News
Judicial Commission suspends four Nigerian judges for drunkenness, forgery
The Cross River Judicial Service Commission has suspended four magistrates and some judicial service staff over misconduct, corruption and judicial malpractices.
The commission’s secretary, Peter Ene, announced the suspension in a statement on Thursday.
Mr Ene listed the suspended magistrates as Ushie Ushang, Port Court, Calabar, Gabriel Ebebe, Chief Magistrate Court, Edor, and Ikom. Others are Gabriel Agana of the Chief Magistrates Court, Effraya, Ikom, and Shadrach Orji of the Chief Magistrates of Court 1, Ogoja.
He said the magistrates were found guilty of corruption, falsification of records, judicial incompetence, drunkenness, and dereliction of duty.
The secretary said that while the four magistrates were suspended without pay, two others were sternly warned.
Mr Ene further stated that three judicial staff were suspended without pay while a Chief Bailiff was given a warning letter.
He directed all affected outstation magistrates to hand pending cases to their respective court registrars for necessary actions.
Mr Ene further directed the magistrate in Calabar to hand over all pending files to the administrative chief magistrate.
The secretary said the commission’s decision was consistent with the provisions of Section 3, Rule 03305 of the Cross River Public Service Rules, 2004.
He reiterated the commission’s commitment to maintaining the highest level of integrity and standards in judicial service delivery.
“The commission will not hesitate to apply appropriate sanctions against any erring staff, particularly those saddled with judicial responsibilities. This will help to safeguard the integrity and accountability of the judicial system and sustain public confidence,” said Mr Ene.
[11/21, 12:46 PM] Emma Agaji: PDP Senate Caucus insists Ighodalo won Edo governorship election
The Caucus said the PDP would work hard to recover its alleged stolen mandate in Edo State.
The Senate Caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the candidate of the party in the last governorship election in Edo State, Asuerinme Ighodalo, won the election.
Leader of the caucus, Abba Moro, stated this while addressing journalists after the Caucus meeting at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, on Wednesday.
The election was held on 21 September.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Monday Okpebholo, as the winner of the election having scored the highest votes.
INEC subsequently issued a certificate of return to Mr Okpebholo, a senator, and he has since been sworn in as governor of the state.
But Mr Moro, who is the Senate Minority Leader, insisted that the PDP’s mandate was stolen in the state and vowed that the party would work hard to retrieve its mandate.
“Well, everybody is worried for the Nigerian democracy and INEC has taken notes here and there over the conduct of the election. But every failure is a lesson for future adventures.
“We sincerely hope that we work hard like in Edo state where the mandate of the PDP was stolen. We will work hard to make sure that the people’s mandate is restored where it doesn’t happen, like I said, failure is a mechanism for future success,” he said.
Ganduje’s comment
The caucus also responded to a comment by the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, that the ruling party would soon take over all the South-west states.
The APC is currently ruling four of the six South-west states – Lagos, Ogun, Ondo and Ekiti.
The PDP is in power in Oyo and Osun States.
Mr Moro, who represents Benue South Senatorial District, said the leadership of the PDP would ensure it retains the states in subsequent elections.
“The PDP has taken note of that statement, and we have a government in Osun state now, and we want to retain that position,” he said.
PDP Crisis
The senate minority leader said the leadership of the PDP is striving hard to return the party to its winning days.
“Damagun is the acting chairman of PDP. The PDP is not just about Damagun. The PDP is about members of the PDP. We are working round the clock to make sure that PDP gets back to its winning ways. When we were winning as PDP, other political parties were losing.
“So, what is this brouhaha about PDP losing the election? It is painful to lose the election, no doubt about it. But as I said, it is a common axiom that if you fail today and you are able to stand up, you strategise to win tomorrow.
“And so, whatever we have lost today as PDP, we are working hard, and part of the working hard is the meeting that the caucus has held today to strategise towards ensuring that we do not lose future elections, including the election in Osun state,” Mr Moro said.
News
18 States Move To Block Trump’s Order Ending Birthright Citizenship For Immigrant Children In US
A coalition of Democratic state attorneys general filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday to block President Trump’s executive order aimed at eliminating birthright citizenship.
Shortly after taking office on Monday, Trump used presidential powers to initiate his long-promised immigration crackdown. His executive actions included an order directing the federal government to stop issuing passports, citizenship certificates, and other documents to many children born in the U.S. whose mothers are in the country illegally or whose parents are not legal permanent residents.
According to CBS News, the lawsuit, filed by 18 states in federal court in Massachusetts, argues that Mr. Trump’s initiative violates the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which has long been interpreted by the federal government to grant citizenship to those born on American soil.
The cities of San Francisco and Washington, D.C., have also joined the suit.
The 14th Amendment says: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
“The great promise of our nation is that everyone born here is a citizen of the United States, able to achieve the American dream,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement to CBS News.
“This fundamental right to birthright citizenship, rooted in the 14th Amendment and born from the ashes of slavery, is a cornerstone of our nation’s commitment to justice.”
The lawsuit seeks a preliminary injunction to stop the enforcement of the executive order and ultimately aims to have it invalidated.
The states participating in the suit include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
“The President’s executive order attempting to rescind birthright citizenship is blatantly unconstitutional and quite frankly, un-American,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement.
The states are asking the court to immediately block the order from taking effect.
Mr. Trump directed that his order should be enforced in 30 days.
In a historic attempt to decolonise the country’s judiciary, President Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso has formally banned judges from wearing wigs from the British and French colonial eras.
President Traoré emphasised in his announcement the importance of eschewing colonial-era traditions and implementing customs that respect Burkina Faso’s cultural identity.
The action is in line with his larger plan to fortify national identity and declare the nation’s autonomy from outside influences. The colonial wigs, which have traditionally stood for outside authority in African legal systems, are gradually being abandoned.
Covenant University (CU) has again been listed as Nigeria’s overall best university in Times Higher Education (THE) 2025 Rankings.
In the 2025 rankings, the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria came second, displacing the University of Ibadan which occupied the position for the 2024 ccrankings.
The Times Higher Education World Rankings is a comprehensive global ranking of universities published annually.
The 2025 rankings THE said it ranked more than 2,000 institutions from 115 countries and territories.
Globally, Oxford holds on to the top spot for the ninth consecutive year, bolstered by significant improvements in industry engagement and teaching. MIT rises to second place, overtaking Stanford, which drops to sixth.
The ratings were done based on 18 carefully calibrated performance indicators that measure an institution’s performance across five areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry, and international outlook.
University of Oxford
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Harvard University
Princeton University
University of Cambridge
Stanford University
California Institute of Technology
University of California, Berkeley
Imperial College London
Yale University
Top ranked Nigerian universities
1. Covenant University
2. Ahmadu Bello University
3. Landmark University
4. University of Ibadan
5. University of Lagos
6. Bayero University
7. Federal University of Technology Akure
8. Federal University of Technology, Minna
9. University of Benin
10. University of Ilorin
11. University of Nigeria Nsukka
12. Ekiti State University
13. Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta
14. Federal University of Technology, Owerri
15. Federal University Oye-Ekiti
16. Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
17. Lagos State University
18. Nnamdi Azikiwe University
19. Obafemi Awolowo University
20. University of Port Harcourt
21. Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto
22. Abia State University
23. Akwa Ibom State University
24. Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike
25. Ambrose Alli University
26. Baze University
27. Bells University of Technology
28. Benson Idahosa University
29. Bowen University
30. Delta State University, Abraka
31. Evangel University, Akaeze
32. Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun
33. Godfrey Okoye University
34. Lagos State University of Education
35. Lagos State University of Science and Technology
36. Nasarawa State University, Keffi
37. Niger Delta University
38. Nile University of Nigeria
39. Osun State University
40. Rivers State University
41. Thomas Adewumi University
42. University of Cross River State
43. University of Maiduguri
44. Veritas University, Abuja
18 States Move To Block Trump’s Order Ending Birthright Citizenship For Immigrant Children In US
Burkina Faso outlaws colonial-era judicial wigs to embrace cultural identity
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