Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court Abuja has fixed January 30 for judgment in a suit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The plaintiff – Barrister Emmanuel Chukwuka and Bruno Okeahialam – is seeking an order compelling INEC to either give registered voters their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), or allow the use of their temporary voter cards or the Voter Identification Number (VIN) during the 2023 general elections. The suit was filed by a civil society organization on behalf of 29 million registered voters whom they say are about to be disenfranchised in next month’s polls. The plaintiff is seeking a declaration that all persons who have duly registered with INEC as voters and whose names are contained in the defendant’s register should not be deprived of the right to vote in the forthcoming general elections. READ ALSO: ASP Vandi Pleads Not Guilty For Murder Of Bolanle Raheem At the day’s proceedings, the plaintiff said a newspaper publication cited an INEC statement which acknowledged that insecurity and attacks on its offices gave rise to the loss of PVCs in several states. But counsel to INEC argued that the case of the plaintiff is based on speculation, adding that the Commission had extended the deadline for the collection of PVCs. He also wondered why the application was filed when PVC collection has not ended. The presiding judge, Justice Binta Nyako, also agreed it is a very serious matter, as some people in her household cannot and have not collected their PVCs. She subsequently fixed January 30 for judgement.

  The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele on Monday, resumed duty after his annual vacation abroad. CBN Director of Corporate Communications, Osita Nwanisobi made this known in a statement. “The apex bank governor resumed with renewed vigour to perform his duty ahead of the first Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting of the year scheduled for January 23 to 24, 2023,” the statement read. “Mr. Emefiele remains committed to performing the task before him in line with his oath of office and the policy direction of President Muhammadu Buhari.” Emefiele Not Arrested – DSS Similarly, the Department of State Services (DSS) on Monday said its operatives did not “invade” the CBN office and did not arrest the apex bank chief. “The attention of the Department of State Services (DSS) has been drawn to the false news making the round that its operatives invaded the Central Bank of Nigeria and arrested its Governor, today 16/1/23. This is fake news and quite misleading,” DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya said in a statement. The secret police had approached an Abuja court to arrest Emefiele over alleged terrorism financing and economic crimes of national security but Justice Maryam Hassan of the Federal Capital Territory High Court Abuja quashed the move by the DSS. The judge thereafter barred the DSS from arresting, inviting, or detaining Emefiele declaring the terrorism allegations against the CBN governor by the DSS as vindictive, callous, oppressive, void, and of no effect. Some Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) had urged the secret police to obey the court order stop the secret police from arresting the national bank chief. However, a human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics said the DSS does not need a court order to arrest the CBN governor if the Service has concrete evidence against him. He urged the apex bank governor is not one of those constitutionally entitled to immunity in Nigeria. Falana also described as embarrassing the allegations against Emefiele by the DSS, saying this can only happen in a Banana Republic where the governor of the apex bank would be accused of a grave offence of terrorism financing. “Has the government considered the enormous implication of the effect of a wanted governor of the central bank on the economy? “I am completely flabbergasted that the President of the country has not intervened; either to call the state security to order or to call Mr Emefiele to return to the country or be fired,” the senior lawyer said. Falana stressed that the allegation of terrorism financing against Emefiele should not be dismissed.

  Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Monday warned London against any bid to block a controversial Scottish gender recognition law, adding her devolved government is prepared to “rigorously” defend its powers all the way to the UK’s top court. The looming standoff over the law to make it easier for people to change gender ratchets up London’s tense relations with Scotland’s regional government, less than two months after the ruling Scottish National Party (SNP) saw its efforts to hold a new independence referendum stymied by the UK Supreme Court. Sturgeon told a press conference in Edinburgh that her government is prepared to “rigorously” defend the gender legislation all the way to the UK’s top court if Prime Minister Rishi Sunak steps in to block it. “We will defend the bill in the Supreme Court,” if necessary, she said. “What I can say in general is that we will absolutely, robustly and rigorously and with a very, very, very high degree of confidence, defend the legislation,” said the first minister. Sunak is considering legal advice ahead of Wednesday’s deadline for him to act. Under devolution rules, which led to the establishment of the Scottish parliament in 1999, London can block legislation if ministers believe it will have an “adverse effect on the operation of the law”. If Sunak decides to take action, he will become the first No 10 incumbent to use the blocking mechanism. The legislation, passed by the Scottish parliament in December, makes it easier and faster for people to officially change their gender, dropping the requirement for a gender dysphoria medical diagnosis. The legislation allows people aged 16 and 17 to change their gender, despite efforts by some Scottish lawmakers to keep the age at 18. It reduces from two years to three months — or six months for 16-17 year-olds — the time needed for an applicant to live in their new gender before it is officially recognised. Opponents of the law fear it could present dangers to women and girls, particularly around the provision of single-sex spaces. But the Scottish government insists it will not impact the UK’s Equality Act, which allows for trans people to be excluded from single-sex spaces such as changing rooms and shelters. Sturgeon — who has faced one of the biggest internal rebellions of her eight-year tenure over the issue — said the previous system to change gender was “intrusive, traumatic and dehumanising”. Officials in London are closely assessing the impact the law would have on the Equality Act before advising the prime minister, said a UK government spokesman. “We share the concerns that others – including the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls – have with the Bill, particularly around safety issues for women and children,” said the spokeswoman. “Our concerns include the protection of single sex spaces, and the checks and balances included in the process of gaining a legal gender recognition certificate.” AFP

  An Osun High Court sitting in Osogbo, on Monday sentenced four persons to death by hanging for murder and other related offences. The four convicts are Olabisi Bashiru, 50 ; Kayode Sunday, 27; Rashidi Waidi, 35; and Hameed Rafiu, 33. They had pleaded guilty to the offences committed. The Presiding Judge, Justice S. Falola, sentenced the four to death due to the magnanimity of the offence. The State Counsel, Mr Dele Akintayo, had told the court that the convicts committed the offence on Nov. 27, 2018, at about 2:00 p.m. in the Moboreja area, Ikirun, Osun. ” The convicts were armed with offensive weapons and they jumped the fence into the house owned by Victor Akinbile’s uncle and forcibly entered the room he was sleeping. ” They demanded the sum of N10 million from Akinbile but he gave them N3 million through transfer and collected huge cash from the victim, having threatened to kill him. ” The convicts later kidnapped Akinbile and put him inside his Toyota Camry car boot and drove him to Dominion Camp area, old Iragbiji road along Ikirun/Osogbo road and set him and the car ablaze which caused the death of Akinbile. The prosecution counsel said the offence contravened the Robbery and Fire Arms Laws 2004, punishable under the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume 2, Laws of 2002. Counsel to the convicts, Mr S. Ajibade and Mr Adedayo Adedeji, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing the convicts .

  The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senatorial candidate for the Imo East senatorial district, Uche Onyeagocha, on Monday described as a call to a state of anarchy, the last Saturday attack on the candidate of the Ideato Federal constituency, House of Representative, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere. Onyeagocha stated this to newsmen in Owerri, while condemning the incident. The PDP senatorial candidate linked it to the progression of sponsored terrorism and act of war to silence the opposition voice in the state. It was his view that to stop the reoccurrence that Imo people should immediately rise and resist what he termed as an attempt to put Imolites under apprehension. It should be recalled that Ikenga was attacked and three persons were feared dead and about thirty vehicles were burnt as well as the houses. However, according to the former House of Representative member, he said: “The PDP Candidate for Imo East Senatorial District, Hon. Barr. Uche Onyeagocha condemns in strongest terms the recent invasion, armed attack and an assassination attempt on the life of the PDP House of Representatives Candidate for Ideato federal constituency, and Spokesperson for Coalition of United Political Parties, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere at his residence, Umukegwu Akokwa in Ideato Imo State, by gunmen which led to the murder of his uncle, police orderlies and setting of his residence ablaze.” “Such an unprovoked and scurrilous act is a call for anarchy and a vicious attack on democracy and generality of the people of Ideato nation and Imo State at large. We are indeed alarmed and particulardismayedbyn by the probable recession of sponsored terrorism and brazen act of war against opposing voices in the State and wish to condemn without any reservations such an act which has unfortunately become a serious threat to our democracy. “However, we are appalled by the continued declaration of hostilities and unleashing of terror on the opposition Candidates in the State which has indeed assumed an alarming and unfortunate progression. We, therefore, call on Imolites to rise and res any attempt to foist a fascist regime in the State or put the people under a state of apprehension,” Onyeagocha said.

  The Department of State Services denied invading the premises of the Central Bank of Nigeria on Monday. The DSS described reports making the rounds that its operatives went into the apex bank to arrest the CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, who returned to the country earlier in the day, as false and unverified by some media outlets. However, a statement sent to Vanguard by DSS Spokesman, Dr Peter Afunanya, described the reported invasion of the CBN by DSS operatives with a view to arresting Emefiele, as fake news. Afunanya said, “The attention of the Department of State Services (DSS) has been drawn to the false news making the round that its operatives invaded the Central Bank of Nigeria and arrested its Governor, today 16/1/23. “This is fake news and quite misleading,” the statement said.

  Industrial action looked set to intensify on Monday after Britain’s largest teaching union announced a series of strike days over pay next month in England and Wales. The National Education Union (NEU) said its members voted overwhelmingly to walk out as part of calls for an above-inflation pay rise. The announcement came as public sector workers hold a wave of walkouts for salaries to take into account double-digit inflation. “We believe the government knows there needs to be a correction on teacher pay,” NEU joint general secretary Kevin Courtney said in a live-streamed meeting with members. The union leaders are set to meet the education minister on Wednesday. “They know that we mean business. They know that you are prepared to take action to protect your jobs, to protect your pay and costs and to protect your ability to remain in the profession,” added fellow joint general secretary Mary Bousted. The union announced a national strike day on February 1, followed by a series of more regional strikes over six days in February and March. It said each school will only be affected for four days. But it will cause immediate concern among parents, who have seen their children’s education severely disrupted in recent years by the coronavirus pandemic. Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland union on Wednesday began 16 days of rolling stoppages until February 6. There have been previous strikes in December and earlier this month. This week nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were also due to resume strike action on Wednesday and Thursday. Paramedics and ambulance workers are set to decide this week on further strike action, heaping pressure on the state-run National Health Service as it battles to recover from Covid delays to treatment and a staffing crisis.

  A 48-year-old British Metropolitan Police armed officer who used his role to threaten his victims has confessed he engaged in dozens of rape and sexual offences against twelve women. BBC reported on Monday that David Carrick who met some victims through dating websites pleaded guilty to 49 offences across twenty years. The Met has apologised after it came to the attention of police over nine incidents, including rape allegations, between 2000 and 2021. Reacting to the confession, Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gray, the Met’s lead for professionalism, said: “We should have spotted his pattern of abusive behaviour and because we didn’t, we missed opportunities to remove him from the organisation. Read also: Benjamin Mendy cleared of rape charges We didn’t invade CBN — DSS BBTitans host, Ebuka-Obi Uchendu sick, says wife “We are truly sorry that being able to continue to use his role as a police officer may have prolonged the suffering of his victims. “We know they felt unable to come forward sooner because he told them they would not be believed.” Carrick, who admitted 24 counts of rape, was suspended from duty when he was apprehended in October 2021. His offences covered from 2003 to 2020 and most took place in Hertfordshire, where he lived. Carrick, from Stevenage, would control what the women wore, what they ate, and where they slept and even stopped some of the women from speaking to their own children. He was eventually stopped when one woman took the courage to report him. In October 2021, following publicity about disgraced Metropolitan Police officer PC Wayne Couzens, she contacted the police. Jaswant Narwal, the chief crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said, “Carrick held a role where he was trusted with the responsibility of protecting the public, but yet over 17 years, in his private life, he did the exact opposite. “This is a man who relentlessly degraded, belittled and sexually assaulted and raped women. “As time went on, the severity of his offending intensified as he became emboldened, thinking he would get away with it.” She said the “scale of the degradation Carrick subjected his victims to is unlike anything I’ve encountered in my 34 years with the Crown Prosecution Service.” Carrick, who served with the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, met some victims through online dating sites such as Tinder and Badoo and used his role as a police officer to gain their trust. He admitted four counts of rape, false imprisonment and indecent assault relating to a 40-year-old woman in 2003 at Southwark Crown Court on Monday. According to BBC, it was reported that Carrick already pleaded guilty to 43 charges, including 20 counts of rape, in December. He admitted to raping nine women, some on multiple occasions spanning months or years, with many of those attacks involving violence that would have left them physically injured. While speaking outside court, Detective Chief Inspector Iain Moor, from Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said, “The details of David Carrick’s crimes are truly shocking. “I suspect many will be appalled and sickened by his actions, but I hope the victims and the public more widely are reassured that no one is above the law and the police service will relentlessly pursue those offenders who target women in this way.” Harriet Wistrich, director of a campaign group the Centre for Women’s Justice, said, “We have known for some time that there has been a culture of impunity for such offending by police officers. “Recent reports show a woefully deficient vetting and misconduct system and a largely unchallenged culture of misogyny in some sections of the Met. “That Carrick could have not only become a police officer but remain a serving officer for so long whilst he perpetrated these horrific crimes against women, is terrifying.” The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said he was “absolutely sickened and appalled” by Carrick’s crimes. He said, “serious questions must be answered about how he was able to abuse his position as an officer in this horrendous manner.” In the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Met officer, the force publicly declared its dedication to protecting women and instituted an “action plan” to try to regain trust. But it has now admitted that its professional standards department made no attempt to check the full record of another officer accused of rape. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said it was “an appalling case” and that Rishi Sunak’s “thoughts are with all of [Carrick’s] victims.” “There is no place in our police forces for officers who fall so seriously short of the acceptable standards of behaviour and are not fit to wear the uniform.” David Carrick will be sentenced in February. Sal Naseem, from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), said no opportunities to stop Carrick earlier had been identified by police so far. Two retired Met officers who dealt with a 2002 allegation of assault and harassment against Carrick may have committed misconduct, but as they cannot face misconduct proceedings, the IOPC decided it was not in the public interest to take further action. Below are Carrick’s full list of offences: 24 counts of rape nine counts of sexual assault five counts of assault by penetration three counts of coercive and controlling behaviour three counts of false imprisonment two counts of attempted rape one count of attempted sexual assault by penetration one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent one count of indecent assault.

  Thee National Bureau of Statistics says the Nigerian headline inflation rate eased to 21.34% compared to November 2022 headline inflation rate which was 21.47%. The bureau disclosed this in its CPI monthly report released on Monday. It noted that December 2022 inflation rate showed a decline of 0.13% when compared to November 2022 inflation rate. However, on a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 5.72% points higher compared to the rate recorded in December 2021, which was (15.63%). This shows that the headline inflation rate increased in the month of December 2022 when compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e., December 2021). On a month-on-month basis, the percentage change in the All Items Index in December 2022 was 1.71%, which was 0.32% higher than the rate recorded in November 2022 (1.39%). “This means that in the month of December 2022, the general price level was 0.32% higher relative to November 2022. “The percentage change in the average CPI for the twelve months ending December 2022 over the average of the CPI for the previous twelve months period was 18.85%, showing 1.89% increase compared to the 16.95% recorded in December 2021.”