Headlines
Babachir’s trial: Court rejects EFCC’s forensic report
The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja on Thursday rejected the forensic report presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the trial of the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal.
Justice Charles Agbaza, while delivering the ruling on an objection raised by the defence counsel on the admissibility of the documents, held that the forensic report and the other computer-generated documents violated the provisions of the Evidence Act, 2004.
The Punch had earlier reported that the former SGF, alongside his younger brother and a director in his company, Hamidu Lawal; staff in the company, Sulaiman Abubakar; the Managing Director of Josmon Technologies Limited, Apeh Monday; and two companies, Rholavision Engineering Limited, and Josmon Technologies Limited, were sued by the EFCC.
The EFCC had brought 10 charges against the defendants bordering on conspiracy and unlawful award of N544 million contract to companies Lawal had an interest in.
The counsel of the EFCC, Ofem Uket, had sought to tender a forensic report that was retrieved from the phone of one Musa Bulani to prove the charge against Lawal and the others.
However, the counsel to the former SGF, Akin Olujimi SAN, raised an objection and asked the court not to admit the documents on the ground that the source fell short of Sections 84 and 256 of the Evidence Act, 2014.
According to him, the documents were printed hardcopy of the compact disc, which was not the original source.
He argued that the phone was the original source and thus, the extracted document was not marked as a certified true copy.
Mr Olujimi also stated that the EFCC hacked into the said phone to come up with the document it intends to tender in court and failed to follow due process in obtaining it.
He argued that electronically generated evidence must be accompanied by a certificate signed by the maker in order for it to be admitted into evidence.
In view of this, Mr Olujimi urged the court to reject the document sought to be tendered.
The counsel to the other defendants aligned themselves with Olujimi’s submission and adopted it as their argument in the instance.
In his reply to the objection raised concerning the admission of the document, the prosecution counsel argued that issuing a certificate was unnecessary, stating that a witness had testified in court and presented the original documents.
Vehicular movement along the Yelwata axis of the Benue–Nasarawa highway was brought to a standstill on Wednesday as Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, staged a protest, demanding immediate return to their ancestral homes.
The protesters, believed to be victims of persistent attacks by suspected herdsmen, blocked both lanes of the busy highway for several hours, chanting “We want to go back home”.
The protest caused disruption, leaving hundreds of motorists and passengers stranded.
Eyewitnesses said the displaced persons, many of whom have spent years in overcrowded IDP camps, are expressing deep frustration over the government’s delay in restoring security to their communities.
“We have suffered enough. We want to return to our homes and farms,” one of the protesters told reporters at the scene.
Security personnel were reportedly deployed to monitor the situation and prevent any escalation, though tensions remained high as of press time.
Efforts to reach the Benue State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, and other relevant authorities for comment were unsuccessful.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL has officially decided not to sell the Port Harcourt Refining Company.
NNPCL has, instead said it is committed to conducting an extensive rehabilitation of the facility and ensuring its continued operation.
During a company-wide town hall meeting held at the NNPC Towers in Abuja, Bayo Ojulari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, announced the decision regarding the future of the nation’s most significant state-owned refining asset, putting an end to weeks of speculation.
A statement by NNPCL reads, “The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has officially ruled out the sale of the Port Harcourt Refining Company, reaffirming its commitment to completing high-grade rehabilitation and retention of the plant.
“The ongoing review indicates that the earlier decision to operate the Port Harcourt refinery, before full completion of its rehabilitation, was ill-informed and subcommercial.
”Although progress is being made on all three, the emerging outlook calls for more advanced technical partnerships to complete and high-grade the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery.
”Thus, selling is highly unlikely as it would lead to further value erosion.”
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Adeyemi Olumode, as the new Federal Fire Service, FFS, Controller-General.
The appointment was announced on Wednesday on behalf of the Federal Government by retired Maj.-Gen Abdulmalik Jubril, Secretary of the Civil, Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board, CDCFIB.
Jubril said the appointment followed the retirement of the current Controller-General, Abdulganiyu Jaji, on August 13.
Jaji is retiring upon attaining the age of 60 by August 13.
Jibril further disclosed said that Adeyemi Olumode is qualified for the position, having attended and passed all mandatory in-service training, Command courses as well as other courses within and outside the country.
“He brings a wealth of experience to his new role, having transferred his service from the FCT Fire Service to the Federal Fire Service and grown to the rank of DCG in the Human Resource Directorate of the Service Headquarters.
“He has served in various capacities and is equally a member/fellow of the following professional associations including Association of National Accountants of Nigeria, ANAN, Institute of Corporate Administration of Nigeria, Institute of Public Administration of Nigeria and Chartered Institute of Treasury Management of Nigeria.”
Benue IDPs block highway, demand return to ancestral homes
NNPCL reveals decision not to sell Port Harcourt refinery
Tinubu appoints Olumode Adeyemi as Federal Fire Service boss
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