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'BE CIVIL AND PROFESSIONAL IN YOUR CONDUCTS', LEGAL EXPERTS CONDEMN EFCC'S INVASION OF CONFERENCE HOTEL (video)
Written by Super User
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been advised to be more civil and professional while discharging their duties in public.
Legal experts who gave this advice were talking on the legality of EFCC'S raiding of Conference Hotel in Ogun State, describing the action as primitive and obnoxious.
Nigerian Newstrack correspondent spoke to Barristers Habeeb Whyte, Semiu Akinbami and Biola Adesanya who all agreed that the EFCC has a right to arrest at anytime, but must act within the confines of the act establishing the commission.
Excerpts of the interview is shown below:
Barrister Habeeb White, in his words said,"I think the approach and manner to which the commission effected arrest on the teeming Nigerian youths at that place was very wrong. It was not done in a normal and civilised manner. It was more or less like a fracas, more like you were coming to fight people, you were coming for war."
"When you are making arrests and you are shooting, you are harrassing people, you are beating them up, you are collecting their phones to be checking. You should have done your thorough research or investigation before coming into that place."
"Fine, EFCC has a right to arrest anybody at anytime they want to do that but it should be done in a cordial and civil manner. What they did that day portrayed the commission as not being a professional body itself."
"That is, in my own simple way ,they never applied caution , common sense with what they did, with all due respect. Imagine you entering an event and you are shutting down the whole light , shooting in the hall, for what? If you are looking for criminals ,are you saying everybody in that all, on that day, are all criminals? If you are to say that everybody in that place are all criminals, does it mean that the commissioner of police that was there on that day is also a criminal too?"
"There are several ways of effecting arrest, we have watched the way FBI would burst into people and will arrest them ,without even affecting the innocent ones."
"It means that the commission only relied on hearsay, they were not sure about who and who they were going there to arrest. How would you arrest people searching phones, stripping them, beating them up, it is very bad. It is very bad for our system and EFCC has portrayed itself in another manner that most of us do not think they should be operating."
"Yes, EFCC is empowered to arrest people, but when you are arresting someone there are procedures to do it, that is what we are saying. We are not saying they should not do their job, all we are saying is that they should follow the rules of law. How could you be barging into people's hotel rooms, destroying properties."
"Now they have arrested, who will repair the damaged properties now, who will do that? Nobody will do it. They are causing more harm, more economic hardship for the hoteliers now. Look at the hotel, they destroyed it, they took people's phones away, who are the people that will get those things back? Is that the law? The law protects everybody, the innocent, the victim ,the guilty one, the law protects everybody. So that when you are carrying out your own lawful duties it has to be in accordance with the law."
Barrister Semiu Akinbami in his own submission said, "there can not be raiding indiscriminately. They must have got an information about a person or group of persons. But it cannot be like the number of people arrested at the conference hotel like 60, 70. No!"
"Granted they can arrest and investigate but it cannot be 60 people at thesame time, in a confine place like conference hotel. I understand those people were there for socials, giving them awards , how can that constitute.., they can not all be criminals. How can they say they want to investigate all of those who came for an award."
"But if after investigation they realised that they are not affected or they have not committed any offence the best is to release them unconditionally".
Barrister Biola Adesanya who is handling the release of some of the victims arrested said, "the way and manner they got people apprehended at the area is not ideal at all, is not pleasant, it is an obnoxious act".
In his words, he said "it is an act that is unspeakable, it is a despicable act that should be condemned absolutely, totally".
"Ordinarily, even if EFCC has an informant within or they have an information that some guys are gathering in a place where they want to have a ceremony and award themselves, there is a way they can go about it. The law is clearly written and stated when it comes to issues like that."
"First of all before they can invade people's premises there is what is called search warrant, except there is reasonable ground that criminal activities are going on within that premises, that is when that search warrant would not have a role to play."
"Let them present their search warrant, by the time they present it I am very sure the conference authority will afford them that opportunity to carry out their search or searches. And at that point if they get to any ocassions like that they need not to destroy anybody's property, they need not to harrass anybody other than whosoever they are targeting, whosoever they are suspecting to be the target, they can walk up to such person, presents their warrant of arrest or search warrant and search the person. If they are able to establish any form of criminal nexus or criminal responsibility or if they are able to establish that ok, this person we've come to search, that person is culpable of what they are alleging him of, then at that point they can arrest such person for further investigation."
"Not bumping into an occasion, start harrassing people, start arresting people then take them off. That their action is tantamount to ultra vires action, acting outside the purview, outside the bound of their power. And it is questionable, it is an act that is making us feel there is no law in Nigeria anymore, and we have law, we have good laws. Nobody is above the law, they are not above the law, they are still Federal government agency, they are working for the federal government."
"Even the police is well recognised in the 1999 constitution, more than the EFCC. EFCC was never mentioned in the 1999 constitution, they are not recognised. Even if they want to carry out such operation, it should be the police that would do that not EFCC. What is the full meaning of EFCC? Why are they now going outside the act that established them? Why are they going outside the act that made provisions for their 'does' and 'don'ts'? The only thing they can be seen to be doing is to be infringing on people's fundamental rights. Their action is totally in repungnance to chapter 4 of the 1999 constitution, which has to do with right to presumption of innocence, personal liberty and all."
"Everybody arrested there have their right to be protected under the 1999 constitution. Majority of them are innocent, but the innocent ones that were arrested instead of releasing them. What they should have done, if you arrest anybody and you get to find out that, that person you arrested is an innocent person ,then at that point they should have released such person unconditionally, not giving such person stringent bail conditions to regain his freedom."
"It is wrong, what if the person can not meet up that bail conditions, what would now be his fate? He will be languishing in their custody or in their prison, or in their detention, it is wrong. What is wrong is wrong, let us be factual about what they have done. Coming to invade people's property, late midnight, destroying their property to break in, that is what? As for me, I would refer to them as official criminals."
It would be recalled that the EFCC had few months ago raided some hotels in Abeokuta causing anger from some lodgers who claimed the operatives broke into their rooms and saw them naked.
The recent in their sting operation was the Conference hotel, where the operatives were widely reported as unknown gunmen at the early hours of Sunday morning.
Reports had it, that the men arrived at the hotel in a combat-like manner and shot into the air repeatedly causing panic.
The operatives were said to have arrived the hotel around 2:00 a.m. and left after less than an hour operation. They reportedly went away with over 20 cars and numerous mobile phones.
The commission when contacted denied the raid as both, the Public Relations Officers of the Ibadan and Lagos offices of the EFCC denied knowledge of the alleged invasion.
The spokesperson for Ibadan zone, Tokunbo Odebiyi, said he has no information about the operation.
“I’m not aware of any invasion of any hotel in Abeokuta.”
His counterpart in Lagos, Ayo Oyewole, also said he was unaware of the raid.
The commission later confirmed the raid of Conference Hotel.
Spokesman Wilson Uwujaren said the agency’s operatives came to arrest Yahoo Yahoo Boys who were holding an award ceremony on Saturday night.
The operatives of the Lagos Command arrested 60 suspected internet fraudsters, he said.
The event tagged “Peer Youths Awards”, investigation revealed, was organised to reward high-level internet fraudsters.
VIDEO: SUSPECTED THIEF ELECTROCUTED WHILE STEALING LIVE WIRE IN OGUN
Written by Super User
Dayo da-Silva, Ogun
A suspected cable thief on Sunday morning was electrocuted while attempting to steal some live wires in Demunre Village, along Kobape road in Obafemi Owode local Government area of Ogun State.
The corpse of the victim was seen dangling from the electrical poles of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC .
A close look at the connections on the pole revealed that some cables had been removed by the suspect before luck ran out on him.
Some residents of communities around the area who were gathered at the scene of the incident, said there has been cases of stealing of electrical cables in the recent past.
They said it was a shock to see the body of a human dangling on the electrical pole at the early hours of the day.
The Technical supervisor of IBEDC in Owode Egba, Oladimeji Alatishe who was at the scene said it is now glaring that their officials were never responsible for previous stealing of electrical materials in the area as earlier insinuated in some quarters.
Two other staff of IBEDC later removed the corpse from the pole, while some officers of the Nigerian Police came to take away the corpse.
Nigerian Newstrack gathered that the dead suspect was reported to be one of the scavengers who usually come to the area to pick metal scraps.
Video source, Kasnaty
BUHARI'S REMAINING DAYS IN OFFICE CAN'T RECORD ANY TANGIBLE SUCCESS - SEGUN SOWUNMI
Written by Super User
.. says incompetence, ill-health, unpreparedness are major hindrances to performance
..Nigerians need to pray more do not go worse, as APC continues it's silly dance
No tangible success can be recorded in the remaining days of President Muhammadu Buhari's administration, as his ill health, incompetence and unpreparedness among other factors are major hindrances to his performance in office.
A chieftain of the Peoples' Democratic Party, PDP and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar's spokesperson, Segun Sowunmi stated this in an interview with Nigerian Newstrack.
Sowunmi advised Nigerians to expect no miracle from the APC, but register in the ongoing Continuous Voter registration of the Independent National Electoral Commission,INEC and be ready to vote in leaders of their choice in forthcoming elections.
Here are the details of the News Interview...
Running a Country like Nigeria, among many skills you need to have, you need to have spent a lot of years thinking about the problem. So in thinking about the problem, you are also looking for a potential solution or getting inspired for solution.
I think what happened to Buhari was that he just wanted to lead and his biggest reason perhaps is that he feels that there is a special capacity to fight corruption.
We noticed that there is a disconnect between where the world is or where it was then and where the world is now, so even if you want to fight corruption some of the tactics and styles you used then, the world has moved faster than that.
So he seems to have been stuck in 1983. And that really affected the way he's doing.
And even the kind of governmental system we run in Nigeria is such that , we deceive ourselves that we are running a civilian democracy but no, I will like to say that what we are running is a termed monarchy , a termed monarchy in the sense that when somebody emerges as either governor or President, almost everything around the system begin to hero-worship him almost as if he is a king.
Unfortunately, because we have also entrapped it under democratic law, civil society and the general populace can not bow or submit at the level that is required for you to make a monarchical system work. A monarchical system works in the shared belief that everybody bows to the monarch but when you give a leader the trackings of a monarchy and yet the people are not going to bow you are going to have chaos and that's why you see all the #endsars and all of the things happening.
Imagine the importance of the economy in the formative years of that cabinet therefore I'm saying that there inability to have an economic adviser, someone who understands the workings of an economy and how to stimulate same affected them.
You sometimes wonder why is the cost, the price of things that are locally produced, food items ,oil and all of those things that the very busy poor people would have to use , all the people would have to use but you know would impact the poor, why is it galloping like that ? What's causing that inflationary hype? And why is it important?
It is because to translate the policy intention of government into economic realities for people, you need somebody that seats on a chair and ensures that whatever it is that government is doing both the fiscal and monetary policy impacts the area they want to grow within the economy. They didn't have that and that affected them.
Then, there was the health of the president, he fell very ill, which nobody can be absolutely sure of his own health , that also affected them significantly.
Every blame belongs to them, they wanted to lead, and they sort to take power by telling lies. What people like to call propaganda, but I will just put it simply that they were just telling lies, they were telling lies to the Nigerian people, they were telling lies about the Nigerian situation and more importantly, they were telling lies to themselves as to what they will do and their ability to do same.
Some of the things that could have helped them had the previous government of Jonathan achieved it, they prevented it from happening because of those lies. One of them to make it practical is the exit from subsidy for petroleum.
The whole of 2022 which is next year, we are hoping would be spent predominantly on politicking and Political related issues and it has started already. And when the government gets into that mood, a lot of government activities, development would take a backstage. Even with a torchlight standing on top of people's heads ,you are not able to prevent them from behaving true to the nature of humans so, much can not happen again, we only have to pray that much does not go worse.
Let's say, let it not go worse than this, it is bad as it is, if they can not improve it, they should just continue with their silly dance untill they exit.
So, democracy with all of its weaknesses, all of the frustration involved in it, it is the best opportunity that people have by which to participate in government or effect change in government. That responsibility can not and should not be taken lightly, so my advice to Nigerians is that, they should patiently, deliberately get their PVC, get themselves ready, ask questions from candidates, interrogate the policy not from the point of what they are saying but ask them the question, how would it translate into reality
EQUIP HEALTH CENTRES, TRAIN MORE PERSONNEL TO COMBAT DIABETES, ENDOCRINOLOGIST URGES NIGERIAN GOVT
Written by Super User
Dayo da-Silva, Ogun
Government at all tiers have been enjoined to build more health centres equipped with modern facilities in every communities of the Country and work on training more medical personnel to combat the menace of diabetes in Nigeria.
A senior registrar endocrinology, Dr Gbenga Ikuseedun who stated this while speaking with Nigerian Newstrack on this year's world diabetes day, with the theme, “access to diabetes care” said many Nigerians living with the illness are still not diagnosed .
Diabetes is a chronic, metabolic disease characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose or blood sugar, which leads over time to serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves.
What then is diabetes to an average Nigerian and how regularly do people check their blood sugar ?
(Video on sound )
While some do not know what diabetes is, many respondents who spoke to Nigerian Newstrack tend to be more concerned with what they would eat to their health.
A senior registrar endocrinology, Dr Gbenga Ikuseedun says there is the Type 1 diabetes which is lack of insulin and type 2 diabetes brought about by ineffective use of insulin.
(Video on sound)
Dr Ikuseedun said many still do not have access to diabetes care even when they are diagnosed .
(Video on Sound)
Dr Ikuseedun who confirmed that having diabetes is not a death sentence, said it can be managed effectively thus the need for government to come up with a sincere health insurance scheme and improve on the welfare and training of health personnel.
(Video on sound)
He advised on having regular medical check up, balanced diet, exercise, sound sleep and quiting bad habits that could pose health challenges.
According to the world health organization, about 422 million people worldwide have diabetes, particularly in low-and middle-income countries, while 1.5 million deaths are directly attributed to diabetes each year.
FEAR GRIPS OGUN COMMUNITIES AS GUNMEN ABDUCT 3
Written by Super User
... residents cry out to governor Dapo Abiodun
Dayo da-Silva, Ogun
Residents of Isewo and Orisumbare in Obada-Oko area of Ewekoro Local Government in Ogun State, are now living in palpable fears as the communities have been partially taken over by kidnappers terrorising the areas.
The inhabitants of the two communities who called on Governor Dapo Abiodun to save them from the Kidnappers before they resort to self help, told Nigerian Newstrack that the recent in the spate of Kidnapping was barely 72 hours ago and the fourth within a month.
That was the mood when Nigerian Newstrack got to Isewo Community where family members, neighbours and other residents were seen trying to gather money to pay for the ransom of the two adult males and one elderly woman who were kidnapped on the community road on Saturday evening, while returning home from their places of work.
One of those on the road identified as Rasaq Lasisi who would have been the fourth victim was said to have escaped from the kidnappers but sustained injury as he was hit with a gun.
According to the relations of those taken away, the abductors had requested for the sum of 10 million naira before it was reduced to 5million naira and later 1.5million naira.
As the crew of Nigerian Newstrack was interviewing relations and friends of the victims , a call came in from the kidnappers.
The abductors insisted on the payment of the sum of 1.5m naira before they can release the three people taken away.
As the phone conversation was going on, another victim identified the voice of the caller as one of those who Kidnapped him and one other lady, just few weeks ago.
He narrated how he was abducted from the comfort of his house in an adjoining Community named Orisumbare and went through 5 days of harrowing experience in the hands of the Kidnappers before he was finally released after paying a ransom.
He said they trekked in the bush from after 7:00 pm in the evening till 5:00 am of the next day, while he was beaten daily with little or no food.
He explained that, food items and other needs were brought by unknown people, while the 5 kidnappers were armed with sophisticated guns, knives, matchets and charms.
The chairman of Orisumbare Community Development Association , Pastor Emmanuel Agboola narrated how a woman was kidnapped at a celestial church in the area, before another three persons were taken away in a cherubim and Seraphim Church while two others, a youngman and a lady were also taken away in the community within a spate of one month.
Some of the residents have vacated their built apartments to rent accommodation outside the area while others who have nowhere to go are calling on the state government, to come to their aid.
When contacted ,the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in the state ,DSP, Abimbola Oyeyemi confirmed the incident revealing that one suspect who is a strong member of the kidnap syndicate has been arrested in connection with the case .
Oyeyemi assured that the Police have commenced investigation and would soon arrest other members of the syndicate, urging members of the public to always come forward with useful information.
He said it is sad that some insiders connive with the criminals, but the state Police command would not spare anyone aiding such criminal activities.