News
Eastern Lawyers Laud Justice Ekwo Over Ruling on Mba, Advise Attorneys Against Steps Capable of Denting the Legal Profession
A non-governmental organisation (NGO) comprising only attorneys from Enugu State, Oriental Lawyers for Justice, has lauded Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court for refusing today to grant a request by one of the Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANS) working for Peter Mbah, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 general election, to stop the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) from testifying in any forum on the integrity of the NYSC discharge certificate paraded by Mbah.
The Enugu State Governorship and State House of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal is resuming sittings on Thursday, July 7, and the NYSC is scheduled to testify on NYSC discharge certificate A808297 which Mbah, whom the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) controversially declared the winner of the March 18 gubernatorial election, claims to have been issued by the NYSC on January 6, 2003.
“The whole nation is delighted that not only did Justice Ekwo bluntly refuse to grant the request for an interlocutory injunction by Mbah’s attorney, Emeka Ozoani (SAN), but did not allow him to finish the request before he (the learned judge) cut in and stopped Ozoani in his inelegant tracks, thus showing a high level of displeasure with the conduct of the learned Silk”, the Oriental Lawyers for Justice stated in a statement in Enugu this afternoon signed by its chairman, John Bosco Aninwede, and the publicity secretary, Mrs. Ifeoma Ejike.
The CSO said that with this ruling, Justice Ekwo has begun the process of repositioning himself in the public imagination after the controversial order on May 15 acceding to the request by the same lawyer for an interlocutory injunction prohibiting the NYSC from commenting on the genuiness or otherwise of the NYSC certificate even before the courts.
Top NYSC officials, including the Director General, the Director of Certification, and the Assistant Director of Certification had on various occasions between February and June declared Mbah’s discharge certificate presented to INEC as fake.
The lawyers faulted Justice Ekwo for even granting on May 15 the original request for the same order which led to a strong petition against him before the National Judicial Council (NJC).
“It is good that the honorable judge, who has another petition against him before the NJC written by Seplat Energy plc, has begun to take steps to show that he is different from controversial judges who frequently leave the Bench in unpleasant circumstances”, remarked the Eastern lawyers.
The CSO advised lawyers, especially seniors, against making controversial requests or even handling certain cases, however attractive the pay may be.
Lawyers, they noted, are “first and foremost ministers in the Temple of Justice, and an acute consciousness of this fact should guide their conduct always, in and out of court.
“It is infra dig for a lawyer, let alone a learned Silk, to ask the judiciary to gag the very institution which gives out certificates from testifying on the authenticity of a certificate it purportedly issued.
“Acts like this tend to diminish the status of the legal profession in the opinion of reasonable members of society”.
Gov. Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom has approved an increment in the monthly state allowance for corps members serving in the state from N5,000 to N20,000.
Mr Eno made the announcement on Friday during the state delivery meeting, held at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Uyo.The increment will take effect from Aug. 1st.
The governor said that the increment was to support the Federal Government’s N77,000 monthly allowance, toward helping corps members meet their basic needs.“
More than 10, 000 corps members are posted to Akwa Ibom annually. We must continue to encourage and support them,” Mr Eno said.
It would be recalled that the governor, last week, approved the reconstruction of the NYSC orientation camp at Ikot Itie Idung, as part of efforts to improve the welfare of corps members in the state.
(NAN)
Troops of the 3 Division of the Nigerian Army in conjunction with the Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) under Operation Lafiyan Jama’a have neutralized several bandits during joint operations in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.
A statement issued on Friday by the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) stated that the clearance operation which took place on Thursday, July 3, led to the killing of scores of bandits.
The statement reads: “In continuation of ongoing efforts to rid the Joint Operations Area (JOA) of criminal elements, troops of 3 Division/Operation SAFE HAVEN under Operation LAFIYAN JAMA’A have sustained aggressive kinetic operations in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, yielding commendable outcomes.
“On 3 July, 2025, troops carried out a clearance operation in the rugged terrains of Tulus and Hokk Communities, located along the Plateau–Nasarawa State border.
“During the mission, contact was made with armed militias in Hokk, leading to a brief but decisive firefight. Several bandits were neutralised, while others fled into surrounding forests.
“Troops conducted a thorough exploitation of the area and, though no further contact was established, have maintained control through mobile and static patrols to disrupt any regrouping attempts.
“These successful actions reaffirm the resolve of security forces to dismantle criminal syndicates and prevent the proliferation of illicit weapons threatening peace and security within the Joint Operations Area.”
After 13 days in captivity, Justice Ebiyerin Omukoro, a Bayelsa State High Court Judge, who was kidnapped by gunmen, has been released.
The judge was abducted on June 21, 2025, around 7pm by gunmen dressed in combat fatigue in front of a popular eatery at the Ekeki suburb of Yenagoa.
It was gathered that Justice Omukoro was released on Thursday evening and is still with security operatives.
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