News
COURT DISMISSES CASE BY A FORMER ECOWAS COMMISSION EMPLOYEE
COURT DISMISSES CASE BY A FORMER ECOWAS COMMISSION EMPLOYEE
By: Michael Mike
The ECOWAS Court has dismissed a case filed by a former employee of the ECOWAS Commission on the ground that she filed her case beyond the time limit.
Mrs. Dorothy Etim filed suit ECW/CCJ/APP/44/21, alleging that the ECOWAS Commission and its President wrongfully dismissed her on 8 September 2015. She stated that the incident was based on an allegation that she produced forged documents to access ECOWAS education grant for the benefit of her four children.
She told the Court that she was not invited by the Respondents to respond or react to the allegations of “fraud” and “forgery”. She added that she wrote several letters on the matter but did not receive any response.
Mrs. Etim asked the Court to declare her dismissal wrongful. She also prayed the Court to order the Respondents to pay her accrued salaries and entitlements and the sum of 300,000,000 naira as exemplary damages.
In its response, the ECOWAS Commission asked the Court to dismiss the case as Article 9(3) of the 2005 Supplementary Protocol provides that action by or against a Community Institution or any Member of the Community are statute-barred after three years from the date when the right of action arose.
The Commission also contended that Mrs. Etim did not follow internal processes, specifically, she did not appeal to the Head of the Institution during the mandatory time, and did not appeal to the Council of Minister. The Respondent, therefore, asked the Court to dismiss all her claims.
In the judgment the Court noted that under Article 9(3) of the Protocol of the Court (as amended), claims by or against a Community Institution or its staff are statute-barred after three years. Consequently, the Court held that since the incident occurred in 2015 and the claim filed in 2021, the claim was submitted well beyond the statutory time limit and therefore inadmissible.
The judgment, delivered by Justice Sengu Mohamed Koroma, also dismissed the Applicant’s claims of human rights violations against the ECOWAS Commission, emphasising that only Member States, not Community institutions, are recognised as parties in such matters. Furthermore, the Court dismissed the case against the President of the Commission stating that “it would be duplicitous to sue both the President and the Commission.
The ECOWAS Court is the Community Institution empowered to entertain administrative conflicts between Community institutions and their employees.
Also on the panel were Justices Dupe Atoki and Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves.https://newsng.ng/saudi-arabia-to-host-largest-ever-un-conference-on-land-and-drought/
COURT DISMISSES CASE BY A FORMER ECOWAS COMMISSION EMPLOYEE
Finally, DSS Arraigns Sowore on alleged Cybercrime Offences
By: Our Reporter
Judge bars him from inciting public, undermining national security
The Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday arraigned a politician and online publisher, Omoyele Sowore, before a Federal High Court in Abuja, for alleged cybercrimes, with the court barring him from further making statements that are detrimental to the peace and security of the country.
Justice Mohammed Umar, in a ruling, threatened to revoke the bail granted Sowore’ should he ever make such statements. The arraignment came after two previous attempts, with the politician’s lawyer introducing what the DSS lawyer, Akinolu Kehinde SAN, called legal obstacles.
On Tuesday, however, Justice Umar held that since there was evidence that Sowore was a presidential candidate in the country before and having also earlier been granted bail by the court, with his international passport still being held by the court, he was entitled to be granted bail on self-recognition.
The ruling was on a bail application argued by his lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, shortly after Sowore was arraigned on a five-count charge, in which he is accused of defaming President Bola Tinubu by referring to him as a criminal in his posts on X and Facebook.
When the charge, being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS), was read to him, Sowore pleaded not guilty.
In the charge, Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 and 2023 elections, is accused of contravening the provisions of the the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024 and the Criminal Code Act by calling President Bola Tinubu a criminal
The two other defendants listed in the charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025 are X Incorp (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) Incorp.
Details shortly.
Finally, DSS Arraigns Sowore on alleged Cybercrime Offences
News
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed bandits have carried out a series of coordinated attacks across parts of Zamfara State, killing one person and abducting several others in Zurmi and Bungudu Local Government Areas, security sources have confirmed.
In the first incident, bandits invaded Tungar Tsamiya village in Moriki District of Zurmi LGA at about 10:40 p.m. on Nov. 30, shooting dead one resident and abducting 10 others.
Security forces launched a search-and-rescue operation to locate the victims.
Barely hours later, on Monday morning, another group of bandits attacked Doguwar Gona forest in the same Moriki District.
The assailants abducted 17 men and women who were in the area fetching firewood. Security personnel are tracking the movement of the attackers with the aim of rescuing the captives.
In a separate incident in Bungudu LGA, gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles stormed Makwa village in Kurar Mota District at about 12:15 p.m. on Dec. 1 and abducted an unconfirmed number of residents.
Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA and police operatives, supported by local vigilante groups, have intensified efforts to rescue all abducted victims and restore calm across the affected communities.
Search operations are ongoing.
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
NSA Ribadu visits Kontagora Bishop, pledges swift rescue of abducted Niger schoolchildren
By: Zagazola Makama
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, on Monday paid a sympathy visit to the Bishop of Kontagora, Bishop Bulus Yohanna, following the recent abduction of students of St. Mary Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.
The NSA, who arrived Kontagora by helicopter at about noon, was accompanied by the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr Tony Ajayi; the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs; and senior officials from the Office of the NSA.
Ribadu and his entourage proceeded to the office of the Bishop at St. Michael Church, where they met with representatives of families of the abducted students, the school principal, and the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for the 19 Northern States, Bishop Joseph Hayap.
During the meeting, the NSA assured the community that the Federal Government was intensifying efforts to secure the safe release of the abducted pupils and staff.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ending attacks on schools and ensuring the safety of students across the country.
NSA Ribadu visits Kontagora Bishop, pledges swift rescue of abducted Niger schoolchildren
Finally, DSS Arraigns Sowore on alleged Cybercrime Offences
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
NSA Ribadu visits Kontagora Bishop, pledges swift rescue of abducted Niger schoolchildren
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