News

Court Orders Re-Opening of COSON’s Accounts as Okafor, Premier Music Lose

Published

7 years ago

February 8, 2019

Eric

Mr. Justice Mohammed Hassan of the Federal High Court Lagos, has ordered the re-opening of all bank accounts of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) at United Bank for Africa (UBA), Diamond Bank PLC and First Bank of Nigeria, frozen as a result of an interim order issued by him on November 30, 2018. The judge also struck out Suit No. FHC/L/CS/1819/2018 brought by Premier Music Publishing Ltd, Pretty Okafor and one other saying that his court lacked jurisdiction to hear the suit as there was a subsisting order of the Federal High Court on the matter.

On December 17 when the application to have the order of Justice Hassan vacated, was moved by COSON lawyer, Mr. Uche Val Obi SAN, the senior advocate drew the attention of the court to the fact that Pretty Okafor, one of the plaintiffs who deposed to the affidavit upon which the ex-parte order was obtained, did not disclose to the court that while he was a member of a defunct musical group called “Junior & Pretty”, he had never at any time applied to be a member of COSON, never been granted membership of COSON, does not possess a membership number, membership certificate or membership card of COSON, has not assigned any copyright to COSON and has no voting rights in any meeting of COSON and no interest in the funds of COSON.

The senior advocate also drew the attention of the court to the fact that Mr. Okafor did not disclose the existence of Suit No ID/ADR/903/18 filed on the 22^nd of May, 2018 against him by the Chairman of the Board of COSON, Chief Tony Okoroji in which Chief Okoroji is claiming the sum of six hundred million naira for malicious lies and serial defamation published by Mr. Okafor, a suit to which Mr. Pretty Okafor had not filed any defence.

Mr. Obi went ahead to remind the court that COSON has well over 4,000 members across the country made up of Nigeria’s foremost songwriters and performers who have interest in the funds of the society and who had not authorized the Plaintiffs whom he described as forming less than 0.075% of the COSON membership to bring the court action and that none of the over 150 reciprocal representation partners of COSON across the world was in support of the suit and that the plaintiffs lacked locus to bring the action.

The court was also told that the Extra-Ordinary General Meeting of COSON had been fixed and widely publicized to hold on December 18, 2018 and that the injunction was a devious plan by the plaintiffs to starve COSON of funds, abort the extra-ordinary general meeting and deny the thousands of innocent COSON members their earned royalties planned to be made available to them at the EGM.

In the affidavit in support of the application, it was deposed to that Mr. Toju Ejueyitchie, the Managing Director of Premier Music, the 1^st Plaintiff in the case, was a member of the Management Board of COSON and failed in his attempt to be re-elected to the Board and has since then been antagonistic to COSON and has repeatedly written petitions upon petitions against COSON and despite the fact that an overwhelming majority of the members of COSON resent their plans and strategies, the plaintiffs have become obsessed with their desire to control COSON.

The attention of the court was drawn to the fact that COSON was practically unknown and given little chance of survival about eight years ago but as a result of focused and dedicated leadership, the organization has grown in leaps and bounds, attracting the bitterness and acquisitiveness of some like the plaintiffs who have relentlessly attacked and distorted the records of the organization with every instrument they can muster.

The court was also told that as proof of the malice behind the action of the plaintiffs, immediately after obtaining the injunction, they rushed to the banks and ensured the service of the order on all the banks but made sure that COSON was not served. COSON only discovered that all its bank accounts had suddenly and mysteriously been shut down and every road block set up to prevent it from processing and filing a proper application to discharge the order.

Several members of the COSON Board as well as the COSON General Counsel were in court when the decision was read. Reacting to the court decision, COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji who was in court when Justice Hassan read his detailed ruling said that he was happy with the judge’s understanding of the issues. He said that he was touched by the calmness with which the members of COSON had endured the trauma they had been forced to go through and said that every step would be taken to ensure that all outstanding royalties are sent to their rightful owners without delay.

The Plaintiffs were represented in the case by Dr. Adewale Olawoyin SAN.

News

Gunmen Kill Driver, Abduct Passengers on Benin-Ore Expressway

Published

2 weeks ago

April 20, 2026

Eric

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have attacked a commercial bus operated by GUO Transport along the Benn-Ore expressway, killing the driver and abducting several passengers in what underscores Nigeria’s deepening insecurity on major highways.

Reports indicate that the assailants ambushed the South East-bound vehicle, opened fire on the driver, who died at the scene, and subsequently whisked away passengers to an unknown destination.

The incident is believed to have occurred along a notorious stretch of the highway linking the South-West to the South-South, long plagued by banditry and abductions.

While official confirmation from security agencies is expected, local sources and a circulating video showed that passengers might have forcefully been taken into nearby forests, a tactic commonly employed by kidnapping syndicates operating along the corridor. Similar attacks in the past have involved mass abductions, with victims later released after ransom payments.

News

Police Retirees Block Aso Rock Gate, Demand Action on Pension Scheme

Published

2 weeks ago

April 20, 2026

Eric

Some retirees of the Nigeria Police Force under the aegis of the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria (PROF) have staged a protest at the Presidential Villa in Abuja demanding President Bola Tinubu sign the Police Exit Bill passed by the National Assembly in December 2025.

The bill seeks to withdraw the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme.

The protesters, under the scorching sun, walked from the Three Arms Zone in Abuja through the street in front of the Police Headquarters.

They carried placards with various inscriptions, in addition to the Nigerian flag and the flag of the Nigeria Police Force.

Led by its National Coordinator, CSP Raphael Irowainu, the protesters described the retention of the NPF in the Contributory Pension Scheme as fraudulent and illegal.

They also said the CPS is inhumane and obnoxious.

According to them, the protest seeks to prevail on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to give assent to the Police Exit Bill passed by the National Assembly on 4th December 2025 and transmitted to the President on 16th March 2026.

They said that when signed into law, the Act will totally exempt the police from what they called a “slavery and untimely death-inducing pension scheme.”

The protesters, accompanied by some of their spouses and children, also blocked Gate 8 leading into the Presidential Villa, causing obstruction to vehicular movement.

Efforts by Villa security personnel to dissuade them from the protest proved abortive as they insisted on seeing the President.

They laid their mats in front of the gate, singing songs of solidarity, while some of them lay on the floor.

As of the time of filing this report, no one from the Villa had addressed the protesters.

CSP Irowainu said that their main purpose is to prevail on President Tinubu to sign the bill exiting the Nigeria Police Force from the CPS, which he said has been passed and transmitted to him by the National Assembly.

He lamented that while other security agencies in the country such as the Army, Navy, Air Force, SSS and others have all been exited from the scheme, the police remain trapped in it.

“Our major aim here is to prevail on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sign our bill—the bill exiting the police from the Contributory Pension Scheme—passed by the National Assembly on 4th December 2025 and transmitted to him on 16th March, 2026, into law, nothing more than that.

“The soldiers have been exited, the SSS has been exited, the Air Force has been exited, the Navy has been exited, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) has been exited. The police, who are the father of them all, are trapped in this obnoxious Contributory Pension Scheme,” CSP Irowainu said.

It is not the first time retired officers are staging a protest over the CPS. In July last year, they demonstrated at the National Assembly to demand their removal from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

The demonstrators, mostly elderly, stood in the rain holding placards and chanting anti-government songs.

Some of the retired police officers also besieged the Force Headquarters in Abuja to protest against the CPS.

Addressing the protesters at the time, the then Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, said the welfare of retired police officers was being addressed, but that the exit of the Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme was not something that could be implemented immediately.

He, however, advised the leaders of the protest to refrain from spreading misinformation, stressing that the Force could not abandon its own.

News

IGP Disu Orders Ban on Illegal Checkpoints Nationwide

Published

3 weeks ago

April 13, 2026

Eric

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has issued a sweeping directive to Commissioners of Police nationwide, ordering an immediate end to extortion, illegal checkpoints, harassment of citizens and other misconducts.

He declared that restoring public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force is now a top operational priority.

The order was contained in a signal to members of the police management team including Commissioners of Police (CP) and other operational commanders.

In the marching order, the IGP acknowledged the deep mistrust many Nigerians feel toward officers, describing it as “painful” and unacceptable.

He said citizens now fear encounters with the police as much as they fear criminals, warning that such a reputation cannot continue under his leadership.

According to him, the directive marks the beginning of a determined effort to rebuild discipline within the police and re-establish its legitimacy in the eyes of the public.

The order specifically outlawed the routine collection of money from motorists on highways, the operation of unauthorised checkpoints, and the practice of arresting citizens and forcing them to withdraw cash from Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) or Point of Sale (PoS) devices.

The IGP also condemned the use of officers for private duties in homes and businesses, describing such deployments as abuse of authority and a violation of existing presidential directives on VIP protection.

Officers were further directed to comply strictly with approved dress codes, remain clean-shaven and adhere to established uniform regulations.

The police boss warned that harassment of citizens in any form would no longer be tolerated, stressing that the Nigerian public is not the enemy of the Force but the reason for its existence. At the same time, he assured officers that the institution would equally defend them against intimidation or disrespect from members of the public, noting that the dignity of the uniform must be protected on both sides.

Holding command leaders directly accountable, the IGP said Commissioners of Police would henceforth be responsible for misconduct within their jurisdictions.

He ordered them to demonstrate measurable improvements in discipline within seven days or face formal queries and possible transfers where lapses persist.

He emphasised that supervisory failure would no longer be ignored at any level of leadership. To ensure compliance, the directive introduced new oversight measures, including independent monitoring of field operations and public reporting channels through which citizens can lodge complaints directly with Force Headquarters.

A Citizens Commendation System will also be established to recognise officers who demonstrate professionalism, with monthly honours to be drawn from public nominations across commands.

Describing the directive as a decisive turning point, the police chief said Nigerians have grown weary of promises and now expect visible change. He ordered all commanders to brief personnel under their authority within 72 hours and confirm compliance in writing, declaring that the process of cleaning up the Force has begun and will be sustained until public trust is restored.