The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Kaduna has dismissed the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representatives Candidate for Kaura Federal Constituency, Kaduna State, Rt Hon Gideon Gwani, seeking to invalidate the election of hisLabour Party (LP) counterpart, Hon Donatus Mathew.
Hon Donatus, a former Okada rider, was declared the winner of the House of Representatives election conducted on February 25th, 2023, by theIndependent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Unsatisfied with the election outcome, Gideon Gwani, who previously served as the Minority Whip at the 9th Assembly in the House of Representatives, filed a petition at the tribunal in an attempt to nullify Donatus’s victory.
Justice F.A. Fiberesima, a member of the three-man panel that presided over the petition, delivered the judgment on Friday, dismissing the case and awarding N1.6 million to Donatus.
Speaking to reporters after the judgment, Mr. Zakari Sogfa, counsel to the respondent (Donatus), explained that the petitioner brought two prayers before the tribunal.
“The first prayer was that the Respondent, Hon Donatus was not qualified to contest the election that produced him as the party’s flag bearer for Kaura Federal Constituency on the ground that he was not sponsored by his political party and the other prayer was that there were electoral malpractices in five areas.
“But delivering the judgment the two prayers were struck out by the Tribunal for lack of merit.
“The Tribunal further ruled that Gwani did not have the right to determine to a political party who should sponsor its candidate other than who should fly its flag and how it should go with its elections,�? he said.
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Speaking further, Sogfa said the council couldn’t have nullified the election as prayed, adding that such would amount to interfering in political party affairs, “more so when the issue canvassed was a pre-election matter�?.
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The House of Representatives Ad hoc committee, interfacing with relevant security agencies to reduce kidnapping, assassinations and banditry in Abia communities, has called for the release of Nnamdi Kanu.
Rep. Obinna Aguocha, Chairman of the ad-hoc committee, made this call in Abuja at the resumed sitting of the House.
He said that Kanu’s release would serve as a panacea for peace in the South East.
The communities are Isiukwuato and Umunnochi Local Government Areas of the state.
Aguocha called for the unconditional release of Kanu from detention to ensure lasting peace and security in the entire region.
He said there was the need to be prepared to tackle the root cause of insecurity which was at their core and work to ensure lasting solutions that would stand the test of time.
Aguocha said for absolute peace, reduction of crime and criminality, and ending the unproductive sit-at-home order, there was the need for investment in meaningful infrastructural development.
He said this would improve economic growth and opportunities in the South East.
He said it was imperative for the government to recognise the rule of law, justice and equitable inclusion of the South East zone in the project, Nigeria.
The House of Representatives had prior to embarking on its ongoing recess, pledged to wade into the Nnamdi Kanu matter following a similar demand through a motion.
Aguocha said “the challenges we face are not mere statistics or headlines; they are real-life manifestations that affect the lives of our people, disrupt the functioning of our institutions and communities.�?
He further said that this had impeded the growth of the region, adding that criminal activities, banditry, kidnapping, assassinations, communal and religious clashes, and threats to life had shaken the very foundation of the region.
Rep. Amobi Ogah, the sponsor of the motion, alleged “instead of combing the bushes to flush out criminals as demanded by the House, through its resolution, the police seemed to be the major threat�?.
Ogah said of all the prayers, including setting up a joint security task force to comb the bushes, nothing had been done.
He said rather, there are multiple police checkpoints, which he described as “embarrassing�?, while kidnapping is still on the increase.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) arrested no fewer than 40 suspected illegal coal miners in Enugu, the Commandant, Mr Muhammed Dada said.
Addressing newsmen on Friday in Enugu, Dada said that during the operation items recovered included pumping machines, diggers, head-pans, shovels, and four Hanvan G7 trucks without registration numbers.
Others are a Toyota Hilux van with registration number MUS 513 HU, two heavy-duty batteries, a substantial amount of coal, and a motorcycle.
Dada said that the operation took place on Thursday, August 24, at the base of Ugwuonyeama hill in Enugu.
The commandant described the act as a serious economic sabotage, adding that the arrest underlined NSCDC’s role as the lead agency entrusted with safeguarding critical national assets and infrastructure.
“The NSCDC’s intelligence team, acting on a tip-off, conducted a successful raid leading to the arrest of the 40 suspects involved in illegal coal mining at Ugwuonyeama,�? he said.
Dada said that NSCDC would thoroughly investigate the matter and “ensure that those responsible for these activities face the consequences of their actions�?.
He also warned individuals engaging in illegal mining activities in the state to stop immediately.
The commandant reiterated NSCDC’s resolve to collaborate with law-abiding citizens, urging residents to support government efforts in curbing these illegal activities by providing information that could aid in ending them.
“Those with valid clearance and legitimate mining operation licenses will be treated in accordance with the law.
“The NSCDC remains resolute in its actions, which underline it commitment to safeguarding the nation’s resources and preserving the integrity of its critical assets,�? he said.
Twenty-four Banks across Nigeria have reported a surge in fraud incidents during the second quarter of 2023 (Q2’23), leading to a steep rise in financial losses.
According to the latest report released by the Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC), insider involvement in these cases has also witnessed a sharp increase.
It stated, ‘for the second quarter of 2023, a total of eleven thousand six hundred and seventynine (11,679) cases were reported and when compared to the twelve thousand five hundred fifty-three (12,553) cases recorded in the Q1 a 6.96 per cent decrease is noted.’
However, the total amount involved in the fraud cases in April, May, and June rose to N9.75 billion, up by a whopping 276.98 per cent from N2.58 billion in the preceding quarter, Q1’23.
This was revealed in the new report released yesterday by the Financial Institutions Training Centre, FITC, on Fraud and Forgeries in Nigerian banks for Q2’23.
Intriguingly, the report points out that out of the 24 banks that submitted data on fraud cases for this period, outsider involvement witnessed a decline of 6.4 per cent. In contrast, staff involvement surged by 22.2 per cent within the same timeframe.
FITC is owned by the Banker’s Committee, which comprises the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC, all licensed banks, and discount houses in Nigeria.
It was established to provide innovative knowledge solutions and capacity building programmes that develop and strengthen resources for the Nigerian financial services sector.
According to the FITC report, fraudulent loans, mobile fraud, computer/web fraud, and fraudulent withdrawals were the three most prevalent types of fraud in Q2, 2023.
Fraudulent loans accounted for the highest loss at 94.35 percent with a value of N5.46 billion. “It was followed by the Computer/Web fraud category at N1.47 billion (15.10 percent). Mobile Fraud came next at N751 million (7.7 percent), and fraudulent withdrawals amounted to N663 million (6.79 percent).”
The report further revealed that during Q2 2023, fraudulent activities were conducted through various channels, which included ATMs, online platforms such as web and mobile banking, bank branches, and point-of-sale (POS) terminals.
“Specifically, there was a substantial 108.87 per cent rise in fraud cases through ATMs, from 248 cases in the previous quarter to 518 cases in Q2 2023.
“Similarly, the number of fraud cases through bank branches significantly increased by 375.69 per cent, rising from 162 cases in Q1 to 769 cases in Q2 2023.
“The POS channel recorded 1994 cases, indicating a slight 0.45 per cent increase from the previous quarter’s 1985 cases.
“However, web and mobile channels experienced a decrease of 9.45 per cent and 25.47 per cent respectively, with fraud cases dropping from 5173 to 4684 in the web channel and from 4982 to 3713 in the mobile channel,” the report stated.
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