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LG Autonomy: Apex Court gives Govs one week ultimatum to respond to FG’s suit
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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Supreme Court, on Thursday, ordered the Governors of the 36 States of the Federation, to within seven days, enter their defence to the suit the Federal Government filed to secure full autonomy for the 774 Local Government Areas, LGAs.
The order followed an application that FG, through the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, for accelerated hearing of the matter and for the abridgment of the time allowed for all state governors to file their response to the suit.
In its ruling, a seven-man panel of the apex court led by Justice Garba Lawal, said the AGF should upon receipt of the processes containing defence of the governors, respond to it within two days.
The panel fixed June 13 to commence full-blown hearing of the matter.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the body of Attorneys General of the States, Mr. Ben Odoh, who is the Attorney General of Ebonyi State, was present during the proceeding.
Mr. Odoh told the apex court that he was not opposed to the request for the abridgment of the hearing date.
However, he requested for the respondents to be allowed to file their defence to the matter, within 15 days.
While declining to extend the time for the respondents, Justice Lawal said the decision of the apex court was hinged on the fact that the matter is of utmost national importance as well as the urgency of the case.
The court directed that filing of all processes and exchanging of same must be completed before the next adjourned date.
Those that had no legal representation even though they were served with the hearing notice, were the Attorneys General of Borno, Kano, Kogi, Niger, Ogun, Osun , Oyo and Sokoto states.
The Justice Lawal-led panel orders that they should be served with a fresh hearing notice to enable them to attend the next sitting.
FG had in the suit marked SC/CV/343/2024, prayed the Supreme Court to okay full autonomy for all the LGAs in the country as the third tier of government.
It prayed the court to issue an order, prohibiting state governors from embarking on unilateral, arbitrary and unlawful dissolution of democratically elected local government leaders.
As well as for an order permitting the funds standing in the credits of local governments to be directly channeled to them from the Federation Account in line with the provisions of the Constitution as against the alleged unlawful joint accounts created by governors.
Besides, FG, prayed the Supreme Court for an order, stopping governors from further constituting Caretaker Committees to run the affairs of local governments as against the Constitutionally recognized and guaranteed democratic system.
It equally applied for an order of injunction, restraining the governors, their agents and privies, from receiving, spending or tampering with funds released from the Federation Account for the benefits of local governments when no democratically elected local government system is put in place in the states.
Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have arrested 22 suspects and rescued two minors during an intelligence-led raid on suspected illicit drug dens and criminal hideouts in Ozoro and Abraka communities.
The operation, carried out on July 21, was part of the command’s ongoing campaign against illicit drug trafficking and related crimes across the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement released on Thursday, saying the operation was led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Department of Operations.
Edafe said, “On 21st July 2026, at about 1500 hours, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Department of Operations, led operatives of the Command on a coordinated raid of identified illicit drug dens and criminal hideouts at Ofagbe Community, Ozoro, Ekrejeta, and the NUT Area, Abraka, following credible intelligence.
“The operation led to the arrest of 22 suspects, comprising 19 males and three females, for offences relating to the sale, possession, and distribution of illicit drugs.
“During the operation, operatives also rescued two minors who were found in a suspected drug den allegedly operated by their father.
“The children have been taken into protective custody. They will be handed over to the Delta State Ministry of Women Affairs for appropriate care and safeguarding, while investigations into the activities of the suspects are ongoing.”
Reacting to the operation, the Commissioner of Police, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, described the discovery of minors in a suspected drug environment as “deeply disturbing.”
He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks and protecting vulnerable persons.
The commissioner also urged parents, guardians and community leaders to continue supporting the police with useful information, assuring residents that “the Command will sustain intelligence-led operations to rid Delta State of illicit drug activities and other forms of criminality.”
On July 10, the Yobe State Police Command arrested 14 suspected drug dealers during a coordinated raid on criminal hideouts and drug joints in Jakusko Local Government Area of the state.
The officers also recovered over 300 sachets and packages of suspected illicit drugs, including Tramadol, Vega tablets, Indian hemp and other prohibited.
Abia State Police Command has began investigation to uncover the root cause of the death of five persons from a single family, who were discovered dead in their family house at Umuimo, Osisioma Ngwa local government area of the State on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
Decomposing corpses of the five Umuimo residents were discovered by their neighbors and other community members, about three days after they had retired to bed.
It was gathered that the father of the House, late Mr. Kachi Nnabugwu, his wife, Mrs. Chinaza Nnabugwu and their three little children could not come out of their house since Sunday, a situation that made the neighbors to force their locked house open after repeated knocking, only for the five family members to be found dead.
Containers of left over food and a generator set were reportedly found in the building, after the house had been broken open.
The bodies of the victims were on Wednesday evacuated from the compound and taken to the mortuary, even as residents of the area demanded a government thorough investigation to determine the actual cause of their death.
Contacted on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO of Abia State Police Command, DSP Maureen Chinaka confirmed the incident, saying that investigation had commenced.
“Yes, the attention of the Osisioma Divisional Police Headquarters was drawn to the incident on 22/07/2026 by the brother of the deceased who reported that after being unable to reach Kachi Nnabugwu, they proceeded to his residence at Umuimo Village, Osisioma LGA.
“Upon arrival, repeated knocks yielded no response. They subsequently forced entry into the house, where they discovered the lifeless and decomposing bodies of their brother and his family.
“The crime scene has been visited. A preliminary visual inspection of the bodies was conducted, and photographs taken.
The corpses have been deposited at the morgue for preservation and autopsy,” DSP Chinaka said.
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu(first right) decorating Dr. Hycinth Azuka Edozie with his new rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police. Mr. Chidi Dozie is helping the IGP in the task.
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