News
JUST IN: Court to hear Akpabio’s contempt claims against Natasha May 13

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday adjourned till Tuesday, May 13, for the definite hearing of the contempt claims made against the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Justice Binta Nyako fixed the date following a submission by the second and third defendants, who informed the court that they had filed an application drawing attention to the plaintiff’s alleged contempt.
The legal dispute between Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan originated from a disagreement over seating arrangements during plenary on February 20.
Subsequently, Akpoti-Uduaghan, during a television programme where she appeared as a guest, made allegations of sexual harassment against Akpabio.
Following the fallout, Akpoti-Uduaghan approached the Federal High Court seeking an order to restrain the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions from investigating her.
In an ex parte motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025, she sued the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate President, and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, Senator Nedamwen Imasuen.
On March 4, the court issued an order restraining the Senate from commencing disciplinary proceedings against Akpoti-Uduaghan following her ex parte application.
However, on March 6, the Senate proceeded to suspend her, citing a report by the committee alleging gross misconduct, despite the matter being sub judice.
On Friday, April 4, 2025, Justice Nyako ordered Akpoti-Uduaghan, Akpabio, the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, and Imasuen to refrain from granting media interviews or making social media posts related to the case while it remained pending before the court.
This order followed claims by Akpabio’s counsel that Akpoti-Uduaghan had been granting press interviews despite the court’s directive.
At the resumed sitting on Monday, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team, led by Jibrin Okutekpa, informed the court that the matter was fixed for hearing and that all required documents had been filed.
Charles Yoila appeared for the first defendant; Paul Daudu represented the second defendant; Ekoh Ejembi (SAN) for the third defendant; and Valentine Offia for the fourth defendant.
All defence lawyers confirmed compliance with the court’s previous orders and readiness for the hearing.
However, Daudu informed the court that despite the order against social media posts, the plaintiff had published a satirical post on her Facebook page.
“This matter is coming up for definite hearing. The second defendant has filed its schedule of hearing. Ordinarily, we are ready to proceed, but a further affidavit was served on me just on Friday, which I am entitled to respond to.
“This court ordered that there should be no social media posts, but there was one. The plaintiff herself posted a satirical apology on her Facebook page,” Daudu said.
He argued that the post mocked the court and violated its order, urging the court to hold her in contempt.
Akpabio’s counsel, Ejembi, supported Daudu’s submission, stating that the plaintiff’s Facebook post undermined the court’s authority.
“We are alleging that the Facebook post made by the plaintiff is a mockery of the court’s proceedings. We tender a Punch newspaper report showing she made the post despite the court’s order,” Ejembi said.
In response, the plaintiff’s counsel maintained that the Facebook post was related to the sexual harassment allegation and not the issue before the court.
Okutekpa urged the court to disregard the defendants’ submissions and proceed with hearing the substantive matter.
“Our counter-affidavit concerns only the matter before the court. The satirical post has no connection to it,” he argued.
He also urged the court to fast-track the hearing, noting that Akpoti-Uduaghan had spent 68 cumulative days out of the National Assembly.
Justice Nyako, however, insisted that the contempt issue must be addressed first.
“I cannot proceed with this matter until I conclude on the issue of contempt. If there is contempt, I have to hear and determine it first,” she said.
In turn, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s counsel raised a contempt allegation against all the defendants.
“My Lord, you have paused this trial over a contempt allegation. We also have an issue of contempt against all the defendants,” he said.Justice Nyako cautioned the lawyers, warning that continued disobedience of court orders by their clients could lead to consequences.
“I have the power to summon all your clients to appear in court. If counsel or litigants disobey the court, then the court has no business hearing them—that is my position,” she said.
Addressing Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team, she added, “If you have an application for contempt, bring it forward so the court can hear it.
”She added, “You cannot allow your client to disrespect this court. If they are found in contempt, they will face punishment. If not, the court will proceed.”
News
Nigeria: There’s Fire on the Mountain, and no one is a runnin’
It is sad that foreign armed groups are able to overrun the nations’ security apparatus not minding the mind bugling amount of funds voted every year in the nation’s budget on security.

By John Segun Odeyemi
Image credit: Burnt Community in Benue
Until now, I have refrained from writing commentaries about the political landscape of our country, Nigeria.
I have become disenchanted with the downward spiral of the absurdities that have become common place within the political space.
Within the last few days, I have read several articles on the killings in Plateau, Nasarawa and Benue States, and I am convinced to add my voice to the outcry of government’s inability to act proactively in securing the safety of Nigerians from marauding and murdering Fulani insurgents, Boko Haram terrorists and the incessant and now common place kidnapping for ransom.
Anywhere in the world, the first duty of any government is to secure the safety of its citizens in and outside of the country.
It is clear that the government of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu is either incapable or unwilling to tackle the continuous decimation and subjugation of our people.
In most other climes that claim democratic principles, those in leadership should have resigned from office.
Not in Nigeria! Here we glorify ineffectiveness and inefficiencies.
In the epic 2008 song titled, “There is Fire on the Mountain,” by the Nigerian musician who goes by the name Asa, she makes the claim even though this fire is raging, surprisingly, no one is running.
I find two corollaries, one in an old English idiom, and the other in traditional Yoruba oral tradition; for the English, “The proverbial ostrich that buries its head in the sand.
And the Yoruba wisdom, “No one lights a torch and leaves it burning around a thatched roof.”
In both instances, the culprit is inertia or the lack of desire to act in preventing a disaster.
Either of which does not describe, even at the minimal level, a people willing to act fundamentally from a place of common sense!
Unfortunately, when I see the shenanigans, politicians have reduced my country to, I can only conclude we have politicians who have knowingly set a fire to the country.
And we have a citizen who see the fire and refuse to run.Human life is sacred and each individual’s life should be protected.
Sadly, the entire nation seems inured to a culture of bloodletting, savagery and the disposal of human life.
Our social media space is diffused with gory videos and pictures of unthinkable scenes of inhumane accounts of man’s inhumanity and cruelty to other humans.
Anywhere in the world, the first duty of any government is to secure the safety of its citizens in and outside of the country.
More specifically, of brigandry to defenseless communities.
A situation where aggressors over run entire communities, displace the communities and inhabit their homes without re-adjudication or lawful intervention by constituted authority and, or state intervention.
I continue to hear of “insecurity” in the nation when in reality, what we have is the invasion of our sovereignty as a nation.
It is sad that foreign armed groups are able to overrun the nations’ security apparatus not minding the mind bugling amount of funds voted every year in the nation’s budget on security.
One is forced to question the usefulness and functionality of government sponsored and funded state security agencies.
One cannot but wonder why insurgents are better equipped than the nation’s army in arms and intelligence gathering?
Who are the invested players who supply them with arms and ammunition?
How can bandits become so powerful as to brazenly over run our country’s army encampment, capture Nigerian soldiers, take their armored cars and weapons and put all of this on social media?
There are multiple narratives circulating and making the rounds especially on social media.
Unfortunately, there is no way of verifying the authenticity of some of these claims.
Some shadowy entities trace the incessant bloody and extremely violent attacks on a bid, either for the Islamization of the country or Jihad aimed at a land grab in favor of all shades of Fulanis from the Sahel.
Some even make the claim that it is both issues morphed into one.
I find some plausibility at least in the Fulani bid to find a home in Nigeria.
The current governor of Borno state made that claim on national TV. When asked if the Fulanis coming from outside Nigeria are Nigerians.
He blatantly said “Yes.” Immediately, when I encounter political impropriety and lack of diplomacy at this level, my mind goes into a default.
I try to find a matching partner for buffoonery; in this instance, I thought his less- cellency should be sent to Donald Trump’s school of diplomacy and should not be allowed to return without a doctorate.
For far too long, we have behaved like the ostrich, unable to confront, nationally, the real issues we need to confront; our federalism vis-à-vis regionalism, state policing, our current constitution, our so called “democracy”, and the relationship between the North and the rest of the country.
I believe there is enough land and space in the North to accommodate kith and kin from other climes to settle and graze their cattle up north.
Ranching versus grazing and any other animal husbandry is fine as long as your business does not disrupt mine.
But we all know that grazing is intentionally done to destroy people’s hard work on their farms.
We all know it, but we are looking the other way and mumbling the fool’s mantra, “It is well!”
It is not well, and there is no way it will be well, if some psychotic, marauding murderers, rapists, and demented drug addicts are allowed to kill innocent citizens of our country.
We can no longer be silent if we are human and sane.
If the corridors of power are playing politics with our fellow citizens’ property, security and lives, we have a moral obligation to rise up in holy and righteous anger to stump on evil.
Just last week, we witnessed in the United States, how an entire country came out en-masse to protest what was perceived as oligarchy, an affront on the idea of American democracy, which was tagged “No King.”
Why are we unable to hold our politicians accountable? Why is it that it seems we do not understand that they work for us (even though they steal from us all the time!)
If we do not force a change by our action as citizens, knowing that our so-called politicians are only interested in their own welfare; we must then ask ourselves the mother of all questions… pardon me to borrow from Asa again; “…
One day, the river will overflow and there will be nowhere for us to go.
And we will run, run, wishing we had put out the fire.”
When all has been said, we need to all agree as Nigerians, that these killings are too much! If you do not feel this empathy, then know you are a part of the killing spree.
Those who nurture this theater of war are not interested in building a nation or having a viable ecumenical union among religions in our country. it is all about disorder so they can continue to steal and enrich themselves; “… the more you see, the less you understand, Abracadabra!” If we keep quiet, they continue to eat away at the innards of our country and the rest of us, shall be unaware of what our infestation is coming from?
From within, they will polarize our peoples, dislocate the unity of our communities.
From our jaded communities, we help spew hate and hate and more hate. This in turn corrodes our ability to build a unified front.
Our politicians place their lighted touch under a thatched roof and go to bed on their watch.
When the fire starts, where are we going to run? We can douse the fire now if we imagine the conflagration that a burning Nigeria will look like.
∆ John Segun Odeyemi, is a Catholic Priest and assistant professor of Systematic theology at the Institute for Black Catholic Studies, Xavier University of Louisiana.
Crime
Kaduna Police Command reveals identity of man in Tinubu’s recent near attack (Video)

The Kaduna State Police Command has revealed the identity of the man who caused panic after charging towards President Bola Tinubu during his visit to the state.
According to the police, the suspect has been identified as Umar Mohammed, a resident of Anguwan Muazu in Kaduna.
The incident happened during the commissioning of a 300-bed specialist hospital in Millennium City.
As President Tinubu was addressing the audience, Mohammed suddenly broke through the crowd and rushed toward him, triggering a swift response from security operatives.
The moment left Tinubu visibly shocked, as seen in a widely shared video showing his startled reaction and the confusion among his security team.
Police later disclosed that the man has a mental health condition he has lived with since birth.
They described his actions as unplanned and driven by excitement, adding that he was unarmed and posed no real threat after being restrained.
Despite the scare, the event continued as planned.
Governor Uba Sani led the inauguration of the hospital, which is expected to boost healthcare access in Kaduna.
Video credit: TVC (Twitter)
News
Hardship: Govs Agree to Dismantle Illegal Road Blocks, Multiple Taxes
The communique was signed by NGF Chairman and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

Governors of the 36 states of the federation have agreed to dismantle illegal road blocks and multiple taxes across the country.
They made the resolution after a meeting of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) in Abuja, which ended early Thursday.
The governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who read the communique at the end of the meeting, said that the governors resolved to dismantle illegal road blocks and multiple taxes, which they said contributed to food inflation in the country.
The communique was signed by NGF Chairman and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
(ThisDay)
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