News

Lagos Govt Heeds MC Oluomo’s Call, Suspends NURTW, Takes Over Parks and Garages

Published

4 years ago

March 11, 2022

Eric

Following the crisis engulfing the National Union of Road Transport Workers Union in Lagos State, the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu Government has suspended the activities of the union from all parks and garages with immediate effect.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, made this known in a statement late Thursday.

The statement titled, ‘Lagos Suspends Nurtw From Parks’, read, “The Lagos State Government has been watching closely events in the National Union of Road Transport Workers Union. There have been claims and counterclaims over the control of the union.

“The Government has a duty to ensure the safety of lives and property of all Lagosians and visitors. Therefore, there is an urgent need to douse the unnecessary tension generated by the leadership tussle in the NURTW and protect the citizenry from the likely fallout of the situation.

“After considering the provisions of the law, the Government hereby suspends the activities of NURTW, which must cease to operate in all parks and garages in Lagos State.

“The Government will set up a Committee to immediately take control of the parks and garages. Members of the committee will be key stakeholders in the sector.

“The Government’s position is premised on its responsibility to ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order in all parks and garages in Lagos State.”

The national body of the union on Thursday suspended its Lagos State chairman, Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo, following weeks of protracted conflict and leadership tussle.

The national body accused Akinsanya of resorting to intimidation, harassment, and assault on the newly-appointed Chairman, Tricycle Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria, Azeez Abiola, aka Istijabah but Akinsanya refuted the claim that he instigated members of the union to assault Abiola.

He, however, noted that the legality of the TOOAN operations in the state is a subject of a suit pending before the National Industrial Court.

Subsequently, the NURTW national body in Abuja on Thursday announced the indefinite suspension of Akinsanya for gross misconduct and directed him to hand over to his deputy.

Hours later, Akinsanya at a press conference at the NURTW Secretariat in the Agege area of the Lagos announced his withdrawal and that of lieutenants from the union.

He also asked Sanwo-Olu to take over the running of all parks and garages in the state till peace returned to the union.

“In view of this and the crisis at hand, Lagos State Government is hereby invited to consider its white paper on Transport Union activities, 2004 section 5C, which states that the Government should take over the management of any garage or motor park where there is a crisis until such is resolved by the consultative committee.

“We hereby call on Lagos State Government to take over the running of the affairs of the Union with the Constitution of a Park Management Committee for Motor Garages and parks in the state, thereby ensuring peace and tranquility, pending the determination of the matter in the interest of the good people of Lagos State,” Akinsanya said earlier on Thursday.

The operations of the NURTW have been despised for years by Lagosians and social commentators. Clad in grimy white tops and green trousers, NURTW operatives locally called agberos are notorious for harassing, intimidating and forcibly collecting levies from commercial bus drivers at parks, garages and bus stops, leading to occasional fights, indecent of the ‘megacity’ aspiration of Lagos.

According to a 2021 report by the International Centre for Investigative Report, the Lagos chapter of NURTW generates about N123.08bn annually, which could service the annual budget of Nasarawa, Niger, and Yobe states put together.

Aside from other extortioners on Lagos roads including corrupt security agents, NURTW operatives are the bane of commercial drivers, with many transporters lamenting that they milk them dry by collecting tolls at every bus stop.

The Punch

News

Amid Mild Drama, Nnamdi Kanu Finally Opens Defence As Court Sets Nov 20 for Judgment

Published

21 hours ago

November 8, 2025

Eric

Biafra separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu finally complied with the Federal High Court in Abuja’s order to open his defence in the terrorism charges brought against him by the Federal Government.

Kanu, who had previously resisted proceeding with his defence, began filing his documents on Friday directly in the courtroom, following instructions from Justice James Omotosho.

The judge had earlier directed that the court’s registry be temporarily moved into the courtroom to accommodate Kanu’s complaints and ensure he could complete the filing process without further delay.

Speaking in court, Federal Government counsel Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) confirmed he was ready to receive Kanu’s defence submissions and respond as required.

While Kanu was still in the process of submitting his documents, Justice Omotosho temporarily adjourned proceedings for an hour to allow the filing to continue uninterrupted.

Before now, Kanu had consistently refused to open his defence, insisting that the prosecution first clarify which specific terrorism law he was alleged to have breached before he could respond.

Justice Omotosho after waiting for Kanu to open his defence, announced adjournment till November 20 for judgment.

The step by step process as witnessed in the court:

Justice James Omotosho stood down the matter after the prosecutor, Adegboyega Awomolo, applied for a stand down to allow Mr Kanu file the document.

The development occurred shortly after the case was called, and Mr Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), alleged that officials of the State Security Service (SSS), where he is being detained, did not allow him to file the process in his defence.

“My lord, I don’t know how to say this. I have a process here to file, which has not been allowed for the last three days.

“I have the process for my defence. I don’t know if my lord will allow me to file it for my defence,” he prayed.

Justice Omotosho then sought a response from the SSS officers in court on why Mr Kanu had not been allowed to file the document.

One of the operatives of the security agency stood up and addressed the court.

The officer said after the adjournment on Wednesday, Mr Kanu told them that he wanted to file a process.

“We waited for him (Kanu) and he could not file the process, and we left,” he said.

He said on Thursday, they got information again at the office that Mr Kanu wanted to file the process.

He said if the defendant wants to file a process in court, they have a standard procedure and protocol for Mr Kanu’s movement to guarantee his safety and the safety of others around.

He explained that a letter ought to be written by his former lawyers, who are now consultants, to the SSS management before he could be allowed.

“We only got the information from our officers who are detailed to him. So that creates a logistic problem,” he said.

Also responding, Mr Awomolo said the protocol for Mr Kanu’s movement is dictated by the court’s order.

“However, we will ask for a stand down for about an hour my lord to allow him file the process,” he said.

However, Mr Kanu disagreed with the SSS officer on his submission.

“What he just narrated was not correct,” he said.

“When I was downstairs looking for the process on Wednesday, they (the officers) said let us go and you will be brought back the next day,” he said.

Mr Kanu alleged that he had also told the SSS officers that the court officers could be allowed to bring the stamp for him to depose to the affidavit, but they refused.

Mr Awomolo then said that the issues, as difficult as they seemed, could be made easier by Mr Kanu’s legal consultants.

He said he was not aware that Mr Kanu planned to file a process.

“I was not aware of this. If they (consultants) can talk to me or the Legal Department at the DSS, they are their colleagues, the matter would have been resolved.

“They can speak to them (Legal Department). They (the consultants) equally have my phone number; they can call me,” Mr Awomolo said.

The judge, who stood down the matter, ordered the officers at the court registry and the commissioner for oaths to come into the court with the stamp to attend to Mr Kanu.

“The defendant will file here while we take other matters,” the judge said.

Justice Omotosho further made an order allowing the court workers to go to the SSS office with the court stamp whenever Mr Kanu is a deponent to a document.

Mr Kanu, who was expected to open his defence on Friday, is standing trial on alleged terrorism offences.

BACKGROUND

The Nigerian government has been prosecuting Mr Kanu on seven charges, mostly terrorism-related, since 2015.

The charges stemmed from his alleged violent secessionist campaigns for the independence of the Igbo-dominated South-eastern part of Nigeria as Biafra.

But the dual Nigerian and British citizen has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

The prosecution closed its case with five witnesses in June.

After the prosecution closed its case, Mr Kanu filed a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution failed to lead credible evidence against him to warrant putting forward any defence.

However, in September, the judge dismissed the no-case submission, ruling that he had a case to answer and should enter his defence.

Since then, several proceedings have been scheduled for him to start his defence after he suddenly disengaged his lawyers and told the court that he would defend himself.

The case was adjourned several times in the past month to keep the window of defence open, while Mr Kanu continued to maintain that there is no valid charge against him to defend.

He argued that the charges against him “were brought under a repealed terrorism law.”

Following Kanu’s insistence that the charges were invalid, the judge, Mr Omotosho, on Wednesday, reminded him of the need to keep his “gun powder dry” for his defence.

Kanu said he would need to consult with his four legal consultants, whom he named as Nnaemeka Ejiofor, Aloy Ejimakor, Maxwell Okpara and Mandela Umegborogu, after which the case was adjourned to Friday.

As it stands, defence or not, judgment, according to Justice Omotosho, will be delivered on November 20.

News

Alleged Defamation: Court Declines DSS Request to Order Sowore’s Arrest

Published

4 days ago

November 5, 2025

Eric

The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, declined a request by the Department of State Services (DSS) to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, in his ongoing defamation trial.

Sowore is being prosecuted over comments made on social media in which he allegedly described President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.”

The Federal government argues the statement contravenes provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, as well as sections of the Criminal Code, and is capable of inciting public disorder.

Director of Public Prosecutions, M. B. Abubakar, told the court that Sowore’s remarks amounted to cyber harassment and criminal defamation under Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes Act and Sections 59 and 375 of the Criminal Code.

He insisted the activist must be held accountable for using digital platforms to malign the President.

During proceedings, counsel to the DSS, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, urged the court to issue a bench warrant, arguing that Sowore had been duly served with the charge and hearing notice but failed to appear.

He described the absence as a clear disregard for judicial authority.

According to Kehinde, allowing such conduct to go unchallenged could undermine the court’s authority — particularly in politically sensitive matters involving state institutions.

He also dismissed a letter submitted by activist Deji Adeyanju seeking an adjournment on Sowore’s behalf, describing it as an attempt to delay the case.

However, presiding Judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, declined the request. He ruled that it would be premature to issue a bench warrant because the second defendant in the matter, X Corporation (formerly Twitter), had not been properly served with the charge sheet.

The judge held that due process in serving all defendants must be completed before any coercive orders can be considered.

Counsel to X Corporation, Christabel Ndiokwelo, confirmed that although her client received the hearing notice, the formal charges had not yet been served.

Counsel to META (Facebook), Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), was also in court.

He aligned with the government’s position, describing Sowore’s absence as deliberate. He also dismissed Sowore’s claims that social media companies were collaborating with the DSS to censor him as “baseless and diversionary.”

Justice Umar adjourned the case to December 2, 2025, for proper arraignment, and directed that fresh hearing notices and charge documents be served on all parties to prevent further delays.

News

Court Gives Nnamdi Kanu Nov 5 Ultimatum to Open Defence

Published

5 days ago

November 4, 2025

Eric

The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, gave the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, until November 5 to defend the terrorism charges filed against him or risk waiving his right to do so.

The trial judge, Justice James Omotoso, advised Kanu to consult legal practitioners experienced in criminal law to assist with his defence or to formally appoint a lawyer to represent him in court.

Justice Omotosho’s decision followed Kanu’s continued refusal to open his defence, insisting that there was no valid charge pending against him.

Kanu, who represented himself during Tuesday’s proceedings, told the court that he would not return to detention unless the charges against him were properly presented.

He argued that his continued detention by the Department of State Services was unlawful, maintaining that he had not breached any known law.

He also accused the court of disregarding the Supreme Court’s judgment which, according to him, condemned his extraordinary rendition from Kenya.

He demanded that the trial judge immediately discharge him from custody.

When reminded that the Supreme Court had ordered a fresh trial, Kanu maintained his position that the terrorism charge was invalid and incompetent.

Citing Section 36(12) of the 1999 Constitution, he argued that there was no existing law creating a terrorism offence in Nigeria.

“In Nigeria today, the Constitution is the supreme law. There is no valid charge against me. I will not go back to detention today. The Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act has been repealed. I cannot defend myself under a repealed law,” Kanu said.

He further challenged any lawyer to show him a valid charge, urging the court to “take judicial notice” of what he claimed was the repeal of the terrorism law.

“I cannot be tried under a law that has been repealed. Prosecuting me under such a law is a violation of my fundamental rights,” he insisted.

After several attempts to persuade him to enter his defence, Justice Omotosho adjourned proceedings until November 5, 2025, giving Kanu the final opportunity to either defend the charge or forfeit his right to do so.

During the session, counsel for the Federal Government, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), informed the court that some documents served on him by Kanu were unsigned and not endorsed by the court, arguing that they held no evidential value.