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SERAP Sues FG, Cross River Govt Over Trial Of Agba Jalingo

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Agba Jalingo (Photo Courtesy: Sahara Reporters)

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has dragged the federal government and Governor Ben Ayade of Cross Rivers State before ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja over the illegal detention of journalist Agba Jalingo.

Concise News reports that Jalingo, who is the publisher of CrossRiverWatch, was arrested on August 22 over a report alleging that Ayade diverted N500 million belonging to the state.

In the suit filed last week at the ECOWAS Court, by its solicitor Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP condemned the prolonged, unfair prosecution, persecution, and sham trial of the journalist.

The suit reads: “The government of Nigeria and Cross-River state government are using vague laws that give officials massive discretion to undermine human rights. They are punishing Agba Jalingo and other journalists and silencing them for their reporting, thereby undermining Nigerians’ right to information, to public participation, to open and democratic governance in the country.”

If the freedom of expression and media freedom are to have true meaning in a democracy, these rights necessarily must include the freedom to criticize the government and its functionaries. Indeed, the idea of a democracy is that the people are encouraged to express their criticisms, even their wrong-headed criticisms, of elected government institutions, in the expectation that this process will improve the process of government.”

“The harassment, intimidation, unfair prosecution and arbitrary detention of Agba Jalingo simply for exercising his human rights violate Nigeria’s international human rights obligations, including under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which the country is a state party.

“Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and full enjoyment of this right is central to achieving individual freedom and to developing democracy. It is not only the cornerstone of democracy but indispensable to a thriving civil society.

“In circumstances of public debate concerning public figures in the political domain and public institutions, the value placed by human rights treaties upon uninhibited expression is particularly high.

“The government of Nigeria and the Cross-River state government of governor Ben Ayade have via the charges of terrorism and treason and denial of bail to Agba Jalingo, violated and continued to breach his human rights.”]

“SERAP contends that Agba Jalingo is being unfairly prosecuted because of his reporting in his online news outlet, Cross River Watch, which alleged that the Cross Rivers State Governor diverted the sum of N500million, belonging to the Cross-River Micro Finance Bank.

“On 22nd August 2020, the Nigeria Police, through its special anti-robbery squad arrested Agba Jalingo. On 23rd August 2020, Mr. Jalingo was transferred to a detention facility run by the anti-cult and anti-kidnapping police in Calabar, the capital of Nigeria’s southern Cross River state and was held there for days before his arraignment on 31st August, 2020.

. SERAP Sues FG, Cross River Govt Over Trial Of Agba Jalingo Follow Concise News.

Politics

News Update?Osun Governorship Election Petition Tribunal Sitting Begins October 26

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Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal will on October 26 begin a full hearing of the petition filed by Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against the declaration of Senator Ademola Adeleke as governor-elect.

Lifestyle Nigeria reports that the tribunal made this pronouncement after concluding the pre-hearing session on Thursday.

The tribunal was asked to dismiss the applications of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), seeking the discontinuation of the petition brought to it by Governor Oyetola.

Counsel for Oyetola and the APC, Lasun Sanusi, SAN, at the sitting of the tribunal argued that Adeleke’s, PDP’s and INEC’s reliance on a Federal Court High judgment was nothing but an abuse of court process.

Sanusi argued this while replying to separate applications of the trio, seeking the dismissal of the petition based on the already appealed Federal High Court judgment disqualifying Oyetola from contesting the election.

Citing Supreme Court decisions in the case of Jegede Vs INEC, 2021, 14NWLR, Pt 1797, page 409, the counsel said the court had ruled that the signatories to the letter conveying the nomination of a candidate were not the nominators; rather, the nomination was done by party members at the congress, hence, the judgment could not stand.

Meanwhile, the counsel for INEC, Prof. Paul Ananaba, SAN; counsel for Adeleke, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN and counsel for the PDP, Dr. Alex Izinyon, SAN, agreed that any decision the tribunal would take on the matter would have to wait until the Appeal Court and the Supreme Court decided on it.

They noted that they just decided to argue the applications to have it on record, a position which the tribunal agreed with and put on record.

Also, in other applications totalling nine by the three respondents, they asked the tribunal to strike out some paragraphs of the petition on the grounds that they were either lumped together or not related to the 2022 election.

In response to each of the applications, Sanusi said all the cases cited by the respondents were misconceived, adding that they were not applicable in the instance case.

He cited the case of INEC Vs Otti, 2016, 8NWLR, where the Supreme Court hinted that INEC was supposed to be neutral, arguing that all the processes filed before the panel have not portrayed the commission’s neutrality.

Sanusi further argued that the applications filed by the respondents were only meant to prevent the tribunal from focusing on hearing the petition on merit, asking the panel to dismiss the applications.

Subsequently, counsel for all parties in the matter agreed to begin the full hearing starting with the calling of witnesses on October 26.

In his ruling, the tribunal declared the pre-hearing session concluded and announced that the pre-hearing conference report would be presented on October 17.

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NEWS UPDATE?Nigeria Air Force who died in the crashed NAF Alpha-jet that crashed in Borno state laid to rest (photos)

%title% Nigeria Air Force who died in the crashed NAF Alpha-jet that crashed in Borno state laid to rest (photos) Lifestyle Nigeria

Nigeria Air Force who died in the crashed NAF Alpha-jet that crashed in Borno state laid to rest (photos)

The remains of Flight Lieutenant Chapele Ebiakpo, one of the pilots of the NAF Alpha-Jet aircraft that crashed in Maiduguri, Borno state on March 31, 2021, have been laid to rest.

 

It will be recalled that the Nigerian Air Force fighter jet was declared missing on 31 March 2021 after losing radar contact. The crash site was later discovered and the bodies of the two pilots onboard the ill-fated jet were recovered. The pilots were on the battlefield fight Boko Haram members when the jet crashed.

 

On Thursday, October 13, friends and family members of the Late Ebiakpo gathered together at the National Military cemetery to bid him farewell. May his soul rest in peace, Amen.

 

See more photos from the funeral below…

 

Nigeria Air Force who died in the crashed NAF Alpha-jet that crashed in Borno state laid to rest (photos)Nigeria Air Force who died in the crashed NAF Alpha-jet that crashed in Borno state laid to rest (photos)Nigeria Air Force who died in the crashed NAF Alpha-jet that crashed in Borno state laid to rest (photos)Nigeria Air Force who died in the crashed NAF Alpha-jet that crashed in Borno state laid to rest (photos)Nigeria Air Force who died in the crashed NAF Alpha-jet that crashed in Borno state laid to rest (photos)Nigeria Air Force who died in the crashed NAF Alpha-jet that crashed in Borno state laid to rest (photos)

 

 

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<p>The post Nigeria Air Force who died in the crashed NAF Alpha-jet that crashed in Borno state laid to rest (photos) first appeared on Lifestyle Nigeria.</p>

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Phyna Bbnaija; Biography, Net Worth, Date Of Birth, Age, State Of Origin & Career – Lifestyle Nigeria


Real Name: Ijeoma Josephina

Stage Name: Phyna Bbnaija

Date Of Birth: 1997

 

Age: 25 years old

Profession: Actress

Nationality: Nigerian

State Of Origin: Edo State

Net Worth: $15K dollars

Details About Phyna Bbnaija


Phyna is currently 25 years old and she was born in the Nigerian state of Edo. Ijeoma Josephina is the correct spelling of her given name. She recounted herself as being the one who bring the ginger and the vibes to Biggie’s residence.

 

READ ALSO: BBNaija S7: Tega Makes U-turn About Phyna&#8217;s Loud Behaviour, Issues PSA

 

Phyna Bbnaija Date Of Birth

Phyna Bbnaija was born in the year 1997 in the Nigerian state of Edo. As of the time that this article about Phyna’s BBnaija biography and net worth was written, she had not yet reached her 25th birthday.

What is the net worth of Phyna Bbnaija?

At the time of writing, phyna bbnaija’s net worth was calculated at $15,000.

Conclusion:

There is still a lot of work to be done in this article. I’ll get to it as quickly as I can. Please share and leave a comment

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