NAF EXPANDS YOLA APRON, CONDUCTS EYE SURGERY ON SECOND ON IDP’s.

NAF EXPANDS YOLA APRON, CONDUCTS EYE SURGERY ON SECOND ON IDP’s.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said on Monday that as part of preparations towards inducting new platforms, it is expanding the apron at the Military Wing of Yola International Airport to enhance air operations against insurgency in the Northeast.

A statement signed by the Director of Airforce Public Relations, Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa said, “The NAF, at present, is at the verge of inducting the Mi-35M helicopter gunship and JF-17 Thunder Fighter Ground Attack aircraft in addition to acquiring the Super Mushshack trainer aircraft.

“There are also strong indications that the US Government may give the nod sooner than expected with regards to the sale of Super Tucano to the NAF to replace the aging Alpha Jets”. 

The proposed fleet expansion, according to the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar “necessitated the expansion of existing facilities including the apron, pilot crew room, office/residential accommodation and recreation facilities newly put-in place to enhance the welfare of the personnel and reposition the NAF for effective and efficient air operations”.

Commissioning the new projects, the Governor of Adamawa State, Senator Muhammad Umaru Jibrilla Bindow lauded the NAF for the commitment towards enhancing the welfare of its personnel.

Senator Bindow noted that the projects are testaments to the high premium the NAF places on the welfare of its personnel and prudent management of resources by the incumbent leadership.

Governor Bindow also applauded the NAF for its contributions to the counterinsurgency operations with a promise to continue to work with the Service to achieve more successes. 

In a similar development, the CAS, Air Marshal Abubakar used the opportunity of his operational visit to Maiduguri to commission a new block of transit accommodation constructed for officers.

Meanwhile, in furtherance of NAF humanitarian support for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Northeast, another batch of 70 persons have benefitted from the free eye surgery undertaking by the NAF.

The latest beneficiaries according to Famuyiwa followed the first batch of 50 IDPs operated upon by NAF medics in Maiduguri.

“So far, the NAF has provided free medical care for over 30,000 victims of the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast” he said.

OIC Secretary General Condemns Attack on Military Base and Conveys Sympathy to Niger and Nigeria

Meanwhile, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation has strongly condemned the deadly attack by the terrorist group Boko Haram on 3 June 2016 on a military base in Bosso in South eastern Niger which claimed the lives of thirty soldiers from Niger Republic and two from neighboring Nigeria.

 Sixty seven other soldiers were also reported wounded during the audacious assault.

Secretary General of the organization, Mr Iyad Ameen Madani, while expressing dismay at the continuing senseless violence by the insurgent group in of the Lake Chad Basin, conveyed his deep sympathy and condolence to the authorities of the two countries as well as to the families of the victims.

He reaffirmed the principled position of the OIC against terrorism as an enemy of humanity and assured countries in the region of the determination of the OIC to continue to support their counter terrorism efforts.

Mr. Madani finally called on the Lake Chad Basin countries who are also OIC Member States to activate as a matter of urgency the Multinational Joint Task Force as a regional initiative to shore up the fight and accelerate the defeat of the Boko Haram terrorist group which remains a threat to the region.

END.

$2.1bn Arm Deal: Dasuki Asks Abuja Courts to Consolidate Charges

… Says he is not scared of trial

The former National Security Adviser, Colonel Mohammed Sambo Dasuki has asked an Abuja High Court to consolidate the two criminal charges bordering on alleged corruption and breach of trust brought against him by the Federal Government in the course of his official duties.

Dasuki who had been granted bails in three different high courts were criminal charges were slammed on him, had been rearrested and kept in custody since 2015.

He told the court that he was not scared of trial on the alleged fund misappropriation but insisted that the right thing in law must be done.

The Ex-NSA in a fresh motion on notice filed by his counsel, Mr Joseph Daudu (SAN) claimed that the trial in two different courts on the same issues and facts is unconstitutional and prejudicial to his right to fair trial by the court.

Dasuki who is standing trial on allegation of alleged misappropriation of $2.1bn along with four others before Justice Baba Yusuf insisted that the charges against him by the complainant on the same issue constituted a gross abuse of court process.

In the motion brought pursuant to Section 6 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution and Section 1, 208, 396, 491 and 492 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, Dasuki claimed that the two charges revolved around the same set of transaction and facts on the alleged funds misappropriation and the breach of trust.

He claimed that the two charges with NO FCT/HC/CR/43/2015 and another one with FCT/HC/CR/42/2015 pending before Justice Baba Yusuf of the High Court No 4 and Justice Peter Affen of High Court No 24 are identical charges emanating from the Office of the National Security Adviser and as such must be consolidated in the interest of justice and fair trial to avoid double jeopardy.

The applicant further claimed that to stand trial before two different courts and two different judges on the same set of facts and purported transaction of the office of the NSA will be prejudicial and great hardship against him as he stands the risk of double jeorpady having being charged in two different courts on the issue.

In the alternative, Dasuki prayed that is name be struck out from one of the two charges in the interest of justice.

END

In 30 paragraph affidavit in support of the motion deposed to by Dolapo Kehinde, the Ex-NSA was said to be standing trial before Justice Baba Yusuf on a 19 count charge for criminal breach of trust pursuant to Section 97, 309, 315 and 317 of the Penal Code and for also dishonestly misappropriated of certain properties in breach of Section 17 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act 2014.

The deponent, also averred that Dasuki and four others were also standing trial before Justice Peter Affen for similar offences on 22 Count Charge of criminal breach of trust contrary to Section 97, 309, 315 and 317 of Penal Code and dishonest misappropriation of certain properties contrary to Section 17 of EFCC Act 2014.

He further averred that the pivotal issue whereupon the two charges revolve is the purported $2.1bn alleged to have been misappropriated by the Ex-NSA.

The affidavit indicated that there was no distinction between the alleged transactions which led the filing of the two charges and therefore it is an abuse of the court for the two charges to have been filed separately.

However, counsel to Federal Government, Mr. Rotimi Jacob (SAN) objected to the motion on the ground that it was a ploy to frustrate and delay trial and urged Justice Baba Yusuf to proceed with the trial.

But counsel to Dasuki Mr JB Daudu urged the court to decide the motion one way or the other before the trial can commence because fundamental constitutional issues have been raised in the motion that required the termination first before anything could be done.

Other defendants in the charge did not object to hearing the motion prompting Justice Baba Yusuf to adjourn till June 15, 2016 for hearing.