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Peter Odili: Court Issues Last Warning, Summons Immigration To Appear

Published

4 years ago

January 21, 2022

Justice Iyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday issued his last warning to a senior lawyer with the Nigerian Immigration Service, Jimoh Abdulkadir Adamu, to appear in Court to defend accusations of “unprofessional conduct” made against him.

The Judge gave him February 7 to appear unfailingly in Court to show cause why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for refusing to release the passport of a former Governor of Rivers State, Chief Peter Odili, which had been seized.

Adamu, who for the second time, declined to appear in Court was given another opportunity of February 7 in the interest of a fair hearing.

During Friday’s proceedings, Odili’s lawyer, Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), recalled the order of December 21 last year issued by the Court that Adamu must appear in Court today (Friday) and lamented that for the second time that Adamu was not in Court and had bluntly refused to release the passport as ordered by the Court.

Adedipe said that Adamu has failed to obey a subsisting order that the passport be deposited with the Registrar of the Court, pending the hearing of his motion for stay of execution.

According to him, Adamu had consistently failed to attend court despite being served a hearing notice in relation to his pending motion.

Adedipe urged the Court to, among others, penalise Adamu for disrespecting the Court and treating it with contempt.

At this point, one Babagana Abba, a counsel who claimed to be a colleague of Adamu apologised to the Court for the absence of the senior lawyer adding that he was sick and may find his way to the Court later.

However, unimpressed with the apology, Justice Ekwo said in the interest of a fair hearing, he would give the lawyer another opportunity.

“This Honourable Court knows what to do and how to do it but in the interest of a fair hearing, I am giving him another chance. Let him deny himself fair hearing, then, Court will take necessary steps,” he said.

The PUMCH reports that Justice Ekwo consequently fixed February 7 for the lawyer to appear in court for his defence in the alleged unprofessional conduct.

Adamu has been representing the NIS and its Director-General in a fundamental rights enforcement suit by Odili, with which he challenged the seizure of his international passport by the NIS.

Headline

Putin Says Russia Ready For War, Blames Europe For Sabotaging Peace

Published

15 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia was “ready” for war if Europe seeks one, accusing the continent’s leaders of trying to sabotage a deal on the Ukraine conflict before he met with US envoys.

The comments came as US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were in Moscow for high-stakes talks on ending the nearly four-year war, which were preceded by days of intense diplomacy.

“We are not planning to go to war with Europe, but if Europe wants to and starts, we are ready right now,” Putin told reporters in Moscow.

“They have no peaceful agenda, they are on the side of war,” he added, repeating his claim that European leaders were hindering US attempts to broker peace in Ukraine.

He added that European changes to Trump’s latest plan to end the war “aimed solely at one thing — to completely block the entire peace process and put forward demands that are absolutely unacceptable for Russia”.

Washington has presented a 28-point draft to end the conflict, later amended after criticism from Kyiv and Europe, which viewed it as heeding to many of Russia’s maximalist demands.

The plan to end the war is championed by Trump, but European countries fear it risks forcing Kyiv to cave in to Russian demands, notably on territory.

Fearing further Russian aggression, Europe has repeatedly said an unfair peace should not be imposed on Ukraine.

The Trump envoys are now seeking to finalise the plan with the approval of Moscow and Kyiv.
AFP

Headline

US Senator Proposes Bill To End Dual Citizenship

Published

15 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

A United States lawmaker has introduced a bill seeking to abolish dual citizenship for American nationals, a move that could affect thousands of Nigerians who hold both US and Nigerian passports.

Bernie Moreno, a Colombian-born US senator, announced the proposed legislation — titled the Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025 — arguing that the current system, which allows Americans to hold multiple nationalities, creates “conflicts of interest and divided loyalties.”

“One of the greatest honours of my life was when I became an American citizen at 18, the first opportunity I could do so.

“It was an honour to pledge an Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America and only to the United States of America! Being an American citizen is an honour and a privilege—and if you want to be an American, it’s all or nothing. It’s time to end dual citizenship for good,” Moreno said.

Moreno, who has since renounced his Colombian citizenship, maintains that exclusive allegiance is essential to national integrity.

If passed, the bill could have far-reaching implications for prominent figures such as US First Lady Melania Trump, who holds both US and Slovenian citizenship. It would also significantly impact Nigerians with dual citizenship.

According to a July naturalisation flow report by the US Department of Homeland Security, 38,890 Nigerians became naturalised American citizens between 2021 and 2023. Nigeria ranked 13th among countries with the highest number of new US citizens and was the only African nation in the top 20.

Nigerian law allows citizens by birth to hold dual nationality without relinquishing their Nigerian citizenship.

This development comes months after President Donald Trump issued an executive order aimed at denying automatic US citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants born in the country.

The order was immediately challenged by 18 states and multiple rights groups, who argued it violates the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of birthright citizenship. Ongoing legal battles have prevented the order from taking effect.

Headline

12 Die, 30 Missing In Peru Landslide

Published

2 days ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

At least 12 people, including three children, died in a landslide at a river port in central Peru on Monday, and 30 were reported missing, officials said.

The landslide submerged a boat with about 50 passengers on board, and another with none, as they were docked at the port of Iparia in the Amazon jungle region of Ucayali, according to a police report cited by the Andina news agency.

Six people were injured, it added, and a search and rescue operation was underway at the start of the Peruvian rainy season.

Without giving a toll, Peru’s COEN national emergency operations centre said on X that tragedy struck at dawn due to “erosion” of the bank of the Ucayali river.

It said the navy has been called in to help.

AFP