An Abuja High Court has issued an interim injunction preventing the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and other parties from selling a disputed property located at Plot No. 4411, Cadastral Zone A09, Guzape District, Abuja.

The order was granted by Justice Mohammed Zubairu after an ex-parte motion was filed by Reuben Atabo, SAN, representing the applicant, Nextdora Nigeria Limited.

The motion, marked M/16807/2024, was presented to the court on Monday, with the certified true copy becoming available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday.

Justice Zubairu, sitting as a vacation judge, ruled that the application be granted in the interest of justice and fairness.

The judge stated that the interim injunction would remain in effect until all parties are served and appear before the court for the hearing of the motion on notice.

The interim order prohibits the defendants, including Wike and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), from interfering with the claimant’s possession of the property or selling it to any third party.

The order also covers any agents, servants, or representatives acting on their behalf.

The case has been adjourned until December 30 for further proceedings and to hear the substantive suit.

In the motion, filed on December 16, Nextdora Nigeria Limited had named Mr. Eric Anyamene Nnamdi, Hajiya Bilikisu Mallam, the FCT Minister, and FCDA as the defendants.

The company is seeking several orders, including a declaration of its ownership of the disputed property and a ban on any development or assignment of the land.

The court’s order comes after Nextdora Nigeria Limited raised concerns over potential unauthorized dealings with the property, which is secured by a Right of Occupancy under File No. MISC 128232.

Gunmen have kidnapped 18 passengers in Ekiti State, demanding a total ransom of N540 million for their release.

The incident occurred in Emure Ile, where the victims were traveling in a commercial bus from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

The gunmen ambushed the vehicle on Sunday, forcing the driver, Sunday Emmanuel, along with the passengers, into the bush.

A worker from the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) confirmed the incident, revealing that the kidnappers made contact with Emmanuel’s family, demanding N30 million for each of the passengers’ release.

According to the source, the kidnappers left behind several children who were in the bus, and their cries attracted attention from passersby early the next morning, prompting them to report the situation to the police.

The source added, “They drove the bus into the bush, pulled the people out, and called the driver’s family, asking for a ransom of N30 million for each of the passengers. They said they would call again, but they haven’t yet.”

The kidnappers abandoned some children on the bus, which eventually led to their discovery by locals who informed the police in Emure-Owo.

Meanwhile, the driver’s union in Ado-Ekiti has convened a meeting to discuss how to negotiate with the abductors.

Two of the kidnapped victims managed to escape while being forced into the bush.

Attempts to reach the Ekiti State Police Command for comment were unsuccessful, as calls to the Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, went unanswered.

Human rights advocate, Dele Farotimi has been released from the correctional centre in Ekiti State after meeting the conditions set by the court.

Farotimi was freed on Tuesday morning.

Last Friday, a magistrate court in Ado-Ekiti granted him bail, which included a N30 million bond, two sureties (one of whom must be a property owner), the submission of his passport, and a restriction preventing him from granting media interviews after his release.

In a statement to the press following his release, Farotimi expressed that he had never lied about anyone in his life, stating that everything he said about individuals or institutions was the truth.

“It is not ever an easy journey when you are fighting evil, but some years back, before I started this work, God told me that the truth is enough. It is the only weapon with which you can slay the monster called Nigeria, which is the truth. In my war against the evil empire that we all lived in, I have never lied against anyone. If I don’t know, I will say I don’t know,” he said.

Farotimi’s arrest came after the release of his book Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System on July 2.

A few months later, prominent legal figure Afe Babalola accused him of defamation, leading to his arrest in a dramatic fashion at his Lagos office on December 3 by officers from the Ekiti State Police Command.

Farotimi was then transported to Ekiti.

Apart from the defamation charges filed by Babalola’s legal team at the Ekiti Magistrate Court, additional charges were brought by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on December 6 at the Ekiti Federal High Court.

Farotimi faced charges of defamation and cyberbullying following a petition by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Aare Afe Babalola, who claimed that Farotimi’s book defamed him.

The police alleged that the book accused Babalola and other SANs of corrupting Justices of the Supreme Court.

A tragic accident occurred on Monday evening in Plateau State, claiming the lives of three individuals and leaving four others injured.

The collision took place along Farin Gada Road in Jos North when a trailer crashed into a tricycle.

Peter Yakubu, spokesperson for the Plateau State Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and Nura Ussaini Magaji, executive secretary of the Nigerian Red Cross Society in the state, confirmed the incident to DAILY GAZETTE on Tuesday.

The crash occurred on December 23, near the University of Jos Student Village Hostel.

According to Yakubu, some of the victims’ bodies were severely mutilated, making identification difficult.

The crash involved two vehicles: a trailer and a tricycle. The injured individuals are receiving treatment for varying degrees of injuries.

The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has dismissed a petition from the law firm of Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), Emmanuel Chambers, seeking to revoke the law license of lawyer and author Tomilola Farotimi, also known as Dele Farotimi, over allegations of criminal defamation and professional misconduct.

Farotimi, who was brought before the LPDC following a complaint filed by Ola Faro, a lawyer at Emmanuel Chambers, faced allegations related to his book Nigeria and the Criminal Justice System.

The petition claimed the book contained defamatory remarks about the Supreme Court and the legal profession.

However, the LPDC concluded that the alleged offenses occurred while Farotimi was acting as an author, not as a practicing lawyer.

The committee stated it did not have jurisdiction over the complaint, as the matter pertained to the content of a publication rather than any actions taken during his legal practice.

LPDC Chairman, Justice Isaq Usman Bello, affirmed that the committee’s jurisdiction did not extend to matters concerning written publications and advised the petitioners to seek redress through the appropriate regular courts.

The book in question allegedly criticized a Supreme Court case involving corruption and unethical conduct among judicial officers, while also addressing what Farotimi described as distortion of case facts and the undermining of justice.

Emmanuel Chambers accused Farotimi of disrespecting his peers and engaging in actions for personal gain, claiming his book violated the 2023 Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners.

They called for Farotimi’s removal from the Roll of Legal Practitioners.

In response, the LPDC clarified that the book was an intellectual work and not an action taken during Farotimi’s practice as a lawyer.

The committee urged those who felt defamed by the publication to pursue their grievances in the regular courts.

Fatiyah Abdulhakeem, an 18-year-old suspect charged with the murder of retired Permanent Secretary, Adamu Jagaba, in Niger State, has died while in police custody.

According to reliable police sources, Abdulhakeem passed away on Thursday, though the cause of death remains unclear.

He was recently paraded by Niger State’s Commissioner of Police, Shawulu Ebenezer Danmama, as the main suspect in the brutal killing of Jagaba, who was stabbed to death near his block industry close to the PDP Secretariat in Minna.

During the parade, Abdulhakeem had confessed to being hired by some of Jagaba’s workers to carry out the murder.

The police spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the suspect’s death, stating that on December 19, 2024, Abdulhakeem complained of severe stomach pain and cough.

He was rushed to the general hospital in Minna, where he later died while receiving treatment.

The police have since deposited his body at the hospital morgue, awaiting postmortem results for further investigation.

A Chief Magistrate’s Court in Iyaganku, Ibadan, has ordered the remand of Naomi Silekunola, the former wife of the Ooni of Ife; Oriyomi Hamzat, the CEO of Agidigbo FM; and Abdullahi Fasasi, the Principal of Islamic High School, in connection with the deadly stampede that occurred during a Christmas funfair at Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan.

The tragedy resulted in the deaths of 35 children and left six others injured.

The court, presided over by Chief Magistrate Olabisi Ogunkanmi, issued the remand order after the trio was brought before the court under heavy security.

They face a four-count charge, which the police prosecutor stated contravenes Section 324 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 38, Vol. II, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.

The charges allege that the suspects were involved in the events leading to the tragic stampede.

The magistrate directed that the accused be remanded at the Agodi Correctional Centre while awaiting legal advice from the Oyo State Director of Public Prosecutions.

The courtroom proceedings attracted considerable public attention, and the suspects were heavily guarded by law enforcement officers as they were escorted to and from the court.