In a move to enhance land management and promote transparency, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State signed the 2025 Land Use Regulation and Executive Order No. 1, 2025, on Thursday.

These new measures officially designate several areas in the state as urban zones.

The Executive Order, titled “Enugu State Designation of Land as Urban Areas,” covers the entirety of Enugu East, Enugu North, and Enugu South Local Government Areas (LGAs), as well as the entire Udi, Nkanu West, Nkanu East, and Nsukka LGAs.

Additionally, specific towns and regions within other LGAs have been marked as urban areas. Notable designated areas include Ndeabor Urban Area (10 km radius) and Oduma Urban Area (20 km radius) in Aninri LGA, Agwu Town (25 km radius), Ihe, Agbogugu, Mgbowo, Isu-Awa, Mmaku, Ituku, and Owelli-Court, and several towns in Ezeagu LGA, Igbo-Etiti, Igbo Eze North, Igbo Eze South, Isi-Uzo, and other localities.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Governor Mbah explained the significance of the regulation:

“I have just a few minutes ago signed a Land Use Regulation of 2025, and also an Executive Order designating certain locations of the state as urban areas.

“This is a major milestone that we have just witnessed. This is quite historic. This again is in line with what we witnessed a few weeks ago when we formally launched Enugu State Geographic Information System, ENGIS, a system that is designed to fast-track application for land titles, and indeed other administrative functions relating to land.”

“So, what we have here today is going to bring clarity. As we all know, lack of transparency feeds corruption. This is really a major milestone towards our drive, not just to enhance the revenue of Enugu State, but to ensure ease of doing business where prospective applicants can easily know what their fees are and the timelines that the application will be processed.”

“Therefore, with what we have done here today, there is no more hidden charges when you apply for whatever land transaction, whether it is for search, titles or indeed for whatever transactions you want to carry out relating to land in Enugu State.”

“It is also going to end the era of double allocations, land grabbing, and all sorts of confusion that may have existed before now in our land management system. They have now come to an end with the signing of this regulation.

“We have also expanded areas that before now we have designated as rural areas. That means effectively that those living in those locations are now able to come forward and apply for their title document and they will be able to obtain their Certificate of Occupancy for the property and assets they have there. Again, this brings further clarity to our land management system.”

While expressing gratitude to his team for their efforts, Governor Mbah assured the public that there would be thorough public awareness campaigns about the new processes under the Land Use Regulation, Executive Order, and the Enugu Geographic Information Service.

“This regulation clearly spells out the number of days it will require for any application, whether you are conducting your search or indeed applying to obtain your title document.”

“The number, the timelines, your fees are spelt out. So, there is absolutely no confusion. So, I thank you all for all your efforts,” he concluded.

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has directed the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, to explain why the proposed expatriates taxation regime should not be halted.

The ruling came in response to an ex-parte motion filed by the plaintiff, Patrick Peter, who seeks an injunction to stop the implementation of the new Expatriate Employment Levy (EEL).

In his ruling, Justice Ekwo instructed that the minister and the AGF be served with the motion within three days.

The plaintiff’s application seeks to prevent the government from enforcing the EEL, which would require companies employing foreign expatriates to pay an annual tax of $15,000 for directors and $10,000 for non-directors, amounts equivalent to N23 million and N16 million respectively.

The plaintiff’s affidavit contends that the proposed levy, along with severe penalties for non-compliance, including imprisonment and financial penalties, could severely harm Nigeria’s economic growth.

The plaintiff argues that the levy could stifle foreign investment and worsen the country’s economic challenges.

Ezeh, the Programme Implementation Coordinator, expressed concerns that the government’s unilateral action on the EEL without legislative collaboration contravenes constitutional tax provisions, particularly Section 59, which requires joint action by the executive and legislature to impose new taxes.

In response, Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter to January 16, 2025, and directed the defendants to justify their position on the matter.

The court has set a hearing for both parties to present their arguments regarding the implementation of the levy.

The Ministry of Interior had previously suspended the implementation of the levy earlier in 2024, citing the need for further consultations with stakeholders, including NACCIMA.

A tragic fire has claimed the lives of a 24-year-old woman, Jumai Sunday, and her 18-month-old son, Nasir Rabiu, in their home at Kugbo Furniture Market, located within the Municipal Area Council (AMAC) of Abuja.

The devastating incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, January 8, 2025, while the mother and child were asleep.

Eyewitnesses reported that neighbors discovered their bodies after firefighters had managed to control the blaze.

The victims, who hailed from Eggon Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, were found burnt beyond recognition.

Lakur Langyi, the police officer in charge of Karu Division in Abuja, confirmed that his team responded to distress calls around midnight and arrived to find the charred remains of the mother and her son.

The cause of the fire is still unknown, but an investigation has been launched to determine its origin.

The bodies of the deceased have been laid to rest at the Kugbo Cemetery, located along the Abuja-Nyanya-Keffi Expressway.

A Kaduna State High Court has granted activist Mahdi Shehu bail in the sum of N3 million, with two sureties in the same amount, following his detention over a viral video.

The court ruled on Thursday that the sureties must be well-known clerics.

Shehu, who was arrested for allegedly sharing a misleading video that threatened national security, had previously been detained on January 2, 2025, by the Chief Magistrates’ Court.

He faced charges including conspiracy, aiding and abetting terrorism, and inciting public disturbances.

In his ruling, Justice Murtala J. Zubair emphasized that the decision to grant bail was based on legal criteria and the presumption of innocence.

He noted that the evidence presented did not justify withholding bail, and that Shehu had demonstrated sufficient assurance to comply with the conditions set by the court.

The bail conditions include the deposit of Shehu’s international passport, prohibiting travel outside the country without the court’s approval, and reporting to the Respondent’s office on the first working day of each month.

If Shehu fails to meet these conditions, he will remain in custody..

A former Catholic priest, Dr. Echezona Obiagbaosogu, who served for 17 years, has announced his resignation from the priesthood to fully embrace African traditional religion.

Obiagbaosogu, a lecturer in African Traditional Religion at Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, Anambra State, expressed a deep fascination with traditional African spirituality, particularly the practice of rainmaking.

After defending his PhD dissertation titled “Rainmaking and Control in Igbo African Medicine” on Wednesday, Obiagbaosogu emphasized that Africa holds immense resources and values that were undermined by colonial forces.

He revealed that he spent several months learning from a well-known native doctor, delving into the intricate practices of the craft to recover lost African traditions.

He shared, “I have come to realise that my true calling is to serve my people through the ancient traditions of our ancestors. I was a Catholic priest for 17 years before resigning to embrace the traditional African religion. The topic of my research is ‘Rainmaking and control in Igbo African medicine: A case study of Isieke in Ihiala Local Government Area, Anambra State’.”

Obiagbaosogu reflected on his upbringing, saying, “I partly lived with my maternal grandfather, who was a traditionalist, while my father was a Christian before he passed away. Though he was a Christian, he still believed in traditional materials. He was an agriculturist with trees around the compound and always brought in new ones, some of which he said were medicinal. So, I learned from him to appreciate nature.”

He further added, “My background is also significant. I was once a Catholic priest—Rev. Father. I began this research as a priest five years ago and then left the priesthood, so now I am married. Everything about this research stems from my curiosity about nature and God. The research reflects my curiosity about spirituality and the nature of God. As a priest, I had the opportunity to work in health sectors, and I understand what health is all about.”

Obiagbaosogu explained that his research is motivated by a desire to recover Africa’s lost values: “I conducted this research with the intention of recovering our lost African values. There was one of my father’s friends, and when I was in the seminary, I founded a school called the Society for African Culture. During that period, we invited my father’s friend to demonstrate that rainmaking was possible. He came and made it rain. This experience led me to investigate it in an academic way.”

He continued, “My research in rainmaking and control is rooted in finding the truth and understanding how native doctors contribute to preserving African values. I discovered that it is indeed a reality and done by dibia (native doctors). I am not turning my back on God, but rather, I am embracing the divine in a more meaningful and authentic way.”

Further elaborating on his perspective, Obiagbaosogu touched on the interplay between magic, religion, and science: “Civilisation began with magic, moved to religion, and today we are talking about nanoscience and other fields. The white man was able to explore these magical laws, codify them, and call them science. So, science is essentially what was once magic.”

He also stated, “We can also access these magical laws, which we call African magic or religion. It is not the African magic of Nollywood. The African magic of Nollywood is one of the tools used to destroy our culture and values. African magic is actually African science, which remains unexplored. We must begin to modify, codify, and document it for posterity.”

When asked about his decision to leave the Catholic priesthood, Obiagbaosogu offered, “Life is a process. Things happen, and people begin to look left and right. One important thing is for the person to know themselves. If you understand yourself and remain open to reality, you will begin to make decisions for your life.” He chose not to elaborate on the specifics of his resignation, calling it a matter of personal conviction.