News
Benue tackles CJ for relocating LG poll tribunal to Abuja
The Benue State Government has raised concerns over the directive issued by the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Maurice Ikpembese, to relocate the Local Government Election Petition Tribunals to Abuja.
The tribunals are currently handling disputes arising from the Benue State Local Government elections conducted on October 5, 2024.
Reports indicate that 93 petitioners, including aggrieved candidates from both the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party, have filed cases at the tribunal since October 17, 2024.
In a statement on Wednesday, Justice Ikpembese cited security concerns as the primary reason for relocating the tribunal proceedings to Abuja, emphasising the need to safeguard the lives of judges amid rising threats of violence.
However, speaking to journalists in Makurdi, the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and Public Order, Mr. Fidelis Mnyim, questioned the CJ’s unilateral decision, noting that neither the governor nor his office had been formally notified.
“The state government, which funds the judiciary, was not informed about this decision,” Mnyim said. “We woke up to rumours that the tribunals had been relocated. When we went to the court premises, we found them deserted. As the Attorney General and a respondent in these cases representing the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission, I retain the right to be officially informed of such a critical decision.”
Justice Ikpembese had issued a circular titled ‘Directive for the Immediate Relocation of the Local Government Election Petitions Tribunals to NBA House, Abuja,’ explaining that the move was necessary due to security threats and an ongoing strike by the Benue State Judiciary Staff Union.
“In view of the prevailing security threats and the judiciary workers’ strike, it has become necessary to take urgent measures to ensure the safety of tribunal members, litigants, and counsel while facilitating smooth proceedings within the legally prescribed time frame,” the CJ stated.
Tensions between the Benue State Government and the Chief Judge have been escalating in recent weeks.
The Benue State House of Assembly, acting on a petition from Governor Hyacinth Alia, recently recommended Justice Ikpembese’s removal, a move that was resisted by the National Judicial Council and the Nigerian Bar Association.
Meanwhile, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in the state has backed the Chief Judge’s decision to relocate the tribunals.
Speaking to newsmen on Wednesday, Benue PDP Publicity Secretary, Tim Nyor, emphasised security concerns.
“This is a matter of safety, and the party supports the relocation order given by the Chief Judge,” Nyor said. “Sponsored hoodlums previously held tribunal judges hostage for five hours and blocked access to the court premises using sandbags.”
Given that election petitions are time-bound, Nyor maintained that relocating to Abuja is the best option to protect the lives of tribunal judges and litigants while ensuring the process continues without interference.
Protesters in Abuja have stormed the headquarters of Guaranty Trust Bank to demand the release of social media influencer Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan.
The demonstrators, who gathered in large numbers on Monday, chanted “#FreeVDM” while holding placards with inscriptions such as “Activism is not a sin”, “VDM is the masses’ liberator”, and “VDM has committed no offence”.
Recall that VeryDarkMan was recently arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over allegations of cyberstalking.
The arrest has sparked outrage online and raised questions about the bank’s alleged complicity in what critics describe as a targeted crackdown.
According to his legal representative, activist-lawyer Deji Adeyanju, VeryDarkMan was ambushed by EFCC operatives inside the GTBank premises.
Denying the claim and releasing CCTV footage, the bank stated that the social media influencer was not picked up on its premises, and urged that further investigations be conducted.
In the video, VDM is seen leaving the banking hall and heading towards the car park moments before his arrest.
However, the footage does not capture the actual arrest, most likely because the security cameras did not cover that specific area outside the bank.
Recall that in May 2024, he was arraigned at the Federal High Court in Abuja on five counts of cyberstalking.
The charges stemmed from alleged online harassment of the Nigeria Police Force and Nollywood actresses Iyabo Ojo and Tonto Dikeh.
He pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody until his bail hearing.
Later in November 2024, he faced fresh charges of impersonation before an Abuja Chief Magistrate’s Court.
Prosecutors accused him of unlawfully dressing as a police officer and presenting himself as one.
He again pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of ₦2 million.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has released a comprehensive statistical breakdown of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, results.
The breakdown offers a full picture of the performances by Nigerian candidates in the examination conducted across the country.
According to JAMB, out of 1,955,069 candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, over 1.5 million of them scored less than 200 in the exam.
It, however, announced that 4756 candidates scored above 320, 7658 candidates scored between 300 and 319.
In the statement accompanying the data, the Board said that 40,247 underage candidates were permitted to demonstrate their exceptional abilities.
JAMB further stated that only 467 of these candidates (1.16%) achieved scores that meet the threshold for exceptional ability as defined for the UTME, with their performance in the subsequent three stages still pending.
Crime
JUST IN: Suspected herdsmen hijack fully loaded vehicle, kill driver, abduct passengers in Benue
Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen on Sunday night hijacked a commercial vehicle along the Otukpo-Adoka road in Benue State, killing the driver and abducting all passengers on board.
The incident occurred around 11 p.m. as the vehicle was en route to Otukpo from Abuja.
Eyewitnesses said that the attackers opened fire as soon as they sighted the vehicle, causing the driver to lose control and veer off the road into nearby bushes after being hit by a bullet.
The assailants subsequently abducted all the passengers before abandoning the vehicle at the scene.
The body of the slain driver, identified as a native of Adoka, has been recovered and taken to his hometown.
Meanwhile, military personnel have arrived at the scene and launched a manhunt for the attackers.
#FreeVDM: Protesters storm GTBank Abuja headquarters, demand VeryDarkMan’s release
JAMB: Over 1.5m candidates score less than 200 in 2025 UTME
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