The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed separate appeals by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) seeking to stop payment of a ₦2.5 billion judgment debt to 110 workers unlawfully dismissed in 1996. In two unanimous rulings, a three-member panel ordered the CBN to immediately release the funds, which ABU had lodged with the bank since 2018 for settlement of the judgment. The appeals were dismissed as unmeritorious. Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Okon Abang rejected the CBN’s argument that garnishee proceedings could not be used to enforce payment and that consent from the…
Author: Newsdesk
The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has criticised the Nigerian Senate for rejecting an amendment that sought to make real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory. In a statement issued Friday in Abakaliki, signed by its National President, Debo Adeniran, and Publicity Secretary, Jeremiah Onyibe, the group described the decision as a setback for electoral transparency and democratic accountability. The CDHR said retaining discretionary powers for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) undermines public confidence and risks compromising the credibility of future elections. It argued that leaving electronic transmission optional amounted to choosing “ambiguity over transparency,” particularly…
The Oyo State Ministry of Health has seized chemically ripened fruits during a food safety enforcement exercise at a market in Oyo town. Officials from the ministry’s Department of Food, Water and Laboratory Services carried out the operation on Friday following an anonymous tip-off. About 12 baskets of mangoes artificially ripened with chemicals and prepared for sale were confiscated. Speaking during the exercise, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, warned residents to be cautious about the sources of the food they consume. She said the use of chemicals to preserve or enhance food items poses serious health risks and…
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Zero Corruption Coalition, and other civil society organisations have condemned the Senate’s rejection of a proposal to make the electronic transmission of election results mandatory. The coalition expressed concern over the decision by the 10th National Assembly to reject the amendment to Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, which sought to legally entrench electronic transmission of results in Nigeria’s electoral process. Speaking for the coalition, Executive Director of CISLAC and Chairman of TMG, Comrade Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), described the…
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has issued a three-day ultimatum to waste management contractors to evacuate refuse across satellite towns or risk termination of their contracts. Wike gave the directive on Friday after inspecting road projects in Karu, Bwari, Kubwa and along the Apo–Karshi corridor in Abuja. He instructed the Coordinator of the FCT Satellite Towns Development Department, Mr. Abdulkadir Zulkiflu, to ensure strict compliance with the order. The minister expressed particular concern over mounting heaps of refuse along the Orozo–Apo–Karshi corridor, describing the situation as unacceptable and embarrassing. “By Monday or Tuesday, if I…
The Federal Government has unveiled plans to establish a world-class energy events centre to host the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) and other global engagements. Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, announced the plan at the close of the 2026 edition of the summit in Abuja, noting that the facility would position Nigeria as a hub for international energy dialogue and collaboration. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to leveraging the country’s oil and gas endowments to drive industrialisation, strengthen energy security, and stimulate economic growth. Lokpobiri disclosed that land had already been secured for the proposed…
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, today, February 5, 2026, received the management of the University of Uyo, led by the acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Samuel Gbadebo Odewumi, on a courtesy visit to him at Government House, Uyo. With the Governor to receive the visitors were the Deputy Governor, Senator Akon Eyakenyi; Secretary to the State Government, Prince Enobong Uwah; Executive Assistant/Chief Delivery Advisor, Mr Aniefiok Johnson; members of the State Executive Council and other Government officials. Other members of the University of Uyo management team included; acting Deputy Vice Chancellors, Administration and Academics, Registrar, Bursar and the University Librarian.
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday launched Nigeria’s National Halal Economy Strategy, a policy initiative aimed at positioning the country to tap into the $7.7 trillion global halal market and accelerate economic diversification. According to a statement from the Presidency, Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, unveiled the initiative at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The policy is expected to add an estimated $1.5 billion to Nigeria’s gross domestic product by 2027, according to projections shared by the Presidency. Speaking at the event, Vice President Shettima described the launch as a clear signal of Nigeria’s readiness to compete in the fast-growing global halal…
The Kano Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, February 5, 2026 arraigned a former Vice chancellor of the Federal University Dutsinma, Professor Armayau Hamisu Bichi before Honourable Justice Musa Danladi Abubakar of the Katsina State High Court on a five count charge of bribery to the tune of N19,700,000 (Nineteen Million, Seven Hundred Thousand Naira only) Bichi was arraigned alongside two others, Lawal Tukur Mani and Aliyu Lawal Jari. The duo he allegedly used to receive the said bribes. One of the charges read “That you Armaya’u Hamisu Bichi sometimes in July 2023 at…
The Federal Government has inaugurated the governing board of Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in its efforts to boost industrial growth and attract investment. The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, who inaugurated the board in Abuja on Thursday, congratulated the new board members, describing their appointment as timely for Nigeria’s economic transformation. Oduwole said the board’s inauguration aligned with government efforts to strengthen industrialisation, attract investments and expand value chains under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. She noted that the recent World Bank endorsement of government reforms reflected growing global confidence, while expectations from SON…