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ASUU v FG: Why I slightly disagree with our ruling — Justice, Court of Appeal

Published

4 years ago

October 9, 2022

My lords, I participated in the conference leading to the leading ruling of the Court just delivered Hamman Akawa Barka, JCA, and I am completely satisfied with the reasoning, conclusions and others made therein, which I hereby adopt as mine.

However, due to the monumental issues thrown up by an otherwise seemingly innocuous application for leave to appeal against the order of interlocutory injunction of the lower Court made against the applicant, I intend to add my considered words and voice to the rich analysis in the leading ruling already delivered.

My lords, the facts and circumstances leading to this application by the Applicant for leave to appeal are as germane as they have been all over the public domain for the past eight months during which period the entire Public University System in Nigeria has been brought to a standstill with the gates of our universities being under lock and keys and the students at home for the past eight month.

At the lower Court, the National Industrial Court Abuja Division, the Respondent had approached the lower Court by way of a referral done pursuant to the powers of the Hon Minister of Labour and Employment as the impasse between the parties had become protracted without any near end in sight. The Respondent has sought an order of interlocutory injunction of the lower Court restraining the Applicant from continuing with their strike action.

It would appear that issues were duly joined by the parties and after hearing the parties, the lower Court had granted the order of interlocutory injunction sought by the Respondent and thereby directing the Applicant to resume work pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit. It was the said order with which the Applicant was peeved that an application has now been made to this Court seeking leave to appeal as well as for an order of stay of execution of the interlocutory order of inunction pending the hearing and determination of their appeal against the said order of the lower Court.

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The parties have duly filed and exchanged their processes and written addressee, which at the hearing of this application on 6/10/2022 were duly adopted and adumbrated upon by learned Senior Advocates for the parties, namely, Femi Falana SAN for the Applicant on the one hand, and I. J. Igwe SAN for the Respondent on the other hand. I have taken time to calmly read through the facts and circumstances as deposed to in the Affidavit and Counter-Affidavit of the parties. I have also taken time to scrutinize the several documents relied upon by them. I have also considered the enlightening and weighty submissions of learned Senior Advocates for the parties, carefully noting the several decided cases relied upon by them.

Now, at the hearing of this application, the Applicant had even before commencing arguments on the application applied to withdraw the second prayer on the Motion papers for stay of execution of the order of interlocutory injunction granted against it by the lower Court, and thereby leaving only the relief of leave to appeal. However, this application to withdraw the second relief was stoutly opposed but having considered the application to withdraw relief two and the objection thereto, I see no legal impediment why the Applicant cannot withdraw its own prayer before a decision one way or the other has been taken on it by this Court when even a substantive appeal can be withdrawn even after the parties had filed and exchanged their briefs, and same would be dismissed by the Court. See Order 11 Rule 5 of the Court of Appeal Rules 2021.

Consequently, I hold that the application to withdraw prayer two on the motion papers is in order and ought to be granted. Accordingly, prayer two for stay of execution of the interlocutory order of injunction of the lower Court made against the Applicant is hereby struck out having been withdrawn by the Applicant.

In law, the appellate system in this Country has taken firm root in our legal system principally due to the sacrosanct nature of the right of appeal, either as of right or with leave, of the citizen to approach a higher level of Court in the hierarchy of Courts in Nigeria to ventilate his grievance against decisions of a lower Court with which he is dissatisfied or peeved. However, it is of great importance to note that the right of appeal, though sacrosanct, does not exist in vacuo. It must exist either constitutionally or statutorily. In other words, the right to appeal can neither be inferred nor implied, and there is also no inherent right of appeal. Thus, for a right of appeal to exist and be available to a party it must be shown to exist either constitutionally and/or statutorily. Therefore, where no provision of a right to appeal exists, then no appeal will lie. See Iwok V. Inyang & Ors (2022) LPELR – 58413(CA) per Sir Biobele Abraham Georgewill JCA. See also Diwe V. Nwanosike (2017) LPELR – 41687 (CA). See also Iwuagwu V. Okoroafor & Ors (2012) LPELR-20829 (CA); Emecheta V. Sowemimo (2018) LPELR -50419 (CA); per Sir Biobele Abraham Georgewill JCA; Elephant Group Plc V. National Security Adviser & Anor (2018) LPELR – 45528 (CA) per Sir Biobele Abraham Georgewill JCA; Akinbisehin V. Olajide (2018) LPELR – 51172 (CA) per Sir Biobele Abraham Georgewill JCA.

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It follows therefore, that in law the right of appeal is a constitutional one and thus sacrosanct, inviolable and must not be lightly fettered with or encumbered in its exercise by the citizen who feels aggrieved with the decision of a Court. However, by the combined effect of Sections 241, 242 and 243 of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), it is a right exercisable only by a person aggrieved within the purview or confines of the constitutional or statutory provision creating the right of appeal. Thus, the right of appeal from the decisions of the lower Court to the Court of Appeal is exercisable only upon the fulfillment of some well-defined constitutional preconditions, namely:

A. The right of appeal can only be exercised by a party to the proceedings or any other person having an interest in the subject matter;

B. For a party or person to exercise the right of appeal, he must show that he is aggrieved by the judgment or decision;

C. A person aggrieved by a decision is one against whom a decision has been pronounced which has wrongfully deprived him of something, who is adversely affected by the decision of the Court in that the decision wrongfully refused him something, or wrongfully affected his title to something.

See Elephant Group Plc V. National Security Adviser & Anor (2018) LPELR-45528(CA) per Sir Biobele Abraham Georgewill JCA. See also Ogunkunle & Ors V. Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim & Ors (2001) 12 NWLR (Pt. 727) 359 . See also Adeleke & Anor v. Oyo State House of Assembly (2006) 10 NWLR (Pt. 987) 50; Okoye V. Tobechukwu (2016) LPELR – 41508 (CA); Tochukwu Anyanwu V. Emezie Okoroafor & Ors. (2012) LPELR-20823 (CA).

An application of this nature seeking the indulgence of this Court to grant leave to appeal is one which involves an exercise of discretion and thus in law it is only where the Applicant has furnished the relevant materials showing Ground (s) which pima facie show good cause why the Appeal should be heard that it can be favourably considered and not otherwise. See Dana Airlines Limited V. Mr. Yahuza Yage Bamaiyi & Anor (2017) LPELR-43054(CA) per Sir Biobele Abraham Georgewill JCA. See also Ngere V. Okuruket XIV & Ors. (2014) 11 NWLR (pt. 1417) 147 @ pp. 155 – 156.; ANPP V. Albishir (2010) 9 NWLR (Pt. 1198) 118 @ p. 143; Ikenta Best (Nig) Ltd. V. AG. Rivers State (2008) 2 – 3 SC (pt. 1) 128; Braithwaite & ors. v. Dalhatu (2016) LPELR – 40301 (SC).

However, at this stage of only considering whether or not to grant leave to appeal there is no duty on the Applicant to show that the proposed grounds of appeal will succeed but all that is required of such an applicant is to show that from the proposed grounds of appeal the appeal is arguable. In Obikoya V. Wema Bank Ltd. (1989) 1 NWLR (pt. 196) 157 @ p. 178, the Supreme Court per Obaseki JSC, had considered this issue and opined succinctly inter alia thus:

“A ground of appeal showing good cause why an appeal should be heard is a ground which raises substantial issues of facts and law in the consideration of the Court. It is a ground which makes a serious debate as to the correctness of the decision of the Court below. It is a ground which tasks the intellect and reasoning faculties of the appeal judges. It is a ground which is not frivolous.”

See also Re Adewunmi (1988) 3 NWLR (Pt. 83) 483; Dana Airlines Limited V. Mr. Yahuza Yage Bamaiyi & Anor (2017) LPELR-43054(CA) per Sir Biobele Abraham Georgewill JCA.

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This application calls for the exercise of our discretion based on the facts as placed before us by the parties and the applicable laws, rules and principles. I am aware that in law an exercise of discretion such as is required in the consideration of the present application, though not subject to so much hard and fast rules, must be founded on justice, fairness and law but certainly never on the whims and caprice of the Court with scant or no regards to the facts of the case. See Dana Airlines Limited V. Mr. Yahuza Yage Bamaiyi & Anor (2017) LPELR-43054(CA) per Sir Biobele Abraham Georegwill JCA. See also The Vessel MT. Sylla & Anor V. Ghana Commercial Bank Ltd & Ors (2021) LPELR – 54556 (CA) per Sir Biobele Abraham Georgewill JCA; University of Lagos V. Aigoro (1985) 1 NWLR (Pt. 1) 143; Aboseldehyde Lab. Plc. V. U. M. B. Ltd (2013) 13 NWLR (pt. 1370) 91 @ pp. 97 – 98; Aro V. PDP (2013) 13 NWLR (pt. 1371) 235: Thimnu V. UBN Plc. & Ors. (2013) LPELR 22127 (CA) @ pp. 20 – 21; “

In this application I have borne in mind, and as aptly submitted by the Applicant’s counsel, that the right of appeal is one of the most sacred and inalienable rights of the citizens to challenge decisions affecting or touching their rights and obligations under the laws of the land and with which they feel aggrieved and thus the right of appeal should most sparingly be allowed to be impeded with and nothing must be done lightly to stultify it. In E. F. P. C Ltd. V. NDIC (2007) All FWLR (pt. 367) 798 @ pp. 825 – 826, the Supreme Court had restated this succinct principle of law in very clear and precise words inter alia thus:

“The right of appeal is constitutional as it is provided in the Constitution. It stands on the very height of the Appeals system by virtue of the fact that the Constitution provides for it.”

It is perhaps for the above reason that the Courts have over the years been very liberal in its attitude when considering applications for leave to appeal against the judgment or ruling of one level of Court to the next level of Court in the hierarchy of Courts in the land. Thus, once an applicant discloses grounds of appeal which prima facie show good cause why the appeal should be heard, a Court is obliged to grant the leave sought to enable the Applicant ventilate his grievances against the decision of the Court he is dissatisfied with as guaranteed him by the Constitution under the right of appeal. See Sections 241, 242 and 243 of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

Now, in law where an appeal is with leave, an intending Appellant does not have as of right has the right to file a Notice of Appeal without first seeking and obtaining the leave of Court. This is what the Applicant has sought to do in this application and it will be highly remiss to deny the application of the exercise of this right even if at least on conditions to be fulfilled before the right is invoked or exercised against the Ruling and Orders of the lower Court. I am aware that the law is that the Applicant need not show that by the grounds, the appeal is likely to succeed but still it carries the onus to show that prima facie the grounds of appeal disclose good arguable issue. See Dana Airlines Limited V. Mr. Yahuza Yage Bamaiyi & Anor (2017) LPELR-43054(CA) per Sir Biobele Abraham Georgewill JCA. See also Iwuagu V. Okoroafor & ors (2012) LPELR – 20829 (CA). See also FCMB Plc. V. NIMR (2009) 9 NWLR (Pt. 1147) 509; NNPC V. O.E. Nig. Ltd (2008) 8 NWLR (Pt. 1090) 583; Savanah Bank Nig. Plc V. CBN (2007) 8 NWLR (Pt. 1035) 26 @ p. 39; E.F.P Co Ltd V. NDIC (2007) 9 NWLR (Pt. 1039) 216.

In law, who then is “a person aggrieved” or “a person interested” within the context of the right of appeal as constitutionally guaranteed to the citizen? In Ikonne V. COP & Anor (1986) 4 NWLR (Pt. 36) 473 @ p. 479, the Supreme Court had expatiated on the meaning of ‘a having interest’ inter alia thus:

“The expression ‘person having interest’ has been defined as synonymous with person aggrieved. A person aggrieved must be a man against whom a decision has been pronounced which has wrongfully deprived him of something or wrongfully refused him something or wrongfully affected his title to something….A person aggrieved includes a person who has a genuine grievance because an order has been made which prejudicially affects his interest.”

See also Ziklagsis Networks Ltd. V. Adebiyi & Ors (2017) LPELR-42899 (CA) per Sir Biobele Abraham Georgewill JCA; Re: Sidebotham, Ex – Parte Sidebotham (1990) 14 CH. D. 465; In Re: Reed Bowen & Co. Ex- parte Official Receiver (1987) 19 Q. B. D. 178

So, in the light of the above well settled position of the law, is the Applicant a person aggrieved with the decision of the lower Court granting an order of interlocutory injunction against it pending the determination of the Respondents’ Suit filed against it before the lower Court within the purview of the provisions of Sections 241, 242 and, 243 of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) to be clothed with the right standing to appeal it and are there reasonable grounds disclosed for the leave sought to appeal and are there any likelihood or chances of success of these grounds? In other word are the ground relied upon by the Applicant such as disclose prima facie reasonable grounds why the appeal should be heard? I most certainly think so! I therefore, answer all these critical and crucial posers in the affirmative in favour of the Applicant.

My lords, in resolving to granting this leave to appeal to the Applicant, though a conditional one as I will show anon, I bear in mind that in law amidst the resultant clash of arms, as between the Federal Government on the one side and the Academic Staff Union of Universities on the other side, and regrettably the majority of students in the universities in this country are left on their own and in the lurch and without neither any say nor hope and any end in sight to their untold sufferings being out of school for 8 months now and still counting, it is said, and quite aptly too, that the Court will not and will never be silent. See Attorney General V. De Keyser’s Royal Hotel (1920) AC 508 per the House of Lords. See also Margaret Stitch V. AG. Federation & Ors (1996) 5 NWLR (Pt. 46) 1007 @ p. 1026 per Aniagolu JSC; Elephant Group Plc V. National Security Adviser & Anor (2018) LPELR-45528(CA) per Sir Biobele Abraham Georgewill JCA.

However, in acceding to the request of the Applicant in the exercise of its constitutional right of appeal, this is one case going by the admitted continued disobedience of the order of the lower Court now being sought to be appealed against and which disobedience had become more glaring and indefensible upon the withdrawal of the prayer for stay of execution of the orders of the lower Court, which relief having been withdrawn is hereby struck out by me. In the circumstances therefore, I am minded to and would therefore grant to the Applicant condition leave to appeal subject to the Applicant immediate compliance and obedience of the subsisting and valid order of interlocutory injunction granted against it by the lower Court as a condition precedent to the exercise of its’ right of appeal.

On the whole therefore, the application for leave to appeal against the interlocutory order of injunction against the lower Court by the Applicant has merit and it is hereby granted conditionally in order not to foist on the Applicant the toga of any finality in the decisions and orders of the lower Court, a Court of first instance, without any opportunity to challenge and ventilate its grievance against such decisions and orders in a country with well – established appellate system of administration of justice, even very widely acknowledged and accepted in the judicial systems of all of the West African Sub-Region.

In the result, I also grant the application and for the avoidance of doubts, I hereby Order as follows:

1. The Applicant shall immediately comply with and obey the Order of interlocutory of injunction of the lower Court made against it, the subject matter of the leave being sought to appeal in this application.

2. Upon the immediate compliance and return to work and their duty post as in Order one above, leave is hereby granted to the Applicant to appeal against the decision and Order of interlocutory injunction made against it by the lower Court.

3. The Application shall, upon the immediate compliance with Order one above and complying with the Order of interlocutory injunction made against it by the lower Court and immediately upon returning to work today, 7/10/2022, have 7 days from today, 7/10/2022 within which to file its Notice and Ground of Appeal at the Registry of the Lower Court.

4. However, should the Applicant fail to immediately comply with Order 1 above in this Ruling today, 7/10/2022, the leave to appeal granted to the Applicant is hereby automatically vacated without the need for any further Order or assurances of this Court or any other Court of law.

5. There shall be no order as to Costs

. Sir Biobele Abraham Georgewill, Justice, Court of Appeal

COUNSEL: Femi Falana SAN with Femi Adedeji Esq and Abubakar Marshall Esq. for Appellant.

J.U.K. Igwe SAN with Senator (Dr.) Ita Enang, Chukwulo Moedu Esq, Senator Osita Izunaso, Matthias Agboni Esq, C.M. Edozie Esq, Valentine Nonso Esq for the Respondents.

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Related Topics:ASUU Court of Appeal Featured FG justice ruling

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Soyinka to Tinubu: Reopen Unresolved Killings, Assassination Cases Nationwide

Published

6 hours ago

July 31, 2026

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Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka

Soyinka to Tinubu: Reopen Unresolved Killings, Assassination Cases Nationwide

Nobel laureate dedicates 2026 lecture to victims of state violence, warns that collective silence fuels impunity, as he demands justice for Deborah Samuel, Mene Ogidi, and others.

Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to fulfil his 2023 campaign promise by revisiting unresolved cases of assassinations and extra-judicial killings across Nigeria. Soyinka made the appeal on Friday at the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture Series organised by the National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” was chaired by former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Chief Timi Alaibe.

Soyinka dedicated the 2026 edition of the annual lecture to victims of extra-judicial killings and state excesses, declaring that Nigeria’s greatest failure is not only the murders but the collective silence that allows perpetrators to escape justice. “Through these remarks, I pay honour to those who have lost their lives because of the deficiencies of the state which have led to the devaluation of human life,” Soyinka said. He specifically honoured victims of some of Nigeria’s most disturbing cases of violence, including 18 Ughelli residents allegedly killed by state agencies, a young man reportedly shot dead by a policeman in broad daylight, Deborah Samuel, who was lynched and burnt alive by a mob in Sokoto State in 2022, and Mene Ogidi, a 28-year-old man allegedly shot dead by a police officer in Delta State. “Today is dedicated to the 18 Ughelli residents butchered by state agencies for no reason at all, simply for minding their own business; to the young man shot dead in broad daylight by a policeman while under suspicion; and to Deborah, the youth hunted through the city by her own classmates, necklaced and set ablaze,” he said. Soyinka also honoured the six police officers killed in Apo, Abuja, describing the lecture as a reminder of the many unresolved injustices in the country.

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Soyinka expressed concern that one of Deborah Samuel’s alleged killers reportedly displayed the matchstick used to set her ablaze publicly without facing justice years after the incident. He contrasted that with the swift arrest of the police officer accused of killing Mene Ogidi, saying the differing responses reflected selective justice. “It’s dedicated to individuals, the youths, like Deborah, who was killed, who was butchered by her own classmates, hunted through the city, necklaced and set on fire. But that is not the crime. That really is not the crime,” Soyinka said. “The crime is the silence of the rest of us, that such a thing is possible, and that the killers of that girl can actually go on television, hold up a match, and say this is the match with which I set her on fire. And there the system of justice fails us completely,” he added. He urged Nigerians to demand justice and ensure that alleged perpetrators of extra-judicial killings do not escape punishment.

Soyinka reminded Nigerians that President Tinubu, upon assuming office, requested files relating to unsolved assassinations and extra-judicial killings. “Watch with me so that we can force the government to bring up all the files. When there was a government retreat, you remember? The incoming president said, ‘I want all the files of all the unsolved assassinations, killings, extra-judicial killings.'” “What has happened to those files? I want you to join me in asking President Tinubu to say, ‘We want you to dig up those files. We want to know what happened, why it happened,'” Soyinka said. Soyinka warned that successive failures to prosecute those responsible for unlawful killings had emboldened criminals and weakened public confidence in the justice system. He described the persistent failure to secure justice for victims as one of the country’s gravest moral crises, insisting that silence in the face of brutality was itself a form of complicity.

Soyinka called on President Tinubu to end all forms of killings by state actors and ensure that those responsible for abuses are held accountable. He declared that human life has been dangerously devalued in Nigeria, adding that the inaction of citizens in the face of repeated human rights violations has emboldened those who abuse state power. The Nobel laureate dismissed critics who accuse him of provoking religious tensions whenever he speaks against injustice, insisting that defending human life transcends religious, ethnic, or political divides. “Sessions like that in Port Harcourt are vital, precisely, to remind Nigerians that the human unit is the least common denominator and the most important element of the community,” he said.

Delivering the keynote address, former Minister of Aviation Osita Chidoka argued that justice begins long before a matter reaches the courtroom. According to him, justice starts from the moment police officers determine whether complaints are investigated fairly or ignored because of influence, power, or social status. Highlighting the challenges confronting Nigeria’s justice and correctional systems, Chidoka disclosed that about 64 per cent of inmates in custodial centres—more than 50,000 Nigerians—are awaiting trial despite not being convicted of any offence. “Each of these 50,000 is a life in suspension, a job lost, a family destabilised, someone’s health failing. When the state causes that delay, and citizens pay for it in lost liberty, the delay is not inefficiency; it is a form of violence carried out by the state itself,” he said. He insisted that justice must apply equally to every Nigerian, regardless of political affiliation, ethnicity, religion, or social standing.

The case of Mene Ogidi, a 28-year-old man shot dead by a police officer in Delta State on April 26, 2026, has drawn widespread condemnation and renewed concerns over police brutality. According to police reports, Ogidi was handed over to ASP Nuhu Usman and his team after citizens arrested him for attempting to waybill a parcel containing a fabricated Beretta pistol and ammunition. Rather than following standard operational procedures, ASP Nuhu shot and killed the unarmed, already-apprehended suspect. The Nigeria Police Force has since recommended the immediate dismissal of ASP Nuhu Usman and other officers found culpable, with the Inspector-General approving the recommendation and forwarding it to the Police Service Commission for ratification. Upon completion of administrative procedures, the affected officers will be handed over to judicial authorities for prosecution. Investigators have also uncovered a gun-running syndicate linked to the firearm, with four suspected members of the Black Axe confraternity arrested in connection with the case.

Soyinka to Tinubu: Reopen Unresolved Killings, Assassination Cases Nationwide

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Osun Guber: IGP Deploys New Election CP as INEC Identifies 11 Flashpoint LGAs

Published

7 hours ago

July 31, 2026

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Osun Commissioner of Police Elections, CP Samuel Etaifo Erale

Osun Guber: IGP Deploys New Election CP as INEC Identifies 11 Flashpoint LGAs

CP Erale Samuel Etaifo takes over security operations for August 15 poll as former CP Gotan is redeployed to Force Headquarters amid neutrality concerns.

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, has deployed a new Commissioner of Police in charge of Elections, CP Erale Samuel Etaifo, to Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election. The deployment comes as part of measures to strengthen security arrangements and ensure the neutrality of security agencies during the poll. In a statement signed by the Osun State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, on Thursday, July 30, 2026, the Police said the deployment reflects the Inspector-General’s commitment to neutrality, professionalism, and adherence to democratic principles throughout the election. CP Etaifo will oversee the entire security architecture for the poll and coordinate election security operations with other security agencies and stakeholders.

CP Etaifo’s deployment follows the redeployment of the former Osun State Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Gotan, to the Force Headquarters in Abuja on special duty. His redeployment was conveyed in a police wireless message issued by the Force Secretariat in Abuja on Thursday and marked “Most Immediate,” with a directive for immediate implementation. The move comes after persistent calls from the state government and civil society organisations for Gotan’s removal over allegations of partisanship. The Accord Party had accused the police of orchestrating a campaign of intimidation against its members and top government officials ahead of the election. According to the party, about 100 Accord leaders, candidates, members, and supporters across the state have been arrested and detained by the police, with some reportedly moved to Abuja. However, a senior police source clarified that the redeployment was not linked to any specific allegation against CP Gotan and that he may be redeployed back to the state after the election. Sources familiar with the development also noted that Erale’s posting came shortly after his promotion to the rank of Commissioner of Police, having been decorated with his new rank on July 21.

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According to the Osun Command, CP Etaifo will ensure strict compliance with the Electoral Act, the Code of Conduct for Security Personnel on Electoral Duty, and other extant laws guiding the electoral process. The police assured residents that comprehensive security measures have been put in place across the state to protect lives, property, and critical electoral materials before, during, and after the election. All officers deployed for election duty have been directed to remain impartial, professional, and respectful of the rights of every citizen, irrespective of political affiliation. The Command also issued a strong warning to political actors and their supporters, stating that electoral violence, vote buying, voter intimidation, the spread of misinformation, and any other form of criminality will be met with the full weight of the law. Residents were urged to remain law-abiding, cooperate with security agencies, and report any suspicious activities through the Command’s emergency channels. The Nigeria Police Force reiterated its commitment to providing a level playing field for all political parties and ensuring that the will of the people prevails through a peaceful, credible, and transparent electoral process.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan, has reiterated that INEC has no preferred candidate for the election, assuring that the Commission will provide a level playing field for all candidates and parties. He urged residents to come out en masse and vote, assuring that adequate security will be provided. “The Independent National Electoral Commission has no preferred candidate, holds no political allegiance, and seeks no outcome other than the lawful choice of the electorate. Our sole loyalty is to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the sovereign will of the Nigerian people,” Amupitan said at a stakeholders’ meeting in Osogbo. During a courtesy visit to the Ataoja of Osogbo, Amupitan declared that the next governor of Osun State would emerge through the ballot and not through violence. “We don’t want violence. And the blood of every Osun citizen is not worth to be shed, just for the purpose of election to the office of the governor,” he said. The INEC Chairman disclosed that the Commission had identified 11 Local Government Areas as potential flashpoints that would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployment. These include Atakumosa East, Atakumosa West, Boripe, Ede North, Ede South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade local government areas. “Security forces have been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult activities, and any attempt at ballot disruption, while maintaining absolute professional neutrality,” Amupitan stated.

According to INEC, the election will feature 2,339,233 registered voters spread across 30 Local Government Areas, 332 Registration Areas (Wards), and 3,763 Polling Units in the state. Fourteen political parties will participate in the contest. A total of 4,427 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices have been customised and deployed for the election, including 664 dedicated backup units representing a 15% operational reserve. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes. The Commission also announced that a statewide Mock Accreditation Exercise is scheduled for Saturday, August 1, 2026, across 12 selected Local Government Areas to test its preparedness ahead of the governorship election.

Osun Guber: IGP Deploys New Election CP as INEC Identifies 11 Flashpoint LGAs

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Catholic Priest Found Dead in Kogi After Machete Attack as Police, Govt Launch Investigations

Published

7 hours ago

July 31, 2026

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Rev. Fr. Samuel Opeyemi Oyetoro

Catholic Priest Found Dead in Kogi After Machete Attack as Police, Govt Launch Investigations

The Catholic Diocese of Lokoja and the Kogi State community are in mourning following the tragic death of Rev. Fr. Samuel Opeyemi Oyetoro, a Catholic priest whose lifeless body was found by the roadside along Church Road in Ajaokuta, Kogi State. The cleric, who served at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Egbe and was also associated with St. Paul Parish, Ayetoro Gbede, was reportedly attacked by yet-to-be-identified assailants on July 29, 2026. Initial reports indicated that the priest was stabbed multiple times, but police later confirmed that he had sustained severe machete cuts to the head. According to a source, Fr. Oyetoro was on relief duty to the steel town of Ajaokuta when his life was cut short. A native of Ayetoro in Ijumu Local Government Area, he was born in Egbe, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State. The police received a report at about 9:30 a.m. on July 29 that the body of an unidentified male had been discovered along the roadside in Ajaokuta. Officers who responded to the scene observed the severe injuries, evacuated the body to the ASCL Hospital, where a medical doctor confirmed the priest dead, and then deposited the remains at a mortuary for an autopsy.

In an obituary issued by its Chancery Office on July 29, 2026, the Catholic Diocese of Lokoja announced the priest’s passing, describing the loss with deep sorrow while expressing hope in the resurrection. “It is with profound sorrow and in the hope of the resurrection that the Catholic Diocese of Lokoja announces the passing of our beloved priest, Fr. Samuel Opeyemi Oyetoro, who departed this life on Wednesday, 29th July 2026,” the Diocese said. The Church described the late priest as a devoted servant of God whose life was marked by dedication to the ministry. “As we mourn the loss of our dear brother and priest, we commend his soul to the infinite mercy of God, whom he served with dedication and love,” the statement read. The Diocese urged priests, religious faithful and members of the laity to remember the deceased in their prayers and Holy Masses while also seeking divine comfort for his family and the Lokoja Diocese. “We kindly request all priests, religious and laity to pray for the peaceful repose of his soul during their Holy Masses and personal prayers and to pray for strength and consolation for his aged parents, siblings, parishioners and the entire Diocese of Lokoja during this time of grief,” it said. The obituary ended with a prayer for the repose of the late priest’s soul: “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May the soul of Rev. Fr. Samuel Opeyemi Oyetoro and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.”

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Confirming the incident, the Kogi State Police Command’s spokesperson, ASP Oyiza Afusat, stated that the killing occurred on July 29, 2026, and that the case is under active investigation. “On 29th July 2026, at about 9:30 a.m., the police received information that the lifeless body of an unidentified male was found by the roadside along Church Road, Ajaokuta,” she said. “Operatives promptly mobilised to the scene, where it was observed that the deceased had sustained severe machete cuts to the head. The body was evacuated to the ASCL Hospital, where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor, and was thereafter deposited at the mortuary for autopsy,” she added. The deceased was later identified as Rev. Fr. Samuel Opeyemi of St. Paul Parish, Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu LGA, Kogi State. The police confirmed that efforts are ongoing to apprehend those responsible, and upon the conclusion of preliminary investigation, the case will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for discreet investigation. “We will provide further updates as the investigation progresses,” ASP Afusat added.

The Kogi State Government has also stepped in, with Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo directing security agencies to carry out a thorough investigation and ensure that the perpetrators face justice. The directive was announced in a statement by the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, who described the killing as a “heinous and unacceptable act”. “The murder of Rev. Fr. Samuel Opeyemi is a painful tragedy that has saddened the Government and the people of Kogi State. We condemn this barbaric act in the strongest possible terms and assure the Church and the family of the deceased that the perpetrators will not escape justice,” the statement read. Fanwo said the government had absolute confidence in the capacity of security agencies to unravel the incident and assured that it would provide all necessary support to ensure justice is served. He urged residents to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies by providing credible information, while cautioning against spreading rumours capable of undermining the investigation. The government reaffirmed its commitment to the protection of lives and property and pledged to continue to strengthen security across the state.

The tragic death of Rev. Fr. Oyetoro has thrown the Catholic community and many residents of Kogi State into mourning. The incident has prompted calls for a thorough investigation to ensure the perpetrators are apprehended and prosecuted. As investigations continue, the motive behind the killing remains unknown. Authorities have yet to release a detailed official account of the incident, while the search for those responsible intensifies. The Catholic Diocese of Lokoja has called on all faithful to remember the slain priest in their prayers and Holy Masses during this period of grief.