Court slams Fidelity Bank And Others N10m Fine Over Rights Violation

Published

5 months ago

April 30, 2024

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Court slams Fidelity BankAnd Others N10m Fine Over Rights Violation

On Monday, the Maitama Division of the Federal Capital Territory High Court ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and three others to pay N10 million in fine for violating fundamental rights.

Other respondents included Abdulrasheed Bawa, a former EFCC head, an EFCC official, Calistus, and Fidelity Bank Plc.

Justice Peter Kekemeke slapped the expense on the respondents as he handed judgment in a lawsuit filed by Michael Kundera to enforce his fundamental rights.

The judge held that the respondents violated the applicant’s fundamental rights by arresting and detaining him from May 15 to May 16, 2023, without charging him to court or releasing him on bail.

He added that a 75-year-old man should not be subjected to such treatment.

“I hereby declare that the arrest and detention of the applicant from May 15 to May 16, 2023, was unlawful and violated the applicant’s fundamental rights. The harassment of the applicant in a matter already decided by the court is a violation of his rights, and the 1st to 3rd respondents exceeded their bounds.

“The case of the applicant succeeds, and the respondents are ordered to pay the sum of N10 million severally or jointly to the applicant for violation of his fundamental rights,” the judge said.

The judge also ordered the respondents to pay N2 million as a cost for the action.

Mr Kundera, through his counsel, O. Orji, in suit no CV/6258/23, told the court that the applicant was invited, detained, and refused administrative bail in a matter decided already by an FCT high court.

He said that the subject matter was a plot of land at the foreign affairs quarters, which lawfully belonged to the applicant.

According to the applicant’s counsel, the matter is also pending at the court of appeal marked CA/ABJ/CV/533/2021 against the principle of pendente lite.

The applicant prayed for the order of the court to declare that the arrest and detention of the applicant from May 15 and May 16 was unlawful. He added that it was unconstitutional and a gross violation of the applicant’s fundamental rights as guaranteed under sections 35 (4)(5) and 36 (1) and (5) of the 1999 constitution as amended.

“A declaration that the respondents have exceeded their bounds by their continued invitation and threats on the applicant. An order restraining the respondents from the continued invitation, a threat to re-arrest and detain the applicant.

”Payment of the sum of N500 million as exemplary or aggravated damages is an unconstitutional, inexplicable, unjust, uncouth, and barbaric infringement of the applicant’s fundamental rights,” the applicant’s counsel said.

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JUST IN: Minister Adebayo Adelabu WhatsApp Number Hacked [DETAILS]

Published

2 hours ago

October 4, 2024

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•Minister Of Power, Adebayo Adelabu WhatsApp Number has been Hacked.

THECLOUDNGR The WhatsApp number of Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has reportedly been hacked, prompting a warning from his spokesperson, Bolaji Tunji.

The announcement was made in a brief notice sent to the Daily Post by Tunji on Thursday night.

Tunji urged Nigerians to ignore any requests for money or financial assistance originating from the compromised phone number, stating, “HM of power number has been hacked on WhatsApp. Kindly disregard any appeal for money or any assistance for financial support through the number 08022901928.”

This incident follows closely on the heels of similar security breaches involving other government officials.

Just six days prior, the WhatsApp number of the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, was hacked, and earlier, the same fate befell the Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh.

TCN recalls that the WhatsApp number of the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, in August was also hacked by fraudsters, leading to an attempt to defraud several of his contacts.

The incident came to light when some individuals on the governor’s contact list received messages from his WhatsApp number, requesting that money be sent to a specified account with a promise of a refund later.

In a related incident, Osun State Government, in July issued a public alert on the security breach of Governor Ademola Adeleke‘s official telephone number.

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Bobrisky: Why I Didn’t File Suit Against VeryDarkMan – Falana

Published

5 hours ago

October 4, 2024

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Bobrisky: Why I Didn’t File Suit Against VeryDarkMan – Falana—-Prominent human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has revealed that he is resisting the urge to file criminal charges against a blogger, Martins Otse, who is better known as VeryDarkMan.

The blogger had recently published an audio clip accusing Falana of helping cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, secure a pardon.

Falana clarified that he has no connection with Bobrisky.

Speaking for the first time since the audio surfaced, Falana addressed the situation, stating that VeryDarkMan released a recording of a supposed conversation between Bobrisky and an unidentified person. In the clip, Bobrisky allegedly claimed to have bribed officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with ₦15 million to drop a money laundering case against him.

The recording also suggested that Bobrisky reached out to Falana’s son, Folarin (Falz), seeking his father’s influence to obtain a presidential pardon, with a demand for ₦10 million.

The House of Representatives is currently investigating the allegations, and the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has established an independent panel to look into the accusations against officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service.

Appearing on Channels TV’s Politics Today, Falana criticized the audio, stating that he would have pursued legal action if not for his ongoing advocacy for the decriminalization of free speech.

Falana remarked, “Bobrisky never spoke to me. I’ve never met him. I don’t know him from Adam. He was alleged to have spoken to my son, Folarin (Falz).” He continued by explaining that his son did receive a call from Bobrisky on May 4, requesting financial assistance to secure a placement in a VIP section of the prison. Falz, however, refused to engage, asking Bobrisky to only make requests through official prison channels.

Falana added, “We are going to examine the call logs… My son has never negotiated fees on behalf of anyone.”

The senior lawyer emphasized that although he had the opportunity to file a criminal case, he chose not to, given his role in a broader campaign across West Africa aimed at decriminalizing freedom of expression.

“This campaign is being coordinated by the Media Foundation for West Africa, where I’m a board member… We have succeeded in getting Liberia, Ghana, and Sierra Leone to decriminalize free expression. We are appealing to other countries to follow suit.”

He cautioned, however, that freedom of expression does not justify defamation or blackmail, and expressed his intent to take civil action if an acceptable apology is not offered.

Falana concluded, “We have asked for a retraction and an apology… If we don’t receive them, we will initiate civil proceedings in the High Court.”

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