Justice Saliu Saidu of a Federal High Court in Lagos
has ordered the temporary forfeiture of Flat 7B Osborne Towers,
Ikoyi, Lagos where the sums of $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23, 218,000 were
discovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on April
12, in iron cabinets and “Ghana-must-go” bags.
The judge made the order on Thursday while
granting an ex-parte application filed by the anti-graft agency. A firm, Chobe
Ventures Limited, was joined as respondent in the suit.
Mrs. Folashade Oke, the wife of the sacked Director
General of the Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ayo Oke, was named
by the EFCC as the owner of the flat.
Granting the
ex-parte order, Justice Saidu directed the EFCC to notify the respondent in
whose possession the property was found to appear before him in a fortnight to
show cause why it should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal
Government.
The anti-graft
agency was also directed to publicize the interim order in a national daily for
the respondent or anyone interested in the property to show cause within two weeks why
a final forfeiture order should not be made on the property.
International judges have approved the opening of a full investigation into alleged crimes against humanity in Burundi, where at least 1,200 people have died in unrest since 2015, court officials revealed Thursday, France 24 reports.
In the decision, the judges authorised ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda "to open an investigation regarding crimes within the jurisdiction of the court allegedly committed in Burundi or by nationals of Burundi outside Burundi since 26 April 2015 until 26 October 2017."
Bensouda can also extend the probe by her team to acts committed both before and after that date "if certain legal requirements are met".
A violent political crisis was triggered in Burundi when President Pierre Nkurunziza ran for a third term in office, winning July 2015 elections which were boycotted by the opposition.
In a swift reaction, Burundi presidential office spokesman Willy Nyamitwe denounced the "corrupt" ICC in a tweet.
He accused the court of cheating and said it had just "shot itself in the foot."
"Without any doubt, Burundi will emerge the winner of this battle," he added.
Although Burundi officially left the ICC on October 27, the court said it "retains jurisdiction over any crime within its jurisdiction up to and including 26 October, 2017, regardless of Burundi's withdrawal".
Since Burundi had been a member of the ICC during the period "it has a duty to cooperate with the court for the purpose of this investigation" since it was approved before its "withdrawal became effective," they stressed.
Bensouda opened a preliminary probe in April 2016 into reports of killings, torture and rape amid the political upheavals in the landlocked country in the Great Lakes region.
The judges found there was now "a reasonable basis to proceed with an investigation in relation to crimes against humanity".
The court said according to estimates "at least 1,200 people were allegedly killed, thousands illegally detained, thousands reportedly tortured and hundreds disappeared".
"The alleged acts of violence have reportedly resulted in the displacement of 413,490 persons between April 2015 and May 2017," the judges said.
They warned that if "sufficient evidence" is found the prosecutor could "issue either summonses to appear or warrants of arrest".
According to differing tolls provided by the UN or NGOs, the violence in Burundi has claimed between 500 and 2,000 lives, and more than 400,000 Burundians have fled abroad.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode
has confirmed the appointment of Surveyor Olutomi Sangowawa who served in
acting capacity, as the new Lagos State Surveyor General.
The confirmation was conveyed through a
letter signed by the Lagos State Head of Service, Mrs. Olabowale Ademola, where
she stated thatthe acting appointment was confirmed due to cognizance of the
integrity and track record of Surveyor Sangowawa.
The HOS noted further that she has no doubt
that the Surveyor –General would bring forth his wealth of experience to bear
on the mandate of the Office of the State Surveyor General.
Surveyor Olutomi Sangowawa joined the Lagos
State Civil Service in December 1987 and progressively rose through the ranks
to become the Acting Surveyor General in August 2015.
Police have arrested a man at the weekend in
connection with the rape and murder of Cape Town teenager Valencia Farmer more
than 16 years ago.
The 14-year-old was gang-raped and stabbed
more than 50 times near her home in Eerste River in 1999.
Three men were sentenced for the murder, but
police believed another three suspects were at large. The latest arrest
occurred during a widespread anti-crime operation over the weekend.
Chad has sentenced 10 members of
Nigeria-based Islamist militant group Boko Haram to death on terrorism charges,
Reutersreported, quoting judicial
sources said on Friday.
"They are all sentenced to
death," said one of the sources.
Chad's capital N'Djamena, less than
100 kilometres from the Nigerian border, was hit by a series of suicide
bombings in June and July that killed more than 40 people.
The Presidency Friday in Abuja welcomed an assurance from Centenary City PLC
that all the original inhabitants of the site have been fully compensated.
Speaking after being briefed by the Chairman of the company's board of
directors, General Abdulsalami Abubakar and members of its management team,
President Buhari praised the Centenary City's main development partners from
the United Arab Emirates for having enough confidence in Nigeria to agree to
invest about $18.5 billion in the project.
President Buhari also welcomed the assertion by Gen. Abubakar and his team that
the project will create about 250,000 more direct jobs in the Federal Capital
Territory and about half a million indirect jobs.
Arsenal
have completed the signing of goalkeeper Petr Cech from London rivals Chelsea
on a long-term contract for a fee reported to be around£11m.
In a bid to clarify the
decision behind the transfer, the former Chelsea shot stopper has written an
open letter to Chelsea fans explaining the reason behind the move.
Below is the letter in
full:
"I thought this
would never happen but it is time for me to say goodbye to Chelsea. The club I
have lived every single minute for since joining in July 2004, the club in
which I thought I'd hang my gloves and boots one day and finish my career. But life
doesn't always turn out the way you think it will.
According to the Mail Online, a
father suffering a fatal heart attack suffocated his baby daughter when he
collapsed on top of her in a 'tragic accident', an inquest heard today.
David Tester, 43, was holding
one-year-old daughter, Georgie in the bathroom at their home in Gravesend,
Kent, and was brushing her death when he experienced a major blood clot in his
heart.
As her father toppled on top of her,
the little girl, who had been conceived via IVF, was left trapped and unable to
breathe.
An author, Lena Lenina, is under fire from animal rights activists for killing
her cat believed to have died by the toxic hair dye, Metro UK reports.
Lena Lenina made the cat the main attraction at a ‘pretty in pink party’
where all the guests, the cat included, had to wear pink.
Eyewitnesses told Russian media that the animal, which at that stage in
September was a young kitten, had been hysterical the whole evening and was
constantly trying to get out of her hands.
