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EFCC Versus Yahaya Bello: What’s The Role Of DSS, Police? *By Kenny Osifisan

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EFCC Versus Yahaya Bello: What’s The Role Of DSS, Police?

*By Kenny Osifisan

 

The immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, now appears to be larger and higher than the laws of the land.

Though he no longer has immunity having left office as governor since January this year, it has become impossible to arraign him in court to answer charges of allegations of N80.2bn money laundering levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Chimes Commission (EFCC), because of powerful hands in this current administration.

In the past nine months, Yahaya Bello, because of the support of people in government, has continued to enjoy protection by some government security agencies in the country to defeat and slow down the course of the law.
With these backings, Yahaya Bello has refused to appear in court to answer the charges against him being by the EFCC.

While the EFCC is the right agency by law to prosecute the ex-Governor over the alleged money laundering case, what has become the roles of the DSS and the Police according to their duties and obligations to the Nigerian Constitution?

The protections of Yahaya Bello directly role indirectly by these government security personnel also mean that their loyalty is not to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which they all swore to protect and defend at all times.

Can this really happen in other climes that a person declared wanted by a court of proper jurisdiction is not only seen by government security personnel, but being given protection?

Rather than arresting Yahaya Bello as a wanted man and handing him over to the prosecuting agency, these government security agencies have turned blind eyes and ears and continued to build a web of protection around Yahaya Bello as if he is still enjoying immunity of a sitting governor.
Looking at it critically, what is going on now in Yahaya Bello’s case is against international norms and conventions.

When a citizen is been investigated for money laundering and other crimes, the international convention and norm is that the security agencies protecting that person must cooperate with the agency prosecuting that particular citizen. In fact, official security is immediately withdrawn from such person.
A case in point is that the whole world saw what happened during the investigation of the former President of the United States of America, Donald Trump.

Despite Trump’s previous position far higher than those ever occupied by Yahaya Bello, Trump was not treated as an individual above the law.
The security service personnel protecting Trump put the country first and cooperated with the FBI when it came to raid Trump’s house. They offered all the supports the FBI needed to carry out its job, which is the acceptable international norm.

But rather than do the same here in Nigeria, the security agencies protecting Yahaya Bello are obstructing investigations.

When Yahaya Bello, who has been in hiding for months, eventually sneaked into the EFCC car park to take pictures last week, he was said to be holding firmly to the hand of his successor and kinsman, Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Usman Ododo, who is presently enjoying immunity as a sitting governor.

In court on Wednesday 25th September, 2024, before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, the lead prosecution counsel in Yahaya Bello trial case, Kemi Pinheiro SAN, had explained what transpired in the recent appearance of Bello at the parking lots of the EFCC.

He also pointed out that what played out was out of place despite both the trial court and Court of Appeal clearly ordering Bello to present himself for arraignment in the N80.2 billion money laundering charges preferred against him by the EFCC.

He said “There is nowhere my Lordship or the Court of Appeal ordered that Yahaya Bello present himself at the EFCC car park, but rather to appear before my Lordship for arraignment.”

“What is even more worrisome and disconcerting is that the defendant went to the EFCC car park holding the hands of a person with immunity who came with all the full security of his office”

“The implication, my Lord, is if there was an attempt to get him from the person of immunity, there would be an invitation to anarchy.
“The invitation by the EFCC later in the day for Yahaya Bello to come alone, not with a person with immunity, security persons and other people was resisted again on their own admission”, he said.

Continuing, Pinheiro said, “My Lord, we wrote a letter to the defendant’s lawyers drawing our colleagues’ attention that arraignment is not conducted in EFCC’s car park, but the defendant should be in court today according to the judgment of the Court of Appeal and this honourable court’s ruling”.

“The court must resist it Bello’s antics. It is a place of serious and solemn business”, he stated, as he specifically pushed for order of the court to sanction Bello’s lawyer, Agboyi, and be referred to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, LPDC, for turning the court to a vaudeville.

Justice Emeka Nwite on Wednesday had to grant the adjournment of the case against Yahaya Bello, until October 30, 2024, for a ruling after the defence counsel A.M. Adoyi informed the court that the matter of Bello’s arraignment, which is under appeal, had been taken to the Supreme Court.

According to Adoyi, the Court of Appeal ruling on August 28, which directed Bello to appear before Justice Nwite for arraignment, had been challenged at the apex court.

While the law is still obviously been exploited by the defendant to delay the trial process, it is very important for the security agencies protecting Yahaya Bello to put Nigeria first in their assignments and beats.

They should follow the acceptable international conventions and norms to cooperate with the prosecuting agency, EFCC, towards getting justice and fighting corruption in the land. It is the constitutional obligations of the Police and the DSS to support and cooperate with the EFCC, not only on the Yayaya Bello case but on every other cases.

No individual should be allowed or supported to be bigger than the laws of Nigeria.

Kenny Osifisan, a public affairs analyst and good governance advocate, sent this from [email protected]

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Why Do I Consistently Mention ErukuCity Plus Parental Guidance?

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Why Do I Consistently Mention ErukuCity Plus Parental Guidance?
~By Oluwaseun Fabiyi

 

 

Your heritage or background plays an undeniable role in shaping your life, regardless of whether you recognize its impact. Generally, people in Lagos, abroad, or worldwide have a historical ancestry or family lineage. You can quote me anywhere.

When individuals of high stature forget their humble beginnings, they potentially forfeit the opportunity to impart valuable life lessons to their children and inadvertently become educated yet culturally uninformed

ErukuCity, located within Ekiti Local Government of Kwara State, is renowned for its rich cultural heritage, agricultural excellence, impressive sports records, robust security measures, quality educational institutions, and considerable influence on Kwara State politics, which I aim to highlight in an upcoming project celebrating my hometown’s exceptional qualities.

My origins trace back to ErukuCity, where I was raised in a Muslim family with deep ties to hunting and farming. The influential legacy of Balogun Dodondawa is prominent in our family history and throughout ErukuCity. Efforts are soon to be made to compile and highlight the late Balogun’s contributions to the community.

Under Parental Guidance And Wisdom, I Began My Journey:

In our adolescent years, while residing in our hometown, our parents frequently advised us to develop a practical proficiency or business venture, confident that it would enhance, not hinder, our educational aspirations

Whenever our parents mentioned this, I felt growing frustration with their ideology, believing their lack of education contributed to their premature advocacy for vocational skills as a supplemental income stream

It never occurred to me that our parents had a profound understanding of the potential challenges the country would face in the future. During my JSS 3 year at Methodist High School in ErukuCity, I distinctly recall a particular evening when my parents summoned me, saying, ‘Oluwaseun, we recognize your exceptional abilities, calm demeanor, and promising future. As individuals who were deprived of educational opportunities, with only a few graduates in our family and lacking vocational skills, we urge you to acquire a trade or skill while pursuing your education, as it will be invaluable to you and future generations.’ Despite my parents’ efforts to dissuade me, I remained resolute, stressing that I would not compromise my academic goals initially, and subsequently, I might establish a reliable alternative source of financial support or a secondary contingency plan.

Ultimately, with our parents’ passing, we, the next generation, remain; significantly, some of us have come to appreciate and integrate the counsel offered in the 80s, following our academic accomplishments.

Considering the current economic landscape in Nigeria and Africa, it is clear that sole reliance on one income stream precludes wealth accumulation, thus necessitating the cultivation of an alternative income source, or ‘plan B.’ My upbringing and heritage have been instrumental in my professional journey, and I remain grateful for the foundational values they have imparted.

I am deeply grateful to my late parents and the entire Eruku community for their invaluable support, which has profoundly influenced my personal and professional progress.

The forthcoming Part 2 will examine the outstanding heritage and notable accomplishments of the late Balogun Dodondawa in fostering the expansion and transformation of Eruku City.

Hello, I’m Oluwaseun Fabiyi, a journalist writes from Lagos.

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Lawyers, CSOs kick as 2,412 protesters rot in detention

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Lawyers, CSOs kick as 2,412 protesters rot in detention

 

Lawyers and civil society organisations, CSOs, yesterday, decried the continued detention and incarceration of #EndBadGovernance protesters two months after the August 1-10 protests across the country.

 

As of last night, most of the detained protesters are yet to be prosecuted, with minors among those held in captivity in Police, Department of State Service, DSS, facilities or prisons.

 

Although some minors, who were arrested during the protest, have been released on bail, others are in the process of being granted bail, Vanguard’s checks showed.

40 charged to court in Nasarawa

In Nasarawa State for instance, of the 50 protesters arrested, 10 minors have been freed, while 40 adults have been charged to court, according to Police PRO, DSP Ranhan Nansel.

109 arrested in Sokoto

In Sokoto where 109 protesters were arrested, Attorney-General of the state, Nasiru Binji, said a significant number had been released on bail, while the rest were in prison custody.

6 freed in Kaduna

Similarly, in Kaduna State, six of those arrested have been freed on the order of the Director-General of the DSS, Adeola Ajayi, while three others have been charged to court.

Details on 600 in Kano uncertain

 

The situation in Kano State is alarming, as no fewer than 600 protesters (including 76, who displayed Russian flags) were arrested and later transferred to Police Force headquarters in Abuja. While it was gathered that many of them have been charged to court and bailed, the number of those still in detention could not be ascertained at press time.

 

The Director of Public Prosecution, DPP in Kano State Ministry of Justice, Salisu Tahir, said they were still compiling the details.

390 await freedom in Jigawa

However, in Jigawa State, of the 419 protesters arrested, 390 have been arraigned in court, as 29 have been released, according to Police PRO DSP, Lawan Adam.

Unclear situation over 9 in Zamfara, 97 in Borno

In Zamfara, the Police PRO, Yazid Abubakar, said nine protesters had been charged to court, but said he does not know if they were detained or granted bail by the court.

In Borno, 97 protesters were arrested during the protest but their condition remains unclear at the time of this report.

In Yobe, of the 51 arrests made during the protest, 35 have been sent to Potiskum Prison, while the rest are being detained by the police. The minors among them, are to be freed on bail.

No freedom for 23 detainees in Niger

In Niger State, 23 persons were arrested, out of which six have been arraigned and sentenced to jail terms, while 17 are in police custody.

1,090 yet to be prosecuted in Abuja

In the Federal capital territory, FCT, Abuja, no fewer than 1,100 were arrested, but only 10 have been arraigned.

 

Additionally, the hundreds of Northern youths who brandished Russian flags during the protests have not been arraigned, neither has the tailor who mass-produced and distributed the flags.

Those on trial for participating in the protest are Michael Tobiloba Adaramoye, Adeyemi Abiodun Abayomi, Suleiman Yakubu, Comrade Opaluwa Eleojo Simon, Angel Love Innocent, Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello, Nurudeen Khamis and Abduldalam Zubair.

Trial Justice Emeka Nwite remanded the defendants in prison custody, pending the perfection of their bail conditions.

51 freed in Plateau

The 51 protesters who were arrested in Plateau State for breaching the law on curfew but not on hunger strike, have all been freed.

There were, however, no arrests in Benue, Taraba, Kebbi, Adamawa, Kwara and Kogi states, as many of the states adopted some strategies to prevent their citizens from joining the protests.

 

@VANGUARD

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Doctor Warns On The Danger Of Excessive Masturbation

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Doctor Warns On The Danger Of Excessive Masturbation

 

 

A British doctor has warned that excessive masturbation is behind the rise of male health problems.

In moderation, self-pleasure helps to reduce stress, and improve sleep quality and mood, but it can become ‘an unhealthy habit’ and trigger a form of erectile dysfunction, says Dr Donald Grant, GP and senior clinical advisor at The Independent Pharmacy.

Doctor Warns On The Danger Of Excessive Masturbation

‘Overall, there’s no strict rule or guideline on how much people should masturbate.’

‘But when masturbation gets out of hand, there’s a variety of ways it can impact sexual and physical health.’

A key concern is the rise of porn use: half of adults in the UK now access graphic material online, according to a recent survey by media watchdog Ofcom, and Dr Grant links this to the rise in porn-induced erectile dysfunction, or PIED.

 

Up to 50 percent of adult men suffer from some degree of erectile dysfunction, according to the British Association of Urological Surgeons. It is often associated with obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes but can also have no obvious cause. One lesser-known culprit could be PIED, claims Dr Grant.

‘PIED is a type of erectile dysfunction that stems from an unhealthy consumption of pornography.

‘This unhealthy porn usage can lead to desensitisation, making it more difficult for men to achieve and maintain an erection — as they’re used to more intense sexual activity seen on screen.

‘It can lead to reduced interest in sex with actual partners as men prioritise porn and masturbation instead.’

More worryingly, Dr Grant warns that compulsive masturbation could trigger physical changes that affect intimacy.

‘Compulsive masturbation can lead to reduced sensitivity in the genital area, making it more difficult to achieve sexual pleasure or stimulation.

‘It can occur when nerve endings become damaged from too much activity, creating a loss of sensitivity.

‘This can also impact individuals who masturbate too roughly, causing potential friction damage.

 

‘Thankfully, this is a short-term issue and factors such as taking breaks or utilising lubricants can help restore sensitivity.

‘And thankfully, there are a range of treatments available to men who are struggling with ED, helping them manage a healthy sex life and achieve erections with ease.’

Dr Grant added that ‘over-masturbating’ can be damaging in other ways.

It can cause men and women to become ‘hyper-focused on their own pleasure, meaning when the time comes for sexual intercourse with a partner, individuals could experience performance anxiety, which directly impacts sex drive.’

The question of how much is too much is subjective, he admitted.
‘Masturbation habits can differ largely from person to person with some people doing it daily, weekly or not at all.

‘It’s important to monitor the sexual activity to ensure it doesn’t interfere with social lives, work or relationships.

‘Additionally, discomfort or injury is usually a telltale sign that the masturbation sessions are becoming too much and harming health.

‘It’s important to maintain a healthy but sensible sex life through masturbation, ensuring it’s not at the expense of daily activities.

‘Some people can even experience mental distress due to guilt or shame relating to their masturbation — this can stem from porn usage or other factors, but can have a big effect on people’s mental well-being.

‘Overall, common sense is required to ensure it remains a recreational activity without interfering with other aspects of daily life.’

 

 

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