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Nigerians Most Litigious People On Earth, CJN Ariwoola Laments

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The Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola lamented on Monday in Abuja that Nigerians, especially the political class are the most litigious people on earth putting unprecedented pressure on the judiciary.

Justice Ariwoola canvassed the need for the Nigerian public to be told to do less litigation and embrace more of alternative dispute resolution to free the courts of unnecessary over-stretching of human and material resources.

Speaking against the incessant rush to court after every little disagreement, the CJN explained that Nigeria has various alternative dispute resolution mechanisms across the country that can conveniently be leveraged, with a view to freeing the courts of the incessant case overload.

“In every little disagreement, we rush to court; and in every lost case, we rush to appeal even up to the Supreme Court, no matter how little the issue might be. That has obviously accounted for the several appeals pending in Supreme Court.

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“Though we receive scathing criticisms from members of the public over our over-blotted docket, we are neither in any position to regulate case inflow to the court nor have the supernatural powers to attend to all in one fell swoop.”

Justice Ariwoola spoke at the Supreme Court at a special court session to mark the 2022/2023 legal year of the Apex Court and the inauguration of the 62 new Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SAN.

To buttress his claim, Justice Ariwoola explained that during the 2021/2022 legal year alone, the Supreme Court entertained a total number of 1,764 cases, comprising of motions and appeals.

Out of the figure, he said justices of the court heard 816 civil, 370 criminal and 16 political matters, making a total of 1,202 motions.

Similarly, he said, the court considered a total number of 562 appeals, comprising 341 civil, 186 criminal, and 35 political. A total number of 154 judgments were delivered in the year.

“[Of] our pending (backlog) civil appeals are 4,741 while the number of pending (backlog) criminal appeals is 1,392.

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“On the other hand, we have 751 moribund appeals for disposal. That brings the total number of pending (backlog) appeals in this Honourable Court to 6,884.

“Out of the 4,741 appeals in the court’s docket, 1,495 have briefs filed and exchanged and are ready for hearing; whereas, the remaining 3,246 appeals are having about 10,000 motions, with some contentious and others innocuous in nature.

“As for the pending 1,392 criminal appeals, 461 already had briefs filed and exchanged and are ready for hearing. The remaining 931 appeals have about 2,000 different motions for hearing to determine their eligibility for hearing.

“However, the identified 751 moribund appeals are to be disposed of for non-compliance with the Supreme Court Rules, i.e. Order 8 Rule 8,” he said.

He further stated: “Available facts on judicial activities in various jurisdictions across the globe still emphatically confirmed that the Supreme Court of Nigeria remains the busiest and most hardworking Supreme Court in the world.

“It is on record that we work from Monday to Friday every week. We conduct sittings on daily basis. It is only on Wednesdays we do chamber sitting to consider non-contentious matters. On Fridays, we deliver judgments and rulings.”

He noted that there are debates in the public space as to whether the Nigerian judiciary is independent or not.

“In the course of these various engagements, discussants always assess the situation from different unrelated perspectives; and that has largely accounted for the often conflicting solutions proffered at the end of each dialogue session.

“The Nigerian Judiciary, to a very large extent, is independent in conducting its affairs and taking decisions on matters before it without any extraneous influence,” he stated.

According to him: “At the Supreme Court, without mincing words, we are completely independent in the way and manner we conduct our affairs, especially in our judgments.

“We don’t pander to the whims and caprices of anybody. If there is anybody to be feared, I must say with full confidence, that it is only the Almighty God. We will never be subservient to anyone, no matter his position or influence in the society.

“Nevertheless, I will make it clear to whoever that cares to listen that when the Nigerian Judiciary is assessed from the financial aspect, we are yet to be free or truly independent.

“The annual budget of the Judiciary is still a far cry from what it ought to be. The figure is either stagnated for a long period of time or it goes on a progressive decline when placed side-by-side with the current realities in the market.

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“Prices of goods and services are not getting less or friendly to buyers; while at the same time, our purchasing power is abysmally low and weak enough to transmit on the same wavelength with the market forces.

“The only thing I can do at this juncture is to plead with the other arms of government and allied agencies to clear all the impediments so we can enjoy our independence holistically.”

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Why Abia Policeman Dropped His Rifle, Uniform, Walked Away From His Job – Report

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An investigative journalist known as 99% Oppressed on X.com has raised concerns about the situation of a police officer, Ugochukwu Nwaso, attached to the Abia State Police Command.

According to the journalist who also claims to be a private investigator hated by all security agencies in Nigeria, Nwaso, a corporal in the force, resigned for yet-to-be-confirmed reasons.

In a tweet directed at the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Wednesday, the journalist who tweeted as @PIDOMNIGERIA, highlighted concerns about mental health issues and toxic work environments within the police force, emphasizing the need for those challenges to be urgently addressed to prevent further incidents.

The journalist noted that all efforts by his fellow policemen to convince Nwaso against his action proved abortive as he was resolute in his decision.

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The journalist wrote, “Hello @Princemoye1, are you aware that a corporal in the Nigerian police @PoliceNG force, Ugochukwu Nwaso, attached to Abia State Police Command, went to his station in Umuahia, dropped his rifle, dropped his uniform, and all the things the Nigerian Police gave to him. He packed all his personal belongings in the station and left.

“He said that he is no more interested in being in the force. All efforts made to persuade him to change his mind proved abortive. What is the Nigerian police force doing as regards depression, mental health issues and toxic work environment?

“So many police officers are battling one mental health issue or the other without the authorities knowing. Some are battling depression, that triggers them to commit murder. While some are being frustrated by their superiors at their place of work. They make life unbearable for them. The work is so toxic to them, that they easily transfer their aggression to innocent citizens whom they are paid to protect. Corporal Ugochukwu Nwaso a trained young man, who knows how to use firearms, will now be an ordinary civilian on the street.”

In response, the State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Maureen Chinaka, refuted the claim.

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She stated that the information was untrue, asserting that the officer in question was currently on active duty and had not tendered his resignation from the Force.

She wrote, “This information is false. I want to clarify that Copral Ugochukwu Nwaso, serving at Eziama Division, Abia State Police Command, is currently on duty at his division and has not resigned from the force. He is still very much in service and stationed at his Division.”

Affirming the claim, the journalist went ahead to present a police wireless message by one Supol Eziama, confirming Nwaso’s resignation.

The police wireless message revealed that Nwaso resigned following a misunderstanding with a fellow police officer, ASP Onyinyechi Nwuju.

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He wrote, “ASP Maureen Chinaka, @MaureenChinaka before @PIDOMNIGERIA posts anything on X, there must be evidential receipt at hand. You can ask about me if you want. But because you said my information is false, attached here is a Police @PoliceNG wireless message, confirming my claim about Corporal Ugochukwu Nwaso. Deny this if you can, I will post more evidence. @Princemoye1.”

The police wireless message read, “Be informed that today, at about 1530 hours, one F/NO. 520044 CPL Ugochukwu Nwaso dropped his rifle, uniform and packed his belongings and left the station that he was no more interested in the force following a misunderstanding with W/ASP Onyinyechi Nwuju. All efforts made to bring him back proved abortive. Above for your information please.”

In May 2023, a police officer, Corporal Fauzziyah Isiak, lamented how the Nigeria Police Force detained her after she put in her resignation.

Isiak, who narrated her ordeal on X.com, said after she submitted her resignation letter she was called into the office and was detained even as she disclosed that she was on her menses.

The officer, who was also an entrepreneur at the time, lamented the treatment she received for wanting to resign. She said she never saw her plight coming as she never thought she’d be put in detention without interrogation.

 

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Police Probe Assault On Two Delta Varsity Students

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The Nigeria Police has condemned the assault on two yet-to-be-identified students of the Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro, by some unidentified men suspected to be police officers.

This follows a viral video on X (formerly Twitter) which generated several reactions from police operatives.

The video, posted by an X user with the handle, ‘Ughellivibes’, on Monday, showed two scenes where some young men were being beaten with batons by police officers as onlookers gathered.

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Reacting to the incident, the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, condemned the act, stressing that the Force did not support any indecent and unprofessional conduct.

He, however, urged the Delta State Police Command to look into the incident and bring the perpetrators to book.

He said, “Look into this. We should be able to justify our actions always. The beating is condemned, not professional. Like I always say, the police have powers to arrest, search, enforce the law, and apply minimum force to carry out their operations, but such must be done with decorum, professionalism and proportionality. We don’t support any indecent and unprofessional conduct. No way.”

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Reacting to the incident, the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, demanded that members of the public provide the command with details of the victims.

Edafe wrote: “Please, whoever knows the victim should send him this number 09155570008 or any of our CRU lines.”

Efforts to contact Edafe to know more about the progress the police had made proved abortive, as several calls and texts sent to him were unanswered as of the time of filing this report.

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DSTV Hike: Lawyer To Paste Restraining Order At MultiChoice Office

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The Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal in Abuja has ordered that its interim order, restraining MultiChoice Nigeria Limited from increasing DSTV tariff, be pasted at the firm’s “corporate headquarters or any known address of the branches of MultiChoice Nigeria Limited across Nigeria.”

The chairman of the tribunal, Saratu Shafii, who made the order dated April 29, 2024, said the document should also be MultiChoice’s known email address, social media handles and any means of communication publicly known for MultiChoice.

The interim order, restraining MultiChoice from increasing its tariff, was granted in favour of an Abuja-based lawyer, Festus Onifade, who is aggrieved by MultiChoice recent announcement to increase the tariffs on its DStv and Gotv packages effective from May 1.

In his suit, marked CCPT/OP/2/2024, Onifade listed   MultiChoice Nigeria Ltd and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission as defendants.

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He sought  “an order of interim injunction of this honourable tribunal restraining the 1st defendant whether by themselves, her privies, assigns by whatsoever name called from going ahead with impending price increase scheduled to take effect from 1st May 2024, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

“An order restraining the 1st defendant from taking any step(s) that may negatively affect the rights of the claimant and other consumers in respect of the suit pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.”

On Monday, April 29, the tribunal issued an order stopping MultiChoice from increasing its tariffs and cost of products and services scheduled to take effect from May 1.

The three-member tribunal, presided over by  Shafii, gave the order following an ex parte motion moved by Ejiro Awaritoma, counsel for the applicant.

READ ALSO: Tribunal Restrains MultiChoice From hiking DStv, Gotv Subscription Rates

The company was restrained from effecting its planned price hike pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed before it.

However, upon moves by the tribunal to serve Multi-Choice, the bailiff alleged that staff at the Abuja office of the company refused to receive service of the order and other court documents.

The bailiff claimed that one of the company’s top managers at the Abuja office refused to receive the documents and instructed that the documents be sent to the Lagos office, being the headquarters.

Following the bailiff’s feedback, the tribunal issued an order of substituted service on MultiChoice pursuant to Section 48 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018; and Part N, Order 14 Rule 11(1) of the CCPT Rule, 2021.

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In the certified true copy of the order of substituted service, the Shaffi-led panel directed that the ex-parte order in suit number: CCPT/OP/2/2024, be pasted at the corporate headquarters or any known address of the branches of MultiChoice Nigeria Limited across Nigeria.

She also ordered that the documents be sent to the company’s “known email address, social media handles and any means of communication publicly known for Multi-Choice and shall also be pasted in the CCPT communication outlet.”

Multi-choice had recently announced price increments across its DStv and GOtv packages effective May 1, 2024.

The pay-TV company had claimed the price hike was due to the cost of business operations in Nigeria.

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