Vanguard , THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2012—9
Babalakin re-institutes action against EFCC BY INNOCENT ANABA
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AGOS —EMBATTLED Chairman of Bi-Courtney, Dr. Wale Babalakin, SAN, yesterday, asked a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, to restrain Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, from arresting or prosecuting him for money laundering. A similar suit, was last Friday, struck out by another judge of the court, Justice Mohammed Idris, who held that under Order 34 Rules 5 of the court’s Civil Procedure Rules, the plaintiff was required to depose to and file
an affidavit of service of court processes on the respondents, a requirement Babalakin failed to comply with. The new trial judge, Justice Ibrahim Buba, has, however, granted accelerated hearing in the matter, when same came before him, yesterday and adjourned further hearing till today. EFCC had filed a 27-count charge against Babalakin and four others, Alex Okoh, Stabilini Visioni Limited, BiCourtney Limited and Remix Nigeria Limited, before a Lagos High Court sitting in Lagos. The defendants were alleged
to have fraudulently transferred various sums of money amounting to N4.7 billion on behalf of the former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, through third party to some foreign accounts under the guise of purchasing a Challenger Jet aircraft. On the day Babalakin was to have been arraigned, his counsel reported to the court that he took ill and was admitted at the University of Lagos Teaching Hospital, LUTH, which forced the court to adjourned the case. On the same day, Babalakin headed to the Federal High Court, Lagos, seeking to quash the charges preferred against
him by the EFCC at the Lagos court. Babalakin, who is on admission at LUTH, in the fresh suit, is contending, that he was not challenging the jurisdiction of the Lagos State High Court, but also challenging the legality of the actions of the respondents. His counsel argued that Babalakin’s rights had been seriously trampled upon, adding that the EFCC even continued to extract statements from him after the charge at the Lagos High Court was filed, not minding the fact that he had been deceived that no such thing would happen.
Police arrest Fashina, JAF leaders over Okada protest BY VICTOR AHIUMAYOUNG
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AGOS —THE Po lice yesterday in Yaba area of Lagos, arrested former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Dr. Dipo Fashina and four other leaders of the Joint Action Front, JAF, who were leading hundreds of activists and commercial motor cycle operators, popularly known as Okada riders, to protest the ban on Okada activities on some Lagos roads. Others arrested and still in detention at the time of this report were Comrade Abiodun Aremu, Hassan Taiwo Soweto, Usman Oloyede and Segun Oladunni. While Dr. Fashina is the Chairman of JAF, the umbrella body for pro-people civil society organisations, Comrade Aremu is the body’s secretary.
Lagos banks stop N100 charge on other banks' ATMs
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Security officials inspecting relics left behind by fleeing pipeline vandals at Ije Ododo, Lagos.
Fire fighters yet to access pipeline explosion site BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO
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AGOS—OFFICIALS of the Federal and state fire services, the Pipelines Products Marketing Company, PPMC, and National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, yesterday, were yet to gain access to the site of the pipeline explosion at the IjeOdodo community, Iba Local Council Development Area, LCDA, Lagos State, to extinguish the fire. But NEMA is said to have commenced building a foot bridge in order to gain access to the site. Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, NEMA spokesman, disclosed this yesterday, near the marshy site of the explosion, which has continued smouldering almost 72 hours after it happened. He said that the construction of the plank bridge was
a collaborative effort between the agency and the indigenes of the area, as well as the NNPC, because of the swampy terrain. “We had to wait for the sons of the soil and the officials of the NNPC before we could move into gaining access to the site,“ he said.
Farinloye explained that exigencies of safety demanded the presence of specialists before anyone could make the last 100 metres or so to the spot of the explosion. According to reports, armed policemen arrived the scene, alongside a team of the Pipelines Products and Marketing
Company, PPMC, at about 12:40 p.m. yesterday, to ensure that the spot could be accessed and examined.
Community demands ...
The residents also demanded for the construction of a concrete bridge or sand filling of the axis to serve as a link road to the ever busy Badagry expressway. The Baale of IjeOdodo, Alhaji TaPavilion within the Secretariat’s pre- judeen Suberu, said mises in Alausa between the hours that the demand of of 9.00a.m. and 4.00p.m. daily. the community “is “Activities planned for the exercise that the PPMC include: individual and group coun- should repair the seling, health talks, screening, treat- electric poles and ment and appropriate referral if cables that were need be. damaged by the A daily schedule has already been pipeline explosion.” released to the different Ministries, The Baale also Departments and Agencies, MDAs, urged the governto know which of the schedule’s ment to repair the days their female staff members are road of the commuexpected to go for their screening. nity.
Lagos screens female workers for breast, cervical cancers BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI
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AGOS —LAGOS State govern ment has commenced the screening of its female civil servants for breast and cervical cancer in an exercise designed to prevent deaths arising from two non-communicable diseases. The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris who disclosed this yesterday, explained that the exercise which began on Monday and will end tomorrow, holds at the Drivers’
AGOS —Banks in Lagos have cancelled the N100 charge on customers’ use of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) withdrawals from other banks, the News Agency of Nigeria reports. The agency reports that its visit to some banks on Tuesday showed that the banks had since Monday complied with the new trend. This followed the Bankers Committee’s directive that the banks should stop charging N100 with effect from Dec. 17. Some customers in separate interviews were quoted as saying that they were happy with the development and expressed the hope that more positive developments would be made in the sector in 2013.