Omo-Agege’s suspension illegal—AGF



ATTORNEY-GENERAL of the Federation, AGF, Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, told the Federal High Court Abuja yesterday that the suspension of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege was unconstitutional, illegal and unlawful.

Apata, who doubles as the Solicitor-General of the Federation, in his submission, said the role of the AGF was to defend and protect the constitution, adding that he had to react to any issue that had to do with the constitution.

“According to Section 4(8), 39, 40 of the Constitution and Articles of the African Charter on Human Rights, all the actions of the Senate relating to the suspension of the plaintiff (Omo-Agege) are unconstitutional, illegal and unlawful,’’ he said.

The solicitor-general urged the court to hold that the Senate’s actions were unlawful.

Mr Mahmud Magaji, SAN, counsel to the Senate and the Senate President, in his submission, urged the court to dismiss the suit on the grounds that the senator had himself, participated in the suspension of other senators.

“The plaintiff is not an ordinary senator but a lawyer and a member of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges.

“He has participated in several committee meetings leading to the suspension of other senators such as Ndume, so he who lives by the sword should die by the sword.

“He who has participated in the suspension of his colleagues cannot now run to the court for protection.

“He swore to an oath to be bound by the rules of the Senate, including the standing orders,” Magaji said.

Mr Alex Iziyon (SAN), counsel to Omo-Agege in his submission, prayed the court to consider what had been done by the Senate as an affront to the dignity of the court.

Iziyon argued that the court had the powers to pull down what had been done by the Senate, adding that

this was on the grounds that while the matter was still pending in court, the Senate went ahead and slammed the 90 legislative days suspension on his client.

Having listened to submissions from all the counsel, the judge, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, adjourned the matter until May 10 to deliver judgment.

Earlier, the court rejected an application by Sen. Samuel Anyanwu and Sen. Bala Ibn Na’allah, Chairman and Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and other Petitions.

The senators had applied to be joined as parties in the suit but the court refused on the grounds that they were not necessary parties in the suit.

Mr Paul Erokoro, SAN, counsel to both senators, had urged the court to allow them to be joined as parties by virtue of the fact that they were chairman and vice chairman of the committee, respectively.

“They are necessary parties in this suit because it is the report their committee produced that the plaintiff seeks to impugn and set aside.

“Moreover, whatever decision the court takes will affect them and members of the committee because their personal conduct is being questioned,” Erokoro said.

Omo-Agege, who represents Delta Central Senatorial District, filed the suit to challenge his suspension from the Senate.

Meanwhile, the court has fixed May 10 to deliver judgment in the suit.

















































Rainbowgist

Protecting your personal information on social media

Facebook’s data scandal has made some people nervous about staying on the social network.

It seems every other week there’s a new data breach, hack or security issue. It is no surprise that it makes some feel paranoid when it comes to using the Internet.

Some of Facebook’s more than two billion users may be wondering if it’s time to join the “#deletefacebook” movement.

The problem is Facebook has gotten so big, and people use it in so many parts of their lives, that it’s past that tipping point where it’s more trouble to get off it than it is to stay on it – no matter what they do.

According to a survey conducted in March by investment firm, Raymond James, only eight per cent of people said they will stop using Facebook, in light of the Cambridge Analytica data scandal. Meanwhile, just 20 per cent said they would use it significantly less.

However, there are ways technology users can stay secure without completely removing themselves from the social media.  According to CNET, you can keep yourself safe while still on Facebook.

 Adjust your Facebook settings

You can limit a lot of the stuff that they share about you or that they target against you.

If you are not ready to dive into Facebook’s substantial settings menu, there is a more user-friendly guide through the more vital privacy settings. Click on the question mark symbol in the top right of any Facebook page when you’re logged in, and select Privacy Check-up, an easy-to-follow walkthrough of your current settings as they pertain to “Posts”, “Apps” and “Profile.”

(Alternately, for an even quicker speed-tune-up, you can adjust who can see your posts, send you friend requests, or block users by hitting the question mark symbol and selecting Privacy shortcuts.)

Starting with Posts, you can check your default sharing setting. We recommend the Friends setting over the Public one. When set to Public all your posts can be seen by anyone on or off Facebook. Unless you’re a celebrity or running a page that is used to generate interest in a business you run, you will likely want to keep your activity restricted to those that are your friends.

The Friend setting has a few tweaks you should be aware of as well. By clicking on the sharing setting button, then the More Options button, you will see the Custom option. Click on that and you will see that you can include all your Friends while excluding the names of certain Facebook friends you don’t want to see your updates. It is also important to note that the Friends of anyone tagged in your post or photos will be able to see that post unless you uncheck the option in this window.

If you have joined any Facebook groups or made lists of Facebook friends, you can restrict the posts that way or hide your posts from those groups and lists as well. Do you want just your college friends to see your late night party pictures? Do you want to make sure your work friends don’t see your selfie at the beach when you called in sick? This is where these restrictions could come in handy, either on a per post basis or as an overall option.

Finally, remember that you can change the sharing settings of any individual Facebook update by clicking on the sharing button to the left of the Post button. You can even go back to change settings of previous posts by clicking on the people icon at the top of the post, to the right of the date stamp.

 Limit the use of web cam

When it comes to web cams and microphones, should users be covering them up, or is that extreme?

If you have something confidential that you want to hide, you can put ‘Post it’ note on your webcam. Putting a sticker or ‘Post it’ note over a laptop’s webcam lens is one way to stop unwanted spying from potential hackers (and, perhaps, government agencies).

 Master different passwords

Although it may be  hard to remember a different password for every site that requires one, experts, however, state that using different passwords is one of the best defences you can practise. That is because once your information is hacked; a bad actor can try those same credentials on various websites, and easily get access.

Check your email with www.haveibeenpwned.com, a website that aggregates accounts that have been compromised in a data breach.

If you have trouble remembering your passwords, use  a password manager, but if you’re not comfortable keeping your information in the Cloud – try good old pen and paper.

The physical security of that piece of paper may be better than the electronic security of a notepad file on your phone, or emailing it to yourself, or reusing the password.

Presidency upbeat as Buhari meets Trump today

The Presidency was very upbeat on Sunday as President Muhammadu Buhari arrived in the United States of America ahead of his scheduled meeting with President Donald Trump.

The meeting, which is expected to centre on the fight against terrorism and economic development among others, holds today at the White House.

In an interview with journalists after arriving in Washington DC, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, noted that the relationship between the countries improved remarkably with the coming on board of Trump.

Shehu said the meeting of the two leaders was an indication that “Nigeria is a great country.”

“Buhari is the first African head of government to visit Trump’s White House and this is a pointer to two important things. One is, no matter how Nigerians take our own country, this is hugely an important country and this recognition is being manifested in this visit,” he said.

Shehu said issues affecting both countries would be discussed at the meeting with focus on security and safety, trade and investment as well as democratic development in Nigeria.

The presidential spokesman expressed delight that relationship between the two countries had improved compared to what was obtainable during the administration of former President Barack Obama.

He said, “It is important that cooperation between the two countries have manifestly increased under the Trump’s Presidency.

“If you recall sometime back, the President had reason to openly complain that we are not receiving as much as we thought we deserve in terms of support and cooperation especially in our fight against terrorism back then during the Obama period.

“And it will seem that quite dramatically and interestingly, a lot of the obstacles are being removed under the Trump’s Presidency and doors are being opened and we are receiving far more support than most people had expected.”

Some Nigerians based in the US had embarked on solidarity rally shortly after Buhari arrived the country.

Shehu described the rally as a pleasant development.

“It is a very pleasant development and this tells you that America is a totally different clime, there is a deep appreciation for the work President Buhari is doing for our country,” he said.

The Presidency had in a statement on Friday announced that the President would hold a  bilateral meeting with Trump and a working lunch today.

According to the statement, the meeting between the two leaders would discuss ways to enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries and to advance shared priorities, such as promoting economic growth, fighting terrorism and other threats to peace and security.



























































Rainbowgist

We sold our baby because she is HIV positive —Couple

From left, Nma, the auxiliary nurse and the couple, Nkemakolam and Happiness.

A couple, Mr. & Mrs. Nkemakolam Ugorji, that sold their two-month-old baby girl for N300,000 in Abia State are claiming they did so because she was HIV positive.


Though they could not back the HIV claim with a medical report as they alleged the test was carried out by an auxiliary nurse, they also said in another breath that they sold the baby due to economic hardship. The 35-year-old Nkemakolam Ugorji and his wife, Happiness, when paraded by Abia State Police Command at Police Officers’ Mess, Umuahia, revealed that they just relocated to Umuahia. Happiness’ account According to Happiness, “I and my husband decided to sell our baby because of hardship. We have four children and my husband is not working. When I was pregnant there was no money for me to go for antenatal and feeding was even a problem for us. That was why we decided to sell our baby,” a claim her husband concurred to. Happiness also said it was the auxiliary nurse who delivered her of her baby that linked them to the lady, who in turn helped them to sell the baby for N300,000. I have been jobless Ugorji, who said he was an orphan, added that he had been jobless since they relocated to his Isialangwa village from Port Harcourt.

He confirmed that he agreed with his wife to sell the baby to raise money for his family. He said: “I was riding Keke on hire purchase in Port Harcourt, but when I could not meet up with the payment, the owner collected it from me, so we relocated to my village in Isialangwa and since then I have not got any other job and I have nobody to help us because I am an orphan. “It was my village people, who informed the police that I sold my baby because I couldn’t give them a proper account of my baby when they discovered that my wife had delivered.” But the lady, who allegedly linked them to the buyer of the baby,  known as Nma, denied the allegation as she claimed she runs a registered charity home where she engages in legal adoption of babies for interested people, According to her, the Ugorjis approached her to source for foster parents for their baby.

So, she invited one pastor, who has been married for 28 years without a child, to adopt the baby and the pastor adopted the baby for N300,000. According to her, she prepared an affidavit for them to sign in court as part of legal adoption process but claimed that she was still in the process when the couple sold their baby. The Abia State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Anthony Ogbizi, who paraded them alongside other criminal suspects, lashed out at those involved in the criminal act and wondered if they have conscience. He urged people interested in adopting children in the state to follow due process, saying it is a criminal offence to buy babies.









































































































Rainbowgist

Female secondary school cultist stabs classmate in Bayelsa

A suspected female cult member, identified only as Josephine, has stabbed Miss Lillian Friday, her classmate, in the right eye for refusing to join a cult group.

The suspect and the victim are both SSS 1 pupils of Community Secondary School, Otuoke, in the Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

It was learnt that the incident happened in the country home of former President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday.

The suspect (Josephine) was said to have been mounting pressure on Lillian to join a cult group which she persistently rejected.

The victim’s uncle, Mr. Benson Agiobu, said his niece said Josephine and her gang insisted she must join their group or they would teach her a bitter lesson she wouldn’t forget.

Agiobu said Lillian met Josephine on the way and she insisted that she must join their group.

He stated, “It was when Lillian refused again that Josephine alerted other members of group who were with her at the time. They held Lillian down while she was stabbed in the right eye with a sharp object by Josephine and they fled.’’

He said Josephine is a native of Ayakoro and Otuokpoti communities in the Ogbia council area, while his niece (the victim) is a native of Emeyal 1, in the same LGA.

It was gathered that the victim is currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in the state.

A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the damage done to Lillian’s right eye was such that she might need to undergo a surgery.

Speaking on the development, a human rights group on anti-cult activities in primary and secondary schools, Patriotism Advancement and Community Orientation Network, has condemned the incident.

The Convener, PACON, Aluzu Augustine, who said his group had since March 11, 2018 embarked on a campaign against cultism and drug abuse in Bayelsa, described the act as “barbaric and demonic.”

When contacted, the spokesperson for the police in the state, Bayelsa State Command, Mr. Asinim Butswat, said he had yet been properly briefed on the incident.

It will be recalled that four armed teenagers suspected to be members of a cult group in March attacked Community Secondary School in the state.

The invasion of the school took place after the state government through the ministry of education expelled seven pupils over their alleged membership of a cult group.

















































































Rainbowgist

I can be president without visiting the US —Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said he can be Nigeria’s president without visiting the United States of America.

Atiku stated this on Saturday during an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation Hausa Service when he was asked how he intended to be Nigeria’s president without visiting the US.

He asked whether it was a constitutional provision that one must visit the US before becoming president.

“I can be president without going to America,” he said.

In the interview monitored by our correspondent in Kaduna, Atiku also commented on a statement credited to his former boss, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, that he (Atiku) would not be President while he was alive.

He stated that Obasanjo was not God, saying that he didn’t lose sleep when he learnt that Obasanjo made such a statement.

According to him, if it is God’s will for him to be president, nobody, not even Obasanjo, can challenge God.

The ex-VP also confirmed that he was denied a US visa when he wanted to travel to that country.

He said he was told by the US that his application for visa was denied because it was passing through administrative process.

He also spoke about a house in the US said to belong to him and auctioned by the government of that country.

Atiku said the house belonged to one of his wives, adding that, “All my wives own houses and that particular house is not mine. It belonged to one of my wives. She sold the house and was never auctioned as it was reported.”

He further spoke on the rift between him and President Muhammad Buhari, saying the President could not control happenings in the ruling All Progressives Congress.

He said that was one of the reasons he left the party and returned to his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party, where he was a founding member.

Atiku said, “After 2015 general elections, I met the President. I told him that activities of the party have been crippled and there is a need to restructure.

“Also, I advised the President on issues concerning his administration. I said to him, ‘If things continue like this, I will quit’, but Mr. Buhari turned a deaf ear and remained mum.”

On why the government was yet to defeat Boko Haram for eight years, Atiku said if he emerged as president, he would investigate the years the government used in fighting the insurgents.

He added, “If elected Nigeria’s president, I will investigate how the government was unable to defeat Boko Haram. The Federal Government ended the civil war in 30 months, but it is now eight years it can’t not defeat a group of boys who are not trained.”




















































Rainbowgist

Police arrest bandits, 1 doctor in Katsina

The Katsina State Police Command on Saturday said it had arrested a syndicate of armed robbers that specialised in kidnapping people for ransom.

Several weapons, including one AK-47 rifle with breach number 4181, were allegedly recovered from the syndicate.

A statement by the command’s spokesperson, Gambo Isah, said the suspects were arrested on April 17 in Kaliyawa-Mahuta village, Dandume Local Government Area of the state by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

The statement gave the names of the suspects as Muntari Jibrin, 25; Dabo Hassan, 60; and Abdullahi Samu, 20.

They all hail from Rugar Dabo in the Dandume Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Others are Tukur Mamman, 20 (Faskari LGA, Katsina); Babangida Saidu, 27 (Tsafe LGA, Zamfara) and Ishaka Yusuf, 20 (Sabuwa LGA, Katsina).

Items reportedly recovered included one AK-47 rifle with 19 rounds of ammunition; two locally-made rifles, four empty magazines, one set of military camouflage, one jacket containing charms and one face mask.

The police spokesperson added, “The suspects have confessed to various armed robbery/kidnapping incidents along the highways in Zaria, Kaduna State and Funtua, Sabuwa and Dandume LGAs of Katsina State.

“Investigation is underway with a view to arresting other members of the syndicate and recover more of their operational weapons. They will be charged to court immediately investigation is completed.”

In a related development, the command said it had arrested a 38-year-old man alleged to be a fake medical doctor.

In a statement, the command said, “On April 16, 2018 at about 1630hrs, based on a tip-off, the command succeeded in arresting one Joseph Umaru (male), 38, an indigene of the Ofu LGA, Kogi State, residing in Kwado Quarters, Katsina.

“The suspect has been parading himself as a medical doctor in the Kaita LGA of Katsina State, attending to patients and performing different types of medical procedures, including prescription of drugs, injections, taking of blood samples and blood transfusion.

“Nemesis caught up with him when he was arrested by the police. Seven different certificates of Colleges of Health Technology, Kankia and Funtua, suspected to be forged documents, were recovered from his house.

“Other exhibits recovered were different types of surgical equipment, drugs, several blood samples, hospital syringes and needles, and hospital receipts and prescription booklets.

“The suspect has confessed to the crime and mentioned one Rabe Lawal (male), aged 40, and one Shehu Halilu (male), aged 37, both of the Kaita LGA, Katsina State, to be his accomplices. Investigation is still ongoing.”
































































Rainbowgist