Tag: Court

Stakeholders from Amankpaka community, Ugwuogo Nike, Enugu East local government Area, Enugu State have declared that the recent judgement of the Enugu State High Court saved them from avoidable crisis.

They were reacting to the appellate judgement of the court in suit No. CME/288/2021 between Chief Festus Oguegbe v. Hon. Gab Onu & 5Ors.

The matter was a dispute between the Chief Festus Oguegbe Anieto and Hon. Gab Onu & 5Or on perpetuation of Hon Gab Onu on the community’s power of Attorney.

An Enugu magistrate court in Enugu South magisterial district presided over by Hon. I.M. Mamah had earlier tried the matter and dismissed it on what he called lack of locus by the plaintiff.

It resulted in an appeal by Chief Oguegbe to the Enugu State High Court which had an appellate jurisdiction on the matter.

The appellant, who is the General Secretary of Amankpaka community Ugwogo Nike General Assembly, had sought at the trial court the following reliefs against the defendants/respondents:  “A declaration that the purported move by the defendants to constitute by themselves, agents, privies by proxy a new and fresh Members of Amankpaka Community Power of Attorney without recourse to the Elders in Council and the General Assembly of Amankpaka as required by the Constitution of Amankpaka is unlawful.

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“An order of perpetual Injunction restraining the defendants by themselves, privies, Agents and or by any person(s) acting on their behalf from constituting a fresh and or new members of power of Attorney in Amankpaka Community against the provisions of the Constitution of Amankpaka Community, and

“An order of this honourable court directing the defendants to respect and give effect to the tenet and the provisions of the Constitution of Amankpaka Community Ugwuogo Nike in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, more particularly, as it relates to the appointment and reconstitution of the new and fresh members of Amankpaka Community Power of Attorney.”

However, the High Court of Enugu State, presided by Hon. Justice R. N. Orji after hearing the appeal, set aside the judgment of the trial court which it categorically stated had no jurisdiction to hear the matter “abinitio”.

In the court judgement delivered on the 23rd day of June, 2025, the court granted all the reliefs sought by the plaintiff/appellant, asking the respondent to abide by the dictates of the law.

Speaking on the victory, David Chibuzo Ugwuede, who spoke on behalf of the community leaders, applauded the decision of the High court for saving the community from an unconstitutional and legal emasculation that would have plunged the community into crisis.

He said, “There’s a ray of light and hope coming into the community and the people are hopeful that there’s going to be a light at the end of the tunnel.”

An Ikeja Chief Magistrates ‘ Court on Friday remanded a 44 – year- old man, Temple Ononogbo, to Kirikiri Correctional Center  for allegedly defiling his 11- year-old niece.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs O. O. Kushanu refused to listen to the defendant’s plea.

She ordered him to be remanded in Kirikiri Correctional Center until Sept. 11 for Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) advice.

The defendant, a trader, who resides at 7, Olubisi Close, Ejigbo, Lagos is being tried for defilement and sexual assault.

The Prosecutor, ASP Adegoke Ademigbuji, told the court that the offences were committed between 2024 and April 2025 at the defendant’s residence.

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Ademigbuji said that the defendant had been sexually molesting the victim since she has been living with him.

The prosecutor said that one of the neighbours who always noticed the victim’s countenance anytime she was going to school, decided to have a conversation with her.

The prosecutor said that the victim opened up and it led to the defendant’s arrest.

The offences according to the prosecutor contravened Sections 137 and 261 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

(NAN)

A Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled a hearing for September 22 in a suit seeking to clarify issues around the question of who the authentic National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is.

Justice Mohammed Umar chose the date on Thursday following a letter from the National Vice Chairman, PDP South-East, Ali Odefa, for an adjournment.

The suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/254/2025 was filed by Senator Samuel Anyanwu.

After taking arguments from lawyers representing parties in the suit, the then-trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, fixed judgment for March 25.

Before the judgment could be delivered, Anyanwu brought an application seeking to amend the suit to correct the issues for determination.

Justice Ekwo then adjourned till May 19 for the hearing of Anyanwu’s fresh motion for amendment and also granted the request to add additional parties to the suit.

The judge joined the PDP and Udeh Okoye, the National Vice Chairman, Odefa and Deputy National Secretary of the party, Setonji Koshoedo as third to sixth defendants.

The case was later transferred to Justice Umar for determination.

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When the case was called on Thursday, the lawyer to the plaintiff, Mrs. U. C. Njemanze-Aku, said that although the case was slated for mention, his client received a letter from the fifth defendant requesting that the case be adjourned till September.

Njemanze-Aku said that while she is not against the request for adjournment, she would prefer a shorter date.

Akintoye Balogun, Paul Harris Ogbole (SAN), Paul Erokoro (SAN) and J. C. Alum, who represented the other respondents, agreed with Njemanze-Aku’s position.

Erokoro, however, informed the court that the issue currently before the court had been resolved in an earlier judgment by the Supreme Court.

He said the Supreme Court, in the said judgment, held, among others, that the subject matter of the case relates to issues within the internal affairs of political parties.

Erokoro said he would be bringing an application wherein he intends to attach the judgment of the Supreme Court.

Justice Umar subsequently directed all parties to file their response to Anyanwu’s motion for amendment.

The judge said the motion and all objections would be heard on September 22.

An Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court on Thursday remanded a 27-year-old teacher, Wisdom Anokwuru, in Kirikiri Correctional Centre over alleged sexual assault on two  pupils.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs O.O Kushanu, who did not take Anokwuru’s plea, ordered that the file should be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice.

Kushanu adjourned the case until Sept. 15 for mention.

The defendant, who resides at No. 5, Goodluck Avenue, Ibaranje, Ikotun, Lagos, is facing a charge of sexual assault.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, ASP Adegoke Ademigbuji, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on June 17 at a private school in Ikotun, Lagos.

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Ademigbuji said that the defendant took the girls, both 8-year-old  to the school library and touched their private parts.

He said that the defendant also showed the girls a porn video on his phone.

Ademigbuji said the girls later informed the school administrator and the defendant was subsequently arrested.

The  prosecutor said offences contravened Sections 135 and 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.(NAN)

Justice Akintayo Aluko of  Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday granted leave to Growthprenure Azeez Amida to serve court processes on three foreign entities in a disputed management buyout (MBO) transaction.

The ruling followed an ex-parte application filed by Amida’s counsel, Prof. Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), seeking permission to issue and serve originating processes and other legal documents on the third to fifth defendants—Development Partners International LLP, African Development Partners III LP, and Pat Holding—all located outside Nigeria.

According to the application, the defendants are on the second floor of Jubilee House, 2, Jubilee Place, London, SW3 3TQ, UK; fourth floor of Plaza House in Admiral Park, St. Peter Port, Guernsey, GY1 4BF, and 1, Bartholomew Lane, London, EC2N 2AX, UK.

Amida also sought leave to serve the processes via airmail or internationally recognised courier services, which he argued is proper and lawful under Nigerian law.

At the hearing, Bolu Akadri of Pinheiro LP moved the motion and urged the court to grant leave to issue and serve the processes outside Nigeria.

He relied on Order 6 Rules 14, 15, and 22 of Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules and supported his arguments with a proposed writ of summons and statement of claim attached as Exhibit A.

Justice Aluko held that he was satisfied with the propriety of the application and accordingly granted the reliefs in full.

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The court ruled that the defendants must enter an appearance in 45 days of being served and that the processes must be properly endorsed for service outside jurisdiction, in accordance with Order 6 Rule 15.

In an affidavit supporting the motion, Amida said the dispute stems from a Management Buyout Transaction (MBT) negotiated with first to fourth defendants—Verod Capital Management, Verod Capital Growth Fund III LP, Development Partners International LLP, and African Development Partners III LP.

He said he had a strong cause and that the foreign defendants were necessary parties.

He argued that because the offices of the third to fifth defendants are outside the court’s  jurisdiction, leave of court was mandatory under Sheriff and Civil Process Act.

He urged the court to exercise its discretion in his favour, submitting that the application was meritorious, in the interest of justice, and would not prejudice the defendants.