EruditeBlog

In a recent detailed Facebook post that has sparked widespread discussion among legal practitioners and the public, a Nigerian erudite lawyer, Barr. Chinaza Duke Nwosu (Duke M. C. Nwosu), has addressed a common misconception surrounding the ongoing terrorism trial of Maazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Recall that Maazi Kanu is facing a 15-count amended charge filed by the Federal Government, stemming from his activities as IPOB leader, including broadcasts alleged to incite violence as well as undermine national security. The trial, which has seen multiple adjournments, has the judgement to be delivered by Justice Omotosho, scheduled on November 20, 2025. There have however been arguments that he is being charged under a wrong law, and/or an inexistent law which in otherwords, invalidates the proceedings, Duke challenging these arguments stated that there are actually existing laws to wit: the latest Terrorism Prevention Act, and the...

A Supreme Court Judge identified as Justice Emmanuel Agim has disclosed that most Nigerian Judges are corrupt because they are ignorant of the law, adding that if a lawyer knows the law, it is very difficult for him to be unethical. According to Justice Agim, who disclosed that he had delivered over 600 judgments, it is impossible to understand the reasoning of a judge without studying the judgment itself. If a lawyer knows the law, it is very difficult for him to be unethical. Same way if a judge knows the law, it is very difficult for him to be corrupt. "But ignorance is bliss.” he declared. He made the clarification on Friday while dismissing insinuations that judges belong to secret cults, at the Legacy Dialogue 2.0, organized by the Johnny Agim SAN (JASAN) Foundation in Abuja, with the theme “Institutionalization of Mentorship in the Legal Profession: A Strategic Blueprint for Professional Development.” The jurist also lamented what he described as the erosion of charact...

The Nigerian Federal Government has filed a  five-count charge including criminal defamation charges against Senator Peter Onyekachi Nwebonyi over defamatory statements he made against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central Senatorial District. The prosecution in the charge sheet marked CR/547/2025 , and filed by Mohamed Babadoko Abubakar, Director of the Department of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation, accused Senator Nwebonyi who represents Ebonyi North Senatorial District and serves as Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, of making several remarks intended to damage Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s reputation, including describing her as “a habitual accuser” and “a woman who uses her gender as a weapon” during his appearances on Arise Television, Channels Television, TVC, and News Central Television in Abuja, as well as in other media outlets between March 3 and 29, 2025. He was further quoted to have said, “T...

In an escalating social media feud that has captivated many Nigerians online, Martins Vincent Otse, a 31yrs old media activist and influencer from Edo State known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), accused cryptocurrency entrepreneur et business man Linus Williams Ifejika, a 27yrs old gentleman from Anambra State popularly called BLord, of shady business practices involving the sale of cosmetically upgraded iPhones to wit: converting iPhone XR to resemble the latest iPhone 17 Pro Max, potentially deceiving buyers with fake devices at inflated prices. The conflict intensified when BLord retaliated by leaking VDM's nude videos, prompting VDM to fire back with his own explicit content and further exposures of BLord's operations in recent reports. Reacting to this drama especially the nude leak which has raised a compelling legal question to wit: "Who between them truly broke the law? Is BLord solely guilty for posting VDM’s nudes, or could both men be liable under Nigerian la...

The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, has ruled that Maazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is medically fit to stand trial on terrorism charges levelled against him. This determination was based on a report from a medical panel constituted by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), which was ordered by the court on September 26, 2025, to assess Kanu's health amid his ongoing complaints of deteriorating conditions while in DSS custody. The panel, comprising eight doctors to wit: seven specialists from Nigeria's geopolitical zones in fields like ophthalmology, neurology, urology, and gastroenterology, plus a coordinator, examined Kanu and submitted its report to the Attorney General of the Federation on October 13, 2025. During court proceedings today - October 16, 2025, the prosecution led by Barr. Adegboyega Awomolo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), referenced the report, and portions...

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has in a move that raises questions about accessibility and transparency in Nigeria's electoral process, demanded a hefty sum of 1,505,901,750 Naira from a law firm that requested for a certified true copy of the national register of voters and all existing polling units, pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) provisions. In a memo dated October 13, 2025, from INEC's Secretary to the Commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, addressed to V-C Ottakokpukpu & Associates, a law firm based in Wuse, Abuja, the firm submitted the request on October 8, 2025, invoking the FOIA provisions to seek comprehensive voter data covering the entire country - Nigeria. (Note that the FOIA which was enacted in 2011, mandates public institutions to disclose information unless exempted for reasons like national security.) According to the memo, INEC's decision aligns with Section 15 of the Electoral Act 2022, which empowers t...

In a recent landmark ruling, the Federal High Court in Abakaliki has in a judgment delivered on Thursday, September 25, 2025, by His Lordship, Hon. Justice Hillary Oshomah, ordered the Nigerian Correctional Service and four other respondents to pay a sum of ₦22 million in damages and costs to Barr. Sampson Imeze Ekigbo, a legal practitioner and presiding officer of a Customary Court, who was given a pretty resounding slap by the correctional officers. According to reports and a post by Barr. Sampson Ekigbo via his Facebook page, the case which was filed under suit number FHC/AI/FHR/11/2025 on the 28th day of January, 2025, and adjudicated after a hearing on the 30th of same month, stemmed from an incident that occurred on November 26, 2024, at Harriz Filling Station in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, when and where Barr. Ekigbo was assaulted by two officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service, identified as Ifeanyi Nwovu and Ogwuma Chidi, after a minor traffic altercation involvi...

Nigeria has again witnessed another significant event to wit: call to the biggest bar in Africa, where in 4,437 new lawyers were formally admitted into the Nigerian legal profession. According to report, a total of 4,429 candidates who excelled in the February 2025 Bar Final Examinations conducted by the Nigerian Law School notwithstanding their negative marking system, were joined by eight additional candidates from previous examinations in the admission ceremony hosted by the Body of Benchers at its headquarters in Abuja, on September 23rd, 24th, and 25th, 2025, and presided over by the Chairman of the Body of Benchers and Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON. During the ceremony, the Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, Life Bencher, presented the candidates to the Body of Benchers, attesting to their academic excellence and moral character as “fit and proper” for admission into the legal profession, in accordance wi...