The Chief Justice Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, has reiterated the judiciary’s determination not to be overwhelmed by the sentiments of the “mob” in their decisions.
Many Nigerians have attacked the judiciary following the rulings on electoral matters sacking some governors and lawmakers. They accused the judiciary of being biased.
However, speaking at the opening of the special session of the 2023/2024 legal year and the swearing-in of 58 newly conferred Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), Ariwoola asked judges to remain firm.
“I expect every judicial officer to work very hard and also be very honest and courteous to the litigants, witnesses and members of the bar, and discharge all your judicial functions with all the humility at your command.
Even while doing this, it is still necessary to have at the back of your minds that public opinions, sentiments or emotions can never take the place of the law in deciding the cases that come before you.
The law remains the law, no matter whose interest is involved. In all we do, as interpreters of the law, we should endeavour to severe the strings of emotion from logic and assumption from fact. We should never be overwhelmed by the actions or loud voices of the mob or crowd and now begin to confuse law with sentiment or something else in deciding our cases.
Nevertheless, unnecessary and unwarranted utterances are bound to embarrass not only others, but the Judge himself; thus what should be asked, should be asked, and what should not be asked, should be avoided.”
Former NFF President, Amaju Pinnick and his company, Brownhill Investment Company Limited, have petitioned the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, accusing Davido and his Logistics Manager, Isreal Afeare, of stealing and defamation respectively.
In a petition filed by their counsel, Osaruyi Ayela-Uwangue, Pinnick and his company urged the police to investigate alleged criminal action of Davido with a view to prosecuting him.
The petitioner said that it discovered that Davido despite collecting payment of the sum of $94,500, and compelling the organisers of ‘Warri Again Concert’ to incur additional expenses of $18,000 for a private jet to take him to Warri, had also collected payment in respect of an event slated for the same date at Lux Nightclub Melbourne, 373 Chapel St South Yarra, Australia. According to the Petition, Davido eventually performed at the event in Chapel St South Yarra, Australia, while ignoring ‘Warri Again’ event.
“It’s clear that Davido acted criminally in collecting payment for two events on the same date in two different continents. It is also clear that at the time he obtained the sum of $94,500 from our client under the false pretense of performing at the ‘Warri Again’ event, he actually acted criminally as he had no intention to showing up to perform at the event.
Davido’s criminal conduct is further confirmed by the following facts: Refusal to respond to Our Client’s Letter of Reminder dated 29th September, 2023. His statement that he will not refund the payment collected from our client. The fact that he has already planned a similar event for Warri in December 2023.
We humbly request that you use your good offices to investigate, the criminal action of Mr, David Adeleke a.k.a Davido, in respect of his criminal act of defrauding Our Client with a view to prosecuting him for same.”
Thisday reports that in another petition written against Davido’s Personal Logistics Manager, Israel Afeare a.k.a Israeldmw, the law firm alleged that Afeare via his social media handle posted several criminally defamatory and false statements, allegations and narratives against their client, Amaju Pinnick.
Israel was said to have through false posts alleged that Mr. Pinnick lied about his company fully meeting the contractual obligations and payments to secure Davido’s performance at ‘Warri Again’ event held on October 6, 2023. He was said to have posted “Where’s the money collected by you from FIFA, to build a befitting stadium for the same Warri people till today.”
The petitioner stated that
“The direct/indirect import, meaning and innuendos of the afore-referenced false and defamatory posts are that our client lied about his company fully meeting the contractual obligations and payments to secure Davido’s performance at ‘Warri Again’ event held on 6th October, 2023.
That our client is a thief and person of questionable character, who stole money supposedly given by FIFA to build a stadium in Warri.
That our client stole billions of naira approved by FIFA to build Escravos Stadium and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should look into him”.
The petitioner added that Amaju Pinnick has been receiving calls from respected Nigerians and international persons since the unwarranted criminal defamation, harassment, cyber bullying and blackmail by Isrealdmw.
“Our client has been maligned, his reputation damaged and his estimation has been eroded and reduced in the eyes of right thinking members of the society. Our client has suffered severe irreparable reputational damage. Isrealdmw has a large followership of over 770,000 followers on Instagram and is very popular on social media.
These incendiary and criminally defamatory statements were circulated by Isrealdmw on his Instagram account to his followers who believe and accept all his statements by virtue of his close affiliation to Davido.
Consequently, these defamatory posts have put the lives of our client and his immediate family in grave danger and threat of physical bodily harm, injury and attacks, as they have been subjected to all forms of cyber bullying, stalking and harassment since the posts were made.
They now live in fear of their lives in view of Isrealdmw’s large following and engagements on social media. We write to formally report the criminal conduct of Isrealdmw and humbly request, that you use your good office to investigate and prosecute the criminal actions of Isrealdmw which has now gravely endangered the lives of our client and his immediate family and exposed them to threats of physical bodily harm, injury and attacks”.
The report states that by the terms of the performance agreement signed between the petitioner and Davido on March 30, 2023, it was agreed that in the event of a cancellation or postponement due to the willful negligence or intention of the artiste, any deposits paid directly would be refunded within 14 days of the event date. The agreement also stated that the artiste, in the event of a cancellation or postponement, would be required to pay for every other losses incurred from his actions or inactions.
Specifically, Clause 2.8, tagged: ‘Obligation in the Event of Cancellation for Wilful Negligence’, states: “In the event of a cancellation or postponement due to the willful negligence or intention of the artiste, the artiste agrees to refund any deposits paid directly to the purchaser, within 14 days of the event date passing and the artiste will be required to pay for every other losses incurred from his actions or inactions.”
According to the report, there are also pressure on Pinnick from his international partners to file suits in the United States against Davido and his associates for alleged fraud and cyber-bullying.
The three-man panel held that the onus was on the petitioners to prove the issues of over voting, corrupt practices and non compliance to the Electoral Act.
The National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in Benin has dismissed two petitions filed against the declaration of Dennis Idahosa as winner of the Feb. 25 Ovia Federal Constituency election for lack of merit and being incompetent.
A Nigerian man has accused the deputy governor of Edo state, Phillip Shaibu, of ‘’stealing’’ his Daytona Gold wristwatch.
In a video making the rounds on social media, the man said before the general elections, he and some other persons were allegedly ‘’abducted” by security agents attached to the deputy governor who took them to Benin City and ‘tried to forcefully plant a gun’ on them. He said they resisted, but during the scuffle, the security men allegedly took his Daytona Gold wristwatch with diamond studs on it, alongside his diamond ring.
He further said that after their capture, he wrote his statement claiming that his Daytona Gold wristwatch was taken from him by Phillip Shaibu’s orderlies. He said his fingerprints were taken but after a detailed investigation, it was discovered that the gun wasn’t his, however, his watch was never returned.
According to the accuser, weeks after the incident, he attended “Afenmai congress” in New Jersey, U.S. where he allegedly spotted his said wristwatch on Edo State deputy governor, Phillip Shaibu.
‘’To my dismay, this year, about some few weeks ago, I went to America. I was in New York and I got to hear that there was this Afenmai congress in New Jersey. To my surprise, I saw Phillip Shaibu with my Daytona wristwatch with my name on it. I wanted to embarrass him but I was asked to slow down and I should take the matter because it was outside the country and it will not be good for such a thing to happen.” he said
He said he kept his cool because they were outside the country, but when he returned to Nigeria, he reported the matter to the police. He said the state police has not acted on his complaint, so he had to proceed to the police headquarters in Abuja to file a petition.
He vowed to collect his wristwatch from the deputy governor and embarrass him anywhere he sees him.
The deputy governor is yet to react to this allegation.
The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, says the petitions challenging President Bola Tinubu in this year’s presidential election are “terribly hopeless”.
Presidential candidates of the Labour Party, Peter Obi as well as that of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, are currently challenging the emergence of Tinubu in the February 25, 2023 presidential election.
Speaking on Channels TV on Sunday, August 13, Basiru, dismissed the petitions. When asked to respond to speculation that the APC is gearing up for a rerun election, Basiru began by saying he was not supposed to make comments on a matter that is sub judice.
“But since you have asked me,” he added, “from my knowledge of electoral law in Nigeria and having read the petitions and also being part of the proceedings, I would say that all the petitions against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s election are hopeless and nobody needs to even waste time in dismissing same. They are hopeless petitions, terribly hopeless.”
The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP in the February 25, 2023, Presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, attended a hearing at the Presidential Election Petition Court PEPC today August 1.
Atiku is challenging the emergence of President Tinubu as the winner of the election. Atiku arrived at the petition court alongside PDP chieftains.
A bill seeking to amend the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) act to imprison writers of false petitions for two years without an option of fine, has been passed by the Nigerian senate.
The amended bill which initially allowed just a fine of N100,000 as punishment to writers of false petition, was passed on Tuesday, May 30, after Abdul Kwari, chairman of the senate committee on anti-corruption presented a report.
Kwari noted that there’s need to make the punishment for writing false petitions stringent to deter people from misleading the commission.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan who also commented on the amended bill, said those who want to commit such an offence would have a rethink. He added that it would enhance the operations of the ICPC.
The Isale Eko Descendants’ Union (IDU) have written a petition to the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) over the use of the Eyo masquerade in Jade Osiberu’s movie Gangs of Lagos.
In the statement signed by chairman of the union, Yomi Tokosi said that the false and disturbing violent images of Isale Eko and the Eyo masquerade in the movie depicted that Isale Eko was operated by gangsters and murderers.
According to IDU, “the unique Eyo masquerade indigenous to the Isale Eko community in Lagos was illegally and scandalously depicted as being used as a camouflage, decoy and subterfuge for murderers and gangsters operating in the Isale Eko area.”
Contrary to the image of a gun-wielding masquerade operating as a killing machine, Tokosi said “Eyo is known as a masquerade for celebration in Lagos Island and not an instrument of gangs of criminals as illegally and scandalously portrayed.”
“The Isale Eko Descendants’ Union is very disturbed that the culture and tradition of Isale Eko can be wantonly exploited in such a despicable and insensitive manner by Amazon and Prime Video to the detriment of the Isale Eko community.
“The illegal and scandalous depiction of the Eyo masquerade in the movie is actionable and a petition has been lodged by the IDU with the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) including other major stakeholders.
“The IDU has among other things requested that the NFVCB withdraws the approval granted to the movie Gangs of Lagos and direct the withdrawal of the movie from all viewing channels available to the public. The IDU and other community stakeholders will also be considering legal action for the damage done to the culture, tradition and image of the Isale Eko community and the Eyo masquerade,” the statement concluded.
Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo SAN has petitioned the State Security Services SSS, demanding the arrest of the Labour Party LP Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates, Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed respectively, for comments he described as incendiary and capable of causing rebellion.
Keyamo said that since the declaration of the Presidential election results, the duo have been hopping from one media house to the other making incendiary comments and claims about the declaration of the President-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC.
Keyamo said, “These comments and claims are made, not just within the boundaries of exercising their rights to freedom of speech and the freedom to air their grievances publicly, but they have since crossed the line to call for the outright truncation of democracy by insisting on the adoption of other processes outside the contemplation of our Constitution.
“In some cases, their privies have even called for the establishment of an Interim Government.
“The latest of such are the comments made by Datti Baba-Ahmed on behalf of himself and Mr. Peter Obi on Channels TV on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, wherein he threatened that if the President-Elect is sworn in on May 29th, 2023, it would ‘signal the end of democracy’. Posing as an accuser, a judge and a jury all by himself, he unilaterally declared the duly elected President-elect as ‘unconstitutional’ and, in a subliminal manner, threatened mayhem if the President-Elect is sworn in on May 29th, 2023. ” He continued
“I also have it on good authority that Mr. Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed have camped some youths in a popular hotel in Abuja with the sole aim of instructing them to push out inciting messages everyday on social media in order to cause panic and fear within the federation and to incite people to riot and social unrest.
“I submit this petition in my personal capacity as a patriotic Nigerian to invite/arrest, interrogate and after investigation, if necessary, charge both individuals.” he added
