Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) candidate for president, has denied receiving a letter of apology from the British government for being detained by immigration officials at Heathrow Airport in London.

Obi responded by using Diran Onifade, Head of Media and Communications for the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council.

“We have been receiving inquiries with regards to a so-called apology, purportedly issued by the British Government or any of its agencies, to our Principal Mr. Peter Obi, in respect of a routine Immigration engagement with him, as he arrived London, for a brief visit, last Friday, the 7th of April,” reads a statement from Onifade.

“We would like to state emphatically that we are not aware of any such apology, and have not issued any statement whatsoever, in that regard.

“While we continue to look into any shady or political intent on the part of the identity thieves,

“We have complete faith in the British government’s ability to handle the situation until it is resolved.

Since the incident, Mr. Peter Obi and the LP/PCC have moved on and are still entirely present;

…on the legal proceedings before the Election Petition Tribunal to reclaim the mandate that, in our opinion, was overwhelmingly expressed by voters in the February 25th presidential election.

Read Also: Immigration officials detain Peter Obi in London for hours, suspicion impersonation

Recall that the British government apologised to Obi for his detention at Heathrow Airport, according to the campaign spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar, Daniel Bwala.

Obi was, on Friday, accosted by an immigration official at the Heathrow Airport in London, and handed a detention note. The LP presidential candidate was later released after being questioned for identity duplication, which suggests that someone had been impersonating Obi in London. Taking to his Twitter account on Thursday, Bwala claimed that the British government has apologised to Obi for illegally serving him a detention note. He wrote, “British government apologised to Peter Obi for illegally serving him a detention note. “Can you now put a ‘respek’ on his name? We are now waiting for US government to apologise to Tinubu for illegally collecting the forfeited dollars. “Asiwaju fans oya start throwing the insults.”

A former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu, on Wednesday, raised the alarm that her life was being threatened over the emergence of the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Sinatu Ojikutu, first female democratically elected deputy governor in the country had prior to the 2023 general election, vowed to go on exile if the former Lagos Governor emerges winner of the election.

Speaking with newsmen at her residence in Ikoyi, Lagos yesterday, the former deputy governor said her life is no longer safe since Tinubu was announced winner of the February 25 polls.

She claimed that her rift with Tinubu, former governor of the state, began over 20 years ago when she opposed his governorship ambition.

According to her, a move by the former president, Olusegun Obasnajo to reconcile her and Tinubu failed a long time ago.

She said: “I came out before the presidential election to say that if Tinubu won, I, Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu, would renounce the citizenship of Nigeria and I have my reasons.

“It came to me before the elections that Tinubu was asking, am I still alive? When somebody mentioned my issue to him, I understand, he said, ‘Is she still around?’ What does that mean?

“What does he mean? Yes, I am alive, hale and hearty. Have they planned my death? Why should anybody be asking if I am still alive?

Read Also: Federal High Court marks 50 years of justice delivery

“Am I safe? And there are many people like that in my category who are not safe too.”

Speaking on her move to relocate from the country, she noted that when Tinubu won the election, people called to assure her that “he would not harm me but I know this man and I have known him for over 20 years. I know what he has done to me personally”.

The Federal High Court, FHC, will on Thursday mark 50 years of justice delivery in the Nigerian judicial system.

The FHC, which was established on April 13, 1973, was formerly known as Federal Revenue Court.

It was established by the Federal Revenue Act 1973 (1973 No.13) and began with four judges with a president as its head.

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The court was, however, renamed the “Federal High Court” by Section 228 (1) and 230 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1979.

While Honourable Justice S.O. Lambo was the first president of Federal Revenue Court and served between 1973 and 1975, Justice John Tsoho is the 10th and current Chief Judge of FHC.

The court, which had grown structurally over the years, presently has divisions in all the states of the federation, including Abuja, where its headquarters is located.

The FHC, as part of its drive for capacity and human development, recently launched an electronic filing platform.

An Abuja-base legal practitioner, Yunusa Ibrahim, described the 50 years of FHC in the justice delivery as a milestone in the administration of justice.

He said the court had contributed in no small measure to justice delivery through its several judgments and decisions.

According to Ibrahim, to facilitate the expeditious determination of civil cases and matters before the court, the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2000 was enacted by Justice Tsoho pursuant to Section 254 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

He said the rules had several innovative provisions for a just and expeditious disposition of cases.

Besides, Josephine Ijekhuemen, also a legal practitioner, said the importance of the court in Nigerian judiciary cannot be over-emphasised.

She said due to its indispensable role, the new Electoral (Amendment) Act, 2022, conferred additional jurisdiction on the FHC to hear and determine pre-rlection complaints.

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Justice Tsoho, while delivering a speech at a special court session to mark the commencement of the court’s 2022/2023 Legal Year on Dec. 12, 2022, said in response to the enormous time-bound responsibility by the new Electoral Act, he constituted a special task force of judges for the swift disposal of pre-election matters.

Bearing in mind that Section 285 (10) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides that pre-election cases must be concluded within 180 days from the date of filing of the suit, the CJ drafted judges from their substantive bases to help complete all pre-election cases in other judicial divisions that had a glut of these cases ahead of the 2023 general elections.

He, therefore, commended the judges for their resilience and sheer determination to deliver justice within the time frame.

He also thanked the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, for approving an emergency fund to support the court in the assignment.

Tsoho, during one of the programmes for the 2022/2023 Legal Year, assured judges and staff of better welfare package.

The CJ said though the court had 76 judges across all its divisions nationwide, efforts would be made to recruit more judges.

He said the process for the appointment of judges to the Bench of the court would also be based on competence and merit.

According to him, only persons with intellectual ability with broad and sound knowledge would be considered for appointment to the Federal High Court Bench.

Justice Tsoho urged the judges to always discharge their duties with the fear of God.