4-Year Old Sentenced To Life Imprisonment

Ahmed Mansour Karni, a 4-year old child, will be spending the rest of his life in prison following a court ruling in western Cairo on Tuesday. The little boy was convicted in absentia for several charges, including murder, reports Ventures Africa. Going by the timeline of events that led to the alleged crimes the youngster is being convicted for, Karni was about 2-years old at the time, as they occurred two years ago during the riots and demonstrations of January 3 2014. But his name was on a list of over a hundred people “wanted” for murder, disturbance of the peace and damaging state property. Prior to the ruling, a defense attorney, Faisal al-Saud, who said that Karni’s name ended on the list by mistake, presented the child’s birth certificate to the court, but it appears the material was not transferred and that the presiding judge did not review the case. “The child, Ahmed Mansour Karni’s birth certificate was presented after state security forces added his name to the list of accused, but then the case was transferred to the military court and the child was sentenced in absentia in an ensuing court hearing,” said the lawyer. Although Karni’s birth certificate proves that he was born in September 2012, the court indictment states that the child is guilty of murder – four counts, attempted murder – eight counts, threatening security forces and vandalizing property belonging to the Egyptian Health Administration and vehicles belonging to security forces. How can a two-year old commit these crimes? In response to Karni’s ruling, Egyptians took to social media blasting the government and the clearly dysfunctional legal system, accusing them of corruption and injustice. An angry Egyptian lawyer, Mohammed Abu Huraira, said that the court decisions can’t be appealed; he issued a response to the ridiculous judgement saying, “On the eve of injustice and madness in Egypt, a four-year old child was sentenced to life imprisonment. He is accused of disturbance, damage to property and murder. The Egyptian scales of justice are not reversible. There is no justice in Egypt. No reason. Logic committed suicide a while ago. Egypt went crazy. Egypt is ruled by a bunch of lunatics.”


SOURCE: VANGUARD NIGERIA

NCC Files Criminal Charges Against MTN

The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has filed criminal charges against MTN Nigeria Communication and its Chief Executive Officer, Ferdi Moolman, over alleged copyright infringement.
The charge, with number ABJ/CR/379/2015, filed in the Federal High Court, Abuja, was obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday.
In the two-count-charge signed by NCC Prosecutor and Copyright Inspector, Marypauline Olere-Luma, MTN and Moolman were alleged to have infringed on copies of the musical work of an Abuja based musician, Dovie Omenuwoma-Eniwo (aka Baba 2010).
Specifically, the defendants were alleged to have "distributed, sold or let for hire or for the purposes of trade or business, expose or offer for sale 3009 infringing copies of the musical work" of Baba 2010.
The musical works allegedly infringed upon by the defendants included 'Omotena, Gentleman, Christian and unity song’ by the musician.
The offences, according to the charge, are contrary to and punishable under Section 20 (2)(a) and 20 (2)(b) of the Copyright Act, Cap C28 Laws of the Federation 2004.
No date has been fixed for hearing of the case.


SOURCE: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Breaking: Dasuki, Four Others Granted Bail

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, has granted bail to former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki, and four others standing trial for alleged money laundering and criminal breach of trust.
Others standing trial over a 19-count charge preferred against them include, a former director of finance at the office of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu, a former Group General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Aminu Baba Kusa and two firms, Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Reference Hospital.
Justice Husseini Baba Yusuf granted bail
to the accused persons on the sum of N250 Million on the condition that they produce a surety each who must be a serving or retired
civil servant not lower than the rank of a director.
The c​ivil servant must also show possession of a property within the FCT worth the same amount​, the judge ordered.​
All the accused
we​re also asked to deposit copies of their i​nternational passports with the c​ourt registrar​. They are to also​ notify the court of any travel arrangement outside the FCT.
Mr. Dasuki is accused of mis-spending about $2.1 billion meant for the purchase of weapons for the fight against extremist group, Boko Haram.
He denies any wrongdoing.






SOURCE: PREMIUM TIMES

NFF To Spend N5billion In 2016

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has revealed plans to spend over N5 billion (about $25 million) for the country’s participation in seven major championships in the new year.
This expenditure was contained in a budget summary of the NFF at their Annual General Assembly.
A further breakdown showed that Nigeria will feature at the 2016 CHAN in Rwanda, the U20 Women’s World Cup, the Rio Olympics, 2016 beach soccer competitions, U20 AFCON, U17 Women’s World Cup and the African Women’s Championship in Cameroon.
Next month’s CHAN will gulp the most money, which is put at about 1.5 billion Naira, while about 920 million Naira will be spent at the AWC.
Over 672 million will be spent on the female U20s,651 million on the female U17s,369 million on the Olympic team, 621 million on the U20 men’s team and 471 million on beach soccer team/
These expenditures will include overseas training tours, international friendly matches as well as the qualifiers and the championships proper.


SOURCE: VANGUARD

INEC Sets Date For Ijaw South LGA Supplementary Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has fixed January 9, 2016, for the conclusion of the governorship election in Bayelsa state.
INEC had declared the governorship election which held on December 5 as inconclusive after violence made it impossible to hold election in Southern Ijaw local government area.
The electoral body had already announced the results of seven out of the eight local governments with the incumbent governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Seriake Dickson, ahead of his main challenger, former governor Timipre Sylva of the APC.
The spokesperson for INEC, Nick Dazang, who confirmed the new date for election in Southern Ijaw local government said the commission had already issued a public notice on the date.
Mr. Dazang said all political parties with candidates in the election have already been notified.

Ben Murray-Bruce To Sponsor Twitter Follower's Masters Abroad

Senator representing Bayelsa East and philanthropist, Mr. Ben Murray Bruce of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has pledged to sponsor the Master in Technology research sample of a Twitter user, @tahir4purity, who complained that he has no job and that the high exchange rate of naira to dollar has complicated his situation.
The Common sense advocate agreed to sponsor the project, noting that Tahir Ahmed is a young man contributing to Nigeria.
The profile of Tahir on Twitter reads, “I am a practising mineral exploration geologist …I have great concern in developing and standardizing the mineral & mines sector in Nigeria”.
The decision of Ben Bruce was well received by Tahir and other users of the micro-blogging site.


SOURCE: VANGUARD

Ronaldo To Invest $40million In 'CR7' Hotels

Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo announced Tuesday he will invest over €37 million ($40m) in hotels bearing his 'CR7' moniker in his native Portugal, Madrid and New York.
Ronaldo unveiled his plans to link up with the Pestana Hotel Group, who like him are natives of Madeira, with 'CR7' hotels planned in three cities linked to his career - Funchal, Lisbon and Madrid and another in the pipeline for New York where he has been linked with Major League Soccer in the future.
"My world is that of football but life changes and I always wanted to own a hotel," the 30-year-old former Manchester United player told a press conference in Lisbon.
The triple Ballon d'Or winner joined Real Madrid from Man United in 2009 and has a contract which runs until 2018.
"It was impossible to throw myself alone into a project of this scale, to each his own area of competence. Pestana is the best Portuguese group in this business," he said
"The first project will be born in Madeira, where our roots and our families are," explained the 123-times capped international, adding that the hotel will be located close to the museum dedicated to his career that he financed at Funchal, the capital of the island.
"All investments are split on a 50-50 basis" between Ronaldo and the hotel group, for a total of sum of €75 million ($81m), explained Dionisio Pestana, owner and son of the founder of the hotel group.
The best paid footballer in the world with ?70 million ($76.6m) in earnings last year, Ronaldo already has a 'CR7' fashion line, and has lent his image to many other brands.
The first hotel is scheduled to open in summer 2016 in Madeira. It will be followed by Lisbon where Ronaldo moved as a youngster and played for Sporting Lisbon with a Madrid site planned for 2017.
Pestana, founded in Madeira in 1972, is the biggest hotel group in Portugal and is present in 16 countries across Europe, Africa and America with 87 hotels, six golf courses and two casinos, with an annual turnover of €222 million ($240m).