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Offa robbery: IGP directs service of summons on Saraki

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*Court fixes Oct 3 for report of service

 

The Inspector General of Police ( IGP ), Ibrahim Idris has directed that court summons and other processes issued by a court in Abuja in relation to a criminal complaint brought against the Senate President, Bukola Saraki be served on him.

To this end, the IGP has detailed a unit within the Nigeria Police Force’s Legal Department, Force headquarters, Abuja to ensure the prompt delivery of the court processes on Saraki before the next date, October 3 this year.

A lawyer, E. S. Marcus, disclosed this development on Monday at the resumed proceedings in a criminal complaint made against Saraki by an Abuja-based lawyer and rights activist, Oluwatosin Ojaomo, in relation to the ongoing investigation by the police into the April 5, 2018 bank robbery incident in Offa, Kwara State.

In the complaint marked: CR/196/2018, filed under Section 89(5) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, Ojaomo argued that Saraki’s alleged refusal to honour an invitation allegedly sent to him by the police, in relation to the Offa robbery investigation, amounted to the offences of “obstructing a criminal investigation and disobeying a public officer carrying out a lawful responsibility.”

The judge handling the case at the Grade 1 Area Court, Aco Estate, Lugbe, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Justice Abdullahi Garuba Ogbede had, on September 10 this year, ordered the issuance of summons on the IGP following Saraki’s absence in court when the case, in which he (Saraki) is listed as the sole defendant, was called.

The judge had summoned the IGP to attend court on September 17 to show cause why Saraki was absent in court and what efforts he had made to ensure his appearance.

On Monday, Marcus, who is Ojaomo’s lawyer, told the court that although the IGP and Saraki were absent in court, he was informed by a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in the Legal Unit of the Nigeria Police Force, identified as Mahmoud that the IGP has directed a unit to ensure the delivery of all processes in relation to the case on Saraki.

He said: “The defendant is not in court. At the last date, the court issued a witness summons on the IGP to come and show cause why the police failed to effect service of the criminal summons, warrant of arrest and other processes on the defendant.

“The witness summons was served on the Nigeria Police Force by the court’s registry.

“However, we received a call from DSP Mahmoud of the Legal Department of the Nigeria Police Force headquarters, that the matter has been assigned by the IGP to a particular unit of the NPF to effect the service of the summons on the defendant and arrest him.”

Marcus urged the court to grant a short adjournment to enable the police effect service of the processes on the defendant.

Justice Ogbede acceded to Marcus’ request and adjourned the case to October 3.

The criminal complaint by Ojaomo reads: “Criminal complaint brought pursuant to Section 89(5) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015. Please, cause a summons for a direct criminal complaint on the defendant on the following terms:

“That you, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on or about the 24th day of July 2018 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did refuse to honour the invitation of the Inspector General of the Nigeria Police Force to report at the police headquarters in FCT, Abuja to answer to an allegation involving the investigation of some criminal suspects involved in a case which the Nigeria Police Force is currently investigating, thereby obstructing a criminal investigation and disobeying a public officer carrying out a lawful responsibility .

“You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 136 and 149 of the Penal Code Law. Whereas, the complainant is praying the court to charge the defendant accordingly.”

Ordinarily, the service of the processes on Saraki ought to be effected by the complainant, but Marcus explained that when his client could not serve the defendant as ordered by the court, he applied, under Section 122 of the ACJA, to the IGP to help effect service on the defendant.

He said the IGP was required, under the law, to either produce the defendant in court or attend court to explain why the defendant was absent, a position that informed the court’s September 10 order on the IGP.

 

 

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Breaking : Tinubu returns to Abuja tonight after diplomatic visits to Saint Lucia, Brazil,Says Onanuga

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to arrive Abuja later tonight following a two-nation diplomatic tour that took him to Saint Lucia in the Caribbean and Brazil in South America.

His return was confirmed in a message posted on Saturday afternoon by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, on his verified X handle, @aonanuga1956.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu returns to Abuja today after his two-nation visit to Saint Lucia and Brazil,” the presidential aide stated.

The President departed Nigeria on Saturday, June 28 for what was described as a strategic outreach aimed at strengthening ties with regions historically under-engaged in Nigeria’s diplomatic matrix.

His first stop was Saint Lucia, where he made a historic visit to build new ties and explore emerging partnerships with Caribbean states.

While in Saint Lucia, Tinubu interacted with regional leaders under the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), reinforcing Nigeria’s growing interest in Caribbean diplomacy and South-South cooperation.

He subsequently proceeded to Brazil to participate in the 17th BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro.

On the sidelines of the summit, President Tinubu held a bilateral meeting with his Brazilian counterpart, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The leaders co-chaired the Nigeria-Brazil high-level bilateral meeting , where they discussed mechanisms to boost trade, infrastructure financing, and cultural cooperation between Africa’s most populous country and Latin America’s largest economy.

With the President’s return, focus is expected to shift to domestic engagements and follow-up actions on the diplomatic and investment commitments made during his foreign tour.

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2027 Election: Group Moves To recover 10m Lost Votes In Northern States, Says Muhammad Gamawa

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A non-governmental organisation, Advocacy for Integrity and Rule of Law (Airlin) in Nigeria, has kicked off a grassroots campaign across the 19 northern states to promote civic awareness, respect for the rule of law, and voter participation ahead of the next general elections.

Speaking during the inauguration of the Yobe State chapter of the organisation on Sunday, the National Chairman, Muhammad Ibrahim Gamawa, said the initiative was designed to “re-Nigerianise Nigerians” by instilling a deep respect for national values, laws, and democratic responsibilities.

Gamawa noted that the campaign specifically targets Nigerians who refused to vote during the last election, which recorded barely 40 per cent voter turnout.

He said his team is engaging directly with this silent majority in their homes to encourage them to reclaim their civic duty.

“We are going to those who didn’t vote not just to ask them to vote, but to educate them on their rights, how to make informed decisions, and to choose leaders based on ideology, not money,” Gamawa said.

He added that Airlin has appointed state and local government coordinators in all the LGAs of Yobe State as part of its broader plan to mobilise at least 10 million voters from its membership base in the coming election.

Airlin already has functional offices in 16 northern states, strengthening its capacity to reach the grassroots and drive consistent civic engagement.

According to him, “If you refuse to vote, you’re giving the bad eggs a chance to emerge. We’re telling people: don’t stay back. Come out and close the gap left during the last elections.”

He stressed that one of the key tasks for the newly inaugurated officials is to discourage vote-buying and reject financial inducement from politicians.

“Anyone who collected N1,000 or even N1 million two years ago already knows the money is gone. What is left is the broken promise and bad leadership. We must now live by political ideology. Don’t give your vote for money give it for policy, for vision, for something that aligns with your future,” he warned.

Gamawa said Airlin doesn’t engage in partisan campaigns or political endorsements, but instead evaluates political manifestos and meets with candidates to ask direct questions about their plans for the first term.

He added, “Our duty is to look beyond the noise and see who has a workable plan. We sit with these leaders and assess what they can deliver in the first 100 days. That is how we guide our members to vote consciously.”

The group’s core message revolves around respect for the rule of law, civic responsibility, and citizen-led accountability, with Gamawa stressing that the time had come for Nigerians to stop waiting for government agencies to enforce good governance.

“Let the rule of law live in our minds, in our bodies. It’s our job as citizens to keep Nigeria together not just the job of the government,” he said.

Gamawa concluded with a strong warning against vote trading, describing it as an act of betrayal to the nation, “Collecting money from politicians for votes is the worst thing citizens can do to their country.”

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Breaking : US cuts Nigerian non-immigrant visas to three months, single entry, With immediate effect

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The United States Department of State has announced an update to its non-immigrant visa policy for Nigerians.

According to a press release issued by the US Embassy in Abuja on Tuesday, “most non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to citizens of Nigeria will be single-entry visas with a three-month validity period.”

The new visa restrictions take immediate effect.

However, the embassy clarified that, “those US non-immigrant visas issued before July 8, 2025, will retain their status and validity.”

The statement emphasised that this move is part of the Department’s global visa reciprocity process, which the embassy described as “a continuous process and is subject to review and change at any time, such as increasing or decreasing permitted entries and duration of validity.”

The US explained the rationale behind the policy update, noting that “US visa criteria and standards are designed to protect the integrity of US immigration systems.”

The embassy added that “these standards are based on global technical and security benchmarks.”

According to the embassy, the US Mission is working with Nigerian authorities to meet these benchmarks.

“The US Mission is working with the Government of Nigeria to ensure that Nigeria can meet the criteria,” the statement said.

Examples of these standard criteria include “Secure Travel Documents: Ensuring countries issue secure travel documents with verified traveler identities.

“Visa Overstay Management: Implementing measures to limit overstays by travelers on US visas, and Information Sharing: Sharing relevant security and/or criminal record information to protect public safety.”

Despite the new restrictions, the embassy reaffirmed its diplomatic relationship with Nigeria.

“The United States values its longstanding relationship with Nigeria and remains committed to expanding our partnership based on mutual respect, shared security priorities, and economic opportunity, keeping both our countries safer and stronger,” the statement read.

The embassy also expressed support for ongoing Nigerian reforms, stating, “We commend the ongoing efforts by the Government of Nigeria’s immigration and security agencies to meet standards of international best practices.”

Nigerian travelers were advised to comply with visa regulations.

“Nigerian travelers are encouraged to respect and adhere to the terms of their visas, and ensure travel documents are authentic, accurate, and up to date,” it added.

The embassy concluded with a reaffirmation of its engagement with the Nigerian people and government.

“The United States remains a committed partner in deepening people-to-people ties with Nigeria via business, educational, and cultural exchanges.

“We look forward to continued cooperation at all levels with the Nigerian public and government officials to ensure safe and lawful travel between the United States and all countries,” it said

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