The Federal High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has ordered the temporary forfeiture of over ₦1 billion allegedly linked to the Secretary to the Ebonyi State Government (SSG), Professor Grace Umezurike, and her aide, Ngene Nwanna Onyeabor.

According to court records, Justice Maurine Onyetenu issued the interim forfeiture order on July 8, 2025, following an ex parte motion brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC alleged that the funds earmarked for the purchase of rice during the 2024 Christmas celebrations were illegally diverted from the Ebonyi State Government’s treasury into six separate accounts at United Bank for Africa (UBA).

Four of these accounts, the agency said, are owned by the SSG, while one account belonging to her aide allegedly received ₦1.014 billion.

The sixth account is registered under the name: Affordable Multi Services Nigeria Limited.

The anti-graft commission requested the court to freeze the accounts for 60 days to allow further investigation and possible prosecution.

It also asked the court to compel the respondents or any party with a claim to the funds to justify why the money should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

Justice Onyetenu granted all of the EFCC’s applications.

In response, Governor Francis Nwifuru advised against rushing to conclusions, stressing the importance of due process and the presumption of innocence.

Speaking at a Sunday church service at the Government House Chapel in Centenary City, Abakaliki, he said, “I received the news of the publication already before the Federal High Court, Uyo. She is presumed innocent until investigation reveals otherwise.”

The Governor, who is also a lawyer, cautioned against prejudgment, saying, “I am a lawyer, and I know it is imperative to establish the facts before judgment to avoid setting wrong precedents.”

He also suggested that his administration may carry out further changes to its executive team. While acknowledging that the recently conducted minor cabinet reshuffle was based on unmet expectations, he hinted that more dismissals could follow.

“Our vision, as contained in the People’s Charter of Needs, has not been satisfactorily realised,” Nwifuru said.

“That accounted for the minor reshuffle we did recently. We’re still assessing them (officials), and we shall do the needful if the need arises.”

The Senate has directed Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central to stay away from its proceedings, stating that her six-month suspension has not yet lapsed.

In a Sunday statement, Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu emphasized that no active court order exists compelling her return before the end of her suspension.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended in March 2025 following a heated dispute with Senate President Godswill Akpabio over seating arrangements, during which she accused him of sexual misconduct, a charge he denied.

Citing a judgment by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, the senator announced her intention to resume legislative duties on Tuesday, July 22, 2025.

The Senate spokesman, however, argued that the court’s ruling did not contain any “positive or mandatory order directing the Senate to recall Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan prior to the end of her suspension.”

Adaramodu elaborated:

“It is therefore surprising and legally untenable that Senator Akpoti‑Uduaghan, while on appeal and having filed a motion for stay against the valid and binding orders made against her, is attempting to act upon an imaginary order of recall that does not exist. The Senate emphasizes once more: there is no enforceable order directing her immediate return to the chamber.”

He also issued a firm warning: “We advise the Distinguished Senator to refrain from any attempt to storm the Senate next Tuesday under a false pretext, as doing so would not only be premature but also undermine the dignity of the Senate and violate due process. The Senate, as a law‑abiding institution, is committed to upholding the rule of law and the integrity of its proceedings. It will not tolerate the disruption of its proceedings.

“Until then, she is respectfully advised to stay away from the Senate chambers and allow due process to run its full course.”

Adaramodu clarified that the Senate will consider both the court’s advisory opinion on amending its Standing Orders and her eventual recall at the appropriate time, and that the outcome will be communicated directly to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Former PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, has urged President Bola Tinubu to caution state governors against imposing undemocratic limitations on citizens’ constitutional rights.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, Metuh rebuked Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo for demanding security clearance from Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, before allowing him to enter the state.

Okpebholo’s warning followed Obi’s recent visit to Benin City, where he donated ₦15 million to a nursing school. The governor linked the visit to a spike in violence, stating:

“That man who says he has no ‘shishi’ came and dropped ₦15 m. Where did he get it from?
After he left, three people were killed.
For this reason, Obi must not come to Edo without security clearance.”

Metuh, who is recovering from a spinal procedure, expressed alarm at the governor’s declaration, calling it a threat to democratic principles:

“I have been recuperating from a spinal procedure, but have just read the disturbing news that the elected Governor of Edo State, who is otherwise a decent and distinguished senator, has banned a fellow Nigerian from visiting his state.”

He cautioned that such actions set a dangerous precedent and should not become normalized, drawing a parallel to a similar incident in North Central Nigeria:

“Whilst one understands the zeal to prove wholesome support and loyalty to our president, it is incontrovertible that these acts, completely go against the bedrock and grundnorm of democratic governance, and are antithetical to the constitutionally guaranteed inalienable right to freedom and liberty irrespective of political beliefs or associations.”

Metuh further appealed directly to President Tinubu, reminding him of his legacy of inclusivity as Lagos State governor:

“We remember the Governor Bola Tinubu who ran a widely acclaimed all‑inclusive cabinet/government, and made Lagos home for all Nigerians then.”

He warned that the political elite’s continued silence on such actions could erode Nigeria’s democratic fabric:

“Sadly, so many of our leaders have kept mute either on account of political correctness or for fear of personal reprisals or possible exclusion in the sharing of political appointments or perhaps in their quest for plain material benefits.”

The former PDP spokesman concluded with a direct appeal to the president:

“Let Nigeria truly belong to all citizens and may all persons be accorded their freedom and liberties across the land,”
adding: “check this very disturbing trend by calling these governors to order.”

Pastor Tunde Bakare, presiding overseer of the Global Community Citadel Church (formerly Latter Rain Assembly), has lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for granting a state burial to former President Muhammadu Buhari.

He also paid tribute to the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, describing his role in Nigeria’s political development as pivotal.

Speaking during his “State of the Nation” address at his church auditorium on Sunday, Bakare reflected on the significance of both Buhari and the Awujale passing on the same day, calling it a moment of great national symbolism.

He highlighted Oba Adetona’s instrumental role in the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC), despite his non-partisan status.

“Without Awujale’s pivotal intervention, APC would not have emerged as a political party,” Bakare said.

“Kabiyesi convened a key meeting at the Oriental Hotel in Victoria Island and brokered the agreement that led to the formation of the APC. Even at that, Kabiyesi was non-partisan, supporting any course he thought would facilitate good governance, strengthen the national interest, foster peace and further the course of building a united Nigeria.

“He remained, to the very end, an elder statesman, a patriot, a mentor, a loyal friend, and a rare gift to this nation.”

Bakare recalled that it was Awujale he approached to help convince Tinubu to lead the merger efforts that resulted in the APC’s creation and Buhari’s eventual victory in the 2015 presidential election.

The cleric, who ran as Buhari’s vice-presidential candidate in 2011 under the now-defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), praised Buhari’s character and inclusive leadership style.

He said, “We must awake to the handwriting on the wall. President Muhammadu Buhari and Oba Sikiru Adetona left a legacy that reads loud and clear – The giant of Africa cannot stand on one leg.

“We cannot build Nigeria as a one-party state. The intersection of these two men played a critical role in the emergence of a virile political landscape with a strong enough opposition party to challenge the then-ruling party.

“We can only build on their legacy by ensuring that both the ruling party and the opposition are strong enough to guarantee good governance in the interest of the ordinary Nigerian.

“Their legacy also reminds us that we cannot stabilise our beloved nation on divisiveness. We cannot build a truly virile nation unless we build an inclusive nation.”

“Where we have been divided as a nation, let us remember the religious tolerance of a man who, for years, was wrongly labelled with the toga of religious fundamentalism when indeed, he was one of the most tolerant and fair-minded Muslims to walk this earth, twice opening the doorway for Christian leaders, Pastors to be specific, in politics and governance.”

Bakare further praised Buhari for his role in institutional reforms that empowered younger Nigerians and people with disabilities.

He said, “Where we have, in the past, polarised the political system and undermined political opponents, let us remember the virtues of a man who would rather present his case to the electorate than descend into the politics of mudslinging.”

He noted that Buhari “left a legacy of an Electoral Act that opened the doorway for Nigerian youth and persons with disabilities, positioning them to shatter glass ceilings through the Not Too Young To Run Act and the Disability Act.”