IMO BREAKING NEWS BLOG

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and the Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen are attending the Federal Executive Council meeting a few days after withdrawing their political ambitions. Malami was vying for the governorship position in Kebbi State while Tallen was vying for the Senatorial position in Plateau.

Before the commencement of the meeting which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, a minute silence was held in honour of the former Minister of communications under Gen. Ibrahim Babangida regime, Olawole Adeniji Ige, who died at the age of 83.

Those who were physically in attendance are the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha; Head of Service of the Federation, Folasade Yemi-Esan; Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, and National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Munguno (rtd).

Other Ministers are also in attendance include; the Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, Power, Abubakar Aliyu, Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello; Aviation, Hadi Sirika, Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami; Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi; Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; that of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of State for Health, Olorunimbe Mamora; Agriculture, Mustapha Shehuri as well as Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba.

The Federal Government has withdrawn the newly amended charge against the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu on Wednesday morning.

Earlier, Kanu had been denied a bail application by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja on the grounds that his absence in the past, since 2017, should be determined, before a bail application, would be entertained. Upon withdrawal of the newly amended charges by the FG, the Federal High Court struck out the charges preferred against Nnamdi Kanu.

This came after Mike Ozekhome complained to the court that the prosecution was trying to delay processes by continuous amendment of the charge against his client. Ozekhome also told the court that this is the seventh time the Federal government was amending its charge.

Justice Nyako agreed with Ozekhome’s submission stating that Kanu is not expected to take a plea on those newly amended charges immediately, as he needs time to digest them before doing so.

The Commissioner for Insurance, National Insurance Commission, NAICOM, Mr. Olorundare Sunday Thomas, has emphasized the need for regional Co-operation as a tool to further strengthen risk supervision and Interglobal dynamic of Business. The NAICOM boss gave the indication at the opening of the 2nd Meeting of the College of Insurance Supervisors for West African Monetary Zone, CISWAMZ holding, in Abuja. 

Mr. Thomas attributed the success of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to cooperation with other countries. "The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) created in 1939, is an inter-governmental body whose purpose is the development and promotion of National and International policies to combat Money Laundering and Terrorist Finance. "The anti-money laundering body has developed 40 recommendations and 11 effective outcomes and there is no country that can achieve any reasonable progress in its effectiveness without actively belonging /or Co-operating with other Countries / regional body in the implementation of their policies.

"Therefore, what the region has done is a good step in the right direction to forge synergy between / among us for the goal of effective and efficient regulation and Supervision of Insurance Institution in our region" he said. Speaking on the CISWAMZ, Mr. Thomas charged member States to "recognise that co-ordination of Supervisory effort and sharing of information of Supervised entities is important in carrying out an Efficient Consolidated Supervision, maintaining effective oversight, promoting Compliance with extant Laws and maintaining the highest level of oversight quality while carrying out their Supervisory responsibilities in their respective Countries".

He encouraged members to prioritize the development of a process of documentation of proceedings, adding that it would be a point of reference for improved supervisory activities in the region. Earlier, in his welcome remarks, the Chairman, CISWAMZ, Mr Agboola Pius, submitted that the insurance business which evolved through the desire of entrepreneur to curtail the negative effects of the risk materializing, cannot be done in isolation. Pius however assured that NAICOM, Nigeria is readily available to assist any member state in developing their Risk Based Supervision (RBS) framework.

As part of scheduled port calls on her homeward voyage to Nigeria, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) KADA has paid a port call to Luanda Port, Angola. This is contained in a statement signed by the Director of Information, Nigerian Navy, Commodore Ayo Vaughan. This comes 13 days after the ship had paid a similar visit to the Port of Cape Town, South Africa.

On arrival at Luanda, NNS KADA was received by Nigeria’s Ambassador (Amb) to Angola, Her Excellency, Amb (Prof) Monique Ekpong, also the Executive Secretary of the Gulf of Guinea Commission, Amb Adenike Ukonga and a delegation from the Naval Headquarters led by the Flag Officer Commanding Logistics Command, Rear Admiral Olumuyiwa Olotu who represented the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), accompanied by other senior officers namely the Defence Attache to Angola, Commodore Mohammed Muye, Commodore Yusuf Idris and Captain Badamasi Yahuza. 

During the visit, the CNS representative, Rear Admiral Olumuyiwa Olotu appreciated the Angolan government for their support in receiving the ship. The representative of the Luanda Port Harbour Master, Joser R Amaral, recalled that Angola and Nigeria has had a long standing relationship over years and pledged to provide any additional support required by the ship. Meanwhile, at a later visit to the National Directorate of Defence Policy, Angola, the Director, Lieutenant General Barbosa Antunes Epalanga, noted that the relationship between both countries was consolidated with the creation of defence sections at the embassies in both Luanda and Nigeria.

Furthermore, he stressed the need for further engagements between both countries’ military in combating threats such as terrorism. While thanking the Nigerian government for choosing Luanda as one of the ports to be visited, the representative of the CNS, Angolan Navy, Rear Admiral Cosme Faria, emphasized the need to have some maritime exercises between both countries in the future for enhanced maritime security of the Gulf of Guinea.

Similarly, during a courtesy call on Nigeria’s Ambassador to Angola, Her Excellency, Amb (Prof) Monique Ekpong thanked the Angolan government for granting the approval for the ship to stop over in Luanda Port. The Amb also called for more bilateral engagements between both countries. It would be recalled that NNS KADA departed the United Arab Emirates on Friday1 April 2022 after a Change of Flag ceremony and she is expected to arrive Nigeria on 27 May 2022.

Leader of the 'proscribed' Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, on Wednesday, told the Federal High Court, Abuja, that he had been a fan of Liverpool Football Club from childhood.

According to the News Agency Of Nigeria, Kanu disclosed this when his lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, complained that the Department of State Services had not been allowing him and other counsel enough time to meet with the IPOB leader whenever they visited him in detention.

After addressing his concern, Nyako jokingly mentioned that she was a fan of Liverpool and asked Ozekhome which club was his favourite. Ozekhome replied that he was also a Liverpool fan.

Nyako then asked Kanu if he was a fan of Chelsea Football Club given his penchant for the designer outfit he kept wearing to court.

Kanu responded, “My team is Liverpool even from age of seven.”

The judge then told the DSS legal director who was in court to allow Kanu to watch the matches of his favourite football club.

Meanwhile, the judge observed that Kanu had continued to show up in court in the same attire despite her order for him to change clothes.

The authorities of the Federal High Court in Abuja have soft-pedaled on the stringent conditions imposed on the trial of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.

Against their last month decision, the court authorities have stopped the movement of the trial to the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, at Jabi District of Abuja.

Also, the authorities of the Court have permitted the media to witness the treasonable felony charges brought against the Biafra nation agitator by the Federal Government.

At the time of this report, fully armed operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, have taken perfect control of the security situations within and outside the court premises.

Journalists, lawyers, litigants, as well as workers are being allowed into the court premises unhindered after formal introduction and presentation of identity cards.

The court had last month issued a Practice Direction which moved the trial to CCT believed to be large and spacious enough to accommodate the crowd that usually surged to witness the trial.

The Practice Direction endorsed by the Chief Judge of the Court, Justice John Tsoho had also prohibited media coverage except where expressly permitted.

It’s observed that the stringent conditions have been jettisoned.

Although, reasons for deviating from the Practice Direction have not been made known, it was gathered that Jabi Code of Conduct Tribunal was considered too porous for such a sensitive trial, especially from the security points.

Apart from unhindered access being granted to lawyers and media practitioners, roads leading to the court are not blocked, while food vendors are also having their businesses done without molestation.

However, adequate security measures are being observed to prevent security breaches.