Author: bibncollar

Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has sharply criticised the immediate past leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association, accusing it of turning the body into a platform for “traders” and politicising its recent annual conference in Port Harcourt. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Wike, a lawyer and former Rivers State governor, said he avoids events he regards as jamborees or those controlled by people he described as traders. Asked whether he was referring to the leadership under Afam Osigwe, SAN, he replied: “Of course. The last leadership of NBA showed that it was trading.” He described the just-concluded…

Human rights lawyer Ikechukwu Obasi has given Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission five days to restart its Continuous Voter Registration exercise nationwide, warning that the current indefinite suspension risks disenfranchising millions of eligible voters before the 2027 general elections. In a letter dated 2 September 2026 addressed to the INEC chairman, Obasi argued that the early shutdown of registration and Permanent Voter Card replacement violates the Electoral Act 2026. He cited Sections 9(6), 10(1) and 18(1)–(3), which require voter registration and PVC replacement to continue until no later than 90 days before a general election. INEC’s published timetable sets the…

The Accra Circuit Court has adjourned the trial of Nigerian national Augustine Okechukwu Maazi, who faces charges linked to an alleged plot to rob banks in Accra’s Labone area. The matter was put off until September 16, 2026, to allow prosecutors to file their disclosures. Maazi appeared before Accra Circuit Court 8 on Wednesday and has pleaded not guilty to eight counts, including conspiracy to commit robbery. He was earlier refused bail and held in custody until September 2. Ghana Police arrested him on August 13, saying they had disrupted a planned attack on three banks in Labone: GCB Bank,…

Chairmen of Nigerian Bar Association branches in the Federal Capital Territory paid a courtesy call on NBA President Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, FCIArb, on 2 September 2026, reaffirming their support for her leadership and commitment to collaboration. The Forum of Branch Chairmen from Abuja expressed confidence in the President’s administration and pledged constructive engagement with the national leadership. They assured her of their backing for the successful delivery of her programmes, with particular emphasis on initiatives improving members’ welfare and professional development. The group welcomed the decision to host the 2027 Annual General Conference in Abuja, describing it as an…

A vacation judge of the Ogun State High Court in Ijebu-Ode on Wednesday directed that a lawsuit challenging the suspension of the process to choose a new Awujale of Ijebuland be sent back to the administrative judge for reassignment. Justice A. A. Omoniyi cited his impending annual leave as the reason he could not continue with the matter. The suit, numbered HCJ/149/2026 and filed on 21 August 2026 by the Fusengbuwa ruling house, names Governor Dapo Abiodun, the state Attorney-General, other government officials, and the Awujale kingmakers as defendants. It contests what the claimants describe as an improper halt to…

The UK government has introduced a £1.5 million annual programme to create up to 100 extra training places for aspiring criminal barristers in England and Wales, aiming to ease shortages and open the profession to a wider range of talent. Announced on Tuesday 1 September, the scheme funds practical training positions that would not otherwise exist. It is designed to help more young people qualify as criminal barristers while tackling recruitment gaps that have contributed to delays in the criminal courts. Minister for Courts and Legal Services Sarah Sackman KC MP said the government wants opportunities in the legal profession…

Three Nigerian police officers have been dismissed from the force after an internal disciplinary process found them implicated in the killing of Anthony Obodo in Port Harcourt. On 2 September 2026, the Third Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mrs. Ini Irene Pepple, visited the office of the Rivers State Commissioner of Police to discuss the outcome of the Orderly Room Trial. The Nigeria Police Force confirmed that the three officers, including Assistant Superintendent of Police Fabian Banabari, have been dismissed. They will also face criminal charges in court arising from the incident, which occurred in the Agip/Adageorge area…

Residents of Iriamogu Village in Dindi-Ihiagwa Autonomous Community, Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, are calling for urgent government intervention after alleging that dredging along the Otammiri River is accelerating erosion, destroying farmland and roads, and threatening nearby electricity infrastructure. Community leaders say what started as river dredging has led to a receding bank, loss of land, damaged access roads, ruined farms and harm to properties. They are especially worried that the unstable riverbank is moving closer to power lines serving the area. The concerns were highlighted during a fact-finding visit to the village on 22 August by…

Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma has told leaders of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors that the group continues to operate fully and has not been sidelined by the newly formed Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election. Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, Uzodimma, who serves as the Ambassadors’ director-general, said President Bola Tinubu specifically instructed him to calm members’ concerns that the campaign council had made their organisation redundant. “Mr. President has told me to tell you that nothing has changed, and Renewed Hope Ambassadors is still there,” the governor said. Uzodimma described the Renewed Hope Ambassadors as the president’s organic…

Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has accused the governors of Kwara and Imo states of working against him as political manoeuvring intensifies ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections. Speaking during a media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Wednesday, Wike reaffirmed his support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid while criticising what he described as performative loyalty from some politicians. “You see, the problem with people, they want them to be seen, that they are the people working for the President. I don’t do that,” Wike said. He confirmed that Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was among those he…