Daily Archives: February 3, 2012

Judge threatens to dismiss terrorism case against Ndume

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The trial of an alleged Boko Haram sponsor, Senator Aliyu Ndume on terrorism charges, at an Abuja Federal High Court was adjourned on Thursday following a request by the prosecution, the Federal Government.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole however threatened to strike out the charges against the Senator if the government was not ready to prosecute the case.

During the last hearing in the case on December 19, 2011, Kolawole had granted bail to the accused, who was then in custody at the Kuje Prison in Abuja, and made an order for accelerated hearing of the case, adjourning the matter to February 2 and 7 and 14, 2012, for trial.

However, when the court sat for the commencement of trial on Thursday, Mr. Cliff Osagie, standing in for the lead prosecuting counsel, the Director of Public Prosecution in the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Fatunde, who was absent, drew Kolawole’s attention to a letter from the counsel (Fatunde) informing the court of her inability to attend the hearing.

Osagie expressed the DPP’s regrets for her absence, noting that the defence team had also been informed that the lead prosecution counsel would be absent as she had travelled for “an event of national importance.”

Osagie also informed the court that, as a result of Fatunde’s absence, the prosecution was seeking “a short adjournment.”

Mr. A. A Vangos, who stood in for the lead defence counsel, Chief Rickey Tarfa, who was equally absent, admitted that the defence team had already been notified about the DPP’s absence and her request for adjournment.

But as Kolawole moved to set a date for adjournment in line with the DPP’s letter which reportedly requested March 6 and 7, 2012, Osagie once again drew his attention to what he described as “a new instruction” from the lead prosecution counsel, saying “she wants the last week in February.”

Kolawole, however, threatened to dismiss the charges and discharge the accused person, if the DPP was not ready to prosecute him.

“Tell the DPP that if she is not ready I will discharge the suspect and that will be the end of the matter.

“If the state is not ready to prosecute the accused person, withdraw the charges and go to another place,” he told Osagie.

In his ruling on the request for adjournment, Kolawole noted that the development was an anti-climax.

He noted that the government was always eager to arraign suspects in high profile criminal cases with considerate media attention, only to turn around to become reluctant when it was time for the trial.

The judge wondered the national assignment that could be more important than the matter at hand.

He warned that he would not tolerate applications for adjournment in the matter, as he had already granted the two parties’ request for accelerated hearing.

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Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ionyclaret@gmail.com
https://www.codewit.com
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Fake doctor nabbed after working for over one year in govt hospital

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The Cross River State Police Command has arrested a fake medical doctor, who worked with the name, Dr. Collins Okafor, at the General Hospital in Calabar, the state capital.

The suspect, whose real name is Mr. Simeon Kejohu (34), was said to have used the certificate of a medical practitioner to secure employment with the Cross River State Ministry of Health and worked in the hospital for one and half years before his true identity was discovered.

A source at the hospital, who is a senior health personnel, said the suspect’s identity became suspicious when all the medical doctors in the hospital were compulsorily made to register online as directed by the Medical Advisory Council.

She said, “Medical doctors were recently requested to register online and as one of the doctors in the hospital, Dr. Collins Okafor, had no choice but to register. When he did, they found out that the certificate he presented was conflicting with that of another medical doctor from Abia State.

“On further interrogation, it was discovered that he (the suspect) is a health technologist, who impersonated a medical doctor. That was how the police were invited to take over the case.”

Corroborating the position of the source, the Officer-in-Charge of the Cross River State Intelligence Bureau, Mr. Habu Sani, said, “We got the information that there was a fake medical doctor in the hospital and commenced investigation immediately. When we went to his office, there were no incriminating documents but by the time we searched his house, we discovered some documents which clearly explained how he was able to carry out the assignment through forgery.

“We found in his house the document of one Dr. Collins Okafor, we now made contacts with the Medical Advisory Council in Abuja and they told us that two people had registered bearing the same name and therefore advised us to hold the person we had picked.”

Sani, a Chief Superintendent of Police, said prior to working at the General Hospital in Calabar, Kejohu confessed that he had worked in a private hospital in Abuja where he established a contact with a doctor who assisted him in securing employment with the Cross River State Ministry of Health as an indigene of the state.

He added that a team from the Medical Advisory Council in Abuja had come to Calabar to give useful statement, adding that enough proof had been established against the suspect.

The suspect is from Obudu in Obanliku Local Government Area of the state.

Sani further explained, “The other aspect we are still trying to verify is whether the real Dr. Collins Okafor is still alive or dead. We are also going to investigate how government was able to employ someone without the knowledge of how to manage people’s lives.

“He worked as a medical doctor from October 1, 2010 to January 2012. We have called the team leader of the Residency Committee that interviewed him; we are still compiling their records to see who recommended him for employment.

“This issue is serious because it is something that affects human lives. We will go through the investigation and point out where all the lapses are to the government because we do not know how many of such people will be in government employ.”

Speaking with Metro, Kejohu, who was looking sober, said his friend (Dr. Collins Okafor) gave him the certificate in the presence of his parents (Collins’) before he died four years ago.

He said, “Before Dr. Collins Okafor died, he called me by his sick bed as his best friend and said he would give me his certificate, which he did in the presence of his family. I studied at the School of Health Technology in Benue State. I have worked for over one year at the General Hospital in Calabar but never handled any surgery.”

The source said before Kejohu was nabbed, some medical personnel in the hospital had doubted his credibility because of his inability to carry out some critical functions expected of a doctor.

The source added that the fake doctor had on a number of times given wrong prescriptions to patients, adding that his prescriptions had been faulted by other medical doctors and nurses at different times.

“The worst is that he had always evaded anything that has to do with surgery over the time. Recently, a woman with ectopic pregnancy lost her life because the suspect was not competent to handle her situation and he also did not inform his other colleagues until the woman died,” she said.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ionyclaret@gmail.com
https://www.codewit.com
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I was not arrested – Boko Haram spokesman

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(Codewit.com) -The violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, has denied reports that his spokesman Abu Qada, has been arrested by the State Security Service.

The denial came even as the confusion set off by initial reports of Qada’s arrest on Tuesday deepened.

Qaqa, known for granting interviews and issuing statements on behalf of the group, was reportedly arrested in Kaduna by the SSS, early on Wednesday.

However, speaking with journalists from an unknown location on Thursday, a man who claimed he was Qada said the militant arrested was one Abu Dardaa.

“The person that was arrested was Abu Dardaa and not Abu-Qaqa. I am Abul Qaqa, the spokesman for the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunnati Lidda’awati Wal Jihad. Abu Dardaa is the head of the Lagina (Dept) of public enlightenment and not the spokesman,” the man said.

The militant went on to say that Dardaa was asked by the sect to meet with government officials after the group had decided to respond to the government’s call for dialogue.

“The arrest of Abu Dardaa is an outright deception and betrayal by the Nigerian government and security agents. They proclaimed dialogue and are doing the opposite. His arrest has proved to us that they were waiting for us to avail ourselves so that they can arrest us.

“We purposely sent Abu Dardaa to Kaduna to discuss with some key government functionaries on the issue of dialogue. Indeed, he had started talking to them but unknown to him, they (had) directed some security agents to trail him and arrest him.

“This is exactly what happened. He volunteered to present himself for the dialogue but was betrayed. Everybody knows our capability and tactics of operation. It is evidently clear that none of our members could be caught on a platter of gold and without confrontation.”

He added that their plan was to hold further meetings with government after the exploratory talks.

He said, “We initially thought that the much talked about dialogue was true and we actually resolved that after the initial meeting with Dardaa, we would send five representatives to stand for us.

“Part of what we told him to discuss with the government representatives was the unconditional release of our members as pre-condition for any further discussion.”

Qada urged government to release all their members in detention, adding that it was the only panacea for peace.

“I want to reiterate that we want all our members to be released for peace to return and for dialogue to hold.”

Qada spoke on the heels of reports on Thursday that security agencies had not confirmed if the man arrested on Tuesday was the sect’s spokesperson.

Sources in the security service have been reluctant to confirm the identity of the suspect arrested, saying he was being interrogated to confirm his identity.

A source in one of the security services told Reuters that the suspect had been flown to Abuja for interrogation.

“He is under interrogation,” the source said on condition of anonymity, declining to provide further details.

However, the spokesperson for the SSS, Maryln Ogar, had told the AFP that she was not aware of the arrest.

“When you have an ongoing operation, a lot of people are brought in, and until you are able to put a face to a name nothing can be confirmed,” Ogar reportedly said.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ionyclaret@gmail.com
https://www.codewit.com
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