CAN: CAMA 2020 is satanic and ungodly

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has described the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020 (CAMA) as “satanic”, “ungodly” and a “time-bomb waiting to explode”, saying it rejects government control of churches and worship centers.

The body also said the CAMA 2020 will “snuff life out of the church and rank the church as a secular institution under secular control.”

Newsmen report that President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Companies and Allied Matters Bill 2020 into law on August 7, 2020, after the National Assembly successfully amended the 1990 law

CAN President, Reverend Samson Ayokunle in a statement Thursday said, “The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria rejects outrightly the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020 that was assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari recently.

“The law, to say the least, is unacceptable, ungodly, reprehensible, and an ill-wind that blows no one any good. It is a time bomb waiting to explode.

“While we are not against the government fighting corruption wherever it may be found, yet we completely reject the idea of bringing the church, which is technically grouped among the NGOs, under control of the government.

“The Church cannot be controlled by the government because of its spiritual responsibilities and obligations.”

“How can the government sack the trustee of a church which it contributed no dime to establish?

“How can a secular and political minister be the final authority on the affairs and management of another institution which is not political?

“How can a non-Christian head of government ministry be the one to determine the running of the church? It is an invitation to trouble that the government does not have power to manage.”

Can therefore advised the federal government to “face the business of providing infrastructure for the people. Let them focus on better health provision, food, education, adequate security employment, etc.

“The government should not be a busy body in a matter that does not belong to it. The government does not have the technical expertise to run the church of God because of its spiritual nature.

“If the government is bent on imposing a law on us which the entire Church in Nigeria is against, then, they have declared war on Christianity and the agenda to destroy the Church which we have spoken against before now is coming to the open more clearly.

“If you cannot give us good amenities of life, we would not allow you to take away our liberty to worship our Maker.”

The body counseled the president to “stop the implementation of the obnoxious and ungodly law until the religious institutions are exempted from it” and “return the law to the National Assembly for immediate amendment.”

Source: Today.ng

Female soldier raped by bandits appeals dismissal

The Nigerian Army has dismissed a soldier for getting pregnant after she was raped by suspected bandits while travelling to Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

The rape victim was charged with one count of ‘conduct prejudicial to service discipline,’ found guilty and dismissed from the regiment.

She, however, declined to speak on her ordeal when contacted on the phone on Wednesday, saying, “I have not asked you to publish anything, but we are working on the appeal.”

Her lawyer, Johnson Oyewole, expressed the conviction that his client’s unlawful dismissal would be overturned and she would be recalled to continue serving her fatherland.

According to an appeal to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, filed by her lawyer, the victim enlisted in the Army in March 2012 as a member of 67 Regular Recruits intake, and was serving with 56 Signal Command, Mile 2, Lagos, before the incident.

The letter, which challenged the soldier’s dismissal, read, ”It is manifest that the purported trial of our client was tainted with substantial irregularities; there is no offence under the law and no element of the offence of misconduct prejudicial to service discipline that talks of pregnancy while in service and warranted dismissal under section 103(1).”

It explained that the soldier obtained a pass to travel to Oyo State, sometime in October 2014 when the vehicle she boarded ran into bandits along Odo-Oba road and she was allegedly raped by five men.

She was taken to Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, where she was treated for six days.

Following the sexual assault, she obtained an extract from the police crime diary, a sworn affidavit, as well as a medical report, which indicated that she sustained “injury of right ankle joint with laceration and bruises around the thigh region.”

In December, she reported sick at the Military hospital and the matron confirmed that she was 12 weeks pregnant.

Three students in the Faculty of Law, Lagos State University, LASU, have emerged winners at the maiden edition of the World Intellectual Property

Three students in the Faculty of Law, Lagos State University, LASU,  have emerged winners at the maiden edition of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) National Intellectual Property Essay Competition held earlier this year.

The feat drew accolades from the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, SAN, who commended th\em for doing the university proud

The outstanding students are Olanrewaju Toheeb Balogun, a 300 Level Law Student; Ngozi Agatha Umeodinka, a 500Level Law Student; and Sina Victor Akinmusire, a 400 Level Law Student of the university.

The Programme Officer, WIPO Nigeria Office, Mr. Oluwatobiloba Moody, in a personal congratulatory message to Prof. Fagbohun mwrote: “I congratulate you and your institution, the Lagos State University, on the success of some of your students in the maiden edition of the WIPO National Intellectual Property Essay Competition. These winners emerged from an extremely competitive process, involving 262 entries received from students across the country.”

Fagbohun, who celebrated the highflyers for displaying an uncommon level of courage and intellectual prowess to compete with and stand out among the 262 participants in the competition, said they showed the quality LASU products were made of.

He described their exploit as praiseworthy, saying “I am magnificently proud of what you have done; and not only I, the entire university community is proud of you. Congratulations! Keep winning!”

Senate amended the Criminal Code Act Bill which increase jail term of kidnappers to life sentence

In the attempt to reduce the tide of the ever-increasing rate of kidnapping in the country, the Senate on July 14, 2020 passed for third reading an amendment to the Criminal Code Amendment Act Bill which increased the jail term prescribed for kidnappers from 10 years to life imprisonment.

This followed the adoption of a report of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters on a Bill for an Act to amend the Criminal Code Act Cap.C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, which was presented by the committee Chairman, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele.

The bill seeks to, among others, provide for life sentence for persons found guilty of kidnapping as against the provisions of Section 363 of the Act, which prescribes imprisonment for a term of 10 years, where the offence of kidnapping is established.

The bill notes that the frequency of kidnapping across the country, the resultant trauma as well as the number of lives lost to the crime, all make it imperative to review existing laws with a view not only to ensuring appropriate punishment for perpetrators but also to serve as deterrent to potential offenders.

Senator Bamidele in his lead contribution to the debate on the bill said the legislation will address the lingering issue of kidnapping which, in recent times, is on the rise.

The lawmaker stated that contrary to views expressed by those opposing the passage of the bill on the ground that it would usurp the powers of the states of the federation to legislate on the subject matter, the bill seeks to amend the Criminal Code Act of 1916 and not the criminal codes of the states.

It would be recalled that in her lead debate at plenary late last year, sponsor of the bill, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, observed that the frequency of kidnap cases across the country, its accompanying trauma, and the number of lives lost to the crime, are imperatives that necessitate the review of existing laws on kidnapping.

This is with a view to ensuring appropriate punishment for perpetrators as well as deterrence for potential criminals.

She lamented over the existing provision which prescribes a more severe punishment “for stealing replaceable property than the stealing of a human being”.

Until recently, when banditry took over the crime space in parts of the country, kidnapping at a time was about the worst security challenge that confronted the nation after insurgents were degraded by troops.

In 2017, kidnapping became a ‘money-spinning job’ for criminals.

Sometime in 2018, kidnappers almost made the Abuja-Kaduna highway their den.

Last year, they stretched their nefarious activities to Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja.

This was also as the payment for ransom advanced to bitcoin. In 2019 alone, about 1,000 kidnap cases were reported in the media.

So many lives and property have been lost to perpetrators of this crime.

The trauma which some kidnap victims suffer in the hands of their abductors as well as the nightmares their family members go through are better imagined.

Due to huge losses, some traders have gone bankrupt.

To evade kidnap, many peasant farmers have abandoned their farms in areas where the crime is most pronounced.

The high incidence of this crime has also continued to divert the attention of troops from combating renewed insurgency.

Although Senator Oluremi Tinubu had maintained that life sentence is a tough punishment for persons found guilty of kidnapping, it is tougher when it is accompanied by hard labour.

Where the victim is killed, it should be the death sentence.

The bill could further be improved upon to, in addition, provide for confiscation of properties of persons guilty of the crime.

The house used for keeping kidnap victims should also be demolished.

It would seem ridiculous to have a threshold of punishment that is lower than the penalty already legislated by some states.

A heinous crime deserves a heinous punishment!

Kidnappers kill three victims after collecting N7.5m ransom

Operatives of the Intelligence Response Team have arrested members of a kidnap syndicate, who allegedly killed three of their victims after collecting N7.5m ransom from their family members.

The Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, disclosed this in Abuja on Monday while parading 26 suspects arrested for kidnapping, armed robbery, unlawful possession of firearms and other sundry offences.

According to Mba, the kidnap syndicate abducted one Dr Audu Benedict, his son and a friend of the family, who were on their way to Abuja.

While in captivity, the suspects were said to have contacted the families of their victims, who subsequently paid N7m to secure their release.

“Before the ransom was paid, the suspects forced Benedict to raise a cheque of N500,000, which was successfully cashed,” Mba stated.

He, however, regretted that the syndicate went ahead to kill their victims, notwithstanding the ransom.

He stated, “Among the suspects, we have a kidnap syndicate that specialises in terrorising people of the North-Central zone.

“A ransom of N7m was paid by the family of Dr Audu Benedict. While in captivity, the doctor also raised a cheque of N500,000, bringing the total to N7.5m.

“After collecting the ransom, the suspects went ahead to kill the doctor, his son and the family friend.”

He added that the gang also kidnapped one Veronica Aboyi, who is related to one of the suspects.

Two of the suspects, Gwar Henry and one Bello, admitted to the crime.

The police said six AK-47 rifles, three pump-action rifles and other weapons were recovered from the gang.

Meanwhile, the police said they rescued six children “stolen sometime last year.”