Group commends Enugu State’s withdrawal from suit challenging EFCC’s legality

A non-governmental organisation, Journalists Against Corruption (JAC) has commended the Enugu State government for withdrawing from the suit challenging the legality of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other federal anti corruption agencies.

In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its Programme Coordinator, Kehinde Osifisan, the group described the decision of Enugu as “timely and a step in the right detection”, while urging other state governments who are still in court to back-out, saying “it is not too late.”
Enugu State had on October 24, 2024 withdrawn from the suit filed by some states in the federation, contesting the laws that established the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, as well as the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit guidelines, which is before the Supreme Court. The suit against the EFCC was initially filed by Kogi State Government in 2023, while 18 other states later joined.
The Enugu State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Kingsley Udeh, in an application addressed to the Supreme Court, disclosed the decision of the state to discontinue being a participant in the suit.
The Benue State Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, suspended the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and Public Order, Fidelis Mnyim, for joining the suit without the approval of the governor.
With the latest development , Enugu became the sixth state to withdraw from the controversial suit, after Anambra, Adamawa, Ebonyi, Benue, and Jigawa. With the withdrawal of six states, only 13 states are left to pursue the matter, as parties await the date of judgement from the Supreme Court.
However, JAC in the statement said it was not too late for the other litigating states to back-out. The statement read in part: “It is not too late for the remaining states in the suit to withdraw from the controversial suit instituted by the Kogi State Government in year 2023”
“Even if you look at the numbers, 13 states are in court as against 36 states and FCT, it is clear that Kogi and the collaborating states against EFCC are in the minority. We are of the considered view that the suit is unnecessary, immoral, time-wasting and a delay mechanism by the original initiator of the suit.
“We align with the Ogun State government, which has posited rightly that the issue of legality or constitutionality of the EFCC has been long resolved by the Supreme Court and that there is no new facts or development to revisit the issue.”

Five remanded in Adamawa for defiling minor

Five persons arraigned by the Adamawa State Police Command, for the offences of criminal conspiracy and defilement of a minor before the Chief Magistrate Court I in Yola, the state capital, have been remanded in prison custody.

The command’s spokesperson, Suleiman Nguroji, in a statement on Wednesday, named the suspects as Ibrahim Aliyu, Muhammed Adamu, Gaddafi Adamu, Usman Umar and Musa Isa, who all hail from Yola town in Yola South LGA.

The statement disclosed that the presiding judge, Magistrate Alheri Ishaku, ordered the remand of the defendants in prison custody pending the outcome of the legal advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

According to the First Information Report earlier tendered by the prosecuting police officer, ASP Zakka Musa, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, the defendants allegedly conspired and raped the victim (name withheld) who hails from Mafia Quarters in Yola town.

According to the statement, during the investigation, the DNA test conducted by medical experts revealed that the first suspect, Ibrahim Aliyu, who started having unlawful carnal knowledge of the victim, is responsible for the pregnancy contrary to Sections 60 and 211 Penal Code Laws.

“Addressing the court after the plea of the defendants, the command prosecutor said whether the defendants pleaded guilty or not, the second leg of the offences is capital in nature and prayed the court to remand them pending legal advice from the office of the DPP.”

The statement advised the public to always contact the police when they noticed a person or persons committing unlawful acts.

Police vow justice for guard killed during dog attack

The Lagos State Police Command says it will ensure that justice is served for the security guard killed when he was attacked by some dogs in the Pinnock Estate in the Lekki area of the state.

This is just as the police said they had confiscated the dogs and taken the owner, Salisu Mustapha, into custody.

The spokesperson for the command, Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this in a statement shared on X on Wednesday.

It was reported that the command arrested the owner of three dogs that allegedly attacked and killed the security guard.

In a viral video shared on X by a user with the handle @itzbasito, the unidentified security guard was seen lying dead as the Boerboel dogs approached his lifeless body.

The user had stated that the dog owner unknowingly allowed the dogs to roam freely, leading to the attack that claimed the life of the estate guard on Monday night.

Hundeyin, while confirming the incident in a post on his verified X handle on Tuesday, said, “The dog owner has been arrested and is in our custody.”

But while giving an update on Wednesday, Hundeyin stated that the dogs were taken into custody while an investigation has commenced.

He also assured the public that justice would be served appropriately.

“Following the unfortunate mauling of a security man to death by three dogs in Pinnock Estate, Ilasan, Lekki on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, the Lagos State Police Command has arrested the owner of the dogs, Salisu Mustapha and confiscated the dogs pending the outcome of discreet investigations that have since commenced.

“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Olanrewaju Ishola, assures residents of the estate and the entire people of Lagos State that the ongoing investigations will be brought to a conclusive end and justice will be served as appropriate,” Hundeyin stated.