Judiciary - Abia ThinkTank News

Jan

28

2026

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By Abia ThinkTank

Man Chooses 1-Year Imprisonment Instead Of Refunding N1.5 Billion Mistakenly Paid Into His Account

CBN/Commercial Banking, Crime, Judiciary, News Flash

Man Chooses 1-Year Imprisonment Instead Of Refunding ₦1.5 Billion Mistakenly Paid Into His Account A Nigerian man has sparked widespread reactions online after reportedly choosing to serve a one-year jail term rather than refund ₦1.5 billion mistakenly credited to his First Bank account. The incident was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by user @arhermadd, who identified the man as Ogo Ehosa Kingsley. According to the post, Kingsley allegedly diverted the funds for personal use after the erroneous credit hit his account between June and November 2025. The matter was taken up by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which…

Jan

22

2026

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By Abia ThinkTank

Akpabio Drags Natasha To Supreme Court Over Senate Suspension Row

Judiciary, National Assembly, News Flash

Akpabio Drags Natasha To Supreme Court Over Senate Suspension Row The legal battle over the suspension of the senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has escalated as the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has again approached the Supreme Court. Court documents sighted on Thursday showed that Akpabio filed an application before the apex court to regularise and sustain his appeal challenging decisions of the lower courts on the matter. The documents are marked SC NO: SC/CV/1111/2025. Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CV/1107/2025. Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025. It partly read, “Motion on Notice brought pursuant to Order 4 Rules 6 & 16 of the Supreme Court…

Jan

16

2026

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By Abia ThinkTank

Rivers Assembly Urges Chief Judge To Begin Impeachment Probe Against Fubara, Deputy

House Of Assembly, Judiciary, News Flash, Politics

Rivers Assembly Urges Chief Judge To Begin Impeachment Probe Against Fubara, Deputy Rivers State House of Assembly on Friday called on the Chief Judge of the state to set up panel to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu. The assembly members, who made the call through a unanimous vote, vowed to continue with the impeachment process. The lawmakers had earlier addressed a live press conference in Port Harcourt where they accused Fubara of allegedly using blackmail. Addressing journalists, the Deputy Speaker, Dumle Maol,said Fubara lacked the trust needed to address the…

Jan

16

2026

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By Abia ThinkTank

Supreme Court Reverses Ex-Jigawa Governor Lamido’s Acquittal In N1.35bn Fraud Trial

Crime, Economy, Judiciary

Supreme Court Reverses Ex-Jigawa Governor Lamido’s Acquittal In N1.35bn Fraud Trial The Supreme Court has set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal that discharged former Jigawa State governor Sule Lamido and his sons, Mustapha and Aminu, of money laundering charges. A five‑member panel of the Supreme Court handed down the decision in a unanimous judgment delivered on Friday in separate appeals filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). In the lead judgment read by a member of the panel, Abubakar Umar, the Supreme Court set aside the 25 July 2023 rulings of the Court of Appeal…

Dec

19

2025

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By Abia ThinkTank

Courts, Criticism, And Accountability In Abia: Defending Democracy, Not Silencing It – By Prof Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke

Abia State, Columns/Opinions/Letters, Good Governance, Judiciary, Politics

COURTS, CRITICISM, AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN ABIA: DEFENDING DEMOCRACY, NOT SILENCING IT In every constitutional democracy, courts exist to protect rights, restrain excesses, and provide neutral forums for resolving disputes. When citizens ask hard questions about governance, they should never face intimidation—but equally, public office holders have every right to protect their reputations under the law when falsehoods cross into defamation. In Abia State, the recent N100bn defamation suit filed by Governor Alex Chioma Otti does not signal a crackdown on dissent; it underscores a deeper, under-reported truth: democracy requires both scrutiny and restraint. On December 18, 2025, a Federal Capital…

Dec

18

2025

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By Abia ThinkTank

Doris Ogala Serves Pastor Okafor N1 Billion Notice For ‘Dumping’ Her, Marrying Another Lady

Judiciary, Love & Life, Marriage And Love, News Flash

Doris Ogala Serves Pastor Okafor N1 Billion Notice For ‘Dumping’ Her, Marrying Another Lady Actress Doris Ogala has issued a formal legal demand to the founder of the Mountain of Liberation and Miracle Ministry, Chris Okafor, giving the cleric 21 days to pay ₦1 billion or face legal action over what her lawyers describe as a botched marriage claim following the end of an alleged nine-year relationship. The demand comes days after Mr Okafor married another woman, despite Ms Ogala’s earlier public claims that the pastor had promised to marry her. Acting through her lawyer, Nzeakor Atulomah of Synergy Law…

Dec

15

2025

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By Abia ThinkTank

Supreme Court Affirms President’s Power To Declare State Of Emergency Rule, Suspend Elected Officials

Abuja, Judiciary, Politics

Supreme Court Affirms President’s Power To Declare Emergency Rule, Suspend Elected Officials The Supreme Court has upheld the President’s power to declare a state of emergency in any state to prevent a breakdown of law and order or a descent into chaos or anarchy. The apex court, in a split decision of six-to-one on Monday, held that the President, during a state of emergency, can suspend elected officials, but that such suspensions must be for a limited period. Justice Mohammed Idris held, in the lead majority judgment, that Section 305 of the Constitution empowers the President to deploy extraordinary measures…

Dec

06

2025

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By Abia ThinkTank

Akpabio Slams Fresh N200 Billion Lawsuit On Senator Natasha

Judiciary, National Assembly, News Flash

Akpabio Slams Fresh N200 Billion Lawsuit On Senator Natasha Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has filed a new N200 billion defamation lawsuit against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, over alleged defamation. Natasha, in a Facebook post on Friday, confirmed receiving notice of the suit. She said the development offers her an opportunity to present her account after the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges previously declined to hear her She alleged that the committee based its decision on an existing defamation case filed against her by Akpabio’s wife, which it said prevented it from addressing a matter already before…

Nov

30

2025

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By Abia ThinkTank

WHEN COURT LOSES ITS TEXT: How Citizens Must Critique A Questionable Judgement In A Constitutional Democracy- By Prof Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke

Columns/Opinions/Letters, Judiciary

*WHEN A COURT LOSES ITS TEXT: How Citizens Must Critique a Questionable Judgment in a Constitutional Democracy* AProf. Chukwuemeka Ifegwu EkeUniversity of Abuja A New Frontier: Critiquing the Judiciary, Not the Government A number of respected readers raised profound concerns after my earlier essay on critiquing government. Their central question was simple but weighty: How do we critique a court that is constitutionally assumed to be competent? This question deserves its own full treatment, not as an appendix to the earlier essay but as a necessary continuation of it. Critiquing the judiciary is not sedition; it is a constitutional duty.…

Nov

25

2025

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By Abia ThinkTank

UK Rejects Nigeria’s Request To Transfer Ekweremadu

Foreign Affairs, Judiciary, Politics

UK Rejects Nigeria’s Request To Transfer Ekweremadu The British Government has turned down a request by Nigeria to deport former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who is serving a prison term in the United Kingdom for organ trafficking, The Guardian UK reports on Monday. Ekweremadu, 63, was jailed for nine years and eight months in 2023 after a UK court found him, his wife, Beatrice, and a medical doctor, Obinna Obeta, guilty of conspiring to exploit a young Nigerian man for his kidney. The kidney was intended for their daughter, Sonia, in a private London hospital. According to The Guardian,…