The Upper Shari’a Court in Kano, presided over by Ibrahim Sarki Yola, has cleared Jigawa State’s Commissioner for Special Duties, Auwal Danladi Sankara, of allegations of committing adultery with a married woman.

Recall that the case was filed by Nasiru Buba, who accused Sankara of having an illicit affair with his wife, Tasleem Baba Nabegu.

While delivering his ruling, Sarki Yola stressed the need for holistic and cautious investigations by law enforcement and regulatory bodies like the Hisbah Commission, noting that allegations against prominent individuals must be handled with care to avoid unnecessary tarnishing of reputations.

The court also observed that the complainant and his legal representatives failed to appear to contest the Police findings.

“Following the investigation by the office of the Assistant Inspector General of Police, the report shows there is no evidence to prove that there was any illicit affair between Auwal Danladi Sankara and Tasleem Baba Nabegu.

“Since the complainant and his lawyers are not present to challenge the submission by the police, I have no choice but to strike out the case,” the judge stated.

Speaking on behalf of Sankara, his counsel, Barrister Sadam Suleiman, expressed satisfaction with the judgment.

“We have always maintained that our client is innocent. The court has affirmed this by clearing his name based on the police investigation,” Suleiman said.

Meanwhile, Rabiu Shu’aibu, counsel for Tasleem Baba Nabegu, indicated that his team might take further legal action against Nasiru Buba for defamation.

“We will discuss with our client to explore the possibility of filing a case against Nasiru Buba, as he has defamed her name,” Shu’aibu remarked.

The Federal High Court in Lagos, on Monday, adjourned the hearing of the Lagos- Calabar Coastal Highway Project over environmental impact to January 14, 2025.

A former governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress in Lagos State, Funsho Doherty, had dragged the Attorney General of the Federation, Bureau of Public Procurement and HiTech Construction company before the court over open competitive bidding.

He alleged that the Federal Ministry of Works violated the Public Procurement Act 2007 by awarding the first two phases of the highway to Hitech Construction through a single-source procurement process, bypassing the required open competitive bidding.

Doherty is accusing the Federal Ministry of Works of unlawfully awarding the highway’s first two sections to Hitech Construction without adhering to Nigeria’s public procurement laws.

In his originating summons, Doherty argued that the ministry’s decision bypassed the open competitive bidding process mandated by the Public Procurement Act 2007.

He claimed that the construction began without the required Environmental Impact Assessment, which breaches the Environmental Impact Assessment Act 1992.

The plaintiff is asking the court for a declaration that the award of the first two sections of the Lagos- Calabar Coastal Highway Project by the Federal Ministry of Works to the third defendant without subjecting same to open competitive bidding was unlawful and void, being in breach of the Public Procurement Act 2007.

He also asked the court for a declaration that the commencement of construction of the Lagos- Calabar Coastal Highway Project without first undertaking an Environmental Impact Assessment was unlawful and a breach of the Environmental Impact Assessment Act, 1992.

He further sought a declaration that the Federal Ministry of Environment and the second defendant failed in their statutory duties of ensuring compliance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Act and the Public Procurement Act.

Doherty asked the court for an order setting aside the award of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project to the third defendant.

“An order of court restraining the Federal Ministry of Works and the third defendant, by themselves or through their agents, from further construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway until compliance with the Public Procurement Act and the Environmental Impact Assessment Act.

“An order of court directing the Federal Ministry of Works to subject all other sections of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project yet to be awarded to open competitive bidding as contemplated under the Public Procurement Act.”

When the case came up on Monday, the plaintiff’s counsel, D. D. Duru, informed the court that the matter was coming up for the first time.

He informed the court that the defendants had been served and had responded with counter-affidavits and a preliminary objection, making the matter ripe for hearing.

But the first and second defendants counsel, Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), who announced his appearance for both defendants, was opposed by Duru, for representing the second defendant, arguing that the second defendant’s separate counsel should appear as it is an independent institution.

Owonikoko, in his reply, said the process referred to by the plaintiff’s counsel was only brought to his notice on Monday.

“The process referred to by my learned friend was only brought to my notice today.

“I asked if the counsel who filed the processes was in court but it appears he was not,” he said.

Owonikoko then asked that the process filed by the second defendant should be struck out.

Duru, in his response, said,” It will be improper for the SAN, to say he was instructed to ask for the striking out of the second defendant’s application.

“It is either the lawyer who signed the processes that come to withdraw or the SAN files for change of counsel.”

The third defendant’s counsel, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okunsanya, sought an extension of time.

She said the application was filed on November 15, 2024, adding that the application was supported by an 11-paragraph affidavit.

Badejo- Okunsanya, moved the application in terms, which the court granted.

Justice A. O. Owoeye adjourned the case till January 14, 2025, to regularise the processes and scheduled the hearing for January 27, 2025.

Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has approved a minimum wage of N75,000 for workers in the state.

According to his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, the governor announced this on Monday at the State Secretariat after a meeting with representatives of organised labour.

He also stated that the remaining three months of the five-month backlog of arrears promised to the union will be paid as budgeted in the 2024 budget, along with the minimum wage, effective November 2024.

Alia said: “We are implementing a new national minimum wage of N75,000. We decided to set the wage at N75,000, fully aware of the other concerns raised by organised labour during the negotiations.

“These concerns included a minimum wage of N30,000, wage awards, transportation allowances, tax relief, and work-off days, among others.

“Recall that the President had approved the sum of N70,000, which we have decided to exceed, considering the concerns raised by organised labour regarding our ability to pay.”

He emphasised that his government is committed to serving the common man, stressing that he will do everything legitimately possible to ensure that the workers of Benue State are properly taken care of.

He further stated that his motivation to ensure the arrears are paid is to alleviate the effects of hardship on workers.