Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has stepped down from a case involving suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Justice Egwuatu was assigned to hear the suit, but on Tuesday, he announced that he would no longer handle the matter.

He made this decision after Senate President Godswill Akpabio wrote a petition questioning his impartiality.

Although the case was scheduled for hearing, when the court clerk called it up, the judge ruled that he was stepping aside.

He said he would return the case file to the Chief Judge, who would assign it to another judge.

On March 4, Justice Egwuatu issued an interim order stopping the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions from proceeding with disciplinary actions against Akpoti-Uduaghan.

She was accused of violating Senate rules.

The judge ruled that the disciplinary process should not continue until the case was decided.

He also gave the defendants 72 hours to explain why the court should not stop them from investigating the senator without following the rules laid out in the 1999 Constitution, the Senate Standing Order 2023, and the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act.

Justice Egwuatu allowed the senator to serve legal documents on the defendants using substituted means.

The court ordered that the documents be given to the Clerk of the National Assembly or pasted at the National Assembly premises.

They were also to be published in two national newspapers.

The interim order came after the senator filed an urgent application.

However, despite the court’s ruling, the Senate Committee still held its meeting and suspended her for six months.

Later, after the defendants applied, Justice Egwuatu amended his earlier order.

He removed the part that prevented the Senate from taking any action while the case was ongoing.

Meanwhile, Akpabio’s legal team, led by Kehinde Ogunwumiju, questioned the court’s authority to interfere in Senate affairs.

A Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square, on Thursday, reserved judgment in the case against a Lagos State Bus Rapid Transit driver, Andrew Ominikoron, accused of raping and murdering a 22-year-old fashion designer, Oluwabamise Ayanwola, in 2022.

Justice Sherifat Sonaike fixed May 2, 2025, for the judgment after the prosecution and the defence adopted their final written addresses.

Defence counsel, Abayomi Omotubora, while adopting the final written address, argued that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove Ominikoron’s guilt.

He insisted that none of the testimonies from the nine prosecution witnesses directly linked the defendant’s actions to Ayanwola’s death.

Omotubora also dismissed a voice note reportedly sent by the deceased to her friend as inadmissible hearsay, stating that the prosecution failed to call the friend as a witness.

Challenging the prosecution’s reliance on the “last-seen” doctrine, the defence counsel stated that mere suspicion is not enough for a conviction without strong circumstantial evidence.

He also argued that the testimony of a prosecution witness, who alleged she was a previous rape victim of the defendant, required corroboration.

Meanwhile, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr Babajide Martins, in his final address, urged the court to convict the defendant and pronounce him guilty based on the testimonies of prosecution witnesses three, seven, and eight.

Martins stated that the corroboration is not required in rape cases under Nigerian law.

He pointed out that the defendant was last seen with Ayanwola and fled to Ososa, Sagamu, Ogun State, instead of reporting to the police an action he described as suspicious.

Martins added that Ominikoron was later arrested by the Department of State Services in 2022.

Regarding the voice note from the deceased, Martins cited Section 34 of the Nigerian Evidence Act, which allows the court to evaluate and assign probative value to dying declarations.

Ominikoron is facing four counts bordering on conspiracy, rape, and murder preferred against him, by the Lagos State government.

He was arraigned in March 2022, before the court over the rape and murder of his passenger, on February 26, 2022, at the Lekki-Ajah Expressway.

The prosecution told the court that Ominikoron conspired with others now at large to rape and murder his 22-year-old passenger.

The prosecution said the defendant had sexual intercourse with Ayanwole, without her consent, and murdered her, at about 7 p.m., between Lekki-Ajah Expressway and Carter Bridge, on February 26, 2022.

According to the prosecution the offences committed contravened Sections 411, 223, 260, and 165 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

However, Ominnikoron pleaded not guilty, to the charges against him.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the money laundering case against former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to March 6 and 7, 2025.

The case, filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, continued on Monday with testimonies from two prosecution witnesses.

The first witness, Segun Adeleke, General Manager of Efab Properties Limited, testified about properties in Maitama and Gwarinpa.

Adeleke stated that Bello’s name did not appear on any documents and that he had never met the former governor.

“My Lord, in 2020, while I was in the office, my chairman sent for me. His name is Chief Dr Fabian Nwora. He introduced me to a young man named Shehu Bello. Apparently, they had discussed purchasing a property, and my chairman told me that Shehu wanted to make payment.

“We agreed on ₦550 million for the property at Number 1, Ikogosi Road, Maitama. When Shehu returned, he came with U.S. dollars. My Lord, we had to confirm the exchange rate from a Bureau de Change, and the equivalent of ₦550 million was paid,” he added.

Adeleke said he met Shehu Bello three times — during the introduction, payment, and when legal documents were executed.
When asked if he knew the bank used for the ₦550 million payment, he said, “No, my Lord.” He also could not recall the dollar equivalent of the amount.

When questioned about another property in Gwarinpa, he said, “House Twelve, 59 Crescent, Fifth Avenue, Gwarinpa, was purchased by one Nuhu Mohammed for seventy million. My Lord, it was a one-off payment via bank transfer to our account.”

The defence counsel, Joseph Daudu, asked Adeleke if he personally discussed the transactions with Shehu Bello, to which he replied, “Yes.”
When asked if Shehu signed the documents in his presence, he said, “He did not, my Lord.”

Daudu also asked, “Throughout this transaction, did you set eyes on the defendant?”

Adeleke responded, “Not at any time in the course of this transaction.” He confirmed that Bello’s name did not appear on any documents submitted to the EFCC.

The second prosecution witness, Williams Abimbola, a compliance officer with United Bank for Africa, testified under subpoena.

EFCC’s counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, said the subpoena was issued to obtain four sets of documents, including account statements.

Abimbola submitted account opening documents and statements, including the Kogi State Government House account from January 1, 2016, to January 31, 2024.

Other statements included those of Macelina Njoku from 1 January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022, and the American International School, Abuja, from September 1 to September 30, 2020.

All documents were admitted as evidence without objection.
The court adjourned the case to March 6 and 7, 2025 for further hearing.

A Magistrates Court sitting in Isabo in the Abeokuta area of Ogun State has granted bail to controversial Nigerian singer, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, following his arraignment on charges of assault and obstruction of government officials.

The singer was declared wanted by the state police command on Monday.

He however surrendered himself to the police at the Lagos State Criminal Investigations Department on Wednesday and was thereafter transferred to the Ogun State Police Headquarters, Eleweran.

The singer who was presented in court on Thursday faced a five-count charge, including conspiracy, assault, restriction, being armed with cutlasses and guns, and conduct likely to cause harm.

He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

His counsel, Oluwatoyin Ayodele, pleaded for bail, assuring the court that Portable “is now remorseful and has learnt his lessons.”

Magistrate O. L. Oke granted the singer bail in the sum of N2m with one surety in like sum and adjourned the case until March 5 for trial.

Alongside Portable, nine of his aides were also arraigned on similar charges before the magistrate.

The accused individuals, including Nurudeen Warris (21), Adetola Alashe (25), Samuel Adeleke (28), Oluwaseun Ayenuwa (19), Oluwapelumi Adeosun (20), Gospel Kanu (20), Precious Ohiegebo (19), Ifeoluwa Babatunde (27), and Fatimo Muhammed (26), were charged with felony, assault, obstruction, and conduct likely to breach public peace.

The Ogun State Government had earlier condemned Portable’s alleged actions, describing him as a “serial dissident and unrepentant rascal.”

The singer was reportedly involved in a violent altercation with three officials from the Ogun State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Ota Zonal Office—TPL Onabanjo Abidemi, TPL Raymond Lateef, and TPL Ridwan Oyero Akinlesi—during an enforcement exercise at Oke-Osa, Tigbo Ilu Ota, Ogun State.

According to the officials, they initially encountered Portable’s father at the Odogwu Bar, where he informed them that his son was unavailable. Moments later, Portable allegedly arrived armed with a firearm and, along with nine thugs, launched an attack on the unarmed officials.

The police reported that the enforcement officers sustained injuries but managed to escape and report the incident to the Ota Area Command, which escalated the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department.

Reacting to the allegations, Portable took to Instagram on Tuesday in a series of rants, claiming that he was being set up because he wore a vest featuring the image of the lawmaker representing Ogun West, Senator Adeola Solomon, popularly known as Yayi. He also reiterated that he is mentally unstable and has a medical history at the psychiatric hospital.

“I fear government. I am a federal government liability. I am a madman; I have medications that I usually take. You can confirm from Aro Hospital. I have a card that certifies me as one of their patients,” he said.

A Lagos State High Court sitting in Tafawa Balewa Square on Thursday rejected the no-case submissions filed by Chioma Egbuchu, the sister of Chidinma Ojukwu, and Adedapo Quadri, the second defendant in the ongoing murder trial of Michael Usifo Ataga, CEO of Super TV.

Quadri and Egbuchu had filed the no-case submissions in a bid to have the charges against them dropped, arguing that there was insufficient evidence to proceed with the trial.

However, Justice Yetunde Adesanya ruled that there was a prima facie case against both defendants, as the prosecution had established enough material evidence for them to enter defence in the matter and thus, ordered them to open their defence.

Ojukwu, a 300-level Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos, is standing trial before the Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square.

She is being prosecuted alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu and one Adedapo Quadri for the murder of Ataga.

The defendants were arraigned on October 12, 2021, by the Lagos State Government.

Ojukwu and Quadri are facing the first to eight counts bordering on conspiracy, murder, and stabbing while her sister, Egbuchu, is facing the ninth count of stealing an iPhone 7 belonging to the late Ataga.

Both were alleged to have conspired and murdered Ataga on June 15, 2021, by stabbing him several times with a knife in the neck and chest.

The incident occurred at No. 19, Adewale Oshin Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

When the case came up on Thursday, the prosecution announced an appearance, while the defendants were also represented.

The judge in her ruling held that in the written address by the second defendant, it was nothing that was mentioned or linked to Adedapo Quadri to the offences mentioned by the ninth prosecuting witness, DSP Olusegun Bamidele, in his testimony.

She said, “The duty of the court is not to analyse the charge but, to examine the charge and if the evidence is established, then there is a case to answer and the no-case submission is overruled.

“The first defendant during interrogation and statement recording told PW9 that it was the second defendant that helped her with the preparation of a UBA Bank account with the name Mary Johnson, Access Bank Statement, driving licence and passport.

‘The second defendant, (Quadri) also, confessed that he helped the first defendant prepare the said documents.”

The evidence laid to the third defendant is the one made by the ninth prosecution witness in his examination-in-chief and the statement of the third defendant, Egbuchu.

Egbuchu in her statement said she was contacted that the phone with her was a stolen phone and that the owner of the phone was dead.

She said she told the police that it was a gift from her sister (Chidinma), and that when she gave her the phone, she asked her where she got it from and that Chidinma said it was her boyfriend who gave her.

“I have carefully considered the exhibits, both the second and third defendants have a case to answer. From the totality of the evidence before me, I reject the no-case submissions of the second and third defendants.

“I call on the second and third defendants to enter their defence,” the judge said.

However, the case was adjourned till April 9, 2025, for the defence to open their case.

No fewer than twelve (12) persons have lost their lives out of 112 confirmed cases of deadly Lassa fever in Ondo State.

Acting Statistician-General in the state, Olusola Ajayi made the revelation in Akure, the Ondo State capital while addressing workers of the state’s waste management authority.

Ajayi described the 112 confirmed cases and deaths of 12 persons as alarming development.

The ASG, however, called on the workers of Ondo State Waste Management Authority to brace up and collaborate with other stakeholders in the health sector towards ensuring a healthy environment as part of ways to reduce the menace.

According to him, “We are together in that business. We have to act fast now because of this data that I’m going to give you. In Ondo State today, there are 353 reported cases of Lassa fever, 112 have been confirmed, 12 bodies have died. So, if we want to act, the time is now.”

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention had confirmed 143, out of 484 suspected cases of Lassa fever from December 30, 2024 to January 12, 2025, in seven (7) states across 32 local government areas.

The Centre also reported 22 deaths with a case fatality rate of 15.4 per cent.

Similarly, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Adeniran Ikuomola last week said Ondo State recorded close to 400 suspected cases of Lassa fever since its recent outbreak.

“We have 400 suspected cases and confirmed 100. I would have loved to give you a specific number of deaths. We have recorded some deaths,” Dr Ikuomola earlier said.

A Federal High Court in Lagos has adjourned the fraud and attempted murder case against the Chief Executive Officer of Oak Homes Limited, Olukayode Olusanya, to April 15, 2025.

Justice Musa Kakaki set the date after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defence over the admissibility of the defendant’s statement and a petition against him.

Olusanya and his company face four counts brought by the police, including conspiracy, threat to life, obtaining money by false pretense, and stealing.

He was arraigned on November 26, 2024, but pleaded not guilty.

According to the police, Olusanya conspired with Lynda Umeh, the company’s head of sales and marketing, who is currently at large, to defraud a Nigerian-American engineer, Anthony Ugbebor.

The police said that between November 8, 2017, and August 4, 2020, both allegedly deceived Ugbebor into paying N152m, for two three-bedroom apartments at the Oak Residence, Victoria Island, with a promise to hand over possession by February 28, 2019.

However, they failed to deliver the property.

The police prosecution counsel, Supol M.A. Omo-Osagie, further alleged that Olusanya stole the funds and later conspired to murder Ugbebor for reporting him to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and other authorities.

During Tuesday’s hearing, Omo-Osagie called the first prosecution witness, Assistant Superintendent of Police Egho Amiebelomo.

The officer testified that the police received a petition from Ugbebor, which led to an investigation.

Amiebelomo recounted how Olusanya initially refused to cooperate with police inquiries, claiming the Assistant Inspector General’s office was “too small” for him.

According to the witness, he was eventually arrested at his office and later released on bail. However, he absconded for months before being rearrested and brought to court.

The prosecution attempted to submit Olusanya’s statement and the complainant’s petition as evidence, but defence counsel, Agboola Adeleke (SAN), objected, arguing that the statement was not taken in the presence of a lawyer or video-recorded, as required under Section 9 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

In response, Omo-Osagie countered that the defence’s objection was misplaced, citing Section 15(4) of the Act, which allows for statements to be recorded with or without video evidence.

He also argued that the petition was a public document and, therefore, admissible in court.

“Sections 100-104 of the Evidence Act 2011, particularly Section 103, stipulate that any document in the possession of a public officer is a public document,” Omo-Osagie stated.

“The petition originated from a private citizen but was officially received and acted upon by the AIG, with official stamps and directives. That makes it a public document, admissible under the law.

“The key question here is whether this document is relevant to the trial of the defendant. Since it is, we urge the court to dismiss the objections raised by the defence and admit the evidence,” he added.

After listening to both sides, Justice Kakaki adjourned the case to April 15, 2025, for ruling on the objections and continuation of trial.

Court acquits Fani-Kayode of forgery case

Jide Ajia

The Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday, acquitted and discharged a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, of medical forgery charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Justice Olubumni Abike-Fadipe, while delivering a ruling on the no-case submission filed by Fani-Kayode’s counsel, held that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against him. As a result, the court ruled that the former minister had no case to answer regarding the allegations.

The ruling, which was reported by Channels TV on Tuesday, marks the end of the forgery case against Fani-Kayode.

The court upheld the no-case submission filed by his counsel, Norrison Quakers, and ruled that Fani-Kayode had no case to answer as the EFCC did not link him to the offence.

In her ruling, Justice Abike Fadipe said that the prosecution failed to present the defendant’s associates who collected money from him or the lawyer who claimed that the defendant had instructed his law firm to take the medical reports to the Federal High Court.

The judge said: “The extrajudicial statements which remain, and which are intended as evidence, cannot be used for any purpose other than to contradict the person who made the statement when he is in the witness box.

“I have carefully studied the evidence of the prosecution witnesses and I cannot find where the defendant committed the offences being alleged.

“The prosecution has failed to establish a prima facie case which would require the defendant to open his defence.”

The judge consequently acquitted and discharged the defendant on the alleged offences.

Speaking to the journalist after his discharge, Fani-Kayode expressed gratitude and relief at the verdict, stating that he has been in and out of court for the past 18 years and he feels overjoyed that he is finally free.

Before the court, Fani-Kayode was facing 12 a count charge brought against him by the EFCC following his alleged use of forged medical report(s), which he tendered before Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, where he was being prosecuted by the EFCC for an alleged N4.9billion fraud.

One of the counts reads: “That you, Femi Fani-Kayode, on or about the 11th day of October 2021 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, by fraudulently used a false document titled: Medical Report on Olufemi Fani-Kayode 60 Years/Male/Hosp. No. 00345 DATED 11/10/2021 before the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division in charge No. FHC/L/251C/2016 which document you purported to have been issued by Kubwa General Hospital.”

Another count reads: “That you, Femi Fani-Kayode, on or about the 23rd day of March, 2021 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently used a false document titled: To Whom It May Concern Re: Femi Fani-Kayode Male/60 Years Hospital. No. 32145 Dated 23rd March 2021 before the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division in charge No. FHC/L/251C/2016 which document you purported to have been issued by Kubwa General Hospital.”

The EFCC noted that procuring and execution of documents by false pretence is contrary to section 369 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

During the trial, the management of Kubwa General Hospital, Abuja had denied admitting Femi Fani-Kayode as one of its patients.

Through its head of medical records, Bassey Amah, the hospital management told Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe that a medical report presented in court by the former minister was not issued by the hospital.

Amah who testified before the court as first prosecution witness in the case said that Fani-Kayode is not a patient and has no medical report in the hospital.

A second prosecution witness, Abidat Bukola told the court how the former Minister of Aviation, allegedly gave her N820,000 to procure 4 forged medical reports.

The witness testified that Fani-Kayode at different times paid her the sums of N120,000, N150,000, N250,000 and N300,000 for the forged medical reports.

She also claimed that the former minister dictated what the content of the medical reports should be.

The former minister, however, denied the allegations.

In December 2024, he filed a no-case submission and urged the court to acquit him while submitting that the prosecution had failed to establish the charge against him.

Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe of the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday, discharged and acquitted a former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, of a 12-count charge bordering on procurement of a “fabricated” medical report and use of the false document.

Justice Abike-Fadipe dismissed the charge after holding that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) lacked the constitutional power to try the former Minister of the offence.

The court held that the allegations against Fani-Kayode were not an economic crime, and the evidence and witnesses failed to link him to the offences as well.

The anti-graft agency had specifically accused Fani-Kayode of procuring one Dr Ogieva Oziegbe to issue a fake medical report, which he allegedly tendered before the Federal High Court, where he is currently standing trial before Justice Daniel Osiagor over money laundering allegations.

The EFCC had also claimed that the defendant on October 11, 2021, in Kubwa, Abuja, connived with one Dr Ogieva Oziegbe to execute a document titled ‘MEDICAL REPORT ON Olufemi Fani Kayode 60 YEARS/MALE/HOSP. NO.00345’ and purported same to have been issued by Kubwa General Hospital.

The Commission further maintained that procuring and executing documents by false pretence contradict Section 369 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

The defendant had, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.