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JUST IN: ECOWAS Court declares Twitter ban unlawful

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Economic Community of West African States’ Court has declared “unlawful” the suspension of Twitter by the Federal Government.

The court also ordered the regime of the President Muhammadu Buhari “never to repeat it again”.

This followed a suit by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project and 176 concerned Nigerians, according to SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, announced the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria following the deletion of Buhari’s tweet.

Then the FG also threatened to arrest and prosecute anyone using Twitter in the country, while the National Broadcasting Commission asked all broadcast stations to suspend the patronage of Twitter.

But in the judgment delivered on Thursday, the ECOWAS court declared that it has the jurisdiction to hear the case, and that the case was therefore admissible.

The Court also held that the act of suspending the operation of Twitter is unlawful and inconsistent with the provisions of Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights both of which Nigeria is a state party.

“The Buhari administration in suspending the operations of Twitter violates the rights of SERAP and 176 concerned Nigerians to the enjoyment of freedom of expression, access to information and the media, as well as the right to a fair hearing,” the court ruled.

The Court also ordered the Buhari’s regime to take necessary steps to align its policies and other measures to give effect to the rights and freedoms and to guarantee a non-repetition of the unlawful ban of Twitter.

The Court also ordered Buhari’s regime to bear the costs of the proceedings and directed the Deputy Chief Registrar to assess the costs accordingly.

Reacting to the judgment, SERAP’s lawyer in the suit, Femi Falana, SAN, said, “We commend the ECOWAS Court for the landmark judgment in the case of SERAP v Federal Republic of Nigeria in which the Judges unanimously upheld the human rights of community citizens to freedom of expression, and access to information.

“Even though the Court had granted an interim order of injunction last year which restrained the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami SAN from prosecuting Nigerians who defied the Twitter ban, SERAP deserves special commendation for pursuing the matter to a logical conclusion.

“Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and the full enjoyment of this right is central to achieving individual freedom and to developing democracy. It is not only the cornerstone of democracy, but indispensable to a thriving civil society.

“With the latest decision of the Court to declare the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria illegal it is hoped that the Heads of State and Governments of the member states of the Economic Community of West African States will henceforth respect and uphold the human right of the community to freedom of expression guaranteed by Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.”

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LASTMA rescues driver trapped in Lagos highway crash

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Operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority have rescued a truck driver who was trapped in a life-threatening accident while driving along Mobolaji Johnson Avenue along Alausa in Ikeja.

This was disclosed in a statement made available to our correspondent by the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq on Friday.

According to the statement, the driver whose truck was overloaded with nylon materials was involved in the ghastly accident and was rescued by LASTMA operatives who provided a swift response to the accident scene.

The statement reads, “In a harrowing accident earlier today, a truck loaded with nylon materials and bearing registration number USF 104XU was involved in a severe crash by Mobolaji Johnson Avenue along Alausa in Ikeja.

“The driver of the truck, who became trapped in the wreckage, sustained significant leg fractures during the incident.

“The prompt response of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) rescue team proved crucial in extricating the injured driver from the crushed cabin.”

The statement furthered that the victim was taken by the Lagos State Ambulance service to the nearest hospital for treatment.

It added, “After the successful rescue, LASTMA officials handed the driver over to Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), who transported him swiftly to a nearby hospital for urgent medical attention.

“Security personnel from the Alausa Police Station were on-site throughout the operation, ensuring a secure environment as the LASTMA team carried out their critical rescue work.”

The General Manager of LASTMA also expressed his sympathy to the injured driver. And while cautioning on the dangers of overloading he urged drivers to prioritize road safety and regulations.

“The General Manager of LASTMA expressed heartfelt sympathy for the injured driver and extended his best wishes for a full recovery.

“He also took the opportunity to reiterate the dangers of overloading, emphasizing that truck drivers must observe load limits to maintain vehicular control and facilitate safer turning on the roads.

“He urged all drivers to prioritize safety, adhere to regulations, and take proactive measures to prevent such accidents.” The statement concluded.

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NNPC boss Kyari loses 25-year-old daughter

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Fatima, the daughter of Mele Kyari, the group chief executive officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, has died.

Fatima died on Friday at the age of 25.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima led other mourners to attend the funeral prayers for the deceased at the Annur mosque in Abuja, the country’s capital.

In a statement, Shettima commiserated with Kyari’s family over the loss.

“Vice President Kashim Shettima has condoled with the family of the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Malam Mele Kyari, over the loss of his daughter, Fatima Kyari,” the statement reads.

“Aged 25, the late Fatima passed away on Friday.

“VP Shettima, who prayed for the peaceful repose of the late Fatima, asked God to grant the family the strength to bear the painful exit of their daughter, who was in her prime.”

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Court rejects Binance executive’s bail plea — second time in five months

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A federal high court in Abuja has refused to grant bail to Tigran Gambaryan, an executive of Binance Holdings Limited.

In a ruling on Friday, Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, held that the application constitutes an abuse of court process, considering that the defendant has entered an appeal against a previous court ruling on the same issue.

Nwite held that the fact that a defendant in custody is of ill health does not automatically mean he is entitled to bail.

He held that the defendant had failed to show evidence that the Correctional Service facility could not attend to his medical needs or take him to a specialist for further medical attention.

“This application is bound to fail,” Nwite said.

The judge ordered the prison authorities to take Gambaryan to a standard specialist hospital within Abuja, for a period of three days, under security supervision.

BACKGROUND

In April, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Binance, a cryptocurrency firm, and Gambaryan, on allegations of money laundering.

On May 17, the court refused Gambaryan’s first bail request. The Binance executive later collapsed in court due to “ill-health”.

Gambaryan’s legal team and his family have raised the alarm that he could die in the Kuje prison if his health continues to deteriorate.

His wife, Yuki, said Gambaryan’s health was getting worse, adding that he needed “highly specialised and risky surgery” to treat the herniated disc in his back.

Gambaryan’s health had led Nwite to issue an arrest warrant against Abraham Ehizojie, a medical doctor at the health facility in Kuje correctional centre, over his failure to produce the executive’s medical report.

On September 2, the EFCC objected to the health claims made by the Binance executive after Iheanacho filed a counter affidavit to the bail application.

Mordi had informed the court of another bail application — which was filed on August 28 — seeking his client’s release on medical grounds.

However, the prosecution filed a counter affidavit opposing the bail application.

Ekele Iheanacho, EFCC counsel, said he has perused the defendant’s medical records and his health challenge “is not as serious” as it has been portrayed.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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