NLC flays attacks on #RevolutionNow protesters – TheNigerialawyer

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said the attack on
#RevolutionNow protesters and arrest of some of them by security
agents was an affront on the nation’s democracy.

The action, it said, is contrary to the fundamental rights of
individuals as enshrined in the nation’s constitution.

General Secretary of Congress, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, in a
statement in Abuja insisted peaceful protests against bad
governance or perceived anti-people government policies is one of
the fundamental rights that aids the growth of democracy.

He demanded the release of Omoyele Sowore and others arrested by
security agents.

The NLC scribe said the nation’s security agencies must not be
allowed to continue to portray themselves as anti-democracy forces
as the Monday’s attacks clearly demonstrated.

The statement reads: “It is with deep consternation that we view
the attacks and arrests of peaceful protesters in some parts of the
country by security agencies and military personnel on Monday
during a protest by some Nigerians in Lagos, Osogbo, Ibadan, Abuja
and other cities.

“There is nowhere in our constitution or laws that the security
agencies are empowered to so brazenly attack peaceful protests and
hound its organsers into detention as the right to peaceful
protests, assembly and association is fully guaranteed by the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under sections 39
and 40.

“We view the violent attack on the peaceful protesters by
security forces as a total violation of the fundamental rights of
not just the protesters, but all Nigerian citizens as guaranteed by
the constitution as well as various reported judgements of our
Courts.

“It is much more worrisome that soldiers were deployed to attack
protesters, especially in Lagos. To us, soldiers have no role
whatsoever in the management of civil protest and they must be
called to order by the federal government.

“We also view the midnight arrest of one of the organisers of
the protests, Mr. Omoyele Sowore as an affront on his fundamental
rights as well as our collective rights to freedom of expression
and association as enshrined in all the international and national
instruments that strengthens democracy.

“His continued detention by the State Security Service lacks any
justification as his actions were not in any way threats to the
sovereignty of Nigeria or the democratically constituted government
of Nigeria.

“He was just one out of several Nigerians demanding for good
governance being the minimum demand citizens can make from a
government they democratically elected.

“Mr. Sowore and other protesters were not carrying arms against
the state and we therefore demand their immediate release
unconditionally.”

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Justice Archibong Sends Archibong to Jail over N28m
Fraud

Justice Archibong Archibong of the Akwa Ibom State High Court
sitting in Uyo, on Wednesday, August 7, 2019, convicted and
sentenced Archibong Effiong Edem to seven years imprisonment over
N28, 234, 735 fraud.

The convict was arraigned by the Port Harcourt’s Zonal office of
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, at a Rivers
State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, on two-count charges
bordering on obtaining by false pretence. The case was later
transferred to an Akwa Ibom State High court, Uyo owing to issues
of jurisdiction.

Edem’s journey to jail began when a petitioner, Godwin Utumude,
alleged that sometime in 2004, in the United States of America, he
met the convict who showed him a property in Texas that was up for
sale.

According to the petitioner, the prize of the said property was
initially $218,000 (Two Hundred and Eighteen Thousand Dollars), but
the convict eventually agreed to sell at $200,000 (Two Hundred
Thousand Dollars) which was an equivalent of N28, 234, 735 (Twenty
Eight Million Two Hundred and Thirty Four Thousand Seven Hundred
and Thirty Five Naira) at the time, and on September 1, 2004, he
paid N20million to the convict who assured him that by December
2004, all documents regarding change of ownership of the said
property would be handed over to him.

To ensure that the necessary change of ownership was perfected,
the petitioner said the convict further requested the balance
payment of N8,234,735 which he made on January 17, 2015.

All efforts by the petitioner to get the said documents proved
abortive, hence the petition.

In the course of trial, the Commission called three witnesses:
Godwin Utumude, the petitioner (PW1); Michael Adukwu, an operative
of the EFCC (PW2) and Chukwuma Ekezie Amadi, Deputy Compliance
Officer, Zenith Bank (PW3).

The EFCC also tendered several documents which were all admitted
in evidence.

The documents comprised: A copy of the petition dated November
22, 2016 as exhibit A; a cover page of a document showing the
picture of a building as exhibit B; Pages 1 and 2 of a document
also showing the building as exhibit B1; Pages 3, 4 and 5 of a
document titled: “Seller Disclosure Notice” as exhibit B2, amongst
others.

Delivering judgement, the court noted that the prosecution had
overwhelmingly established a case of obtaining by false pretence
against the defendant through the evidences tendered before the
court by the three witnesses.

Justice Archibong said that: “The prosecution has satisfactorily
proved his case beyond reasonable doubt against the accused person
to warrant his conviction in counts 1 and 2 of the charge against
him. The defendant is hereby found guilty as charged and is
accordingly convicted on counts 1 and 2 of the charge”.

Before the convict was sentenced, the judge asked him if he had
anything to say.

The convict, without showing any remorse, maintained that he
never admitted to have collected the said amount: “it is not true
that I admitted under cross examination that I collected N28million
from the petitioner. I have always told him that I will pay him his
money and I will do so if permitted”, he said.

At this point, the defence counsel, S. A. Ngbe, prayed the court
to tamper justice with mercy on age and health grounds, “consider
his age and ailing health. My lord, he is over 70 years of age”, he
pleaded.

The court immediately sentenced Edem to 7years imprisonment on
each of the two counts without an option of fine. The sentence runs
concurrently from the date of his conviction.

Justice Archibong also ordered the convict to restitute by
paying the petitioner the entire sum which is N28, 234, 735.00.

Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity