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I Will Not Stand Before The House – Jibrin
Read his statement below:
I attended the sitting of the House today and carefully observed the proceedings concerning the allegations of budget fraud and corruption I leveled against Speaker Dogara and 3 other Principal Officers. But rather than open up the matter for discussion in view of the public interest it has generated and allow me to brief my colleagues, an opportunity I have been denied for several months, Mr Speaker deployed some legislative tricks and theatrics to save the day.
In a move that smacks of abuse of process, Speaker Dogara granted under point of order, an opportunity to the Chairman of Business and Rules Committee who started with a speech then suddenly transited to a motion under privilege – a clear case of manipulation and gross abuse of the House rule. This is the easiest resort since the attempts to secure a vote of confidence had woefully failed.
The motion was therefore passed and referred to the Committee on Ethics and Privilege with one week to submit its report.
The grand plan is to dilute the ongoing external investigation by the police and EFCC and use the Ethics Committee for a soft landing.
But what happened on the floor of the House today is just the end of another beginning. I have never lived with the illusion that this matter will be a sprint, knowing the deeply rooted corrupt interest of a few cabal in the House headed by Speaker Dogara. I have all the stamina and agility to go the marathon and ensure justice is served. I have said repeatedly I stand by my allegations and will continue this struggle to expose the 2016 budget fraud and corruption in the House even if I am alone.
Many members of the House, including myself, completely disagree with this approach because it will mean that the Speaker is superintending over his investigation and that clearly makes him a judge in his own case.
The allegations I raised are too grievous to be reduced to such process open to manipulation and teleguiding. I will therefore continue to cooperate with the anti-graft agencies who are already investigation the matter and will also proceed to build a massive coalition with Civil Society Organisations and other well-meaning Nigerians to ensure that this matter is not swept under the carpet of the Green Chamber. The House of Representatives belongs to Nigerians not only the 360 members.
Despite all these and since I can substantiate the allegations I raised with cogency, I will take up the opportunity provided by the Ethics committee to state my case under the condition that the hearing will be public and will allow the Press, CSOs, NGOs, NLC, ASUU, NANS, NBA and the general public to witness the entire proceedings.
This is the only way that I can have the comfort and confidence that the proceedings, the investigations and the outcome will not be manipulated or compromised. I am ready to appear before the committee even today if the proceedings will be public. Predictably, in his speech, Mr Speaker tried to drag the entire House into the matter to give the impression that the entire House is the accused.
I wish to state for the umpteenth times that the allegations I raised are against the quartet of Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Deputy Speaker Yusuf Lasun, House Whip Alhassan Doguwa, Minority Leader Leo Ogor and few other members NOT the Honourable House as an institution. You will recall that Mr Speaker had tried unsuccessfully in the past to drag other institutions and even individuals outside the House into this matter. It will be tragic if the House condones a situation where some few corrupt members will commit offense then use the institution of the House as a shield to evade justice. This is the script Speaker Dogara is trying to implement.
It is a known fact that the Speaker was able to rally support at the zonal caucus meetings he organized Monday night, applying heavy blackmail on members which involves issues of systemic corruption. I wish to call on members to live above such blackmail and deal urgently and decisively with these allegations of individual corruption by the Speaker and few others. Anything short of this, will drag the entire House into a scandal that it has never witnessed. This is what the Speaker and his few cabals want. Typical of a drowning person, he wants everybody to go down with him. We must not allow ourselves to fall into his trap.
The bad news for Nigerians is that in the face of such grievous allegations against the Speaker, which members are aware of, and his decision to sit tight, he has become a lame duck Speaker. But even more painfully is the fact that we will continue to call though in the short run such fraudulent and corrupt persons in Dogara, Lasun, Doguwa and Ogor number 4 citizen and principal officers of the House respectively.
Let me use this opportunity to reassure Nigerians that the struggle has just begun.
News
IGP Never Ordered Beating, Attacks On Policemen During Stop And Search. It Is A Lie – FPRO
The Nigeria Police Force wishes to address a viral fake news story that has emerged, claiming that Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM., has instructed citizens to physically assault and throw stones at police officers who request to search their phones.
This claim is entirely false and has no basis in reality. The IGP has not issued any such directive encouraging violence against law enforcement officers. Instead, he has called on citizens to report instances of police misconduct through appropriate channels. This approach underscores the importance of accountability and maintaining the rule of law, rather than resorting to violent actions.
Members of the public are urged to make use of the following Police helplines & contacts to lay complaints whenever necessary: +2347056792065, +2349133333785, +2349133333786, @PoliceNG on X, @ngpolice on Facebook, and @nigeriapoliceforce on Instagram. Citizens can also contact us by mail through; pressforabuja@police.gov.ng and reach us through the police website at npf.gov.ng
Members of the public are advised to remain vigilant against misinformation and verify information through credible sources. The Nigeria Police Force remains committed to fostering a cooperative and trustful relationship between the police and the communities they serve.
ACP OLUMUYIWA ADEJOBI, mnipr, mipra, fCAI
FPRO, ABUJA.
22ND DECEMBER 2024.
News
Court stops customs from seizing imported rice in markets, seaports
A court of appeal in Kaduna has ruled that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) should not impound foreign rice in the open market or on highways.
In a judgment delivered on December 6, a three-member panel of justices led by Ntong Ntong held that existing laws restrict NCS’ enforcement to land borders only.
The judgment was delivered in an appeal filed by the NCS, against a decision of the federal high court that acquitted one Suleiman Mohammed, a businessman, of charges related to the importation of rice.
Customs had arrested Mohammed after seizing a truck carrying 613 bags of foreign rice and 80 bags of millet belonging to the businessman on June 14, 2019, along the Kaduna-Zaria expressway.
Mohammed was charged and arraigned on a two-count charge.
However, in a judgment delivered on November 10, 2021, Z. B. Abubakar, trial judge, acquitted the defendants of the charges.
Abubakar held that the plaintiffs (customs) failed to adduce enough evidence to prove that the defendant imported the goods.
The judge also held that there is no subsisting blanket ban on the importation of foreign rice as claimed by the plaintiffs.
“…the evidence led by the prosecution through PW1, PW2, PW3 and the Exhibits tendered has not established that the Defendant imported Exhibit ‘NCS B1-B612’. Even the investigation conducted by the complainant (Nigeria Customs Service Board) on Exhibit ‘NCS B1-B612,” the judge held.
“As a matter of fact, Exhibit ‘NCS D’ could not reveal who imported the said Exhibits or where they imported from.
“It should be borne in mind that importation of foreign rice is not absolutely or totally prohibited. It is only importation of the product through the land borders of this country that was proscribed by the Federal Government vide Circular No. NCS/TXT/1XE/045/S.416/VOL.1X of 18th March, 2016. The circular provided that foreign rice only be imported into the country through seaports.”
The trial judge held that the prosecution failed to show that the goods were imported through land borders, adding that “the said exhibits could have been imported through the seaport, and the court is entitled to presume so”.
Furthermore, the lower court held that “loading any foreign rice into a truck is not an offence under both Sections 46(b) and 47(1) (a) (ii) of Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) (Supra)”.
“It is the landing or unloading of goods or foreign rice at designated customs port CA/K/33/C/2022 or wharf that is prohibited by the aforementioned provisions of the Act,” the judge ruled.
‘APPEAL IS A HOAX’
Aggrieved by the trial court’s judgment, NCS filed an appeal.
However, the appellate court commended the trial court judge for “doing justice in the evaluation of the law and evidence adduced before it”.
Ntong said he agreed with the arguments put forward by the respondent’s lawyer and the judgment of the trial court.
“Truly, I also agree with the learned trial judge, that Kaduna-Zaria expressway is not a “Land border” as stipulated by the law and Exhibit “NCS D,” the justice held.
“Importation of foreign rice in any wise is not generally prohibited. It is restricted to land borders alone.
“If I were in the shoes of the appellant (NCS), I would have honourably thrown in the towel as this appeal is simply a hoax, a fluke and unmeritorious whatsoever.
“From the evidence in the Record of Appeal, the Respondent was merely a purchaser for value and not an importer. The Appellant ought to have arrested the importer and not a mere purchaser from open market with a receipt of purchase Exhibit NCS D.
“How can a fowl leave to attack who killed it to pursue who is de-feathering it? This is an Annang-African Idiom that means the Appellant ought not to shut its eyes away from the importer and be chasing petty traders and consumers who buy from the open market. After all prohibited or contraband goods always pass through the borders which are the beats of the Appellant.”
Consequently, the court dismissed the appeal in favour of the respondents.
The court further ordered customs to return all the goods seized from the businessman in 2019 or pay him the money equivalent.
“Consequently, the Appellant is hereby ordered to release or cause the release of the 613 bags of foreign rice, 80 bags of millet, Exhibit “C” and DAF truck with Registration Number: 57 BS 45 impounded and confiscated from the Respondent on 14th June, 2019 to the said Respondent Suleiman Mohammed or his representative forthwith,” the judge ruled.
“Where it has become difficult or impossible to return the items aforesaid, the Appellant shall pay to the Respondent a sum of money equivalent to the current price or cost of the items aforementioned.”
News
Many feared dead as rice distribution causes stampede in Anambra
An unconfirmed number of residents of Okija community in Anambra state have reportedly lost their lives in a stampede.
TheCable understands that the stampede occurred on Saturday morning during an event for the distribution of rice.
Victims of the stampede are mostly women.
Multiple social media videos seen by TheCable show lifeless bodies laying on the ground after the incident.
Some victims have reportedly been taken to nearby hospitals.
Charles Aburime, the chief press secretary to the Anambra governor, confirmed the incident when contacted.
Aburime said the state government is monitoring the situation and would soon release a statement.
The incident is coming a few days after over 35 people, mostly children, died during a stampede at a carnival in Ibadan, Oyo state capital.
The Anambra stampede is the second rice distribution-related mishap in 2024.
In March, some students of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, were killed in a stampede during the distribution of rice donated by the state government.
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