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NJC writes Tinubu, moves Nwite, Omotosho moves to Court of Appeal
Justices Emeka Nwite, and James Kolawole Omotosho, both of the Federal High Court Abuja, are now awaiting the nod of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to move up the judicial ladder to the Court of Appeal after impacting the Nigerian polity quite dramatically.
Nwite sat on the controversial case of Nafiu Bala Gombe against the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in the leadership tussle, which nearly saw the party emersed in crisis that led to its officers derecognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), until recently.
On his part, Omotosho, apart from handling the high-profile case that pitted the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly against led by Martins Emewhule against Siminalayi Fubara, Governor of the state, would also be remembered for the historic decision to slap a life-sentence on Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The pair were among the 12 justices, recommended by the Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Chief Judge of the Federation (CJN) to the appellate court after the 111th Meeting of the National Judicial Council (NJC), the organ for hiring, discipline and promotion of judges in Nigeria.
Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe, spokesman of the council disclosed that apart from the pair, Justices Yakubu Mohammed, Abodunde Oluwatoyin and Ajuwa Raphael, Abua Ojie, Ijohor Jennifer, Shuaibu Bala, also benefitted from the exercise.
Others included Buba Njane, Kado Sanusi, Ademola Enikuomehin and
Dadom Veronica, while Christine Ende was recommended for appointment as a Judge of the High Court of Benue State and two others for appointment as Kadis of the Sharia Court of Appeal, Katsina State.
The recommendations were intended to fill vacancies arising from the elevation and retirement of Judicial Officers across various levels of the Judiciary and to strengthen the capacity of courts for effective justice delivery.
Babalola-Ogedengbe, Deputy Director of Information of the NJC, also announced the extension of the tenure of Justice Ijeoma Agugua as Imo State Acting Chief Judge for a further period of three months with effect from March 26, 2026 to June 26, 2026 to allow for completion of the process for appointing a substantive Chief Judge.
The Council commended Justice Ononeze-Madu for declining to be sworn in contrary to established constitutional procedure, describing the action as a demonstration of institutional integrity and respect for the rule of law.
It reiterated the call on the Imo State Judicial Service Commission to expedite the process of appointment of a substantive Chief Judge in order to ensure stability, safeguard judicial independence, and enhance the effective administration of justice in the State.
On issues of discipline, the NJC rejected appeals filed by eight judges of the Imo State Judiciary seeking a reversal of their compulsory retirement from service over age falsification.
The affected Judges were among 10 Judicial Officers recommended for compulsory retirement at the Council’s 109th meeting held on 25 June
2025.
The echoes of the drums rolled out to celebrate the rescue of the 44 teachers and students, kidnapped from some schools in Oyo State, after 56 days in the bush, would surely be disrupted abruptly, with the divergent echoes of a fresh abduction, this time coming from Kogi State.
Reports indicate that the gunmen, struck on Tuesday at the Government Secondary School, Odo-Ekina, in Dekina Local Government Area of the state, abducting four students, the school principal and a National Examinations Council (NECO) ad hoc staff member.
Authorities of the Kogi State Police Command, who immediately unleashed their operatives in hot pursuit of the abductors, said the attack occurred at about 5:25 p.m. while the students were writing their NECO examination.
Saliu Oyiza Afusat, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and spokesman of the command, said a combined team of police personnel and other security agencies has launched a search-and-rescue operation following the incident.
Informing that one of the students was actually rescued immediately, she said efforts were ongoing to secure the release of the remaining victims and apprehend the attackers, adding that Naziru Bello Kankarofi, the state Commissioner of Police, alongside the Brigade Commander and the State Security Adviser to the Governor, Commodore Jerry Omodara (Rtd), were already on the way to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.
Oil prices are expected to go down now with the announcement of Donald Trump, US President that he will no longer impose a 20 percent “safe passage” fee on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The POTUS, hinged his reversal of the decision on the intervention from some Gulf countries, who pleaded with him not to toe the line due to the massive economic impact the decision would make on the region.
Indeed, oil prices had shot up immediately Trump announced the new levy on Monday while declaring the US ‘the guardians of the Hormuz strait,’ a measure which he said was to pay for the cost of guarding the volatile area in order keep supply of oil flowing.
Reports said that Gulf allies of the US worked frantically to get Trump on the phone in time to talk him out of the idea altogether, while a flurry of appeals came from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar.
In response, the POTUS, posting on his Truth Social platform, wrote: “Based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership, I have decided to replace the 20% United States Reimbursement Fee with Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf States will be making into the United States.”
Trump, who said the investments would be “MASSIVE but, at the same time, extraordinarily good for them, and their future,” added that the deals would see factories, plants, and equipment pour into the US at “Historic levels.”
The Gulf nations have committed to invest trillions of dollars in the US, though it remains unclear how much of that they will actually spend over the next several years.
Meanwhile, the US continues to bomb Iran in what appears to be a resumption of active conflict between both countries, despite an ongoing roadmap to end the conflict.
Reports say operatives of the Osun State Police Command, and those of the Department of State Services (DSS) had tracking the trail of Adeniyi Adeyemi, controversial Director General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), for weeks, before he was eventually pulled out of his hole on Tuesday.
However, the duo, were said to have pulled back after failing to track him through his mobile phones, which he had reportedly switched off for about two days, making it difficult to locate him, leaving the stage for the members of the Police Intelligence Response Team (PI-RT) led by Moses Lohor, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP).
Lohor, said to have previously served as the Commander of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of Osun State, and reported to have been involved in high-profile security operations and controversies, after taken over fielded his men to pick up signals from their well-oiled signal networks.
Regarded by many Osun residents as one of the key security officers who contributed significantly to the peace and stability enjoyed in Ilesa and other parts of the state during his tenure, he was said to have relied on his contacts before his transfer out of the state, said to have raised concerns from the public about the security situation he would be leaving behind.
His exit from the state was said to be hinged on an incident in 2024, in which he allegedly shot one Iyanda Alowonle, then Chairman of Osun State Motor Transport System, in the stomach at the police station in the state prompting an order for his arrest by then Inspector General of Police (IGP).
His effort was said to have paid off when he successfully tracked down the controversial PFIPC, boss, who was seen on Tuesday evening, in a shot video on social media undergoing interrogation, and eventually handed him over to Ibrahim Gotan, Commissioner of Police in the state.
The PUNCH quoted one of the sources as saying: “The arrest (of Adeyemi) took place on Tuesday morning by the IRT squad, who immediately moved him to Abuja. After he was arrested, he was taken to Ibadan and from there to Abuja.”
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