NEWS
Court Clears Sen. Rochas Okorocha Of Corruption Charges
Senator Rochas Okorocha has been discharged by Justice Yusuf Halilu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from corruption charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
This marks the third time that Okorocha has been acquitted by courts regarding allegations of fraud and corruption during his tenure as the governor of Imo State from 2011 to 2019.
On Friday, Justice Halilu dismissed the charges against the former governor, stating that they constituted an abuse of court processes by the anti-graft agency.
The court emphasized that it was inappropriate for the EFCC to repeatedly file similar charges against a defendant in different courts, especially when a competent court had already made a decision on the matter.
It is worth noting that in a previous judgment in 2021, Justice Stephen Pam of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt declared the EFCC charge against Okorocha illegal, unlawful, null, and void, as it was based on an investigation deemed invalid.
Following the previous ruling, the judge specifically prohibited the EFCC from further prosecuting the former governor for any alleged offenses related to the aforementioned investigation.
However, on May 24, 2022, the commission arrested Okorocha after a siege lasting over six hours at his residence in Abuja.
Subsequently, Okorocha and six others were arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja, accused of embezzling N2.9 billion belonging to the Government of Imo State.
Nonetheless, on February 6, Justice Inyang Ekwo delivered a ruling in which he struck out the charges against Okorocha and the others.
The charges were dismissed for contravening Section 105 (3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, which grants the Attorney-General of the Federation the authority to recall a case.
Justice Ekwo maintained that the directive issued by the Attorney-General of the Federation in a letter dated September 12, 2022, instructing the EFCC to submit the case file with its comments for consideration and review, was binding on the commission.
The court concurred with Okorocha’s argument that the previous judgment from a court of equal jurisdiction in Port Harcourt, in a case numbered FHC/PH/FHR/165 between Okorocha and the EFCC, still stands. This judgment had restrained the agency from further pursuing the alleged offense.
However, dissatisfied with this outcome, the EFCC approached the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and initiated a fresh set of charges against the former governor.
In response, Okorocha, represented by his lawyer Chief Ola Olanipekun, SAN, raised a challenge against the competence of the charges through an application, asserting that they constituted an abuse of court processes.
On Friday, Justice Halilu delivered a ruling on the application, stating that it was inappropriate for the EFCC to file a case that had already been decided upon by a court of equal jurisdiction.
This was particularly significant since there was a court order preventing the anti-graft agency from prosecuting Okorocha based on an invalidated investigation.
The judge emphasized that the commission’s action of pursuing the same case in three different courts amounted to nothing less than an abuse of court processes.
Justice Halilu acknowledged that the EFCC, as an entity established by law, possesses broad investigatory and prosecutorial powers.
However, the judge emphasized the importance of the commission operating within the boundaries of the law, stating that the EFCC must demonstrate respect for the legal framework it operates under.
The court took into account the available evidence, which indicated that a Federal High Court had previously acquitted Okorocha of fraud and corruption charges filed by the EFCC in 2021.
While acknowledging that the commission acted correctly by appealing the judgment, Justice Halilu highlighted that it was inappropriate for the EFCC to approach another court of equal jurisdiction and file similar charges against Okorocha.
In addition to emphasizing that nobody or agency is exempt from the law, the court offered advice to the anti-graft agency, cautioning them to recognize the importance of bringing an end to litigation.
The court stated that when a case of abuse of court processes is established, the appropriate action is to dismiss the charges.
The court held “Once a case of abuse of court processes is established, the best thing to do is to dismiss the charge; the first defendant is hereby discharged.”
In a shocking incident on Sunday morning, unknown gunmen suspected to be kidnappers invaded the home of Alhaji Auwal, a prominent businessman, in Garo Town, Kabo Local Government Area of Kano State.
The gunmen, estimated to be around 10 in number, forced their way into the residence, breaking down a door to gain entry.
An anonymous source revealed that the attackers were heavily armed, with three carrying firearms and the rest wielding other weapons.
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They quickly gathered the entire family in one room, instilling fear and panic in the household.
According to the source, Alhaji Auwal pleaded with the assailants to spare his family and agreed to meet their demands.
The kidnappers, who were determined to extort money, received ₦8 million from the family.
Despite this payment, the gunmen took the businessman’s eldest daughter, Zainab, a secondary school graduate, before fleeing the scene.
The whereabouts of Zainab remain unknown, and as of now, the kidnappers have not contacted the family.
This abduction comes just 48 hours after the tragic kidnapping and subsequent murder of former Gombe State Permanent Secretary, Atiku Mu’azu, who was killed by gunmen after a ₦10 million ransom was paid.
The two incidents have left the residents of Kano in shock and fear, prompting calls for increased security measures in the area.
Attempts to reach the spokesperson for the Kano Police Command, SP Abdullahi Haruna, for comment were unsuccessful as his phone remained unreachable.
Authorities have yet to make any official statements regarding the investigation.
In a bold move, Colombian President Gustavo Petro declared on Sunday that he would not allow US deportation flights carrying Colombian migrants to access his country’s airspace.
The left-wing leader took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his strong stance, stating, “The United States cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals. I forbid entry to our territory to US planes carrying Colombian migrants.”
Petro made it clear that such flights would only be accepted once Washington established a protocol to ensure the “dignified treatment” of deported migrants.
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The president later confirmed in a separate post that he had already turned back US military planes that were en route with Colombian migrants on board, although he did not provide further specifics on the matter.
While AFP sought confirmation from US authorities regarding the blockade of deportation flights, no immediate response was forthcoming.
Petro’s statements come just a day after Brazil’s government voiced similar outrage over the treatment of deported Brazilians.
Brazil condemned the US administration under President Donald Trump, citing instances where Brazilian migrants were deported while handcuffed on flights, describing it as a “flagrant disregard” for their basic rights.
In his remarks, Petro emphasized that he would be open to allowing civilian US flights to transport deported migrants as long as they were not subjected to treatment “like criminals,” signaling a broader call for humane treatment of migrants under international deportation policies.
An explosion at a mining site in Sabon Pegi, Mashegun Local Government Area of Niger State, claimed the lives of four individuals and left several others injured on Sunday morning.
The blast occurred as miners resumed operations, sending shockwaves through the community.
While the exact cause of the explosion remains undetermined, local residents have pointed to the poor handling of explosive devices by mining companies as a possible factor.
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The incident has sparked concerns about safety practices within the mining sector.
Community sources confirmed the recovery of four bodies, but authorities fear the death toll could rise.
Investigations are ongoing to establish the cause of the blast and assess the full extent of the damage.
One resident, Aminu, described the chaos that followed the explosion. “The sound was so loud that many of us thought it came from the hydroelectricity dam nearby. People panicked and ran into the bush for safety,” he recounted.
Another community member highlighted the potential role of mining operations in the tragedy.
“Mining companies here frequently use explosives during their activities, and this seems like an operational issue, not something related to terrorism,” the resident said, dismissing concerns about a security threat in the area.
As of the time of reporting, neither the state government nor security agencies have released an official statement regarding the explosion.
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