Politics

Separatist leader, Nnamdi Kanu’s team wants immediate release. Will Nigerian government obey court order?

Published

2 years ago

October 18, 2022

In Nigeria, the legal team of the leader of the proscribed separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has asked for his release following a court ruling that freed him last week.

Kanu’s team, led by Mike Ozekhome on Tuesday issued a formal notice of release to the Anthony General of the Federation and the Director General of the State Security Service, demanding the immediate release of their client.

A three-man panel upheld the Court of Appeal sitting in the country’s capital, Abuja, discharged the embattled Kanu last Thursday.

But the Nigerian government through the office of the attorney-general of the federation (AGF), in a statement issued by Dr. Umar Gwandu, special assistant on media and public relations to the minister of Justice a day after the ruling argued that the decision handed down by the court of appeal was on a single issue that borders on rendition, and other issues remained valid for judicial determination.

Kanu’s team in the formal release notice dated October 17, 2022, urged the AGF and DG of DSS to immediately comply with the judgment of the Court of Appeal.

The legal team urged Abubakar Malami and the DG of the State Security Service to refer to the judgment and release their client immediately.

Will the federal government of Nigeria release Kanu or will it go the way of other cases like the trial of the former National Security Adviser to former president Goodluck Jonathan and that of a religious leader, El zakzaky where in the two instances government expressly disobeyed court orders?

Related Topics:#IPOB #Nnamdi Kanu Featured

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Politics

Burkina Faso releases 4 French spies after Moroccan intervention

Published

3 days ago

December 20, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In a diplomatic spat over their imprisonment, France and Morocco announced Thursday that four French nationals detained in Burkina Faso for a year had been freed after mediation from Morocco.

They were spies, according to a prior statement made by the director of France’s foreign intelligence organisation, the DGSE.

A request for comment was not answered by the DGSE or a representative of the French military, which is in charge of the agency.

Since December 2023, they have been held in Ouagadougou.

President Emmanuel Macron hailed King Mohammed of Morocco on Wednesday for his intervention, “which made possible the liberation of our four countrymen who had been held in Burkina Faso for a year,” according to a statement from the French administration.

King Mohammed and President Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso were also commended by Morocco’s foreign ministry, which stated that “this humanitarian act” was made possible by their positive bilateral ties.

In October, France made peace with Morocco, one of its former protectorates, after three years of hostilities between Paris and Rabat stoked by immigration concerns and the disputed Western Sahara region.

Morocco offers Burkina Faso and other military-ruled Sahel republics Atlantic trade.

However, France’s relations with former West and Central African colonies, such as Burkina Faso, remain difficult. In Ouagadougou, French troops and diplomats were ejected, the defence attache and ambassador were asked to depart, and certain French media were suspended.

The military junta that took control in 2022 in Burkina Faso has been criticized by international rights groups for cracking down on free expression and harassing dissidents to handle a security crisis precipitated by Al Qaeda and Islamic State extremists.

Politics

Ghana: President-elect Mahama appoints anti-corruption team

Published

4 days ago

December 19, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

According to a statement released by his transition team on Wednesday, Ghana’s President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, has designated an anti-corruption committee to investigate allegations of wrongdoing.

When he takes office next month, Mahama, the leading opposition candidate in the presidential election held on December 7 and who received almost 56% of the vote, has pledged to reclaim the proceeds of corruption and hold those responsible for it accountable.

In anticipation, an anti-graft squad has been established. The parliament’s Committee on Assurances, which has previously raised suspicions of governmental corruption, is chaired by MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah.

An investigative journalist, a private attorney, a former auditor general, and a former police officer with experience in high-profile robbery cases make up the other three members.

After looking into alleged financial irregularities that took place during the previous administration, Daniel Dumelovo, the former auditor general, was fired.

Recovering lost assets and fighting corruption were two of Mahama’s main campaign pledges.

“He intends to hit the ground running on these commitments,” the statement said.

Eight years after leaving office, former President Mahama is back to head the West African country. Despite not being personally contaminated, he faced criticism during his 2012–2016 administration due to claims of political corruption.