News

Organ transplant: Donor asks court to deny Ekweremadu access to bio-data

Published

9 months ago

August 31, 2022

David Ukpo, the kidney donor, has urged a Federal High Court, Abuja to set aside its order made on July 1, directing some agencies of government and banks to release his bio-data to former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and his wife, Beatrice.

Ukpo, who is currently in the United Kingdom (UK) in connection with the child trafficking charge against the Ekweremadus, said granting the couple’s request violated his fundamental rights to privacy guaranteed by Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Ukpo, through his lawyer, Bamidele Igbinedion, filed the motion on notice on August 15 before Justice Inyang Ekwo.

On June 27, Ekweremadu and wife had, in an application dated and filed on June 27 by Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, sued the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and four others following the criminal charge filed against them in the UK.

Others mentioned in the suit are the Comptroller General (C-G), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS); Stanbic-IBTC Bank; United Bank of Africa (UBA) and Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc as 2nd to 5th respondents respectively.

They had sought the order of the court directing all the respondents to release to them certified true copies of Ukpo’s bio-data information in their care to enable them to present the documents before the UK court and the judge granted the request on July 1.

Besides, Ekwo also made an order on July 6, directing NIMC to release Ukpo’s information to the Ekweremadus in line with their earlier court order.

But Ukpo, who sought an order setting aside the court proceedings and ruling made on July 1, also prayed for an order setting aside the proceedings and the order made on July, 6 in the suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/984/22.

Beside these prayers, Ukpo sought an order of perpetual injunction, restraining Ekweremadu and his wife and all the respondents from executing or further execute the ruling.

“A further order setting aside the execution or any execution of or compliance with the ruling delivered by this Honourable Court on the 1s! day of July 2022 and the Order of this Honourable Court made on the 6th day of July 2022 in suit no: FHC/ABJ/CS/984/2022 by any of the respondents”

In a 17-ground given by Ukpo, he said the court lacked the jurisdiction ab initio to have entertained the suit or granted any or all of the reliefs sought therein.

He recalled that on June 27, Ekweremadu and his wife, filed an originating motion before by the court, praying for the disclosure of his biodata Information, bank mandate card and account opening package, application form for his international passport and the bank verification information to use in the criminal trial at the Uxbridge Magistrates Court, United Kingdom.

Ukpo said despite the fact that the said reliefs were sought against his fundamental and civil rights to privacy guaranteed by the law, and his interest adversely affected by the aforesaid reliefs, he was neither made a party to the said originating motion nor was he served with any of processes in this suit to enable him respond thereto.

He argued that the government agencies and the banks which were made nominal parties to the suit did not oppose Ekweremadus’ application in any manner because their interests and civil rights were not engaged by the application and reliefs sought therein.

He said he became aware of the said ruling through social media reports on Facebook and he was deeply aggrieved with the said order(s).

According to him, the entire proceedings in the suit were conducted in breach of the fundamental rights of the applicant to a fair hearing and privacy which are guaranteed by the law.

“The proceedings in this suit was not done in compliance with the Order 34 Rules 4 and 7(2)(a) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019 and Section 36 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended),” he added.

When the matter was mentioned on Tuesday, counsel for the Ekweremadus, G. O. Maduka, said he appeared in court in protest.

Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter until Sept 13 for hearing.

The couple were, on June 23, remanded in the UK police custody, after they were arraigned before the Uxbridge Magistrate Court for alleged conspiracy to facilitate the travel of David Ukpo, alleged to be a minor, for organ harvesting.

They, however, denied the allegations and the court adjourned till July 7 for hearing.

Ekweremadu also appeared before the Uxbridge Magistrate Court on Thursday where he was denied a bail, though his wife, Beatrice, had been granted bail.

News

Ending Sit-at-home: Bishops Onah, Chukwuma, Enugu Town Unions back Mbah

Published

20 seconds ago

June 4, 2023

Advocate News Nigeria

Enugu State Governor Dr Peter Mbah

• Call for Kanu’s release

• It’s bondage, let’s free ourselves – Bishop Chukwuma

• Let’s give new governments benefit of doubt – Bishop Onah

The Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Most Rev. Godfrey Onah, the Anglican Archbishop of Enugu Ecclesiastical Province, Most Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, and the Enugu State Association of Presidents-General of Town Unions, have thrown their weights behind the efforts of the Enugu State government to end sit-at-home in the state starting from Monday, June 5, saying it is long overdue.

They equally expressed total support for Mbah’s call for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from detention, saying it is the right path to national healing and stability in the South East region.

Speaking to reporters after leading a prayer session for a smooth end to sit-at-home in Enugu State and the entire South East at the the Chapel of Redemption, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus (UNEC), on Sunday, Most Rev. Chukwuma, who also doubles as the Anglican Bishop of Enugu Enugu Diocese, appealed to the people to support the government’s move through compliance.

“Government has given directive. My advice and appeal is that they should comply so we can save the economy of Southeast.

“Now the Governor has said it is safe to come out; therefore people should come out to do their business, and be free and set ourselves free from this bondage. It is a bondage, and we must be set free from it”, he concluded.

Also, in his homily at the St. Theresa’s Cathedral Nsukka, Bishop Onah, while commending Dr. Mbah’s initiative to end the sit-at-home syndrome, noted that the suffering in the land was too much.

He, however, begged the people to give the new governors of the South East the benefit of doubt.

Bishop Onah traced the insecurity and restiveness in the region to the continuous detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and appealed to President Bola Tinubu to heed Mbah’s call for Kanu’s release.

“The suffering is too much. But, please, everybody should have mercy. Those that are angry should calm down. Many of us are angry, but we have to be careful how we express our anger or we may cause more problems.

“It’s in this spirit that I understand the initiative by some state governments in the South East, especially the newly inaugurated government in Enugu state, to try to restore normalcy in the South East.

“But I want to believe and I want to affirm that this initiative must of necessity include an increase in the effort to secure the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from detention”.

On their part, the Presidents-General (PGs) of Enugu State Town Unions wondered why Enugu State should continue to be on lockdown every Monday whereas “both private and pubic offices in the capitals of other states of the South East region had since resumed businesses.”

They wondered why Enugu’s case should be different.

In a statement by the Coordinating PG, Barr. Paully Ezeh, the association said the loss of Mondays since September 2021 had resulted in untold hardships and caused incalculable economic losses in the state and South East.

“The governor’s promise to transform Enugu from a public sector economy to a private-sector driven economy; raise the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from the present $4.4 billion to $30 billion in eight years, make Enugu one of the top three economies, restore public water supply in Enugu metropolis in 180 days, and eradicate poverty can’t happen if we continue to sit at home on Mondays. It presents our state to investors as restive, insecure, and unproductive place.

“The Association, therefore, appeals to both private and public institutions and people of Enugu to support the government’s efforts to restore full days of work and productivity in the state.

“We urge aggrieved persons and groups to take the opportunity of dialogue advanced by the Mbah administration and we equally join the Governor in his call for Nnamdi Kanu’s release to engender organic peace and national healing”, the Association concluded.

News

New State lawmaker appoints 14 aides

Published

22 mins ago

June 4, 2023

Advocate News Nigeria

Ondo lawmaker Chris Ayebusiwa

A first–time Ondo lawmaker Chris Ayebusiwa has announced the appointment of 14 aides.

Seven of the newly appointees are to work as legislative aides while seven others would work at the Ward level of the party.

Ayebusiwa was among the 26 lawmakers that took oath of office into the 10th Assembly at the weekend.

He said the appointments was to ensure smooth running of office.

Among those appointed were: Monday Akinsulere as Senior Legislative Aide; Femi Olawoye as Personal Assistant; Morayo Itiolu as Special Assistant Women & Girl Child Affairs; Kehinde Akinyemi as Special Assistant, Media & Advocacy; Joshua Akindoyo as Special Assistant, Youth & Mobilisation; Ayo Olowoselu as Special Assistant, Special Duties and Osedele Gbenga as Special Assistant, Party Affairs.

Others are: Adebayo Saheed, Obolo Morenike, Idowu Fasalejo, Simeon Adedeji, Atinuke Arikawe, Koya Mewaye and Mrs Ayebuola.

He urged the appointees to put communal interest above their personal comfort and advised them to work toward achieving improved status for the constituency.

News

Gunmen kidnap UNIZIK student

Published

53 mins ago

June 4, 2023

Advocate News Nigeria

Revd. Fr. Stanislaus Mbamara, abducted

A student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State who is also a Catholic Priest, Revd. Fr. Stanislaus Mbamara, has been abducted by gunmen.

The student, who was abducted over the weekend, was said to be returning home from school when the gunmen ambushed and whisked him away to an unknown destination.

It was also gathered that the victim is a clergyman working with the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi.

Announcing the victim’s abduction in a press statement, the Chancellor of the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi, Rev. Fr. Raphael Ezeogu identified the abducted priest as Rev. Fr. Stanislaus Mbamara.

He further called for insistent prayers to ensure the safety and immediate release of the abducted clergy.

“Our priest, Rev. Fr. Stanislaus Mbamara, a student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, was kidnapped Friday evening, on his way from Awka to Nnewi.

“Let’s storm heaven with humble and insistent prayers for his quick release in sound health of mind and body. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Help of Christians, pray with and for us,” he said.

Efforts to receive the reaction of the Police Public Relations in Anambra State, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, proved abortive, as his phone number was not connecting.

It would be recalled that another UNIZIK student, Sylvester Mercy Chinomso (Mesi Sylvia) of the of Parasitology and Entomology Department, was sometime ago abducted by unknown gunmen. She was abducted along with her sister.