Lawyer sues INEC over N87bn

AN Abuja-based legal practitioner, Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla, has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, before a Federal High Court, Abuja, urging the court to compel the electoral body to account for the N87 billion given to it for conduct of the 2011 general elections.

Besides, Mr. Obono-Obla is seeking a mandatory order of injunction directing INEC to furnish the plaintiff with comprehensive and detailed information concerning the national biometric data base of voters’ register.

In the Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/ /2011, which was made available to NEWSMEN in Calabar, Cross River State, the plaintiff also prayed the court to compel INEC to furnish him with a detailed, comprehensive and fair statement of account of expenditure incurred by the commission for the conduct of the said 2011 elections.

He also prayed the court to compel INEC to make available, the list of contractors awarded contracts concerning printing of ballot papers; voters’ cards and other documents concerning the conduct of the 2011 elections in the country.

In the reliefs sought by the plaintiff, he wants to know whether, by a true interpretation and construction of Section 5 (a) of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, the defendant (INEC) was not to allow the plaintiff unfettered access to information concerning the national biometric database of voters register.

The plaintiff also wants the court to determine whether failure by the commission to provide all the information sought above is not tantamount to an infringement of the provisions of Sections 5 (a) and 8 (1) of the FOI Act (supra).

He, however, wants the court to declare that the refusal, failure and or neglect by the defendant to release the information as requested above amounted to a violation of Section 8 (1) of the Freedom of Information Act (supra) and therefore was wrongful, illegal and unconstitutional.

Obono-Obla prayed the court to issue an order directing the defendant to pay a fine of N500, 000 for the wrongful denial of the right of access to the information sought.

No date has been fixed for hearing of the matter as it was filed few days before the court observed public holidays for the Christmas period.

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TWO YOUNG MEN AWAITING HAND AMPUTATION IN ZAMFARA AND 50 LAWYERS INDICATED INTEREST IN THE CASE

No fewer than 50 lawyers have reportedly indicated their interest to defend the two young men in Zamfara State that are billed to have their wrists amputated free of charge.

Auwah Abubakar Tsanre (23) and Lawwali Musa Tsanre (22), were found guilty by an Upper Sharia Court in Gusau for stealing a cow valued at N130,000, belonging to one Alhaji Bawa Dangande. A rights activist, Mr Anthony Agboh, told Newsmen in Gusau that the lawyers were contacted by civil organisations in the state in connection with the case. 

He said the rights groups believed their conviction was an error. He stated that though the teenagers were convicted under the sharia law being practiced in the state, “we were told for a judge to pass this kind of judgment, certain criteria need to be made like where the convicts gainfully employed before committing the theft or what engineered them to steal the cow, or whether the owner carelessly leaves the cow without proper protection.” 

Similarly, the Christians indigenous group has appealed to the state government to temper justice with mercy. Speaking through its Public Relations Officer, Mallam Musa Tsafe, the group pleaded that the teenagers be forgiven. Tsafe charged that the issue of robbery, theft, or any other social vices could be attributed to the failure of government at all levels to cater for their people. 

He stressed that if the people had jobs and could afford to sponsor their kids to school and pay electricity bills, all the rampant cases of theft and robbery would be reduced to the bearest level. Meanwhile, two persons sentenced to amputation by the Higher Shari’ah Court in Nasarawa Mailayi in Birnin Magaji local Government of Zamfara State have filed an appeal less than 48 hours to its execution. 

 A source told our correspondent that the convicts were seeking to overturn the verdict. Findings, however, showed that all arrangements had been concluded for the execution of the ruling delivered by the Shari’ah Court judge, Justice Muhammadu Abubakar, in accordance with the provision of Shari’ah. 

The state governor, Alhaji Abdul’Aziz Yari Abubakar, had during the 100-day in office celebration, vowed to allow the execution of the judgment if the convicts fail to appeal. “They are going to be the third and fourth cases of amputation in the history of shari’ah in our state,” the governor said.

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