Appeal Court Frees Akingbola Of N47.5b Theft Charge

The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos, western Nigeria, has quashed the 22-count charge brought against the former Managing Director of Intercontinental Bank Plc, Dr. Erastus Akingbola by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC had alleged that Akingbola stole N47.5 billion belonging to the bank.

Ruling on Akingbola’s application on jurisdiction, the court presided over by Justice Amina Augie held that the High Court of Lagos State presided over by Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit filed against him by the commission.

Justice Augie said it amounted to miscarriage of justice for the lower court to have dismissed Akingbola’s application challenging its jurisdiction on the matter.

“The appeal is meritorious and allowed,” she declared.

“I am convinced that the lower court refused to align itself with the decision of this court in Nwosu’s case,” she further held.

Akingbola and his co-defendant, Bayo Dada, had filed two separate applications challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the 22-count charge filed against them by the EFCC.

But, the lower court, in its ruling on 2 May, 2014 dismissed their applications.

Justice Lawal-Akapo had then held that the charges preferred against the defendants were within its competence and jurisdiction to determine.

Dissatisfied with the ruling of the high court, Akingbola and Dada approached the Appeal Court, praying that the trial court’s decision be set aside.

Delievering the judgement, Justice Augie declared that the lower court fell into serious error by not abiding by the decision on Nwosu’s case adding, “it is most unfair and is an injustice”.

According to her, the lower court has no option than to follow the decision of the higher court on Nwosu’s case.

“The point must be made that the decision of this court in Nwosu’s case was based on proof of evidence.”

The judge noted that all the charges against the defendants arose out of capital market transactions.

“Only federal high court is conferred with the exclusive jurisdiction to try cases of capital market transaction,” she stressed.

The appellate court held that the lower court owes it a duty to compare and contrast the documents cited by parties.

“It is its duty to examine materials brought before him. It is the role of the judge to do justice in adjudicating all the cases brought before him.

“One sided justice would amount to injustice and favouring one side.

“The proof of evidence was there but the trial judge at the lower court accused the defendants of not furnishing him with the documents.

“He has failed in his duty.”

Justice Augie further held that the appeal filed by the defendants has nothing to do with evidence, noting that the lower court failed to go through argument canvassed before it assumed jurisdiction on the matter.

She emphasised that the issue of jurisdiction should not have been toyed with by the lower court.

“I agree with the appellant that the lower court ought to have gone through the proof of evidence.

“There is no way a charge of stealing can stand without going through the proof of evidence,” she declared.

Asari-Dokubo Called the Northern Politician Ungrateful Parasites.

Leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Salvation Force (NDPSF) Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari has again called northern politicians ungrateful parasites who have not appreciated the south and especially the Niger-Delta for providing oil which has been the main stay of the country’s economy over the past four decades.

Asari said this in reaction to recent comments by the Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido that President Goodluck Jonathan’s supporters such as Asari and Chief Edwin Clarke were making statements capable of throwing the country into turmoil.

In his reaction, Asari told Vanguard over the phone that the north was bleeding over their loss of political power.

He therefore advised the zone to take its mind off the mentality of “born to rule”, saying they would continue to meet stiff resistance from the south.

“The president will win. There is no other option. If they contest they are wasting their time. He who pays the piper will dictate the tune. We own them. We are feeding them. They are parasites. A beggar has no choice. In all religions, in Islam, every where, if you are a beggar, you will respect the one who gives to you. They are beggars and parasites,” Asari said

Asari-Dokubo Called the Northern Politician Ungrateful Parasites.

Leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Salvation Force (NDPSF) Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari has again called northern politicians ungrateful parasites who have not appreciated the south and especially the Niger-Delta for providing oil which has been the main stay of the country’s economy over the past four decades.

Asari said this in reaction to recent comments by the Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido that President Goodluck Jonathan’s supporters such as Asari and Chief Edwin Clarke were making statements capable of throwing the country into turmoil.

In his reaction, Asari told Vanguard over the phone that the north was bleeding over their loss of political power.

He therefore advised the zone to take its mind off the mentality of “born to rule”, saying they would continue to meet stiff resistance from the south.

“The president will win. There is no other option. If they contest they are wasting their time. He who pays the piper will dictate the tune. We own them. We are feeding them. They are parasites. A beggar has no choice. In all religions, in Islam, every where, if you are a beggar, you will respect the one who gives to you. They are beggars and parasites,” Asari said

pPDP House Of Reps Candidate In FCT Dumps PDP For APC Because Of Osinbajo

A People Democratic Party, PDP, House of Representative aspirant, Aisha Osori, has denounced the party to join the All Progressives Congress, APC, after emerging winner on the platform of the PDP.

Ms. Osori made the announcement on Tuesday in Abuja while briefing journalists at the APC national secretariat.

Ms. Osori emerged winner at the recent AMAC/Bwari federal constituency primary in the Federal Capital Territory.

Ms. Osori, who was presented with the membership card of the APC, told journalists she decided to defect after watching the APC primary because she believed in APC’s vice presidential candidate, Yemi Osibanjo, who was her lecturer at one time.

“I decided to denounce membership after watching the APC conduct its presidential primary in a fair and competitive manner and after seeing the combination of Osibanjo and Buhari, both men of integrity”, Ms. Osori said.

“Osibanjo used to teach me at the University of Lagos, faculty of law, I believe that is a great combination that would move the country forward and I want to be part of that team”, she said.

According to her, the APC slogan “Change” is enough reason to support the party as she was sure of winning the on the platform of APC.

Ms. Osori noted that more than 70 per cent of Nigerians were youth who wanted the change that “APC represents”.

On what her contribution would be to ensure the success of the APC at the general elections, Ms. Osori, who leads the non-governmental organization, Nigerian Women’s Trust Fund, cited experience.

“The years of experience I garnered in the private sector as a lawyer and also as writer, first with Thisday and later with Leadership newspapers, will be of value to APC.

Reacting to the defection, the APC National Secretary, Mai-Mala Buni, who presented the membership card to Ms. Osori, expressed delight because his party was waxing stronger by the day.

“Such event will be a continuous thing. Our doors are open. Everybody, who is ready to join the party, is welcome anytime, any day”, he said. (NAN)

Air Asia found at the Bottom of the Sea.

Passengers on Flight 8501 knew they were going to their doom: Search pilots reveal victims had time to put on life-jackets before jet crashed - and two were found holding hands in the Java Sea

*Seventh body pulled from water at crash site was wearing a life-jacket

*Pilot assisting search added that three victims were found holding hands

*Details indicate passengers knew plane was about to crash and suggests some may have been alive after impact

*Two coffins arrived at Juanda Airport for identification earlier today

*Family members have been stationed there since the plane vanished from radars just 42 minutes after departing the airport on Sunday

*Next of kin have been asked for DNA samples to help identify the victims

*More victims are expected to arrive at the airport as the day progresses

*But search for further bodies is being hampered by stormy weather

Strong winds and currents moved floating wreckage 30 miles overnight

Passengers on board doomed AirAsia flight 8501 would have been aware that the plane was going crash, it has emerged, after search pilots revealed victims had time to put on life jackets.

Representatives from Basarnas, Indonesia's search and rescue agency, said a seventh body recovered from the Java Sea this morning was wearing a life jacket, while a pilot assisting the operation claimed three of the victims were found floating in the water still holding hands.

Some of the recovered bodies were fully clothed, which could indicate the Air bus A320-200 was intact when it hit the water - supporting the theory that the plane did not explode or break up in mid-air and may instead have suffered an aerodynamic stall.

The fact that one person put on a life jacket suggests those on board had time before the aircraft hit the water, or before it sank.

This would make the search pilot's claim that three of the victims were found still holding hands more feasible, as it suggests not all passengers died on impact, although it raises questions over why the Air Asia captain did not raise a distress signal before the crash.

Ships and planes have been scouring the Java Sea for flight QZ8501 since Sunday, when the Air Asia plane lost contact during bad weather 42 minutes into its flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore.

Despite suggestions passengers may have been alive during the plane's final few moments in the air, th pilots did not issue a distress signal in the time between asking permission to fly higher to avoid bad weather and six minutes later when air traffic control lost contact with the plane.

'This morning, we recovered a total of four bodies and one of them was wearing a life jacket,' said Ta tang Zaenudin, an official with the search and rescue agency.

He declined to speculate on what the find might mean.

Earlier Lieutenant Airman Tri Wobowo, who co-piloted the C130 Hercules aircraft that first saw debris of the plane on Tuesday, told Indonesian newspaper Kompas: 'There are seven to eight people. Three [of them] again hold hands.'

A pilot who works for a Gulf carrier said the life jacket indicated the cause of the crash was not 'catastrophic failure'. Instead, the plane could have stalled and then come down, possibly because its instruments iced up and gave the pilots inaccurate readings.

'There was time. It means the thing didn't just fall out of the sky,' said the pilot, who declined to be identified.

He said it could take a minute for a plane to come down from 30,000 feet and the pilots could have experienced 'tunnel vision ... too overloaded' to send a distress call.

'The first train of thought when you get into a situation like that is to fly the aircraft.'

Ambode pledges to take Lagos to next level

Mr Akinwumi Ambode, APC governorship candidate in Lagos state, on Tuesday said he would raise the performance bar of Gov. Babatunde Fashola, if elected into office.

Ambode made the pledge while speaking at a meeting with artisans and tradesmen at Ikeja.

The meeting was facilitated by the state government.
He said his long-standing experience in the state’s civil service had equipped him with the wherewithal to take the state to the next level.

The APC candidate said that his 27 years in the civil service gave him the right experience needed to transform the state.

Ambode said his public service experience climaxed with his attainment of position of Accountant-General of the state.

He described the informal sector as the most important section of the state’s population and appealed to artisans and indeed all Lagosians to make his ambition a reality through their votes.
“Lagos is owned by the people in the informal sector as this group constitutes more than 85 per cent of the population.

“So, since it is you artisans who own the state, I appeal to you and indeed all Lagosians to support my aspiration to govern Lagos state.

“I am the man for the job because having spent 27 years in the civil service, at the peak of which I became the Accountant-General, I think I understand government and governance.

“My work experience in the local governments and the grassroots has enabled me to understand the people and what they want.

“The task of making Lagos a better place is a collective responsibility. And by the grace of God, if I am elected, I will take the state to the next level,” he said.Ambode commended the interventionist strides of Fashola, saying “his administration had done so much to better the lots of residents”.

Ambode also promised to consolidate on those programmes to further reposition the informal sector.

“I thank Gov. Fashola for what he has done in Lagos and what he has done particularly for you artisans.

“In case, you don’t know, I was raised by an artisan mother. My mother was a seamstress. So, I remember the rough things we had to endure as a family to survive.

“In a way, I am part of you because I understand you. If I am elected, I will consolidate on those programmes that have bettered your lives while introducing new ones. It is a promise and you can trust me on that,” he said.

Earlier, Fashola said he trusted the competence of Ambode to govern the state.

The governor said Ambode was a major contributor to the successes of his administration as he discharged himself remarkably well when he was Accountant-General.

Fashola said what the state needed now was experience and not somebody who would experiment with governance.

“What Lagos requires now is somebody with the right experience and track record and not somebody who will experiment with governance.

“Ambode has been part of this government and he understands the game. I urge all Lagosians to vote and support this man to move our dear state forward,’’ he said.

Mr Bola Sanusi, President of Lagos State Council of Tradesmen and Artisans, commended Fashola’s administration for empowering artisans with trainings and other forms of support.

He appealed to government to fulfil its promise of land for the council secretariat building.

Sanusi also urged Ambode not to dump the administration’s various impactful programmes for the informal sector if given the mandate.