News
Hunger protesters get N10m bail, barred from further demonstrations
Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, granted bail to 10 activists, who are being prosecuted by the Federal Government over the recent #Hunger or #Endbadgovernance protests.
The judge, in a ruling on Wednesday, said he was inclined to granting bail to the defendants, notwithstanding that the Federal Government charged them with capital offences, such as treason and mutiny.
The judge, however, barred the defendants from participating in any protest while their trial lasted in court.
The defendants are Michael Adaramoye, also known as Lenin, Adeyemi Abayomi, Suleiman Yakubu, Opaluwa Simon, Angel Innocent, Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello, Nurudeen Khamis and Abduldalam Zubair.
They are facing six counts in connection with alleged treason, intent to destabilise Nigeria, conspiracy to commit felony and inciting to mutiny, punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code.
The defendants were also accused of making an attempt to force their way into the seat of power during which they reportedly burned down a police station and injured police officers.
They were also accused of inciting the Nigerian public against the government and destroying several public property, including a police station, high court complex and the National Communications Commission facilities.
All 10 defendants in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/454/2024, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them by the Inspector General of Police.
Delivering his ruling on their bail applications on Wednesday, Justice Nwite said he was inclined to admit the defendants to bail because “the defendants/ applicants have shown in their proof of evidence that the defendants’ applicant are just protesters.”
Justice Nwite agreed with the argument of the first, second and fourth defendants’ counsel, Abubakar Marshal, “that anybody charged with a criminal offence must be presumed innocent until proven guilty.”
The judge said, “I have carefully considered the submission of the counsel on both divides. I hereby grant the defendant bail, notwithstanding the crime.
“The bail is hereby granted to the defendants’ applicant in the sum of N10m each and one surety in like sum.”
The sureties, according to the judge, must be Abuja-based property owner, willing to deposit the title document with the court and must also swear to an affidavit of means.
The judge ordered that the defendants and their sureties must deposit their passports and three recent passport photographs with the court registrar.
However, the judge said they would return to the prison custody until they perfected their respective bail conditions.
Justice Nwite also ordered the defendants to refrain from participating in any public rally or protests throughout their trial and fixed September 27 for the commencement of the trial.
At Wednesday’s sitting, Abubakar appeared for the first, second, and fourth defendant applicants.
Although he appeared for the third defendant at the previous sitting, he informed the court that the third defendant had been excluded from his legal representation.
News
Nigerian Man Nabbed For Stabbing Fellow National To Death In France
A 27-year-old Nigerian man, identified only as Popori, has been arrested in Grenoble, France, for allegedly stabbing a fellow citizen, Monday, to death.
It was gathered that the incident occurred on the evening of Friday, November 22, when a fight broke out between two men during an altercation in a grocery store in Grenoble, Isère, France.
DayFR reports that, according to Grenoble Prosecutor Eric Vaillant, who confirmed information from Dauphiné Libéré, the incident occurred around 8:30pm.
The two men were inside an exotic grocery store when an argument broke out, quickly escalating into a violent altercation.
One of the individuals suddenly stabbed the other in the chest, for reasons still unclear.
Emergency services arrived on the scene but were unable to revive the victim.
On Saturday, the Grenoble public prosecutor announced that a 27-year-old Nigerian man had been taken into police custody at 12:30pm as part of an investigation initiated by the local judicial police service.
News
Longest serving monarch dies at 111
Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa, the longest serving traditional ruler in Bauchi State, is dead.
Inuwa, the village Head of Beli (Sarkin Beli) in Shira Local Government Area of Bauchi, passed away at the Federal Medical Center Azare, Katagum Local Government Area of the state.
The monarch who was 111-year-old spent 91 years on the throne.
Chief Imam of Beli, Liman Musa Abubakar, confirmed the death of monarch which he described as a great loss to the entire people of Northern Nigeria.
During one of the interviews with Daily Trust in his lifetime, the late monarch had said, “Their grandfather was appointed as village head of Beli. He spent 12 years on the throne. He died and our father was appointed the village head. He spent 17 years. After that, I was appointed to the throne when I was 19 years old. This means that by my calculation, I was born around 19 12 or 1913. I was appointed to the throne around 1933 by the Emir of Katagum, AbdulQadir.”
The monarch lived and worked with four different first class Emirs of Katagum.
“We lived with the Emir of Katagum Abdulqadir who appointed me for 12 years before he left the throne and died six months later. Emir Umaru Faruqu was appointed. We spent 35 years with him.
When he died, his son, Muhammadu Kabiru was appointed. We spent 38 years with Emir Kabiru before he died, Again, after Muhammadu Kabiru, the present Emir of Katagum, Umaru Faruq II, was appointed. We lived with him for Six years.
Late Inuwa had said, “I am almost 91 years old on the throne. Alhamdulillahi, we live in peace with the people. And I gave birth to 11 people. Some of them died, but there are seven of them alive – four men and three women.
Many people interviewed said he was a peaceful ruler who [had] listening ears and worked for the peace of the land.”
News
Katsina gov presents N682bn 2025 budget to State Assembly
Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State on Monday presented the State’s 2025 Budget Proposal to the state House of Assembly.
This is the second full year budget the governor is presenting to the House, which is in the sum of N682,244,449,513.87, covering Recurrent Revenue and Expenditure.
The Budget’s Recurrent Expenditure stands at the sum of N157,967,755,024.36 representing 23.15% while, Capital Expenditure stands at N524,274,694,489.51 representing 76.85%.
The Governor in his speech, announced that, the total of this budget when compared with that of the 2024, has an increase of N200,535,619,501.61, representing 40% increase.
The Governor, at the beginning of his speech, assured the House that his administration has achieved many of its goals and is on course to meet and exceed its targets.
He insisted that his administration has successfully reversed the tide of insecurity which severely threatened the peaceful co-existence of people in the State.
“Many of our local governments have been restored to normalcy while pushing the bandits to the fringes of the forests and, Insha-Allah, to the end of their existence.
“We have expended a lot of resources in fighting insecurity, and we shall continue to do all we can to protect lives and livelihoods in our dear state. I thank the Honourable Members for your support and dedication to ultimate victory,” he said.
The Governor while ranking MDAs by allocations, revealed that the Economic Sector got N302,246,140,569.76 representing 44.3%, followed by the Education Sector with 95,995,873,044.70 representing 14%.
In the same vein, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development got 81,840,275,739.70 representing 12% while the Ministry of Rural and Social Development got 58,728,146,293.72 representing 9%.
Other sectors such as the Ministry of Water Resources, 53,832,219,322.46 representing 8%, Ministry of Environment, 49,835,521,799.25 representing 7%, Ministry of Health, 43,881,752,172.75 representing 6%, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs 18,938,508,746.95 representing 3%, Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport 9,684,806,758.56 representing 10%.
Other sectors he said are in the sum of 230,759,902,908.71 representing 31% of the total proposed budget
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