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Senators Screen Service Chiefs In A Closed Session

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Forty- eight hours after the Senate received Communication from President Bola Tinubu, the Senators have begun the screening of the Service Chiefs.

The newly appointed Service Chiefs on Thursday arrived the National Assembly to face the Senators at the hallowed chamber for confirmation of their appointments in line with the Constitution.

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The top security Chiefs are Major General Christopher G Musa, Chief of Defence Staff; Major General T.A Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, Chief Naval Staff and Air Vice Marshal H. B. Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff.

To begin the process, the Service Chiefs arrived the National Assembly Complex at about 10.00am for an appointment that was slated for 11.00am.

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They were still outside the Chamber until the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabío acknowledged their presence during the plenary

After their presence were acknowledged through a motion moved by the Senate Leader, Senator Michael Bamidele Opeyemi, Senate President suspended Order their Order 60 in the Senate Standing Orders 2022 as Amended to enable the Chamber attend to them.

Opeyemi said: “That the Senate do consider the request of Mr President and Commander-in -Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the confirmation of the nomination of Service Chiefs.”

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At this point, the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on National Assembly Matters( Senate), Senator Abdullahi Gumel ushered the Service Chiefs to the hallowed chamber.

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Thereafter, the visitors to the Senate were given two minutes each to introduce themselves before the Chamber dissolved into a Committee of the whole behind closed doors at 12. 42pm.

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Recall that President Tinubu had on Tuesday written the Senate, seeking for the screening and subsequent confirmation of the new Chief of Defence Staff and service chiefs.

The request was contained in a letter addressed to the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

Akpabio who read the letter during Plenary, said that the request was in line with the Act establishing the Armed Forces.

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Recall that President Tinubu had, last month, appointed Major General Christopher Musa as the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Major General bTaoreed Lagbaja as the chief of Army Staff.

READ ALSO: Tinubu Arrives Abuja From Guinea-Bissau

Tinubu also appointed Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla as the Chief of Naval Staff and Air Vice Marshal Hassan Abubakar as the Chief of Air Staff and Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye appointed the Chief of Defence Intelligence.

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He urged the Red Chamber to consider his request expeditiously.

Akpabio, after reading the letter, referred the request to the Committee of the Whole as there was no Standing Committee on Armed Forces, just as this means that the Service Chiefs would be screened on the floor of the Senate, not at the Committee level.

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70-year-old Man Kills Sister Over Family Land

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A tragic case of culpable homicide has rocked the Galadanchi village in Dutse Local Government Area of Jigawa State, leaving a family in shock and grief.

According to a statement made available to journalists in Dutse, the State capital, on Friday, by the Police Public Relations Officer, Jigawa State Command, SP Shi’isu Adam, the incident occurred on July 1, 2025, around 1530hrs.

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“The Jigawa State Police Command is currently investigating a tragic case of culpable homicide that occurred on July 1, 2025, around 1530hrs in Galadanchi village, Dutse LGA,” SP Adam stated.

“The suspect, 70-year-old Adamu Yakubu, allegedly killed his 45-year-old sister, Hannatu Hashimu, over a land dispute stemming from family inheritance.

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“The suspect allegedly stabbed his sister with a stick during a heated argument over the sharing of family inheritance land,” SP Adam revealed.

The altercation began as a verbal disagreement but escalated into physical violence, resulting in the tragic death of Hannatu Hashimu.

The deceased exited the house bitterly and fainted upon entering the matrimonial house, prompting relatives to rush her to Dutse General Hospital.

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Unfortunately, she was pronounced dead by the medical doctor on duty, leaving the family in mourning.

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The Police statement highlighted that “the suspect was arrested and is currently in police custody, assisting with the ongoing investigation.”

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However, SP Adam disclosed that the assault stick was recovered and kept as an exhibit, and the suspect will be arraigned in court upon completion of the investigation.

The Jigawa State Police Command has strongly condemned the incident and urged members of the public to seek peaceful and legal ways to resolve family and land-related disputes.

The Command also expresses its condolences to the family of the deceased and assures the public that justice will be served.

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JUST IN: Court Finds Natasha Guilty Of Contempt

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The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday found the senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, guilty of contempt over a satirical apology she posted on her Facebook page on April 27.

Justice Binta Nyako, while delivering judgment in the suit filed by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan challenging her suspension, began with the contempt application filed by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

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Akpabio, in his application, challenged the senator’s post on social media, arguing it violated an earlier court order restraining all parties from commenting to the press or making social media posts related to the case.

READ ALSO: JUST IN: Court Orders Senate To Recall Suspended Natasha

Akpoti-Uduaghan’s counsel argued that the post was not connected to the court’s order concerning her suspension, but rather referred to a separate issue involving sexual harassment allegations against the third respondent (Akpabio).

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However, Justice Nyako held that after reviewing the post and the application before her instituted by the third respondent, she was satisfied that it was linked to the suspension matter before the court and therefore found the plaintiff guilty of contempt.

The judge ordered Akpoti-Uduaghan to publish an apology in two national dailies and on her Facebook page within seven days. She also imposed a fine of N5 million.

Details shortly….

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JUST IN: Court Orders Senate To Recall Suspended Natasha

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A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday ruled that the Nigerian Senate acted beyond its powers by suspending Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months, ordering her immediate recall to the Red Chamber.

Justice Binta Nyako, who delivered the judgment, described the duration of the suspension as “excessive” and without a clear legal foundation.

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According to the court, both Chapter 8 of the Senate Standing Orders and Section 14 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, which the upper chamber relied upon, do not stipulate a maximum suspension period. As such, they were deemed overreaching in this case.

The judge pointed out that since the National Assembly is only required to sit for 181 days in a legislative year, suspending a lawmaker for roughly that same length of time effectively silences the voice of an entire constituency—a move she described as unconstitutional.

READ ALSO: JUST IN: Court Grants Natasha Bail On Self-recognition

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“While the Senate has the authority to discipline its members, such sanctions must not go so far as to deny constituents their right to representation,” Nyako ruled.

However, the court sided with Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on a separate issue, stating that his refusal to allow Akpoti-Uduaghan to speak during a plenary—on the grounds that she was not seated in her designated chair—did not amount to a violation of her rights.

Nyako also dismissed Akpabio’s argument that the judiciary had no business interfering in what he called an “internal affair” of the legislature, stating that fundamental rights and representation are matters squarely within the court’s purview.

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In a twist, the court imposed a monetary penalty on Akpoti-Uduaghan for breaching a prior court directive that barred both parties from making public statements about the ongoing legal matter.

The fine runs into millions of naira.

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