Metro

Court Dismisses Suit Seeking To Stop Elections, Examinations On Saturday

Published

2 years ago

March 20, 2024

A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by an elder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Ugochukwu Uchenwa, seeking to stop the conduct of elections and examinations on Saturdays.

The plaintiff had contended that fixing elections and examinations on Saturdays violated his rights and that of other members of the church to freedom of worship.

Uchenwa prayed the court to declare the fixing of elections and examinations on Saturdays unconstitutional.

In the alternative, the plaintiff prayed the court to order the defendants to allow him and other members of his church to vote or sit for examinations on any other day of the week, including Sundays.

Listed as defendants in the suit were the President, the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Independent National Electoral Commission, and the Joint Admission and Matriculation Examinations.

Others are the National Examination Council, the West African Examination Council, the National Business and Technical Examination Board, the Council of Legal Education, and the Ministry of Education.

However, delivering judgment on the matter on Wednesday, Justice James Omotosho held that the suit was frivolous, vexatious, irritating, and baseless.

Omotosho added that the fundamental rights being claimed by the plaintiff were not at large and could not be curtailed by a government policy.

“The Seventh-day Adventist Church is in the minority in Nigeria and its doctrine could not be imposed on the majority of other religious denominations in the country,” he added.

Addressing journalists after the judgment, counsel for the plaintiff, Benjamin Ahaemefule, said that his client was heading to the Court of Appeal to further test the law.

Ahaemefule said that although his client had victory in some aspects of the suit, they lost in the main suit, hence the need to approach the appellate court.

He said, “The court agreed with us that it has jurisdiction to hear our matter.

“The court also agreed with us that elder Uchenwa has the locus standi to institute the action for the enforcement of his fundamental rights and those of the entire members of the Seventh-day Adventist church Nigeria.

“The court agreed with us that the rights of the Adventists are breached.

“The court, however, refused to enforce our right, saying that Adventists are in the minority and not in the majority.

“The court held that although our rights are infringed upon, the infringement is legally necessary and justifiable.

“So the court refused to grant our substantive request because it said that granting it will open a flood gate of litigation by other citizens of Nigeria who will come out to enforce their own rights.

“The court erred in law, when it held that although the adventists have cause of action but that right can not be enforced because the Adventists are in the minority.”

Metro

JUST IN: Court Rules Judgment In Kanu’s Terrorism Trial

Published

9 hours ago

November 20, 2025

Editor

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has said that the judgment in the trial of the self-acclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, will be delivered in the defendant’s absence.

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Omotoso gave the ruling during the resumed trial of Kanu on Thursday following what he described as Kanu’s unruly behavour in court.

The judge had earlier ordered the IPOB leader to be removed from the courtroom after he became unruly midway through proceedings on Thursday.

Omotoso had ruled and dismissed three fresh motions filed by Kanu after the case was adjourned for judgment and dismissed them for being unmeritorious.

As the judge moved to deliver the ruling earlier, scheduled for Thursday, November 20, Kanu argued that the court could not proceed because he had yet to file his final written address.

Raising his voice, Kanu accused Omotosho of being biased and claimed that the judge did not know the law.

Kanu was later moved out of the courtroom, while the judge proceeded to deliver the final judgment in his absence.

Metro

BREAKING: Judge Orders Kanu Out Of Court Over ‘Unruly’ Conduct

Published

10 hours ago

November 20, 2025

Editor

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered Nnamdi Kanu of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to be removed from the courtroom following his “unruly” conduct before the judgement in the matter on Thursday.

Justice James Omotosho, in a ruling, dismissed three fresh motions filed by Kanu after the case was adjourned for judgment and dismissed them for being unmeritorious.

The judge further ruled that because of his “unruly and violent behaviour”, the main judgement can be delivered in his absence.

When the judge moved to deliver the ruling earlier scheduled for Thursday, Kanu argued that the court could not proceed because he was yet to file his final written address.

Raising his voice, Kanu accused the judge of being biased and claimed that the judge did not know the law.

The judge subsequently proceeded to deliver the judgement.

Details shortly….

Metro

Ogun Motorcyclist Arrested For Killing Wife, Conveying Corps In Sack

Published

10 hours ago

November 20, 2025

Editor

Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested a motorcycle rider identified as Godonu Lowe, for allegedly killing his wife and transporting her corpse in an attempt to escape from the community in Ilaro area of the state.

Lowe, who had hidden the corpse of his wife in a sack tied to the back of his motorcycle, was intercepted during a stop-and-search operations on Wednesday.

The Command’s Spokesperson, Omolola Odutola in a statement made available to DAILY POST on Thursday, said the suspect was arrested at about 1:05 p.m. following a credible information.

Odutola revealed that the corpse had marks of violence, bleeding around the neck, adding that blood-stained cutlass was also recovered at the crime scene.

She said, “On Wednesday, 19th November 2025, at about 1305hrs, the Divisional Police Officer in Ilaro received credible information that a suspected felon, Godonu Lowe ‘m’ of Omolende Village via Idogo, was transporting the corpse of an unknown woman on a motorcycle in an attempt to escape from the community.

“Acting swiftly, police operatives intercepted the suspect and a sack tied to the back of his motorcycle was untied. The content was discovered to be the corpse of an adult female, later identified as his wife.

“The body bore marks of violence, bleeding around the neck, suggesting foul play. A blood-stained cutlass was recovered at the crime scene.”

Odutola noted that the suspect has been taken into custody and the remains of the victim deposited at the State Morgue in Ilaro for preservation and autopsy.

The Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, while commending the anonymous informant, urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to assist the police in crime prevention and detection, stressing that even the slightest suspicion reported to the police could save lives.