stated that Adeleke has been busy fulfilling his electoral promises to the people of Osun State, while his political opponents believe he is only good at dancing.
Iwogoke tweeted, “I’m not flattering you, Your Excellency, your opponents think you can only dance but while they are busy shouting and calling you ‘Dancing Governor’, you are busy fulfilling your electoral promises to the people.”
Responding to the tweet via his verified X account, Adeleke explained that he loves dancing because it brings him joy.
Speaking further on his love for dancing, Adeleke highlighted that while dancing brings him immense happiness, his greater fulfilment comes from delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Osun.
Outlining his administration’s efforts to enhance the state’s infrastructure, he noted that primary health centre rehabilitation is underway in at least 200 out of the 332 wards across Osun State, adding that road construction projects are also progressing in every local government area.
He wrote, “Dancing gives me joy, but delivering on my electoral promises and providing the dividends of democracy to the good people of Osun gives me even greater joy. Rehabilitation of primary health centers is ongoing in at least 200 out of 332 wards, and road construction is progressing in every Local Government!”
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