Rev. King’s death sentence caused by witches, wizards, says Church

Rev. King

Last Friday’s confirmation of the death sentenced passed on General overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly (CPA) Chukwuemeka Ezeugo (aka Rev. King), has been attributed to the handiwork of witches and wizards by his church members.

The members also reaffirmed their belief that Rev. King will be spared the hangman’s noose and “return to join us.”

The self-styled cleric was sentenced to death in 2007 for the burning to death of a member of his church in 2006. He appealed the judgment and lost before the apex court sealed his fate last Friday.

Read: http://dejiabiri.blogspot.com/2016/02/supreme-court-rev-king-must-die-by.html

But yesterday during the first church service after the Supreme Court decision at the Lagos headquarters at Ajao Estate, off the Murtala Muhammad Airport Road, Pastor Ifeanyi King, who preached said:  “Our G.O. (General Overseer) the most holiness, Rev King, is coming back. He said he would come back and we believe the words of his mouth. We believe his report that he is coming back. Everything happening now we know is the handiwork of witches and wizard. Soon a new story will emerge.”

The preacher added: “Whether people realise it or not, everybody now knows his holiness, our G.O. Rev King. The front pages of newspapers are flooded with his name. People are yearning to read about him in the social media. I can confirm to you that by all these, a lot of people have become endeared to him. Our Daddy G.O. shall live forever for us in Jesus name.”

To every word he uttered, there was a chorus of Amen by the congregation. They sang hymns and danced to mark “the birthday of the G.O.” His death sentence was confirmed on his birthday last Friday.

Pastor Ifeanyi, sported a shaved head and beards like Pastor king. A number of male in the congregation also appeared in the same way. Most of the pastors also use the name King as substitute for their surname.

Source: The Nation

Supreme Court: Rev King must die by hanging

Chukwuemeka Ezeugo a.k.a Rev. King

Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, a.k.a Reverend King ,the General Overseer of Lagos-based Christian Praying Assembly, yesterday lost an eight year legal battle to save his neck from the hangman’s noose   after the Supreme Court insisted he must keep a date with the executioner.

The apex court affirmed   the conviction and death sentence given to him by the High Court of Lagos State, Ikeja, on January 11, 2007 for attempted murder and murder.

Justice Joseph Oyewole, now of the Court of Appeal, had found him guilty of setting ablaze six members of his church on July 22, 2006.

One of victims, Ann Uzoh, died 11 days later in a medical facility from the burns she sustained.

The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, in a judgment delivered by Justice Fatimo Akinbami on February 1, 2013, affirmed the judgment of the High Court.

Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, who read the Supreme Court’s lead judgment of the unanimous decision of a five-man bench yesterday  said: “Facts of this case could have been lifted from an horror film.”

Reviewing the case before his ruling, Ngwuta said: “It was agreed by parties that the appellant was the General Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly (CPA) with headquarters in Ajao Estate, Lagos. It was also agreed that he had a father-son/daughter-relationship with the victims of the incident. And this is the point where they depart:

“The prosecution’s case is that the appellant accused six of his people (followers) of immoral behaviour. He called them together, beat each of them with hard objects and after the beating, he assembled them downstairs, made them kneel down, hobbled together and he caused petrol to be poured on them, and he struck a match and threw same at them.

“They all sustained various degrees of burns. While five of them escaped. The sixth person, who later died, suffered 65 per cent degree burns. You can imagine what she went through in her last days at the hospital.

“The appellant denied this. But said though he punished them for immoral behaviour, the punishment was different from the incident that gave birth to the charge. He said they (the victims) sustained injuries when a generating set exploded. That was his case. But throughout the proceedings (trial), this mysterious generating set was never produced.

“The trial High Court convicted him as charged. And on each of counts one to five, he was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment which was to run concurrently. On the sixth count of murder, he was sentenced to death by hanging.

“He was dissatisfied with the judgment and appealed to the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal and affirmed the judgment of the trial court. And he appealed to this court.

“Twelve  issues were distilled from the grounds of appeal. The respondents had nine issues. The nine issues were encompassed in the appellant’s 12 issues.

“I decided to determine the appeal on those 12 issues. I considered each of them and at the end, I came to the conclusion that the appeal has no merit.

“Having considered all the arguments by learned counsel for the parties in addition to the records, I resolve the 12 issues formulated by the appellant against him. Consequently, I hold that the appeal is bereft of merit and it is dismissed. The judgment of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed the judgment of the trial court, is hereby affirmed.

“The prison terms for attempted murder are no longer relevant and are discountenanced in view of the death penalty hereby affirmed. Appeal dismissed.”

King could only be spared from hanging, if the Lagos State Governor decides to commute the death sentence to imprisonment.

Source: The Nation

2014 Immigration Jobs scandal: Court sends Abba Moro to prison

Abba Moro (2nd right)

Judge to hear bail plea tomorrow

Former Minister of Interior Abba Moro and a Deputy Director in the ministry, F. O Alayebami were yesterday remanded in Kuje prison, Abuja.

A Federal High Court in Abuja said they are to remain in prison custody pending the determination of their bail applications tomorrow.

Justice Anwuli Chikere gave the order shortly after Moro, Alayebami, former Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia and a firm, Drexel Global Tech Nigeria Limited, were arraigned on an11-count charge.

The judge allowed Mrs Daniel-Nwobia to remain on the administrative bail granted herý by the prosecuting agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on February 22.

Mrs. Daniel-Nwobia, according to her lawyer, ý Chris Uche (SAN), who asked that she should be allowed to remain on the earlier bail, is a “nursing mother” and a “victim of circumstance”.

The defendants, who are being prosecuted in respect of the botched March 15, 2014 National Immigration Services (NIS) recruitment, were charged with obtaining money by false pretence, procurement fraud and money laundering.

They were accused of defrauding 675, 675 graduate applicants of about N675,675,000 having been made to pay N1000 each as processing fees for 5,000 job openings.

They were accused of breaching the Public Procurement Act No. 65 of 2007 in the award of the contract for the organisation of the recruitment test to Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd.

They pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read.

Prosecution lawyer Aliyu Yusuf applied for a trial date.

Defence lawyers said they had filed bail applications for the clients .But Yusuf said he was just served with the applications and needed time to respond, following which Justice Chikere adjourned till tomorrow to hear the bail applications.

Some of the charges against them are:

“That you Abba Moro, Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia, F.O Alayebami, Mahmood Ahmadu (at large) and Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd on or about the 17th of March 2013 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud conspired to induce a total number of 676,675 Nigerian job applicants seeking employment with Nigerian Immigration Service to deliver property to wit: cumulative sum of N676, 675,000 which sum represents the sum of N1, 000 per applicant under the false pretence that the money represents payment for their online recruitment exercise into Nigerian Immigration Service and which pretence you knew was false, contrary to Section 8 and 1(1) (b) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, No. 14 of 2006

“That you Abba Moro, Anastasia Daniel Nwobia, F.O Alayebami, Mahmood Ahmadu (at large) and Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd on or about the 17th of March 2013 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud conspired to induce a total number of 676,675 Nigerian job applicants seeking employment with Nigerian Immigration Service to deliver property to wit: cumulative sum of N676, 675,000 which sum represents the sum of N1, 000 per applicant under the false pretence that that you have followed the necessary procedure and that the money represents epayment for their online recruitment exercise into Nigerian Immigration Service and which pretence and you knew was false, contrary to Section 8 and 1(1) (b) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, No. 14 of 2006.

“That you Abba Moro, Anastasia Daniel Nwobia, and F.O Alayebami on or about the 30th of April 2013 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did award contract for the provision of online enlistment and recruitment services to Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited without advertising the contract contrary to Section 45 and punishable under Section 58(5) of the Public Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007.

“That you Abba Moro, Anastasia Daniel Nwobia, and F.O Alayebami on or about the 30th of April 2013 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did award contract for the provision of online enlistment and recruitment services to Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited without Needs Assessment and Procurement Plan, contract contrary to Section 16(1) (b) and Section 18 of the Public Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007 and punishable under Section 58 of the same Act.

“That you Abba Moro, Anastasia Daniel Nwobia, and F.O Alayebami on or about the 30th of April 2013 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did award contract for the provision of online enlistment and recruitment services to Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited to develop recruitment portal through selective tendering process by inviting four (4) firms without seeking approval of the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP) contrary to sections 40, 42 and 43 of the Public Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007 and punishable under Section 58 of the same Act.

“That you Abba Moro, Anastasia Daniel Nwobia, and F.O Alayebami on or about the 30th of April 2013 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did award contract for the provision of online enlistment and recruitment services to Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited and signed by unregistered Drexel Tech Global Nigeria Limited when you knew that Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited was not responsive to mandatory prequalification contrary to sections 50(5) and 51 of the Public Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007 and punishable under Section 58 of the same Act.

“That you Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited and Mahmood Ahmadu (At large) on or about the 17th of March 2015 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court converted the sum of N202, 500,000 part of the N676, 675,000 obtained from 676,675 Nigerian job applicants seeking employment with Nigerian Immigration Service to buy property No. 1, Lahn Crescent Maitama, Abuja with the aim of disguising the illicit origin of the said sum, knowing same to be proceeds of illegal activity and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.

“That you Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited and Mahmood Ahmadu (At large) on or about the 17th of March 2015 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court converted the sum of N120, 100,000 being part of the N676, 675,000 obtained from 676,675 Nigerian job applicants seeking employment with Nigerian Immigration Service to upgrade property No.2 Sigure Close, Off Monrovia Street, Wuse II Abuja with the aim of disguising the illicit origin of the said sum knowing same to be proceeds of illegal activity and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.

“That you Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited and Mahmood Ahmadu (at large) on or about the 17th of March 2015 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court converted the sum of N101, 200,000 being part of the N676, 675,000 obtained from 676,675 Nigerian job applicants seeking employment with Nigerian Immigration Service to United States dollars for your personal use knowing same to be proceeds of illegal activity and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”

Source: The Nation

Detained Badeh begs court for bail

Alex Badeh

• Hinges application on ill-health
• Court to rule March 4

Immediate past Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (rtd) has urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to grant him bail on health grounds.

Badeh has been in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Lagos since February 8, 2016 when he honoured the agency’s invitation for questioning.

Badeh is accused of complicity in an alleged fraudulent transactions involving the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

Badeh’s request is contained in a bail application he filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja.

After the hearing arguments on the application on Monday, Justice James Tsoho fixed March 4 for ruling.

Arguing the application on Monday, applicant’s lawyer, Samuel Zibiri (SAN), who filed the bail application dated February 15, said though the EFCC had granted his client bail, the ex-CDS could not meet it because of the “onerous conditions” attached to it.

He said his client was recovering from a recent surgery and also had a history of kidney stone.

Zibiri hinged the application on Section 35(4) and Section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution and sections 158, 162 and 165(1) (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

He urged the court to grant bail to his client on self recognizance, or on such favourable and liberal terms as the court might deem fit ‎to make.

Zibiri equally prayed the court to grant him bail pending the completion of  investigation by the EFCC and/or arraignment before this court.

Badeh’s lawyer argued  that the  alleged case of fraud for which his client was invited was a bail able offence.

“There is no reason for, or any likelihood that the applicant will jump bail, escape from Justice, interfere with witnesses or investigation if same is still ongoing, or the course of justice upon his being granted bail.

“The applicant has no criminal antecedent or records. The applicant owing to his status in the society can be granted bail on self recognizance, or on the most liberal of terms, as he will be available to attend any invitation by the respondents at all times.

“That the applicant’s health condition is bad and he recently had surgery on his spine which requires constant post-operative follow-up by his physician as well as renal condition which he is currently undergoing treatment for.”

Zibiri said Badeh’s detention by virtue of a remand order issued by a Magistrate’s Court in Lagos “is a gross abuse of the ACJA 2015” insisting he should be granted bail because a Federal High Court is superior to the magistrate court.”

Responding,  EFCC’s lawyer, Cosmas Ugwu, in opposing the application, told the court that Badeh had not made any effort to fulfil the administrative bail granted him by the EFCC in Lagos.

“He is in custody in Lagos. Abuja is not holding him, so, the convenient court to grant the applicant bail is a court within the same territorial jurisdiction,” Ugwu argued.

The EFCC lawyer also informed the court that Badeh was being held under a remand order issued by a Lagos magistrate court because he was fingered in the NIMASA fraud allegation.

Source: The Nation

N5,000 stipend for poor Nigerians still stands, says Presidency

Laolu Akande

The Presidency on Monday night insisted that the N5,000 stipend promised for the vulnerable and poor Nigerians still stands.

President Muhammadu Buhari was claimed to have gone back on the promise while speaking to the Nigerian community in Saudi Arabia last week.

But the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, while speaking to State House correspondents said that the 2016 Budget which has been submitted to the National Assembly has made an allocation of half a trillion naira for such social investment.

He also pointed out that President Muhammadu Buhari never promised to pay unemployed graduates N5,000.

He said: “The budget for 2016 which has been submitted to the National Assembly has made an allocation of half a trillion naira, the first time in the history of this country’s budget where you have that huge chunk of money allocated for social investment.

"In that 500 billion naira which is half a trillion naira, close to about 20 per cent of the entire budget, there are six social safety net programmes. And one of them is the conditional cash transfer where government is going to pay N5,000 monthly to the vulnerable and extremely poor Nigerians. That promise stands.

“The President never promised to pay unemployed graduates N5,000; the President never made that promise and the government never made that claim that it will pay N5,000 to unemployed graduates.

“The programme for unemployed graduates is the direct creation of half a million teaching jobs so that they will be trained; 500,000 unemployed graduates will be trained to teach and they will be deployed to teach, while they are looking for their career paths or jobs. That still stands.

“In addition to that, there is also a scheme to train 370,000 non-graduate youth for skill acquisition and vocational training. During the time of that training, they will also be paid. So the President did not say that he would be giving unemployed graduates N5,000.” He said.

Continuing, Laolu said: “The N5,000 monthly which is already in the budget is for the vulnerable Nigerians and the extremely poor, and this year by the grace of God, once the budget is okay , one million extremely poor Nigerians will receive N5,000 monthly.”

Source: The Nation