A federal judge ruled on Thursday that all trials of terrorism cases in Nigeria will henceforth be held in camera.

In a statement titled "new practice directions on hearing of terrorism cases", John Terhemba Tsoho also said coverage of any part of such proceedings would be prohibited.

He said the new ruling was designed to ensure the security and safety of all parties and members of the public and ensuring fair trials.

Separately, the leader of a banned separatist movement charged with terrorism offences filed a suit alleging that he cannot be tried because he was illegally extradited from Kenya, court papers showed.

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group, disappeared from Nigeria after skipping bail in 2017.

He was arrested after years on the run. His lawyer said last year he was mistreated in detention in Kenya before being returned to Nigeria. The Kenyan high commissioner has denied his country's involvement.

Kanu's lead lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, on Thursday said that he cannot be tried on charges of terrorism and knowingly broadcasting falsehoods because he was not surrendered to Nigeria based on those charges.

Ozekhome is asking the court to declare his detention illegal. The suit is also claiming 50 billion naira ($120 million) in damages and 100 million naira in legal costs.

Another court is expected to rule on Friday on the merit of the 15-count charge filed against Kanu, which could terminate the trial if the judge agrees with his defence.

Kanu, who is a British citizen, has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

IPOB, which Kanu founded in 2014, is pressing for the secession of the Igbo ethnic group's homeland, which covers part of southeast Nigeria. Authorities view IPOB as a terrorist group. IPOB says it wants to achieve independence through non-violent means.

An attempt by the Igbo homeland to secede as the Republic of Biafra in 1967 - the year that Kanu was born - triggered a three-year civil war that killed more than 1 million people.

A federal high court in Abuja has ordered the federal government to implement its 35 percent affirmative action policy on public service positions.

Donatus Okorowo, the presiding judge, said this while delivering judgment on Wednesday in a suit filed by some women groups challenging the “marginalisation” of women by the federal government.

The plaintiffs in the suit include the Incorporated Trustees of Nigerian Women Trust Fund, Women Empowerment and Legal Aid and Centre for Democracy and Development (West Africa.)

Others are Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, Vision Spring Initiative and Women in Politics Forum.

The president and Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation, were listed as defendants in the suit marked FHC/ABC/CS/1006/2020.

The groups had sought the order of the court to ensure the 35 percent affirmative action policy of the federal government as contained in the National Gender Policy, 2006.

The policy, which was approved by the federal executive council (FEC) in 2006, provides that 35 percent of public offices be reserved for women.

In his verdict, the judge dismissed the preliminary objections of the defendants.

The judge agreed with the plaintiffs that the “lopsided appointments” by the Buhari-led government were unlawful and an arbitrary violation of the National Gender Policy 2006, sections 42, 147 (3) and 14 (3) of the 1999 constitution as amended, and Articles 2, 13 (2) and (3) and Article 19 of the African Charter of Human and Peoples Rights.

He held that the national gender policy is not merely a policy statement, but one that must be backed with requisite action on the part of government.

The court also ordered that henceforth, government must not make appointments that violate the 35 percent affirmative action.

He said the 35 percent affirmative action, which entails increased appointive positions for women to ensure inclusivity, must translate to the increased commitment of government, being a signatory to international treaties particularly those on promoting the rights of women.

Meanwhile, the development comes weeks after federal lawmakers rejected a bill seeking to reserve 35 percent of seats on the national assembly for women.

The rejection sparked protests across the country, with women groups occupying the national assembly for days.

Amid efforts to persuade the women to shelve the demonstration, the house of representatives rescinded its decision on the bill and promised to carry out fresh voting on it.

Last week, a man burnt his wife and her younger brother to death in a bad marriage situation. A close friend of the deceased who is also a relationship coach and a Pastor, Moses Abiola, sent in this write-up to warn against staying too long and keeping quiet in bad marriage situation. Read on:

In the past few weeks, Michael West has been running a series on bad marriage in which preventive and way forward out of dangerous unions have been offered. As for those who think that every marital crisis can be resolved and also for those who do not see divorce as an option, the untimely gruesome killing of 47-year-old banker, Chinyere Ogudoro, should be an eye-opener!

Let me start by asking, why do people stay too long in bad marriages, especially women? Why? It is risky and suicidal to keep silent in the heat of marital turbulence. The late banker was a victim of prolonged stay and wicked silence in her bad marriage.

When a woman is getting more financially empowered either more than her spouse or beyond his expectations, one may not be able to predict the intentions of a bad man. Some men have a sense of insecurity and they become uncomfortable when their wives earn more or are more successful than them. It is on this premise that I want to share the unfortunate story of a dear sister and friend who was murdered in a gruesome manner on Friday, April 1, 2022. Her husband, currently in the police net, is the prime suspect.

Late Chinyere Magella Ogudoro and I belonged to the same Christian ecosystem on WhatsApp called Young Couples' Fellowship, YCF. Herself and her husband were members of the group. Although, the husband had opted out of the group due to some basic principles of the group which he said contradicted his personal ideology and philosophy about marriage. However, he was readmitted after the wife pleaded on his behalf.

The late sister was very humble, calm and unapologetically generous. An easy-going and ever smiling Chinyere was a rare gem. Though only a few people knew about her troubled marriage, she rarely opened up to anyone about the agony, frustration and danger she was enduring in the marriage that eventually terminated her life last week Friday.

Born on the 12th of May 1975, Chinyere Magella Ogudoro had a promising career in banking while she got married to Benjamin Ogudoro, an accountant. Chinyere did so well in the banking sector as she rose to the peak of her career still discharging her roles as a wife and mother to her four children. She was a Manager at Fidelity Bank before she moved to Ecobank where she resigned as a Regional Manager.

Even though she had a Master’s degree from the University of Lagos in 2006, Chinyere, in a veiled thirst for knowledge and global relevance, went to Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland, to pursue another Master’s degree in 2018. Whereas her relocation to Great Britain was for separation from her abusive husband but none of us knew this much until after her unfortunate death when truth started coming out.

Following her murder, one of our close friends said “now I understand why she was complaining of depression and suicidal thoughts.” We did not know she was going through a lot just to keep her marriage ship sailing. Travelling abroad to further her studies was just a facade to keep her sanity as her husband once brought out a machete during a fight with her but for the timely intervention of neighbours, things could have ended in disaster.

She had informed us she would be returning to Nigeria. In fact, she asked one of our mutual friends to help her book a flight to Port Harcourt. So, it came as a surprise when we found out she arrived Nigeria on Thursday March 31 and was killed at about 1am the following day April 1. The president of our group who lives in the neighborhood of the Ogudoros later claimed that the husband, Ben Ogudoro, had made several attempts to sell off the property in which they reside but only to discover that it was the wife's name that was on the C of O. He became angry even though it was clear that the property belonged to the wife. She also got him a job using her connections.

When Chinyere arrived last week Thursday at Muritala Muhammed International Airport, her brother, Ifeanyi Joseph, went to pick her to the house. The husband, according to their neighbours, was busy drinking at a nearby beer parlour when she got home. Meeting his wife, an argument ensued, and in other to prevent another physical assault, they shut the door against him. Enraged with fury, he demanded why should they close the door, what were they talking about that warranted them shutting the door. He waited till they were asleep at night, he quietly entered their bedroom, poured petrol on the mattresses and floor as well as their bodies, set them aflame and quickly banged the door behind him with lock and key. He then ran out and started raising a false alarm of accidental fire explosion. Chinyere managed to pick her phone to call but could not because she suffered asphyxiation before she was burnt totally beyond recognition.

Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has proposed a 3.33% reduction of the statutory allocation to the Federal Government.

It however proposed increase of allocations to States and council areas by 3.07% and 0.44% respectively.

The new adjustments to the revenue allocation formula due to the Federating units are contained in a report presented to President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday by the RMAFC at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

In the new RMAFC proposal, the Federal Government, which currently receives 52.68% will now get 45.17%; States will take 29.79% as against the current 26.72% and the council areas will get 21.04% as against their existing 20.60%.

Receiving the report from the Chairman of the RMAFC, Elias Mbam, Buhari said he would await outcome of the ongoing constitutional review process before presenting the report of the review of the vertical revenue allocation formula to the National Assembly as a Bill for enactment.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari said: “Ordinarily, I would have gone ahead to table this report before the National Assembly as a Bill for enactment.

“However, since the review of the vertical revenue allocation formula is a function of the roles and responsibilities of the different tiers of government, I will await the final outcome of the constitutional review process, especially as some of the proposed amendments would have a bearing on the recommendations contained herein.”

Buhari listed some of the proposed amendments in the report as follows:

“Establishing local government as a tier of government and the associated abrogation of the state/local government account; moving airports; fingerprints, identification and criminal records from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent legislative list, empowering the RMAFC to enforce compliance with remittance of accruals into and disbursement of revenue from the Federation Account as well as streamlining the procedure for reviewing the revenue allocation formula,” he said.

The President assured members of the Commission that the Federal Government would immediately subject the report to its internal review and approval processes, while awaiting finalization of the efforts by the National Assembly.

According to the President, this strategy, rather than issuing an Executive Modification order, as was done in 1992, is more in line with entrenching our democratic tenets.

He commended the RMAFC for a job painstakingly done, pledging his unwavering commitment and support to them in carrying out their constitutional mandates.

The President also thanked Nigerians, especially the State and Local Governments, for making their inputs through the broad stake-holder engagement processes that produced the report.

Mbam said the leading philosophy behind the proposed review was guided “by the need for distributive justice, equity and fairness as enshrined in relevant Sections of the 1999 Constitution.

He added that the principles took into cognizance the indivisibility of the country, public opinion and weighted Constitutional responsibilities and functions of the three levels of Government.

He announced that the proposed vertical revenue allocation formula advised 45.17 per cent for the Federal Government, 29.79 per cent for State Governments and 21.04 per cent for the Local Governments.

Under Special Funds, he said, the Report by the Commission recommended 1.0 per cent for Ecology, 0.5 per cent for Stabilisation, 1.3 per cent for Development of Natural Resources and 1.2 per cent for the FCT.

In arriving at the new vertical revenue allocation formula, Mbam told the President the commission had wide consultation with major stakeholders, public hearing in all the geo-political zones, administered questionnaires and studied some other Federations with similar fiscal arrangements like Nigeria to draw useful lessons from their experiences.

According to the RMAFC chairman, the Commission also visited all the 36 States and the FCT, the 774 Local Government Areas to sensitize and obtain inputs from stakeholders.

He added that literature reviews were conducted on revenue allocation formula in Nigeria dating back to pre-independence period while the Commission received memoranda from the public sectors, individuals and private institutions across the country.

Explaining the major reasons for the exercise, Mbam noted that since the last review was conducted in 1992, 29 years ago, the political structure of the country has changed with the creation of six additional States in 1996, which brought the number of States to 36.

He said the number of local governments councils also increased from 589 to 774.

'Abeokuta North State Constituency will experience positive impacts and be made a pride of place'. 

Those were the words of a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Sanni Sulaimon while declaring his intention to contest for the position of House of Assembly, to represent Abeokuta North State Constituency in the forthcoming 2023 elections. 

Sulaimon who declared on Thursday at  ward 7, Ago-Ika APC ward, promised to bring back the lost glory of Abeokuta North State Constituency as part of the dreams he has been nursing since childhood. 

He promised to do well and improve on what others have done by enacting laws that would be beneficial to all.

Sulaimon who advised that vying for political office should not be a do-or-die affair, enjoined other aspirants to exhibit  the spirit of sportsmanship. 

He thanked the leaders and members of the Party for their support and assured them of delivering dividends of democracy, if elected as a member of the 10th Assembly. 

The Chairman of ward 7, Mr. Semiu Ajayi urged Sulaimon to ensure he remembers the youths and the aged in the constituency in line with his programmes.

He said as the son of the soil, he must know the needs of his constituent and not forget that infrastructure development is important. 

The leaders and members of ward 7 while welcoming him acknowledged that he has been using his personal wealth to take care of the needy and the vulnerable in the community.

They said many had benefited from him through the community borehole he facilitated and other programmes which had been very helpful.

The councilor representing ward 7  Mutiu Sanni who coordinated the gathering acknowledged the presence of the Former leader of the house Wale Bayewunmi who was joined by other APC leaders and party loyalists amidst funfair to endorse Sanni Sulaimon.

Lauretta Fagbohun, Ogun

A governorship aspirant in Ogun state under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  Otunba Jimi Lawal has said that the current administration of Prince Dapo Abiodun has failed to live up to its electoral promises made to the people of the State.

Lawal vowed that if elected as the governor in 2023,  he would ameliorate the sufferings the people are currently going through in the state.

The governorship aspirant made this known during his declaration on  Thursday at the Ake Palace Ground, Abeokuta.

The banker turned politician noted  that he joined the governorship race to bring his vast experience in both private and public service into governance in the state.

The immediate  past Senior Adviser on Economic development to Gov Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State who had once contested for the same position in 2019 under the platform of APC, expressed worries over the issue of insecurity in the state, particularly, the recent cult clashes which left no fewer than 16 people dead.

According to him, he said the current administration in the state has failed  to live up to its electoral promises, while promising that his coming on board is to ameliorate the sufferings the people in the state are currently going through.

Earlier in his remarks, the State Chairman of the PDP in Ogun, Sikirulahi Ogundele, noted that the party would provide a level playing ground for every contestant.

He lamented that the ruling party, APC, has messed up Nigeria and put Nigerians in agonizing situation, urging Ogun residents to vote out APC come 2023.

Otunba Jimi Lawal who hailed from Ijebu Ode is the fourth governorship aspirant to declare interest on the platform of the opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

Others who have declared governorship ambition on the platform of PDP include Hon Oladipupo Adebutu, former federal lawmaker representing Remo Federal constituency, Mr Segun Showunmi, ex-Spokesman to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as well as Prof David Bamgbose.

Lawal recently dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Ogun State government says banks and other financial institutions are critical stakeholders in achieving its 2022 revenue targets.

The State Commissioner for Finance and Chief Economic Adviser to the Governor, Mr. Dapo Okubadejo stated this at a meeting with divisional heads and operations managers of banks and other financial institutions in Abeokuta.

He said it was imperative for them to key into the various innovative ideas and financial management reforms of the state government aimed at broadening the revenue base and ease of doing business. 

He noted that adoption of digital transformation initiatives such as full implementation of the treasury management system, digital payment system, billing and payment management system as well as creation of the Ogun State Land Administration and Revenue Management System(OLARMS) among others, had helped in blocking leakages and  increased in its Internally Generated Revenue.

Okubadejo enthused that with the buy-in of the innovations by the banks, the state would not only meet but surpass its current revenue targets.

“Last year, we were able to achieve about N100bn in IGR from N50bn in 2020 as a result of COVID-19. When you understand precisely what has been done to achieve that, you will know that it cannot be the efforts of people in government alone. It was through the cooperation and support of people like you.

“And because IGR has a direct bearing on mode of payments from our tax payers, all we are trying to do, as part of our efforts in creating enabling environment for business is to make it easy for tax payers to be able to pay their taxes in the comfort of their homes and at their own time”, the Commissioner said.

Responding on behalf of the bankers, Mr. Adeniran Oladele of the First Bank, commended the government for the various reforms and promised to collaborate with the state to achieve its set targets.

A Kano Chief Magistrates’ Court, has ordered the remand of 107-year-old Furera Abubakar, and Isah Hassan, 17, in a correctional centre for allegedly plucking out the eye of a 12-year-old, according to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN. 

The Prosecution counsel, Mr Lamido Soron-Dinki, told the court on Wednesday, that the defendants committed the offence on March 19, at Rimin Hamza Quarters, Tarauni Local Government Area of Kano State.

Abubakar and Isah, both residents of Dantsinke Quarters, Kano, are standing trial on a two-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy and attempt to commit culpable homicide.

Soron-Dinki alleged that on the same date at about 9:00 p.m, the defendants conspired, deceived and lured Mustapha Yunus to a nearby stream and plucked out his right eye with a sharp knife.

“As a result, the victim sustained grievous hurt and was rushed to Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, where he was admitted for treatment.”

The plea of the defendants were, however, not taken. According to the prosecutor, the offences contravened the provision of sections 97 and 229 of the Penal Code.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Muhammad Jibril, subsequently ordered the remand of the defendants in a correctional centre. Jibril adjourned the matter until April 11, for further mention.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Kano State Police Command had on March 29, arrested the defendants.

Former Nigerian President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on Wednesday, escaped death when his convoy got involved in an accident earlier today in the vicinity of the Abuja airport, while on his way out of the airport according to a vanguard report.

The crash resulted in the loss of two police officers attached to him.

Jonathan has since expressed deep sadness over the unfortunate tragic death of two police officers attached to him, in a road crash today in the vicinity of the Abuja airport.

The former President who described the incident as painful and heart-rending stated that the sudden death of the two security details has thrown him into deep mourning.

Dr Jonathan noted with sadness that the deceased, Inspectors Ibrahim Abazi and Yakubu Toma, were fine officers who were dedicated to their duties and service to the nation.

Two other officers sustained injuries in the accident which involved a car conveying the security men.

They were rushed to a hospital in Abuja where they are responding to treatment. 

The office of the former President has offered condolences to the families of the bereaved and the Police High Command.

Dr Jonathan prayed to God to grant the souls of the departed eternal rest and bless their families and the nation with the fortitude to bear the loss.

Zainab Ahmed, minister of finance, budget and planning, says the N1.3 trillion intervention fund the federal government provided for the power sector has not yielded any significant result says a cable report.

On March 1, 2017, the federal government approved N701 billion as a power assurance guarantee fund for the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trader (NBET) to pay for the electricity produced by the generation companies (GenCos) to the national grid for two years.

The fund was provided to tackle the monthly liquidity challenges faced by GenCos, as the distribution companies (DisCos) kept defaulting in paying for the monthly invoice of electricity received.

In a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari dated November 19, 2021, Zainab Ahmed, minister of finance, detailed how funds can be raised through the sale of make-up gas to address the financial challenges in the sector.

“The industry requires N85 billion per month to pay for gas, generation, transmission and distribution operations,” the minister wrote.

“Recent intervention (between 2017-2019) towards addressing the power sector problem includes the N701 billion and N600 billion payment assurance facilities (PAFs) secured from Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to take care of some of the FG contingent liabilities within the sector and which have not yielded significant result.

“Shortfalls caused by the large difference between allowed tariffs and what is required for cost recovery cost the FGN a total sum of N1.249 billion between 2017 to 2019. These resources are more needed for human capital development and infrastructural investment. The above includes some projects like the World Bank loan (up to $3 billion) for tariff shortfall and the euro 2.6 billion for the presidential power initiative considered to support Nigerian Electricity Supply Industries (NESI).”

The minister also stated how Nigeria paid $137 million in two years for gas and electricity that were never used in the “take or pay deal” the country entered into with some investors in the power sector.