Absence of NMA Medical Report Stalls Nnamdi Kanu’s Terrorism Trial

ABUJA — Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday adjourned the terrorism trial of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to October 16, 2025, pending the submission of a medical report by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), News360 Nigeria reports. The adjournment followed the NMA’s failure to submit its court-ordered medical report on Kanu’s health condition. At the previous sitting, Justice Omotosho had directed the NMA President to constitute a panel of medical experts to assess Kanu’s alleged deteriorating health and present their findings to the court. The examination was expected to determine whether the Department of State Services (DSS) medical facility could adequately handle Kanu’s treatment or if he should be transferred to the National Hospital, Abuja, as requested by his legal team. The report would also help the court establish whether Kanu is medically fit to continue standing trial. However, during Wednesday’s proceedings, DSS counsel, Suraj S’aad, SAN, informed the court that the NMA medical board had communicated that its report was not yet ready for submission. S’aad consequently applied for a one-week adjournment to allow the medical board to conclude its review and finalise the report. With no objection from the defence, Justice Omotosho granted the request and adjourned the case to October 16, 2025, for the NMA board to present its findings and for the court to determine the next line of proceedings.

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FCT Court Arraigns Lawyers Victor Giwa, Ibitade Bukola for Alleged Forgery, Impersonation

Two Abuja-based lawyers, Victor Giwa and Ibitade Bukola, were on Tuesday arraigned before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Apo Division, on charges of alleged forgery and impersonation. The duo are facing a three-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy to commit forgery, false personation, and fraudulent execution of documents. According to the charge sheet, the offences were allegedly committed on June 28, 2024, when Giwa and Bukola purportedly forged a letter using the official letterhead of Awa U. Kalu (SAN) and addressed it to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF). The forged document, titled “Urgent and Solemn Appeal to Suspend the Arraignment of Our Colleague Victor Giwa on Charge Number: CR/222/2023,” allegedly sought to influence the AGF to halt Giwa’s scheduled arraignment before Justice Samira Bature of the FCT High Court, Maitama. The case, presided over by Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, was previously stalled on September 15, 2025, leading to a bench warrant for Giwa’s arrest. His co-defendant, Bukola, who had been at large, appeared in court for the first time on Tuesday. During proceedings, Prosecution Counsel Asaph Eristo informed the court that the session was for arraignment. Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. Eristo urged the court to remand the defendants to prevent interference with ongoing investigations. However, Edwin Anikpenu, SAN, counsel to the defence, applied for bail, arguing that both defendants are legal practitioners and that Bukola is a nursing mother. He sought to orally amend Giwa’s existing bail application to include Bukola. Justice Onwuegbuzie expressed displeasure at the oral request, criticising the defence team for failing to file a formal bail application despite being represented by over a dozen lawyers. “It is shocking that a lawyer, a Senior Advocate, would come with an oral application and attempt to add another defendant without documentation. With 13 lawyers present, none deemed it fit to file a proper bail application,” the judge remarked. The court subsequently refused bail for Bukola and ordered that she be remanded at the Suleja Correctional Facility in Niger State. Regarding Giwa, the defence urged the court to grant bail on self-recognition or release him to a senior member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Garki Branch. The prosecution opposed the request, claiming Giwa posed a flight risk and that public funds were used to effect his arrest. After hearing both sides, Justice Onwuegbuzie granted Victor Giwa bail in the sum of ₦30 million, with two sureties in like sum. The sureties must be civil servants not below Grade Level 16, reside in Abuja, possess valid ID cards, and submit their international passports. The case was adjourned to October 15, 2025, for continuation of trial. Also present in court were A.A. Askira of the Civil Liberty Committee of the NBA, who watched briefs for the defendants, and Levi Nwonye, Esq., representing the nominal complainant.

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Emir Sanusi Backs 80% of Tinubu’s Policies, Flags Concerns Over Fiscal Spending, Food Importation

The Emir of Kano and former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Muhammad Sanusi II, has expressed strong support for most of President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, while voicing concerns over the government’s fiscal management and approach to food importation. Speaking in an interview with News Central on Tuesday, Sanusi commended the Tinubu administration for stabilising Nigeria’s economy through improved fiscal discipline and more coherent monetary policy coordination. “In terms of monetary policy and stability, I have nothing but commendation for the government. On the fiscal side, we have had an improvement in revenue-to-GDP ratios, improvement in debt service ratios, and a contraction in the deficit. These are positive steps, but we still have a long way to go,” he said. While applauding progress in revenue generation, the former CBN governor urged the federal government to prioritise the quality and efficiency of public expenditure. “We’re still spending too much money on government—on the cost of governance, too many political appointees, too many officers,” Sanusi said. “If we do not improve the quality of spending and put a rein on expenditure, we’re going to continue borrowing.” Sanusi warned that Nigeria risks falling back into a debt trap if savings from the removal of fuel subsidies are not managed prudently. “After saving money from these expensive subsidies, after building up the government balance sheet, you go and spend it, and then you have to borrow again,” he cautioned. On food security, the Emir criticised the recent wave of food importation, arguing that it undermines local farmers and threatens long-term agricultural development. “I would like to see that we put a stop to the mass importation of food. I know it was driven by a desire to bring down food prices, but it is, in the end, very counterproductive to domestic production and domestic producer prices,” he said. Sanusi urged the government to strengthen the agricultural value chain and invest in domestic production to achieve sustainable food security. “Hopefully, we will get to a point where we go back on track with the reforms in the agricultural sector—fixing the agricultural value chain and relying on domestic production to feed the nation,” he added. Summing up his assessment, Sanusi said the Tinubu administration had made significant strides despite the country’s ongoing economic challenges.

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Traditional Rulers Have No Constitutional Powers to Impose Bans

Let’s be clear: traditional rulers in Nigeria have no constitutional authority to impose or enforce bans. Their functions are largely symbolic, advisory, cultural, and mediatory, particularly on issues related to customs, festivals, and community traditions. If a traditional ruler desires that a particular policy or restriction be made law, the proper democratic process is to present the proposal to the State House of Assembly, where it can be debated and, if found appropriate, passed into law by elected representatives of the people. In the present case, concerned residents of Lagos State should seriously consider challenging such actions in court to reinforce the principle that traditional institutions have no legal power to issue enforceable directives. This issue goes beyond one community or ruler—it is about upholding constitutional order and democratic accountability. Lagos, as Nigeria’s most cosmopolitan and economically vital state, must not set a precedent that allows unelected individuals to wield powers reserved for elected officials. Allowing such practices to stand risks blurring the line between cultural authority and constitutional governance, a development that could undermine both democracy and the rule of law.

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FCT Police Suspend Enforcement Of Vehicle Tinted Glass Permit Pending Court Verdict

FCT Police Suspend Enforcement Of Vehicle Tinted Glass Permit Pending Court Verdict

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has temporarily halted the enforcement of the vehicle tinted glass permit after receiving a court directive. FCT Police spokesperson Josephine Adeh told AIT, “Information reaching me from the office of the PRO is that the order has been received and the enforcement of the tinted permit is now on hold pending the court’s verdict.” She added that the suspension will remain in effect until the court delivers its judgment. “We are waiting for the verdict. We are not against the courts, and we will continue to wait until we get a verdict,” Adeh said. Adeh also clarified that the tinted glass permit was introduced for security reasons, noting that criminals had exploited vehicles with darkened windows to evade law enforcement. “The law was not made by us. We are enforcers. The policy was purely security-driven. Some criminals were using tinted vehicles to commit offences, making it difficult for law enforcement to identify suspects,” she explained.  

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UK-Based Nigerian Doctor Allegedly Rapes Woman on Staircase

UK-Based Nigerian Doctor Allegedly Rapes Woman on Staircase

An NHS doctor ‘forcefully’ held a woman down on her staircase, lifted up her dress and raped her, a court heard. Later in the same evening, Dr Osareme Edeoghon, 39, allegedly raped the woman again while she was on the phone to her friend, jurors heard. Prosecutor Robert Harding told how the medic had been invited to the woman’s house but, without saying a word, started having sex with her as soon as she opened the front door. Jurors were told how the woman said ‘no’ and told Edeoghon ‘maybe later’, but his grip was so ‘tight’ that she ‘couldn’t move her hands’. The medic is also accused of raping the alleged victim a third time, an incident the woman described as a ‘violation’. Jurors were told that Edeoghon was based at the NHS hospital in Basingstoke, Hampshire, at the time of the alleged incidents. Mr Harding said: ‘There was no consent given, and it would have been clear to any person that she did not consent.’ The prosecutor told Winchester Crown Court that Edeoghon and the woman knew each other and she was expecting him at her house. He said that when Edeoghon arrived ‘She greeted him at the door, but without any invitation from her, he started to have sex with her.’ Mr Harding continued: ‘She was not consenting to this, and it would have been clear to any person that she did not consent. ‘She told him things, such as ‘no’, and even went as far as to say ‘maybe later on’. ‘After the defendant finished having sex, the complainant had a shower and busied herself as best she could cooking dinner. ‘She then returned to her bedroom and used her phone to call a friend. The defendant proceeded to try to have sex with her. There was no consent given.’ During his opening of the case on Monday, Mr Harding said that the woman ‘spoke with police about the allegations’ and told officers she had also been orally raped. The police interview with the woman was played to the court, in which she said: ‘I wanted to report rape, that he raped me.’ She told how the doctor had arrived at her home by taxi and added: ‘When I went down to the door, he did not say anything, and he turned me around and lifted up my dress. ‘I was like ‘no what are you doing?’ and he continued. So, I said ‘no’, and I said ‘maybe later’. But he just did not say anything, he just kept turning me and lifting up my dress. ‘By this time, I was at the stairs, or he had pushed me to the stairs. He started to have sex with me.’ The woman told how she was restrained by her arms as she was ‘pushed’ onto the stairs. ‘I tried to say no and stop but I couldn’t because he was forceful’, she added. ‘I couldn’t move my hands because he was holding my hands and turning me around. Because of how tight he was holding me; I couldn’t lift my arms.’ After the alleged attack the woman said she went upstairs to shower ‘because I just felt dirty anyway’. After dinner, she was in her room on her phone when ‘he came into the room and did the same thing again’, she said. The woman continued: ‘I was on the phone to my friend, and he came in out of nowhere again. He pulled my underwear down, moved my leg. ‘I just remember him being over me and me trying to figure out what to do in that situation because I am on the phone. I couldn’t say anything because I was on the phone.’ When a police officer asked what she was talking to her friend about on the phone, she said: ‘We were talking about carnival and the events and where to get tickets.’ The officer also asked how he would know she was not consenting, and she said: ‘I was on the phone and not inviting him.’ She said if she were not on the phone, she would have ‘pushed him off me and said no, I was tired.’ She said she had work the following day and would have told him that she would be too tired for work. She added: ‘It took time to register what was happening, and it was difficult to say stop while my friend was on the phone or to say stop because of what he was doing.’ During the interview, the woman, who can’t be named for legal reasons, alleged that she had also been orally raped by Edeoghon. The woman said: ‘That time I did say no, I turned away and covered my mouth. ‘I moved away from him because I just felt used. So I moved away to try to control the situation and ended up having sex to stop what was happening. It just felt like a violation.’ Edeoghon from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, denies three counts of rape. The trial continues.

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Professor Mahmood Yakubu Receives Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) as INEC Tenure Ends

Professor Mahmood Yakubu Receives Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) as INEC Tenure Ends

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has conferred the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) on Professor Mahmood Yakubu following the end of his second term as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Yakubu was first appointed INEC chairman in November 2015 for a five-year term, which was renewed in 2020, and has now concluded. The award recognises his dedicated service to the nation and his role in strengthening Nigeria’s democracy. Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga stated that Tinubu thanked Yakubu for his efforts in conducting free and fair elections throughout his tenure. “President Tinubu has directed that Professor Yakubu hand over to the most senior national commissioner, May Agbamuche-Mbu, who will oversee the commission until a new chairman is appointed,” the statement added. In a letter dated October 3, 2025, Professor Yakubu expressed appreciation to the President for the opportunity to serve as INEC chairman since 2015.

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Argentine Police Arrest Nigerian Fugitive Wanted by INTERPOL in Landmark Cybercrime Case

Argentine authorities have arrested a Nigerian national, Ikechukwu N., marking the country’s first-ever capture of a fugitive listed on both INTERPOL’s Red and Silver Notices. The suspect is accused of masterminding a series of large-scale romance scams that defrauded thousands of women across multiple countries, as well as leading an international cybercrime network. The arrest was made under Operation Jackal, an INTERPOL-coordinated initiative targeting West African organized crime syndicates. The operation was conducted jointly by Argentina’s Federal Police (@PFAOficial) and Airport Security Police (@seguridadpsa), with crucial support from INTERPOL’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre (IFCACC), FIS, and INTERPOL Brazil. The INTERPOL Silver Notice, introduced in January 2025 as a pilot project, is designed to help member countries trace, freeze, and recover criminal assets linked to transnational crime. This milestone arrest underscores Argentina’s growing role in global efforts to combat cyber-enabled financial crimes and strengthen international cooperation against organized criminal networks.

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