News
Court remands activist lawyer Dele Farotimi in prison, postpones bail hearing
A Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, Wednesday, remanded a lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi, in prison over alleged defamation of Afe Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and founder of Afe Babalola University Ado Ekiti (ABUAD).
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the police invaded Mr Farotimi’s office in Lekki, Lagos, on Tuesday to arrest him and take him to Ado Ekiti, following Mr Babalola’s petition.
Mr Babalola alleged in his petition that Mr Farotimi defamed him in his book, ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’.
The book, according to the prosecution, alleged that Mr Babalola corrupted the Supreme Court to procure a fraudulent judgment in the service of his clients.
The defendant pleaded not guilty Wednesday to the 16 counts preferred against him by the police.
The trial chief magistrate, Abayomi Adeosun, ordered that the defendant be remanded in the Ado Ekiti correctional centre for him to file a formal bail application.
He adjourned the case till Tuesday, 10 December, for the court to hear the bail application.
The prosecution, Samson Otsubu, had asked the court to remand Mr Farotimi in prison, while investigations continued.
He said Mr Farotimi’s co-conspirators are still at large and the published books are still in circulation.
“The Supreme Court judges mentioned in the book are yet to be investigated. To avoid threat to national security, we want to humbly say that the defendant be kept at Ado Ekiti correctional center pending the conclusion of the investigation,” the prosecutor said.
Defence lawyer Peter Akeredolu, leading three others, made an oral application for the defendant’s bail on Wednesday.
Mr Akeredolu said the alleged offences in the case are bailable.
“We are in this court when the charges were read and none of the charges is linked to capital offence which is not bailable. Chapter 35 of the 1999 constitution as amended guarantees the liberty of the people. This application is premised on the fact that an accused is presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
“The court should admit the defendant to bail on very liberal terms especially on self-recognisance. The man in the dock is a lawyer of 25 years standing. We pray the honourable court to grant him bail on self recognisance. There are three health challenges the defendant is currently managing.”
But ruling, the magistrate said he could not grant bail to the defendant based on an oral application.
“Enough materials have not been brought to the court to enable me to exercise my discretion. It is not enough to cite a plethora of cases like the defendant counsel have done,” the magistrate ruled.
The 2026 UTME, which began on April 16, is expected to continue until April 22 across examination centres nationwide.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on Friday announced that it had released the results of 632,788 candidates who sat for the first day of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
A statement by the JAMB spokesperson Fabian Benjamin noted that the results of candidates who sat the 2026 UTME on Thursday, 16 April 2026, have been released and are now available for viewing.
To check their results, he advised candidates to send UTMERESULT via SMS to 55019 or 66019, using the same phone number (SIM) used during registration.
He, however, said that at this stage, candidates may view their results only; printing is not yet available.
The 2026 UTME, which began on April 16, is expected to continue until April 22 across examination centres nationwide.
How To Print Your Official Result Slip
The result slip carries the candidate’s passport photograph, full scores, and details required for admission processing.
It will be made available for printing on JAMB’s e-Facility portal at efacility.jamb.gov.ng and attracts a fee of N1,500.
Once activated, candidates should follow the steps below.
– Visit efacility.jamb.gov.ng.
– Log in with your registered email address and password.
– On your dashboard, click Print Result Slip.
– Click Continue with Payment and pay the N1,500 fee.
– Select 2026 as the examination year and enter your JAMB registration number.
– Download and print the result slip.
Check Your Score Via SMS
– Make sure you have at least N50 airtime on the phone number linked to your JAMB registration.
– Send UTMERESULT to 55019.
– Your score will be delivered to you via SMS.
Other Tips
– If you have forgotten your password or email address, use the Forgot Password option on the portal or visit a JAMB office with your registration details.
– Keep multiple printed copies of your result slip, as institutions typically request it during screening and admission.
– Use only JAMB’s official websites — efacility.jamb.gov.ng or portal.jamb.gov.ng to avoid scams.
JAMB Cautioned Against Manipulation
Candidates were strongly cautioned against manipulating the SMS received from the official platform (55019/66019) to fabricate or alter scores with the intent to mislead others, including parents.
“Such actions constitute a serious criminal offence. The Board treats such misconduct with the utmost gravity.”
“Currently, two candidates and one parent are in custody for engaging in result falsification using AI and other electronic means. Any candidate found culpable will face the full consequences of the law”, JAMB warned.
The examination is ongoing, and results will continue to be released as they become available.
Troops of Operation Enduring Peace have arrested nine suspected Berom militia members responsible for targeted killings, and recovered arms and ammunition following an operation in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.
This followed the ongoing security concerns linked to recurring attacks and cycles of violence in the area.
A counter-insurgency and security expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed this in a post on X.
He stated that the suspects were arrested at about 0135 hours on April 18, 2026, when troops deployed at Ganawuri responded to reports of suspected criminal movement towards the Danwal general area.
He said that troops intercepted and arrested the suspects, who were found with blood stains on their bodies, raising suspicion of recent involvement in silent killings.
According to him, those arrested were identified as Gyang Dantoro, Samson Davou, Choji Yakubu, Vincent Adamu, Pam Dalyop, Femi Badung, Jacob Musa and Choji Chaga, all residents of Danwal and reportedly of Berom extraction.
Items recovered from them include three motorcycles, one pistol, one submachine gun, one locally made revolver rifle, 20 rounds of pistol ammunition, and one locally fabricated rifle, among other items,” he said.
Fear in the Middle East as Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, accusing the United States of violating prior understandings amid an ongoing naval blockade.
In a statement on Saturday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared that control of the strategic waterway had “returned to its previous state,” citing continued US restrictions on Iranian ports as justification for the move.
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital global transit route, is a chokepoint through which a significant share of the world’s crude oil passes daily. Any disruption is expected to send immediate shockwaves through global energy markets.
Reacting to the development, US President Donald Trump insisted that Washington would not back down, stating that the naval blockade “will remain in full force” until “our transaction with Iran is 100% complete.”
He did not elaborate on the specifics of the “transaction.”
Earlier, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had offered a contrasting position, saying the strait remained “completely open” to commercial vessels.
He emphasized that maritime activities were proceeding “in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon” and along “the coordinated route as already announced.”
The conflicting statements have added to confusion over the actual status of the waterway, with shipping companies and global observers scrambling to assess risks in real time.
Meanwhile, President Trump also disclosed that Israel had been “prohibited” from launching further strikes on Lebanon, as a fragile 10-day ceasefire entered its first full day.
The pause in hostilities has allowed tens of thousands of displaced civilians to begin returning to their homes after weeks of intense Israeli bombardment.
The situation remains fluid, with fears mounting that any miscalculation in the Gulf could trigger a wider regional confrontation.
Observers say the coming hours will be critical in determining whether diplomatic channels can ease tensions or if the standoff will deepen further.
JAMB: See How To Check, Print 2026 UTME Result Slip
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