Rivers
Murder: Court Frees Sylva’s Aide
Bayelsa State Chief
Judge, Justice Kate Abiri, has discharged and acquitted Mr. Samuel Ogbuku, an aide of former Governor Timipre Sylva.
Ogbuku, who was a former Chief of Staff to Sylva, was charged to court by the police in the state for murder.
The Bayelsa State Police Command had in April 2014 arrested Ogbuku over alleged complicity in the murder of an ex-militant in 2011.
Abiri discharged and acquitted Ogbuku for lack of diligent prosecution and lack of substantial evidence linking him to the alleged murder.
Ogbuku, who won the ticket of the APC to represent Ogbia Federal Constituency as its candidate in the 2015 National Assembly elections, has since been released and returned to his family, and his acquittal was celebrated by members of All Progressives Congress in the State.
Commenting on the development, State Organising Secretary, APC, Mr. Tonye Okio, described the court’s decision as a welcome development, adding that the certificate of return bearing Ogbuku’s name as the APC candidate was still awaiting his collection.
Okio, who was also detained by the police over charges of sedition, described the arrest and detention of Sylva’s aide as a show of executive recklessness.
He said, “It shows how the government at the state and federal levels have become vindictive. Governor Seriake Dickson sees the arrest and prosecution of APC members as his pastime. It is unfortunate and the APC in Bayelsa considers it as a price to pay for democracy and change.”
Okio commended the judiciary for standing firm in the defence of the human rights of the people.
Rivers
Rivers CJ To Sanction Lawyers Who Refuse To Comply With ADR Compliance
The Rivers state Chief Judge, Justice SIMONE CHIBUZOR-AMADI has given an indication to sanction any lawyer who fail to comply with directive of a judge in the state to transferred a case to Rivers State Multi Door Courthouse for Alternatives Dispute Resolution.
Justice AMADI stated this during a brief ceremony held at the chief judge auditorium in port Harcourt Friday held to hand over certificates of operation to two private ADR chambers on Precarious Dispute Resolution Services and Harmony Arbitration and mediation center .
He urged the two private ADR centres to be diligent in the discharge of their duties and warned against compromising the standard of Alternative Dispute Resolution, ADR but should observed the regulations set out in collaboration regulation by the state Multi Door Court House.
Earlier in a address, the Director of the State Multi Door Courthouse, VICTOR NWEKE esq, highlighted some of the achievements of the Multi Door Courthouse especially in decongestion of court rooms.
NWEKE while disclosing how the department certified the two private ADR centres called for serious punitive measures be taken against any lawyer who fail to comply with a case referred to Multi Door Court House by a judge or magistrates in the state.
In her acceptance speech on behalf of the two certified private ADR centres, ALICE NIMI commended the State Judiciary and Multi Door Courthouse for the approval and assured that all the rules and regulations spelt out will be followed.
In a related development; the Rivers State Judiciary has assured its readiness to collaborate with Nigerian Securityding Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC in using Alternative Dispute Resolution to resolve some of the issues in their office.
The state Chief Judge , Justice SIMONE CHIBUZOR-AMADI made the promise when he received in audience the Zonal Commander of NSCDC, Assistant Commandant General, AYINLA TALYE OLOWO and his team who paid him a courtesy visit in his office , Friday where issuees ADR utilization took centre stage.
He used the opportunity to brief his visitors on the hurdles judges faces daily in the court room and the need for the decongestion of the court room , stressing that one judge handle more than three hundred cases but that if lawyers and litigants adopt ADR practice court rooms can be releive of the daily congestions.
The state Chief Judge however urged NSCDC to ensure a wider sensitization of the members of the public on the practice of ADR for a better awareness and knowledge.
Earlier in his speech, the Zonal Commander of NSCDC, Assistant Commandant General, AYINLA TALYE-OLOWO said the visit was to seek collaboration on the use of ADR in resolving some issues which he insisted would help decongest the courtrooms.
Our correspondent reports officials of the Rivers State Multi Door Courthouse led by the Director, VICTOR NWEKE led the team of NSCDC on a technical session where information on how to the fully in cooperated into the Multi Door Courthouse and operation of ADR will be emphasized.
Akujobi Amadi