News

Appeal Court rejects Kanu’s move to challenge IPOB’s proscription

Published

2 years ago

June 12, 2024

leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu with some of his lawyers

Appeal Court rejects Kanu’s move to challenge IPOB’s proscription

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has rejected an application by detained leader of the proscribed separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu seeking to be allowed to challenge the order proscribing the group.

In a judgment, the Court of Appeal upheld the argument by lawyer to the federal government, Oyin Koleosho, that the application filed for Kanu by his lawyer, Alloy Ejimakor, was inappropriate.

Kanu had, in the application, sought to be allowed to appeal, as an interested party, the January 18, 2018 ruling by Justice Abdu Kafarati of the Federal High Court, Abuja (now late) affirming his earlier ex-parte order of September 20, 2017 proscribing IPOB and designating it a terrorist group.

It was part of Kanu’s contention that, since the Fed Govt allegedly capitalised on the IPOB proscription order to charge him with belonging to, and leading a terrorist group, he was qualified as an interested party, who should be allowed to part of a pending appeal filed by IPOB against the order proscribing it.

In the judgment delivered on May 30, a certified true copy (CTC) of which The Nation saw on June 12, a three member panel of the Court of Appeal held that it was inappropriate for Kanu to have filed his application directly at the appellate court.

Justice Hamma Barka, in the lead judgment, held that, as an applicant seeking leave to appeal as an interested party, Kanu ought to first file his application before the Federal High Court, Abuja, whose decision he sought to appeal.

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Justice Barka further held that Kanu’s failure to first file his application before the Federal High Court was a violation of Order 6 Rule 4 of the Court of Appeal Rules 2021.

He said: “In the instant case, it is apparent that no such leave was sought from the court below, thus, an affront to the provisions of Order 6 Rule 4 of the Court of Appeal Rules, 2021.

“This knocks off the present application as being incompetent, not capable of being granted.

“The consideration of all other issues canvased to my mind will amount to an academic exercise for which courts are enjoined not to embark upon, and for this singular reason, the application being incompetent is accordingly struck out.”

Upon an ex-parte motion by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), marked: FHC/AB)/CS/871/2017, Justice Kafarati had, in a ruling on September 20, 2017 ordered as follows:

*That an order declaring that the activities of the respondent (Indigenous People of Biafra) in any part of Nigeria, especially in the South east and South-South regions of Nigeria, either in groups or as individuals, amounts to acts of terrorism and illegality is granted.

*That an order proscribing the existence of the respondent (Indigenous People of Biafra) in any part of Nigeria, especially in the South east and South-South regions of Nigeria, either in groups or as individuals by whatever name they are called and publishing same in the official gazette and two national dailies, is granted.

*That an order restraining any person or group of persons from participating in any manner whatsoever in any form of activities involving or concerning the prosecution of the collective intention or otherwise of the respondent (Indigenous People of Biafra) under any other name or platform however called or described, is granted.

IPOB later applied to the court for it to set aside the orders, and in a ruling on January 18, 2018, Justice Kafarati dismissed IPOB’s application and affirmed his earlier orders proscribing the group and designating it a terrorist organisation.

IPOB subsequently lodged an appeal at the Court of Appeal, Abuja against the January 18, 2018 ruling.

It is the appeal, marked: CA/A/214/2018 that Kanu applied to be given permission to join as an interested party.

Appeal Court rejects Kanu’s move to challenge IPOB’s proscription

News

Oyo Police Free Four Kidnapped Passengers on Igbeti–Kishi Road

Published

18 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Trends Admin

Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka

Oyo Police Free Four Kidnapped Passengers on Igbeti–Kishi Road

The Oyo State Police Command has successfully rescued four passengers abducted along the Igbeti–Kishi Road in the early hours of March 5, 2026, following a swift and coordinated security operation. The incident occurred when armed hoodlums emerged from nearby bushland and blocked a commercial bus, forcefully taking four passengers into the surrounding forests.

Upon receiving reports of the abduction, the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Femi Haruna, immediately directed the Divisional Police Officers in Igbeti and Kishi, alongside tactical units and security stakeholders, to deploy all operational resources for a rescue mission.

A joint security team comprising Oyo Police operatives, members of the Amotekun Corps, Operation Burst, and other local security agencies conducted intensive bush combing operations in the forests surrounding the area. The sustained operation forced the kidnappers to abandon the victims and flee, allowing the authorities to rescue all four passengers unharmed. The victims have since been reunited with their families.

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The police spokesperson, Ayanlade Olayinka, commended the professionalism and bravery of the combined security forces, highlighting that collaboration among security agencies is vital to ensuring safety across the state. The command also appreciated the Oyo State Government under Governor Seyi Makinde for promptly mobilizing resources and the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, for strategic guidance in the ongoing fight against crime.

Investigations and intelligence-led operations are ongoing to track down the fleeing suspects and ensure they are brought to justice. Members of the public have been urged to remain vigilant and provide timely and credible information to support security efforts.

The incident underscores the continued commitment of the Oyo State Police and security agencies to protect travellers on vulnerable highways, particularly areas with increased reports of highway abductions and criminal activity. Patrols and security presence along the Igbeti–Kishi corridor and other vulnerable routes have been intensified to prevent future attacks.

Oyo Police Free Four Kidnapped Passengers on Igbeti–Kishi Road

News

BREAKING: Tinubu Posts Yakubu, Omokri, Fani-Kayode, 62 Other Ambassadors (Full List)

Published

19 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Trends Admin

Femi Fani-Kayode and Reno Omokri

BREAKING: Tinubu Posts Yakubu, Omokri, Fani-Kayode, 62 Other Ambassadors (Full List)

Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has approved the posting of 65 Nigerian ambassadors and high commissioners to diplomatic missions across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, in a move aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s foreign policy and international engagement.

The announcement was made on Thursday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who disclosed that the list comprises 31 non-career diplomats and 34 career ambassadors whose appointments were earlier confirmed by the Senate.

The newly posted envoys include prominent politicians, retired military officers and seasoned diplomats tasked with representing Nigeria’s diplomatic, economic and strategic interests abroad.

Among the notable postings, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmud Yakubu, has been posted to Qatar, while former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode will serve as Nigeria’s ambassador to Germany.

Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has been deployed to Mexico City, while former Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has been assigned to Spain.

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Businessman and senator Jimoh Ibrahim will serve as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

According to the Presidency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already begun securing diplomatic approval, known as agrément, from host countries. The United Kingdom has granted agrément for Ambassador Aminu Dalhatu, while France has approved the posting of Ayo Oke.

President Tinubu has also directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to immediately begin the induction programme for the ambassadors-designate and high commissioners, after which they will proceed to their respective missions once final approvals are secured.

The appointments are part of the administration’s broader effort to reinvigorate Nigeria’s diplomatic missions, attract foreign investment, strengthen bilateral relations and expand trade and security cooperation globally.

Non-Career Ambassadors / High Commissioners

S/N	Name	Mission
1	Senator Grace Bent	Lome, Togo
2	Senator Ita Enang	South Africa
3	Victor Ikpeazu	Spain
4	Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu	Tel-Aviv, Israel
5	Mahmud Yakubu	Qatar
6	Paul Oga Adikwu	Vatican City
7	Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas	Philippines
8	Reno Omokri	Mexico
9	Abasi Braimah	Hungary
10	Angela Adebayo	Portugal
11	Olumilua Oluwayimika Ayotunwa	Japan
12	Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi	Greece
13	Chioma Priscilla Ohakim	Poland
14	Aminu Dalhatu	United Kingdom
15	Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau	China
16	Tasiu Musa Maigari	Gambia
17	Olufemi Pedro	Australia
18	Muhammed Ubandoma Aliyu	Argentina
19	Lateef Kayode Are	United States
20	Joseph Sola Iji	Russia
21	Jimoh Ibrahim	United Nations
22	Femi Fani-Kayode	Germany
23	Isaak Folorunso Adewole	Canada
24	Fatima Florence Ajimobi	Austria
25	Lola Akande	Sweden
26	Ayo Oke	France
27	Yakubu N. Gambo	Saudi Arabia
28	Nora Ladi Daduut	South Korea
29	Joe Okocha (SAN)	Ireland
30	Kulu Haruna Abubakar	Tunisia
31	Jerry Samuel Manwe	Trinidad and Tobago

Career Ambassadors / High Commissioners

S/N	Name	Mission
1	Nwabiola Ezenwa Chukwumeka	Cote d’Ivoire
2	Besto Maimuna Ibrahim	Niger
3	Monica Okwuchukwu Enebechi	Sao Tome & Principe
4	Mohammed Mahmud Lele	Algeria
5	Endoni Syndoph Paebi	Burkina Faso
6	Ahmed Mohammed Monguno	Egypt
7	Jane Adams Michael	Jamaica
8	Alexandra Clark-Omeru	Zambia
9	Chima Geoffrey Lioma David	Mali
10	Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah	Equatorial Guinea
11	Wasa Segun Ige	Lebanon
12	Ruben Abimbola Samuel	Italy
13	Ogechukwu Kingsley Onaga	Mozambique
14	Magaji Umar	DR Congo
15	Muhammad Saidu Dahiru	India
16	Abdussalam Habu Zayyad	Senegal
17	Shehu Ilu Barde	Ghana
18	Aminu Nasir	Ethiopia
19	Abubakar Musa Musa	Chad
20	Haidara Mohammed Idris	Netherlands
21	Bako Adamu Umar	Morocco
22	Sulu Gambari Olatunji Ahmed	Malaysia
23	Romata Mohammed Omobolanle	Tanzania
24	Shaga John Shamah	Botswana
25	Hamza Mohammed Salau	Iran
26	Ibrahim Danlami	Kenya
27	Ibrahim Adeola Mopelola	Benin
28	Ayeni Adebayo Emmanuel	Belgium
29	Wahab Adekola Akande	Switzerland
30	Esther Arewa Adedokun	Namibia
31	Gergadi Joseph John	Gabon
32	Luther Ogbomode Ayo-Kalata	Sierra Leone
33	Danladi Yakubu Nyaku	Sudan
34	Bello Dogon-Daji Haliru	Thailand

BREAKING: Tinubu Posts Yakubu, Omokri, Fani-Kayode, 62 Other Ambassadors (Full List)

News

US Releases Additional Epstein Files Containing Allegations Against Donald Trump

Published

19 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Trends Admin

U.S. President Donald Trump

US Releases Additional Epstein Files Containing Allegations Against Donald Trump

The United States Justice Department has released additional FBI documents from its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including interview records from a woman who alleged that U.S. President Donald Trump sexually assaulted her after being introduced to him by Epstein.

The newly disclosed documents were made public on Thursday as part of the ongoing release of records related to the Epstein investigation. According to the Justice Department, the materials were not included in earlier congressionally mandated disclosures because they had been incorrectly labelled as “duplicative” records during the document review process.

The files include summaries of several 2019 interviews conducted by the FBI with the woman, who claimed she was between 13 and 15 years old when she was sexually assaulted by Epstein in the 1980s.

According to the interview summaries, the woman told investigators that Epstein once took her to either New York or New Jersey and introduced her to Trump in what she described as a tall building.

She alleged that during the encounter, Trump attempted to force her to perform oral sex, but she resisted and bit him, causing the alleged assault attempt to stop.

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The woman further told investigators that Epstein had abused her repeatedly over several years and had sometimes arranged encounters with other men.

During the interviews, she also said that she and people close to her had received threatening phone calls over the years warning her to remain silent, which she suspected were connected to Epstein.

Despite the allegations, the FBI did not bring charges related to the claims, and records indicate that investigators eventually stopped communicating with the woman later in 2019.

Justice Department officials have cautioned that the allegations contained in the newly released documents are uncorroborated and noted that some materials submitted during the Epstein investigation included “untrue and sensationalist claims” involving President Trump.

President Trump has repeatedly denied any misconduct linked to Epstein or the allegations contained in the documents.

The release of the additional files has sparked renewed political scrutiny in Washington, with Democrats questioning how the administration handled the disclosure of the Epstein records.

Lawmakers argue that key materials may have been withheld or mishandled during the earlier releases.

In response, a House committee has voted to summon Attorney General Pam Bondi to testify about the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein files and explain why some documents were not initially disclosed.

The Justice Department maintains that the omission resulted from administrative errors in the massive document review process, which involves millions of pages of records tied to the Epstein investigation.

The disclosures are part of a broader transparency effort following congressional legislation requiring the government to release large volumes of records connected to Epstein, whose high-profile criminal case exposed an extensive network of abuse involving underage victims.