Category: News

An Abuja High Court has dismissed a lawsuit filed against Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), labeling the case as frivolous and lacking in merit. The case, instituted by the Registered Trustees of Trust Field Empowerment Initiatives, sought to compel the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) to prosecute Komolafe within 30 days over alleged irregularities in the award of oil blocks and the fixing of signature bonuses. The NUPRC and the AGF were also listed as co-defendants. In a judgment delivered on Friday, July 18, 2025, Justice H. Muazu struck out the suit, citing Section 251(1)(a) and (n) of the 1999 Constitution, which confers exclusive jurisdiction on the Federal High Court to hear matters concerning federal revenue, oil, and natural resources. Defendants Awarded ₦9 Million Costs Legal teams representing the defendants — led by Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN) for the AGF, Oladele Gbadeyan for Komolafe, and Chief Chiesonu Okpoko (SAN) for the NUPRC — argued that the case was an abuse of court process aimed at embarrassing the NUPRC boss. They had requested ₦100 million in damages. While the court declined the ₦100m claim, Justice Muazu awarded ₦3 million each to the three defendants, totaling ₦9 million, against the claimant. “The suit is frivolous and without merit,” the judge ruled, effectively ending what legal experts have described as a poorly grounded legal action.

The Executive Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, has strongly condemned the demolition of Karsana 2 community by a developer identified as Oceanic Properties and Equilibrium Concept. During a visit to the site on Saturday morning, Maikalangu expressed anger over the destruction, vowing to seek compensation for the affected residents. He appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, to intervene, while also urging the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to assist in resettling displaced residents. Maikalangu said, “This is an indigenous community that has existed here for years, even before the creation of the FCT. Overnight, without any notice or compensation, they came and demolished our houses. These people are now homeless. We will not take this injustice lightly; we are heading to court, and the developer must pay for this damage.” He added that the demolition took place while most residents were away, warning that such actions could trigger insecurity. “We are indigenous people of the FCT, and we will defend our rights,” he stated. The AMAC chairman emphasized the need for proper relocation and compensation, noting that the developer’s actions were unfair and unacceptable. “We are taking this case to the Honourable Minister of the FCT and to court because our people cannot continue to suffer like this,” he declared. Speaking on behalf of the community, Dikko Jezhi, the Youth Secretary of Karsana, described the demolition as sudden and unjust. “We were at work when we got calls that our houses were being demolished by armed men. This is our ancestral land, and we have nowhere else to go,” he lamented. Jezhi warned that the continuous displacement of indigenous people could lead to unrest, calling on authorities to provide immediate alternatives and compensation. He said numerous houses, churches, and even the community chief’s palace were destroyed.

Former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has urged the Federal Government and the leadership of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) to immediately resolve the ongoing crisis affecting dental students’ graduation and induction quota at the institution. In a statement released on Saturday, Obi expressed concern over reports of delays and disruptions in the academic progression of dental students at UNICAL. He noted that while the university’s Vice Chancellor has promised to address the situation, “no student should suffer due to what I consider a failure of leadership.” Obi recalled a similar challenge he faced as governor when the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria shut down the medical school at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University for lacking a teaching hospital. At the time, students were at risk of graduating with unrelated degrees despite years of medical training. “I refused to let those innocent students become victims,” Obi said. “I committed to building a functional teaching hospital within two years, and despite skepticism, I completed and commissioned what is now the Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital in Awka in less than 18 months.” He stressed that education, particularly in critical sectors like science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), is too vital to be jeopardized by bureaucratic lapses or inadequate infrastructure. Obi called on the Federal Government to urgently provide financial and institutional support to UNICAL, enabling the university leadership to resolve the matter swiftly. “Our children must not continue to lose their future in Nigeria,” Obi warned. “At this critical time in our nation, we cannot afford to neglect education and healthcare, while wasting resources on areas that bring no tangible value. A New Nigeria is Possible.”