News
Family protests, demands Abel Ebilene’s release from detention
Almost 30 days after he was picked up kept in detention, the family of Mr. Abel Ebilene has called on the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to release him without any further delays.
In a letter addressed to the Force Public Relations Officer, through Public Complaint Bureau, the family of Ebilene said he had been granted bail at the Mabushi Divisional Police Station, after signing up the bail bond.
The letter written by Deeds Chambers and signed by S.T. Ben-Iwo said Mr. Ebilene was immediately picked up by a team of officers from AIG Zone 7. He said since then, he has remained in detention without bail, following the inability of the family to provide the needed money.
Part of the petition read: “Truly, the Nigeria Police under the watch of the current dispensation is encouraging impunity of it officers, the complaint response units set up by previous dispensation to check such excesses and infamous actions of officers has been bastardised.
Days after report and consistent follow-up on the ordeal of our client, the office obviously can’t do anything about it, maybe because of the seemingly interest of high Police officers.
“It leaves us worried of the neutrality of the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force in this matter. Does the office of the Inspector-General encourage such gross impunity by police officers? Are police officers not supposed to conduct themselves within the ambit of the law?
“Of what purpose is this public complaint response unit, when over 27 days of channelling our complaints via this medium it appears the office has done nothing while officers of the Nigeria Police Force continue to hold our client in detention without showing him any warrant or order granted to them to do so?
“Is it the practice that one station would act as if they are granting bail, whereas they had intimated another formation to come and re-arrest the same person on the same subject matter? Is this the way police officers operate?
“In all of this, these officers are bent on obtaining money in multiple millions before they would release him. Is this act lawful? Yet, this unit and the office of the Inspector-General of Police are silent on this issue.”
News
State of Emergency in Rivers: $5,000 shared to Reps as ‘Sallah gesture,’ not bribe – Hon. Betara
Member representing Biu/Bayo/Shania/Kwaya/Kusar Federal Constituency of Borno State, Hon. Mukhtar Aliyu Betara has disclosed that he shared $5,000 with members of his committee as a “Sallah gesture”.
Betara who is the Reps Committee Chairman on FCT said the money was not a bribe to pass resolution declaring a state of emergency in Rivers as being insinuated.
The was posted by a Nigerian investigative journalist, Jaafar Jaafar on his X handle.
Jaafar said Betara explained this to him after the lawmaker reached out to clarify that the $5,000 given to lawmakers was merely a “Sallah gesture” and not an inducement.
He quoted Batara to have said the gesture was a long standing g tradition and has nothing to do with the state of emergency I Rivers.
Jaafar wrote:
“The chairman of the House Committee on FCT, Mukhtar Aliyu Betara, has clarified to me that he only shared $5,000 with each member of his committee as a ‘Sallah gesture,’ not as an inducement to support emergency rule in Rivers State.
“According to him, he maintains the tradition—like Santa Claus—every year.
“As we say in Hausa, not thigh but hind leg.”
The clarification by Betara came amid strong speculations that Senators received $15,000 bribe to pass a resolution to sustain declaration of state of emergency rule in Rivers.
The bribe was reportedly shared on Tuesday before they voted on Wednesday.
News
INEC holds crucial meeting to look into petition recalling Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from Senate
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has proceeded into a crucial meeting to study and look into a petition submitted to it by constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District.
CAPITAL POST gathered, it a top management meeting as it was claimed that over 250,000 constituents signed the petition out of 480,000 registered voters.
The meeting was confirmed on Monday by the Acting
Director of Publicity, Esther Chibuikem, stating that the meeting held at a committee room at the INEC headquarters in Abuja.
It was also confirmed that the Secretary to the commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, on received the petition against Natasha on Monday.
The petition follwed the nod given by the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja on Friday where the earlier judgement restraining INEC from accepting the petition was set asid3.
Last week, constituents from Kogi Central were said to have i initiated a recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, but some constituents claimed that they were d3ceived into exercise as they were told to gather with their voters card for 3 powerment.
However, the Court, in a judgement delivered in Lokoja, affirmed that the recall process is constitutionally valid and aligns with the civic rights of the constituents.
The court urged the constituents to continue exercising their rights in an orderly and peaceful manner.
The development was after the court on Thursday granted an interim injunction restraining INEC, its staff, agents, privies or assigns from receiving, accepting or acting on any petition containing signatures of members of Kogi Central Senatorial District.
As at press time, INEC hasn’t release information on the next action as signatures may have to be critically compared with its register to determine validity.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on Monday received a petition to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Uduaghan from the 10th Senate.
The petition was submitted by the constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District to recall Natasha having signed the petition which claimed to have met the requirements as stipulatedby the Constitution 1990 as amended.
Our correspondent who monitre the development at the Maitama headquarter of INEC report that th3 petition was submitted with over 250,000 signatures out of 480,000 registered voters.
The Constitution however required above 50% register3d voters’ recall signatures before it could be recognised and acceptable.
Senator Natasha is currently on suspension for six months for breaching Senate Rules and has proceeded to Court to challenge the Senate decision which was yet to determined.
She also alleged sexual harassment by the Senate President, Godswill Obot Akpabio.
CAPITAL POST gathered that the former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has highjacked the recall which is being pursued through proxies disguised as constituents in order to contest for the Senate if the exercise succeeds.
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