Nation
THE STATES
L-R: Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Steve Ayorinde, Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mrs Uzamat-Yusuf and the Permanent Secretary, Youth and Social Development, Hakeem Muri Okunola, at a news conference by Lagos Commissioner for Youth and Sports to mark one year of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in office, in Lagos yesterday.
Bauchi
Bauchi State is to train 900 women across the 20 Local
Government Areas in new trades to make them self reliant.
Hajiya Asabe HAmma, the Commissioner for Women Affairs in the State, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi.
According to her, the training would be in new “marketable trades” that would require small amounts as capital.
She said that the number of participants would be based on the size and population of each local government.
Hamma said that women development officers at the local government levels would be charged with the responsibility of selecting those to be trained.
Ekiti
A Muslim cleric, Malam Abdul’kareem Adeleke, said he
was optimistic that the current economic challenges facing the country would soon be over.
Adeleke, of the Central Mosque, Ikole, Ekiti State, spoke with newsmen after the Jumat prayers.
He appealed to Nigerians to endure the hardship and urged the rich to always support the poor in the society.
According to him, the rich have a duty to support government in alleviating poverty and to assist the needy with food, cash and other things that could improve their condition.
He cautioned the less privileged in the society against engaging in crime as means of survival saying God would not be pleased with such act.
FCT
A 55-year old farmer, Aminu Ma’aji has appeared in a Kado
Grade 1 Area Court for alleged mischief.
Ma’aji, who resides in Gwarimpa village, pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge of mischief.
The Prosecutor, Zeera Douglas, told the court that Peter Omobighe of Gwarimpa village, reported the matter at Gwarimpa Police Station on February 27.
Douglas said that the defendant deliberately removed the roof of Omobighe’s room, who is his tenant, without any reason to do so.
He said that rainfall destroyed all his property, which included mattress , kitchen cabinet, electronic cabinet, gas cooker, standing fan, two seater chairs, all valued N86,000.
The prosecutor added that the crime was punishable under Section 327 of the Penal Code.
The presiding officer, Malam Abubakar Sadiq, granted bail to the accused in the sum N50,000 with a surety in like sum.
Kano
The Legal Aid Council of Nigeria has successfully resolved
14 out of the 22 cases it received in Kano State in March, the state Coordinator, Alhaji Abubakar Umar, has said.
Umar told newsmen in Kano that the council received eight criminal cases and 14 civil cases in the month under review.
The coordinator added that the 14 resolved cases comprised of five criminal and nine civil ones.
According to him, the 14 cases were resolved through arbitration while the remaining ones were still ongoing in court.
He also said that most of the civil cases were over inheritance, marriage, debt, land dispute among others.
Katsina
Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State has
inaugurated a response committee as part of its efforts toward preventing the prevalence of Lassa fever in the area.
The acting chairman of the council, Alhaji Abba Lawal, who inaugurated the committee, said its members were selected based on their proximity to the people.
“They would be able to quickly inform the authorities of any outbreak”, he said.
Lawal said the council, through its health, water and sanitation departments, had embarked on educating food vendors and individual families as well as other rural dwellers on the dangers of Lassa fever and the prevalence of other communicable diseases.
“Public lectures, interactive sessions and house-to-house mobilisations are being conducted to educate the people.
Kwara
The Kwara Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed has urged
religious bodies to join hands with the government to move the nation forward.
Ahmed made the call at the 2016 Nigerian Baptist Convention in Ilorin.
Governor Ahmed, who was represented by his Deputy, Elder Peter Kisira, charged religious organisations to entrench good governance and play complementary roles to the government.
The governor said that the government was ready to partner any religious body or organisation to achieve all- round development of the state.
Lagos
Ato Arinze, a specialist in sculpture, has called on the Federal
Government to provide stiffer penalties for cross-border theft of art works.
Arinze told newsmen in Lagos that government’s intervention was necessary to curtail the nefarious act.
“Our artefacts are being stolen daily and it is crossing Nigerian borders without check.”
He advised artists in the country to properly document their works, so as to make the task of identifying them easier.
The artist added that most stolen art works taken across Nigeria’s borders were difficult to trace because of poor documentation by owners.
Nasarawa
The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Lafia,
disbursed resettlement tools and equipment worth N1.5 million to 18 graduate trainees of vocational skills programme in Nasarawa State.
The Acting Director-General of NDE, Mr Kunle Obayan, who distributed the tools, said that the gesture was to enable the unemployed graduate trainees become self reliant and contribute their quota to national development.
Obayan, who was represented by the agency’s Director of Special Public Works, Mr Monday Dalyop, said that the Federal Government was planning to create employment opportunities for unskilled and unemployed Nigerians, hence the need for the gesture.
“NDE came into existence in 1986, saddled with the responsibilities of training people especially the youths and women in different skills acquisition programmes in the country.
Niger
The Niger State Police Command has arrested a suspected
robber, Gideon Ezechukwu, who allegedly uses the Hijab as camouflage during operations.
Police Public Relation Officer in the state, ASP Bala Elkanah, made this known during an interview with newsmen in Minna.
“On April 13, 2016 at about 6.00am one Gideon Ezechukwu of Dutsen Kura Gwari, Minna who dressed in women hijab was arrested by the police.
“The suspect was arrested while trying to escape with an allegedly stolen red colour Jincheng motorcycle (rubber rubber),’’ he said.
Plateau
The Plateau Government has closed down 62 poultry
farms and destroyed more than 190,000 birds affected by bird flu across the state, an official has confirmed.
Director, Veterinary Services, in the state’s Ministry of Agriculture,Dr Doris Bitrus, told newsmen in Jos that the disease had continued to spread.
She attributed that spread to the non-compensation of farmers, whose farms were affected by the disease in 2015.
“With compensation not coming, most farmers now prefer selling their sick birds to the marketers,” she said.
She explained that the disease was more prevalent in Jos South, Jos North, Jos East and Bassa Local Government Areas of the state.
According to her, government is working toward promoting more biosafety measures to check the spread of the disease.
Ogun
A 28-year-old man, Tunde Oduntan, who allegedly
punched off a commercial motorcyclist’s incisors, has been hauled up before an Abeokuta Magistrates’ Court.
The court, however, granted the accused a bail of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.
The accused, whose address is unknown, is facing a charge of unlawful assault.
The prosecutor, Insp. Augustin Ozimini, told the court that the accused had on April 15 at about 3.20 p.m. beat up the commercial motorcyclist, Abu Joseph, and removed two of his teeth in the process with punches.
Yobe
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar,
said that the Federal Government’s intervention in the welfare of the Internally Displaced Persons was to enable them to return to their communities.
Abubakar stated this at the handing over of relief materials to the IDPs in Damaturu.
Abubakar was represented by Air Commodore Paul Dimfwina, Commander 79 Composite Group Nigeria Air Force, Maiduguri.
He said that the donation was in fulfillment of a presidential mandate given to the Comptroller-General of Customs to transfer items seized by the Customs and legally forfeited to the government for the use of IDPs in various camps across the North-East.
Abubakar said that the intervention should be seen as laying foundation for full relocation of the displaced persons to their communities.
Nation
Rivers State Judiciary Counters NBA National Position over Contempt Ruling, Says Judge Acted Within the Law
The Rivers State Judiciary has faulted the Nigerian Bar Association National over its March 26, 2026 press release condemning the jailing of a lawyer for contempt, insisting the trial judge acted lawfully to protect the court’s integrity.
In a rejoinder issued by Chief Registrar High Court,David D. Ihua-Maduenyi, Esq., the judiciary said it was necessary to “set the records straight” following reactions to the NBA’s statement on the contempt conviction of Mrs. Lovinah Ugbana Benjamin.
Titled: “JUDGES MUST NOT BULLY LAWYERS OR
ABUSE POWER TO PUNISH FOR CONTEMPT AS A TOOL
FOR INTIMIDATION OF LAWYERS”
RE: IN THE MATTER OF CONTEMPT OF COURT BY MRS.
LOVINAH UGBANA BENJAMIN
IN SUIT NO.
PHC/301/2016 CORAM C. NWOGU J., OF THE HIGH
COURT OF RIVERS STATE.
The state judiciary explained that case in question is Suit No. PHC/301/2016 before Justice Chinwendu Nwogu of the Rivers State High Court, where Mrs. Benjamin served as defence counsel.
The statement read thus
“We are compelled to make this rejoinder regarding the
incident of the conviction for contempt and subsequent
unconditional discharge of Mrs. Lovinah Ugbana Benjamin,
Learned Counsel for the Defendants in the above suit by Hon.
Justice Chinwendu Nwogu of the High Court of Rivers State in
order to set the records straight, and not allow the
misinformation, misconception and reactions arising from the
NBA National Press Release in the matter to fester as reality or
truth.”
In the suit under reference wherein the said Learned
Counsel appeared for the Defendants, the Learned Counsel
attempted to mislead the Court by her signed and filed final
written address, by knowingly and falsely presenting non-
existent facts and evidence of a witness. When confronted by the
Court, she admitted that what she stated in her final written
the address was not true and she was unapologetic.”
“The to uphold the dignity and integrity of the Court, which the
said Learned Counsel treated with clear and brazen contempt, the
Court after following due process, convicted her for contempt and
sentenced her to prison for 3 days only, instead of the 3 months
statutory term due to passionate plea from the Bar.”
“According to the statement the suggestion of the NBA National in paragraph 10 of the
Press Release under reference that “where a court considers
counsel’s conduct improper, the proper course is to invoke
recognised disciplinary mechanisms, including referring
counsel to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee
(LPDC), rather than resorting to summary punitive measures”,
is not an invariable rule because the act of the Defence Counsel
constitutes contempt in facie curiae which the Court can punish
instantly, hence the action of the Judge is not an abuse of power
or an act of intimidation.”
“Nevertheless, due to the numerous calls from respected
members of the Bar to the offices of the Chief Registrar and the
Honourable Chief Judge for the release of the said Learned
Counsel, and the intervention of the NBA Port Harcourt Branch
delegation led by its Chairman, Mrs. Cordelia U. Eke to the Judge.
in his Chambers in the morning of 26/03/2026 where the
delegation upon learning the true facts of the incident, apologised
and pleaded for the release of the said Learned Counsel.
“The Judge
having accepted the apology signed a production warrant and
upon her production in court and oral application by Mrs. Cordelia
U. Eke, discharged her unconditionally that same morning.”
The statement further stated that It is therefore shocking to read later that day the NBA
National Press Release signed by its President and Secretary, Mazi
Afam Joseph Osigwe (SAN) and Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara respectively,
fiercely threatening and hastily advocated the following ultimata and
the immediate release of the affected
Counsel.
:That the Hon. Chief Judge of Rivers State
immediately investigate the circumstances
surrounding this incident and take
appropriate administrative action.
That appropriate disciplinary steps be taken
by the National Judicial Council, where
necessary.
That the remand of Mrs. Lovinah Ugbana
Benjamin under the circumstances be
condemned and set aside”
“That all NBA branches in Port Harcourt and
its environs and all legal practitioners
boycott the proceedings before the Court of
Hon. Justice Nwogu for a period of 7 days if
Mrs. Lovinah Ugbana Benjamin is not
released within 24 hours.
“It seems to us that it is either the NBA Port Harcourt Branch
leadership did not relate the true position to the NBA National or
if they did, the NBA National decided to speak daggers, not peace
to impugn the Judge as a villain.
“We find the position of the NBA National on this subject very
offensive and embarrassingly raising a feeling of acrimony against
the Judge in particular, and the High Court bench of Rivers State
in general. We categorically state that the Hon. Justice Chinwendu
Nwogu is one of our respected and respectful Judges with
unblemished integrity.
We view this Press Release as an isolated departure from the
enterprising and amiable leadership of the NBA National,
especially its President, whom we hold in high esteem and
admiration.”
“Whilst we appreciate the concern of the NBA National in
bringing attention to the event of 25th March 2026, we assure that
the Bench and the Bar in Rivers State remain veritable partners
in the administration of justice.
“We firmly restate that the Bench in Rivers State holds the Bar
in high esteem and this event would not disrupt the cordial
relationship between the Bench and the Bar.”