News
Court Bars Police, DSS, EFCC From Searching Wike’s Houses
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that search warrants could not be applied for or executed against a serving President, Vice-President, Governors or Deputy Governors.
Delivering a judgment, last Wednesday, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, therefore, stopped any alleged plan to apply for a search warrant and execute same at the residences of Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike in Abuja and other parts of the country.
Mohammed made the restraining order against the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Department of State Services (DSS), who were the defendants in a suit instituted by Wike on May 4, 2017.
The suit, in which the judgment was delivered, last Wednesday, was targeted against the police, which Wike said had, last year, applied for a search warrant to be executed on his houses around the country.
In his verdict, the judge agreed with Wike’s lawyer, Mr. Sylva Ogwemoh (SAN), that no court process such as a search warrant could be applied for or issued by the court against a serving governor such as Wike, who enjoys immunity under Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution.
The judgment drew a contrast between sections 149 and 150 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, on one hand, and Section 308(1)(c) of the Nigerian Constitution, on the other hand, a scenario which worked in favour of the four categories of the public officials clothed with constitutional immunity.
The contrast favoured serving governors and others enjoying immunity under Section 308 of the Nigerian Constitution.
Mohammed noted that on one hand, sections 149 and 150 of the Constitution made it mandatory for the owner or occupant of a house or his or her representative to be present during the execution of a search warrant in the said house.
He noted that on the other hand, Section 308(1)(c) of the Constitution prohibited issuance of a court process, including a search warrant against all persons covered by Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution.
Section 308(1)(c) of the Constitution cited by the judge read, “No process of any court requiring or compelling the appearance of a person to whom this section applies, shall be applied for or issued.”
“A careful reading of section 308(1)(c) of the 1999 Constitution will show that the Constitution has prohibited the application for the issuance of any court process that will require or compel the appearance of a person enjoying immunity under Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution,” Mohammed ruled.
The judge noted that the Supreme Court had in its judgment delivered in the case of Gani Fawehinmi vs. Inspector-General of Police in 2002 prohibited any situation that could warrant a law enforcement agent from encountering a serving governor in the course of executing a court process against such governor during a criminal investigation.
The judge noted that the Supreme Court in the said judgment held that a serving governor could be investigated for criminal allegations but not to the extent that would require the physical presence of the suspected governor.
He noted:“The situation would have been different if the draftsman of Section 308(1)(c) of the 1999 Constitution has stated that a court process like the search warrant can be applied for or issued and executed whether the serving governor is physically present or not.”
The judge refused to be swayed by the argument of the police that a search warrant could be executed at a governor’s house in the absence of the governor.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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