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Nnamdi Kanu trial: Justice Nyako steps down as presiding judge
Nnamdi Kanu trial: Justice Nyako steps down as presiding judge
Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja has stepped down from overseeing the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
This decision follows Kanu’s formal request for her withdrawal, citing her failure to comply with a Supreme Court order, which eroded his confidence in the court’s impartiality.
During Tuesday’s court session, Kanu openly asked Justice Nyako to recuse herself from the proceedings. In response, the judge expressed no objections and confirmed that she would forward the case to the Chief Judge for reassignment.
The tension between Kanu and the court revolves around a Supreme Court ruling that raised questions about the jurisdiction over charges stemming from Kanu’s alleged broadcasts.
Despite the Federal Government’s readiness to continue with the trial, Kanu instructed his lawyer, Alloy Ejimakor, to stay seated while he personally addressed the judge.
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“Sit down! I say you should sit down!” Kanu had yelled at his lawyer.
Speaking further, he said, “My lord, I have no confidence in this court any more, and I ask you to recuse yourself because you did not abide by the decision of the Supreme Court.
“I can understand it if the DSS refuses to obey a court order, but for this court to refuse to obey an order of the Supreme Court is regrettable.
“I am asking you to recuse yourself from this case.”
He also read a part of the judgment of the Supreme Court, where alleged bias against Justice Nyako was raised.
The counsel for the Federal Government, Adegboyega Awomolo, had earlier told the court that he was ready for the commencement of trial, but that it could not hold under the present circumstance.
Awomolo, however, tried to urge Justice Nyako to proceed with the trial, but she responded that she had been minded to recuse herself from the case.
“I hereby recuse myself and remit the case file back to the Chief Judge,” she declared.
Kanu was re-arrested in Kenya in 2021 by the Federal Government and brought to the country for trial on terrorism charges.
Although he pleaded not guilty to the charges, Justice Nyako declined to admit him to bail on the ground that he jumped the earlier one in which Senator Abaribe was his surety.
Kanu has since been in the custody of the Department of State Services on the order of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Nnamdi Kanu trial: Justice Nyako steps down as presiding judge
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Lagos Mechanic Lured With Mercedes Repair Job, Hacked to Death in Bush
Lagos Mechanic Lured With Mercedes Repair Job, Hacked to Death in Bush
A mechanic identified as Samson has allegedly been lured to his death in the Abijo area of Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State, after receiving a request to repair a Mercedes-Benz.
The incident reportedly occurred on Tuesday, September 15, after Samson, who operated a mechanic workshop around Warike Estate, left his workshop to attend to the vehicle repair request.
According to reports, the mechanic was contacted by people who claimed they needed his services to fix a Mercedes-Benz. He reportedly travelled to the location expecting to carry out a routine repair job.
However, he was allegedly taken into a nearby bush after arriving at the location, where he was reportedly hacked to death.
The circumstances surrounding the incident have raised concerns because Samson was said to have left his regular workplace in response to what appeared to be an ordinary request for his professional services.
The Lagos State Police Command confirmed that the matter had been reported and said an investigation was underway.
Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, said Samson’s family initially reported that they could no longer account for his whereabouts.
Following the report, detectives visited his apartment as part of efforts to establish his movements and determine what happened to him.
The police also began efforts to track Samson’s mobile phone, hoping that the location data and other evidence could help investigators reconstruct his movements after he left for the supposed repair job.
A police source said the investigation was aimed at establishing the circumstances surrounding the incident and identifying those responsible.
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The source also indicated that suspected cult members were believed to be connected with the attack.
However, the alleged cult connection and the motive for the killing have not been conclusively established by the police.
An anti-cultism advocacy platform separately alleged that Samson’s death could have been linked to an earlier cult-related killing in the Ibeju-Lekki area.
The platform claimed that a man identified as Ola Sheu, whom it described as a member of the Eiye confraternity, was killed around Adeba Bus Stop in Lakowe, Ibeju-Lekki, on September 9.
It further alleged that Sheu was killed by members of the NBM, also known as Aye, and that Samson was subsequently targeted in what may have been a retaliatory attack.
According to the advocacy platform, a graduation photograph allegedly showing Samson wearing a beret associated with the Aye group was circulated and may have exposed him to people involved in the alleged cult rivalry.
The claim remains an allegation and has not been independently established as the motive for Samson’s disappearance or reported death.
Police investigators are expected to establish whether the Mercedes-Benz repair request was genuine, who contacted Samson, where he was taken after arriving at the location and who was responsible for the alleged attack.
They are also expected to determine whether the incident was connected to the alleged cult dispute or resulted from another motive.
The case has also drawn attention to the security risks faced by mechanics, artisans and other service providers who respond to jobs at unfamiliar locations.
Such workers often travel alone to customers’ homes, workshops, roadside locations or other places to provide services, making it difficult for relatives or colleagues to immediately know where they are when something goes wrong.
For now, no suspect has been publicly identified by the police in connection with the incident.
The investigation remains ongoing as detectives work to establish the full circumstances surrounding Samson’s disappearance and reported killing and determine who was behind the attack.
Further information from the police is expected as the investigation progresses.
Lagos Mechanic Lured With Mercedes Repair Job, Hacked to Death in Bush
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Woman Crushed to Death During Motorcycle Overtaking Manoeuvre in Ogun
Woman Crushed to Death During Motorcycle Overtaking Manoeuvre in Ogun
A woman has been crushed to death by a truck after falling from a motorcycle during an overtaking manoeuvre on the Agbara-Lusada Expressway in Ogun State.
The fatal road accident occurred around 7pm on Saturday at Cashier Bus Stop, in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of the state.
The crash involved a white Howo truck and two motorcycles, with five people reportedly involved in the incident.
The spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the accident and said preliminary findings indicated that the crash was linked to an improper overtaking manoeuvre.
According to Akinbiyi, one of the motorcycles was attempting to overtake the truck when its female passenger fell off the motorcycle and came under the moving truck.
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“The RTA/RTC was caused by wrong overtaking on the part of the Okada rider, which led one of the Okada passengers to fall under the truck, which claimed her life,” he said.
The truck involved was identified as a white Howo truck with registration number T-34611LA. The registration numbers of the two motorcycles were not displayed.
Akinbiyi said the five people involved comprised three males and two females.
Two people, a male and a female, sustained injuries in the crash.
The injured victims were reportedly taken to a hospital by a good Samaritan before traffic officials arrived at the scene.
The woman who died was later taken away by her family.
Following the crash, the truck was moved into police custody to assist further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
TRACE operatives and PAPA OSCAR responders were deployed to the scene, where they assisted with managing the aftermath of the crash and clearing the affected section of the road.
The accident caused concern among road users as emergency responders worked to remove the vehicles and restore the flow of traffic along the busy expressway.
The latest incident has again drawn attention to the dangers associated with improper overtaking, particularly on roads frequently used by motorcycles and heavy-duty vehicles.
Traffic authorities routinely advise motorists and motorcycle riders to maintain safe distances, avoid risky manoeuvres and obey traffic regulations, especially when travelling alongside articulated and heavy-duty trucks.
The Agbara-Lusada Expressway is an important transport route linking communities and industrial areas in Ogun State, with significant commercial and commuter traffic.
The authorities are expected to continue investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash, while road users have been urged to exercise greater caution to reduce the risk of further fatal road crashes.
Woman Crushed to Death During Motorcycle Overtaking Manoeuvre in Ogun
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My Heart Has Always Been Home With You — Tinubu’s Powerful Message to Oluremi at 66
My Heart Has Always Been Home With You — Tinubu’s Powerful Message to Oluremi at 66
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has celebrated his wife, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, on her 66th birthday, describing her as his “truest friend and confidante” and saying he would choose the same path that led him to her if he had the opportunity to begin life again.
Oluremi Tinubu, who turns 66 on Monday, September 21, 2026, received the tribute in a deeply personal birthday message issued by the President.
Tinubu recalled their years together, describing his wife as a source of patience, courage, honesty, faith and counsel, particularly during difficult periods of their lives.
He said Oluremi had often understood his concerns even before he expressed them and had remained willing to tell him difficult truths when necessary.
“More often than not, you sense when I need counsel before I ask,” the President said, adding that there had been occasions when her presence alone was enough to provide him with the counsel he needed.
Tinubu said he particularly valued her willingness to speak plainly, even when her words were not what he wanted to hear.
“I call you my truest friend and confidante because you speak the truth plainly, even on the days I would rather not hear it,” he said.
The President also praised Oluremi for her role in their family, saying their children and grandchildren had grown under the influence of her prayers, faith and values.
He described her as compassionate and generous and said her humanitarian activities had touched the lives of young people, widows, elderly citizens, women farmers and people living with diseases.
Tinubu traced her public service and humanitarian work from the New Era Foundation to her current activities through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).
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Oluremi Tinubu founded the New Era Foundation in 2000, with its activities focused on areas including youth development, girl-child education and women empowerment.
She later entered elective politics and represented Lagos Central Senatorial District in the Senate for three consecutive terms after being elected in 2011 and re-elected in 2015 and 2019.
As First Lady of Nigeria, she has continued her social intervention activities through the RHI, which focuses on areas including education, healthcare, agriculture, economic empowerment and social investment.
Her recent engagements have included programmes targeting women, young people, vulnerable households and communities across the country.
In August, the RHI announced a ₦819 million empowerment programme for 1,638 widows of fallen military and police personnel, with each beneficiary receiving ₦500,000 to start or expand a business.
The First Lady has also recently intensified her activities around women’s economic empowerment and food security.
The RHI announced the distribution of empowerment items to 2,500 women in the South-East geopolitical zone, while Oluremi Tinubu also backed the Agri360 Mechanisation Training Initiative, which targets 5,000 women and young people with training in agricultural mechanisation, digital agriculture, equipment operation and maintenance, entrepreneurship and agribusiness management.
The First Lady said empowering women and young people with skills, tools and opportunities was important to the future of Nigerian agriculture and food security.
She also launched the National Community Food Bank Programme for the South-East in Anambra State.
The programme is designed to provide food assistance and nutrition support to vulnerable groups, including widows, elderly people, persons with disabilities, nursing and lactating mothers and young children.
During the Anambra visit, Oluremi Tinubu also inaugurated an ICT Experience Centre at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, while a separate state empowerment programme provided business grants, vocational tools and equipment to thousands of beneficiaries across the state’s 21 local government areas.
The President, in his birthday message, said his wife’s compassion had extended beyond ethnic, regional and religious boundaries.
“I know the prayers you offer for people whose names you may never know. I also know many whom you have helped without ever meeting them. For you, compassion has never recognised the boundaries of tribe, region or religion,” he said.
Tinubu also reflected on the sacrifices and difficult decisions they had faced together, saying their relationship had endured through periods of uncertainty, with prayer and laughter helping them through challenging moments.
He then delivered the most personal part of the birthday tribute, saying he would make the same choice again if given another opportunity.
“If life returned me to the beginning, I would choose the same road that led me to you. Through every mile, my heart has always remained at home with you,” the President said.
He thanked his wife for the life they had built together and prayed for her continued health, happiness and longevity.
“Happy 66th birthday, my darling Oluremi,” Tinubu said.
“May the years ahead bring you the same comfort and happiness you have so freely given to me and many others.”
The birthday message comes against the backdrop of Oluremi Tinubu’s continuing public engagements through the Renewed Hope Initiative, with recent programmes spanning food support, women’s empowerment, agricultural training, education and assistance for vulnerable Nigerians.
My Heart Has Always Been Home With You — Tinubu’s Powerful Message to Oluremi at 66
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