metro

You have case to answer, court tells Nnamdi Kanu

Published

7 months ago

September 26, 2025

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

You have case to answer, court tells Nnamdi Kanu

A Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected the no-case submission made by the detained self-acclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, in his ongoing alleged terrorism trial.

Justice James Omotosho, in a ruling on Friday, held that the prosecution has established a prima facie case against Kanu to warrant that he be ordered to enter his defence.

The judge, who overruled Kanu’s no-case submission, found that the evidence led by the prosecution and the exhibits it tendered have raised serious allegations of Kanu’s involvement in terrorist activities to warrant that he be allowed to defend himself.

On the defendant’s argument that the court lacked jurisdiction because of his alleged extraordinary rendition from Kenya, the judge held that evidence to that effect was not placed before the court, and so, the court cannot make a finding on it.

He said, “The defence raised the issue of jurisdiction of the court as a result of the alleged extraordinary rendition of the defendant.

“It must be known that no evidence of extraordinary rendition has been placed or given in this court.

“It is when such evidence relating to extraordinary rendition of the defendant is given on oath that the issue of jurisdiction relating to it can be considered by this court.

“Laws are not based on evidence that is not placed before the court,” the judge said.

Justice Omotosho held that the evidence and exhibits and the need for him to demonstrate and lead evidence on his allegations of an extraordinary rendition, require that the defendant be given the opportunity and afforded his fundamental rights to a fair hearing to be allowed to enter his defence.

READ ALSO:

Kanu is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) on a seven-count amended charge bordering on his alleged involvement in terrorist activities.

Justice Omotosho said, “I have carefully gone through the evidence presented to the court by the prosecution with respect to this charge. The evidence all points to the establishment of a prima facie case against the defendant.

“The evidence is such that the defendant must proffer some explanation or defence to the allegation made against him, especially considering the seriousness of the offence, as they are such that the life of the defendant is at stake.

“This court will refrain from evaluating the evidence, but will limit itself to stating that, on the whole, a prima facie case of engaging in terrorist activities has been made out against the defendant.

“This is not to say that the defendant is guilty as charged, but simply that he be afforded his right to a fair hearing and put in his defence before this court.

“The evidence of the prosecution has founded sufficient ground for proceeding with this trial.

“A connection of the defendant with the offence, no matter how slight, constitutes prima facie evidence and as such the Defendant would be required to enter his defence to the charge or a rebuttal of some sort.

“I must say here that holding that a prima facie case has been established does not necessarily imply that the court finds the defendant guilty of the charge.

“It is simply to allow the defendant to exhaust his options for his defence and to clear every unresolved issue which may weigh on the mind of the court in reaching a final decision.

READ ALSO:

“The defendant is still presumed innocent until proven guilty, and the prosecution still has the duty to prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

“I must say here that, in determining a no case submission, no other issue, including credibility of witnesses, competence of charge, pre-trial detention, lack of fair hearing, etc., will be entertained.

“It is only whether a prima facie case is made out that will be considered.

“The right of a defendant to defend himself/herself is a fundamental right provided under section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

“Such right cannot be taken from a defendant except where a Defendant expressly or by conduct waives the same.

“This defendant, having not waived his right to defend himself either expressly or by conduct, and the no case submission made by him, having been overruled, he is hereby called upon to put in his defence to the charge against him.

“The evidence by the prosecution witnesses, exhibits, and the need for the defendant to give evidence on how the extraordinary rendition took place and for the defendant to react to the evidence led by the prosecution through its five witnesses and the exhibits tendered, have occasioned a need for the defendant to put in his defence.

“The address of counsel, no matter how beautifully constructed, cannot take the place of evidence.

READ ALSO:

“Based on the fundamental right to fair hearing as contained in Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), which the defendant is entitled to, this court is inclined to give him the opportunity and afford him his fundamental right to fair hearing.

“Consequently, the no-case submission is overruled and the defendant is hereby ordered to enter his defence and make some explanations relating to the prima facie case against him,” Justice Omotosho said.

In an earlier ruling, the judge ordered the President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to set up a team of between eight to 10 members to determine whether Kanu’s health status makes him unfit to continue to stand trial.

Justice Omotosho issued the order while ruling on an application by Kanu, seeking to be transferred to a private ward in the National Hospital for urgent medical attention for alleged life-threatening ailments.

Justice Omotosho, who reviewed arguments by Kanu’s lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) and that of the prosecution, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), ordered that the team, to be constituted by the NMA’s President, should assess the health facilities of the Department of State Services (DSS) to determine if they were adequate to effectively take care of Kanu’s ailments.

According to the judge, the team is also to determine whether or not it was necessary to transfer Kanu to the National Hospital as he requested and whether Kanu’s medical status was such that it could make him unfit to continue to stand trial.

The judge also ordered that the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital or his representative should be a member of the team because the National Hospital is the hospital of choice of the defendant.

Justice Omotosho ordered that the report of the team’s findings should be signed by both its Chairman and Secretary, and it should be filed in the court’s registry within eight days from today.

You have case to answer, court tells Nnamdi Kanu

Related Topics:court Nnamdi Kanu terrorism

Up Next

Mining site collapses in Zamfara, kills 8, injures many

Don't Miss

Kwara lawmakers worry over surge in sperm, egg trade among students

metro

Jigawa Ward Head Denies Viral Wedding Cancellation Over Tinubu Support

Published

2 hours ago

April 11, 2026

Trends Admin

Jigawa Ward Head Denies Viral Wedding Cancellation Over Tinubu Support

Confusion has continued to trail a viral report alleging that a father in Yalwawa community, Dutse, Jigawa State, cancelled his daughter’s wedding over the groom’s alleged support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC), with community leaders, family members, and residents now offering conflicting accounts.

The story, which spread rapidly across social media platforms, initially claimed that the wedding was called off due to political differences, sparking heated debates nationwide over the influence of politics on family decisions.

However, the Ward Head of Yalwawa, Ahmad Garba Yalwawa, has strongly dismissed the report, describing it as false, misleading, and malicious, saying no such incident occurred in the community.

He said he only became aware of the viral claim after it began circulating online and immediately launched an investigation to verify its authenticity.

According to him, several days of inquiries within the community yielded no evidence that any wedding was cancelled for political reasons.

“I investigated from Friday up to Tuesday evening, but no one could confirm witnessing such an incident. That alone raised serious doubts about the credibility of the story,” he said.

READ ALSO:

He added that attention was later directed to a man identified as Muhammadu Sani, whose daughter reportedly got married on the same day referenced in the viral report. However, the ward head said Sani denied any connection to the allegation.

“He confirmed that his daughter’s wedding took place successfully and she is now in her husband’s home. There was no cancellation or controversy,” he said.

The ward head further warned that investigations are ongoing to identify those responsible for spreading the misinformation, noting that legal action could be taken against the originators of the false report.

In a separate clarification, Muhammadu Sani himself also dismissed the viral claim, saying he only became aware of the story after it circulated online and that he does not use social media.

“I heard about it like everyone else. My daughter’s wedding took place as planned. I have nothing to do with politics,” he said.

He explained that the marriage followed traditional Fulani customs and was arranged within the family, adding that the bride is now living with her husband.

However, the Chairman of the Yalwawa Development Association, Umar Kazaure, offered a slightly different account, stating that while the wedding eventually held, there was a minor disagreement that was later resolved through community intervention.

He suggested that any tension may have been influenced more by personal or economic frustrations than political affiliation.

As of the time of filing this report, the identity of the groom remains unclear, while efforts to reach him for comment were unsuccessful.

Residents say the situation has since calmed, but the episode has left behind a trail of confusion, highlighting how quickly misinformation spreads in local communities and fuels national debate.

The incident has now become a talking point on social media, with Nigerians divided between those who initially believed the viral claim and others who see it as another example of fake news distortion in the digital age.

Jigawa Ward Head Denies Viral Wedding Cancellation Over Tinubu Support

metro

Nigeria’s Tax Reform Laws Contain Errors, Tinubu Minister Oyedele Confirms

Published

2 hours ago

April 11, 2026

Trends Admin

Taiwo Oyedele

Nigeria’s Tax Reform Laws Contain Errors, Tinubu Minister Oyedele Confirms

The Minister of State for Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, has admitted that Nigeria’s recently introduced tax reform laws contain errors, confirming that the federal government is already working on corrections through a new legislative review process.

Oyedele made the disclosure during a fireside chat at the 2026 annual conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Section on Legal Practice, themed “From Policy to Practice: Making Sense of Nigeria’s New Tax Reforms.”

He explained that the inconsistencies in the new tax framework were introduced during the drafting and legislative stages, describing them as the result of manual processes, multiple revisions, and technical lapses.

According to him, the government is now working with the National Assembly to review the affected sections and ensure a cleaner, more coherent legal framework going forward.

The Fiscal Reforms Committee, in a statement shared on social media, also confirmed that the minister acknowledged that errors occurred due to multiple layers of review and version control challenges during the lawmaking process.

READ ALSO:

Oyedele, however, assured Nigerians that the errors do not invalidate the broader purpose of the reforms, stressing that a proposed Finance Bill will be introduced to correct identified issues and strengthen implementation.

He emphasised the need for a more transparent legislative process, noting that all versions of tax laws should be publicly accessible to prevent confusion and ensure accountability.

“What we need is a more transparent and reliable legislative process where every version of a law is publicly available,” he said.

The minister further clarified that the implementation of the new tax reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration will not be arbitrary, insisting that the framework is built on principles of fairness, transparency, and economic efficiency.

He explained that one of the core goals of the reforms is to fix long-standing distortions in Nigeria’s tax system, particularly the imbalance between personal and corporate taxation, which he said has discouraged business formalisation.

Oyedele also noted that inconsistent tax policies in the past had weakened investor confidence, adding that stability and predictability are critical for economic growth.

“If policies can change overnight, it sends the wrong signal to investors. Consistency is critical,” he said.

Addressing concerns about fairness, he stressed that the new framework is designed to protect low-income earners and small businesses from excessive taxation.

He revealed that nearly half of working Nigerians earn less than ₦70,000 monthly, adding that taxing such groups heavily would be economically unjust and counterproductive.

Oyedele also explained that the reforms remove minimum tax obligations for loss-making companies, arguing that such provisions previously amounted to taxing capital rather than profit.

The minister further called for improved efficiency in tax collection and revenue utilisation, noting that Nigeria still lags behind peer economies in terms of tax-to-GDP performance.

Economic analysts say the admission highlights both the complexity and urgency of Nigeria’s ongoing fiscal and tax reform agenda, which aims to broaden the tax base, reduce evasion, and improve revenue generation without stifling businesses.

The development comes as stakeholders continue to scrutinise the implementation of the new tax laws, with expectations that the forthcoming Finance Bill will provide clearer legal backing and resolve outstanding inconsistencies.

Nigeria’s Tax Reform Laws Contain Errors, Tinubu Minister Oyedele Confirms

metro

Bayelsa Drama: Navy Arrests Officers After Clash with Soldiers During Tinubu Visit

Published

2 hours ago

April 11, 2026

Trends Admin

Bayelsa Drama: Navy Arrests Officers After Clash with Soldiers During Tinubu Visit

The Nigerian Navy has confirmed the arrest of officers involved in a viral clash with soldiers in Bayelsa State during the visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, an incident that has triggered widespread public concern.

The confrontation, which was captured in a 53-second video circulating online, showed uniformed personnel from the Navy and the Nigerian Army engaging in a heated argument that quickly escalated into a physical fight.

In the footage, a driver of a Hilux vehicle marked “Naval Police” is seen stepping out to confront another driver. Moments later, a soldier armed with a rifle approached and threw a punch, leading to a free-for-all fight involving multiple officers as shocked civilians looked on.

The incident reportedly occurred as the President was departing the venue of an official event in Bayelsa, a period typically characterised by tight security coordination among various military units assigned to presidential protection.

READ ALSO:

Reacting to the development, the Director of Naval Information, Abi Folorunso, confirmed that all naval personnel involved have been taken into custody and are currently undergoing disciplinary procedures.

“The affected personnel are in custody and already undergoing appropriate administrative and disciplinary procedures in accordance with extant military regulations,” he stated.

Although the exact cause of the altercation has not been officially established, preliminary indications suggest the clash may have arisen from a dispute over movement control or right of way within the convoy arrangement.

Security analysts say the incident highlights possible coordination gaps and inter-agency tensions during joint military operations, especially in high-pressure environments such as presidential visits.

The development has sparked criticism from members of the public, with many describing the incident as unprofessional and embarrassing, given the role of the officers in ensuring security and order.

Authorities are expected to conclude investigations and determine appropriate sanctions, which could include detention, demotion, or other disciplinary actions under military regulations.

The Nigerian Navy reiterated its commitment to discipline and professionalism, assuring Nigerians that necessary measures will be taken to prevent a recurrence.