Category: localnewsupdates

The arraignment of businessman Alhaji Hameec
Kasumu and his company, Kings County Propert Investment Limited, last Thursday stalled at the Lagos State High Court, Tafa Balewa Square, following their absence in court.
Kasumu and his firm are facing a five-count charge filed by the Inspector-General of Police over alleged forcible entry, unlawful possession, conspiracy, and intimidation involving a property at Plot 15, Alexander Avenue, Ikoyi.
The defendants allegedly conspired to trespass, intimidate, and unlawfully occupy property legally owned by Wada between 2021 and 2023.
The charge also accused them of conduct likely to cause fear and breach of peace.
The case stemmed from a petition by Muhammadu Wada, who accused the defendants of unlawfully occupying his property.
When the matter came up before Justice Abdul-Raheem Tejumade Muyideen, the prosecutor, Igile Oju, told the court that the defendants had been properly served with the charge and expressed surprise at their absence.
But defence counsel, Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), disagreed, saying Kasumu was outside the court’s jurisdiction and had not been duly served.
He added that the defence had filed a preliminary objection challenging the court’s jurisdiction to hear the matter.
According to him, “We filed the application dated November 5, 2025, and served the prosecution.

The Fedral High Court in Lagos last Thursday adjourned until January 20, 2026, a suit seeking the enforcement of the rights of victims of rape and incest.

The case, FHC/LAG/975/2025 was filed by the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre and two other applicants, whose identity are withheld, against the Attorney-General of the Federation and other government agencies

Also listed as respondents are the Minister of Health, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in persons.

The matter was slated for hearing following the absence of all respondents. Counsel for an interested party, A. Saliu-Aina, appeared on a watching brief. Prof Yemi Oke (SAN), leading WARDC’s legal team, expressed disapointment at the respondents’ absence, describing the matter as of unique importance and national significance .” This is a matter that concerns the lives and rights of victims of rape and incest. I am surprised the respondents were not patriotic enough to appear . It is an urgent matter that deserves immediate attention,” Oke told the court.

He added that while the Office of the Attorney -General of the Federation had only recently been served, other respondents had “simply ignored” the process.

The applicants are asking the court to declare that victims of rape and incest have the right to safe termination of pregnancy as provided under Nigerian law. They must also seek a declaration that the government must provide comprehensive medical assistance , including medical abortion services, as well as psychological and social support services for victims, as guaranteed under the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Professor Yusuf Ali, has cautioned that Nigeria’s security policies are increasingly harming citizens rather than protecting them

Ali spoke at the Gavel International Annual Lecture and Awards 2025, held on Tuesday at the Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

In his keynote address, titled ‘The Impact of National Security Policies on Vulunerable Populations: A Human Rights Perspective ,’ he lamented that counter-terrorism and law enforcement strategies have strayed from constitutional and human rights safeguards.

Ali said “The reality is that many of our security measures have turned citizens into victims.

We have created a system where those we are meant to protect are being displaced, detained,and stripped of their dignity under the guise of national security.

He noted that the poor,women,children, and internally displaced persons have become unintended casualties in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism,banditry,and separatist movements.

Ali urged policymakers to adopt a people-centered approach, prioritising human dignity, the rule of law, and social justice.

“True security cannot be achieved by force alone. it requires the protection of rights,economic empowerment, and the strengthening of democratic institutions. When the state fails to uphold justice or meet basic needs, insecurity will persist, no matter how many guns or troops are deployed,” he said .

An equipment, machinery and logistics company, FHT logistics company, FHT Mega Express Limited has dragged Parallex Bank Limited before a Lagos State High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square over an alleged debt of 7,154,677,000 Billion naira.

FHT Mega Express Limited, through its counsel Adedayo Oshodi (SAN) filed a motion ex parte marked ID/AOR/6143/2025 abd dated October 17,2025, seeking an order of the court directing all financial institutions in Nigeria holding funds for Parallex Bank yo withhold all such sums up to 7,154,677,000 Billion naira in intrest-yeilding accounts pending the determination of the motion on notice .

The company also asked the court to make any other orders it deems fit in the circumstances.

The application predicted on five grounds, states that FHT Mega Express Limited maintained an account with Parallex Bank into which it deposited 7,154,677,000 Million naira for the creation of letters of credit .

The applicant alleged that the funds were used by the bank to establish letters of credit totalling 7,310,257.99 Billion Euros, but that bank failed to fulfil the purpose for which the money was domiciled since 2023

Nigeria’s U-20 women’s national team, the Falconets, ended their campaign at the 2025 WAFU Zone B U-20 Women’s Cup in Benin Republic with a perfect record after defeating the hosts 1-0 at the Omnisport Stadium in Adjohoun on Wednesday. SOT Blog reports.

Already confirmed as champions before the final match, the Falconets maintained their 100 percent record thanks to a 16th minute goal from in-form striker Ramotalahi Kareem, who finished as the tournament’s top scorer with four goals.

Kareem pounced a precise through ball shrugged off her marker and calmly slotted past the goalkeeper to hand Nigeria an early lead .

The Falconets dominated possession and created several chances to extend their advantage but were unable to convert them

Benin pushed forward in the second half in search of an equaliser, yet Nigeria’s defence remained composed and resolute to secure a deserved victory.

The win sealed a flawless outing for coach Moses Aduku’s side, who finished top of the standings with 12 points from four matches, scoring ten goals and conceding only one.

Ghana finished second with six points, while Benin ended without a point.

President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Gusau, has debunked claims that the Super Eagles are owed a backlog of match bonuses stretching to about 30 games ,SOT Blog Reports,

In a interview released by Elegbete Tv on Wednesday, Gusau explained that the NFF had cleared all outstanding monies due to the team, while their bonuses for the World cup qualifiers have also been agreed.

The Super Eagles boycotted training in Rabat, Morocco on Tuesday ahead of their crucial 2026 World Cup African playoffs semi- final against Gabon on Thursday.

Both parties, however, reached a compromise on Wednesday as the team returned to training ahead of the crucial playoffs.

Nigeria will face Gabon at the Complexe Sportif Prince Heritier Moulay Al Hassan in Rabat on Thursday (today) with the winner to face either DR Congo or Cameroon, who will also square up against each other today as well .

Initial reports from the team’s camp said players and officials skipped what would have been their second tranining session in protest of unpaid bonuses, which date back to 2019.

While it was also reported that the players wanted $15,000 each for each playoffs, and that the NFF proposed $ 10,000 , captain William Troost-Ekong dismissed the claims, maintaining that the team was focused on the games ahead.

Once a resolution is found, we will be the first to confirm. Any other claim or demands other that the rightful request written about is FALSE , ‘Troost-Ekong said

All we want and continue to do is to focus on the big games ahead. In the wake of the saga, Gusau countered the captain’s claims. It’s not true that we have owed for 30 matches,” Gusau told Elegbete TV.

Immediately after AFCON last year, we sat down with the leaders of the team and we negotiated . I told them I didn’t want us to go into the World Cup qualifiers with any issues of money. Can we please sit down and agree on what your outstanding is ? Please, this is what we can do to make sure we clear that. Let us go on a clean sheet to face the qualifiers, and we have reached an agreement with them the NFF president told Elegbete TV.

“So before we came back to this year’s qualifiers, we reached an agreement with them and everything was cleared. So, if there is any outstanding we have with the Super Eagles, it has to do with the Qualifiers, and these qualifiers we are playing we the NFF and the Nartional Sports Commission have reached an agreement with them. So, It’s not an issue of after every match;this is the match bonus we are going to give you, and they agreed . So anytime they are coming now, we just give them appearance fee, which we have been doing through the National Sports Commission.”

That is why i want to say that the Chief of Naval Staff was scammed. He has realised that the he was scammed. Instead of him to now come out and seek help, he resorted to using military might”

-Mr lere Olayinka, the senior Special Assistant on Publicity and Communications to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, defending the minister’s actions during a confrontation with a naval officer in Abuja.

The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has rejected a written explanation from NNPCL for a missing #210 trillion between 2017 and 2023, insisting that the company’s Group CEO must appear in person. NNPCL claimed #103 trillion was accrued expenses and #107 trillion were receivables, but the committee found the figures unjustifiable pointing out that the company only generated #24 trillion in revenue over five years. The controversy stems from a leaked 2023 audit report that provided the first public glimpse of the anomaly, and the committee warned of subpoenas for former NNPC and NAPIMS officials if satisfactory answers are not provided.

Along Nigeria’s coastal belt, artisanal fishers and women traders face relentless attacks at sea-engine thefts, kidnappings and killings while official reports claim near shore waters are safe. Community leaders say a week hardly passes without an incident. Despite employing over 6 million people and supplying the country’s fish needs, the small scale fishing sector has no functional national policy, registry or credit system . Yet the government’s focus remains on large vessels and oil . Industrial trawlers and foreign fleets drag juvenile fish in “by-catch” across Nigeria’s waters, fueling stock depletion. With weak enforcement and a stalled fisheries policy , coastal livelihoods are slipping into crisis.