News

Suit Against Proliferation Of Roadblocks In South-East Suffers Setback

Published

2 years ago

January 21, 2024

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has dismissed a suit filed by former Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association, Section on Public Interest and Development Law, NBA-SPIDEL, Dr Monday Ubani seeking to stop the army, police and other security agencies from proliferating the Lagos- Southeast routes with roadblocks.

Ubani had dragged the Attorney-General of the Federation, Inspector-General of Police, Comptroller General of Customs, Chief of Defence Staff, Corp Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corp before the court seeking a declaration that the proliferation of intra-state and highways with road blocks mounted by their officers particularly enroute Lagos to South-eastern part of Nigeria which result in obstruction of free movement in the highway and loss of travel time is a violation of his right to free and undisrupted movement as guaranteed by section 41 of the 1999 Constitution and other enabling laws.

Also joined in the suit as co-respondents are; the Police Force, Nigeria Customs Service Board, Nigerian Army and Federal Road Safety Commission.

Other prayers by Ubani include a declaration that the proliferation of intra-state and highway roadblocks particularly enroute Lagos to South Eastern part of Nigeria, obstructs free flow of traffic, constitute nuisance, causes untold hardship and unwarranted suffering to him and other road users and therefore unlawful and without legal justification.

He also prayed for an order directing the respondents forthwith to dismantle all roadblocks on all intra-state roads and highways throughout the country and particularly along the South-East roads.

Ubani also sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents, their privies, agents and representatives from mounting intra-state and highway roadblocks on Lagos enroute South Eastern roads.

On his ground for seeking the injunctions, Ubani narrated an incident in 2021 when he travelled from Lagos to his home town in Abia state with his family by road and spent about 15 hours along the road due to over 120 roadblocks mounted by officers of the respondents who also subjected other roads users to untold hardship, extortion intimidation and harassments.

In their separate responses to the suit, the Police, Army, Customs and Road Safety Corp admitted mounting roadblocks along the Lagos to South-Eastern route but insisted that they were empowered by enabling laws to do so as part of their responsibilities to secure the country and check crime.

They also insisted that the right of freedom of movement as enshrined in the 1999 constitution is not absolute and maintained that the proliferation of roadblocks along the South-Eastern roads did not in any way infringe on the right of the applicant.

Delivering judgment in the suit, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke held that from evidence before him, it was obvious that indeed there were proliferation of roadblocks along the Lagos-South Eastern road which made the applicant and other users to spend hours on the road.

The court further held that the right to free movement of the applicant was indeed derogated upon due to the powers of the constitution given to the President and the security agencies to map out security measures to secure the country.

However the court failed to address the issue raised by Ubani on why the security measures said to be securing the country are only meant for roads leading to the Eastern region and minimal on other routes in the country.

The judgment reads in part: “All the 2nd to 9th Respondents when they are on the Nigerian Roads, whether intrastate roads, interstate roads or Highways are there to prevent crime. They provide internal security which is the main function of the 3rd Respondent. They therefore perform police duties. In fact, the 4th and 5th Respondents were statutorily given the powers of the Police when carrying out their functions. These Police powers especially to stop, search, arrest and prosecute any person committing an offence was also given to the Respondent.

“There is no way the 9th Respondent can perform its duties without stopping and sometimes searching vehicles. I therefore hold that the road blocks mounted by the 2nd to 9th Respondents which clearly restrict the right to freedom of movement of the Applicant and other road users does not by that reason alone violate the Applicant’s fundamental rights.

“This does not mean that any illegal act committed by the 2nd to 9th Respondents while on the intra-state roads and highways, whether they mounted road blocks or not, cannot be investigated and prosecuted in the law courts according to the laws of Nigeria.

“It is for the reasons given above that I hereby dismiss the application for the enforcement of fundamental rights brought by the Applicant.”

Reacting to the judgement, Ubani said he would appeal the judgement or go back to the court with modification of his reliefs as he believes that the reason for the unnecessary proliferation of the road blocks on the Eastern route is not for security measures.

He maintained that it has become obvious by evidence on ground that that the proliferation of the road blocks is purely and simply for extortion and inconvenience purposes.

News

Tinubu Approves Portfolios For 5 NCDC Executive Directors

Published

6 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has approved portfolios for five executive directors on the board of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC).

Mr Segun Imohiosen, Director, Information and Public Relations, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), made the announcement in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja.

The appointees and their portfolios are: Hajiya Biliquis Jumoke- Administration and Human Resources, Mrs Aisha Rufai Ibrahim-Commercial and Industrial Development.

Others are, Mr James Abel Uloko-Corporate Services, Prof. Muhammad Bashar-Finance and Atika Ajanah-Projects.

The president urged the executive directors to work closely with the governing board of the commission to promote and coordinate sustainable development of the North-Central geopolitical zone.”

News

Court Orders Arrest Of 2 Lawyers Over Alleged Forgery, Impersonation

Published

7 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Editor

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, sitting at Apo, on Monday, issued a bench warrant against two lawyers charged with forgery and impersonation.

Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie made the arrest order following repeated failure of the defendants- Victor Giwa, and Ibitade Bukola- to appear before the court to enter their plea to the charge that was preferred against them by the Inspector General of Police.

In the charge marked: CR/150/25, the duo were accused of conspiring to forge a legal document purportedly issued by the chambers of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Prof. Awa U. Kalu, with the intent to mislead the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF.

According to the three-count charge, the alleged offence occurred on June 28, 2024.

The prosecution alleged that the defendants forged and signed a letter on the official letterhead of the SAN, requesting the AGF to suspend a scheduled arraignment.

The contentious letter, titled “Urgent and Solemn Appeal to Suspend the Arraignment of Our Colleague Victor Giwa on Charge Number: CR/222/2023”, was allegedly addressed to the AGF.

It allegedly sought intervention of the AGF to halt an arraignment that was scheduled before trial Justice Samira Bature of the high court.

The IGP, in the charge, maintained that the two lawyers committed offences punishable under Section 97, 179 and 364 of the Penal Code Act, 2004.

At the resumed proceeding of the court on Monday, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Eristo Asaph, noted that the defence lawyer told the court that the 1st defendant was bereaved, hence his absence for the scheduled arraignment.

The prosecution counsel further noted that it was on the strength of an application by the defendant that the case was adjourned.

He, therefore, wondered why the duo were also absent in court for the case to proceed.

Responding, the defence counsel, Mr. Ogbu Aboje, told the court that the 1st defendant, Giwa, wrote a letter that was accompanied with a medical report dated September 3, indicating that he had a health challenge he described as “Degenerative disorder of the lumber vertebrae,” in addition to his hypertensive condition.

He added that the 2nd defendant equally went to the hospital on Monday morning to keep to a routine appointment for the immunisation of her daughter.

More so, he drew attention of the court to an application the defendants earlier filed to challenge its jurisdiction to entertain the case.

Dissatisfied with the developments, the prosecution counsel urged the court to issue a warrant for the defendants to be arrested y security agencies and produced for their trial.

In his ruling, Justice Onwuegbuzie held that having listened to both parties, he was minded to accede to the prosecution’s request.

He court stressed that the medical report did indicate that the 1st defendant would not be able to attend court, adding that the 2nd defendant did not adduce any material to justify her absence.

Consequently, relying on the provision of section 266 (2) and 352 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), Justice Onwuegbuzie issued a bench warrant for the defendants to be arrested and produced before the court on October 8.
(VANGUARD)

News

Community Attributes Access Road To Reduction In Maternal Mortality In Bauchi

Published

11 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Editor

A cross-section of residents in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State has attributed the reduction in maternal mortality to the ongoing construction and rehabilitation of the Kirjaule–Lame roads.

Mr. Samila Jauro, who spoke on behalf of the community, made the disclosure during a media tour of ongoing Bauchi State projects in the area.

He explained that in the past, no fewer than 50 pregnant women and their babies had lost their lives due to delays in accessing healthcare caused by the poor condition of roads.

“We have lost many of our pregnant women and their unborn babies in the past because of bad roads.

“But the present administration has changed our lives through its infrastructural development,” Jauro said.

While commending the state government, he appealed for the electrification of Kirjauke community.

“We are grateful for the road project, but we still call on the governor to provide us with electricity.

For the past 18 years, we have had no source of power,” he added.

The Bauchi State Government, through the Ministry of Works, in 2023 awarded a 40.5-kilometer road construction and rehabilitation projects in the aforementioned sites.

Speaking on the progress of the projects, the Site Engineer, Mr. Ado Shehu, said the project had reached 75 percent completion.

“The Kirjaule–Lame and Magama–Gumau roads were awarded at the end of November 2023.

“Some portions are already completed, while others are at the second layer and shoulder stage to ensure a successful outcome.

“The duration of the project according to the contract is 36 months.

” But with 75 percent already completed, the project will be finished ahead of schedule,” he said.