Nation

Court Sends Suspended UNICAL Professor, Lawyer To Kuje Prison

Published

2 years ago

January 26, 2024

A Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday, ordered the remand of Prof. Cyril Ndifon, the suspended Dean of Faculty of Law, University of Calabar (UNICAL) in Kuje Correctional Centre.
Justice James Omotosho also ordered one of the lawyers of Ndifon, Mr Sunny Anyanwu, to be remanded in the correctional centre pending the hearing of their bail application.
Justice Omotosho gave the order after Ndifon was re-arraigned alongside Anyanwu on an amended four-count charge bordering on alleged sexual harassment and attempt to pervert the cause of justice.
The Tide’s source reports that while the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is the complainant, Ndifon and Anyanwu are 1st and 2nd defendants in the amended charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/511/2023.
In count one, Ndifon was alleged to have, between May and September 2023, while being in the employment of UNICAL as Dean of Faculty of Law, caused one Miss TKJ (not real name), a diploma student of the university, to send pornographic, indecent and obscene photographs of herself to him through his mobile telephone number: 08037066222 vide WhatsApp charts.
The offence was said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 24 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition & Prevention) Act 2015.
In count three, the lawyer was alleged to have, sometime in November 2023 or thereabout, in Abuja during the pendency of the charge filed against Ndifon and on the prompting of the professor, called one of the prosecution witnesses on her mobile telephone.
Anyanwu was alleged to have threatened her not to honour the invitation of the ICPC in respect of the criminal investigation against Ndifon, which conduct he knew was intended to perverse the cause of justice.
The offence was said to be punishable under Section 182 of the Penal Code Cap. 532 Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, 2006.
The source reports that Justice Omotosho had, on January 10, ordered the release of Ndifon on a temporary bail to enable him go for a glaucoma surgery, which the defendant was scheduled to undergo January 11.
The judge then adjourned until today January 25 for continuation of trial and to hear his bail plea.
He also directed Anyanwu to file affidavit of facts in response to allegations raised against him by the anti-graft commission that he threatened their star witness.
Upon resumed hearing yesterday, ICPC’s counsel, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, informed the court that an amended charge, dated January 19, was filed January 22.
When the judge asked how Ndifon was faring after the surgery, his lawyer, Solomon Umo, SAN, told tye court that though the surgery was meant to be carried out, the result given to then showed that the surgery would have to be done in a later date.

Nation

Firefighters battle New Year Day inferno in Abuja, several states

Published

2 days ago

January 2, 2026

The Tide

Federal Fire Service FFS entered the New Year on full operational alert, tackling multiple fire outbreaks across the country from midnight into the early hours of January 1, 2026, in what officials described as one of the busiest festive-season deployments in recent years.

The intensified nationwide response followed a December 2025 directive issued by the Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Olumode Samuel Adeyemi, who had ordered that no firefighter should proceed on leave throughout the holidays.

According to a statement by the National Public Relations Officer and Head of Corporate Services of the FFS, DCF Paul Abraham, the no-leave policy proved critical as the Service moved swiftly to contain fires in several states.

The Federal Capital Territory FCT recorded its first fire incident of the year barely twenty-three minutes after midnight when flames erupted at Cake Hot Restaurant located within River Plate Park, Wuse, Abuja.

Abraham said fire crews from the Federal Fire Service and the FCT Fire Service arrived promptly and were able to stop the blaze before it could spread through the popular recreational centre.

While a section of the garden area was destroyed, no lives were lost and no injuries were recorded.

Officials said property worth an estimated ?1.5 billion was saved, although losses were placed at about ?500 million.

“Preliminary findings suggested that the fire was triggered by objects thrown during New Year celebrations, reinforcing long-standing warnings over the dangers posed by fireworks during the harmattan season”, the Service said.

The Controller General had repeatedly urged Nigerians to avoid fireworks, candles and open flames indoors, warning that the dry winds characteristic of the season allow fires to spread rapidly.

He also warned the public about electrical faults and power surges and advised that electrical appliances be switched off and unplugged when not in use or when occupants leave their homes, stressing that overloading sockets and extension boxes remains a significant cause of domestic fires.

Nation

Enugu North LG chairman presents ?10.8bn 2026 Budget, prioritises roads …Security, Healthcare, Human Capital Development

Published

2 days ago

January 2, 2026

The Tide

Chairman of Enugu North Local Government Area in Enugu State, Dr. Ibenaku Harford Onoh, has presented a Ten Billion Eight Hundred Million Naira (?10.8bn) 2026 budget to the legislative council of the local government.

The budget, tagged “Budget of Continued Growth and Consolidation,” was presented on Wednesday during a plenary session attended by councillors, department heads, and other stakeholders.

Dr. Onoh explained that the 2026 budget is designed to consolidate achievements recorded in 2025 while scaling up development across the council’s 13 wards. Priority areas include road infrastructure, grassroots security, healthcare delivery, youth empowerment, and digital governance.

He also reviewed the 2025 budget performance, highlighting significant revenue growth and successful completion of key projects. Notably, the council’s internally generated revenue more than doubled, attributed to the introduction of digital revenue collection platforms and other innovative measures.

Among the 2025 achievements, Dr. Onoh mentioned the reconstruction of major roads at European Quarters, Hilltop, Coal Camp, and Ukwa Street, Ihewuishi, as well as the upgrade of the local security architecture through the reorganisation of the neighbourhood watch into “The City Watch.”

On the 2026 budget, the chairman stated that projected revenue would come from statutory allocations, VAT, internally generated revenue, and counterpart funding through public-private partnerships.

He noted that capital expenditure would take the larger share of the budget, with over half allocated to the economic sector. Planned projects include:

Completion of transport terminals at Aria Market

Construction and reconstruction of urban roads

Establishment of two sports centres

Healthcare interventions

Youth skills development programmes.

Dr. Onoh emphasised that the projects, policies, and programmes outlined in the budget are aimed at complementing the initiatives of Governor Peter Ndubisi Mbah, who is setting standards for local government councils to follow.

Responding, the Leader of the Legislative Council, Rt. Hon. Chizoba Nnamani, said the budget would be carefully scrutinised in the interest of residents before its passage.

Nation

Christians Convert To Islam or die As ISWAP burns down Christian village

Published

2 days ago

January 2, 2026

The Tide

Christians in Adamawa have been asked to Convert to Islam or die as commanded by the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP).

.The ISWAP forcedly burnt down Christian village in Adamawa Nigeria as reported on January 1, 2026.

The Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP, has continued to wreak havoc on Christian communities in the Northeast, Nigeria.

This comes as ISWAP burned down a Christian village in Adamawa State.

A security expert, Brant Philip, disclosed this on Thursday in a viral video released by the terrorists.

“ISWAP released an image of one of the Christian villages in Adamawa State burning, alongside a statement saying that all Christians in Nigeria are legitimate targets, and they have an opportunity to “spare their blood” by converting to Islam or paying the jizyah tax to ISWAP,” Brant Philip wrote on X.

The move is perceived as retaliation for recent joint airstrikes by the Nigerian and United States military against a terrorist enclave in Sokoto, Nigeria.

Recall that five days ago, United States President Donald Trump announced that the US military launched airstrikes against terrorists in Sokoto State.