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Court asked to stop Tinubu, NASS from sacking Danladi Umar as CCT chair
A Federal High Court in Abuja has been asked to restrain President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and others from using the police, Department of State Service, DSS, to stop officials of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, including its chairman, Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar, from performing their official functions.
The police, DSS and others taking instructions from Tinubu as Commander-In-Chief were asked to be barred from inviting, intimidating, investigating or otherwise in any other manner whatsoever subjecting officials of the CCT including Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar to their operations, pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice.
The ex-parte application is a follow up to a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1796/2024
brought before the court by two groups and an Abuja based lawyer, challenging the legality or otherwise of the move to remove Justice Umar as CCT chairman without following due process of law.
The applicants are Community Rescue Initiative, Toro Concemed Citizens & Relief Foundation and Barrister Nasiru Bala.
The defendants are the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Attorney-General of the Federation, President of the Senate, the Senate, House of Reps Speaker, House of Representatives, NASS Clerk, National Judicial Council, NJC, Federal Judicial Service Commission, FJSC), Dr. Mainasara Umar Kogo and Abdullahi Usman Bello as 1st to 11th defendants, respectively.
In the ex-parte application filed on their behalf, they asked the Federal High Court for an order of interim injunction restraining the National Judicial Council, NJC, and the Federal Judicial Service Commission, FJSC, from taking any step to swear-in Dr Mainasara Umar Kogo as Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The applicants also sought an order
restraining Mainasara Umar Kogo from parading himself or doing anything as the chairman of the CCT or otherwise frustrating, obstructing or hindering the smooth administration as well as discharging the functions of the CCT along with its officials including Justice Umar pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
Besides, they want the court to restrain the defendants from recognizing or in any manner whatsoever dealing with Kogo as the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The ex-parte application was predicated on 14 grounds among which are that the substantive suit revolves around the purported removal of the chairman of the CCT being substantively occupied by Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar.
“Being a person substantively occupying the office of the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, the stake, interest and concern of the said Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar is directly in issue in the substantive suit pending before this Honourable Court along all the interlocutory processes filed by the Plaintiffs/Applicants.
“The Plaintiffs have filed an Originating Summons before this Hon. Court on the 28 November, 2024 seeking in the main a resolution of the validity or legality of the proceedings of the 4th and 6th Defendants conducted on the 20th, 26th November, 2024 and such other dates relating to the matter purportedly removing Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar as the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
“The 1st Defendant has earlier on announced, through separate press releases, the appointment of the 10th and 11th Defendants as Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal which office is being substantively occupied by Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar.
“The Plaintiffs have earlier on filed an ex-parte application along with the Motion on Notice counterpart on the 28 November, 2024 wherein they pray for, among other reliefs, an order of this Honourable Court maintaining status-quo between the parties as at 20% November, 2024.
“The Plaintiffs prayer for an order of the Honourable Court maintaining status-quo between the parties in this suit as at 20th November, 2024 as contained on the face of its ex-parte application filed on 28th November, 2024 has been withdrawn and struck-out at its proceedings of 12 December, 2024 leaving the one on the Motion on Notice component pending and served on all the Defendants/Respondents.
“It is also while this matter is pending that the 1st Defendant through the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, issued another letter with Ref. No.: SGF. 19/S.24/C.1/T/177 dated 6th January, 2025 purportedly disengaging Hon. Yakubu Danladi Umar as Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal with effect from 26* November, 2024 following the resolution of the 4th and 6th Defendants.
“The 10th Defendant is now parading himself as and laying claim to the office of the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal relying on the letter issued to him during the pendency of this action and notwithstanding the fact that he has not been sworn-in by the concerned authorities, has been going to the office of the Code of Conduct situate at Jabi, FCT — Abuja and conducting himself in such a manner that has been frustrating, obstructing and hindering the smooth functions of the Tribunal and its officials including the said Hon. Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar.
“The circumstances of this application as its relates to the substantive suit and the attendant extreme urgency it carries is such that it calls for the invocation of the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court along with the powers, authority and force therein contained to hear and grant this application in the overall interest of justice.
“There is serious need to grant the application pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice in the interest of justice,” parts of the originating summons.
The three plaintiffs are praying the court to restrain the Clerk of the National Assembly from transmitting to President Tinubu, the concurrent resolution of the Senate and House of Representatives which purportedly removed Umar as Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
They are also praying the court to stop the President from giving effect to the resolution of the two chambers of the National Assembly, on the grounds that clear provisions of the law, especially the 1999 Constitution were not followed in the purported removal of the CCT boss.
Among others, the plaintiffs are seeking seven declarative reliefs against the president and 10 other defendants.
The suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1796/2024, was instituted on their behalf by Mahmoud M. Maidoki Esq., A.G Salisu Esq., Jibrin S. Jibrin Baq., and Abubakar S. Idris Bag.
In faulting the action of the National Assembly, the plaintiffs asked the Federal High Court to determine: “Whether by virtue of the provisions of Sections 1(1) and (3) , 6(5), 153 (1) (e) & (i) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) as well as Paragraph 13 (a) (vii) and (b) of the Third Schedule thereof, the purported removal of the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal by the 4th Defendant is illegal, void, unconstitutional and of no effect whatsoever same having been made pursuant to the provisions of section 157 (1) of the 1999 Constitution or any other law for that matter.”
They applied for an order restraining the 7th defendant from communicating the resolution’ of the 4th and 6th defendants removing the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal in person of Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar to the 1st defendant the removal having been done without following the due process of law.
Plaintiffs also sought another order restraining the 8th and 9th defendants from considering any person including the 10th or 11th defendant for appointment by the 1st defendant and subsequent confirmation by the 4th and 6th defendants during, the subsistence of term of office of Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar.
The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) has distanced itself from a platform known as BNBEX and disowned a circular that falsely claims the unit is reviewing transactions of Nigerian users on the platform.
In a statement released on Wednesday and signed by Sani Tukur, Head of the Strategic Communications Department at the NFIU, the agency made it clear that it has no connection with BNBEX, has not validated its operations, and has not initiated or approved any compliance exercise related to the platform.
“The circular was not issued by the NFIU and bears no connection whatsoever to any of the Unit’s current regulatory or compliance initiatives,” the statement read.
The Unit also refuted the existence of any regulation titled “Nigerian Financial Surveillance Regulation,” which was cited in the document circulated by BNBEX. According to the NFIU, no such regulation exists within Nigeria’s legal or financial regulatory framework.
The circular, which was posted on BNBEX’s website, falsely alleged that the NFIU was conducting a compliance review involving all transactions carried out by Nigerians on the platform. The NFIU categorically rejected this claim and described the document as fake and misleading.
The agency further clarified that the logo and insignia used in the controversial document do not belong to the NFIU. It described them as fabricated and cautioned the public against accepting such materials as legitimate.
With regards to location, the NFIU stated that it has no offices in the Central Business District of Abuja or any other area outside of its official headquarters located at No. 1 Monrovia Street, Wuse II, Abuja.
The Unit then urged members of the public to be vigilant and verify information through official NFIU channels to avoid falling victim to scams or disinformation.
“For purposes of clarification or to report suspicious information purporting to be from the NFIU, please contact the Strategic Communications Department at [email protected],” the statement concluded.
The NFIU serves as Nigeria’s central national agency responsible for the receipt and analysis of financial disclosures concerning suspected proceeds of crime and other financial information to combat money laundering, terrorism financing, and related crimes.
This latest development shows the increasing challenges of financial fraud in Nigeria’s digital space and the need for the public to be cautious when dealing with online platforms, especially those making claims involving regulatory agencies and promising mouth-watering returns on investments.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) said it has airlifted 14,165 pilgrims in five days.
This, the commission said, represents 34.4 per cent of the total pilgrims for this year’s edition.
A statement by Assistant Director, Information and Publication, Fatima Sanda Usara, said the figure is an improvement from last year’s 20.2 per cent of pilgrims with 23 flights transported 9, 788 pilgrims.
She listed the States that have concluded their airlift to include Oyo, Abia, Kogi, and Nasarawa States.
Meanwhile, Ondo and Ekiti States are preparing for their final flights, which will be undertaken as a combined airlift.
The commission said: “Importantly, no flight cancellations have been recorded so far. On the contrary, one of the carriers transporting pilgrims from Niger State arrived in Saudi Arabia earlier than expected as a mark of diligence. The commission commended its staff for their prompt action and being up to task.
“NAHCON attributes the continued success of the airlift operations to the full cooperation from the State Pilgrims’ Boards, and the wisdom in engaging four airlines for this year’s airlift. The air carriers have been doing their best to fulfill the terms of engagement they signed with NAHCON. “Additionally, Saudi Arabian authorities have released full flight schedules to all participating airlines, which further facilitates proper planning and timeliness. All flights are currently landing in Madinah, in line with the agreed plan.”
She said the first set of pilgrims that arrived the Kingdom are now in Makkah to commence their Umrah for those who select Hajj Tumattu’i or Qiran.”
The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has dismissed three motions on notice by First Bank of Nigeria Limited against General Hydrocarbons Limited (GHL).
Other respondents in the suit numbered FHC/PH/CS/02/2025 are the Cargo of Crude Oil on Board FPSO Tamara Tokoni, Owners/Operators of the FPSO Tamara Tokoni and the Master.
Justice E. A. Obile ruled on an application by First Bank, through its counsel, E. C. Unachukwu.
The judge ordered: “That the application to withdraw Motions on Notice dated and filed 25th March, 2025; dated and filed on 28th March 2025 and dated and filed on 2nd April, 2025 is granted as prayed.
“That the applications are hereby dismissed accordingly.
“That Deputy Chief Registrar/Admiralty Marshall is directed to serve parties who apply for the orders of the court with same, including the instant order.
“That the application for costs is refused.”
The order was made on April 29.
Justice Obile had in March dismissed First Bank’s suit against GHL on the grounds that the court was bereft of the requisite jurisdiction to entertain it.
He upheld the arguments of counsel to GHL, Dr ‘Biodun Layonu (SAN), and GHL’s notice of preliminary objection challenging the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the suit.
It dismissed the entire suit as an abuse of the court process and a breach of the orders of Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa, made on December 12, 2024, in suit FHC/L/CS/1953/2024.
The court held that First Bank conceded in paragraphs 18 and 19 of its counter-affidavit opposing the defendants’ notice of preliminary objection that the order made by Justice Lewis-Allagoa restrained it from enforcing any receivables arising from the facility agreement entered into by the parties.
The court further held that the plaintiff’s attempt to distinguish the instant suit from the one numbered FHC/L/CS/1953/2024 could not stand.
It maintained that every subsequent agreement entered into by the parties was pursuant to the legally enforceable Memorandum of Understanding between GHL and FBN.
The court consequently held that by the instant suit, First Bank approached the court to do the very act that Justice Lewis-Allagoa had restricted it from doing, and as such, the suit was a classic case of abuse of court process, and consequently dismissed the suit.
The court also upheld the argument of GHL that the ex-parte orders of January 9 had lapsed by operation of law.
These are: “An order to arrest and/or attach or lien the entire cargo of crude oil on board the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (“FPSO”) vessel Tamara Tokoni;
“An order directing the officers of the Nigerian Navy, NUPRC, NIMASA, Harbour Master of the Nigeria Ports Authority to render necessary assistance to the Admiralty Marshall of the Court in giving effect to the order of arrest made in (a) above.”
The court held that the orders had lapsed automatically by effluxion of time and consequently set them aside.
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