A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday has discharged and acquitted 50 people accused of being members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and standing trial on terrorism-related charges.
The House of Representatives committee has accused the state-owned oil company, NNPC Limited, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), and other revenue-generating agencies of entering into public-private partnerships that are detrimental to the country’s revenue growth. It, therefore, called for an investigation into the deals, a recommendation adopted by the House.
Pro-Biafran agitator, Simon Ekpa, who was arrested in Finland for terrorism-related activities, will remain in Finnish prison until May 2025 before he will be paraded before the court to face trial. A Senior Detective Superintendent at Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation, Mikko Laaksonen, disclosed this to The PUNCH via email on Tuesday that the district court had set May 2025 as the deadline for Ekpa’s prosecution.
Following the fraud saga that involved the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, and two others paraded before the court today, the trio pleaded not guilty to the 16-count charges press against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Former governor Bello, been the 1st defendant, fervently denied the allegations pressed against him by Justice Maryann Anenih as they were reeled out by the Court Registrar.
The National Assembly has passed an amendment to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act by approving life imprisonment for drug offenders/traffickers in the country. The resolution of the Senate followed its adoption of the report of its conference committee on the amendment of the NDLEA Act.
Following the arrest of the Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, in Finland the Federal Government is considering application to the finish authority for his extradition to come and face charges in Nigeria for instigating the Eastern Security Network, ESN to reign terror on Nigeria. Director of Defence Information, Brig Gen Tukur Gusau, made this known yesterday Thursday, saying Ekpa, a self-proclaimed disciple of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, should be extradited to Nigeria to face criminal charges.
