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Court hears Emefiele, DSS applications Aug 15
The Federal High Court in Lagos, on Thursday, fixed August 15 to hear an application by the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, seeking to halt his trial by the Federal Government through the Department of State Services.
The court will also hear an application by the DSS seeking to appeal the N20m bail granted to Emefiele by the court.
Justice Nicholas Oweibo fixed the date to enable the defence to reply to the prosecution’s further counter-affidavit, which was served on the defence in court just before the Thursday proceedings began.
The judge, in a ruling, said though the DSS application was ripe for hearing, Emefiele’s legal team needed to be given the opportunity to reply.
In a fresh Motion on Notice, Emefiele, who has been in the DSS detention since June 10, is urging the court to quash the illegal firearms charges filed against him by the DSS and set him free.
His lawyer, Joseph Daudu (SAN), argued that the DSS could not continue to prosecute Emefiele while it had refused to obey the court order admitting him to bail.
“The complainant, having brazenly defied the orders of court made in July 25, is in contempt of the proceedings of the court.
“Until the complainant complies with the afore-described subsisting orders of the court, it cannot continue to lawfully prosecute the charge neither can it be afforded any right of audience in any court in Nigeria,” Daudu said.
He, therefore, prayed for a court order “prohibiting the complainant from further prosecuting the instant charge or any other charge against the applicant or seeking any form of indulgence before the court, inclusive of the application to grant leave to appeal against the order granting the appellant bail and other ancillary orders.”
He urged the court to make “an order discharging the defendant/appellant from the instant charge, which cannot be lawfully prosecuted by the complainant who is in brazen disobedience of subsisting orders of the court made on July 25, 2023.”
Credit to: punchng.com
Defiant Niger forms new govt as ECOWAS’ standby force ready for deployment
Four days after expiration of the ultimatum it issued at its last extraordinary summit held on July 30, the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) Heads of State yesterday, vowed to do all, including the use of force, to dislodge the junta in Niger Republic if it remains recalcitrant.
The West African leaders arrived at the resolution at their meeting in Abuja yesterday, after reviewing happenings since Sunday when the one-week ultimatum they issued to the junta for the restoration of constitutional order lapsed.
According to the communiqué read by ECOWAS President, Omar Touray, the leaders noted: “All diplomatic efforts made by ECOWAS in resolving the crisis have been defiantly repelled by the military leadership of Niger.”
As part of their decisions, the ECOWAS leaders directed the Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff to activate the ECOWAS standby force with all its elements immediately. They also ordered the deployment of the ECOWAS standby force to restore constitutional order in Niger.
ECOWAS gave few details and failed to spell out the make-up, location and proposed date of deployment of any military intervention force.
Nine of the 11 heads of state expected to attend were present, including the presidents of Senegal, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone, while Liberia and the Gambia were represented by their Foreign Ministers. Non-ECOWAS leaders of Mauritania and Burundi also participated in the closed-door meeting.
The Niger junta had remained defiant and continued to hold on to power while keeping ousted president Mohamed Bazoum in detention since the July 26 coup.
While the junta had refused to see ECOWAS, African Union (AU), and United Nations (UN) delegations on several occasions, coup leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, however, met with Nigeria’s former central bank governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, on Wednesday.
Sanusi, who later briefed President Bola Tinubu on the outcome of his visit, said he went to Niger in his personal capacity. The former Emir of Kano and other Islamic clerics also appealed to Tinubu to avoid war with Niger and continue with diplomacy.
Also, the influential Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Abubakar, stated its opposition to war and asked for a reversal of sanctions on Niger.
Due to the overwhelming internal opposition to war, including the Senate, which at the weekend rejected a military option, Tinubu, who is also the ECOWAS chairman, yesterday, appealed to his colleagues to continue to dialogue with the coup leaders.
“In reaffirming our relentless commitment to democracy, human rights, and the well-being of the people of Niger, it is crucial that we prioritise diplomatic negotiations and dialogue as the bedrock of our approach,” he said.
He also suggested that the steps taken by ECOWAS, so far, should be reviewed to see why they were not effective. His fellow heads of state, however, disagreed with him.
They not only approved the deployment of an ECOWAS standby force to Niger, but also doubled down on the sanctions earlier imposed on the country.
ECOWAS leaders ordered member states to “enforce all measures, in particular, border closures, and strict travel bans and assets freeze on all persons or groups of individuals whose actions hinder all peaceful efforts aimed at ensuring the smooth and complete restoration of constitutional order.”
Speaking on the reason for their decision, President Alassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast told journalists that the leaders were left with no option and the decision was not just about Nigeria’s interests.
“This is not a decision of Nigeria against Niger. We have tried dialogue, sent a delegation of high personalities. The military government is keeping President Bazoum hostage. I personally consider keeping President Bazoum hostage as a terrorist act. And we cannot let this continue. We have to act.
“The position of Côte d’Ivoire, which has been endorsed by all of the Heads of State, is that we have been able to tell these putschists that their place is in the barracks. They should go to fight the terrorists and not try to kidnap a democratically elected president.
“So, we believe in this for the credibility of ECOWAS. All of us are concerned and involved in this decision. So, I’d like to thank my former president of ECOWAS, President Tom Barlow. He himself is a former general democratically elected now to serve and he insists that we want democracy in our sub region.
“We do not accept, we will not accept a coup d’etat and I think these putschists must go if they don’t let Bazoum out to be able to exercise his mandate. I think we should move ahead and get them out. Bazoum is the democratically elected president, he should be freed, he should be able to exercise his mandate freely.”
Asked if the position he was canvassing was the ECOWAS position, he said, “as you can see I have to leave now, but this is the position most heads of state who have intervened, have endorsed. It is not a Nigerian affair, it’s an affair of ECOWAS, and you know Niger is part of the monetary union of West Africa, of which I am the chair and this concerns Cote d’Ivoire on that account.
“ECOWAS is even bigger. ECOWAS has nearly 400 million people, 240 million in Nigeria, 140 million in the West African Monetary Union. If we don’t have democracy, do you think that our countries will be able to move ahead? This coup d’etat is not acceptable. We should put an end to it. And I hope it will be unanimous but we’ll put this to an end.”
The West African leaders also called on the United Nations, partner countries, and other institutions to support its efforts to ensure a quick restoration of constitutional order in Niger.
While calling on the African Union to endorse all the decisions taken by the ECOWAS authority on the situation in Niger, the West African bloc warned member states whose actions are directly or indirectly hindering the peaceful resolution of the crisis in Niger about the consequences for their action before the community.
Speaking after the summit, President Tinubu said no option is off the table, including the use of force as the last resort in resolving the Niger crisis.
“You will see from the communiqué of this extraordinary summit that no option is taken off the table including the use of force as the last resort. If we don’t do it, no one else will do it for us. We remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting Niger towards peaceful and democratic stability in the country,” Tinubu said.
BUT in blatant defiance to ECOWAS show of force, the coup plotters, yesterday, announced the formation of a new government, shortly before the ECOWAS meeting. The new government, announced on state TV, is made up of 21 ministers, including two ministers of state and a delegate minister.
The new government, made up of military and civilian personalities, is led by interim Prime Minister, Lamine Zeine Ali Mahamane, who will also double as the minister of economy and finance.
Former chief of staff, Salifou Mody, a lieutenant general, widely considered to be coup leader Abdourahamane Tchiani’s deputy, has been named minister of national defence.
Abdourahmane Amadou, who has been reading the majority of the communiqué on state TV since the coup, is the minister of youth and sports. The junta also named new military chiefs and sacked most of the senior government officials who served in Bazoum’s administration.
Chief of Policy and Plans, Air Force Headquarter, Air Vice Marshal, Ayo Olatunde (left); Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar and Chief of Training and Operations, AVM. Abubakar Abdulkadir during CAS’ meeting with Air officers commanding, branch chiefs, field commanders and commandants in Abuja…yesterday. PHOTO: NAN
A top U.S. diplomat had warned that the junta has threatened to kill the deposed president, Bazoum if ECOWAS attempts any military intervention to restore his rule. Representatives of the junta who met with U.S. Under Secretary of State, Victoria Nuland, earlier in the week, relayed the threat during her visit to the country, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.
Recall that the Centre for Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) had warned that military intervention could be damaging for Nigeria, with yearly financial cost estimated at $2 billion.
Considering the current lean public revenue of the country, near 100 per cent debt service to revenue ratio and mounting indebtedness, CPPE balked at the country’s ability to absorb the cost and called for deeper introspection.
Nigeria, which shouldered the cost of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) at the peak of the Liberian war, reportedly lost $8 billion to the crisis and lost hundreds of soldiers. Also, in its big brother’s role, the country lost an estimated $4 billion in Sierra Leone during its five-year civil war.
Should the country concede to a military campaign in the crisis in Niger, CPPE said the loss could be much higher considering the inflationary trend of the intervening years and impactful in terms of the opportunity cost of the military spending.
The country spent an average of $1 billion yearly to contain crises in both West African countries that went into civil wars for a combined period spanning 12 years.
CPPE, in an analysis signed by its Director-General, Dr Muda Yusuf, said the cost of yearly spending could be much higher considering the current prices of equipment, cost of sustaining human resources that would be deployed and the peculiarity of the Sahel region.
“The lesson here is that the cost of military interventions can be very prohibitive. Similar military operations at this time may cost considerably higher, given the inflationary trend over the past 25 years. At the very minimum, it would cost Nigeria a minimum of $2 billion annually to prosecute a military operation in Niger, considering the prevailing geopolitical dynamics in the Sahel.
“It will be difficult to accommodate such a huge financial commitment at this time without putting a serious strain on our fiscal operations and foreign reserves. With the benefit of hindsight, it is doubtful whether Nigeria got any significant benefit from the military interventions in both Liberia and Sierra Leone,” the economic think-tank noted
THE pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, yesterday, raised concerns over the current state of affairs in Nigeria under the leadership of President Tinubu. While likening the recent decision by ECOWAS to intervene in the internal affairs of Niger, with the inclusion of a potential military option, to the sudden removal of fuel subsidies, Afenifere stated that the situation has further exacerbated Nigeria’s already fragile socioeconomic situation.
Describing the situation as a “comedy of errors,” the mainstream Yoruba group emphasised that the style of government employed since the inception of the current administration is unprecedented.
According to the group, in a communiqué after the end of its monthly regular meeting held at Isanya-Ogbo, Ogun State, the country home of the leader of the foremost Yoruba group, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, the group called for a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing Niger issue, urging ECOWAS to exercise caution with the military use of force.
Aferenifere, however, condemned the military takeover of the government and declared that there is no justifiable reason for such an undemocratic act.
Also, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) yesterday commended President Tinubu and the Authority of the ECOWAS Heads of Government for their unwavering commitment to discourage coups d’état but however appealed to the bloc to remain on the path of dialogue and avoid any form of military intervention or measures that would create enmity between the good people of Nigeria and Niger.
In a statement in Abuja, CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, noted that the association fully recognised the gravity of the situation in Niger and the importance of upholding democratic principles, peace, and stability within the West African region and applauded President Tinubu for adopting a diplomatic approach in addressing the crisis by sending a high-level delegation, led by the eminent statesman General Abdulsalam Abubakar (rtd.), to engage with the Nigerien authorities.
He said that the association firmly believes that the path to lasting peace lies in upholding democratic processes, respecting the sovereignty of nations, and engaging in peaceful dialogue to address grievances and resolve conflicts.
Okoh observed that the peaceful resolution of conflicts is vital for the progress and well-being of the ECOWAS sub-region and her people.
Credit to:guardian.ng
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.”
Steve Jobs
First Lady Interacts with Women in the Media Sierra Leone
TODAY IN HISTORY
August 10
610 Date of the Laylat al-Qadr, when Muhammad begins to receive the Qur’an.
5 GAMBIAN MIGRANTS REPORTED DEAD IN NIGER
At least five Gambians are reported to have died in Agadez, Niger, due to a lack of food, water, and extreme wind conditions; The Standard was reliably informed yesterday. The five were among several Gambians who were sent out of Tunisia to the Algerian border and later to Niger.
“I can confirm to you that Gambian migrants are seriously suffering here. Just these past days, five young Gambians died, and were buried in the desert,” Kekuta Darboe, a migrant in Niger, said.
He revealed that several other Gambian migrants are extremely sick, with no proper medical attention.
“We don’t have enough food or water, and the weather conditions are extremely bad here. There is a lot of pollution. We are really suffering here. If you go to the hospital, they give you the same medicine all the time,” he said.
Manneh said the majority of them were part of a group of migrants sent out of Tunisia.
“We were among the Gambians driven from Tunisia and dumped at the Algerian border, and then to the Niger border. We are calling on the government and Gambians to evacuate us from this place,” he said.
He said other countries are rapidly evacuating their citizens, but the Gambia’s process is too slow.
“We need help because this place is a death trap,” he said.
In early July, Human Rights Watch accused Tunisia of expelling hundreds of sub-Saharan Africans to a desert area near the Libyan border following violence against migrants in the city of Sfax. The Gambia government responded to the development with the immediate repatriation of 87 of its citizens from Tunisia and Libya.
The Standard contacted the ministry of foreign affairs where the director of diaspora affairs, Musa Camara said they are aware of the case of the Gambian migrants in Niger and discussions have started with the IOM to facilitate their repatriation.
Camara confirmed that the migrants were from Tunisia and their movement to Niger was facilitated by the government with support from the IOM who airlifted them out of Tunisia.
“We have instructed our embassy in Abuja, Nigeria to deploy the migration focal person to Niger and meet the migrants and the IOM authorities to facilitate their return,” he said.
He said the government is aware that the migrants are impatient with the conditions they are in. “The political situation may also increase their worries and even their families as well so it has become a priority,” he said.
He appealed to the migrants to exercise patience and allow government to facilitate their return. Camara said he could not confirm the reported deaths but the ministry will find out.
Credit to: Standard.gm
Niger Coup: Nigerian Islamic scholars meet Tinubu, seek mediatory role
Hours after the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) declared its opposition to the use of sanctions and military deployment in Niger, some prominent Islamic scholars met with President Bola Tinubu to seek his permission to mediate the crisis.
The clerics led by the national leader of the Jama’a tul Izalatil Bid’ah wa Iqamatis Sunnah, Sheikh Bala Lau, advised the Nigerian leader against the use of force in Niger.
“We want to find a lasting solution. We want peace and harmony to reign not only in Nigeria but in the sub-Saharan region and globally. So, the whole Ulama advised Mr President, that we want peace and reconciliation,” Mr Lau told journalists after the meeting with the Nigerian leader.
He said President Tinubu “accepted” their offer to intervene in the crisis.
Credit to: premiumtimesng.com
23 youths arraigned for disorderly conduct
Alpha Dampha, Janko Sanyang, Babucarr Secka, Arfang Badjie, Ebrima Camara, Wa Saidyba, Alieu Khan, Malick Nyang, Muhammed Jobe, Pierre Jatta, Papa Khan, Ebrima Jallow, Musa Sallah, Ebrima Camara, Lamin Manka, Macho Ceesay, Babucarr Jallow, Yerro Saiday, Abdoulie Dibba, Musa Saidykhan, Alpha Omar Jallow, Sheikh Tijan Faye and Muhammed Touray were yesterday arraigned before Principal Magistrate Omar Jabang of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court and charged on two counts of idle and disorderly contrary to Section 166( C ) of the Criminal Code and common nuisance contrary to Section 160( 1 ) of the Criminal Code.
Prosecutors alleged that the accused persons in the month of August, 2023, at Serrekunda and diverse places, in the Kanifing Municipality of the Republic of The Gambia, they, while in a public place, conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause breach of the peace.
They were also alleged to have obstructed or caused annoyance and inconvenience in exercise of a common right. They denied any wrongdoing.
ASP Oley Bobb, the prosecuting officer, objected to bail for the accused persons. She stated that if they were granted bail, they would continue causing havoc to the society. She further argued that the accused would go on the rampage and would not allow their community to have a peace of mind. “I urge the court not to grant them bail but remand them at Mile 2 Prison, pending the hearing of the case,” she told the court.
However, the accused persons appealed to the court to grant them bail. They posited that the offences they were charged with are bailable.
At this juncture, the presiding magistrate adjourned the case until the 17th August, 2023, to rule whether they would be granted bail or not.
Credit to: thepoint.gm
We may be pushed to invade Niger — US tells coup plotters
The United States of America has warned the Niger junta that America may be pushed to be involved militarily if the country’s military rulers do not return to constitutional order.
The US acting Deputy Secretary, Victoria Nuland, in a special briefing on Niger disclosed this via a teleconference on Tuesday.
She noted, “…There is still a lot of motion here on many sides with regard to where the governance situation will go.
“So we will be watching that closely and there are a number of regional meetings coming up and consultations with allies and partners that we need to make.
“So we’ll be watching the situation, but we understand our legal responsibilities and I explained those very clearly to the guys (Niger junta) who were responsible for this and that it is not our desire to go there, but they may push us to that point, and we asked them to be prudent in that regard and to hear our offer to try to work with them to solve this diplomatically and return to constitutional order.”
Nuland noted that President Joe Bden has been in constant touch with President Tinubu, the ECOWAS Chairman as well as many other European allies.
Read more: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/08/we-may-be-pushed-to-invade-niger-us-tells-coup-plotters/
Credit to: Vanguardngr.com
Today in African History
On 9 August 1956, about 20 000 women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against legislation aimed at tightening the apartheid government’s control over the movement of black women in urban areas.
D5 Creation