The Nigerian Government has declared Friday, June 12, 2020, as public holiday to mark this year’s Democracy Day celebration.
Nigeria’s interior minister Rauf Aregbesola in a statement signed by the permanent secretary in the ministry Georgina Ehuriah congratulated all Nigerians at home and abroad for the entrenchment of democratic rule in the country.
He commended the heroes of democracy for their dogged determination and sacrifice which eventually birthed Democratic Governance in Nigeria.
Aregbesola called on all Nigerians to continue to cherish these selfless efforts and collaborate with the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to ensure the realization of the democratic ideals which these Patriots fought for, even at the cost of their lives.
The minister assured Nigerians of the Federal Government’s commitment to battling COVID-19 with the cooperation of all Nigerians, advising them to take responsibility for stopping the spread of the virus.
He urged Nigerians to stay safe by observing physical and social distancing, personal and respiratory hygiene, as well as other regulations issued by relevant authorities. “He wishes all Nigerians at home and abroad a Happy Democracy Day Celebration,” Ehuriah said.
Court grants panel leave to probe Sanusi over N2.2bn land scam
Fresh trouble lurks around deposed emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, as the Federal High Court sitting in Kano State paves way for the state’s anti-corruption commission to investigate him over the alleged N2.2 billion land scam.
Justice Lewis Allagoa, yesterday, dismissed the fundamental human right suit filed by the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor against Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, Kano Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission and its chairman as well as the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice.
Sanusi will face fresh anti-corruption charges three months after his deposition from the throne he sat on for about six years.He had sought the court to restrict the four defendants from investigating him on the alleged land racketeering, arguing that the planned investigation was against his fundamental human right.
But the judge held that the anti-graft commission and its chairman had the jurisdiction and powers to investigate Sanusi on the matter. Justice Lewis had in March granted an ex parte order filed by Sanusi to restrict the commission from inviting and investigating him on the land matter pending the hearing and determination of the originating summons.
The anti-graft agency had invested on the embattled Sanusi a Right of Occupancy CON-RES-2016-503, which was reportedly sold illegally by the Kano emirate council to Family Home Fund Limited at the instance of Sanusi as the Emir.
According to the commission, investigation also revealed that all the alleged illegal transactions for the sale of the landed properties at Darmanawa, Hotoro and Bubbugaje belonging to the emirate was done by the trio of Shehu Dankadai (Sarkin Shanu), Sarki Ibrahim (Makanan Kano) and Mustapha Yahaya (Dan Isan Lapai) based on the alleged instruction of Sanusi.
The resurgence of the land racketeering suit came after the same high court dismissed the allegation of misappropriation of about N4.5 billion against the deposed emir.
