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alleged violation subsisting order : Court fixes May 9 to hear contempt charge against Rotimi Amaechi

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The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, fixed May 9 to hear contempt charge against the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, following his alleged violation of a subsisting court order on the appointment of operators of the International Cargo Tracking Note, ICTN, in Nigeria.

The court had in a ruling by Justice Donatus Okorowo delivered on January 22, ordered the maintenance of status quo on the appointment, pending the determination of a suit that was brought before it by the Incorporated Trustees of Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights, CASER.

The Plaintiff had in its suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1587/2021, alleged that the Minister skewed the appointment process to the benefit of two local and inexperienced firms – Medtech Scientific Ltd and Rozi International Nigeria Ltd.

It alleged that the appointment was done in breach of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.

Cited as Defendants in the suit included the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, as well as the two firms.

The Plaintiff is among other things, praying the court for an order nullifying the entire process of appointing the 4th and 5th defendant as operator of the international cargo tracking note in the country.

“An order setting aside the due process ‘no objection’ issued by the 2nd defendant to the 1st defendant, for the restricted selection of the 4th and 5th defendants”.

As well as an order of mandamus directing the 1st and 2nd Defendants to conduct an international competitive bidding to ensure the proper selection of the service provider for the International Cargo Tracking Note (ICTN) in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, at the resumed proceedings in the matter on Wednesday, counsel to the Plaintiff, Mr. Abdulhakeem Mustapha, SAN, told that court that the Minister of Transportation defied the order for the maintenance of status quo and is currently at the verge of perfecting the appointment process.

“My lord, he has taken fundamental steps on the subject matter of this suit, and we have documents to be placed before the court to establish that he has ignored the order of the court completely.

“In order to protect the sanctity of this honourable court, we have issued Form 48 against the Minister of Transportation.

“With the commencement of this committal process, which takes precedence over any other matter, we urge this court to suspend further proceedings in the substantive suit,” Mustapha added.

He said that having issued the Form 48 on the Minister, he was in the process of filing motion on notice to commit him to prison for disobeying a valid court order.

Popoola however stressed that his client was yet to be served with Form 48.

Likewise, counsel to the BPP, Chief Akin Olujinmi, SAN, said his client has also not been served with the Form 48 as required by law.

Olujinmi also argued that plaintiff’s lawyer had to file an affidavit to establish his allegations that the Defendants, including the Minister of Transportation, violated the court’s order.

On his part, lawyer to the AGF, Mohammed Sherifl, aligned himself with the submissions by lawyers to Amaechi and BPP that proceedings in the main suit should not be halted.

In a bench ruling, Justice Okorowo, agreed to suspend proceedings in the main suit, noting that: “Once the issue of contempt is raised, the court must suspend proceedings”.

“The court will not close its eyes when being told that its orders are being flouted.

“We have to suspend proceedings for the court to ascertain the veracity of the allegations”, Justice Okorowo held.

He thereafter directed Plaintiff’s lawyer to before the next adjourned date, file a motion on notice with an affidavit to establish the facts of the alleged violation of the court’s orders.

The court said it would on the next date, also hear an application that a firm, Antaser Nigeria Limited, filed to be made a party in the suit.

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Update : Road Crash: Anthony Joshua Hospitalised, Two Confirmed Dead — Ogun Police Spokesperson

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Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has been hospitalised after a road accident in the Makun area of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State.

Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Babaseyi Oluseyi, confirmed this in a statement.

The incident occurred shortly after 11 am on Monday.

Our reporter, who was at the scene, said the crash happened just before the Danco Filling Station in Makun, ahead of the Sagamu Interchange on the Ibadan-bound axis.

Adeniyi Orojo stated that the Lexus Jeep carrying Joshua, with number plate KRD 850 HN, collided with a stationary truck.

The eyewitness revealed that Joshua sustained minor injuries, while two others died at the scene.

“It was a two-vehicle convoy: a Lexus SUV and a Pajero SUV. Joshua was seated behind the driver, with another person beside him. A passenger sat beside the driver, making four occupants in the Lexus that crashed.
His security detail followed in the vehicle behind.

“Other eyewitnesses and I began the rescue and flagged down oncoming vehicles for help. Minutes after the crash, Federal Road Safety Corps officials arrived. The passenger beside the driver and the person beside Joshua died on the spot,” he said.

In a statement sent to Newsthumb on Monday, Oluseyi confirmed that Joshua and other injured persons were involved in a car accident and rushed to an undisclosed hospital.

He said, “The Ogun State Police Command confirms a road accident today in front of Sinoma, before Danco, along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway. Anthony Joshua and other injured persons have been rushed to the hospital.

“Further updates will be communicated.”

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Tinubu Leaves Nigeria for Europe, UAE to Attend ADSW 2026 Summit, Says Onanuga

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu departed Lagos on Sunday, December 28, for Europe, continuing his end-of-year break and ahead of his official trip to Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed AlNahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, has invited President Tinubu to participate in the 2026 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW 2026) Summit, which will take place in the emirate early in January.

The weeklong summit is an annual event that mobilises leaders from government, business, and society to chart the next era of sustainable development.

With the theme “The Nexus of Next: All Systems Go”, ADSW will connect ambition with action across innovation, finance, and people, showcasing how the world can move forward with confidence.’

The President will return to the country after the Summit.

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BREAKING: Fayose Alleges N45.5bn from N50bn Ibadan Explosion Fund Diverted by Makinde for Political Ambitions

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Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has released what he described as documentary evidence to support his claim that Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, received N50 billion from the Federal Government as a special intervention fund following the January 2024 explosion in Ibadan.

Fayose made the documents public on Sunday in a statement accompanied by a memo from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

He said the disclosure followed a challenge by Makinde to substantiate his earlier claim that the Oyo State Government received the funds.

“Two days ago, I stated on national television that Oyo State under Governor Seyi Makinde received N50bn from the Federal Government as intervention for the Ibadan explosion. Yesterday, the governor asked me to provide evidence, and here is the evidence he requested,” Fayose said.

The former governor further alleged that only N4.5 billion was disbursed to victims of the explosion, accusing Makinde of diverting the remaining funds for personal political ambitions.

“Only N4.5bn was paid to victims of the Ibadan explosion. The rest, alongside other intervention funds, was diverted to fund his presidential ambition. This, in part, explains the crisis in the PDP and his frequent attacks on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration,” he alleged.

Fayose further said he was compelled to release official documents, despite his reluctance to do so, in the interest of transparency and public accountability.

“Even though it is not in my character to go public with official government documents, I had to do this so Nigerians will know who is saying the truth and who has not been sincere with the people of Oyo State,” he said.

The former governor said that Makinde’s alleged disclosure of detail from private meeting with President Tinubu made fuller public disclosure necessary.

He challenged the governor to take legal action if he believed the allegations were false, insisting that he had sufficient proof to defend his claims.

“I challenge Governor Seyi Makinde to sue me on this. There are also proofs of other intervention funds received from Tinubu’s administration by the Oyo State Government which the governor refused to disclose to the people,” he said.

He further claimed to have documentary evidence of Oyo State’s actual Internally Generated Revenue, contrary to figures publicly stated by Makinde, noting that he would release the details at a later time.

“There are documentary evidences on the actual Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Oyo State, as against Governor Makinde’s claim, but we will keep our gunpowder dry for now.

“My name is still Ayo Fayose. I don’t say what I can’t prove,” he said.

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