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A Makurdi Chief Magistrates’ Court, presided over by Kevin Mbanongun Esq, has fixed August 19, 2025, for ruling on its jurisdiction to adjudicate the offence of cyberstalking preferred against journalist Henry Ibya.

The Commissioner of Police, Benue State Command, has charged Ibya, a correspondent of the Aljazirah newspaper, with publishing injurious falsehood, defamation and cyberbulling. The Director of ICT at Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi, Terna Abuul, reportedly brought the complaint, alleging a false publication against him in the media.

When the case first came up for hearing, Magistrate Mbanongun addressed counsel for both parties and expressed concern over the prosecutor’s inability to complete investigations since April 2025, when the accused was first brought before the court. He acknowledged that the case was not struck out ab initio “because of the charge of cyberstalking.”

The magistrate accordingly adjourned until August 19, 2025, for ruling on the issue of jurisdiction raised by the prosecution. Defence counsel Tom Uja had earlier argued that the prosecution’s request for more time to finalise investigations was “bad practice,” contending that the complainant’s absence in court demonstrated unseriousness and amounted to a ploy to inflict hardship on his client. MT Testim, standing in for the prosecuting counsel, objected to the court’s power to try the accused on jurisdictional grounds and accused the defence of alleged inconsistency in its submissions.

The Kano State Government has inaugurated a 26-member high-level committee to articulate the state’s position in the ongoing constitutional amendment process initiated by the National Assembly.

The inauguration, performed by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Umar Farouq Ibrahim, on behalf of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, was announced in a press release by the Press Secretary to the SSG, Musa Tanko Muhammad.

Chaired by Professor Auwalu Yadudu and co-chaired by Professor Hafiz Abubakar, the committee comprises legal experts, academics, traditional leaders, and civil society representatives.

Key issues the committee will address include local government autonomy, state policing, resource control, and the role of traditional institutions.

Alhaji Farouq urged the committee to engage the public and develop a comprehensive position paper that reflects Kano’s interests. He also announced the appointment of a secretariat led by Alhaji Umar Muhammad Jalo to support the committee’s work.

In remarks delivered on his behalf by Professor Habu Muhammad, Professor Auwalu Yadudu thanked the governor for the trust reposed in him and pledged to carry out the assignment with integrity and diligence

The committee’s recommendations will guide Kano’s input in the national constitutional review.

The Supreme Court has affirmed the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State.

In a unanimous decision delivered on Thursday, a five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba dismissed, for lacking in merit, the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Asuerinme Ighodalo.

The appeal sought to nullify the outcome of the governorship election held in the state on September 21, 2024.

The Supreme Court ruled that there was no justification to overturn the concurrent judgments of both the Court of Appeal and the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which had earlier declared Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, APC, the valid winner of the election.

The court held that the appellant failed to provide credible and admissible evidence to support his claims that the election was marred by irregularities, including over-voting and substantial non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

Fire, in the early hours of Tuesday, raised down Igbudu Market in Warri, Delta State.

Many shops, properties and wares were destroyed by the ravaging fire.

Details as to the cause of the fire were still sketchy at the time of this report.

Some shop owners were seen crying over losses this morning.

The Etsu-Nupe of Warri, HRH Alhaji Zubairu Mohammed Tajudeen said he doesn’t know what caused the fire.

“I just woke up now and saw that fire has finished Igbudu Market. ‘But na electric go fit cause am when BEDC restore light'”, he said.

Kaduna State High Court has convicted and sentenced four men—Promise Usman, Daniel Chinedu, Fahad Yusuf Badamasi, and Emmanuel Chidera Udochukwu for internet-related fraud and impersonation offenses.

The convicts were prosecuted by the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on separate one-count charges bordering on impersonation, cheating, and obtaining by false pretence.

Usman, who operated under the alias “Maryam Mohammed” on Facebook, was accused of defrauding multiple victims of ₦450,000 by posing as an investment broker. Chinedu, under the false identity of American actress “Reese Witherspoon,” was said to have deceived a U.S. citizen, Gene Virmilya, into sending him $500.

All four pleaded guilty to the charges. While prosecution counsel M.O. Arumemi urged the court to convict and sentence them, their defence lawyers appealed for leniency, claiming the convicts had shown remorse.

Justice Isyaka sentenced Udochukwu and Badamasi to two years imprisonment each or a ₦300,000 fine. They also forfeited their mobile phones—Huawei Y6 Pro 2020 and iPhone 7, respectively—to the federal government.

Usman received a five-year sentence with an option of a ₦200,000 fine and forfeiture of an iPhone 13. Chinedu was also sentenced to five years or a ₦150,000 fine. His iPhone 16 Pro, iPad Pro, and $500 were ordered forfeited.

The EFCC arrested the suspects in Mahuta, Babar Saura, and Sabo areas of Kaduna following intelligence reports about their online fraud activities.

Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have launched an investigation into one Rajesh Kumar, who was apprehended by the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, for allegedly attempting to travel with undeclared foreign currency amounting to $29,000.

Kumar was intercepted by Customs officials during a routine screening at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday. The suspect, who was en route to India, reportedly declared only $6,000 at the time of his arrest.

While handing over the suspect to the EFCC, the Customs Area Comptroller at the airport, E.I. Harrison, underscored the importance of inter-agency collaboration in safeguarding Nigeria’s economy.

“We have the mandate and the authority to make sure that whatever will be injurious to our economy is not allowed to take place, especially in this our Command.

“So, today, on behalf of our Service, I want to formally hand over the money, passport and file containing the statement of the passenger involved to the EFCC for further necessary actions,” Harrison stated.

Receiving the suspect on behalf of the EFCC, Assistant Commander of the Commission and Head of the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering, SCUML, Lagos, ACE Ibinabo Amachree, assured that the Commission would take swift action on the matter.

Speaking on behalf of the Acting Zonal Director, Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Ahmed Ghali, Amachree noted that the arrest reflects positively on Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to meet international anti-money laundering standards.

“This arrest will further enhance Nigeria’s image, especially as we work towards exiting the Financial Action Task Force, FATF, Grey List.

“As a matter of fact, this is one of the gains of our robust collaboration with the Nigerian Customs Service and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU,” Amachree said.

The EFCC has since taken custody of the suspect, the seized funds, and accompanying documentation as investigations continue.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has launched a fresh wave of market reforms, beginning with a strategic engagement at the Dawanau International Grains Market in Kano.

Addressing traders on Wednesday, FCCPC’s Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Mr. Tunji Bello, said the commission is prioritising grassroots-level intervention to safeguard consumer rights and restore integrity to the Nigerian marketplace.

“Our presence here is not to police, but to partner; ensuring that fairness, transparency, and quality define every transaction.” Bello emphasized.

The outreach, part of FCCPC’s nationwide initiative, aims to curtail recurring illegal practices such as repackaging lower-quality goods as premium brands and arbitrary price inflation.

“Unscrupulous practices like these hurt everyone — the buyer, the genuine trader, and the country at large,” he said.

In response, President of the Dawanau Market Development Association, Alhaji Muttaqa Isa, welcomed the engagement, describing it as “long overdue.” He pledged the market’s cooperation in aligning with government efforts to deliver safe and affordable food to Nigerians.

“As market leaders, we take it upon ourselves to ensure that what we sell reflects true value not deceit,” Isa said. “We will continue to sensitise our members on fair pricing and product integrity. Quality is non-negotiable.”

He also reiterated the market’s readiness to work closely with regulators to end product adulteration and other malpractices that undermine public trust.

The Katsina State Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, has dismantled an inter-state human trafficking syndicate and rescued three young women who had been forced into prostitution.

NAPTIP also apprehended three suspected members of the trafficking ring, believed to specialise in the recruitment, harbouring, and trafficking of young girls from various parts of the country to the northern region for sexual exploitation.

The agency’s Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Wednesday.

According to the agency, the suspects were arrested during a raid on a prominent hotel in Katsina township, where three victims were also rescued.

The statement noted that the hotel’s manager and two other staff members were taken into custody during the operation. The victims, aged between 21 and 26, are said to be from Benue and Rivers states.

NAPTIP further disclosed that the operation followed a recent directive from its Director General, Binta Adamu Bello, instructing operatives across the country to intensify surveillance and intelligence-gathering efforts in response to the rising cases of inter-state trafficking.

“The Director General had earlier asked that operatives pay close attention to activities around hotels, drinking joints, and motor parks in state capitals to disrupt criminal networks,” the agency spokesman said.