U.S. Court Orders ICE to Release Nigerian Detained Since 2012

A U.S. District Court in Minnesota has ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to release Michael Opeoluwa Egbele, a Nigerian national who entered the United States illegally in 2003 and had been held under immigration detention since his arrest in 2012. The court ruled that his detention was unlawful due to prolonged enforcement delays and lack of proper legal notice.

Senior U.S. District Judge John M. Gerrard delivered the ruling on February 18, 2026, giving ICE until February 20 to free Egbele and file a status report confirming his release. The judge highlighted that ICE had no legal grounds to hold him, noting the unique circumstances of his long-standing supervision arrangement.

Egbele’s legal troubles began in 2012 after his arrest on a drug-related offence, which triggered deportation proceedings. At the time, he applied for asylum and requested that his removal be withheld, but his claim was denied, and he was issued a final deportation order in July 2012. However, ICE did not enforce the removal, and Egbele did not appeal.

Instead, he was released on supervision in December 2012, under which he was required to report regularly to ICE. This arrangement continued for more than a decade until January 2026, when ICE detained him during a routine check-in.

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Egbele argued in court that he was never notified of any revocation of his pre-existing order of supervision and was not given a legal explanation for his detention. ICE claimed the supervision was revoked partly because Egbele failed to obtain a travel document to Nigeria, as required under his supervision.

Following his arrest, Egbele was unable to contact his wife, a U.S. citizen, or his lawyer for several days. He was initially held at an ICE facility in Montana and later transferred to a detention center in New Mexico, with his location undisclosed for days.

The federal government argued that the Minnesota court lacked jurisdiction because Egbele was held outside the state, but the judge rejected this, stating that ICE could not unilaterally terminate a decades-long supervisory arrangement without due process. The court emphasized that Egbele’s right to proper notice and legal protections had been violated.

Judge Gerrard ordered that Egbele be released immediately under the conditions of his original supervision and directed ICE to file a compliance report by February 20, 2026.

Legal experts say the ruling highlights broader concerns about long-term immigration detention, due process rights, and the enforcement of removal orders in the U.S., particularly when individuals have established long-term ties or arrangements with immigration authorities.

U.S. Court Orders ICE to Release Nigerian Detained Since 2012

Nigeria Wins $6.2 Million Arbitration Against UK Tech Firm

Nigeria has scored a landmark legal victory, securing $6.2 million in an international arbitration against UK-based technology firm European Dynamics UK Ltd over a disputed national electronic government procurement (e-GP) contract. The ruling reinforces Nigeria’s commitment to performance-based government contracts and protecting public resources.

The arbitration decision, delivered on February 3, 2026, by sole arbitrator Funmi Roberts at the International Centre for Arbitration and Mediation, dismissed all claims by the UK contractor. The award is final and not subject to appeal, according to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.

The dispute originated from a Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) contract to design, develop, and implement a national e-procurement platform, supported by the World Bank to enhance transparency and efficiency in federal procurement.

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European Dynamics had claimed over $6.2 million, including:

• $2.4 million for alleged milestone completions
• $3 million in general damages
• $800,000 in settlement costs

However, the tribunal ruled the claims lacked merit, citing deficiencies during User Acceptance Testing (UAT) such as functional gaps and performance errors, which the contractor was required to fix at no additional cost.

The BPP insisted payments must be strictly tied to verified deliverables, rejecting earlier efforts at an out-of-court settlement. The tribunal upheld this stance, emphasizing that software development and customization contracts are performance-based and must meet technical and statutory standards before payments are made.

Nigeria’s legal team, led by Johnson & Wilner LLP with Basil Udotai heading the arbitration, achieved what the BPP Director-General, Adebowale Adedokun, described as a historic victory. European Dynamics had previously won arbitration cases in other African countries but lost against Nigeria, signaling a shift in how government procurement disputes are handled.

Attorney-General Fagbemi stated that this ruling sends a clear message that Nigeria will no longer be taken for granted, demonstrating strengthened legal and technical capacity in managing complex international contracts. Experts suggest the outcome will influence future e-procurement reforms to ensure compliance, accountability, and efficient management of public contracts.

Nigeria Wins $6.2 Million Arbitration Against UK Tech Firm

Yoruba Muslim Group Dismisses Viral Ramadan Date Claim, Reaffirms Sultan of Sokoto’s Authority

A Yoruba Muslim group, Concerned Indigenous Yoruba Muslims, has dismissed as false, misleading, and divisive a viral social media report alleging that the Chief Imam of Ibadanland and the League of Imams in Yorubaland rejected the authority of the Sultan of Sokoto in determining the commencement of Ramadan in South-West Nigeria.

The report, which circulated online ahead of Ramadan 1447AH, claimed that Yoruba Muslim leaders had resolved to disengage from the Sultan’s traditional role of announcing moon sighting for the fasting period and instead align with indigenous religious structures. The group, however, said the claim was entirely fabricated and designed to sow discord within the Muslim community.

In a statement issued on Saturday, February 21, 2026 — the fourth day of Ramadan, and signed by public affairs analyst Nasrudeen Abbas, the group said the comments attributed to the Chief Imam of Ibadan, reportedly over 90 years old, could not have emanated from him. It described the publication as a calculated attempt to create unnecessary religious tension and misrepresent the position of Yoruba Muslims.

The group reaffirmed that Islamic affairs in Nigeria operate under established leadership structures, particularly the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), which is headed by the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, as President-General. It explained that the NSCIA structure includes the President of the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN) as Deputy President-General (South), the Shehu of Borno as Deputy President-General (North), alongside other national officers.

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According to the group, any attempt to distance Yoruba Muslims from this nationally recognised structure threatens the unity of the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria and contradicts Islamic principles that emphasise cohesion, collective leadership, and obedience to constituted authority.

The group also faulted claims that the Sultan’s position is merely a traditional title limited to Sokoto State. It stressed that the Sultan’s authority in Islamic matters is rooted in scholarship and the historical caliphate system, noting that emirs in Northern Nigeria often combine traditional authority with religious leadership. As an example, it cited Muhammadu Sanusi II, who regularly delivers Friday sermons and performs Islamic rites.

It further explained that in Yorubaland, traditional rulers generally do not head religious affairs, except in rare cases. The group referenced the late Awujale of Ijebu Land, who once served as President-General of the Ogun State Muslim Council, stressing that such roles remain exceptions rather than the norm.

The statement also recalled the position of the late Kazeem Yayi Akorede, former President-General of the League of Imams and Alfas in the South West. According to the group, Sheikh Akorede initially questioned the Sultan’s leadership role but later accepted it after clarifications that the position was based on Islamic scholarship and caliphate leadership, not mere traditional kingship. It added that until his death, he consistently aligned with the Sultan’s announcements on the commencement and termination of Ramadan.

Describing the viral publication as unethical, the group criticised claims that Yoruba Muslims are not religiously bound to the Sultan’s authority and that religious leadership should go beyond duties such as moon sighting announcements. It alleged that such narratives were politically motivated and aimed at advancing a separatist agenda under the guise of religious autonomy.

The group warned that politicising religious matters could undermine religious harmony and national unity, urging those behind the report to desist from actions capable of creating discord among Muslims across the country. It concluded by stressing that the unity of the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria remains paramount and must not be compromised by what it described as sectarian or politically engineered narratives.

Yoruba Muslim Group Dismisses Viral Ramadan Date Claim, Reaffirms Sultan of Sokoto’s Authority