News

S’Court Fixes June 13 for Local Govt Autonomy Case

Published

2 years ago

May 30, 2024

591 Views

June 13 is the date the Supreme Court has fixed to begin hearing of of a matter instituted by the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, against Nigeria’s 36 State governors bordering on the need to give full independence to the 774 local governments in the country.

Nigeria’s Attorney General had filed this action at the Supreme Court on behalf of the Federal Government. That this is listed as a criminal matter seems to underscore how important it is to wrest control from of the powerful state governors funds meant for the local government areas.

The 36 State governors are represented by their various attorneys general or their legal representation. Eight had no legal representation. Borno, Kano, Kogi, Niger, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, and Sokoto states are in that category.

During proceedings, the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, told the Supreme Court panel of seven justices that the urgency of the matter makes it necessary for it to be heard speedily, adding there is an application in that regard.

He thereby prayed that the Apex Court order the states to within five days give their replies to his case against them. But the states through Ben Odo, Chairman of the States Attorneys General however, asked for 15 days instead because not all the states got the hearing notices on time.

Bending a little, Fagbemi agreed for the Court to give them seven days instead. And in its ruling, the Apex Court panel headed by Justice Lawal Garba agreed to the seven days. It further ordered all parties to conclude by June 10 the exchange of court documents.

June 13 was then fixed for the arguments by all parties.

And some representatives of the Local Governments are hailing the action of the Nigerian government.

This case is particularly crucial as the Attorney General has among other things noted that the failure of the governors to put democratically elected local government system in place, is a deliberate subversion of the 1999 Constitution which they and the President have sworn to uphold.

News

JUST IN: Mob Sets BRT Bus Ablaze After Motorcyclist’s Death in Lagos

Published

42 minutes ago

October 16, 2026

Charles Flames

2 Views

An angry mob has set a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bus on fire after it reportedly crushed a commercial motorcyclist to death at Ogolonto Bus Stop along Ikorodu Road in Lagos State.

The incident occurred on Friday, October 16, 2026. Eyewitness accounts and social media reports indicate that the motorcyclist was riding alone along the restricted BRT lane when the collision happened. He died at the scene.

Enraged residents and youths then attacked the bus driver and set the vehicle ablaze. Police officers and officials of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), who were nearby, intervened promptly and rescued the driver unharmed.

The identity of the deceased motorcyclist and the exact circumstances of the crash had not been officially confirmed at the time of filing this report. It was also unclear whether any arrests had been made in connection with the burning of the bus.

News

ARISE News Wins Seven Honours At Nigerian Broadcasters Merit Awards

The awards recognised the network’s achievements in television journalism and programming, with ARISE News winning the Best TV Channel (Viewer’s Choice) category.

Published

13 hours ago

October 16, 2026

OCHEFA

10 Views

• ARISE News Anchor and host of What’s Trending Ojy Okpe was named Best Newscaster (TV – Female)

ARISE News has emerged as one of the major winners at the just ended Nigerian Broadcasters Merit Awards (NBMA).

ARISE News won seven honours across television broadcasting, news reporting, presentation and production during the ceremony.

The awards recognised the network’s achievements in television journalism and programming, with ARISE News winning the Best TV Channel (Viewer’s Choice) category.

The network’s flagship breakfast programme, The Morning Show, also won the Best TV Talk Show award, further strengthening its recognition in television broadcasting.

ARISE News Anchor and host of What’s Trending Ojy Okpe was named Best Newscaster (TV – Female).

Rufai Oseni was named Nigerian Broadcaster of the Year (Male), while Vimbai Mutinhiri-Ekpeyong received the Nigerian Broadcaster of the Year (Female) award.

The recognition extended to the network’s newsroom, with Ovieteme George winning Best TV News Reporter (Male) for his contributions to television news reporting.

Behind the camera, Sam Adeyemi received the Best Camera Operator/Cinematographer award, recognising his work in television production and visual storytelling.

News

Meta removes 3.7 million accounts in West Africa scam crackdown

The joint operation led to 28 arrests, identified more than 30 suspected scam centres and rescued 117 people allegedly trafficked and forced to work in scam compounds in Ghana.

Published

13 hours ago

October 16, 2026

OCHEFA

12 Views

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has removed more than 3.7 million Facebook and Instagram accounts, pages and groups linked to suspected scam networks operating in West Africa.

The joint operation led to 28 arrests, identified more than 30 suspected scam centres and rescued 117 people allegedly trafficked and forced to work in scam compounds in Ghana.

The company announced the crackdown in a statement on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. It involved 14 technology companies and law enforcement agencies from 10 countries.

The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency coordinated the operation with the US Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies. Nigerian authorities were involved.

Other countries included Ghana, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and India.Tech companies that took part included Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, Coinbase, Starlink and Adobe.

Meta said the partnership let participants share intelligence across digital platforms, countries and financial systems to identify criminal networks.