Headline

Edo: Court Nullifies Sack Of College Staff, Grants N4m Each As Damages

Published

4 years ago

January 24, 2022

The Benin Division of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria on Monday nullified the sack of workers of the Edo State College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi and ordered a compensation of N4m each for all the affected workers and a general damage of N500,000 to the claimants.

The suit marked: NICN/BEN/25/2018 had Mr Imhenrion O. Martin, Mr Adorolo O. Michael, Mr Osayande Clifford, Mrs. Mercy Ozabor, and Mr Eikhor Nosakhare Abel as claimants while Edo State Government; state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources; the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Provost of the College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi, and the Governing Council of the College served as defendants.

Delivering her judgment, Justice Abiola A. Adewemimo ordered the defendants to compensate the claimants the N4m each within 30 days, adding that failure to compensate the defendants numbering about 90 attracts an annual interest of ten per cent.

The Justice held that the state government was wrong to have claimed that the workers were temporary workers.

She further further held that their letters of employment indicated a period of probation which does not translate to temporary workers.

“This court is to check labour practice and for the defendant to say their employment was temporary connotes unfair labour practices.”

Justice Adewemimo further held that even though an employer has the right to terminate employments, such actions must be done in accordance with established conditions of service, adding that Edo State Government did not do that in this case.

Justice Adewemimo said though the government did not show any evidence that the school was no longer in existence but that it was being restructured and therefore it would be difficult to reinstate the workers as demanded.

She said the special damages in the form of salaries and promotions claimed by the workers could not be given because they did not prove them with the statutorily required documents to enjoy such benefit.

Reacting to the judgment, counsel to the workers, Matthew Edaghese, Esq., said the court in its wisdom held that the so-called termination of appointment was null and void, adding that it negates all known and relevant labour laws.

“It was a reckless executive indiscretion. This is a warning to the executive arm of government that they are governed by the laws of the land and they are not laws unto themselves,” he added.

The workers instituted the court action in August 2018 as a result of the termination of their appointment by the state government on the excuse that the school is being restructured.

Headline

Indian Court Denies Bail To Nigerian Man Over Drug Charges

Published

3 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

A court in India has denied bail to a 44-year-old Nigerian national, Cristian Soporuchukwu, who is currently facing drug trafficking charges in the country.

Cristian Soporuchukwu initially entered India on a business visa but was later arrested over allegations of involvement in the sale of hard drugs.

Reports indicated that after arriving in India, Soporuchukwu travelled through Goa, Delhi, and Mumbai, where he allegedly established links with suspected drug traffickers.

He was accused of purchasing MDMA crystals and distributing them to college students and information technology workers.

According to reports, operatives of the Beguru Police arrested Cristian Soporuchukwu in April 2025 for allegedly selling MDMA crystals around Begur Lake and the AECS Layout Road area.

The New Indian Express reported that the High Court of Karnataka subsequently dismissed the Nigerian’s bail application.

“The anti-narcotics wing seized about 1 kg of MDMA crystals, a pocket weighing machine, 10 zip-lock covers, a mobile phone and a scooter from him,” the report stated.

Justice V. Srishananda, while ruling on the bail application, reportedly held that errors relating to the grounds of arrest could not automatically justify bail in serious narcotics-related offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, NDPS, Act.

The court further noted that Cristian Soporuchukwu had allegedly overstayed his visa in India, according to the report.

Headline

Strait Of Hormuz: US Announces Sanctions Against Iran

Published

3 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The United States Treasury has announced sanctions against Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority.

Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, said this in a statement on Wednesday.

The statement extended the threat of sanctions to anyone paying the fees, saying they may be providing support to and receiving services from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, and therefore may be exposed to sanctions risk.

“The Iranian military’s latest attempt to extort global maritime trade is proof that Economic Fury has left the regime desperate for cash.

“Treasury has deprived the Iranian regime of revenue for their weapons programs, terrorist proxies, and nuclear ambitions,” Bessent said.

Bessent added that the US has succeeded in disrupting tens of billions of dollars’ worth of revenue from being accessible to Tehran.

Headline

US Launches New Airstrikes On Iran

Published

3 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The United States has launched new airstrikes in southern Iran.

The strike shot down four one-way attack drones that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz and then a ground control site.

A US official revealed that American forces struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone.

The official described the strikes as purely defensive, saying the US intended to maintain the ceasefire.

Report says this is the second time in three days that the US has carried out self-defense strikes against Iranian military targets in southern Iran.

Recall that on Monday the US carried out airstrikes against Iranian missile locations and boats that US Central Command said were preparing to launch mines in the Strait of Hormuz.