NEWS

President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve a bill seeking to amend the Court of Appeal Act to increase the number of justices from 70 to 110, as part of reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s appellate justice system. The request was conveyed in a letter addressed to the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and read at plenary on Tuesday. According to the President, the proposed amendments are intended to enhance the institutional capacity, efficiency and effectiveness of the Court of Appeal in line with constitutional provisions and emerging realities within the justice sector. He said the central feature of the bill is the expansion of the court’s bench to cope with rising caseloads and operational pressures. “The bill seeks to increase ...

Former Nigerian Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has denied multiple bribery charges filed against her at the Southwark Crown Court in London. Punch reports that Alison-Madueke appeared before the court on Tuesday, January 27, where she is standing trial for living a “life of luxury” funded by illicit payments.  At the opening of her trial yesterday, the British prosecutors told the court that the former Minister accepted bribes between 2011 and 2015 while in office.  The prosecutors alleged that the Alison-Madueke who also served as president of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries from 2014 to 2015, received financial and other inducements from individuals seeking “lucrative oil and gas contracts” with Nigeria’s state-owned oil company, NNPC. Th...

Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have arrested a 28-year-old man suspected of internet fraud in connection with the death of his friend following a disagreement over a $1,000 transaction. Police confirmed that the incident occurred on January 21, 2026, in Agbarho community, Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state. The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Bright Edafe, said the suspect, identified as Oghenegare, is currently in custody at the State Command Headquarters in Asaba over the death of Mr Courage, who was said to be his childhood friend. According to Edafe, both men were allegedly involved in internet fraud and fell out over a disputed $1,000 online deal. He explained that an argument between the two escalated into a physical confrontation, during w...

The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, is set to reassign the ₦212.8 billion asset forfeiture case involving former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to another judge. Naija News reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) secured an interim forfeiture order on January 7 against assets valued at ₦212.8 billion. The anti-graft agency alleged that the properties, located in Abuja, Kano, and Birnin Kebbi in Kebbi State, were acquired through proceeds of unlawful activities linked to Malami. Justice Emeka Nwite, who granted the interim forfeiture order, disclosed on Tuesday that he had returned the case file to the Chief Judge for reassignment to a judge who will conclude the matter. Earlier, Justice Nwite had ordered ...

The cybercrime trial of activist and former African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, continued on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja. During the proceedings, the court admitted a video exhibit showing former presidential aide Reno Omokri referring to President Bola Tinubu as a “drug lord.” Naija News reports that Sowore is facing trial over a social media post in which he labeled President Tinubu a “criminal,” an allegation the Federal Government says amounts to cyberstalking. Justice Mohammed Umar allowed the video evidence during cross-examination of the first prosecution witness, Cyril Nosike, an operative of the Department of State Services (DSS), despite objections from the prosecution. The video, submitted on a flash drive by Sowore’s cou...

The Court of Appeal in Akure, Ondo State, has temporarily halted a Federal High Court judgment concerning a case challenging Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s eligibility to run for a second term in 2028. Naija News reports that the appellate court also stayed proceedings in the suit filed by All Progressives Congress (APC) member Dr. Akin Egbuwalo at the Federal High Court. The lawsuit sought clarification on Section 137(3) of the Constitution to determine whether Aiyedatiwa, who has already served two terms in office, qualifies to contest again. Justice Toyin Bolaji Adegoke of the Federal High Court had set January 28 for the ruling, which would have addressed whether the governor—first sworn in on December 27, 2024, to complete the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s tenure, and again o...

Legal consultant to IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, Aloy Ejimakor, has criticized the deployment of security forces to suppress peaceful protests at Onitsha Main Market by the Anambra State government. Naija News reports that Governor Charles Soludo ordered the market closed for a week after traders refused to open shops on Monday, in line with the ongoing sit-at-home directive by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The directive came despite repeated appeals by the government urging traders, market leaders, and residents to disregard the sit-at-home order, which officials insist lacks legal backing and continues to disrupt economic activities in the state. Reacting to the security deployment, Ejimakor described the presence of soldiers at the protest as unconstitutional and demanded...

The Lagos State House of Assembly has dismissed reports alleging that it made provisions in the 2026 budget to buy houses in Abuja for its members. According to Naija News, the Assembly described the claims as false and misleading, stating that they were intended to misinform the public. In a statement signed by Hon. Stephen Ogundipe, Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, and Hon. Sa’ad Olumoh, Chairman of the House Committee on Economic Planning and Budget, the lawmakers clarified that no funds were allocated for the purchase of houses in Abuja or any location outside Lagos State. They described the report as baseless and politically driven. The Assembly stressed that its legislative duties, responsibilities and constituencies are strictly with...

The Presidency has reassured Nigerians that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is healthy and fully carrying out his official responsibilities during his ongoing state visit to Türkiye, dismissing speculation triggered by a brief stumble at a public event in Ankara on Tuesday. Responding to reports circulating online, the Presidency, according to Arise News, explained that the incident was not related to any medical issue but was caused by a poorly laid blue carpet at the venue. It clarified that the President momentarily lost his balance during a welcome ceremony in the Turkish capital but quickly regained his footing and continued with the programme without disruption. The Presidency further dismissed health concerns raised on social media, stressing that the stumble resulted from the ...

President Bola Tinubu has formally asked the Senate to amend existing laws to expand the number of judges in both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal. In two separate letters addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and read during plenary on Tuesday, January 27, Tinubu requested amendments to the Federal High Court Act and the Court of Appeal Act. The president proposed increasing the number of judges of the Federal High Court from 70 to 90, while also seeking to raise the statutory strength of the Court of Appeal from 70 to 110 justices. Explaining his request, Tinubu noted that Section 1(2) of the Federal High Court Act initially allowed for a maximum of 50 judges before it was amended in 2005 to 70, which remains the current figure. He said the proposed increa...