Agency forecasts cloudy, dusty athmosphere from today

THE Nigerian Meteorological Agency ( Nimet) has predicted hazy, cloudy and dusty atmosphere from Friday to Sunday.

Released on Thursday, the agency’s weather outlook predicted dusty and hazy conditions in the northern region on Friday.

It also forecast that horizontal visibility of 1km to 3km and visibility range of less than or equal to 1000m over Katsina, Kano, Sokoto and Gusau during the period

The North Central cities, including Minna in Niger State; Lokoja in Kogi State; Ilorin in Kwara State and Jos, Plateau State, should be in dust haze with visibility range of 2km to 5km within the forecast period.

Again, it predicted that there would be chances of few thunderstorms over parts of Ondo, Ogun, Edo, Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers, AkwaIbom and Cross- river states during the afternoon and evening periods.

“On Sunday, sunny and hazy condition is expected over the northern and north central cities within the forecast period.

“Cloudy skies wit intervals of sunshine are expected over the inland cities of the South throughout the forecast period.

The implications for motorists and other road users are the likely impaired visibility, and hence the need to drive with caution.

The Federal Road Safety Corps ( FRSC) operations in the north and north- central zones would have to be proactive to create awareness to reduces cases of road crashes.

FEDERAL High Court, Abuja, yesterday, dismissed, for the second time, the bail application filed by former Chairman, Presidential Pension Reform Taskforce Team, Abulrasheed Maina.

The application was dismissed for lacking merit.

Maina, who is being prosecuted by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC), is standing trial for alleged money laundering.

Justice Okong Abang, while delivering ruling on the bail application, held that Maina, who fled the country after he was granted the first bail, could no longer be trusted for bail relief.

The judge described Maina, who was rearrested in Niger Republic and extradited to Nigeria by the International Police, as a flight risk.

“I will not take the second risk of granting him another bail,” Justice Abang said.

Maina’s counsel, Mr. Sani Katu ( SAN), had last Friday argued the application for his client’s bail and prayed the court to grant him the second bail on the grounds of ill- health.

This was, however, opposed by the prosecution counsel,

Mohammed Abubakar, who argued that the defendant could not be trusted with a second bail grant, having jumped the first one.

In his ruling, therefore, the presiding Judge, Abang, recalled how he took the risk of granting Maina his first bail but he fled the country. “The court was and is not in a position to ascertain whether the first defendant collapsed in court or fell down on his own.

“The law is settled that it is at the discretion of the court to grant bail to a diefendant whether he has jumped bail or not.

“It depends on the facts and the circumstances of each case. Maina is not only a potential flight risk but a proven flight risk.

“The court is not inclined to take risk the second time. As for the medical report tendered, the first defendant is not in any health emergency. “The defendant cannot flout an order of court and expect to be granted bail.

“I think the Federal Government of Nigeria is capable of attending to the medical needs of the first defendant’s purported ailment.

“The application lacks merit and is accordingly dismissed,” the judge held.