The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

Scholars hails Geography icon Ayeni on 80th birthday

Renowned Professors, sitting and former Vice-Chancellors, and national education figures were among dignitaries that converged on the University of Ibadan (UI) to honour a Professor of Geography at UI and pioneer Vice Chancellor of Covenant University, Otta, Ogun State, Prof. Bola Ayeni

Prof. Ayeni was honoured at a public lecture organised to commemorate his 80th birthday.

The public lecture evolved into a powerful testament to Ayeni’s far-reaching influence on scholarship, academic leadership, and the moulding of human capacity across more than five decades.

Former Minister of Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran; Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, represented by Prof. Peter Olapegba (DVC Administration) and former UI Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Idowu Olayinka, were among the distinguished voices that eulogised Ayeni’s contributions.

They were joined by former LAUTECH Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Adeniyi Gbadegesin; Emeritus Prof. Kayode Oyesiku; Dean of the Faculty of the Social Sciences, Prof. Ben Ehigie; Head of the Department of Geography, Prof. Olutoyin Fashae; Prof. D. D. Ajayi; and Engineer Shola Ayeni, the celebrant’s sibling, among others.

Adeniran described Ayeni as a scholar whose legacy is defined not merely by academic accomplishments but by the enormous lives he has shaped and the intellectual values he has entrenched within the Nigerian academic community.

He urged social science scholars to ensure that their academic pursuits translate into meaningful contributions to society, emphasising the impact-driven ethos that Ayeni himself exemplifies.

Olayinka, who chaired the ceremony, hailed Ayeni as a distinguished academic whose influence would continue to echo through generations.

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Reflecting on Ayeni’s mentorship footprint, he remarked on the enduring joy of witnessing students rise to become colleagues, an experience Ayeni has enjoyed repeatedly due to his long and impactful career.

Adebowale, through Prof. Olapegba, described the celebrant as a “living legend” and commended his unwavering devotion to academic excellence, his compassion, and his enduring value within the university system.

He noted that Ayeni’s contributions to scholarship and institutional development have positioned him as a pillar of the University of Ibadan’s academic heritage.

The commemorative lecture titled: “Professor Bola Ayeni: Quantity in Geography, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” was delivered by Emeritus Professor Kayode Oyesiku, who explored the evolution and future trajectory of quantitative geography.

He projected that the discipline would become even more dynamic due to advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, immersive visualisation technologies, and integrated modelling frameworks.

Oyesiku emphasised that the geographers of tomorrow must balance scientific precision with ethical responsibility and social relevance, values he linked to Ayeni’s academic philosophy.

In a deeply personal reflection, Oyesiku lauded Ayeni’s humility, patience, and exceptional devotion to student development, recalling how Ayeni willingly repeated complex lessons until every student achieved full comprehension, describing him as a mentor whose discipline, generosity, integrity, and intellect have shaped countless academic careers.

He further highlighted Ayeni’s groundbreaking leadership as the founding Vice-Chancellor of Covenant University, where he spearheaded structural reforms and established the foundation for the institution’s subsequent growth and reputation.

Responding to the torrent of accolades, Prof. Ayeni expressed heartfelt gratitude to God for granting him the privilege of witnessing the celebration in good health.

He thanked the organisers for the honour and paid emotional tribute to his mentors the late Professors Akin Mabogunje and Ojetunji Aboyade, as well as Professors Michael McNulty and Gerard Rushton of the University of Iowa, USA, whose influence, he said, shaped his journey in profound ways.

Ayeni reflected on his long career with humility, stating, “I thank God for the grace given to have been a teacher and shaper of destinies at this university for over 45 years. I thank God that I never misused this privilege for once.”

December 13, 2025
New Tax Law: Banks to file reports on accounts with N25m quarterly turnover
- Govt rules out tax-related debit on bank customers’ accounts
- Banks to demand TIN from taxable Nigerians
Commercial banks are now required to file reports on bank accounts with N25 million quarterly turnover and above to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) or other related agencies for effective tax monitoring.

This is in alignment with the federal government’s new tax administration framework which comes into effect on January 1, 2026, Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, said yesterday in Lagos.

Oyedele ,speaking during a media workshop on the new consolidated tax law, explained that the new dispensation has raised the threshold for mandatory reporting from N10 million to N25 million, which he said translates to “almost N100 million a year before any report is triggered.”

Addressing the misconception that banks will begin reporting all transactions, Oyedele said the 2020 Finance Act already requires accounts used for business to have a Tax Identification Number (TIN).

Oyedele said only accounts that meet the turnover threshold would be identified and monitored for proper tax payment.

Besides,he said that banks request Tax Identification Number (TIN) from all taxable Nigerians in line with the new tax regime.

According to him, Section 4 of the Nigerian Tax Administration Act, makes the possession of a tax ID mandatory for all taxable individuals.

But the requirement does not apply to students or dependents who, according to him, will be exempted from tendering TIN to maintain a bank account.

He also said there was no need for anxiety over possibility of banks directly debiting customers’ accounts over tax matters.

“Nobody will debit your bank accounts in banks. Banks will not debit customers’ accounts for tax default,” he said.

He dismissed fears that government plans to deduct money directly from bank accounts of taxpayers, insisting that such claims are “false, dangerous and capable of destabilising the economy.”

He said the speculations on social media were based on ignorance and deliberate misinformation.

“Let me say this clearly: nobody — not FIRS, not Central Bank of Nigeria, not any government agency — has the power to debit your bank account,” he declared.

“Whether you have N50,000 or N50 million, nobody is taking any money from your account. It is simply not true.”

Oyedele explained that the allegation arose from the consolidation of major tax statutes into a single code, which led many to assume that the government has introduced new enforcement powers.

He said that the only existing mechanism that allows recovery of unpaid taxes is a court-ordered garnishee, which he described as “a long legal process that is almost never used.”

“Even in extreme cases where someone owes hundreds of millions and refuses to pay, the government cannot just wake up and remove money,” he said.

“They must assess you, notify you, allow objections, conclude the process, go to court, and get a judge’s order. Without that, nobody can touch your account.”

According to him, in nearly three decades of tax administration work, he has “never seen a single instance where money was removed from an account without due judicial process.”

He recalled the attempt under the former FIRS Chairman, Babatunde Fowler to impose post-no-debit orders on accounts suspected of tax evasion — a move that failed without recovering a single naira.

His words:“that process didn’t succeed, and it created unnecessary panic.Nobody is repeating that mistake.”

The tax reform chair warned that rumours could cause harmful panic withdrawals.

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“One thing that can damage the economy very quickly is people rushing to withdraw their money out of fear,” he cautioned.

“Nothing in the law authorises the government to debit accounts. Please help us educate others so we don’t create a problem where none exists.”

Oyedele maintained that the goal of the reform is to simplify compliance, expand the tax net, and reduce the burden on households and small businesses.

The Tax Reform Bills were signed into law on June 26,2025 by President Bola Tinubu.

They are the Nigeria Tax Act (NTA), The Nigeria Tax Administration Act (NTAA), The Nigeria Revenue Service Act (NRSA) and the Joint Revenue Board Act (JRBA), collectively referred to as “the Acts” hereafter).

The Acts comprehensively overhaul the Nigerian tax landscape to drive economic growth, increase revenue generation, improve the business environment and enhance effective tax administration across the different levels of government.

Highlights of the law include exemption of individuals earning NGN800,000 or less per annum from tax on their income and gains, while higher income earners will be taxed at a higher rate up to 25%.

It also increases the tax exemption threshold for compensation for loss of employment or injury from NGN10million to NGN50million.

There is also provision for the establishment of Tax Ombuds office to liaise with the tax authorities on behalf of taxpayers, and serve as an independent arbiter to review and resolve complaints relating to taxes, levies, duties or similar regulatory charges.
December 13, 2025
Frustration as skyrocketing air fares threaten Christmas travels
- Passengers weigh options; agents blame ‘Detty December’ factor
- FCCPC expands scope of probe into exploitative air fares
Christmas travel plans are changing in many homes as air fares continue to skyrocket beyond the capacity of hundreds of thousands of families.

Interventions by federal lawmakers and some government agencies to bring about some relief have been unsuccessful so far.

Only yesterday the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) announced that it was expanding the scope of existing investigation into pricing templates behind rates charged for tickets by some airlines on some domestic routes with a view to establishing possible violations of the provisions of the law.

While the current security challenge in parts of the country, the bad state of some highways, multiple security checkpoints, banditry and other encumbrances, may have rendered the road option largely unattractive for some, others are prepared to go by air whatever the cost , an investigation by The Nation has shown.

Although the astronomical increase in airfares cuts across routes, flights from Lagos and Abuja to the Southeast cities of Enugu, Owerri, Onitsha and Abakaliki as well as the South South cities of Benin, Asaba, Port Harcourt, Calabar and Uyo are attracting higher fares.

And this is despite the entry of new carriers like Pioneer Air, Enugu Air/Xejet Airlines, Binani Airlines, UMZA Airlines into the market.

One way tickets for some of the flights range between N300,000 and N600,000 as against the average of N150,000 or N250,000.

In effect, a family of five travelling from Lagos to Enugu will have to cough out N1.5m at an average cost of N300,000 per head.

Flight booking on the portal of one of the domestic airlines yesterday for a flight from Lagos to Asaba, the Delta State capital for today showed that there were no more seat available.

The only window to connect Asaba from Lagos on the said airline is only available on Tuesday, December 16, 2025 for a fare of N432, 700.

It is the same story for Lagos to Enugu flights for this weekend.

But seats are available for the Monday , December 15, 2025 flight at a cost of N430,700.

Lagos to Port Harcourt on the same date offers a fare structure of N430,700.

As at yesterday, bus fares from the Oshodi Transport Interchange in Lagos to the Southeast were less than N30,000 for trips proposed for this weekend.

Some passengers who trooped to the local terminal in Ikeja yesterday even considered engaging limousine cabs stations at the airport under fractional charter arrangements to ferry them to their destinations.

Airline officials, travel agents and destination management companies told our correspondent that demand for seats is largely dictated by market forces..

Group Managing Director of FinchGlow Holdings, Mr Bankole Bernard told The Nation that hope of a dip in airfares for now is unrealistic as passengers keep surging to airports for their end of year travels.

Bernard said business projections for ‘Detty December’ , have also occasioned distortions in pricing , not just for airfares, but have also had a debilitating effect on e- hailing rides, hotel booking, short letting facilities, prices for events, and other products and services associated with end of year celebrations.

Bernard,a former president of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) said high airfares stem from supply/demand imbalance, but are worsened by excessive government taxes, levies, and high operating costs (dollar-denominated expenses like fuel/lease).

All these, he said, are forcing airlines to prioritise “yield over volume,” meaning fewer seats sold at much higher prices to cover costs, not passenger comfort.

He asked government to cut charges and manage airports as businesses for lower fares.

While describing the fares as about the highest in recent years, he said multiple taxes and levies factored into passengers’ tickets by aviation agencies add up to the prohibitive charge regime.

He said ticket prices would remain steep “as long as demand keeps outrunning supply.”

According to him, the market would only stabilize when more routes and frequencies open up.

“With a ₦1,000 ticket, only ₦550 goes to the airline. The rest, almost half, is swallowed by charges from agencies. These are the real pressures driving fares,” he said.

Attempts by the Federal Government to engage airlines on the matter have not yielded the expected outcomes.

The House of Representatives has raised concerns about the skyrocketing cost of domestic air travel.

During Thursday’s plenary, the lower legislative chamber asked the federal government to cut aviation taxes by 50 percent to make flights more affordable for Nigerians during the yuletide.

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The House’s attention was drawn to what its members described as “exorbitant” airfares that have placed a heavy burden on families hoping to reunite during the festive period.

Members said Christmas, traditionally a season of joy and reconnection, now “looms under the weight of economic challenges” that have made travel increasingly prohibitive.

“The unprecedented rise in air travel costs is not a mere anomaly in the market. It poses a direct threat to the traditions that unite our society during this cherished festive season, they said.

Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo blamed the high airfares on aircraft scarcity and insufficient maintenance infrastructure.

Keyamo said the federal government has no power to regulate or cap airline ticket prices.

He highlighted that the industry has been fully deregulated since the Babangida era, giving private airlines the freedom to set their own prices without government intervention.

“The industry has long been deregulated. The moment the federal government under Babangida said private airlines could come in and fly, they deregulated in terms of pricing and all, just like a free market.

“And so the government has absolutely no powers to fix prices for private enterprise, including the aviation industry,” Keyamo said.

President of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Nigeria, Dr. Alex Nwuba, described the recent surge in domestic ticket prices as a recurring seasonal pattern.

He said fares typically rise sharply every December because many travellers book late, pushing prices into the highest fare brackets.

His words:“It’s not new. Every year, it’s the same. Prices go up at Christmas time. The forces of economics at play. It is a demand-driven price increase, and it is compensation for low fares during the low season.”

He explained that airline tickets are sold in a “bucket” system, where early buyers benefit from lower fares while prices rise as flights fill up.

With only about 0.02 percent of the population flying, he noted that the industry cannot achieve economies of scale, unlike Europe and the United States, where annual flight volumes exceed population sizes.

Additional factors, including limited aircraft capacity, a weakened naira over time, fuel costs approximately 17 percent above global rates, and multiple aviation charges, further drive up operating expenses for airlines, he noted.

Nwuba called for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s aviation system, including reforms to taxation and operational charges, to make flying more accessible and reduce steep fare spikes during peak periods.

FCCPC expands investigations

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) in a statement yesterday said it was expanding the scope of existing investigation into pricing templates behind rates charged for tickets by some airlines on some domestic routes with a view to establishing possible violations of the provisions of the law.

The ongoing investigation targets operators on the identified routes.

Earlier in the year, a major airline, Air Peace, instituted a court action seeking to restrain the Commission from examining its pricing mechanisms, following the commencement of an investigation into its pricing model after widespread complaints from members of the public.

However, the FCCPC said the ongoing inquiry is without prejudice to the case instituted against it by Air Peace.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we are not a price control board. But the FCCPA 2018 empowers us to check the exploitation of consumers,” FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Mr Tunji Bello, said.

He added: “When we receive petitions or where we find cogent evidence, we will not stand by and watch Nigerian consumers being exploited under any guise.”

The EVC/CEO emphasised that the Commission would not hesitate to act where evidence shows that consumer welfare or market competitiveness is being undermined.

Bus/car fares may rise too

Although road transport fares from Lagos to the Southeast and South South remained relatively stable yesterday,operators said the fares would go up as the festivity period draws nearer.

As at yesterday,bus fares from the Oshodi Transport Interchange in Lagos to the Southeast were less than N30,000 for trips proposed for this weekend.

An operator said by Thursday,December 18,the story would begin to change.

Transport fares within and outside Abia State have also remained relatively stable with

fare to and from Umuahia, the state capital and Aba, the commercial nerve of the state costing ₦1000-₦1,500.

Fare from Aba and Umuahia to Lagos and other parts of the country ranges between ₦30,000 and ₦50,000 or more, depending on the distance.
December 13, 2025
Alleged N150m extortion: Power Minister reports Lagos prophet to DSS
- Adelabu offered to give anything to become Oyo governor – Ayodele
The Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu, has petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS), accusing Primate Elijah Ayodele, founder of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Oke Afa, Lagos, of attempting to blackmail and extort N150 million from him under the guise of offering “spiritual intercession” to secure his emergence as governor of Oyo State.

Adelabu, a former governorship candidate who has already declared his interest in the 2027 Oyo governorship race, alleged that Ayodele resorted to malicious prophecies and character assassination after he declined the cleric’s overtures.

In the petition dated October 13, 2025, and signed by Bolaji Tunji, his Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Adelabu claimed that Ayodele persistently pressured him for a large sum of money and costly spiritual items, and, upon his refusal, embarked on a campaign of false prophecies aimed at tarnishing his image.

According to the aide, “Under this guise, he had on several occasions demanded huge sums of money and expensive spiritual items, cumulatively amounting to over N150 million, as purported prerequisites for divine favour.”

He, however, noted that the minister had consistently declined his requests, believing that his political ambition is driven by genuine service to the people and not by any spiritual manipulation or fetish practice.

Tunji said following Adelabu’s refusal to accede to his extortionate demands, Primate Ayodele has embarked on a campaign of malicious and false prophecies targeted at discrediting him publicly.

The letter stressed that the Primate has gone as far as declaring through various media channels that “God told him Adelabu will not win the election,” and has recently made more provocative and inciting statements suggesting that he would fail because of his association with the ‘Èmi Lòkan’ slogan (“It’s my turn”).

Being a minister, Adelabu, according to the petition, had previously chosen to ignore his antics to avoid unnecessary public confrontation with a religious figure.

The letter stressed that Primate Ayodele’s continued propagation of these false prophecies, which are evidently retaliatory and malicious in nature, now pose a threat not only to the Minister’s reputation but also to public order and confidence in the democratic process.

The letter read, “I write to formally draw the attention of the Department of State Services (DSS) to the extortive, deceitful, and inciting activities of one self-acclaimed pastor known as Primate Elijah Ayodele, of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, whose actions have become not only personally distressing to the Honourable Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, but also capable of disturbing public peace and undermining the integrity of the political process in Oyo State.

“Since his tenure as the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and particularly in the period leading up to his current aspiration to serve as the Governor of Oyo State, this individual had persistently approached him with unsolicited offers of “spiritual intercession” purportedly to guarantee electoral success.”

Continuing, Tunji said, ” I therefore urge the Department of State Services to kindly investigate the activities of the said Pastor Ayodele for extortion, blackmail, and deliberate dissemination of false and inciting information; compel him to retract his false prophecies and issue a formal written apology; and bring him under the force of the law, in accordance with relevant provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and Criminal Code, to deter similar fraudulent religious practices in future.

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“We are in possession of documentary evidence, including recordings and message exchanges, which clearly show his repeated demands for money and other items under the guise of spiritual assistance. We will willingly make these available to your office for the purpose of investigation.

“I trust that the DSS, as a key institution for national security and public integrity, will handle this matter with the urgency and seriousness it deserves.”

Reacting to Adelabu’s claims, Primate Ayodele, denied allegations that he attempted to extort N150 million from the minister of power, over the latter’s political ambitions, stressing that he only discussed the cost of the musical instruments after the minister inquired about them.

In a statement issued by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, Ayodele rejected the claims, saying Adelabu sought clarification on prices, and he merely advised that the minister send someone to the market to verify costs, alongside a representative from his own church.

He explained that he told Adelabu it would be difficult for him to secure the governorship ticket but suggested he could “seek the mercy of God” by purchasing the instruments, “not necessarily for my church,” he added.

Ayodele said, “I didn’t ask Bayo Adelabu to bring money for prayers. I told him to ask someone from his end to go to the market and find out how much the said trumpet cost, while someone follows them from my end too. His personal assistant, himself, and the person he sent to me put me under so much pressure because he was desperate for governorship.

“He was the one who sent someone to me to talk to me on his behalf. He went as far as saying he was willing to give anything to become the next governor of Oyo State, and the only thing I told him was to get the trumpets for his own good.

“I told him that they won’t want to give him the governorship ticket, but if he wants it so bad, he should seek the mercy of God by buying the musical instruments for God, not even for my church, but he said he can’t do it. That’s all.”

Ayodele added that he had long spoken publicly about the challenges facing Adelabu’s governorship ambition and maintained that his prophecies were unrelated to any disagreement over the instruments.

“I have been talking about how he won’t be made governor of Oyo State for years; this is why he called me to seek solutions. I have never spoken to him before till he sent people to me and personally requested my spiritual help,” he said.

”I don’t make prophecies to make money. I am blessed already, and my subsequent prophecies after our discussion about his ambition aren’t because he failed to buy the musical instrument. It can never be.”
December 13, 2025
Ship arrested by US for crude theft not Nigerian-flagged vessel – NIMASA

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has clarified that the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Skipper, recently intercepted by the United States Coast Guard and U.S. Navy, is not a Nigerian-flagged vessel and has no registered ownership ties to Nigeria.

The agency issued the clarification following media reports alleging that the vessel—identified by IMO Number 9304667—was Nigerian-owned and linked to crude oil theft and other transnational crimes.

In a statement signed by its Deputy Director and Head of Public Relations, Osagie Edward, NIMASA said that the arrested vessel is not registered under the Nigerian flag, and its purported owners, Thomarose Global Ventures Limited, are not listed with NIMASA as a Nigerian shipping company.

Data from NIMASA’s Command, Control, Communication, Computers and Intelligence (C4i) Centre showed that the vessel was last sighted in Nigerian waters on July 1, 2024.

After leaving Nigeria, the agency said the vessel followed an international sailing pattern, operating in the Arabian Sea before moving to the Caribbean region, where U.S. authorities eventually carried out the interdiction.

Records also showed that the vessel, formerly owned by Triton Navigation Corp, had undergone multiple name changes over time.

According to the NIMASA statement, “The attention of the Management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has been drawn to media reports stating that the United States Coast Guard, in collaboration with the U.S. Navy, intercepted a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Skipper with IMO Number 9304667, alleged to be Nigerian-owned and involved in crude oil theft and other transnational crimes.

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“An analysis of the vessel’s movement, monitored through the Agency’s Command, Control, Communication, Computers and Intelligence (C4i) Centre, shows that the vessel was last sighted in Nigerian waters on 1 July 2024.

“After departing Nigerian waters, the vessel continued on its international voyage pattern and was tracked operating in the Arabian Sea (Asia) and later in the Caribbean region, where the U.S. interdiction eventually took place.

NIMASA’s Director General, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, said the agency would continue to collaborate with international partners, including U.S. authorities, as investigations progress. He stressed that criminal activity would not be tolerated in Nigerian waters.

December 13, 2025
Bayelsa declares three days of mourning as Deputy Governor Ewhrudjakpo dies at 60

Bayelsa State Government on Friday confirmed the sudden death of Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, announcing a three-day period of state mourning in his honour.

According to an official statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, the 60-year-old deputy governor collapsed on his way to a scheduled meeting at Government House, Yenagoa, on Thursday and was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, where he was later pronounced dead.

“The Bayelsa State Government announces with deep regret and profound shock the sudden passing of the Deputy Governor, His Excellency, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, Ph.D, on Thursday, 11th December 2025,” the statement read. “He was active and carrying out official duties earlier in the day before he collapsed while proceeding to a meeting.”

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Governor Douye Diri declared a three-day state mourning, directing that all flags be flown at half-mast across the state. He described the deputy governor’s death as “a great loss to the Government and people of Bayelsa State and the nation.”

Diri extended condolences to Ewhrudjakpo’s wife, Beatrice, their children, the wider Ewhrudjakpo family, the Ofoni Federated Community, former Governor Henry Seriake Dickson, and all citizens of the state. He prayed for God’s comfort and strength for the bereaved family and the entire state.

Also mourning the departed, former Deputy Governor of Edo State and Director General of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Philip Shaibu, has expressed deep sadness over the sudden death of the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.

Shaibu described the late Ewhrudjakpo as a committed public servant who gave his best in every office he occupied.

December 13, 2025
Abba Kyari gets Feb 2026 judgement day

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday fixed February 26, 2026, for judgment in the case filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) against suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, and his two younger brothers.

The NDLEA is prosecuting Kyari, the former head of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), along with Mohammed Kyari and Ali Kyari, over allegations of non-disclosure of assets. The agency accused the defendants of failing to declare properties and funds under their ownership, including shopping malls, residential estates, a polo playground, land, and farmland located in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and Maiduguri, Borno State.

The anti-narcotics agency also claimed to have uncovered over N207 million and €17,598 in Kyari’s accounts with Guarantee Trust Bank, United Bank for Africa, and Sterling Bank. The charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/408/2022, includes allegations of “disguising ownership of properties and conversion of monies,” which the NDLEA said are punishable under Section 35(3)(a) of the NDLEA Act and Section 15(3)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.

All three defendants pleaded not guilty to the 23-count charge.

During proceedings, the prosecution, led by Sunday Joseph, called 10 witnesses and tendered at least 20 exhibits to substantiate its claims. Kyari, through his lawyer Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, initially filed a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution had failed to prove ownership of the alleged properties.

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However, on October 28, 2025, Justice James Omotosho dismissed the no-case submission, ruling that a prima facie case had been established and that the defence needed to clarify issues surrounding the assets.

Kyari opened his defence on November 4, maintaining that he had properly declared his assets and those of his wife in accordance with the law. He denied ownership of several properties cited by the NDLEA, explaining that some belonged to his late father, who had over 30 children, and rejecting claims that he owned the polo playground in Borno.

Kyari concluded his evidence on November 26, after being cross-examined by the NDLEA’s counsel. His brothers, Mohammed and Ali, opted not to call any witnesses, resting their defence on the prosecution’s case, through their lawyer Monjok Agom.

December 13, 2025
Alleged $1m theft: Jude Okoye’s wife owns 800,000 shares in company – witness

The trial of music executive Jude Okoye and his company, Northside Music Limited, continued on Thursday before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos.

Okoye is facing a four-count charge of theft filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which alleges that he diverted over $1 million into Northside Music Limited, a company said to be operated by him and his wife between 2016 and 2023. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

During the resumed hearing, the defence counsel, Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN), continued the cross-examination of Prosecution Witness 1 (PW1), Peter Okoye, confronting him with statements of account belonging to Northside Music Limited. The senior advocate read out several transactions listed in the bank records, including multiple payments allegedly made to Peter Okoye himself, his wife, and third-party beneficiaries.

Some of the transactions referenced include:

N2 million to Peter Okoye on December 23, 2012

N2 million to Peter Okoye on January 3, 2023

N1 million to Peter Okoye on January 12, 2023

N8 million to Travelling Better on January 23, 2023

N6.5 million to Peter Okoye on January 19, 2023

N2.5 million to Titilola (PW1’s wife) on January 23, 2023

Additional payments to both Peter Okoye and Travelling Better through December 2023

Responding, Peter Okoye told the court that the account in question belonged to their joint business interests. “This statement of account belongs to me and my brother,” he said. “We are P-Square. The company belongs to Peter and Paul. It was registered by him. I reported to the EFCC when I discovered funds were being diverted, and EFCC brought the matter to court.”

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He further revealed that he discovered another company, Northside Entertainment Ltd, which he alleged was also diverting funds belonging to the P-Square business. He stated that the defendant’s wife owns 800,000 shares in one of the companies under scrutiny.

The defence sought to tender documents attached to the original petition submitted to the EFCC, arguing that the documents were essential to their case. However, the prosecuting counsel, Bashir, objected, insisting the documents were public documents and that the defence had only provided stamped copies that did not meet the proper legal requirements for admissibility.

In a brief ruling, Justice Oshodi held that although the documents originated from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and later came into EFCC custody, they failed to satisfy admissibility standards.

“I reject the documents and mark them as rejected,” the judge ruled.

PW1 also confirmed that he wrote a statement to the EFCC after his lawyer submitted the petition.

Justice Oshodi adjourned the trial to February 20 and 27, 2026, for continuation.

December 13, 2025
Supreme Court affirms Maryam Sanda’s death sentence
- Says pardon can’t stop it from hearing pending appeal on capital offences
The Supreme Court has overridden the pardon granted by President Bola Tinubu to an Abuja-based house wife, Maryam Sanda, who was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging, in 2020, for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, during a domestic dispute.

President Tinubu had, in exercising the power of prerogative of mercy, reduced Sanda’s sentence to 12 years imprisonment.

In a judgment a on Friday, the Supreme Court, in a split decision of four-to-one, affirmed the death sentence handed Sanda by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT); in a judgment given on January 27, 2020, which was upheld by the Court of Appeal in a judgment handed out on December 4, 2020, which decision Sanda appeal to the Supreme Court.

The apex court, in its majority decision, resolved the three issues, identified by the court for determination, against Sanda and dismissed the appeal for being without merit.

The judgment was on the appeal, marked: SC/CR/1141/2023 filed by Sanda against the Court of Appeal judgment of December 4, 2020.

In the opening part of the lead majority judgment, Justice Moore Adumein held that it was wrong for the Executive to exercise its power of pardon over a case of culpable homicide, in respect of which an appeal was pending before the Supreme Court.

Justice Adumein quoted from past decisions of both the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal where the courts had deprecated the act of the Executive for granting pardon to a convict of a capital offence while an appeal against the conviction was still pending.

He held that the pardon granted Sanda did not take away the court’s jurisdiction to hear, determine the appeal.

Justice Adumein added: “By Section 233(2)(d) of the Constitution, the Supreme Court has jurisdiction to the exclusion of any other court, to hear and determine appeal from the Court of Appeal where, as in this case, a decision of a death sentence was affirmed.

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“I do not think that this jurisdiction can be affected by the grant of pardon by the Executive when an appeal against the death sentence is still pending in the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

“When an appeal against death sentence is pending, it is better and safer to delay granting amnesty or pardon to the convicted person.

“The grant of pardon during the pendency of appeal does not prevent the court from proceeding to determine the appeal on the merit,” he said.

In determining the appeal Justice Adumein faulted the appellant’s argument that the case ought to have be commenced by the prosecuting agency – the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) – through an information and not a charge.

He notes that by the provision of Section 100(d) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 a criminal proceeding could be initiated or commenced by information or charge filed in court by the prosecuting authority as in this case.

The judge said: “If one may ask, how was the appellant adversely affected or prejudiced by the prosecuting authority filing a charge instead of an information.

“The appellant has not been. Able to show that the decisions of the two courts below were perverse because the criminal case was commenced by a charge and not an information.”

Justice Adumein held that the Court of Appeal was right in affirming the January 27, 2020 judgment of the trial court because the prosecution effectively discharged the burden of proof placed on it by the law and established the appellant:s guilt.

He added:”What is obvious in this appeal is that both the trial court and the Court of Appeal made concurrent findings that the deceased was intentionally killed by the appellant, who had a premeditated plan to murder him.

“I agree with the respondent that this court has no reason to disturb the concurrent findings oftge two lower courts.”

The judge equally faulted the appellant’s argument that, in view of the provision of Section 221 of the Child Right Act 2003, the Court of Appeal was wrong to have affirmed the death sentence handed to the appellant by the trial court.

The appellant had, among others, argued that Section 221 of the Child Right Act 2003 precluded a trial court from sentencing a nursing mother to death if she was a nursing mother at the time of her conviction and sentencing.

The court held that beside the fact that the argument about the application of Section 221 of the Child Right Act 2003 was not made before the lower court, there was no evidence before the court at the time of her conviction sentence that she was either an expectant mother or a nursing mother.

He added: “The principal intendment of the Child Right Act 2003 is the protection of the rights of the Nigerian child as proclaimed in the preamble to the Act.

“It is clearly not the intention of the law makers that the Act be used as a legal shield preventing an expectant mother or nursing mother from criminal prosecution or criminal liability.

“Therefore, any purported non-compliance with the Section 221(2) of the Act, as alleged in this case, cannot be a tool for exculpating or exonerating a Nigerian mother from the consequences of committing a very serious offence such armed robbery, culpable homicide punishable with death or murder.

“Put differently, the provision of Section 221(2) of the Child Right Act 2003 should not be interpreted in such a way that it can be used by a certain class of people in Nigeria as a sword or tool to commit grievous crimes and be automatically exonerated after a valid trial and conviction.

“An interpretation of Section 221(2) of the Act that will give such class of people the entitlement to kill without penal consequences will be very dangerous or hazardous to the whole society.

“I am of the view that by Section 221(2) of the Act, it cannot be the honest intention of the law makers that death penalty cannot and must not recorded against a nursing mother, validly tried and convicted for serious crimes such as armed robbery, culpable homicide and murder.

“The appellant was found guilty of culpable homicide punishable with death under Section 221 of the Penal Code law, and based on the numerous authorities of this court, which I have cited in this judgment, the trial court was right to have entered a sentence of death against the appellant.

“Having resolved all the issues raised in this appeal against the appellant, this appeal is bereft of any merit and it is hereby dismissed,” Justice Adumein said.

He then affirmed the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which upheld the decision of the trial court.

Justices Uwani Abba-Aji, Ibrahim Saulawa and Chidiebere Uwa agreed with the lead majority judgment, while Justice Emmanuel Agim dissented.

In his dissenting judgment, Justice Agim allowed the appeal and set aside Sanda’s conviction and sentence.
December 13, 2025
Dangote slashes ex-depot petrol price from N828 to N699/litre

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery on Thursday reduced the ex-gantry price of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) to N699 per litre, representing a N129 cut from the previous price of N828.

Sources within the refinery confirmed the adjustment, noting that the new price brings petrol closer to its ex-depot value from about two years ago.

“The refinery reduced its petrol price to N699 per litre,” one source said.

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The price slash was reportedly introduced to help ease transportation costs ahead of the Christmas season, a period when millions of Nigerians embark on interstate travel to reunite with their families.

With the refinery expanding its distribution network nationwide, independent marketers are now able to purchase directly, enabling faster pricing adjustments and wider market penetration. The refinery considers the latest reduction both an economic intervention and a social initiative aimed at cushioning the financial burden on citizens.

December 13, 2025