May 2019 ~ Pedestrian News Nigeria

Friday, 24 May 2019

Two Caleb University Students Killed During Protest in Lagos

Protesting Caleb University Students

Students of Caleb University , a privately owned university in Lagos State, are currently rampaging within the school premises.

The undergraduates went on a rampage after the school’s management introduced new rules which they found ridiculous.

According to the students, one of the new rules prohibits male and female students from hanging out after 7pm. Another rule insists the students must go to the church within the school premises to get a pass before they can leave campus.

They had a faceoff with the school Sheriffs during the riot. Teargas canisters were opened to disperse the students. Some of the students sustained injuries during the faceoff which left two students dead.

A bench of three judges told a packed courtroom in Nairobi they had not seen sufficient evidence of discrimination caused by the laws, which they said were constitutional because they represented the values and views of the country.

The ruling has dealt a major setback to campaigners, who hoped that scrapping the laws would inspire other countries in Africa – where discrimination is widespread – to do the same.

LGBT campaigners have reacted with anger and dismay after judges at Kenya’s high court rejected a bid to repeal colonial-era laws criminalising gay sex.

Justice Roselyne Aburili rejected last year’s precedent in India , which legalised gay sex between consenting adults, as well as a series of other judgments across the Commonwealth and elsewhere, and said Kenya should make its own laws to reflect its own culture.

Aburili said same-sex couples living together would be violating the constitution and that there was no scientific proof LGBT people were “born that way”.
“Courts should be loath to fly in the face of public opinion,” she added, amid chaotic scenes at the high court, where media, supporters and lawyers packed the narrow corridors on Friday. Some activists wept outside the courtroom once news of the ruling had filtered through.

The judgment stems from a petition filed by gay activists in 2016 that argued that the laws, which punish sexual acts deemed “unnatural” with up to 14 years in prison, contravene Kenya’s 2010 constitution and encourage discrimination.

“These old colonial laws lead to the LGBT community suffering violence, blackmail, harassment and torture,” the Nairobi-based National Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission said after the decision was announced. “They devastate people’s lives and have no place in a democratic Kenyan society.” Paul Muite, a lawyer for the commission – the main petitioner in the case – said it would appeal.

Stonewall UK called the decision “crushing news”, while Téa Braun, the director of the Human Dignity Trust, a campaign group using litigation to fight anti-LGBT prejudice, said it was a huge setback for human rights in Kenya.
“All Kenyan citizens are guaranteed human dignity, equality before the law and freedom from discrimination under the 2010 constitution,” Braun said. “Yet in handing down this disappointing judgment, the court has ruled that a certain sector of society is undeserving of those rights.”
Homosexuality is illegal in most countries on the African continent. In several countries, gay people face life imprisonment or the death penalty.
“The ruling sends a dangerous signal to the other 72 countries where citizens are made ‘criminals’ simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” Braun added.

Hate crimes against gay people – including physical and sexual assault, blackmail and extortion – are common in Kenya, but most victims are too fearful to go to the police, rights groups say. Campaigners say the laws are also used daily to discriminate against LGBT people, making it harder for them to get a job or promotion, rent housing or access health and education services.

Kenya arrested 534 people for having same-sex relations between 2013 and 2017. According to petitioners against the law, there have been more than 1,500 attacks against LGBT Kenyans since 2014.
The court heard from expert witnesses who said there have long been established traditions of tolerance of same-sex relationships in Africa. It had been due to deliver its ruling in February, but postponed it until May .

Source @Guardian

Supereme Court

News have it that the Supreme Court presently sitting at the election tribunal in Abuja has cancelled all votes (except presidential election) casted/recorded for the All Progressive Congress (APC) during the last election and went ahead to confirm the People's Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of all elections in the state.

The Court Rules that APC Had No Candidates In Zamfara Governorship 2019 Elections. First runners-up(PDP) in the 2019 general elections in the state has been declared winners of all the posts earlier declared to have been won by the APC and their candidates!

This news has been confirmed by the Head, Investigation Desk at Premium times Mr. Nicholas Ibekwe.

See his tweet👇

As the PDP Candidates prepare ahead of May 29th swearing-in. Aggrieved APC youth trade blow with the PDP counterparts over the announcement. See video.. .

Canada

Internation Credentials Evaluation (ICES) whose responsibility is to provide credentials assessment and evaluation service to individuals possessing educational credentials from outside BC or Canada has suspended assessment of results from University of Portharcourt based on reports of fraud.

See details as seen on twitter...

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission

Nigeria-The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has launched a social media campaign against cyber crime A. K. A Yahoo-Yahoo.

They are calling on Nigerians to join the fight against cyber crimes. To support the commission by speaking up against the crime. See tweet from the commission's official handle below👇

Theresa May

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Friday announces she will step down as the country's leader after years-long political headwinds that disheveled her aspiration to deliver Brexit.

Scooper gathered that May will quit the Conservative Party Friday June 7.

In a live broadcast Friday morning, May said, "Ever since I first stepped through the door behind me as prime minister I have striven to make the United Kingdom a country that works not just for the privileged few but for everyone, and to honor the result of the referendum," May says.

"I have done my best" to deliver Brexit. "I have tried three times," CNN reports May as saying.

Bisi Alimi

The issue of legalising same-sex marriage has experienced setback in Africa largely due to cultural and religious beliefs. Same-sex relationships are illegal in mostly African countries.

Recall that in 2014, Nigeria's National Assembly passed a law (prohibiting a marriage contract or civil union entered into between persons of same sex, solemnization of same; and for related matters) which carries 14year prison penalty against same-sex

February 2019, Kenyan judges had deferred on the matter and Kenya’s High Court had postponed until May 24 a ruling on whether to strike out or uphold a colonial-era law banning gay sex.

Same-sex activists believe that today's judgment would go in their favor. While congratulating the country, Media personality and sex educator, Lolo Cynthia gave the hints today on social media. See her tweet below👇

Again, Innoson Floors GTBank in Court.

Innoson VS GTBank

Lagos, Nigeria Recall Innoson and GTBank have been in a legal tussle over who owes who and GTBank has continued to challenge multiple court judgement awarding billions of naira to Innoson.

Innoson Vehicles media handler and Head of Corporate Communications, Mr. Cornel Osigwe has explained the outcome of today's court appearance in the case against GTBank in series of tweets through the official twitter handle @innosonvehicles. See tweets below.. .