News
Terrorism trial: Nnamdi Kanu taking risky gamble – Inibehe Effiong
Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong says the self-acclaimed leader of the separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, is taking risks for abandoning his earlier plan to call witnesses in his ongoing terrorism trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Ekwutosblog had reported that the IPOB leader, on Monday, shelved his earlier plan to call witnesses in his defence.
The court had on October 24 adjourned the case till October 27 for the separatist to open his defence.
Kanu subsequently wrote to the court, indicating his intention to call witnesses and applied for witness summons, begging the court for time to study his case-file.
However, when the case was called on Monday, Kanu said he has gone through the case-file and has realised that there is no valid charge against him.
Reacting, Effiong in a post on X said “Kanu’s legal strategy is confusing at this point”, describing his latest move as a “very risky gamble”.
Effiong wrote, “The Court had previously overruled his No Case Submission.
“It is no longer open to him to contend that he has no case to answer.
“There are two options that he can explore: either he opens his defence, or he rests his case on the case of the prosecution.
“He has indicated that he no longer intends to open his defence.
“My understanding of the media reports of today’s proceedings is that Kanu believes that the prosecution has not proved the charges against him beyond reasonable doubt.
“If my assessment is wrong, then palpable confusion has ensued.
“However, the law is firmly settled that a defendant has no obligation to prove or establish his or her innocence.
“Since this defendant, Kanu, had pleaded not guilty to the charges, the court will now have to examine the evidence adduced by the prosecution to see whether the elements of the offences charged have been proven beyond reasonable doubt.
“The fact that Kanu has elected to pursue his case in this manner is not going to be construed as an admission of guilt.
“However, the evidence adduced by the prosecution team would be deemed as unchallenged, save for the evidence elicited under cross examination.
“The court will still have to determine whether on the basis of the admitted evidence, the prosecution has discharged the burden of proof placed on it in law.
“I don’t know who’s advising Kanu, or what his motivation is, but he is taking a very risky decision.”
The United States Mission in Nigeria has condemned the k!lling of more than 200 civilians in recent attacks on communities in Kwara State.
Recall that terrorists launched de@dly attacks on Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday night, k!lling unsuspecting citizens.
It was gathered that the gunmen invaded the villages, opened fire on residents and burned homes.
According to reports, the de@th toll from the unfortunate incident hit 200 on Thursday night.
Reacting, the US Mission Nigeria condemned the k!lling via a post on its official X handle.
The post reads, “The United States condemns the horrific attack in Kwara state in Nigeria, which claimed the lives of more than 160 people, with the de@th toll still unconfirmed and many still unaccounted for.
“We express our deepest condolences to the families of those affected by this senseless violence.
“We welcome President Tinubu’s order to deploy security forces to protect villages in the area and his directive to federal and state officials to provide aid to the community and bring the perpetrators of this atrocity to justice.”
News
“I’ll never settle for a barber, yahoo boy or a poor man” — nail tech’s list of men she says she can’t marry sparks reactions online
A Nigerian nail technician has set social media talking after openly listing the kind of men she says she can never settle for.
In a now-viral post, she stated clearly that she refuses to “settle for less” and went on to mention professions and traits she considers a no-go area.
According to her, she can never settle for a barber, an aza man, a yahoo boy, a mechanic, an actor, a laundry man, a hype man, or a plumber. She also added that she wouldn’t marry a man with a high body count or a poor man.
The Nigeria Police Force INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja has successfully repatriated the sum of Twenty-Three Thousand United States Dollars ($23,000) recovered from an international romance scammer to the victim in The Cayman Islands.
A statement from CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, spokesperson of the force, says the repatriation followed a request received from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service seeking assistance of the INTERPOL NCB Abuja to investigate a Nigerian national, Achufusi Obioma Ikenna, who defrauded a resident of the Cayman Islands through an online romance scam.
‘’Acting on the request, INTERPOL NCB Abuja conducted discreet, intelligence-led investigations which led to the arrest of the suspect and the recovery of the sum of $23,000.
Following the completion of all necessary documentation and in collaboration with international partners, the recovered funds were formally handed over to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, through the British High Commission in Abuja, represented by Mr. Shaun McLeary, for secure delivery to the victim.’’
Hundeyin added that the suspect will be arraigned at the conclusion of investigation.
US Reacts As De@th Toll In Kwara Terror Attacks Hits 200
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