Why Kanu apologised to Buhari, others – Lawyer

A lawyer to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra and founder of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, Mr. Vincent Obetta, has said “there is nothing irregular” about the apology tendered by his client to President Muahammadu Buhari, former President Goodluck Jonathan and Igbo elders for his “uncomplimentary” comments against them.

Nanmdi Kanu, Radio Biafra’s Director

Obetta was earlier quoted in online reports as denying that his client tendered such apology as exclusively reported by The PUNCH.

But the lawyer, in a statement which he sent to our correspondent on Thursday, explained that what he denied on behalf of his client was speculation that Kanu had written letters of apology to Buhari, Jonathan and Igbo elders.

He confirmed that Kanu tendered the apology in his statement to the Department of State Service on realising that some of the things he said against Buhari and others were uncomplimentary considering the culture and values of the African society.

He said, “I denied the ruse making the rounds that my client apologised via a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, former President Goodluck Jonathan and some Igbo elders.

“I also challenged any reporter to forward to me a copy of the written letter addressed to the President et al. I still maintain my ground that my client Mazi Nnamdi Kanu did not address any letter of apology whatsoever to Buhari, Jonathan and Igbo elders.

“However, I am aware that in the course of making his statements to the SSS (DSS), he acknowledged the fact that certain words he used on these persons/elders during his broadcast were ‘uncomplimentary’ considering the culture and values of the African society to which he belongs.

“He further stated that he might write a letter of apology to the President to express his regret over the use of such words on him. But up until this moment, such letter, to my knowledge, has not been written. And I challenge anybody that has a copy of such to make it public.”

The PUNCH had reported that Kanu in an October 23, 2015 statement which he made to the DSS, expressed regrets for referring to President Buhari, as a terrorist, evil and a paedophile in a broadcast on Radio Biafra.

The PUNCH had however reported that the 48-year-old pro-Biafra agitation leader, who has been in the custody of the DSS since his arrest in Lagos on October 14, 2015, was unapologetic in his statement about his demand for a Republic of Biafra.

Why Kanu apologised to Buhari, others – Lawyer

Oyinlola’s lawyer loses practising licence over election case

The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee has expelled a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Kunle Kalejaye, from further practising as a lawyer.

Oyinlola

The LPDC disbarred Kalejaye after finding him guilty of professional misconduct. A five-man panel of the LPDC, led by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, conducted the investigation.

The LPDC found Kalejaye guilty of misconduct while representing the Peoples Democratic Party and its then candidate, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, at the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, where Oyinlola’s victory in the 2007 poll was being challenged by the then candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola.

Kalejaye was said to have engaged in a “confidential, private and confidential telephone conversation” with the Chairman of the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, Justice Thomas Naron, without the knowledge of the other party.

He allegedly engaged in the unprofessional act between March and June 2008 and the Justice Naron with whom he committed the misconduct had since February 20, 2013 been compulsorily retired by the National Judicial Council.

The Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ekiti Division, Justice Paul Galinje, who read the directive (judgment of the LPDC), held that the prosecution, the Nigerian Bar Association, proved its three count complaints against Kalejaye.

The NBA was represented by Jibrin Okutepa (SAN).

He held that Kalejaiye violated the provisions of sections 1, 15, 30, 31, 34 and 55 of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners (2007).

The panel directed the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court to delete his name from the roll (list) of legal practitioners in the country.

The committee also directed that its decision should be served on the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Chief Judges of all the states of the federation, the Chief Judge of Federal High Court, Chief Judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, the Inspector General of Police and all the states’ Commissioners of Police.

It also directed that the decision be published in the media.

Kalejaiye’s lawyer, Niyi Owolade, a former Attorney General of Osun State, had objected to the LPDC’s decision.

He said his client was about filing his appeal at the Supreme Court.

Under the Legal Practitioners Act, Kalejaiye has up to 28 days to appeal the decision, failing which it will become effective.

Kalejaiye represented the PDP and Oyinlola at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which heard the petition by the ACN and its candidate in the 2007 governorship election, Aregbesola.

The LPDC rejected Kalejaiye’s defence to the effect that his telephone number was cloned.

The committee held that while Kalejaye was able to show, by expert evidence, that spoofing as a general phenomenon was possible, he failed to show that spoofing was possible on the MTN network which owned the lines with which Kalejaiye and Naron communicated.

He was said to have only demonstrated such possibility with Etisalat and Glo networks.

The committee also faulted Kalejaiye’s documentary evidence, mostly newspaper publications (including advertorial sponsored by Kalejaiye), faulting the authenticity of the call log from MTN.

The committee said it would have been more helpful had Kalejaiye applied and got his call log from MTN to prove that the one tendered by the prosecution was not the actual one.

Oyinlola’s lawyer loses practising licence over election case

Lawyer sue Mbu, want his office vacant

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A Lagos-based lawyer, Tope Alabi, has urged a Federal High Court in Lagos to strip Joseph Mbu, the controversial Assistant Inspector-General of Police, AIG, of his police rank and declare his office vacant.

Joseph Mbu

In a suit FHC/L/CS/149/15, Mr. Alabi is seeking a declaration that Mr. Mbu, the first defendant, has abused his office and is unfit to be a police officer.

“It is in the interest of justice to declare the first defendant unfit to be and to remain a police officer in Nigeria, considering his public conduct all the time and to declare his position and seat vacant and a replacement made without delay,” Mr. Alabi said in his court papers.

A date is yet to be fixed for hearing.

Mr. Mbu, the newly posted AIG in charge of Zone 2, rose to infamy for his unguarded utterances as well as his recent clashes with politicians, civil society activists, and journalists.

Last week, while addressing police officers of the Ogun State Command, Mr. Mbu instructed them to be battle-ready to return “fire for fire” against politicians during the elections.

“If one of my men is killed, I shall kill 20 of them but don’t shoot first. If they shoot you, shoot back in self-defence. Anybody who fires you, fire him back in self-defence,” Mr. Mbu said.

In 2014, the #BringBackOurGirls protesters in Abuja slammed a N200 million damage suit against the Nigeria Police after Mr. Mbu banned their daily sit-ins to demand the release of the kidnapped Chibok girls.

The police hierarchy promptly reversed the ban and the suit was dropped.

Also, in 2014, Mr. Mbu detained and arraigned a journalist before a Magistrate for branding him ‘controversial’ during a TV programme.

The magistrate struck out the charges.

In 2013, while the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Mr. Mbu engaged in frequent verbal clashes with Rotimi Amaechi, the state governor, with the latter accusing him of an assassination plot.

Mr. Alabi said these acts by a serving police officer are enough to declare his office vacant and replaced “without further delay.”

Joined in the suit before the Lagos court are the Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, the Police Service Commission and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, as the second to fourth defendants.

As a senior police officer, according to Mr. Alabi, Mr. Mbu swore to uphold to the rule of law and abide by the Constitution, but has allegedly been behaving as if he is above the law.

“A prayer urging the court to determine whether Mbu is fit and proper to remain in office considering his controversial utterances and ‘his public misconduct,’ and whether the lives of Nigerians are not in danger as long as Mbu remains in office,” Mr. Alabi stated in his court filings.

The lawyer also wants the court to hold that Mr. Mbu’s threat, last week, is beyond his powers and therefore in breach of Section 308 (1) (b) of the 1999 Constitution.

Mr. Alabi also wants a declaration that his life and those of other Nigerians are in danger as long as Mr. Mbu remains in office, and that their rights cannot be guaranteed unless Mr. Mbu is removed.

Mr. Mbu had also told his men to arrest any erring governor before, during, or after the election.

The lawyer urged the court to stop Mr. Mbu from giving that order in line with Section 308 (1) (b) of the 1999 Constitution.

He also prayed for an order of perpetual injunction restraining Mr. Mbu from giving any orders during the March 28 and April 11 general elections.

Mr. Alabi said Mr. Mbu has no powers under the law to personally kill or direct officers under his control to kill innocent Nigerians in retaliation should any officer be attacked.

According to him, by Mr. Mbu’s utterance, he has chosen to flout the laws he swore to uphold as his statement is “capable of inciting mass killings, violence and anarchy”.

Mr. Alabi recalled that Mr. Mbu served in Rivers State and in the Federal Capital Territory where he continued to violate the Constitution by exhibiting “intolerant and unlawful” behaviour.

The lawyer also noted that the Inspector-General of Police’s distancing of himself from Mr. Mbu’s latest utterance by reiterating that the mandate of the police is to “save and protect lives and not to kill” is a testament of his over-reaching of his powers.

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Lawyer sue Mbu, want his office vacant

EFCC arrests lawyer with N1.5 million

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested a legal practitioner, Barrister Ayodele Owoka, 47, over allegations of bribery.

He was arrested on Thursday, February 27, 2014 at the Commission’s office in Ikoyi, Lagos as he attempted to bribe a team of operatives investigating a case of contract inflation, abuse of office, stealing, embezzlement and misappropriation of funds at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo State.

Upon his arrest, the suspect confessed that he offered the operatives N1.2 Million which was allegedly given to him by the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. O. A. Omotosho, to bribe the team to soft pedal on their investigations.

Ayodele confessed that Omotosho gave him a total sum of N1.5 Million but that he kept N300, 000 for his personal use and offered the operatives the balance of N1.2Million as bribe.

The EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the arrest and indicated that the suspect would soon be arraigned.

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EFCC arrests lawyer with N1.5 million