By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Flight UA198 from Los Angeles to Shanghai was out over the Pacific Ocean on Saturday afternoon when it made a u-turn and headed to San Francisco, tracking data showed.

United confirmed Tuesday to AFP in an email that the plane, a Boeing 787 with 270 people onboard, made a stop in San Francisco “as the pilot did not have their passport onboard.”

“We arranged for a new crew to take our customers to their destination that evening,” the company said, adding that “customers were provided with meal vouchers and compensation,” without specifying.

Flight tracking data showed the plane landed at Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport after midnight, about six hours behind its normal arrival time.

The United flight’s rerouting came as travelers around the world continued to face disruptions over the shutdown at London’s Heathrow Airport, Europe’s busiest hub, due to a power outage the day prior.

AFP

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Ex- National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), and three others were re-arraigned on Tuesday before a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja over an alleged N33.2 billion fraud.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission brought the charges against Dasuki alongside a former General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Aminu Baba-Kusa, as well as two companies—Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited

The defendants are facing a 32-count charge bordering on alleged criminal breach of trust and dishonest release of public funds.

Their re-arraignment before Justice Charles Agbaza follows the reassignment of the case by the FCT Chief Judge, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf, who was previously handling the matter.

Dasuki was first arraigned on December 14, 2015, before Justice Baba-Yusuf, alongside a former Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the National Security Adviser, Shuaibu Salisu, on a 19-count charge linked to an alleged N15.5 billion fraud.

The charges were later amended, and Salisu’s name was removed. Subsequently, Dasuki and the others were re-arraigned on May 11, 2018, on a fresh 32-count charge involving N33.2 billion.

However, the trial was stalled after the prosecution presented only one witness—the investigating officer—who was yet to conclude his testimony before the case was indefinitely adjourned.

The EFCC had also filed another case against Dasuki in 2015, in which he was charged alongside a former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda; a former Sokoto State governor, Attahiru Bafarawa; his son, Sagir Bafarawa; and his company, Dalhatu Investment Limited. They faced a 25-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of N19.4 billion.

The case was recently transferred to Justice Yusuf Halilu.

Both trials suffered multiple delays due to the refusal of the Department of State Services to release Dasuki on bail, despite court orders granting him bail.

At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the 32 counts read to them.

The prosecution counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, then requested a trial date.

Lawyers to Dasuki and Baba-Kusa, A.A. Usman and Richard Ibiye, urged the court to allow the defendants to continue enjoying their existing bail, assuring that they had always been present for court proceedings.

The prosecution did not oppose the request but stressed the importance of the defendants’ continued presence throughout the trial.

After considering submissions from both sides, Justice Agbaza ruled that the defendants should remain on their existing bail and adjourned the trial to July 1.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court in Lagos has slammed a N840 million fine on MTN Nigeria Communications Limited for infringing on the registered trademark “WEBPLUS,” owned by Citilink Accesscorp Limited.

Justice Aluko, who imposed the fine while delivering judgment on a suit marked HC/L/CS/1124/2014 filed by Citilink, held that MTN’s use of “MTN WEBPLUS” or “MTN WEB+” unlawfully mimicked the plaintiff’s trademark.

The judge awarded N70 million yearly damages, covering Citilink’s loss of business and brand dilution from 2014 to 2025.

The court also ordered MTN to pay the applicant 15 per cent interest per annum on the judgment sum until it is fully paid.

Citilink Accesscorp Limited, in a suit filed on July 17, 2024, accused MTN Nigeria of infringing on its trademark “WEBPLUS,” which was legally registered in 2001 under Class 9 and renewed in 2014.

Citilink had argued that MTN’s use of “MTN WEBPLUS” and similar variants constituted unauthorised usage, misleading the public and damaging its brand.

The applicant joined the Registrar of Trademarks, Patent Designs, as a defendant, representing all entities involved in the production, marketing, and sale of the infringing services.

The applicant had urged the court for a declaration that Citilink Accesscorp Limited is the sole legal owner of the “WEBPLUS” trademark.

The applicant further asked the court for a perpetual injunction restraining MTN from further use of “WEBPLUS” in any form and an order preventing the Registrar of Trademarks from issuing any trademark rights to MTN under “WEBPLUS” or any variation of it.

“An order for seizure by the Bailiff of this Court for the destruction of all the servers of the first defendant which hosted, still hosts, used and still being used for transmitting information, messages, advertisement, marketing details of the first defendant’s MTN WEBPLUS to the general public.

“A demand for N1.5 billion in general damages for infringement and compensation for legal fees and expenses incurred.”

But MTN Nigeria challenged the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that a pending case at the Trademark Tribunal made the lawsuit invalid

The company also claimed that its application for “MTN WEBPLUS” was made in 2012, when Citilink’s trademark registration had lapsed (between 2008 and 2014).”

While stating that the applicant failed to prove trademark infringement, the telecommunications firm insisted that its use of “WEBPLUS” was an honest concurrent use, meaning it had no intention to deceive.

It further stated that the applicant lacked sufficient evidence to justify its financial claims.

In his ruling, Justice Aluko rejected MTN’s defence and upheld the applicant’s infringement claims.

However, the court denied some of the applicant’s additional demands, including the request for the seizure and destruction of MTN’s servers and a claim for N10 million in special damages due to insufficient proof.

Justice Aluko also granted a perpetual injunction against MTN, barring the telecom giant from further use of the disputed trademark.