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Breaking: FG Queries Magu, Keyamo
The Federal Government has issued a query to the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Festus Keyamo, over the corruption charges filed against the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Yakubu Umar, in the name of government.
The PRNigeria has obtained the copies of the two separate letters to Magu and Keyamo.
In the query dated February 16, 2018 and with Reference No DPP/ADV:368/15, Magu was ordered to make his response to the query available to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on or before February 20, 2018.
In the query, signed by Dayo Apata, the Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary of the of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Magu is to explain what informed the filing of corruption charges against the tribunal chairman having been cleared of corruption allegation two times by the same EFCC.
Titled: “FR VS Danladi Umar (CR/109/18) request for Briefing,” the query reads in part: “The attention of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation was drawn to news report that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has filed charges of corruption against the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Hon. Justice Danladi Umar, before the FCT High Court.
“I am directed by the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation to seek clarification from you as to whether the charges were filed on your instruction or directive and if in the affirmative, what is the compelling basis for doing so. This clarification becomes imperative in view of the following background facts.
“The Commission’s investigation report dated 5th March 2015 addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation stated as follows: “The facts as they are now against Justice Umar raised a mere suspicion and will therefore not be sufficient to successfully prosecute for the defence.
“The Commission’s position in paragraph 2(a) above was also maintained and sustained by the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation while appearing before the House of Representatives’ Investigative Committee sometimes in 2015 to the effect that report of investigations showed that the allegations against Hon. Justice Danladi Umar were based on mere suspicions.
“In view of the foregoing, the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation requests for your prompt briefing as to the existence of new facts which are contrary to the position in your attached investigation report, sufficient evidence or other developments upon which the prosecution of Hon. Justice Danladi can be successfully based.
“Kindly accord this letter top priority while your prompt response within 48 hours from the receipt of same is required in the circumstances.”
In the same vein, a separate letter to Keyamo, who was purportedly engaged as a private lawyer by Magu to prosecute the CCT boss, requested him to confirm who authorised him to file the corruption charge against Umar to Malami.
Like Magu, the senior lawyer was given till February 20, 2018 to furnish the Office of the AGF in writing the details of who engaged or issued him the authority to file the corruption charges.
The letter to Keyamo, with reference No DPP/ADV:369/15, dated February 16, 2018, which was also signed by the Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Sectary reads in part: “The attention of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation was drawn to news report that you have filed charges of corruption against the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Hon. Justice Danladi Umar, before the FCT High Court.
“The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation hereby requests that you kindly furnish this office with the details of the instruction or authorization upon which you instituted the case under reference. Kindly accord this letter top priority while your prompt response on or before Tuesday, February 20, 2018 is solicited in this regard.”
The EFCC in two separate letters to the Federal Government through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation had in 2015 and 2016 had cleared Umar of any wrongdoing in the alleged N10 million bribery allegation made against him by a defendant, Rasheed Taiwo Owolabi, standing trial before him on false asset declaration.
Upon receipt of the petition from Owolabi, the EFCC had investigated the petition and sent its report to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, with Reference No EFCC/EC/SGF/03/56, dated March 5, 2015, personally signed by the then Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, exonerating the CCT boss from the bribery saga.
The EFCC report, received by the office of SGF on March 6, 2015, was categorical that: “The facts as they are against Justice Umar raised a mere suspicion and will therefore not be sufficient to successfully prosecute for the offence.”
Other EFCC documents showed that in 2016, a fresh investigation was conducted into the same N10 million bribery allegation and the same anti-graft agency in its second report absolved Umar of any wrongdoing and that the bribery allegation against him remained a mere suspicion.
The EFCC’s second report, with reference EFCC/P/HRU/688/V30/99, dated April 20, 2016 and submitted to the SGF and signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Emmanuel Adegboyega Aremo, reads in part: “Kindly recall our correspondence of March 5 2015 with Reference EFCC/EC/SGF/03/56 with above subject caption. We will like to reiterate the Commission’s position in regard to this matter as earlier communicated to you and state that the allegation levelled against Justice Umar were merely suspicions and consequently insufficient to prosecute the offence.”
Finding by PRNigeria revealed that the action of Magu in instituting criminal charges against Umar has caused serious confusion and embarrassment to the Federal Government because the EFCC reports had made it clear that the CCT boss had no case to answer.
The AGF was said to have been thoroughly embarrassed with the corruption charges because he had already informed the National Assembly that Umar had no corruption case to answer based on the two reports of EFCC to the Federal Government.
PRNigeria gathered that the Federal Government was infuriated by the action of Magu in engaging Keyamo as a private counsel to prosecute the CCT boss in a purported corruption charge because the same Keyamo is the counsel to Owolabi, who is standing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal and who made the allegation in the course of his trial on the criminal offence.
However, there are indications that the corruption charge against the CCT boss may be dropped so as not to cause further embarrassment to government in its fight against corruption.
A source said the Federal Government has to be consistent in its fight against corruption and that having cleared Umar on two occasions on the same issue, saw no reason for the somersault, hence the need to withdraw the corruption charges.
The EFCC had on February 2, brought a two-count charge against Umar bordering on alleged receipt of N10 million bribe from one Taiwo in the charge signed by Keyamo as a private prosecuting counsel and one Offem Uket, an official of EFCC.
Umar was accused of receiving N1.8 million through his Personal Assistant, Gambo Abdullahi, for a favour to be afterwards shown to the petitioner who was standing trial for a criminal offence before the tribunal.
No date has been fixed for arraignment of the CCT boss at the High Court of FCT, Abuja.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kayode Ariwoola; Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State; Senior Advocates of Nigeria, led by Chief Folake Solanke; lawyers; Judges of various courts; as well as associates on Monday converged on the premises of the Oyo State High Court, Ring Road, Ibadan, pouring encomiums and tributes on late Justice Adegboye Ayinla Gbolagunte, who died on June 24, 2024 at 64.
Justice Gbolagunte, of the Oyo State Judiciary, is survived by his widow, Wuraola Ayoola, and three children.
The children of the late judge, who hailed from Eruwa in the Ibarapa area of Oyo State, are Oladiran, Oladoyin and Oladotun.
At the special valedictory court session presided over by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Iyabo Yerima, the CJN, who was ably represented by the presiding Judge of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, Justice Hamman Baka, extolled the virtues of the deceased, saying that he was well loved by his colleagues and associates.
He said: “How well one lives in life is what matters.
“We mourn the late Justice Gbolagunte and condole with the family left behind.
“May God repose his soul.”
Speaking through the Oyo State Attorney General and Justice Commissioner, Abiodun Aikomo, Governor Makinde described late Gbolagunte as “a man dedicated to justice in and outside the judiciary.
“His memory will continue to be an inspiration to many of us.
“It is not the length of time, but the quality of it left behind that makes a man.
“The Oyo State Ministry of Justice and indeed Oyo State in general will miss the late jurist.”
On behalf of the Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Chief Solanke, the first female SAN in Nigeria, paid glowing tributes to late Gbolagunte, describing him as a forthright judge who was thorough and dedicated to his work till he breathed his last.
Chief Solanke was represented by Chief Adeniyi Akintola (SAN).
The Chairmen of the Ibadan, Oyo, Ogbomoso and Saki branches of the Nigerian Bar Association in Oyo State also gave their tributes on the well-attended solemn occasion.
Ibrahim Lawal of the Ibadan branch described Gbolagunte as “a scholar on the bench who died in active service to the state and the nation.
“He died as a jurist with character, benevolence, vision, hard work, humility, great tenacity and as a judge who accorded respect to all sundry, especially lawyers who appeared before him, while at the same time, did not take for granted the ethical principles of the legal profession to ensure its universal mobility.”
Lawal used the occasion to lament the harrowing condition in which Judges work, saying that it culminated in the ill-health of late Gbolagunte, resulting in his early death.
To him: “Oyo State Judges are being overworked and overstretched because instead of 40 that they should be, only 20 are doing the work.
“Justice Gbolagunte has gone among them, leaving the whole Judiciary to 19 Judges.
“Therefore, I call on the Oyo State government and all other authorities concerned to consider the plight of My Lords and entire lawyers by appointing more qualified Judges and Magistrates with adequate funding that creates a conducive work atmosphere and promoted speedy dispensation of justice to all manner of men, without fear or favour.”
Jide Olanipekun, Chairman of the Oyo branch, said that the late jurist was “a great person while alive and in death.
“His greatness is very visible because of his steadfastness to the course of justice in his lifetime.
“The trajectory of Justice Gbolagunte’s life showed that he was an epitome of hard work and a man that was determined to carve a niche for himself firstly, as a journalist, then a teacher, and later as a lawyer and Judge of the Oyo State High Court of Justice.”
Adesoji Oke of the Saki branch and Omotayo Olatubosun of the Ogbomoso branch equally poured accolades on the late Judge, describing him as a diligent Judge who was used to sitting at exactly 9am to attend to lawyers, contrary to the practice of some who keep lawyers sitting till 11am or thereabout before sitting, or before asking lawyers to take dates because they would no longer sit for the day.
The first son of Justice Gbolagunte, Oladiran, on behalf of the family, appreciated everybody for the honour done to their father, praying that such occurrence does not occur again in the Oyo State Judiciary.
President Bola Tinubu has signed into law the bill seeking to reintroduce the old national anthem. Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced this at the joint sitting of the senate and house of representatives on Wednesday, May 29.
Akpabio said the president signed the bill into law on Wednesday morning.
The bill received accelerated hearing in both chambers of the National Assembly.
Lillian Jean Williams, a British expatriate who lived in Nigeria during its independence, penned the lyrics for “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” while Frances Berda composed the music.
The anthem was however dropped in 1978 during Obasanjo’s military administration.
See the lyrics of the anthem below
Nigeria, we hail thee,
Our own dear native land,
Though tribe and tongue may differ,
In brotherhood, we stand,
Nigerians all, and proud to serve
Our sovereign Motherland.
Our flag shall be a symbol
That truth and justice reign,
In peace or battle honour’d,
And this we count as gain,
To hand on to our children
A banner without stain.
O God of all creation,
Grant this our one request,
Help us to build a nation
Where no man is oppressed,
And so with peace and plenty
Nigeria may be blessed.
We supposed the new generation has to go and start learning the old national anthem now.
Ben Affleck believes he was “temporarily insane” when he married Jennifer Lopez and the star actor is reportedly pushing for a divorce after “coming to his senses”.
The pair tied the knot in August 2022, rekindling their romance 20 years after they called off their first engagement.
Less than 2 years later, Ben has allegedly labelled their relationship a “fever dream”.
Page Six reports the actor is keen to end their marriage, claiming the decision to wed was due to “temporary insanity”.
A source told the publication: “If there was a way to divorce on grounds of temporary insanity, he would.”
They added: “He feels like the last two years was just a fever dream, and he’s come to his senses now and understands there is just no way this is going to work.”
People also reported Ben and Jennifer have “very different approaches to fame” leading to clashes.
Although they recently attended Ben’s child Finn’s school production together, the couple are reportedly living separately despite buying a £47million ($60million) mansion together last year.
Divorce rumours were further fuelled when fans noticed that J.Lo liked an Instagram post about “broken relationships”.
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