Benue South: Abba Moro wins as Supreme Court dismisses Joe Ojobo’s appeal

NEWS

Benue South: Abba Moro wins as Supreme Court dismisses Joe Ojobo’s appeal

 

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a case brought before it by Joe Ojobo over the outcome of the October 2018 senatorial primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Benue South.

Justices of the apex court validated the nomination of Comrade Moro as the authentic candidate of the PDP for the Benue South senatorial district.

Hon Ojobo had gone to the court to challenge the declaration of Comrade Moro, winner of the primary election.

In a unanimous decision, the five-member panel of judges led by Justice Bode Rhodes Vivour, dismissed the petition for lacking in substance and upheld the decisions the court of first instance and the appellate court.

Justice Amina Augie, who read the judgement of the court went through the main points of the judgement from the High Court and held that the appellant was not declared winner after the primaries of October 4 because the margin of lead which stood at 50 votes was less than the number of delegates from the three local government areas that didn’t vote (358).

She affirmed that INEC monitored both the inconclusive primaries of October 4th and the concluding part of October 7th which conferred legitimacy on them both.

Justice Augie further stated that section 87 (4) (c) of the electoral act says, “at the end of voting” and so voting was not concluded on October 4th.

She said there’s nowhere in the electoral act where it is stated that a primary election must be held in one full swoop.

She dismissed the appeal and said details of the judgement will be made available on a later date.

SHARE THIS STORY

Benue guber: Tribunal fixes May 28 for pre-trial of Benue governorship petitions

POLITICS

Benue guber: Tribunal fixes May 28 for pre-trial of Benue governorship petitions

 

The Governorship, National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in Benue State has fixed May 28 to commence pre-trial on the only governorship petition before it.

Tribunal secretary, Deborah Musa, who disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Friday in Makurdi, said that all court processes had been completed and that the pre-trial was set to begin.

Mr Emmanuel Jime of the All Progressive Congress (APC), is challenging the re-election of Gov Samuel Ortom of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in the March 2, 2019 polls.

In the petition filed by Mr Sunday Ameh (SAN), Jime is asking the tribunal to upturn Ortom’s victory and declare him winner having scored the highest number of lawful votes cast.

Mr Michael Gusa, Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Benue, has,however, said that the governor was sure of victory at the tribunal.

“We are very hopeful of victory. The governor’s team of lawyers has raised a preliminary objection asking the court to dismiss the petition for lack of merit,” Gusa had told NAN while filing Ortom’s defense.

Ortom had polled 434,473 votes to defeat Jime, who garnered 345,155 votes

SHARE THIS STORY

Benue State Acting Gov, Abounu Laments Benue Is Under Siege By Insurgents

​BREAKING NEWS

Benue State Acting Gov, Abounu Laments Benue Is Under Siege By Insurgents

The Acting Governor of Benue State, Engr. Benson Abounu, has declared that the state is currently under siege by insurgents.

Engr Abounu, who spoke yesterday after an emergency security meeting at his office, said Benue was at the moment under attack from all corners as insurgents had invaded the state, picking their targets at will and spilling blood everywhere.

The meeting followed Tuesday early morning attack by bandits, suspected to be herdsmen on Ayar Mbalom, Gwer West local government area and the killing of 19 persons, including two Catholic priests, who were officiating the morning mass at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Gwer East.

The Acting Governor, who described the day as a dark one for Benue state and its people, said, “The attack was a calculated one; well planned and well executed by the bandits who first attacked the church, killed the priests, a catechist and some parishioners, then went to a venue of a burial ceremony and killed some of the mourners.”

He said the attack on the church was a new dimension to the farmers/herdsmen crisis and one that needs a determined and appropriate response from the federal government and the security agencies the way insurgency in the North East is being tackled, adding that what they are experiencing today is insurgency.

The Acting Governor, who stated that the bandits, who numbered about 30 might still be lurking around the bushes directed the security agents to pursue them, flush them out of the area and get them apprehended so that they can be investigated to know the root causes of the killings.

He disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, who has visited the area himself, has deployed his men to the area, the same thing as the Commander of the 72 Special Forces battalion who has also dispatched soldiers there.

While appealing for calm, he called on people of the state to be extra vigilant and to report any suspicious movement to the security agencies.

                                                  

Please Share This Post

Nigerian Troops Nabs Herdsmen, Recovers Guns After A Shoot Out In Benue

​BREAKING NEWS

Nigerian Troops Nabs Herdsmen, Recovers Guns After A Shoot Out In Benue

Troops of the Nigerian Army, Sunday said they apprehended five gun-wielding herdsmen in six communities in Benue State, after a gun duel which led to the killing of one herdsman.

It was learnt that the troops of 72 Battalion Special Forces on Saturday nabbed the herdsmen at about 1.30pm in the communities identified as Gbajimba, Baka, Tomanyi, Iyode, Dogon Yashi and Chembe.

According to the army, the armed herdsmen on sighting the troops, said to be on Operation Cat Race, engaged them in a shoot-out.

It was gathered that during the exchange, one herdsman was killed while another was injured. Also, one AK-47 assault rifle was recovered after the encounter.

The army said the bandits, however, fled into the bushes on sighting the troops and none was arrested.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig Gen Texas Chukwu, confirmed the arrests in Benue on Sunday in a press release.

The army spokesman said, “Troops on clearance operation in Gbajimba, Baka, Tomanyi, Iyode and Dogon Yashi made contact with armed herdsmen who engaged them in a gun duel. In the exchange of fire, one herdsman was killed while three others were arrested. One AK-47 assault rifle was recovered after the encounter.

“Additionally, two herdsmen engaged in destructive activities on farmlands were arrested at Chembe community. Earlier, troops of the battalion on patrol at Jatoaka town arrested 10 armed robbery suspects. All the suspects have been handed over to the police.

“Also in Taraba State, troops of 101 Special Battalion conducted clearance operations along Suntai-Muji-Kungana Road and encountered bandits who blocked the road, harassed and dispossessed road users of their valuables. The bandits fled into the bushes after they were engaged by troops. A search of the area led to the recovery of a dane gun.”

Please Share This Post

Wedding Brides Abandon Their Husbands At The Reception To Write Exam In Benue State

​BREAKING NEWS

Wedding Brides Abandon Their Husbands At The Reception To Write Exam In Benue State

The two final-year Mass Communication students, identified as Dorcas and Deborah, yesterday abandoned their wedding reception to write their final exams at the Benue State University, Makurdi.

The final paper is codenamed, Com 402: Media Law and Ethics.

The newly-weds left their husbands behind with their bridal trains and entered the examination hall in their wedding gowns.

Dr. Benjamin Ogbu, the course lecturer, told Punch: “The timetable for the exam was earlier fixed before their weddings were fixed and interestingly, both were on April 7, 2018.

“Since the exam couldn’t be shifted, the two brides left their various reception venues for the examination hall to sit for the exams in their wedding gowns.

“I was with the deputy vice- chancellor (academic) when both women stormed the examination hall. It was a moment of joy for all of us as students and lecturers.

“We were happy that our students got married and they (students) were happy too that they got married and also took their last exams same day. It was a double joy for them.”

Ogbu added that as a member of the University Examination Monitoring team, he was elated by the development.

Please Share This Post

Herdsmen Resume Attack In Agatu, Kill 2

​BREAKING NEWS

Herdsmen Resume Attack In Agatu, Kill 2

Suspected gunmen believed to the herdsmen during the weekend resumed attack on Agatu Local Government Area of Benue, killing two persons.

A source said the incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when seven boys went to take their bath at the stream in the community.

“Unfortunately, they were ambushed at the stream by herdsmen who waylaid and opened fire on the unsuspecting victims, which led to the death of two of the boys.

“Others managed to escape. The matter was also reported at the Agatu Police Police state,” the source said.

Benue State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who confirmed the killing, described it as saddening and unacceptable given the efforts the command had made to ensure peace in the state.

“It is saddening but we will attain peaceful coexistence among farmers and herders and with that in place we will soon have the people displaced by the crisis return to their ancestral homes,” he said.

The attack came same day suspected herdsmen attacked a community in Guma, killing several persons and injuring others.

Please Share This Post

Benue Killings: Group Accuse Military Of Aiding Fulani Herdsmen

BREAKING NEWS

Benue Killings: Group Accuse Military Of Aiding Fulani Herdsmen

The Independent Human Rights and Crime Monitoring Group, IHRCMG, has accused the military of encouraging the influx of cattle into Benue State.

The group said the military was aiding the herders to take over Benue communities by violating the Open Grazing Prohibition Law of the state.

Reeling out preliminary report on execution of Exercise Ayem A’ Kpatuma to end herdsmen incursions in Benue State, yesterday, in Makurdi, team leader of IHRCMG, Mr Solomon Adodo, regretted that the state had witnessed more killings, destruction of farmlands and houses despite the coming of the military.

According to the group, “Exercise Ayem A’ Kpatum is causing more harm than good to Benue communities. Rather than bringing peace and move people back to their ancestral homes, the military has been encouraging more herdsmen to move into Benue communities.

“The military encouraged herdsmen with a handbill, which they used at the launch of the exercise. They circulated the handbill misinforming the general public and giving a perspective that was not true.

“And Federal Government appears to be complicit in the Benue killings in all ramifications, the actions taken so far by the government does not show any political will to end the killings.

“We, therefore, recommend that the military should reassess its operations and sincerely help Benue to enforce the Open Grazing Prohibition Law of 2017.”

Please Share This Post

BREAKING NEWS

10 Armed Herdsmen Destroying Farmland Nabbed By The Troops in Benue

Troops deployed to Yelwata under the ongoing Exercise Ayem Akpatuma (Cat Race) have arrested 10 herdsmen destroying farmland at Tse-Tigir and Tse-Ndugh villages of Benue.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Texas Chukwu, in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, said the suspects fled into the bush when they sighted the troops.

“While in the act of destroying the farmland, the herdsmen sighted the aggressive troops and fled into the bush.

“The determined troops pursued and arrest them.

“Items recovered from them are five motorcycles, two machetes, assorted charms and N120,000,” he said.

Chukwu said the suspects and the items were handed over to the Police for investigation.

The spokesman said the Army was determined to fish out criminals and recover weapons they use in killing innocent citizens.

He appealed to the people to cooperate with the troops.

NAN

Please Share This Post