Home Blog Page 140

Police Halt Tinted Glass Law Enforcement Following Talks with NBA

0

A delegation from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), led by its president, Afam Osigwe, SAN, met with Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) announced a temporary suspension of the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act, 1991.

The discussion, which took place at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, centered on the current discussion about the tinted glass law’s application and the worries expressed by drivers and attorneys about how law enforcement officials are allegedly abusing the rule.
Although no court has officially ordered the Force to stop enforcing the law, the Police explained in a statement signed by CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, Force Public Relations Officer, that it had decided to halt enforcement in good faith and in consideration of the public interest, pending a Federal High Court hearing in Warri, Delta State, on October 16, 2025.
According to the statement, the IGP stressed that the decision was intended to increase cooperation with the legal community while also exhibiting openness, justice, and respect for the rule of law.

The statement stated that the Nigeria Police Force had temporarily halted the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act, 1991 enforcement in order to show respect for the Nigerian Bar Association and to take into account the interests of Nigerians while the hearing of the Motion on Notice was ongoing.
The discussion was characterized by “robust deliberations” between the parties regarding the improvement of public trust and the legitimate enforcement of current security and traffic regulations.

In order to strengthen collaboration between the police and the legal community, a joint Police–NBA committee was established to act as a platform for communication on matters of shared interest, specifically in the areas of law enforcement and the defense of citizens’ rights.

To guarantee compliance with Nigerian laws limiting the use of tinted or shaded glasses, the Force has recommended drivers and vehicle owners to take advantage of the suspension period to regularize their vehicle documents.

IGP Egbetokun reaffirmed the Force’s dedication to applying the law as it is in a fair and transparent manner, promising the public that no Nigerian will be unfairly singled out or subjected to harassment in the name of implementing the tinted glass rule.

According to the IGP, “maintaining law and order while upholding justice and protecting citizens’ rights in collaboration with key stakeholders remains our top priority.”

In Nigeria, there has long been controversy surrounding tinted glass permits, with many drivers accusing certain police officials of arbitrary arrests and extortion.

A more controlled and rights-respecting approach to enforcement is anticipated as a result of the recent discussions between the NBA and the NPF.

Breaking: Police Nab 12 in Connection with Murder of Arise TV’s Somtochukwu — Full List Released

0

In connection with the murder of a security guard, Mr. Barnabas Danlami, and an employee of Arise TV, Ms. Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, during a robbery attack at Unique Apartment, Gishiri Village, Katampe District, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, or FCT, Police Command has detained 12 suspected armed robbers.

Following President Bola Tinubu’s order for security forces to capture the murderers, the arrests were made.
The suspects were apprehended by Scorpion Squad members under the command of ACP Victor O. Godfrey after being located via digital and reconstructive intelligence, according to a report by counterinsurgency specialist Zagazola Makama.

The victims were killed during a robbery at their home on September 29, 2025, at around 3:30 am.

Shamsudeen Hassan (Malumfashi, Katsina State), Hassan Isah (22 (Zaria, Kaduna State), Abubakar Alkamu (27 (Musawa, Kaduna State), Sani Sirajo (20 (Malumfashi, Katsina State), Mashkur Jamili (28 (Igabi, Kaduna State), Suleiman Badamasi (21 (Malumfashi, Katsina State), Abdulsalam Saleh (Katsina LGA, Katsina State), Zaharadeen Muhammad (23 (Chikun, Kaduna State), Musa Adamu (30 (Malumfashi, Katsina State), Sumayya Mohammed (27 (Sammaka, Kaduna State), Isah Abdulrahman (25 (Zaria, Kaduna State), and Musa Umar (31) (Maiduguri, Borno State) were identified as suspects.

Four suspects were initially detained soon after the incident and confessed to their roles: Shamsudeen, Hassan, Alkamu, and Sirajo, according to police sources.

According to Sirajo, Shamsudeen attempted to stop Maduagwu from falling from the third floor, and Shamsudeen acknowledged shooting the security guard.

After the procedure, Shamsudeen admitted to taking the victims’ white Honda CR-V and driving it off. N200,000 from the robbery’s profits is said to have been divided among the suspects.

36 rounds of live ammo, one locally manufactured handgun, one pump-action gun, two cartridges, four cell phones, two knives, a cutlass, nine torchlights, and one fake AK-47 rifle were among the goods recovered from the gang.

When officers stopped three gang members, including Hassan Isah and Musa Umar, on October 8, 2025, while they were preparing a new heist in Maitama, more arrests were made.

All 12 suspects are in jail and have admitted to the crimes, according to the police.

The FCT Commissioner of Police praised the Scorpion Squad for their prompt response and gave locals the assurance that the Command would continue to fight violent crime in the area.

Oditah: Academic Title Alone Doesn’t Qualify One to Be INEC Chairman

0

According to Fidelis Oditah, a former candidate for governor of Delta State, a person should not be eligible to serve as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) merely because they are a professor.

His comments come after Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the election body’s head, bowed out.

Speaking on Channels Television, he brought up the fact that two academics in Akwa Ibom were found guilty of election fraud in 2019.

He added that he has nothing against professors, but argued that selections should not be chosen purely on the basis of academic titles.

I don’t want to belittle or denigrate academics, but it’s crucial to stress that merely being a professor and having expertise in a certain field of study does not make one eligible to serve as INEC chairman, much less an INEC commissioner.

Naturally, we also recall that two academics in Akwa-Ibom State were found guilty of engaging in fraudulent electoral activities during the 2019 elections.

We must exercise caution when assuming that being a professor is a prerequisite in and of itself.

“I believe we need to exercise caution. The appointment of professors alone, in my opinion, is not the answer. Nothing is wrong with them. He declared, “I have nothing against professors.”

Igbokwe Dismisses Reports on Nnamdi Kanu’s Health as ‘Lies from the Pit of Hell’

0

Joe Igbokwe, a leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has denied rumors that Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who is being held by the Department of State Services (DSS), is suffering from declining health.

In a Thursday post on his verified Facebook page, Igbokwe maintained that the separatist leader was “110 percent okay,” in contrast to Kanu’s legal team’s stance.

The APC mainstay charged Kanu with killing people and damaging the South-East’s economy, claiming that he was to blame for the extensive damage in the area.

“Let me drop this here this morning for all Igbo in Nigeria and diaspora to know,” Igbokwe stated. Nnamdi Kanu is doing 110% well.

“We shouldn’t fool ourselves.” Let’s disgrace the devil and tell the truth for once. Thousands and businesses of our people were killed by Nnamdi.

“A man is telling you he is sick after leading Igbo youths and women to murder our people within a decade, set fire to our houses, took our wives, shut down our marketplaces and businesses, and more. He is not at all ill. These statements regarding his health are all lies straight out of hell.

It was understood that Kanu’s legal team has frequently expressed concern about his health and warned that if he is detained indefinitely without receiving proper medical attention, there may be dire repercussions.

I Will Go Anywhere With You to Attract Investment, Obasanjo Tells Gov. Bala Mohammed

0

Olusegun Obasanjo, the former president, has promised to assist Bala Mohammed, the governor of Bauchi State, in luring in foreign capital.

Speaking at the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Conference Centre’s commissioning in Bauchi on Wednesday, Obasanjo emphasized how crucial it is for leaders to rally both domestic and foreign investors for Nigeria.

Nigeria’s tourism industry can be enhanced to draw in international investment, he claimed.

“We can be developed and made one of Nigeria’s tourist attractions,” he said. Additionally, hotel accommodations will be available to those who attend.

In this worldwide conference center, they will be able to communicate and hold conferences, turning Bauchi into the hub of Nigerian tourism and attraction.

“Once more, I congratulate you. In addition to commissioning this, we are holding a conference to discuss investment and what Nigeria needs right now. Investment from both domestic and foreign sources must be gathered.

“Let me say this, governor. I’ll accompany you whatever it takes to secure funding for Bauchi State.

Mohammed was also lauded by the former president for the state’s degree of growth.

“I was pleased with what I heard and witnessed in terms of Bauchi State’s development. I had no idea that you would welcome me here in the near future.

“This is especially special, an international conference center named after Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Saldana of Sokoto, one of the greatest Nigerians in our history, especially in our history of gaining independence and of leading our nation,” he continued.

Nigerian Government Initiates Final Stage of ASUU Negotiations

0

Negotiations with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other tertiary education unions have entered their last stage, initiated by the Federal Government.

This information was disclosed by Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, during a meeting of the ASUU Technical Working Group on Conditions of Service on Wednesday in Abuja.

Alausa stated that the group was completing a counter-offer to be given to the unions via the Allied General United Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Negotiations Committee and that any unresolved concerns will soon be settled to avoid more industrial action.

President Bola Tinubu has ordered that every effort be made to keep Nigerian students in school and prevent disruptions to the academic calendar, and the minister emphasized that the committee’s work is in line with this instruction.

“Our children must continue attending school, as the President has stated. One of the requirements for the condition of service is being finalized by the technical working group. A counteroffer to them is currently being finalized.

The Allied General United Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Expected Negotiations Committee should receive that counteroffer to ASUU by the end of today, or at the latest tomorrow, he stated.

He continued by saying that with the N50 billion in Earned Academic Allowance that Tinubu issued, the current administration had already made great strides.

No Going Back On Strike, ASUU Tells FG

0

If the Federal Government does not reply by the October 13 expiration date, Chris Piwuna, President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has reiterated that there is no turning back from the two-week nationwide warning strike over several outstanding concerns.

The proposed walkout comes after the union last week gave the Federal Government a two-week ultimatum to settle its outstanding grievances, which included signing and implementing the 2009 ASUU-FGN renegotiated agreement.

Piwuna assured reporters during the Academic Staff Union’s orientation and leadership training at the Niger Delta University branch in Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, that the union has decided on a warning strike and that it won’t alter its stance until its demands from the federal government are fulfilled.

“We are not meeting to discuss that again as a union because our position has been taken,” he stated. “We will start a two-week warning strike by midnight on Monday, and we will meet after the expiration to decide when to start an indefinite and comprehensive strike action.”

“The issues are still the same, the re-negotiation of our 2009 documents is still lingering over the years, and we want Nigerians to know that we have been talking and that the strike action is coming after several years of negotiations and that we are not just jumping on a strike.

“We’ve given the administration enough time on this specific subject; just think that they promised to respond to us in three weeks, but they haven’t done so as of now. Nigerians must always consider how the government has always led us to take such things.

Regarding the NELFUND, Piwuna stated, “We have informed the government that we do not endorse lending in such a weak economy. Where do they want them to pay back the loan when families are unable to feed themselves in an economy with a high unemployment rate?

“They should be upfront if they really want to give them money. Where are the jobs that will allow them to pay back the loans? A grant, not a loan, should be granted if the money is intended to improve university operations.

“Recent reports from NELFUND, which show that an organization with less than 100 employees and less than a year of existence is spending 14 billion naira on personnel, make us believe we are correct. Even this university, which employs more than 1000 people, cannot spend that much in a year, including building structures.”

Reiterating that ASUU has not only been known as a union of intellectuals but also of intellectuals with integrity, Comrade Happiness Uduk, the National Financial Secretary of ASUU, spoke at the Orientation/Leadership Training on the topic of “Understanding the Principles of the Union.” He urged members to always uphold the principles of integrity, transparency, and accountability regardless of the pressure.

Comrade Prof. Ezekiel Ogheneyerhovwo Agbalagba, Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources in Delta State, also cautioned members to adhere to the principles of the ASUU work guide, which was written and put together by Comrade Festus Iyayi, the former President of the Union. He spoke on the topic of “Understanding the Dynamics of ASUU and University Administration.”

He added that if ASUU members are aware of their responsibilities, they will be able to bring about change in the institutions and that member collaboration will help attain educational excellence.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Allen A. Agih of Niger Delta University praised the training workshop’s participants and organizers and urged that it be held more frequently due to its significance.

Certificate Forgery Scandal: Embattled Minister Finally Steps Down

0

Geoffrey Uche Nnaji has left his position as the Innovation, Science, and Technology Minister in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.

Accusations of certificate fabrication against him led to his resignation.

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate and bachelor’s degree that Nnaji presented to President Tinubu, as well as to the Senate, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), were forged, according to an investigation by PREMIUM TIMES that found he had not finished his university education.

The resignation was confirmed in a statement released on Tuesday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Advisor to the President on Information and Strategy.

The president has accepted the minister’s choice to quit willingly, he added.

“After some accusations against Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, President Tinubu accepted his resignation,” Onanuga said.

In August 2023, President Tinubu selected Nnaji, he recalled. He thanked the president in a letter for letting him serve Nigeria before resigning today (Tuesday).

The former minister reportedly stated that he had “been a target of blackmail by political opponents,” according to the presidential spokesman.

“President Tinubu wished him well in his future endeavors and thanked him for his service,” the statement continued.

Police Harassment Case: Senior Advocate, 13 Lawyers Rally in Court for Victor Giwa’s Bail

0

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Mr Edwin Anikwenu and not less than 13 lawyers from the Garki Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, stormed a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Apo, to defend Human Rights lawyer, Barrister Victor Giwa, over allegation of forgery.

In the charge, the police accused Giwa of forging the letterhead of Awa Kalu, SAN.

While arguing the bail application for Giwa, the SAN prayed the court to
for an order to admit the 2nd respondent to bail on self recognizance or in the alternative release him to any executive member of the NBA Garki branch.

According to him, the grounds of the application is in the body of the motion, supported by an affidavit, deposed to by one Abu Gabriel.

In line with the rules of the court, we have filed a written address with the bail motion. He will not jump bail, he will not also interfere with investigation, which has been concluded. We urge the court to grant him bail”, he argued.

The prosecutor, Mr Eristo ASAP, objected to the bail application.

According to him, granting him bail may jeopardize the case before the court.

Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, in his ruling, granted him bail in the sum. Of N30m with two sureties who must not be less than the level of a director with a valid identity court

He also asked Giwa to deposit his travel document with the registrat of the court.

Despite the letter of Prof. Awa Kalu to the Inspector-General of Police, formally distancing himself from the allegation of forgery and impersonation against Giwa, the police have gone ahead to press charges against Giwa.

Victor Giwa, human rights lawyer, had been detained by the police for about three weeks without being granted bail reportedly on the orders of the court.

The SAN, in a letter to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, had said his letterhead was never forged and that he had not at anytime lodged any complaint to the police about forgery of his document.

Professor Kalu, in a letter dated May 30, 2025, addressed to the Inspector General of Police, clarified that he neither filed a complaint nor reported Mr. Giwa for allegedly forging his firm’s letterhead.

The letter comes in response to Charge No. CR/150/25 instituted by the police, in which Giwa is accused of forging the official letterhead of “Awa U. Kalu (SAN) and Partners” — formerly “Awa U. Kalu (SAN) and Associates” — to communicate with the Attorney General of the Federation.

Prof. Kalu wrote, “I wish to inform you that the internet is agog with news that a charge is preferred against the above named gentleman, indicating that he forged my official headed paper.

“Please note that I have neither filed a complaint nor have I incidented a report at any Police Station in Nigeria indicating that Mr. Victor Giwa forged my official headed paper.”

The clarification by Prof. Kalu significantly undercuts the foundation of the forgery allegation, which reportedly hinges on the unauthorised use of his firm’s name and letterhead.

His statement meant there was no formal accusation from the primary party whose identity was allegedly misused.

Also, Victor Giwa had in a letter to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, dated 23rd May, 2025, asked the IGP to probe the allegation of financial inducement to charge him to court.

Specifically, Giwa called Mr Egbetokun, to investigate the Commissioner of Police, legal services of the Nigeria Police, Chiozoba Oyakhire Ehiede and Ms Asabe Waziri, over allegation of frivolous xharge filed against him and one other.

He called on the IGP to probe the connection between the CP, Legal Services of the Nigeria Police and Asabe Waziri, a staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

House of Reps Sets New Agenda on Constitution Amendment, Electoral Reform

0

On Tuesday, as lawmakers reassembled from their 2025 annual recess, Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen unveiled a new agenda on constitutional review, electoral reforms, gender equity, and security, outlining a comprehensive legislative roadmap for the remaining 10th National Assembly.

Abbas spoke to members during the first plenary session following the vacation, calling the upcoming legislative phase a “crucial and promising” time for the House.

He asked parliamentarians to step up their efforts to pass laws that have an impact, carry out strict monitoring, and guarantee that their work in parliament results in significant improvements to Nigerians’ lives.

Despite major political and economic obstacles, the speaker reviewed the accomplishments of the 10th House since its June 2023 inauguration and pointed out that the body had made historic strides in institutional changes and lawmaking.

According to him, the House has so far examined 2,263 proposals, passed 237 of them, and obtained the president’s approval for 50 of them. These bills include important topics including cybersecurity, student finance, electric sector reform, taxation, and regional development.

“The 10th House of Representatives is the most productive since 1999, both in terms of legislative output and policy impact, according to our midterm review,” Abbas stated. Through town halls, media briefings, digital platforms, and the House Open Week, we have improved citizen interaction, modernized our regulations, and bolstered internal capacity.

He praised how the legislative and executive branches have a constructive partnership that has allowed for prompt budget passage, policy coherence, and efficient governance without sacrificing the House’s sovereignty.

Abbas stated that finishing the current constitutional amendment process is one of the most pressing legislative priorities.

According to him, there are currently 87 suggestions being considered, including ones on socioeconomic rights, local government autonomy, judicial changes, and the devolution of powers.

He pointed out that a public hearing that was widely attended on September 22 showed that the public was overwhelmingly in favor of constitutional reforms.

The speaker asked lawmakers to expedite discussions, wrap up voting, and send agreed modifications to state assemblies by the end of December in order to give them enough time to agree before the 2027 elections.

Abbas stated that electoral reform is still a crucial subject of attention. He clarified that the proposed revisions to the Election Act are intended to decrease post-election litigation, streamline electoral procedures, improve election security, and increase accessibility for those with disabilities.

By implementing single-day voting and making sure that party primaries are more inclusive and democratic, we hope to reduce the cost and division of elections,” he said. “An Electoral Offenses Commission will also be established by the amendments to improve public trust and accountability.”

Abbas also emphasized the Reserved Seats Bill for Women as a crucial piece of legislation meant to increase the number of women in government. The law aims to create additional seats that can only be contested by women, without changing the present 109 Senate and 360 House seats, since women now hold less than 5% of parliamentary seats.