The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday rejected a request to suspend the trial of a former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr Andrew Yakubu, in respect of the charges of money laundering and non-declaration of assets instituted against him.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is prosecuting Yakubu on charges bordering on the sums of $9,772, 800 and £74,000.00, recovered from his home in Kaduna, Kaduna State, on February 3, 2017.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed ruled on Wednesday that although both the prosecution and the defence had appealed to the Supreme Court to challenge various parts of the April 24, 2020 judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja on the defendant’s no-case submission, he lacked the power to stay proceedings in the case by virtue of Section 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
The judge also cited the Supreme Court’s judgment in the case of a former spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh, in which the apex court validated the provision of Section 306 of ACJA.
The EFCC had filed six counts of money laundering against Yakubu in 2017.
But after the EFCC concluded its case by calling all its witnesses, the defendant filed a no-case submission, urging the court to dismiss the case on the grounds that the prosecution failed to link him to any of the alleged offences.
Ruling on the no-case submission on May 16, 2019, Justice Mohammed struck out two of the six counts but ruled that the defendant had a case to answer in respect of the four remainning.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, Yakubu appealed to the Court of Appeal, Abuja.
The Court of Appeal affirmed the dismissal of the two counts and the order by Justice Mohammed for Yakubu to open his defence in respect of the remaining four counts.
But the defence lawyer, Ahmed Raji (SAN), opposed the request for suspension of the trial.
2. Prepare for possible disaster, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) tells Kebbi LGs
The Kebbi State Emergency Management Agency has alerted chairmen of 11 local government areas that are flood-prone in the state, to brace for possible disaster.
The Executive Chairman of the agency, Alhaji Sani Dododo, gave the warning at a meeting with the council chairmen in Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the 11 areas likely to be affected are Birnin Kebbi, Ngaski, Yauri, Koko/Besse, Argungu, Dandi, Bagudo, Bunza, Augie, Shanga and Zuru LGs.
Dododo said that against the 2020 seasonal rainfall prediction by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, “it is necessary to caution the LGAs to prepare against the possibilities of destruction due to windstorm and heavy rainfall this year.”
“There is the need for the LGAs and state, especially SEMA to put all the necessary mitigating measures in place before the onset of the flood season,’’ he said.
Dododo also urged the chairmen to come up with precautionary measures, like tree planting, reduce the erosion that could lead to flooding.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Hassan Muhammad-Shalla, enjoined the chairmen to begin stockpiling relief materials for unforeseen disaster.
3. Akwa Ibom State Government drops charges against Christ Embassy pastor
Akwa Ibom State Government said on Wednesday that it had dropped all the charges preferred against Emmanuel Effiong, a pastor of the Christ Embassy Church, located at Nung Akpa Ime, off Nsikak Eduok Avenue, Uyo.
Effiong was arrested on Sunday, June 21, 2020, and the church sealed by the state government for allegedly flouting COVID-19 guidelines during the congregational worship held that day.
But the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Charles Udoh, in a statement in Uyo, said having listened to entreaties from individuals and groups, the government had decided to drop charges against the pastor.
The statement read in part, “Following entreaties from well meaning individuals and groups, the Akwa Ibom State Government has dropped charges against Pastor Emmanuel Effiong of Christ Embassy Church, Nung Akpa Ime branch, off Nsikak Eduok Avenue, Uyo.”
4. Tension at Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as PENGASSAN threatens strike
There was tension at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation on Wednesday, prompting the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria to threaten that it may embark on an industrial action soon.
It was gathered that the threat by the Group Executive Council of PENGASSAN at the NNPC followed plans by the oil firm’s management to carry out what it described as Internal Open Resource exercise.
Sources at the corporation told our correspondent on Wednesday night that the exercise would result in a situation where employees from lower levels would be moved to deputy managerial levels without passing through the mandatory qualifying exams.
PENGASSAN, in a letter addressed to the Group Managing Director, NNPC, Mele Kyari, advised the management of the oil firm to suspend the planned exercise.
The letter, with reference PEN.GEC.SEC06/21, which was dated June 22, 2020, read in part, “The Group Executive Council of PENGASSAN NNPC at an emergency meeting held on June 20, 2020 reviewed the general happenings at the NNPC.
“Recall the leadership engaged your good office and made an honest presentation on the union’s position, part of which was the
The union stated that despite its meeting with Kyari, the GEC observed with dismay that the management still went ahead to broadcast its IOR exercise.
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