Court rejects Kanu’s request for his seized passports, money

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday dismissed an application by leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra and founder of Radio Biaf‎ra, Nnamdi Kanu, for the release of certain items, including his British and Nigeria passports, which are in the custody of the Department of State Service.

Justice James Tsoho dismissed the application made orally by Kanu’s lawyer, Mr. Chuks Muouma (SAN), who had sought the release of the items because they would not be needed by the prosecution since they were not listed as part of exhibits to be tendered.

Apart from the passports, other items which Muouma sought to be released to the IPOB leader who is currently in detention at Kuje prison along with his two co-accuse, are cash sums of $2,200 and N87,000, The PUNCH reported.

Justice Tsoho, in dismissing the application for lacking in merit, insisted that the fact that the items were not listed as possible exhibits did not foreclose the possibility of their being later used by the prosecution as exhibits.

‎He then adjourned the case till February 19 for the hearing of an application by the prosecution for protection of its witnesses.

The judge, before adjourning the case,  granted the request by the defence lawyer to the effect that relations of the accused persons be allowed in the court room subject to security screening and the capacity of the court room.

Kanu, David Nwawusi and Benjamin Madubugwu are being prosecuted on six counts of treasonable felony, unlawful possession of firearms and other offences bordering on their agitation for secession ‎of the Republic of Biafra from Nigeria.

‎Justice Tsoho had on January 29 denied bail to Kanu and the two other defendants and ordered that they remained on remand pending the period of their trial.

The judge in rejecting the accused persons’ bail application, held that they were not entitled to bail as they failed to challenge the allegation by the prosecution that they would continue to commit the alleged crime for which they were being prosecuted if granted bail.

Kanu was in the custody of the Department of State Service from the time of his arrest in a Lagos hotel on October 14, 2015 till January 20, 2016, when he was transferred to prison by an order of Justice Tsoho , shortly after he was arraigned along with two others.

Popular Yoruba actor, Arakangudu, is dead

Top Yoruba actor, Sikiru Adeshina, popularly called Arakangudu, died between late Monday night and the early hours of Tuesday, The Punch reported.

Speaking with our correspondent on the telephone from his base in Ekiti State, veteran thespian, Chief Jimoh Aliu, said those with the late actor broke the news of his death to him on Tuesday morning.

“I was called by those who were with him and told that he died after making a noise from his sleep,” Aliyu said. “They told me he died early this morning.”

Apart from acting, late Adesina produced movies like Ilu Gangan, Idunnu Mi, Ogbologbo, Iya Oju Ogun, Agbede Ogun, Ere Agbere among others.

Prosecutor Closes Case In Metuh’s Trial

The prosecution has closed its case against the spokesman for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Olisa Metuh.

The case was closed after the 8th prosecution witness briefed the court on how Mr Metuh had destroyed his statement during investigation by the anti-graft agency, according to Channel TV.

Under cross examination, the witness, Mr Junaid Sa’id, said that after Mr Metuh had written in his statement that the monies he received from the Office of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki, was for campaign activities as approved by former President Goodluck Jonathan and for the payment of his personal debt.

He added that about 77.5 million was allegedly paid to one CMC Connect for campaign publicity for the PDP while 25 million was giving to one Abba Dabo for the same purpose.

The witness, who is an investigative officer with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) also told the court that the National Women Leader of the PDP, Kema Chikwe, got five million Naira from the said money while the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the PDP, Tony Anenih, received the sum of 21.7 billion Naira.

He also told Justice Obong Abang that 500 million Naira was paid in two tranches to a company, Daniel Ford International, by Mr Metuh for the purchase of a landed property at Banana Island in Lagos State.

The witness said that ‎investigations revealed that the former NSA had on November 27, 2014, made a 10 billion Naira withdrawal from the Central Bank of Nigeria and converted same to $47 million which was shared to some PDP party members at its national convention.

According to him, the two million dollars allegedly laundered by the PDP spokesman is strongly linked to the said withdrawal.

It was four days after the disbursements that Mister Metuh gave the money to his then wealth manager, Nneka Ararume, he claimed.

The official of the EFCC further told the court that out of the 400 million Naira that was fraudulently transferred to Mr Metuh and his company by the former NSA, the accused person kept 50 million Naira for himself

But when asked if there was any documentary evidence to substantiate his testimony, the witness ‎answered in the negative.

‎The trial judge then adjourned the case till February 18 for the defence to open its case.

Women in Jordan fight for their rights

SheFighter, the first gym in Jordan to provide specialised self-defence and martial arts training for women, was founded in 2012 and commended last year in a speech by US President Barack Obama.

Founder Lina Khalifeh says the gym's methodology unites classic martial arts techniques with self-defence and self-empowerment strategies, noting: "Training in SheFighter has a bigger impact on women's lives than 10 conferences on women's rights."

Years ago, Khalifeh said that she decided to begin teaching self-defence after she saw a colleague being physically abused by her brother. Today, SheFighter has trained more than 3,000 women, and Khalifeh hosts workshops outside the capital Amman and at universities. She is aiming to expand further, opening more gyms, both in and outside Jordan.

Each week, a stream of young women pour into the gym to learn self-defence and have fun. "She angry, SheFighter!" they scream at the end of each training session.

With Aljazeera

Dead baby resurrects just before burial

A Chinese baby boy who was declared dead and spent the night in a morgue showed signs of life just as he was about to be cremated, local TV reported.

Workers at the crematorium in Pan’an in the eastern province of Zhejiang were preparing to cremate the baby on Friday when he suddenly starting moaning, provincial television reported.

The boy had been declared dead the day before and had spent 15 hours in the morgue at a temperature of about -12 degrees Celsius (10.4 F).

After finding the child alive, the crematorium notified his father and the baby was taken to a hospital intensive care unit.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen this. It’s a true miracle,” said a doctor at the Pan’an hospital where the infant was born prematurely in January.

The child spent 23 days in an incubator and was then taken home by his father, who wanted him there for the start of the Lunar New Year which began Monday.

But the baby’s condition worsened a few days after returning home. He was declared dead on February 4 after a doctor decided his heart had stopped beating.

Before the baby was sent to the morgue, his father had wrapped him in two layers of clothing and a thick bag which may have saved his life.

However, doctors are cautious about his chances of recovery.