*Weeks After Primate Ayodele’s Advice, Nigeria Police Force Launches School Protection Squad

The Nigeria Police Force has announced the launch of Schools Protection Squad, SPS, in Kano State.

The 60-man squad was inaugurated by the Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Gumel, on Thursday at the police command headquarters in Kano.

The squad is to protect schools, learning facilities, students and pupils as well as their teachers from kidnappers and armed bandits.
Gumel said the SPS was an initiative of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Kayode Ebegtokun to adequately provide a safe environment for schooling and protect both the students and teachers as well as the schools’ facilities and their critical infrastructures.

This development is coming few weeks after Nigerian prophet, Primate Elijah Ayodele called on the government to quickly strategize on protecting Nigerian academic institutions as he foresees kidnap attacks.

Primate Ayodele has been calling for more security in Nigerian schools but renewed the call after the kidnap incident involving Kaduna pupils. He stated then that a new syndicate has started making more plans on kidnapping primary and secondary schools in the country starting from the north.

He urged governments to be on alert to avoid putting pupils in danger.

These were his words

“It is no longer Boko Haram or any existing group that is behind these kidnappings, it is a new group and they will soon name it. It’s a new terrorism syndicate that must be defeated. We should commit our military in prayers to defeat terrorism; we must not allow terrorists to ruin this government.

‘’These terrorists want to scare people from going to school, they want to destroy the future of this country but Tinubu shouldn’t agree. He should cooperate with the security outfits to defeat terrorism.

‘’If the government doesn’t act on this, they are ready to move to other states. The government must wake up and curb this now if not, school children will be kidnapped in other states apart from the north.’’

This is indeed a commendable step by the Nigeria police force and of course, it would go a long way in protecting academic institutions from the attacks of these dare-devils.

Court Vacates Arrest Warrant Against Fubara’s Chief of Staff, Edieson Ehi, Others on Terrorism Charges

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Sitting in Abuja, has set aside an order for the arrest of Edison Ehie, Chief of Staff to River State governor, Sim Fubara.

Others also affected by the order are Jinjiri Bala, Happy Bennett, Progress Joseph, Adokiye Oyagiri and Chibuike Peter.

The Chief of Staff and others were dragged before the court for act of terrorism.

Shortly after the charge was filed against them, they were declared wanted by the court.

But in an order of the court dated April 25, 2024, the court sets aside the order.

According to Justice Nwite, the order was made without jurisdiction.

Justice Nwite said, “That the order made by this Honourable Court on the 31st day of January, 2024 for the Warrant of Arrest of the Defendants/Applicants and to have them declared wanted is made without jurisdiction and same is hereby set aside.”

Counsel to the respondents, Oluwile Aladedoye, had argued that the court should stay execution of the judgement pending the hearing and determination of the motion seeking to set aside their warrant of arrest.

Contempt: Appeal Court grants EFCC’s Exparte Motion for Stay of Proceedings, fixes May 20 for hearing

The Court of Appeal has granted an exparte motion for stay of proceedings filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission against the contempt proceeding commenced by the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, against the Chairman of the Commission, Ola Olukoyede.

The Court of Appeal, presided over by Hon. Justice Joseph O.K. Oyewole, consequently granted the EFCC’s application to serve the processes in the Appeal by substituted means on the former Governor. The Court consequently adjourned the hearing of the motion on notice to May 20, 2024.

The EFCC boss who was summoned to appear before the Kogi State High Court on May 13, 2024, to show cause why he should not be committed to prison for disobeying the Orders of the court, had appealed the Ruling of the trial Court and sought a stay of the proceeding of the Court.

The EFCC boss is facing a contempt charge for carrying out “some acts upon which they (the EFCC) have been restrained” by the Court on February 9, 2024, pending the determination of the substantive Originating Motion.

Justice I. A. Jamil, delivering a ruling in Suit No: HCL/68M/2024 and Motion No: HCL/190M/2024, ordered that “the said act was carried out by the Respondent (EFCC) in violation of the order, which was valid and subsisting when they carried out the act. That same act of the Respondent amounts to Contempt.

EFCC operatives had laid siege on the residence of the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, as early as 8am on April 17, 2024, with a bid to arrest him, despite a court order restraining them from taking such action, pending the determination of the Originating Motion.

Justice Jamil’s order was based on a motion ex-parte filed by Yahaya Bello through his lawyer, M.S. Yusuf, Esq, where he prayed the court
for an order to issue and serve the Respondent (EFCC Chairman) with Form 49 Notice to show cause why Order of committal should not be made on Olukoyede.