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Supreme Court Bench Depletes To 10
Published
2 years agoon
By
Editor
As the Supreme Court kick-starts hearing on all the appeals that are seeking to nullify the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, it will by Friday, have only 10 justices on its bench.
The further depletion of the apex court bench follows the exit of Justice Musa Dattijo who will clock the 70 years mandatory retirement age on October 27.
The court, in a statement that was signed by its Director of Press and Information, Dr. Akande Aweneri Festus, disclosed that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, will preside over a valedictory session that will be held in honour of the retiring jurist, on Friday.
Remarkably, the number of justices of the court unprecedentedly rose to 20 in November 2020, after President Muhammadu Buhari okayed the elevation of eight justices at a go.
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Their appointment had sparked hope that the apex court would for the first time in history, attain the full complement of 21 justices as prescribed by Section 230 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
However, with the death of Justice Sylvester Ngwuta on March 7, 2021, about 23 days before to his retirement, and the retirement of Justice Rhodes-Vivour 14 days later, only 18 Justice were left on the apex court bench.
Before their replacements could be appointed, Justice Samuel Oseji died on September 2021, aged 67, less than a year after his appointment to the Supreme Court.
Likewise, while Justice Mary Odili, who became the second most senior jurist of the court, retired on May 12, 2022, Justice Ejembi Eko also bowed out of active judicial service on May 23, 2022.
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In a shocking move, the then CJN, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, voluntarily resigned his position in June, 2022, even as Justice Abdul Aboki retired on August 5, last year, thereby reducing the number of justices of the Supreme Court to 13.
Justice Chima Centus Nweze, who was the only Justice of the court from the South East region, died in Abuja, after a brief illness on July 29 this year, while Justice Amina Augie retired on September 3, eventhough the valedictory session to mark her exit from the apex court bench was held on September 17.
As stakeholders demand urgent elevation of new justices in view of the mounting workload on the apex court, Vanguard earlier reported that the CJN, Justice Ariwoola, will equally exit the bench on August 22, 2024.
Other remaining justices on the apex court bench, are; Kudirat Motomori Kekere-Ekun (to retire 2026), John Inyang Okoro (2029), Uwani Abba Aji (2026), Garba Lawal (2028), Helen Morenikeji Ogunwumiju (2027), as well as; Ibrahim Saulawa (2026), Adamu Jauro (2029), Tijjani Abubakar (2030) and Emmanuel Agim (2030).
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By the combined provisions of paragraphs 13 (a) & 21 (a) of the 3rd Schedule Part 1, of the Constitution, the National Judicial Council, NJC, upon the advice of the Federal Judicial Service Commission, FJSC, has the statutory power to nominate and recommend the appointment of justices of the Supreme Court to President Bola Tinubu.
Section 234 of the Constitution mandates the Supreme Court to hear cases in a panel of 5 or 7 justices.
With the further depletion of the number of justices on the apex court to 10, it may be impossible for the court to raise two panels to hear many pending appeals, once it flags-off proceedings on the 2023 presidential election dispute on Monday.
Meantime, Justice Dattijo, who hails from Chanchaga Local Government Area of Niger State, was born on October 27,1953, in Minna.
He was called to the Nigerian Bar on July 2, 1977 and he took the oath of office as Justice of the Supreme Court on July 10, 2012.
VANGUARD
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Swiss food giant, Nestle, on Monday dismissed Laurent Freixe as chief executive with immediate effect over an “undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate.”
The multinational behind Nespresso coffee capsules and KitKat chocolate bars said Freixe’s dismissal followed an investigation.
In a swift move, Nespresso CEO, Philipp Navratil, was appointed to take over by his fellow board members.
“The departure of Laurent Freixe follows an investigation into an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate which breached Nestle’s code of business conduct,” a statement said.
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The board said it had ordered an investigation overseen by chairman Paul Bulcke and lead independent director Pablo Isla, with the support of outside counsel.
“This was a necessary decision. Nestle’s values and governance are strong foundations of our company. I thank Laurent for his years of service,” Bulcke said in a statement.
A company veteran, Freixe joined Nestle in France in 1986. He ran the firm’s European operations until 2014, steering them through the subprime and euro crises that began in 2008.
He headed the Latin America division before his promotion as CEO.
Freixe had only been in the top spot since a surprise switch in September 2024, entrusted with reversing soft spending by consumers for the company’s food and household goods.
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Nestle’s share price slumped by nearly a quarter last year, raising concerns in Switzerland, where pension funds invest heavily in the company, whose brands also include Purina dog food, Maggi bouillon cubes, Gerber baby food and Nesquik chocolate-flavoured drinks.
Nestle shares closed up 0.13 percent at 75.49 Swiss francs on the Swiss stock exchange.
– Net profits –
In late July, Nestle reported a 10.3-percent drop in first half profits as it struggled to turn around its fortunes amid sluggish consumer spending in China, even as it passed on higher cocoa and coffee prices to consumers.
New chief executive Navratil had been an executive vice-president at Nestle, which is headquartered in Vevey on Lake Geneva.
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“The board is confident that he will drive our growth plans forward and accelerate efficiency efforts. We are not changing course on strategy and we will not lose pace on performance,” insisted chairman Bulcke.
Navratil started his career with Nestle in 2001 and took on various roles in Central America, leading the coffee and beverage business in Mexico from 2013 to 2020, when he took over responsibility for global strategy and innovation for the Nescafe and Starbucks brands.
He became chief executive of the Nespresso brand in July last year and joined the company board in January 2025.
“I fully embrace the company’s strategic direction, as well as the action plan in place to drive Nestle’s performance,” said Navratil, pledging to “drive the value creation plan with intensity.”
News
VIDEO: Motorists Stranded As Bridge Fails On Lagos-Benin Expressway
Published
5 hours agoon
September 1, 2025By
Editor
Motorists and passengers were stranded for hours after a truck fell near a failed portion of a bridge along the Isoko axis of the Lagos-Benin Expressway, exposing the river beneath and rendering the route impassable.
A viral video from the scene showed queues of trapped vehicles as frustrated road users called on the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to urgently repair the dilapidated sections of the highway.
One stranded passenger, who was filmed in the video, lamented that the incident left commuters stuck for over two hours, halting both vehicular movement and the flow of goods.
He said, “I’m currently standing on the Benin-Lagos Expressway, and where we are now is Isoko Camp. This is a bridge, a very short bridge, and this message is to the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, the one who is building a road from Lagos-Calabar Highway, the road to nowhere. This place is currently shut down.
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“This truck fell here, and there’s no way. Look at this place. Vehicles are blocked. Look this way, everywhere packed up.”
The visibly frustrated commuter revealed the deteriorating state of the bridge, pointing to exposed sections above the river, which he described as a threat to lives and businesses.
He criticised the Federal Government’s focus on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, accusing Umahi of neglecting critical economic routes such as the Lagos-Benin Expressway.
“This is an expressway, and we have a minister. This is the Lagos-Benin Expressway yet, our minister, dey do Lagos – Calabar Highway,” he said.
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“This is what we have. Do you know how many people pass here? As I’m speaking to you now, if you look up, trailer. If you know the number of trailers that are here and are trapped, it means the economy of Nigeria is affected. Because the number of goods and services has been shut down. Everywhere is shut down.
“This road now, everywhere is at standstill. This vehicle is even lucky that it didn’t fall into the water. And we have a Minister of Works wasting money, saying Calabar Expressway.”
He further argued that the Lagos-Benin Expressway carries more economic importance than the Lagos-Calabar Highway, urging the minister to prioritise repairs.
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He said, “Mr. Minister, let me educate you. If you have a small economic sense, you will know that this road alone is affecting Nigeria’s economy. But that Calabar Expressway, it’s not affecting anybody. If you go there now, you won’t see vehicles parked lined up there. The only place where you will see vehicles lined up is on this road. So if the Minister has more direction, he will go and fix this road.
“I see when they say they need more money, they are borrowing more money to put in the road we don’t use. Then the one we use is abandoned. So please, those who are close to the Minister, talk to him. We are stranded here now. We have been here for over two hours now, and nothing is moving.”
The video has gained the attention of concerned citizens on social media, some of whom describe the road as a “death trap” and joined in calling for quick intervention on the road.
Watch video below:
https://x.com/MobilePunch/status/1962577345832714466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1962577345832714466%7Ctwgr%5Edf307ccd0eb71fe84e2d24b726307513398112b3%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpunchng.com%2Fvideo-motorists-stranded-as-bridge-fails-on-lagos-benin-expressway%2F
News
Bauchi Govt Inaugurates Pastors, Imams Peace Building Committee
Published
7 hours agoon
September 1, 2025By
Editor
Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state has inaugurated a 32- member Pastors/Imams peace building Committee to promote peaceful coexistence in Bogoro and Tafawa Balewa Local Government Areas of the state.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony on Monday, the governor said the move was necessitated by the need for the government to consolidate on the peace it had built and sustained over the last six years.
According to him, this peaceful coexistence had recently been threatened by the actions of unpatriotic elements within the state who didn’t wish the state well and were bent on hiding under the cover of farmer-herder clashes to taint the gains Bauchi has made so far.
While acknowledging that minor incidences are common, especially during the farming season, Mohammed said that the dimension of the recent threats in the areas was indicative of a deliberate attempt to cause disharmony.
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He said it was to also portray the state in bad face in order to sully the recognition it had attained as one of the most peaceful states in not just the Northeast sub-region but in the country at large.
“We will not allow our hard earned peaceful coexistence to be truncated by the special grace of Allah. We have invested massively over the last six years in security and peace building measures and mechanisms.
“I will not allow anyone, no matter how highly placed, to scuttle the serenity and harmony that we have attained upon which our development and growth lies. I will deal decisively with all shenanigans fueling this crisis.
“I want to assure the citizens of the state that we are working very hard and continuously with the security agencies to contain every situation around the state”, he said.
READ ALSO: Bauchi Refutes Allegations Of Poor Educational Project Execution
The governor said the committee is to embark on religious, sensitisation to promote peaceful coexistence and encourage inter-group communication.
He said they are to also mediate disputes and foster dialogue between different groups where necessary, act as bridges by leading initiatives for inter-faith dialogue and understanding.
Mohammed added that they are to utilize their religious institutions to provide the platforms for community engagement and mobilisation of people towards peace building efforts, influencing attitude and behaviors.
The committee, the governor said, is to leverage on the teachings of religious sacred texts to inspire others to embrace the values of love, forgiveness, eschew hatred and violence.
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Responding, Rev. Benson Bature and Imam Faidu Musa, Chairmen, Council of Imams and Pastors of the two LGAs who are the co-Chairs of the committee vowed to discharge their assigned duties even if they would have to pay with their lives.
They said they knew the miscreants were being pushed by some people that didn’t want peace to reign in the two LGAs, pledging to fish them out and hand them over to the authorities.
According to them, this would be done in no distant time as the religious leaders were working in unison, adding that even if a member of the committee is found culpable, he would be handed over to the authorities.
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