Tensions are rising as Deputy Inspector General, DIG Joseph O. Egbunike, and other top police officers face possible imprisonment for allegedly disobeying an order of the Federal High Court, Enugu Judicial Division, presided over by Hon. Justice I.N Buba, directing the first to third respondents, Inspector General of Police, Deputy Inspector General of Police Joseph O. Egbunike, and other top police officers, to report to the Federal High Court, Enugu Judicial Division

Barr. Valentine Umeha, speaking on behalf of the applicants, Akpa Francis, Obinna Mamah, and Joshua Ogbonna, said that the applicants, Akpa Francis, Obinna Mamah, and Joshua Ogbonna, through their team of lawyers, stormed the court seeking to enforce their fundamental rights to life, liberty and dignity via the notice of application filed on June 30, 2021 in Suit No. FHC/EN/CS/96/2021.

“In line with Order IV of the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules, 2009, the applicants also filed a motion exparte praying for bail and interim order directing the Police to stay all actions relating to and/or connected with the complaints of the applicants.

“Following the grant of the motion exparte, the bailiff of the court armed with the duly drawn order and other originating processes, proceeded to FCID Enugu Annex office of the first to third respondents, being the address endorsed for service of the processes on the said respondents,” he said.

He, however, explained that after placing calls on the D.I.G Joseph O. Egbunike, the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the FCID Annex Enugu, Mr. Kasumu refused to accept service of the court order and accompanying processes.

“The bailiff of court in adherence to the rules of service of court processes, dropped the court order and the processes in the office of the police officer but he instructed his men to lock the bailiff and the applicants’ lawyers in the police premises insisting that the bailiff and the lawyers can only be allowed to go if he takes back the court order together with other processes.

“Being constrained and in grave danger, the helpless bailiff picked up the processes and left with the applicants lawyers who acted as pointer to the bailiff.

“Notwithstanding the above, the bailiff proceeded to Abuja and on July 2, 2021, he effected personal service of the order of court and the originating processes on the above named police officers who are the first to third respondents in the suit pending in court,” he said.

It was gathered that despite the service of the court order directing the Police to release the applicants having been granted bail, the D.I.G Joseph O. Egbunike in flagrant disobedience of the order of court has refused to release the applicants on bail nor stay further action on the matter.

Upon reporting to the court the refusal of the D.I.G Joseph O. Egbunike to release the applicants as directed, the court on July 7, 2021, ordered the officer incharge of Police Legal Department State CID Enugu to appear before it to explain why the Police will disobey the order.

Also, the applicants through their lawyers have initiated committal proceedings against D.I.G Joseph O. Egbunike, IGP and Thomas Amonke by filing in court Form 48 which has been served on the officers.

Meanwhile, the applicants’ rights were violated as a result of clandestine measures by persons at the top of Enugu State’s political hierarchy, through their surrogates, to shut down the Enugu Political Arena WhatsApp Platform.

The crime committed by these innocent citizens (Applicants) was their refusal to succumb to the aforesaid shenanigans and covert schemes to prevent the people of Enugu from airing their views on politics, governance, and democratic dividends in the state.

It will be remembered that reports of a police invitation to the administrator of the Enugu Political Arena WhatsApp Platform, Comrade Francis Akpa, and other participants surfaced some time ago.

Tensions rise as DIG J, the Deputy Inspector General, takes office.

The people of Enugu were anxious to know the reason for the invitation and on whose behest the invitation was orchestrated.

Shortly after the news, one of the participants Joshua Ogbonna was arrested by Police officers from Anti Kidnapping Squad.

He was granted bail after being detained for about two days.

The admin of the platform in strict adherence to the rule of law and respect for constituted authority, honoured an invitation from the Police.

The admin was confronted with a petition written by one Mr. Ifeanyi Ossai, alleging character assassination among others.

The principal suspects named in the petition were Chief Damian Odo and Comrade Obinna Mamah.

After writing his statement, the Admin was released on bail same day.

Comrade Obinna Mamah who is one of the participants in the platform, also presented himself to Police Officers at Anti kidnapping Squad for interrogation based on Mr. Ifeanyi Ossai’s allegations.

Comrade Obinna Mamah made statement, interviewed the Commissioner of Police who thereafter directed that he should be released on bail to a reliable surety. The directive was adhered to.

Two days later, Mr. Joshua Ogbonna, Francis Akpa (Admin), Obinna Mamah, Ifeanyi Ossai, Commander Anti kidnapping Squad and his men and the lawyers for the parties, stormed the Enugu CP’s office for interview.

Shockingly, the same Mr. Ifeanyi Ossai who orchestrated the arrest of the aforementioned persons, chose the forum of his choice for the investigation, suddenly wrote to the Inspector General of Police and secured the transfer of the same case to Force CID Abuja,”

The applicants together with their lawyers were said to have been confronted with the petition to the IGP and the team of Police Officers from Abuja who were in the CP’S office whisked the case file and the suspects to Abuja.

It took the uncompromised stance of the CP who insisted that due process be followed, for the applicants to be saved from being whisked off to Abuja that night.

The applicants presented themselves for investigation, appeared whenever invited throughout the period of investigation, yet Mr. Ifeanyi Ossai and his cohorts were not satisfied, apparently because the CP refused their invitation to incarcerate the above innocent citizens for no just cause.

At the instance of Mr. Ifeanyi Ossai, the petition was transferred to Abuja and assigned to D.I.G Joseph Egbunike who obviously was ready to carry out the wishes of his pay masters. on June 16, 2021, Comrade Obinna Mama, Comrade Francis Akpa and Joshua Ogbonna (Applicants) in obedience to the invitation of the DIG went to FCIID Abuja.

In an ordinary bailable offence, and considering the fact that the applicants were already on police bail at Enugu and that they obediently came to answer the D.I.G’s invitation, he clamped them in detention despite providing a Level 15 civil servant in the Federal Service who is with every documents required by the police and ready to stand for the applicants.

Barrister Umeha lamented that the applicants have been in detention since June 16, 2021 till date.

Our correspondent gathered that millions of tax payers money were alleged to have been wasted in sponsoring the illegal detention of the applicants, all aimed at stopping the people of Enugu from speaking out.

The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development is working to ensure that revenue accruals from the mining sector are properly harnessed into the Federation Account for the development and benefit of Nigeria as it seeks to achieve its goals, in order to meet its statutory and Presidential mandate of increasing the mining sector’s contribution to GDP from 0.6 percent to 5% by 2025.

On Tuesday in Abuja, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arc. Olamilekan Adegbite, stated this when he hosted Mr. Cui Jianchun, the People’s Republic of China’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

This was contained in a statement by the Head (Press & Public Relations Unit), Tine-Iulun M. A which a copy was sent to newsmen in Abuja statement that,
“In its continued efforts to ensure the delivery of its statutory and Presidential mandate to grow the mining sector contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), from 0.6% to 5% by year 2025, the Ministry is working at ensuring that revenue accruals from the mining sector is properly harnessed into the Federation Account for the development and benefit of Nigeria as it seeks to deepen collaboration with China to develop the sector.”

Arc. Adegbite stated that Nigeria has always had a positive relationship with China and that Chinese mining investment would be extremely beneficial to both countries.

In addition, while reiterating the importance of committed Chinese investors in the mining sector, Minister of State Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah requested that a Mineral Desk be established at the Chinese Embassy to facilitate the resolution of issues arising from Chinese operators in the Nigerian mining sector.

He did, however, admit that the Chinese are the country’s largest mining investors.

Many Chinese citizens have been found indulging in illicit mining activities, according to the report, which claims that the majority of them are illegal miners.

He called for synergy in the area of combating illegal mining in Nigeria as well as solicited for support in addressing this challenge to boost bilateral relations between the two countries.

Earlier , the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the People’s Republic of China, Mr. Cui Jianchun, who revealed he had been in Nigeria for 100 days, stated that it was time to leverage on the good relations China has enjoyed with Nigeria for 50 years, and deepen the partnership as there are huge potentials for Chinese investors and government in Nigeria.

Mr. Cui Jianchun expressed China’s willingness to work with Nigeria for the benefit of both countries.

Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, the former Finance Minister, has been cleared of the scandal surrounding her participation in the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) scheme by a Federal High Court in Abuja.

Recalled that Premium Times reported in 2018 that the former minister obtained her NYSC exemption certificate “illegally” in order to enter public office.

This provoked a backlash, forcing Adeosun to resign from her position.

However, the minister, who was charged with forgery, eventually filed a lawsuit in Abuja’s Federal High Court.

In a ruling on Wednesday, Justice Taiwo Taiwo, held that Adeosun was not qualified to have participated in the scheme when she graduated at 22 years because she was then a British citizen.

The judge further held that as at when she formally returned to Nigeria, and became a Nigerian citizen, at over 30 years, she was not eligible to present herself for the NYSC service.

Justice Taiwo said the plaintiff or anyone did not require a discharge certificate of NYSC to qualify to contest election to the House of Representatives or be appointed a Minister in Nigeria.

The judge proceeded to grant the four reliefs sought by the plaintiff, to include “a declaration that the plaintiff, being a United Kingdom citizen as at 1989 when she graduated from the University of East London, London, United Kingdom at the age of 22 years, was ineligible to participate in the National Youth Service Corpse scheme, established by the National Youth Service Corps Act, CAP N8, LFN, 2004.”

The Osun State Muslim Community (OSMC) has requested that the masquerade who attacked Muslims while worshiping at a mosque in Osogbo, Osun State, be prosecuted.

The attack on the Qamarudeen Mosque in Ita Olookan, in which the Muslim group’s head, Alhaji Alfa Moshood Salahudeen, was killed and 14 others, including children and women, were injured, was termed by OSMC as regrettable.

The Muslim community stated the guy who spearheaded the attack, Kayode Esuleke, must face the full wrath of the law in a statement jointly signed by OSMC President Alhaji Mustafa Olawuyi and General Secretary Alhaj Hashim Olapade.

The Muslim Community said that Esuleke, who is a Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state, was boasting that he cannot be prosecuted because of his connection with the state government.

Olawuyi warned that the patience and tolerance of Muslims in the state should not be allowed to reach the elastic limit before security agencies would take necessary steps.

The statement reads in parts , “Islam preaches peace and tolerance of other faiths, but this has been taken for granted by the Egungun worshipers for them to have the audacity of attacking a mosque during prayers.

“Unfortunately, there are very strong rumours that the leadership of the perpetrators of the dastardly act and their backers are going and boasting about that the case is just a child’s play that will soon be swept under the carpet.

“Osun State Muslim Community believes in justice, thus requesting the law enforcement agents handling the case to do the needful and ensure justice takes its due cause without delay.”

The Muslim community commends the state governor, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, for his timely intervention in ensuring treatment of those injured.

“While we ensure to do all things possible to reinforce peaceful co-existence by all and sundry, including all religious groups in the State, we demand prompt justice on this volatile issue as some people believe they are untouchable because of connections in high places”, Olawuyi said.