Etisalat sues MTN over Visafone acquisition

Telecommunication company, Etisalat Nigeria has sued MTN Nigeria and Visafone Ltd, challenging MTN’s use of the 800megahertz (MHZ) spectrum following the acquisition of Visafone. MTN closed the deal acquiring Visafone in January this year.

A statement released by Etisalat says the suit was filed in order to prevent the use of the spectrum by MTN at this time, as it will entrench the dominance of MTN in the retail data services market.

The statement released by Etisalat's Head of Media, Chineze Amanfo reads in part; 

"You will recall that MTN Nigeria was declared dominant by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in 2013 and remains dominant in the wholesale leased line and retail voice markets. The use of the 800MHz spectrum to deploy broadband services ahead of its competitors, particularly those who prior to MTNs purchase of Visafone, held similar spectrum bands as MTN, will further entrench MTN’s dominance in the Nigerian telecommunications sector”.

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Court issues fresh arrest warrant on Tompolo, orders security agents to produce him in court

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, has issued a fresh warrant of arrest on former Niger Delta militancy leader, Government Ekpemupolo also known as Tompolo after he failed to appear in court today February 8th to take his plea on a 40-count charge of money laundering and fraud.

At the resumed hearing of the case, the presiding judge, Justice Ibrahim Buba said Tompolo had “refused to honour an invitation for investigation. A new order for his arrest is hereby given,” he said

He then adjourned the case till February 19th and ordered all the relevant security agencies to produce Mr. Ekpemupolo.

Tompolo and former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi, are accused of a multibillion naira fraud in NIMASA.

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A Kansas City man arrested for attacking his wife and feeding his 7 - year old son to pig

A Kansas City man arrested for attacking his wife is also suspected of feeding his 7-year-old son to pigs after beating him to death. Michael Jones, 44, was held after reports that he had assaulted his wife at their home and fired a gun at her. But when police began investigating, they were tipped off that they should search the family’s backyard for the decomposing remains of their missing son. The next day, human remains were found at a barn on their property in Wyandotte County.

Local women who knew the family said the couple had eight children, but their son had disappeared earlier this year. They also claimed Jones’ wife added livestock to the barn in September. “Their house was horrible,” one anonymous woman told WSFA.com. “Their house was just filthy. The kids lived in filth. Trash everywhere. Dried food all over the house.” Former babysitters for the family say several people contacted the Kansas Department for Children and Families with concerns about the children.

The seven other children are believed to be safe and in protective custody. A police source said investigators fear the remains are the result of the child being fed to pigs after being beaten to death. The remains have yet to be identified. Jones is now charged with battering and assaulting his wife on Wednesday, and also with “torturing or cruelly beating” his 7-year-old son sometime between May 1 and Sept. 28. Jones is expected to have a first appearance in Wyandotte County District Court on Monday.

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Innocent man exonerated of rape he didn't commit after 16 years in prison

A Los Angeles Superior Court Judge, William Ryan, has overturned the conviction of a man who spent 16 years in prison for sexual assaults that DNA evidence later proved he didn't commit. The man named Luis Vargas broke down in tears as the judge ordered the case dismissed after new DNA evidence linked the crime to a serial attacker on the FBI's Most Wanted list.

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Justice Lambo Akanbi sacked over judicial misconduct

The National Judicial Council, NJC, in a statement it Abuja, said it has directed Justice Lambo Akanbi of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State to, with immediate effect, proceed on compulsory retirement after Pres. Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, approved the sack of the justice after the  NJC, found him guilty of judicial misconduct.

The NJC said it had at the meeting, considered various allegations that were levelled against Justice Akanbi by Shell Petroleum Company Nigeria Limited and recommended his sack to the President.

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Court awards N500 million to King Sunny Ade over copyrights infringement 30 years after he sued

A Federal High Court on Friday, November 13, awarded King Sunny Ade N500 million as damages for copyright infringement. Also included was an additional N3 million for prosecuting the case. This is coming thirty years after the Juju music legend took record manufacturing company African Songs and its subsidiary Take Your Choice Stores to

court. The two companies were ordered to pay the sum by Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court in Lagos, while delivering judgment in the suit first instituted by the musician in 1975. King Sunny Ade had stated in his statement of claim that in 1975, a contract dispute arose between him and the two companies culminating

to a judgement delivered by Justice Dosumu presiding over a Lagos high court. According to him, in the said judgement the court ordered the companies to return the master tapes of the original musical works produced under the label of the two companies by Sunny Ade and his green sport back to him, but before the master tape could be returned the chairman chief Executive Office of the two companies Chief Bolarinwa Abioro died. Consequently, in a bid to retrieve the master Tapes Sunny Ade in 1997 dragged the two companies before a federal high court in Lagos, joined as co-defendants are, Lati Alagbada, Record manufacturing Nigeria limited, Ibukunola printers, Alhaja Awawu Ade Amodu,and M.O. Alagbada, who he alleged have been using the master tapes to produce inferior qualities of his musical works and sell them to members of the public thereby depriving him of his means of livelihood. Many of these companies don't exist anymore

though...

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CCT rules that Saraki' trial must continue, adjourns to Nov. 19th for trial

The Code of Conduct Tribunal has ruled that Senate President Bukola Saraki's trial must continue. Saraki is standing trial on a 13 count charge of false asset declaration while he was governor of Kwara state. The Code of Conduct Tribunal in its ruling, said the trial must continue despite Saraki's appeal at the Supreme court. Lawyers to the senate president walked out of the court and reportedly described the CCT's ruling as judicial rascality. It was adjourned to November 19th for trial...

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Oyo Chief Justice releases 59 inmates awaiting trial

The Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Munta Abimbola, has released 59 (53 males and 6 females) out of the 903 inmates awaiting trial in Agodi Prison in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The Chief Justice said this would ensure that congestion in the prison is reduced to its barest minimum. More importantly, some of those released were discovered to have been arrested unlawfully.

Others had been detained for more than the number of years they would have spent in prison for the offences committed. Some of those released also had health challenges while others were supposed to have been charged as civil matter but charged as criminal cases.

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Saraki files appeal at the Supreme Court

Senate President Bukola Saraki has filed an appeal at the Supreme Court against the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which affirmed the jurisdiction of Code of Conduct Tribunal ( CCT ) to try him on 13 count charge of false assets declaration while he was governor of Kwara state.
The Court of Appeal on October 30th in its ruling stated that the CCT had the constitutional authority to try the senate president.

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