The Enugu Caucus in the House of Representatives has thrown its weight behind the Federal Government’s plan to concession the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, describing it as a potential catalyst for the Southeast economy.

The caucus commended the Federal Government for the initiative and urged it to hasten the process to enable the people of the Southeast and the nation to benefit from it in earnest.

It also called on the people of the region to support the concession as the only way to guarantee sustainable investment to fully develop the airport into a truly international facility.

Cardinals will meet next month in a secret conclave to elect the next pope, the Vatican has said.

The closed-door meeting will start inside the Sistine Chapel on 7 May and will involve some 135 cardinals from across the world.

It follows the death of Pope Francis who died at the age of 88 on Easter Monday and whose funeral was held on Saturday.

There is no timescale as to how long it will take to elect the next pope, but the previous two conclaves, held in 2005 and 2013, lasted just two days.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said cardinals will take part in a solemn mass at St Peter’s Basilica, after which those eligible to vote will gather in the Sistine Chapel for the secretive ballot.

Once they enter the Sistine Chapel, cardinals must have no communication with the outside world until a new Pope is elected.

There is only one round of voting on the first afternoon of the conclave, but the cardinals will vote up to four times every day afterwards.

A new pope requires a two-thirds majority – and that can take time.

Each cardinal casts his vote on a simple card that says, in Latin: “I elect as Supreme Pontiff” to which they add the name of their chosen candidate.

If the conclave completes its third day without reaching a decision, the cardinals may pause for a day of prayer.

Outside the Sistine Chapel the world will be watching for the smoke from the chimney.

If the smoke is black, there will be another round of voting. White smoke signals that a new pope has been chosen.

On Saturday, politicians and royalty joined thousands of mourners as Pope Francis’ funeral was held in St Peter’s Square.

Hymns played out on giant speakers, occasionally drowned out by the sound of helicopters flying overhead, before 91-year-old Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re gave a homily on the pope’s legacy.

After a ceremony, huge crowds lined the streets of Rome to watch as the Pope’s coffin was carried in a procession to his final resting place, Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica.

Authorities said 140,000 people had lined the streets, clapping and waving as the hearse – a repurposed white popemobile – crossed the Tiber river and drove past some of Rome’s most recognisable sights: the Colosseum, the Forum and the Altare della Patria national monument on Piazza Venezia.

On Sunday images of Pope Francis’s tomb at the church were released showing a single white rose lying on the stone that bears the name he was known by during his pontificate, below a crucifix illuminated by a single spotlight.

The National Judicial Council, NJC, has acknowledged receipt of a petition against Justice E.N. Oluedo of the Enugu State High Court for alleged misconduct.

In its acknowledgment letter, the NJC confirmed that it is taking action on the petition, which accuses the judge of violating the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, as outlined in the Fifth Schedule to the Nigerian Constitution.

In a letter dated April 17, 2025 (Reference No. NJC/S.14/HC.EN/25/III/112), the Chief Justice of Nigeria and NJC Chairman, Justice Kudirat M.O. Kekere-Ekun, informed the petitioner, Dr. Ifeanyichukwu Okonkwo, that the matter is under review.

Okonkwo had accused Justice Oluedo of misconduct in handling Suit No. E/298C/2019 between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and himself.

Okonkwo, serving as the Liquidator of Ifemelunma and Company Nigeria Enterprises Limited, alleged that Justice Oluedo continued proceedings despite being aware of a pending appeal (Appeal No. CA/E/4C/2025) between the same parties at the Court of Appeal. He argued that this violated judicial protocol and showed bias.

On February 26, 2025, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Okonkwo before Justice Oluedo on a one-count charge of fraud. Okonkwo pleaded not guilty and was permitted to continue under the bail terms previously granted by another judge.

Following his arraignment, Okonkwo issued a press statement questioning the EFCC’s competence in charging him under Section 6(b) of the EFCC Act, 2004. The charge alleged that he fraudulently converted N41 million received from one Onyishi Maduka Samuel, intended for the family of the late Joel Ifemelunma Okoye.

Citing Section 211(1) of the Constitution and several Supreme Court decisions—including Diamond Bank Plc v. Okpara (2018) and Maduagwu v. FRN (2025)—Okonkwo challenged both the EFCC’s authority and the High Court’s jurisdiction to prosecute him. He claimed that both the EFCC and the court registrar were duly served with notices of the pending appeal and a motion for stay of proceedings.

In his April 10, 2025 petition to the NJC, Okonkwo alleged that Justice Oluedo’s insistence on proceeding with the trial aimed to foist a fait accompli on the Court of Appeal, an act he described as judicial impertinence.

The petition was titled: “Petition against His Lordship Hon. Justice E.N. Oluedo for an Act bordering on Judicial Impertinence.”

A copy of the petition, seen by this reporter, outlined Okonkwo’s assertion that Justice Oluedo continued proceedings despite knowledge of the pending appeal.

On February 26, 2025, Okonkwo urged the court to stay proceedings based on due process and respect for the hierarchy of courts.

However, Justice Oluedo, after considering submissions from both Okonkwo and the prosecuting counsel, I.E. Ajobwele, overruled the objection. She cited the Enugu State Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) 2017, stating that an interlocutory appeal does not automatically stay criminal proceedings.

Okonkwo countered that jurisdiction in criminal matters comes from Section 272(1) of the Constitution, not from procedural laws like the ACJL 2017.

He accused the judge of violating the principle that parties must be given full opportunity to present their case, referencing Western Steel Works Ltd. v. Iron and Steel Workers Union (1986).

He further argued that Nigerian law, citing State v. Ajayi (1996), allows interlocutory appeals and stay of proceedings in criminal trials. He emphasized that fairness and impartiality, observable by the public, were lacking in the judge’s handling of his case.

Citing Akinbobola v. Plisson Fisko (1991), Okonkwo maintained that a court has the power to rescind an order made without jurisdiction. He also referenced Olaseni v. Olaseni (2010), warning that disregarding an appellate court’s authority undermines the rule of law.

Finally, quoting Roman jurist Justinian—”Ignorantia judicis est calamitas innocentis”—Okonkwo warned that judicial ignorance risks inflicting irreversible injustice on innocent parties, stressing that a judge must remain current with the law to ensure fair judgment.