Crime
Court Dismisses Lawsuit Against DSS By Alleged Boko Haram Financier
In a case involving Abba Maina, a suspect connected to allegations of supporting Boko Haram, a Federal High Court in Abuja rejected a lawsuit against the Department of State Services (DSS) over claims of unlawful detention.
The court dismissed the lawsuit on Tuesday.
Maina was apprehended by the DSS at an Abuja bank in September 2022, following investigations tying him to financing terrorism, dealing in terrorist assets, and facilitating the movement of terrorists within Nigeria.
In the initial motion filed on November 22, 2022, Abba Maina took legal action against the Department of State Services (DSS) and its Director-General. He requested an order compelling the respondents to present him in court to investigate the reasons for his detention since September 19, 2022.
Additionally, Maina sought a bail order in accordance with Sections 32(3), 32(1) and (2), and 158 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, Article 36(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and other relevant laws.
Identifying himself as a ‘law-abiding Nigerian citizen,’ Maina revealed that he was arrested on September 19, 2022, at a branch of Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB) in Abuja by DSS personnel. According to him, the arrest was linked to undisclosed accusations.
He further stated that the respondents, in violation of constitutional provisions mandating law enforcement agencies to present a suspect in court within 24 or 48 hours, kept him in detention.
The security agency contended that the lawsuit was an abuse of the legal system, citing a previous similar lawsuit filed in another court.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, in his Tuesday ruling, sided with the Department of State Services (DSS), acknowledging that the suit aiming for Maina’s release constituted an abuse of court processes.
He highlighted that initiating separate legal actions involving the same parties across different courts, even if on different grounds, amounted to an abuse of the judicial system.
Hence, the judge concurred with the Department of State Services (DSS) and its Director-General regarding the similarity between the fundamental rights suit labeled CV270/2022 before Justice A.Y. Shafa of the FCT High Court, filed on November 4, 2022, and the ongoing case labeled FHC/ABJ/CS/2090/2022.
This is clearly a situation where the applicant has fallen into the temptation of instituting different actions between the same parties simultaneously in different courts, even though on different grounds.
“The applicant could have clearly avoided this situation by taking one of the options available to him by law, exhausting one remedy before going for another, assuming that the next action would not be caught by the principle of res judicata.
“Consequently, nothing else is worthy of any consideration where a suit is found to be an abuse of process of the court.
The Department of State Services (DSS) had submitted court documents alleging that on September 12, they received intelligence from their Borno Command about plans to transfer N10 million to aid the relocation of certain Jama’atu Ahlus-Sunnah Lid-Dawa’awati wal Jihad, also known as Boko Haram, members from Borno to a camp in Kaduna State.
This transfer was reportedly organized by an individual identified as Kaura (FNU), who is purportedly the armor-bearer for the terrorist group.
Further investigation by the DSS revealed that Kaura (FNU) sought bank account numbers from individuals named Baba Guraba and Bayero (FNU), identified as Boko Haram commanders stationed around Bama Local Government Area (LGA) in Borno.
Their involvement was allegedly to facilitate the transfer of the funds.
The agency stated that Bayero (FNU) provided a United Bank for Africa (UBA) account number, 2196498467, registered under Basiru Hassan’s name, and a GTB account number, 025264587, linked to Maina.
They alleged that while Hassan’s account received N6 million, Maina’s account received N4 million. According to their intelligence efforts, Kaura (FNU) instructed that transfers and withdrawals should be managed through Point of Sale (POS) operators.
“Kaura (FNU) initially deposited N2 million into the applicant’s GTB account number 0025264587 as the first payment.”
“Based on this intelligence gathering efforts, the Borno State Command of the 1st respondent sought and obtained the orders of the court to flag the said account numbers by placing a Post-No-Debit (PND) order and requesting that the account holders be apprehended whenever sighted,” it said.
The DSS reported that on September 19th, 2022, Maina was arrested at a GTB branch near the National Mosque in Abuja while attempting to inquire about the funds deposited into his account.
The agency claimed Maina was promptly detained due to suspected involvement in facilitating terrorist activities, financing terrorism, dealing in terrorist assets, and alleged roles in aiding the movement of terrorists within Nigeria.
Their investigation purportedly revealed that Maina, contrary to being a law-abiding citizen, acted as a courier and facilitator for the Boko Haram terrorist group.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa over allegations of diverting N1.3 trillion in 13% derivation funds intended for Delta State during his tenure.
Okowa, who served as governor from 2015 to 2023, was detained after he voluntarily appeared at the EFCC’s Port Harcourt Directorate on Monday in response to an official summons.
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According to an EFCC source, Okowa is accused of failing to account for the N1.3 trillion derived from the federation account, as well as an additional N40 billion he allegedly invested in shares of UTM Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).
The investigation suggests that Okowa acquired an 8% stake in a major Nigerian bank to support the offshore LNG venture, with funds purportedly misallocated from state resources.
Beyond the LNG shares, investigators are probing whether Okowa redirected state funds to acquire high-value properties in Abuja and Asaba.
Okowa is currently held at an EFCC facility in Port Harcourt as the inquiry continues.
The high-profile arrest comes as Okowa, who was the vice-presidential running mate to Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general election, faces scrutiny over his financial conduct in office.
Amid repeated absences from court, the Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an arrest warrant for Hathiramani Ranesh, Managing Director of Dana Air, who faces charges of fraud and conspiracy tied to alleged misappropriations totaling N1.3 billion.
The ruling, handed down Monday by Justice Obiora Egwuatu, calls for Ranesh’s immediate arrest following his failure to respond to multiple court summonses.
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Justice Egwuatu cited Section 184 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), empowering the court to issue an arrest warrant against defendants who evade appearance.
“The defendant is legally obligated to appear, and the court is authorized to issue a warrant for arrest if he does not,” Justice Egwuatu said, setting January 13, 2025, as the next court date, adding that no objections will be considered unless Ranesh is present.
Ranesh and two Dana Group subsidiaries—Dana Group PLC and Dana Steel Ltd—face serious allegations from the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
Prosecutors claim that between 2014 and 2018, Ranesh and his companies engaged in fraudulent activities, including the unauthorized sale of industrial generators valued at N450 million, which had been pledged as collateral in a debenture agreement.
Additional charges allege the misappropriation of N864 million from bond funds meant for operations at the Dana Steel Rolling Factory in Katsina, and a N60.3 million transfer to an external account without authorization.
The charges, filed by Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Moshood Adeyemi, cite violations under the Criminal Code Act.
In court, government lawyer Mojisola Okeya-Esho argued for the arrest warrant, stating that Ranesh had disregarded court orders to appear for arraignment.
Defense counsel B. Ademola-Bello challenged the prosecution, contending that jurisdictional issues must be addressed before proceeding with the case.
Justice Egwuatu dismissed these objections, underscoring that Ranesh’s presence in court is required before other arguments can be entertained.
The matter is now adjourned until January 13, 2025, with the warrant remaining active until the defendant is brought to court.
In a shocking act of violence, armed assailants targeted the Police Rapid Response Squad facility in Owerrinta early Monday morning, resulting in the tragic death of a female detainee.
The attack occurred shortly after midnight along the Umuahia-Aba Federal Expressway.
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State Commissioner of Police Danladi Isa confirmed the incident, revealing that the gunmen arrived in three Hilux vehicles and opened fire on the police facility.
“Our personnel successfully repelled the attack,” Isa stated.
However, the attackers resorted to using dynamite, causing significant damage to the building and exposing the detainees inside.
During the chaos, the gunmen attempted to free detainees, leading to the fatal shooting of the female suspect.
Unconfirmed reports suggest she was in custody related to a child trafficking case.
In the aftermath of the attack, police swiftly initiated a manhunt for the perpetrators, employing advanced technical methods to track their movements.
Commissioner Isa announced the arrest of one suspect, who is currently undergoing interrogation to uncover the identities of additional accomplices.
“We are making significant progress in our investigation,” he affirmed.
Authorities are calling on the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities as the investigation continues.
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