Author: bibncollar

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Remuneration Committee has restated its commitment to enforcing the Legal Practitioners’ Remuneration Order 2023 and safeguarding the integrity of legal practice nationwide. In a statement released on July 29, 2026, Committee Chairman Chief Emeka Obegolu, SAN, emphasized that undercharging goes beyond commercial considerations. It undermines the profession’s integrity, dignity, and long-term sustainability. “Every lawyer has a professional obligation to comply with the prescribed Remuneration Order while delivering quality legal services,” the statement said. The Committee urged practitioners to report cases of persistent undercharging or non-compliance for review under the Rules of Professional Conduct and other…

Former Imo State Governor Chief Achike Udenwa has instituted a N5 billion defamation lawsuit against lawyer, politician and Nollywood actor Kenneth Okonkwo at the High Court of Imo State, Owerri Judicial Division. The writ of summons, dated 24 July 2026 and marked Suit No. HOW/ /2026, was served on Okonkwo outside jurisdiction at Ofuluonu, Nsukka, Enugu State. Udenwa is suing over remarks Okonkwo allegedly made on 8 June 2026 during Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme. The suit quotes Okonkwo as saying: “That is why the NDC has released a statement that it is only the South East caucus of the…

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has begun implementing a fully electronic registration system for capital market operators, marking a significant step in modernising Nigeria’s capital market and boosting regulatory efficiency. In a statement released on Wednesday, the Commission said the e-Registration platform, accessible via its ePortal, will allow designated regulatory services to be handled entirely online. Capital Market Operators (CMOs) can now submit applications, undergo regulatory review, receive approvals and get decisions communicated digitally. The move eliminates manual processing for the services covered in this phase. It is expected to simplify interactions with the regulator, cut administrative bottlenecks, shorten…

A Reform UK councillor has been charged over an allegedly offensive social media post that targeted the Nigerian community. Northumbria Police said Glenn Gibbins, 66, from the Sunderland area, was charged under the Communications Act 2003 in connection with a post made in 2024. The message read: “Carnt believe amount of nigerians in town…..should melt them all down and fill in the pot holes!!” Police were first alerted to the post in May and launched an investigation before referring the case to the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorised the charge. Gibbins had earlier been investigated by Reform UK over the…

The Action People’s Party (APP) in Imo State has welcomed a Court of Appeal judgment that nullified a Federal High Court order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the party and four others. In a statement signed by state Publicity Secretary Hon. Steve Nnadi, the party leadership under Chairman Hon. Ernest Njesi praised the appellate justices for their impartiality and commitment to justice. The court set aside the earlier ruling, declared it a nullity, and restored the legal status of the affected political parties. APP described the decision as a victory for democracy, constitutional order, the rule…

Regions Healthcare Foundation marked World Brain Day with a free medical outreach programme in Mgbirichi, Imo State, combining clinical services with community education on brain health. The foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of Regions Healthcare Hospitals and Specialist Clinics, offered free medical consultations, blood pressure and blood sugar checks, body mass index assessments, health education sessions, guided exercises, brain health quizzes, counselling and free medications. The event also featured an awareness campaign designed to help residents recognise early symptoms of neurological conditions and seek timely care. Dr. Sherece Okafor, president of the foundation, said the initiative reflects the hospital…

Online publisher and African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore on Tuesday withdrew his application to compel the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Oluwatosin Ajayi, to appear as a witness in his ongoing criminal defamation case. Appearing before the Federal High Court in Abuja, Sowore told Justice Muhammed Umar that the evidence he had sought from the DSS chief could instead be obtained from another official of the service. He therefore abandoned plans to force Ajayi’s appearance. The development marked the first time Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) personally led the prosecution…

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has strongly condemned the abduction of Honourable Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza of the Kebbi State High Court, describing the incident as a direct attack on the judiciary, the administration of justice, and the rule of law. Suspected armed bandits seized the judge from his residence in Bunza Local Government Area of Kebbi State in the early hours of July 26, 2026. The attack occurred shortly after he returned from a trip to Sokoto. Police confirmed the abduction around midnight, noting that the gunmen fired shots before taking him away. No other members of the household…

Imo State Government has demolished illegal roadside structures and suspected criminal hideouts around the front gate of Imo State University (IMSU) following the death of a 19-year-old student in a road accident. The exercise was carried out by Nze Chinasa Nwaneri, Special Adviser to the Governor on Monitoring and Compliance, in collaboration with the Owerri Capital Development Authority (OCDA) led by Frank Nkem. Officials said the operation aimed to restore environmental order and improve road safety by reclaiming public spaces that had been illegally occupied for years. Among the structures removed were several shanties suspected of harbouring individuals involved in…

A 27-year-old Nigerian national has been sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for his role in a money-laundering and wire-fraud scheme linked to the sexual extortion of a young man in Pennsylvania who later died. Afeez Olatunji Adewale was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Joel H. Slomsky in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The judge also ordered three years of supervised release after his prison term, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Adewale was extradited from Nigeria to the United States in February 2026 and pleaded guilty in April. He was the last of three Nigerian defendants prosecuted…