Judiciary

After 9 years of trial: Otedola’s $3m bait lands Farouk Lawal in jail

June 23, 2021 Kehinde Osasona 0

    After a seemingly endless case transfers in the nine-year-old trial, a former federal lawmaker representing Kano state, Farouk Lawan, was Tuesday sentenced to seven-year imprisonment over $500,000 bribery allegations. The judgment was in Suit No FCT/HC/CR/76/2013 between the federal government and Farouk M. Lawan. The verdict which lasted hours was given by Justice Angela Otaluka of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Read More

Twitter: ECOWAS Court stops FG from sanctioning, prosecuting users

June 22, 2021 Editorial IV 0

    The ECOWAS Court of Justice sitting in Abuja Tuesday restrained the federal government and its agents from unlawfully imposing sanctions, prosecuting, harass, intimidate, arrest or prosecute Twitter and/or any other social media service provider(s) in the country. The suit and the ruling followed the suspension of Twitter by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed after the Read More

Updated – $500, 000 bribery scandal: Ex-lawmaker, Farouk Lawan, bags 7 years imprisonment

June 22, 2021 Kehinde Osasona 0

After standing trial for eight years, former federal lawmaker, Farouk Lawan has been sentenced to seven (7) years imprisonment over $500,000 bribery allegations. The verdict was carried out by Justice Angela Otaluka of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Apo, Abuja on Tuesday. The bribery allegation Blueprint learnt was in respect of some companies allegedly indicted for fuel subsidy fraud Read More

Breaking: For receiving bribe, Court sends ex-Reps member, Farouk Lawan, to jail

June 22, 2021 Editor 0

A former member of House of Representatives, Farouk Lawan, has been convicted by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Apo, Abuja for receiving $500,000 bribe from a businessman, Femi Otedola.          Justice Angella Otaluka who convicted Lawan from Kano state announced a seven-year jail term on three count charges preferred against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Read More

13% derivation: Court orders FG to pay $951m to Bayelsa govt

June 22, 2021 Kehinde Osasona 0

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the federal government to pay $951 million to the Bayelsa State government. The money being the 13 per cent derivative sum due as arrears of revenue payable to it. The judgment was in respect of a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/175/2012, and filed on February 12, 2021. In the suit filed on its Read More

Corruption can threaten Judiciary integrity, says NJI Administrator

June 21, 2021 Kehinde Osasona 0

The Administrator, National Judicial Institute, Justice Rozaline Bozimo, Monday, warned that Corruption can threaten the integrity of the judiciary, enjoining judiciary workers to shun the scourge in all its ramifications. Bozimo stated this while delivering a welcome address at the opening ceremony of the Virtual National Workshop for Directors of Finance, Internal Auditors and other Financial Officers of the Judiciary Read More

Buhari has powers to extend tenure of a retiring IGP–Court

June 20, 2021 Ise-Oluwa Ige 0

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday held that a sitting president of the country has powers to extend the tenure of a retiring Inspector General of Police (IGP) pending completion of the process for the appointment of a substantive successor. The trial high court judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, made the pronouncement while delivering judgment in a suit, with Read More

Misconduct: Supreme Court quashes conviction of 3 lawyers

June 20, 2021 Ise-Oluwa Ige 0

Orders reconstitution of probe panel The Supreme Court, on Friday, set aside the conviction of three senior lawyers barred from practising in Nigeria over alleged professional misconduct. The three lawyers are Mamman Waziri, Olayori Muideen and Dr Osaretin Izegbuwa. The lawyers were sanctioned by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPPDC) for various misconduct in the discharge of their profession. Justice Read More

Graft war, death threat and the EFCC chair

June 20, 2021 Editorial IV 0

Amidst death threat, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa disclosed recently that the commission was set to begin prosecution of 800 new corruption cases. In this piece, KEHINDE OSASONA asks if corruption is truly fighting back. Throw-back While speaking during a meeting with the American Secretary of State, John Kerry in Morocco in 2016, President Read More

Breaking: President has power to extend IGP’s tenure, Court rules

June 18, 2021 Editor 0

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ruled that the President has power to extend the tenure of a retiring Inspector General of Police (IGP) pending the completion of the process for the appointment of a substantive successor. Justice Ahmed Mohammed while passing the judgment on Friday said if the President has power to appoint, he should be be Read More

Suit against NJC over ‘marginalisation of Judges’ get June 23 date

June 16, 2021 Kehinde Osasona 0

Hearing of the suit instituted by the South-Eastern group, Alaigbo Development Foundation, against the National Judicial Commission over the appointment of judges to the Court of Appeal was Wednesday fixed for June 23, 2021. The Incorporated Trustees of the foundation had in suit No FHC/ABJ/CS/347/21, sued the NJC, Federal Judicial Service Commission, President of the Court of Appeal, Federal Character Commission, Read More

Ondo poll: Appeal Court throws out Jegede’s petition, PDP heads to Supreme Court

June 16, 2021 Kehinde Osasona and Barnabas Olabisi 0

The petition filed by the candidate of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Eyitayo Jegede, against the victory of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Governor, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu was thrown out on Wednesday by the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo State. The latter then was the flag-bearer of APC in the October 2020 governorship election. Jegede Blueprint recalls had approached the appellate Court Read More

Alleged sexual assault: Baba Ijesha fails to meet bail condition

June 16, 2021 Kehinde Osasona 0

– A Nollywood actor of the Yoruba genre, Olanrewaju James Omiyinka was Wednesday denied bail by a Yaba Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State. The bail conditions which include N500,000 and a level 16 civil servant as surety could not be met by Baba Ijesha. The actor had through his lawyer brought before the court the bail application. With his appearance in Read More

ECOWAS Court gives FG 30 days to file defence over Twitter ban

June 16, 2021 Kehinde Osasona 0

The Nigerian government was Wednesday given 30 days to file defence in a suit filed by a human rights lawyer, Ihensekhien Samuel at the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice. The suit is challenging the government of President Muhammadu Buhari over the indefinite suspension of the microblogging platform, Twitter. It was filed by Samuel on behalf of the President of One Read More

Updated: Popular actor, Baba Ijesha, appears in court over ‘sexual assault’

June 16, 2021 Kehinde Osasona 0

Embattled Nollywood actor of the Yoruba genre, Olanrewaju James Omiyinka, was Wednesday arraigned before a Yaba Magistrates’ Court in Lagos state. With his appearance in court on Wednesday, the hearing of the sexual assault case against the actor may have commenced. Popularly known as Baba Ijesha, actor Omiyinka was arrested on April 22 by the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly defiling Read More

Decongestion: FCT Command Controller calls for virtual sitting, establishment of Courts in correctional facilities

June 15, 2021 Benjamin Samson 0

The Controller of Corrections Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, Abdul-Rahman Maiyaki, has said virtual sitting of courts would decongest correctional facilities in the FCT. He also appealed to the Chief Judge of FCT to approve for Magistrates to come into correctional facilities in the FCT to have trials.Maiyaki stated this Tuesday, during a meeting with the liaison between FCT High Read More

Lawyer sues Lai Mohammed, AGF over Twitter suspension

June 15, 2021 Kehinde Osasona 0

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and the Federal Government have been sued for suspending social media platform, Twitter. In an originating motion marked FHC/L/CS/542/2021, a human rights lawyer, National Legal Adviser of the African Action Congress cum Co-Convener of the Coalition of Human Rights Defenders, Inibehe Effiong is seeking Read More

FG, BPPT sign construction pact against illegal refining

June 11, 2021 Benjamin Umuteme 0

In a bid to curb illegal refining and stabilise products pricing in the Niger Delta region, the federal government on Friday signed a shareholders’ agreement for the construction of Brass Petroleum products Terminal Limited (BPPT). Speaking after the signing in Abuja, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, noted that when completed, the project would help to close Read More