The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offence Commission (ICPC) has been commended for upholding the tenets of human rights in its operations in the fight against corruption in Nigeria.

Governor of Ebonyi State, David Nweze Umahi, made the commendation while declaring open a two-day workshop organised by the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), for top local government officials of Ebonyi State held at ICPC headquarters in Abuja.

Speaking further at the event tagged “Anti-Corruption, Ethics and Integrity Training for Officials of Ebonyi State Local Government Council”, Governor Umahi expressed his appreciation of ICPC’s meticulous investigations and adherence to due process by not detaining suspects arbitrarily or subjecting them to media trials.

He also praised the Commission’s preventive approach in the fight against corruption, noting that it was proactive and more enduring in results.

According to him, the trainings organised by ICPC for government officials in Nigeria would go a long way in ensuring that corruption was prevented rather than allowing it to happen and lead to the waste of the nation’s resources in the prosecution of corruption cases.

The Governor urged Nigerians to practice and uphold integrity saying “when integrity is lost, everything is lost”. He added that the practice of integrity by leaders would ensure that the dividends of democracy would be delivered to the masses and the future of Nigeria is secured.

Gov. Umahi encouraged ACAN to develop a curriculum of study with ethics as the major theme and offered Ebonyi State University to be used as a pilot institution for the curriculum.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the workshop, the Acting Chairman of ICPC, Abdullahi Bako, said ACAN was established with the aim of curbing corruption in Nigeria, adding that through training, good governance and development would be achieved at the grassroots.

Bako explained that the plan of ICPC is to use the various training modules of the anti-corruption academy to change the perception of Nigeria as being corrupt.

The ICPC Acting Chairman added that the Commission was ready to partner with state chief executives like the Governor of Ebonyi State, who are willing to fight corruption in their respective states.

Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs of Ebonyi State, Mr. Samuel Okoronkwo, in his address commended the state governor for his “zero tolerance to corruption” and the opportunity given to local government officials to be trained on ethics, which he said would boost anti-corruption drive in the state.

The Chairman of Fiscal Responsibility Commission in Ebonyi State, Nwigwe Vincent, who also spoke in the same vein, urged participants to use the opportunity to be conversant with anti-corruption laws.

The Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Francis Nwifuru, in his address said Governor Umahi’s approval of the training for local government functionaries in the state would promote integrity and assured that participants would abide by the principles of integrity and accountability

In his address, the Provost of ACAN, Professor Sola Akinrinade, said the Governor of Ebonyi State had displayed an uncommon commitment to the anti-corruption campaign by being the first governor to be physically present at a training held for local government functionaries by ACAN.

He advised participants at the workshop to ensure that they made use of whatever they learnt to promote the fight against corruption.

Bako presented educational materials and a plaque to Governor Umahi and also appointed him as Anti-Corruption Chief Commander.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, has demanded an order of the FCT High Court restraining the Senate Committee set up for the investigation of allegations against him from hearing or reaching a decision.

The fundamental rights enforcement suit, which was filed yesterday by his lawyers: Charles Ogoli, Emmanuel Anene and Solomon Ayangkong Ikongshul, joined Senate President Bukola Saraki and the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as respondents in the matter.

The IGP also wants the court to restrain the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and the entire Senate from receiving and discussing any report submitted to it by the said committee.

The IGP stated that one Senator Isa Misau, while raising matter of urgent national importance between September and October 2017 accused him of mounting road blocks across Nigeria with the purpose of extorting money from unsuspecting motorists.

He also stated that the said senator, in his motion, also accused him of collecting illegal fees by way of security protections given to corporate organisations, eminent citizens and oil companies running into billions of Naira.

IGP Idris also stated that Misau accused him of having “unwholesome relationship with female officers in the force.”

He further stated that, “without the first Respondent having regard to the relevant constitutional requirements in respect of the 2nd Respondent’s role in investigations of allegations, he in reaction to these frivolous allegations quickly constituted a committee consisting members of the 2nd Respondent to look into the matter.”

A date has not been fixed for hearing in the matter.

By Chinyere Obia

The Supreme Court has fixed January 25, 2018, to decide on the bail appeal filed by former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retired).

The appeal hinged on the alleged refusal of Federal Government to obey bail orders granted Dasuki by three different courts in the country.

The apex court fixed the January 2018 date yesterday after counsel to Dasuki, Joseph Daudu (SAN) and counsel to the Federal Government, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), regularised all processes they filed in respect of the suit so as to set the stage for hearing.

Justice Datijo Mohammed, who led four other Justices at the proceedings, adjourned the matter till the appointed date after clearing all hurdles on the substantive matter.

Dasuki has been in the custody of the Department of State Security (DSS), since December 29, 2015.

In the instant appeal, he is praying the Supreme Court for an order compelling the Federal government to obey the bail granted him by courts in the three different charges brought against him by the same Federal government.

In the alternative, he wants the apex court to stop his trial at both the Federal High Court and the Federal Capital Territory High Courts, pending the time the government will allow him to enjoy the bail granted him, and enable him prepare adequately for his defence in the three separate criminal charges against him.

In his brief of argument settled by Joseph Daudu and Ahmed Raji both Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Dasuki recalled that sometime in 2015, he was arraigned before a Federal High Court, Abuja, on charges of unlawful possession of firearms and money laundering.

The appellant claimed that based on his applications, he was admitted to bail on various conditions by the Federal High Court to enable him prepare for his defence for which he subsequently met all the bail conditions.

The ex-NSA also claimed that he was thereafter taken to two FCT High Courts with separate charges on money laundering, conspiracy and breach of trust, and that on the strength of his application, justices Hussein Baba Yusuf and Peter Affem in their separate decisions admitted him to bail in compliance with the law, to enable him have adequate preparation for his defence in the criminal charges against him.

The appellant further claimed that on December 29, 2015, at the Kuje Prisons, and shortly after perfecting the third bail conditions, the operatives of DSS swooped on him and took him to their custody without fresh charges, thereby disobeying the court orders on the bail matter.

He further claimed that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court in a judgment delivered by Justice Friday C. Nwoke, ordered his immediate release since 2016, in a suit for enforcement of fundamental rights he instituted against the Federal Government, and that up till now, the decision of the regional court has not been obeyed.

He therefore prayed the apex court for an order compelling the respondent to obey all orders in respect of his bail to enable him have unfettered access to his legal team for the purpose of defending himself in the criminal charges slammed on him.

But the respondent in the brief of argument settled by Jacobs, maintained that all orders in respect of the bail granted the appellant by the three high courts have been obeyed at the point of his release at Kuje Prisons, after perfecting the bail conditions on December 29, 2015.

He therefore prayed the court to dismiss the claim of the appellant, adding that the respondent has legally obeyed all orders on the bail issue.

The apex court is expected to determine the issue on January 25, 2018.

By Chinyere Obia

The Community Court of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has imposed a N18 million fine against the Federal Government in judgment of a cases of violation of the fundamental human rights of one Dorothy Njemanze and two other Nigerians.

The court judgment read by Justice Friday Chijioke Nwoke of the three-man panel, after over 25 minutes, rendered the award of sums of N6 million each to parties: Justina Etim, Amarachi Jessyford and popular actress, Dorothy Njamenze to be paid by the Federal Government for the unlawfully arresting, detaining and declaring the parties as prostitutes in Abuja.

Justice Nwoke ordered the Nigerian government to pay the sums to the three ladies as compensation for humiliation and inhuman treatment they suffered during their arbitrary arrest and proclamation as prostitute.

Justice Nwoke held that the Nigerian government was liable for the arbitrary arrest and detention of the plaintiffs carried out by military operatives, police and officials of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board who claimed to be acting on the directive of the federal government.

The judge further held that the government’s pronouncement in declaring the three ladies commercial sex workers was a gross violation of their rights to dignity because there was no shred of evidence from the defendants for doing so other than mere suspicion that they were outside in the late hours.

The court agreed with counsel to the plaintiffs, Bolaji Gabari, that there was no law in the Nigerian statute book prohibiting women from being outside in the late hours. Besides, the court held that the defendant acted in bad faith and in gross violation of the fundamental rights of the plaintiffs to the freedom of movement by arresting and detaining them at the Gwarimpa Police Station in Abuja without informing them on the reasons for the arrest and without charging them to court for any known offence.

Justice Nwoke judgment further held that the violent, cruel, inhuman, degrading discriminatory and unlawful treatment meted out to the plaintiffs by the law enforcement agents of the Federal Government in Abuja was a condemnable act because the violation of rights of the plaintiffs to human dignity was carried out in breach of all known human rights laws.

He further held that from the totality of the evidence adduced during the hearing of the matter and from the totality of the claims of the plaintiffs, it is clear to the court that the action of the defendants was targeted at women in the discriminatory ways and manners, adding that when women are seen on the streets does not necessarily mean that they are prostitute except and unless there are cogent reasons and evidence to hold such a position.

The ECOWAS Court further said that the actions of the law enforcement agents against the plaintiffs were painful on the grounds that after the arrest of the plaintiffs and their dumping in detention, the Federal Government did not consider it necessary through its security agents to carry out thorough investigation on the arrested ladies to determine their status better merely went out of its way to pronounce them prostitutes without any cogent evidence.

He said: “The right to human dignity is the most fundamental human rights and unless legislation permits, no one must be deprived of the right to human dignity. In the instant case the action of the defendant runs contrary to all laws on human rights because the arbitrary arrest, detention and declaration of the plaintiffs as a class of prostitute was not premised on any known law.

“At any rate discriminatory treatment, cruel and inhuman treatment meted out to the plaintiffs in this case cannot be said to be in good faith for whatever reasons other than the fact that their fundamental rights to human dignity have been violently violated and as such each of the plaintiff is hereby awarded six million naira each to be paid by the defendant for the unlawful action against the citizens,” the judge held.

Justice Nwoke admitted that law enforcement agents under the law may have powers to make lawful arrest but such power to make lawful arrest becomes unlawful when the power of arrest is arbitrarily carried out, as in the instant case.

Reacting to the judgment outside the court, Dorothy Njamenze, who wept bitterly shortly after the judgment was handed down against the government, thanked the court for doing justice to the government’s unlawful claim of declaring her a prostitute.

She also expressed optimism that, with the judgment, the government will now do away with all laws and policies targeted at discriminating against the women folk.

Also reacting to the judgment, Chetach Loius Udeh, Progamme Officer, Gender Justice Project for Alliances for Africa, whose organisation coordinated the court action for the plaintiffs, pleaded with the Nigerian government to learn from the court judgment by dropping all actions aimed at exposing women to unnecessary ridicule, cruel, inhuman treatment and all forms of discrimination in the interest and fair play.

By Chinyere Obia