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Court of appeal frees jailed orphanage owner Solomon Tarfa in Kano
Court of appeal frees jailed orphanage owner Solomon Tarfa in Kano
By Bodunrin Kayode
On Friday, the Court of appeal discharged and acquitted Prof Solomon Tarfa, who had been imprisoned on charges of forgery by a Kano High Court.
Tarfa’s incarceration and vindication on appeal was the second time in 22 years of persecution by Kano state government for running a Christian orphanage in the state.
Tarfa had similarly been charged with running a fake orphanage in year 2000 by a mobile magistrate court which conviction was overturned on appeal to the high court.
Almost 20 years later on Christmas Day, 2019 Kano state again arrested him and charged him for the same offense contrary to the law against double jeopardy.
According to the Presiding Justice of the court of appeal Kano, Justice Mbaba the evidence of a grown former orphan at DuMerci was helpful to the appeal.
“I believe that was the evidence that formed the basis on which the charges of abduction and kidnaping against Appellant were dismissed, as the evidence of the Prosecution, rather presented Appellant as a man on the role of honour and fame, instead of infamy, in my opinion.”
His Lordship concluded that,
“I set aside the conviction of the Appellant, and hold that this case was very unfortunate, going by the evidence of PW1, I cannot understand why it was taken out, in the first place, against the Appellant. Appellant is hereby discharged and acquitted of the said charge.”
According to International human rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe who was part of a global advocacy effort for Prof Tarfa, “this was an outstanding verdict from the court of appeal. The court rightly noted that this was an honorable man conducting humanitarian deeds and this case should never have been brought against him as I stated previously.
“At a time when paid professors were on strike for better conditions, Prof Tarfa had committed his life to catering for unwanted babies. Rather than receive a national honor, he was imprisoned on fake charges.
“What a country! Kano state is an embarrassment to religious freedom in Nigeria.
“I commend my learned colleague Sunny Akanni and his team for a successful outing and urge Kano state to release the Christian orphans they took and islamized since 2019.”
Ogebe added, “I want to alert my Lords Justices in Nigeria that they too and not just politicians are subject to scrutiny and visa bans by the United States government for anti-democratic and unjust rulings.
“That notwithstanding I want to be clear that the US failed by not designating Nigeria a country of particular concern (CPC) for religious persecution when Kano state’s actions against prof Tarfa amongst others prove that terrorists are not Nigeria’s only problem.
“It’s unfortunate that Prof Tarfa missed the wedding of one of the orphans he raised during his time in prison. I hope Kano state will stop the persecution.”
Court of appeal frees jailed orphanage owner Solomon Tarfa in Kano
Police arrest INEC officials, recover election materials in Taraba by-election
By: Zagazola Makama
The Police Command in Taraba has arrested some Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials and recovered election materials allegedly diverted during the by-election for Karim Lamido I Constituency of the State House of Assembly.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that on Sunday that the arrests followed credible intelligence provided by party agents.
The sources said the incident occurred on Aug. 16 at about 2:20 p.m. when a team of policemen intercepted the suspects at a private residence in Angwan Sarkin Panya village.
Those arrested included Gideon Amos, 49, an Assistant Presiding Officer II assigned to Polling Unit 16, Angwan Yusuf Dogo, Bikwin Ward, and two others identified as Matthew Jayi, 47, and Tiasama Mathias Musa, 32.
The suspects allegedly diverted materials meant for three polling units PU 005 Gandara, PU 016 Angwan Yusuf Dogo, and PU 029 Angwan Sarkin Primary School — to the residence.
Items recovered from them included three ballot boxes, two BIVAS machines, 19 booklets and 20 pieces of ballot papers, two stamp pads with ink, one marker, and two result sheets.
The sources also disclosed that in the process of resisting the diversion, a police officer on election duty, PC Christian Garba, had his uniform forcibly removed by hoodlums who fled with it.
The sources added that voting had ended in most polling units and collation of results was in progress while investigations into the incident were ongoing.
End
Police intercept 107 suspected thugs, recover arms during Kano re-run elections
By: Zagazola Makama
The Kano State Police Command says it has intercepted 107 suspected political thugs and recovered arms and dangerous weapons during the ongoing re-run and by-elections in the state.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the operation, conducted on Aug. 16 at about 11:00 a.m., followed credible intelligence and was carried out jointly with the military, DSS and other security services.
It was gathered that 20 vehicles conveying the suspected thugs, believed to have been imported from neighbouring states, were intercepted across the affected local government areas.
Items recovered from the suspects included four locally fabricated rifles, axes, cutlasses, daggers, swords, and sticks.
Security sources said the elections in the affected areas were marred by violence, thuggery, stuffing of thumb-printed ballot papers, threats, and intimidation of voters, as well as alleged inducement of electorates by government officials.
The sources added that operations were still ongoing to restore peace and ensure the credibility of the electoral process.
Police intercept 107 suspected thugs, recover arms during Kano re-run elections
Zulum, Others Present as Borno Acting Chief of Staff Buries Mother
By: Our Reporter
Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, Deputy Governor Umar Usman Kadafur, and Secretary to the State Government Alhaji Bukar Tijani, among many dignitaries, attended the funeral prayer of the mother of the acting Chief of Staff, Dr Babagana Mallumbe, Hajja Bintu, in Maiduguri.
Late Hajja Bintu Mohammed died on Friday at a hospital in Abuja after a brief illness at the age of 75, leaving behind five children.
The funeral prayer was led by the Chief Imam of Borno, Zannah Laisu Ibrahim, on Saturday evening.
Governor Zulum, accompanied by his deputy Umar Kadafur, were among the family members and associates at the Muhammadu Buhari International Airport to receive the body of late Hajja Bintu earlier before the funeral prayer.
The funeral was also attended by various officials, including National and State Assembly members, cabinet members, heads of government agencies, local government officials, friends and family members.
Zulum, Others Present as Borno Acting Chief of Staff Buries Mother
Police arrest INEC officials, recover election materials in Taraba by-election
Police intercept 107 suspected thugs, recover arms during Kano re-run elections
Zulum, Others Present as Borno Acting Chief of Staff Buries Mother
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