Author: David Great

The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has condemned in strong terms the arrest of a lawyer, Dele Farotimi, by the Nigeria Police Force over allegations bordering on libel. A statement by the NBA President, Afam Osigwe, on Tuesday night in Abuja, lamented the alleged invasion of Farotimi’s law firm and the harassment of lawyers and staff within the premises. Osigwe described the action of the Nigeria police as a troubling breach of the rule of law and the sanctity of the legal profession. He said while the Nigeria Police Force had the authority to investigate crimes, such power must be exercised…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has dismissed allegations of a cover-up in its recent recovery of 753 duplexes and other apartments on Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja. The properties, now forfeited to the Federal Government, represent one of the most significant anti-corruption achievements in recent years. In a press statement issued on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, the EFCC described the forfeiture as the result of “painstaking efforts” and actionable intelligence, rejecting claims of shielding the promoters of the estate. Dele Oyewale, Head of Media and Publicity at the EFCC, clarified that the legal proceedings were…

The Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, on Tuesday, handed over three suspects and 1,658 loaves of cannabis sativa, weighing 788kg, to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. The Customs Area Controller, Western Marine Command, Comptroller Paul Bamisaiye, who briefed newsmen on the command’s activities, handed the narcotics and suspects over to the the new NDLEA Commander, Western Marine Command, Mr Udoh Morrison. Bamisaiye said that he was pleased to handover the arrested suspects and a total of 1,658 loaves of Cannabis Sativa intercepted during three separate operations. He said that the operations, conducted in the month of…

Operatives of the Nigerian Police Force have reportedly arrested human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, over allegations of defaming the Chief Executive Officer of the United Bank for Africa, Tony Elumelu. Farotimi’s arrest was revealed by the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, in a post on his X handle on Tuesday. Sowore disclosed that Elumelu filed a petition accusing Farotimi of defamation. He called for the lawyer’s immediate release, emphasising that the police should not be used to settle personal disputes. Sowore wrote, “I just learned that Dele Farotimi was arrested by the Nigerian Police over…

Human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi has alleged that some powerful Nigerians and legal experts are colluding with the security agencies in the country to get him abducted. He alleged that his life and that of his close associates are currently under threat, stating that the undisclosed individuals want to silence him. In a statement he signed and made available to journalists on Tuesday, Farotimi narrated how he got information on November 11 that an invitation letter from the Zone 2, Police Command, was delivered to his office. According to the lawyer, the letter requested that he should report to the…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday announced the single largest asset recovery since its inception in 2003. The development followed a ruling by Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory High Court on the final forfeiture of an Abuja estate measuring 150,500 square metres and containing 753 units of duplexes and other apartments. According to the EFCC, the estate, located on Plot 109 Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja, belonged to a government official. “The forfeiture of the property to the federal government by a former top brass of the government was pursuant to EFCC’s mandate…

Barcelona had started their season under new manager Hansi Flick in great form — winning 11 of their first 12 LaLiga matches, averaging over three goals per game and thrashing old rivals Real Madrid 4-0. But suddenly they seem to have hit a brick wall as they have picked up only one point in their last three matches. Defeats against Real Sociedad and Las Palmas cut Barcelona’s comfortable nine-point lead in the standings to just one and Flick is now under pressure to break the winless run against Mallorca on Tuesday. Since overcoming local rivals Espanyol 3-1 a month ago,…

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Jesutega Onokpasa has vowed to withhold his support from President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid. The politician, who was featured on a program on Arise TV on Monday, alleged that the president insulted those who supported him in 2023. According to Onokpasa the appointment of Daniel Bwala, a former aide to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar was an insult to Tinubu’s supporters. Recall that Bwala was recently appointed as the Special Adviser to the president on Policy Communication. The appointment generated reactions from APC…

Fiorentina midfielder Edoardo Bove is “awake” and “alert” after being admitted to intensive care in hospital on Sunday following his collapse on the pitch during his side’s Serie A match against Inter Milan. The match was suspended after the incident in the 16th minute before later being abandoned. Fiorentina said that following “an uneventful night”, Bove, 22, was “awakened and extubated (having a tube removed from his windpipe) this morning” and that he was “awake” and “alert”. The Italian club added: “He has spoken with his family, club management, the coach and his team-mates, who all rushed to go and…

Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, has shed light on why Northern governors advised President Bola Tinubu to delay the controversial tax reform bills, citing potential disadvantages to the region. Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Zulum emphasized the need for thorough consultations before the bills are enacted. “On this tax issue, there are a lot of misconceptions. We felt that the VAT provision in the tax law. Based on the calculations that we did, only Lagos and Rivers States will benefit from this scheme. We did our own research and concluded that we would lose,” Zulum…