Author Archives: Muhammadsiroj

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Kidnapping statistics in Nigeria Kidnapping statistic in Nigeria from 2015/2021 Kidnapping is the act of seizing and detaining or taking the person by unlawful force or by froud and often with demand for ranson, it involves taking a person from his family forcefully with out ther consent with the motive of holding the person as a hostage and earning a profit from their family. Kidnapping has now become generic world both in public and private discuss going by its prevalence in the country, the kidnappers who can be very erratic have been found to engage in the criminality for several complex motive ranging from unemployment, idleness, vengeance, rituals, monetary gain and political reason. The first act of kidnapping in Nigerian started in 2006 when the militant of the Niger delta took total hostage to protest the inequality in the region. The action which stated from the kidnapping of government expatriates has move to common man and their children, Nigerian politicians and their children religious leaders and the rest.in 2009 Reuters pointed out that a total of 512 kidnapping cases have been reported so far by the year up from 353 for all 2008.the situation went further worst in 20210 when four greajournalist and a driver travelling in a convoy of buses from a conference in uyo,akwa ibon state were kidnapped in abia state in their way back to Lagos from their hide out ,the abductors demanded a ransom of 250 million and later reduced vit to 30 millions.Statistics appear to support the views of analyst. In December 2009, Police Affairs Minister, disclosed that 512 cases of kidnapping had been recorded from January 2008 to June 2009 against 353 recorded in 2008. Rundown of the statistics indicates that Abia State led the pack with a total of 110 kidnapping incidents: Imo: 58,109 arrests, 41 prosecution and one is dead, Delta recorded 44 kidnap cases, 43 releases, 27 arrests, 31 prosecuted and one death, and Akwa Ibom recorded 40 kidnap cases, 418 arrests and 11 prosecutions .The report added that between July/September 2008 and July 2009, over 600 million was lost to kidnappers. But beyond statistics beingavailable, it is a known fact the most kidnap cases are never reported to the police authority for the fear of murder of the victims hence most families prefer to pay ransom to losing one of its own. For instance, in Kano, N80million ransom was allegedly paid to kidnappers for the release of Kano -base multi- millionaire businessman, without a recourse to the police authorities; an industrialist in Nnewi paid 70 million to regain his freedom from his captors; another multi-millionaire businessman was kidnapped

AONDOAKAA SPEAKS ON BEING BARRED FROM OCCUPYING PUBLIC OFFICE OR CONTESTING ELECTION. newsdirect.ng Feb 24, 2022 4:29 PM PRESS RELEASE IN RESPONSE TO THE MALICIOUS AND DISHONEST FALSEHOOD AGAINST THE PERSON OF CHIEF MICHAEL KAASE AONDOAKAA, SAN, FRONTLINE APC GOVERNORSHIP ASPIRANT, BENUE STATE. Our attention has been drawn to a statement of deliberate falsehood made on various Media platforms wherein it is alleged that the Supreme Court has barred Chief Michael Aondoakaa, SAN from holding public office in the Country for life. Ordinarily, we would not have joined issues with such baseless falsehood but to put records straight for the benefit of members of the public and to arm our supporters and political associates with facts, in orser to help correct any attempt by political opponents and anyone intending to put up similar mischief now or in future, we hereby state categorically that the said statement against Chief Aondoakaa is the handiwork of persons, who are unpopular and threatened by the popularity and fast rising support-base of the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, who is a frontline Benue State governorship aspirant under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Contrary to the said false allegations, we hereby refer to the judgment of the Supreme Court in the said APPEAL NO. SC.939/2015: MICHAEL K. AONDOAKAA, SAN vs. HON. EMMANUEL B. OBOT & 1 OR delivered on the 10th day of December, 2021 at Pages 21-22, Per Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili, JSC who (Presided over the Panel) where the Court held as follows: “These allegations, bordering also on criminality, are allegations of breach of paragraph 1 of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers. By paragraph 12 of part 1 of the said 5th Schedule to the Constitution: “Any allegation that a public officer has committed a breach of or has not complied with the provisions of this code shall be made to the Code of Conduct Bureau.” In paragraph 15(1) of part 1 of the said Schedule, the Code of Conduct Tribunal is established. Paragraph 18 of the said Schedule further provides: “1. Where the Code of Conduct Tribunal finds a public officer guilty of a contravention of any of the provisions of this code, it shall impose upon that officer any of the punishment specified under sub paragraph (2) of this paragraph and such other punishment as may be prescribed by the National Assembly. 2. The punishment, which the Code of Conduct Tribunal may impose, shall include any of the following: (a) Vacation of Office or seat in any legislative house, as the case may be; (b) Disqualification from membership of a legislative house and from the holding of any public office for a period not exceeding ten years.” His Lordship, Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili, JSC went further to hold in the aforesaid Judgment at Page 23 thereof, specifically on the issue of Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN holding public Office that: “Indeed, the issue of qualification for holding the office of the 2nd Respondent or any other public office does not arise.” This, certainly, when they read this in the judgments they realized that their efforts and evil thoughts have been put to shame. However, it is important to draw attention to the Provisions of the Constitution and the Code of Conduct as reproduced above by the Supreme Court in its judgment in the said APPEAL NO. SC.939/2015 to the effect that the period of ten years has long elapsed since the 1st day of June, 2010 when the Judgment of the trial Court in the suit giving rise to APPEAL NO. SC.939/2015: MICHAEL K. AONDOAKAA, SAN vs. HON. EMMANUEL B. OBOT & 1 OR was delivered by the Trial Court. Furthermore, the allegations that Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN used his public office to commit an unlawful act in pursuit of private and personal interest, upon which Judgment was obtained in the Original suit that gave rise to APPEAL NO. SC.939/2015: MICHAEL K. AONDOAKAA, SAN vs. HON. EMMANUEL B. OBOT & 1 OR has been discovered to be fraudulent and fabricated falsehood, as information received under the Freedom of Information Act from the Ministry of Justice of the Federation has clearly established that the payments in respect of the said Utan Brama case were made in the year 2006 by Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN, the predecessor in office to Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, well before Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN became the Attorney General of the Federation in July, 2007. Moreso, no payment was made in respect to the Utan Brama case during the tenure of Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN as Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and M.K. Aondoakaa and Co. Private Law Firm never represented the Utan Brama Victims at any time. It is pertinent to note that, nobody can hide the truth, it can only be delayed, and that people like the APC Frontiers Group and their cohorts must have now buried their faces in shame. The issue of the fraudulent obtainment of judgment in the Original Suit that gave rise to APPEAL NO. SC.939/2015: MICHAEL K. AONDOAKAA, SAN vs. HON. EMMANUEL B. OBOT & 1 OR has been reported to the Inspector General of Police and is also a matter now pending in Court and because the matter is already pending in Court, we cannot comment further. The learned silk spoke elaborately on the said issue during a radio phone-in programme “The Political Conversation” on Brothers FM 90.5 last Sunday 20th February, 2022, saying: “This is nothing other than people who are afraid of my popularity or reasons best known to them. Or may be they didn’t read the Supreme Court Judgement. But I have given you the copy of the judgement and the paragraph that is relevant to the issue. It reads in part…”indeed the issue of qualification for holding the office of the second respondent or any other public office does not arise.” The second respondent in this case is the office of the Attorney General of the Federation which I held at that time. “For whatever reason, some people were happy. This was a private dispute between me and somebody. When I left government, they could have accused me of corruption but there was nothing of such despite the hostile manner I parted government of my handling of late PresidentYar’adua medical vacation crisis. I was in Rome, doing a UNDROIT job, then the case was in the peak of the aftermath of the late Yar’adua Medical vacation crisis and his Excellency date ” Somebody filed an action against me and the Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation at Federal High Vourt Court calabar ,which I was not aware of it . He served it on the Ministry of Justice and by February 10th 2010 , I was removed from office, I was not aware of the case. Infact, the issue was funny, that in 1996, I Michael Kaase Aondoakaa had a law firm called M K Aondoakaa and Co, represented Utan Brama Fire Disaster Community in Akwa Ibom State. I was barely about 10years at the bar. That I represented the Utan Brama Fire Disaster community in Akwa ibom State and when I became Attorney General I paid the money and had personal interest with them because of the payment amounting to conflict of interest. Look at how easy they would have taken me to ICPC or EFCC or Code of Conduct. Somebody sued me for that. “Federal Ministry of Justice,Portharcourt office went there and filed a defence for office of Attorney General of the Federation but did not file defence for me because i was no longer Attorney General of the Federation at the time the case was held in June 2010. The Senior State Counsel Mrs Akpan who filed conditional memorandum of appeal also on my behalf did not appear at the hearing of the matter. I have have seen or met Mrs Akpan in my life though she might have entered appearance for me and the Office of Attorney General of the Federation in her normal official status as the resident State Counsel in at portharcourt zonal office of the Federal Ministry of Justice.I was not aware of the case and judgement was entered against me. The issue is now in court again because when I came back after this judgement, we sought from the current Hon. Attorney General to find out what really happened…may be I made the said payment but I was sure that in 1996 I was practicing in Gboko and I wonder how I could have gone to represent people in Akwa ibom state. I Sought the aforesaid under Freedom of Information Act , and we got a shocker which is now a matter pending in court. The said payment was done in 2006 by my predecessor (,former Attorney General). The amount the plaintiff accused me to have paid was 414million and I was still negotiating to pay judgment debt interest amounting to 700million naira. . What my predecessor actually paid was 350Million in 2006 as full and final payment by consent of the parties in the matter . Furthermore that my law firm MK Aondoakaa &Co never acted for Utam Brama Fire Disaster Community . The case was decided based on sworn affidavit evidence of the Plaintiff which facts therein were uncontested because I had no defence being unaware of the case. The lawyers from Federsl Ministry of Justice did appear in court during the hearing of the case. Relying on several authorities of the Supreme Court which says a judgement obtained by fraud can be set aside as being a tortuous wrong, we went back to court and the matter is in court, so I will not comment further. I have served them and they have joined issues. Now that they said on oath that I am the one who made the payment in Utan Brama Fire Disaster case and had personal interest by also representing the said Utan Brama in a private capacity but under the Freedom of Information the Office of the Attorney of the Federation has confirmed that the money was paid in 2006 and I became Attorney General of the Federation in 2007. iam back in court on the grounds of obtaining judgement against me by fraud. I have reported the fraud to Inspector General for investigation. That truth can only be delayed but can never hidden forever. “In any case, I read the judgement which says it has nothing to do with me holding public office or contesting election.They don’t read the Constitution. What does the Constitution say? It says even if you are convicted of breach of Code of Conduct of public office or an offence involving dishonesty, it is only for 10years. Section 182 of the Constitution i and the Code of Conduct Schedule 15 are very clear. This judgement was given in June 2010 at the heat of the crisis which involved me at the initial time of PresidentJonathan administration over the manner late President Yar’adua Medical vacation was handled and my stand over the matter “From June 2010 to June 2020, is that not 10years? But they are narrow-minded. Instead of coming to say on the table, this is what I have for Benue people, it is Aondoakaa they want to face. The judgement is there in the Supreme court and I have given a copy to whoever wants to read it,” he said. We, therefore state that rather than hide to disseminate false and misleading information against the person of Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, those who are interested in contending with the candidacy of the APC or outside the party with Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN should prepare and get ready to test their popularity by confronting Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN at the APC Governorship Primaries or any other legitimate forum, rather than hide behind a faceless Social Media Group like the so called “APC Frontier Group” to spill deliberate falsehood and mischief. We call on our teeming Supporters to intensify campaigns and to work hard to ensure the victory of Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN as the Benue State APC Governorship candidate and eventually the Governor of Benue State come 2023. Together, we will make it!

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Supreme Court Bars Ex-Attorney General, Aondoakaa For Life From Holding Public Office In Nigeria worshipmedia.ca Feb 23, 2022 10:59 PM A former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Michael Aondoakaa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has been barred from holding public office in the country for life. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun of the Supreme Court in a unanimous judgment delivered on December 10, 2021, affirmed a judgment of the Court of Appeal, Calabar division, which had earlier upheld a Federal High Court decision that barred the former Minister under late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s administration from occupying public office in Nigeria. In the Court of Appeal’s judgement on June 1, 2010, Justice A.F.A. Ademola ordered, “1. A declaration is hereby made that the 2nd Defendant undermined and subverted the rule of law, the due administration of justice and integrity of the judiciary in the letters of 8th January, 2008 and 16th February 2009 written by him in the capacity of the Defendant. “2. A declaration is hereby made that 2nd Defendant is not a competent, fit and proper person to hold office as the 1st Defendant having regards to the oaths of Allegiance and office. “3. N50,000,000,00 exemplary damages is hereby awarded against the 1st and 2nd Defendants in favour of the plaintiff. “4. A perpetual injunction is hereby made restraining the 2nd Defendant from occupying/holding the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and public offices in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” But In the matter titled, SC.939/2015, Aondoakaa had asked the Supreme Court to upturn the judgment delivered by Appellate Court on September 3, 2015. The five-man judicial panel at the Supreme Court, which also awarded N2million against the appellant in favour of the 1st respondent (Emmanuel Obot), were Justices Mary Peter-Odili, Kekere-Ekun, Mohammed Lawal Garba, Ibrahim Saulawa and Emmanuel Agim. A 58-page certified true copy of the judgment stated that, “The appellant (Aondoakaa), as the Chief Law Officer of the Federation and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria to boot was reckless and acted in a manner most unbecoming of the occupant of such an exalted office.” Aligning with position held by Justice Olubunmi Oyewole in the Court of Appeal judgment, Kekere-Ekun quoted reasons advanced by the lower court in its decision. Oyewole was of the view that “The fact leading to this appeal captured a most sordid low in administration of justice in this country. “It is unthinkable that the occupier of the exalted office of Attorney General would subvert the ends of justice, as was crudely done in this case by the appellant. Public office is a sacred trust and an Attorney General should epitomize all that is good and noble in the legal profession. That office should never again be occupied by individuals of such poor quality as the appellant. “It is ironic that the appellant should approach the same temple he so brazenly desecrated for succor against the consequences of his appalling conduct. “To restore the dignity of the legal profession and reinforce the confidence of the administration of justice. The Nigerian Bar Association is invited to the facts of this case and the judicial reactions thereto and subject the appellant to its appropriate disciplinary processes.” The facts prompting the litigations, which had dragged on for 15 years, is traceable to the People’s Democratic Party primary election held in December 2006 for nomination of candidate for Uyo Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State for the general elections of April 2007. Obot, who emerged winner of the primary election, was substituted with the name of Bassey Etim after he (Obot) was “duly presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the PDP candidate.” On December 12, 2007, the Court of Appeal, Calabar division in appeal numbered CA/C/45/2007 delivered judgment in favour of Obot, ordering the President of the Court of Appeal to set up a new Tribunal to adjudicate over Obot’s petition in Uyo. Following a petition he received from Etim, Aondoakaa, in his capacity as the AGF, wrote a letter to the President of the Court of Appeal, urging him not to comply with the decision of the Court of Appeal, Calabar division, which had ordered the constitution of new panel of judges to hear the matter. Notwithstanding Aondoakaa’s letter, the President of the Court of Appeal went ahead by setting up a new panel of judges in compliance with the order of the court. The new panel gave judgment on April 18, 2008 that Obot be sworn into the House of Representatives as the member representing Uyo Federal Constituency, and Etim’s appeal to the Court of Appeal was dismissed with an order that INEC should issue Certificate of Return to Obot. Curiously, though by virtue of Section 246(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the decisions of the Court of Appeal are final regarding appeals emanating from National and State Houses of Assembly elections, the former AGF wrote to the then chairman of INEC, Maurice Iwu, urging him not to obey the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which he described in the letter as “obvious desecration of the institution of the judiciary.” At the same time, he also wrote to the Speaker of the House of Representatives advising him to disregard the judgment but “to allow the status quo ante to remain until the last word is heard from the Supreme Court.” Consequent upon Aondoakaa’s letters to the INEC chairman and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Obot was not issued Certificate of Return nor sworn into the office he was elected to serve the people of Uyo Federal Constituency, hence he slammed a law suit on May 15, 2009 against the then AGF in his personal and official capacity at the Federal High Court, Calabar division through his lawyer, Uwemedimo Nwoko (SAN).  

NEWSNEMA receives 159 Nigerians from Libya, cautions against ‘greener pastures’Published on February 23, 2022 By Wale Odunsi  The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), on Wednesday, received 159 Nigerians stranded from Libya. They landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos. NEMA Director-General, Habib Mustapha, represented by the Acting Coordinator, Lagos Territorial Office, Ibrahim Farinloye spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). The Nigerians arrived at the Cargo Wing of the MMIA at about 7.10p.m. with Al Buraq Airline with registration number 5A-DMG. They returned with the support of International Organisation for Migration (IOM) through a voluntary repatriation programme for the distressed. The returnees are 67 male adults, 80 female adults, six male and four female children, with two infants (one male and one female). “It is normal in life to struggle for better and improved livelihoods but in the struggle, we must avoid endangering our lives. There is nowhere in the world that its citizens will not have to strive in attaining good life within the limited resources available in that country. “Nigeria is well endowed far more than most countries that young Nigerians are travelling to in seeking greener pastures that are no longer there,” he said. The NEMA chief urged citizens to look inward and take advantage of the countless opportunities in the country. The Nigeria Immigration

The National Assembly has renewed the move to grant life pension for its presiding officers.  They include the Senate President, Deputy Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives as well as his deputy. Many Nigerians would think this matter was dead due to the outrage it received from some civil society organisations and some notable individuals the first time the proposal was made on the floor of the Senate. Over N7.8bn is already being spent to service the life pensions of all former Presidents, be it military or civilian, and their vices as enshrined in the 1999 constitution (Section 84(5).)  And the proposal to add the principal officers of the National Assembly to this list has resurfaced. The current leadership of the National Assembly, comprising the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila; and their deputies may be the first to benefit. The National Assembly’s Joint Special Ad Hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution made this revelation on Wednesday. The Committee presented its report, containing 68 recommendations in the respective chambers, yesterday, and that proposal was one of them. Recommendation 16 reads, “That the House does receive the report of the Special Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution on a Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide Pension for Presiding Officers of the National Assembly; and for Related Matters.”  Recall that when this particular proposal was first raised during the Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogsra-led Eight Assembly, it was vehemently rejected by Nigerians and some notable civil rights groups, such as the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), who had described it as self-serving and despicable. SERAP had further called on Saraki and Dogara to show leadership and refocus the National Assembly to perform their law-making functions.  The rights group was worried that this proposal was being made by some former governors in the Senate, who are already enjoying ‘pensions’ for serving as governors for eight years in their States. The approval of the life pension would amount to a gross “injustice and double jeopardy for millions of Nigerian pensioners who continue to be denied the fruit of their labour in old age,” the group had said in a statement issued in Abuja by Adetokunbo Mumuni, SERAP’s Executive Director, on Sunday, June 19, 2016. by TaboolaPromoted Links You May Lik