News
JUST IN: Judge steps down from Natasha’s case after Akpabio’s petition
Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has stepped down from a case involving suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Justice Egwuatu was assigned to hear the suit, but on Tuesday, he announced that he would no longer handle the matter.
He made this decision after Senate President Godswill Akpabio wrote a petition questioning his impartiality.
Although the case was scheduled for hearing, when the court clerk called it up, the judge ruled that he was stepping aside.
He said he would return the case file to the Chief Judge, who would assign it to another judge.
On March 4, Justice Egwuatu issued an interim order stopping the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions from proceeding with disciplinary actions against Akpoti-Uduaghan.
She was accused of violating Senate rules.
The judge ruled that the disciplinary process should not continue until the case was decided.
He also gave the defendants 72 hours to explain why the court should not stop them from investigating the senator without following the rules laid out in the 1999 Constitution, the Senate Standing Order 2023, and the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act.
Justice Egwuatu allowed the senator to serve legal documents on the defendants using substituted means.
The court ordered that the documents be given to the Clerk of the National Assembly or pasted at the National Assembly premises.
They were also to be published in two national newspapers.
The interim order came after the senator filed an urgent application.
However, despite the court’s ruling, the Senate Committee still held its meeting and suspended her for six months.
Later, after the defendants applied, Justice Egwuatu amended his earlier order.
He removed the part that prevented the Senate from taking any action while the case was ongoing.
Meanwhile, Akpabio’s legal team, led by Kehinde Ogunwumiju, questioned the court’s authority to interfere in Senate affairs.
News
Kogi Commissioner confirms release of remaining abducted orphanage victims
The operation, carried out in the Agbaja Forest axis of Lokoja Local Government Area, resulted in the safe recovery of five boys, two girls, and two adult females.
Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo has confirmed the safe return of all those kidnapped from the Daarul-Kitab Islamic Orphanage in Lokoja.
Gunmen stormed the orphanage on April 26 and abducted 23 children, including the proprietor’s wife. Following intervention by security operatives, 15 victims were rescued on April 27.
In a statement Commissioner Fanwo said that the remaining nine victims regained freedom during a rescue operation conducted in the early hours of yesterday.
He described the development as a breakthrough against criminal elements operating within the state and a relief to affected families.
According to him, troops of the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army led the coordinated search-and-rescue mission with support from other security agencies.
The operation, carried out in the Agbaja Forest axis of Lokoja Local Government Area, resulted in the safe recovery of five boys, two girls, and two adult females.
Fanwo said the remaining nine victims regained freedom during a rescue operation conducted in the early hours of Wednesday.
He described the development as a breakthrough against criminal elements operating within the state and a relief to affected families.
News
FCCPC, NAFDAC sign consumer protection MoU
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Wednesday at the FCCPC headquarters in Abuja.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have signed a partnership agreement aimed at improving consumer experiences and ensuring value for money.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Wednesday at the FCCPC headquarters in Abuja.
The Executive Vice-Chairman of FCCPC, Mr Tunji Bello, described the partnership as a deliberate step towards strengthening collaboration in the interest of Nigerian consumers, particularly in areas where product safety and consumer protection intersect and require coordinated action.
In her remarks, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, described the MoU as a step in the right direction.
“We have had similar arrangements in the past, but this represents an improved version of the partnership,” she said.
She commended the FCCPC leadership for its commitment to protecting Nigerian consumers and reaffirmed NAFDAC’s dedication to fully implementing the provisions of the agreement.
…..Passes State Symbol Bill
The Benue State House of Assembly has suspended the Auditor General for Local Government, Mr. Abraham Gberidyer, over allegations of financial misappropriation and fraud amounting to ₦4.6 billion.
The decision was reached during Tuesday’s plenary presided over by Speaker Rt. Hon. Berger Alfred Emberga, MNIQS, RQS, following a letter from Governor Hyacinth Alia through the Head of Service.
According to the letter, Gberidyer is currently under investigation for corruption and cannot continue in office in line with constitutional provisions on the removal of corrupt public officers.
The House voted unanimously to suspend him to allow for a proper investigation. The Speaker said the move is necessary to uphold accountability and protect public funds at the local government level. I
n other legislative business, the Assembly passed into law a bill for the creation and adoption of the Benue State Symbol and Anthem, 2026, after considering the report of the House Standing Committee on Culture and Tourism.
The Speaker directed the Clerk to produce clean copies for the Governor’s assent. A separate bill to repeal the 2017 Sports Marketing and Lotteries Board Law and re-enact the 2024 Lotteries, Public Online Lotteries, Gaming and Sports Marketing Board Law scaled second reading.
The proposed law aims to expand digital integration, optimize revenue, strengthen consumer protection against underage gambling, and equip the board with enforcement powers to clamp down on unlicensed operators.
The House also passed a third reading bill to extend the retirement age and improve remuneration for magistrates and legal officers in the Ministry of Justice, to retain experienced manpower in the justice sector.
In addition, the Benue Pension Harmonization Bill, which seeks to increase pensions for retirees, passed its second reading. The pension bill was sponsored by Hon. Douglas Akya of Makurdi South State Constituency.
Kogi Commissioner confirms release of remaining abducted orphanage victims
FCCPC, NAFDAC sign consumer protection MoU
Benue Assembly Suspends Auditor General over ₦4.6BN Fraud Allegation
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