When the White Lion is haunted by its past, it is a bad omen. And when the White Lion is hunted by the Red Eagle, the omen is still bad.  I read a piece by a journalist—Akin Owolabi—where he observed that Yahaya Bello is fondly referred to as the White Lion of Kogi due to his ability to take bold decisions. Indeed, if recent reports are anything to go by, Bello took some “bold decisions”, and in quick succession.  Having finished his tenure as Kogi State Governor, Bello’s garment of immunity dropped from his skin. By operation of law, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFC ..read more

It is a remarkable feat to get on the record books of the Guinness World Records. Some people deliberately go for the records through performing certain activities. Some others do not need to do anything as nature may decide to perform the wonder itself and have their names up in the books. For example, without contributing an inch, nature may bestow height on you, making you the tallest person in the world.  Interestingly, beyond a framed certificate, there is no pecuniary reward for being a world record holder. But people have different motives for desiring to hold a world record. Some ..read more

ERISCO FOODS VS CHIOMA: ARE THERE OPTIONS FOR SETTLEMENT? The case of Erisco Foods Limited and Chioma Egodi (Okoli) continues to spark interest across the web. Recall that on 17 September 2023, one Chioma Egodi (Chioma) reportedly made a post on X (formerly Twitter) alleging that she tasted Nagiko Tomato Mix—a product of Erisco Foods Limited (Erisco) and found it sugary. Chioma’s post is reproduced below so you can closely follow the analysis that will follow. According to Chioma’s tweet: “I went to buy Tin tomatoes yesterday that I will use to make stew, I didn’t see Gino and Sonia. So, I de ..read more

THE KANO DEBACLE THROWS THE JUDICIARY INTO QUAGMIRE OF RIDICULE Kano Debacle In the 18 March 2023 Kano State gubernatorial election, Abba Yusuf, the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) was declared winner. He defeated Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC). As expected, all roads led to the Kano State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal. The Tribunal sacked Abba Yusuf and declared his namesake, Yusuf Gawuna, as winner.  Abba Yusuf proceeded to the Court of Appeal. The events that unfolded were as though Kano State and indeed, the whole of Nigeria were invite ..read more

One early Sunday morning, I woke up to cold winds amidst the relentless rains pouring in Lagos for the past couple of days. Shortly before noon, I visited a supermarket in Lagos to pick up a few items. The motorway was free, the streets were less busy, and the drizzle was bearable.  Parking outside was seamless, and as I walked in, I was drawn to the sound of some good music playing at a moderate volume. I paused and listened, curiously. It was Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, behind the sound system. In the past few days, the voice of the recently deceased singer-so ..read more

PEPT JUDGMENTS: THE FIRST THING WE DO, LET’S KILL ALL THE LAWYERS? The Court of Appeal which sat as the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) delivered its judgments on 6 September 2023. The Judgments pertain to the election petition cases filed by the Labour Party (LP), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and their party flagbearers during the concluded 2023 presidential elections.  The summary of the decisions is that the PEPT upheld the election of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the President of Nigeria. It dismissed all the contentions of the petition ..read more

NBA-AGC  The Annual General Conference (AGC) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is arguably the largest gathering of lawyers in Africa. When Nigerian lawyers gather at the AGC, they invite men and women of high repute, from various works of life. These personalities (which include world leaders, top government officials, business executives, and icons) join in rich conversations geared towards addressing issues of national importance. This year’s AGC which held in Abuja is the 63rd in the series. The theme was “Getting it Right: Charting the Course for Nigeria’s Nation Building.” Beyon ..read more

Introduction Prof. Cyril Osim Ndifon is a Professor of Law, professing in the areas of Comparative Criminal Law, International Humanitarian Law and International Criminal Law. He also professes in female anatomy, if the allegations of the law students of the University of Calabar, Nigeria (UNICAL) are anything to go by. Prof. Ndifon rose through the ranks to become the Dean, Faculty of Law, UNICAL. He has held many positions in the University. He has also served in various committees. These include Senate Examination Malpractice Committee, Senate Examination Results Vetting Committee, Anti-Cor ..read more

By a press release published on 19 August 2023, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) announced that it has filed some petitions at the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) against some lawyers including one Ifunanya Excel Grant, a young lawyer of Aba Branch, widely known as “the Baddest Lawyer”. The news of the petition relating to Ifunanya in particular was received with mixed reactions especially among lawyers within the legal community. I share my thoughts below. Allegations against “Baddest Lawyer” I am yet to peruse the contents of the petition filed by the NBA. But according t ..read more

DOES THE NICN HAVE THE POWER TO APPLY UNRATIFIED INTERNATIONAL LEGAL INSTRUMENTS RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT? The application of what is constitutionally expressed as “international best practices in labour” and “international labour standards” by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) has been the subject of serious controversies. In recent times, the NICN has been consistent in its idea of upholding and applying the principles of international best practices and international labour standards in resolving employment-related cases. This is notwithstanding the weight of legal arguments bei ..read more