National

Usurpation of Office: Supreme Court Absorbs Tinubu of Wrongdoings, Slams N5m Fine on Accuser

Published

1 year ago

December 17, 2024

Eric

The Supreme Court has imposed a N5 million fine on a former presidential candidate, Ambrose Owuru, for instituting what it described as frivolous and vexatious suits against President Bola Tinubu.

Owuru, who contested the 2019 presidential election against former President Muhammadu Buhari on the platform of the Hope Democratic Party (HDP), was ordered to pay N5 million to Tinubu.

Justice Uwani Musa Aba-Aji issued the order while dismissing his fresh suit seeking Tinubu’s from office of President.

Apart from the N5 million fine, the apex court ordered its Registry not to accept any frivolous suit-originating summons from Owuru again.

At the day’s proceedings, Owuru, who claimed to be a lawyer called to the Nigerian Bar in 1984, sought to argue his case wearing his wig and gown.

He was ordered out of the Bar and directed to remove his wig and gown before he could be allowed to argue his case.

Upon complying with the orders, Owuru was asked why he came before the court again, having had his suits dismissed three times earlier.

Although he tried unsuccessfully to convince the Apex Court to grant him adequate audience, his explanations were rejected as unconvincing.

Following his recalcitrant attitude, the court threatened to refer him to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC).

Justice Aba-Aji ruled that Owuru’s conduct was unbecoming of a lawyer of over 40 years, as he claimed.

In the end, the Court dismissed his suit and ordered him to pay Tinubu N5 million.

The court lambasted him for taking the Supreme Court for a ride, wasting its precious time with baseless suits and grossly abusing court processes.

Before the suit was thrown out, Bode Olanipekun SAN who appeared for President Tinubu had drawn the attention of the court to several cases of Owuru that were dismissed on account of frivolity.

He added that the direction of the fresh suit could not be understood because of the poor ways and manners it was couched by the applicant.

Olanipekun SAN also said that it was difficult for him to apologize to the court on behalf of Owuru because the conduct of the applicant had become something unbearable in the practice of the law profession.

In his own response, a professor of law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Taiwo Osipitan assured that the conduct of the former presidential candidate would be referred to the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA.

The Court of Appeal had previously imposed a fine of N40 million on Owuru, to be paid to Tinubu, INEC, and others, for filing a suit against them.

The new suit prayed the Apex Court to sack Tinubu on two major grounds: alleged non-qualification to hold office as Nigeria’s President and alleged usurpation of the office in contravention of the law.

Defendants in the suit were former President Muhammadu Buhari, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Tinubu as 1st to 4th defendants, respectively.

He claimed that his suit at the Supreme Court, which would have removed Buhari from office, was technically jettisoned by the Apex Court due to a mix-up in hearing dates.

He also prayed the Apex Court to disqualify Tinubu on account of the forfeiture of $460,000 to the United States of America over an alleged drug trafficking-related offence.

Besides the alleged forfeiture, Owuru accused Tinubu of being an active agent of the CIA, a position he claimed disqualified Tinubu from holding the office of President of Nigeria.

Specifically, Owuru prayed the Supreme Court to invoke Section 157 of the 1999 Constitution to remove Tinubu from office on the grounds of being under the control of foreign authorities.

He also asked the Supreme Court to declare him Nigeria’s President and order his immediate inauguration to reclaim his alleged usurped mandate.

National

ICPC Vows to Continue Probe As Dangote Withdraws Petition Against Ahmed Farouk

Published

3 days ago

January 8, 2026

Eric

Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Wednesday, said that Aliko Dangote has withdrawn his petition against Ahmed Farouk, the former head of Nigeria’s downstream petroleum regulator, even as investigations into the allegations continue.

Dangote, chairman of the Dangote Group, submitted the petition to the ICPC in December 2025 through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, accusing Farouk of corruption and financial impropriety. The petition called for Farouk’s arrest, investigation and prosecution.

In the filing, Dangote alleged that Farouk lived beyond his means as a public official, claiming he spent more than $7 million on the education of his four children in Switzerland over six years without lawful income to support such expenses.

ICPC spokesperson Okor Odey said the withdrawal was communicated in a letter from Dangote’s lawyer. He added that the petition was withdrawn in full and that another law enforcement agency had taken over the case.

However, Odey said the ICPC would proceed with its own investigation despite the withdrawal.

“The petitioner has withdrawn the petition dated 16 December 2025… in its entirety,” the statement said.

“Nevertheless, in line with sections 3(14) and 27(3) of the ICPC Act, investigations have already commenced and are ongoing.”

He said the commission would continue its inquiry in the interest of transparency, accountability and the fight against corruption.

Farouk resigned as chief executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority less than 24 hours after the petition was submitted, following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu.

National

Egbetokun Rejigs Police Hierarchy, Redeploys DIG, 17 CPs

Published

4 days ago

January 7, 2026

Eric

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has approved a major redeployment of senior officers, posting a Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) and 17 Commissioners of Police to key operational departments and State commands across the country in what the Force described as a move to strengthen leadership and service delivery.

According to the Force Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Benjamin Hundeyin, the redeployments are aimed at reinforcing intelligence gathering, improving operational efficiency and enhancing public safety nationwide.

“The deployments are intended to strengthen operational capacity, effective leadership, enhance public safety, and improve service delivery,” Hundeyin said in a Tuesday post on the Nigeria Police Force’s official X handle.

Under the new arrangement, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Usaini Gumel has been assigned to head the Force Intelligence Department, placing him at the centre of the police’s intelligence coordination and analysis.

At the command level, Commissioner of Police Aina Adesola has been posted to Delta State, Umar Mohammed Hajedia to Kebbi State, and Iyamah Daniel Edobor to Bayelsa State, as part of efforts to reinforce leadership in strategic states.

Several commissioners have also been deployed to specialised units and formations.

Osagie John Agans-Irabor was assigned to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit at the FCID Annex in Lagos, while Johnson Ayodeji Babalola will head the Special Enquiries Bureau at the FCID in Abuja. Adepegba K. Adetoye was posted to the Marine Unit at Force Headquarters, Abuja, and Tabitha Bako and Umar Ali Fagge were appointed deputy commandants at the Police Colleges in Kaduna and Ikeja respectively.

Others include Audu Garba Bosso to General Investigation at the FCID Annex in Kaduna, Edwin Esiunnoh Ogbeghagha to Community Policing at Force Headquarters, Arikpo Ofem Ikpi to the Investment Office of the Department of Logistics and Supply, and Cyril Uchenna Obiozo to the Maritime Command in Lagos. Samuel Yerima was named Coordinator of Courses at the Police Staff College, Jos, while Alhaji Mohammed Danlandi was deployed to the X-Squad at the FCID Annex in Kaduna.

Further postings saw Richard Bala Gara assigned to the Inspectorate Department of Training and Development, Lasisi A. Titilola to the Railway Command in Lagos, and Obuagbaka C. John to the Safer Highway Unit in the Department of Operations at Force Headquarters, Abuja.

Egbetoku urged the redeployed officers to justify the confidence reposed in them, charging them to draw on their experience to deliver results. He emphasised the need to “uphold professionalism, integrity, and ethical standards” and to ensure strict adherence to the rule of law in the discharge of their duties.

The redeployment comes amid ongoing efforts by the police leadership to reposition the Force for more effective crime prevention, intelligence-led policing and improved engagement with the public.

National

Tinubu Strips Finance Minister Edun of Critical Powers

Published

3 weeks ago

December 23, 2025

Eric

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, may have been stripped of critical powers in the nation’s financial activities in the wake of President Bola Tinubu’s latest directive.

The president’s decision to strip Edun of certain responsibilities was contained in a State House memo to the Secretary to the Federal Government, Senator George Akume, dated December 4, 2025.

The memo is titled: “Re: Updated Responsibilities of the Honourable Minister of State for Finance” and signed by the Private Secretary to the President, Mr. Damilotun Aderemi, was, according to reports, personally delivered by the SGF, Senator George Akume, to the Minister of Finance.

The memo read: “I write on the directive of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to forward the attached document on the above subject matter to you and to request that you issue a necessary memorandum implementing same as updated responsibilities of the Honourable Minister of State finance.”

The attached document, referenced supra, entitled “UPDATED Responsibilities of the Honourable Minister of State for Finance” reads in extenso: “The office will be specifically responsible for domestic finances of the Federation including revenue generation, revenue distribution and all domestic debt management.

“Additional specific mandates and oversight: in addition to the existing mandate of the office: (a) Home Finance, (b) Technical Services, (c) Cash Management, (d) Revenue Sharing amongst the tiers of Government and Federation Account, (e) All Domestic Debt Management, (f) Nigerian Customs Service, (g) Development Finance.”

The directive is meant to take immediate effect.

There are insinuations that the minister is displeased with the development, but that claim could not be independently verified.