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Court sacks Enugu monarch over certificate forgery

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An Enugu State High Court has sacked the traditional ruler of Umuogbugbuagu Autonomous Community, Ugwuoba, in Oji River Local Government Area of the State, Igwe Anayo Anochili.
The Court presided over by Hon. Justice Afam Nwobodo, held that Anochili was not qualified ab-initio to contest for the traditional stool, having presented a questionable Secondary School Certificate.

Another contestant to the throne, Chief Nathan Nwanze Nwangwu had dragged the embattled monarch to court, seeking to be declared the rightful person to occupy the Igweship seat of the community.

Nwangwu had contended that at the time the election was held for the purpose of the stool in 2003, he was the only qualified candidate who indicated interest. He added that his presentation to the government for recognition was truncated by Anochili.

But Anochili had contended before the court that he polled the majority of lawful votes cast during the Igweship election, and was thereafter presented with a letter of recognition.

After reviewing their arguments, Justice Nwobodo said he found merits in the arguments of the plaintiff, Chief Nwangwu, that Anochili was not qualified in the first place.

He held that the defendant “has since tendered his school certificate before this court as Exhibit 16. The said Certificate is dated June 2004 and bears the name of Anochili Anayo C. born on February 1, 1979. Meanwhile Exhibit 2 filled by the 2nd defendant shows that he was born on the 1st day of September, 1965.

“Can it be said that the candidate for the Igwe stool in Exhibit 2 and the owner of the school certificate Exhibit 16 is the same person? My answer is in the negative.

“Now, even if the purpose of argument, that they are the same person, the question is- was the 2nd defendant qualified to contest for the office of the Igwe of Umuogbugbuagu Autonomous Community as the time he filled the form on 30th October, 2003? My answer is emphatic No.”

Based on the above, Justice Nwobodo gave an order restraining the defendants or their agents from conducting any further election or selection on the Igweship for Umuogbugbuagu Autonomous Community.

“The 2nd defendant is hereby restrained by the order of this court from parading himself of being paraded by any other person as His Royal Highness, Igwe Cyril Anayo Anochili or performing any duties customarily reserved for the Igwe of Umuogbugbuagu Autonomous Community.

“The Court hereby declares that the 3rd plaintiff is the qualified candidate for Igweship of Umuogbugbuagu Autonomous Community and was duly elected/selected the Igwe Elect as at 1st January, 2004.

“That Executives of Umuogbugbuagu Progressive Union of Umuogbugbuagu Autonomous Community shall present the 3rd plaintiff to the Governor of Enugu State for recognition.

“The defendants shall pay the cost of this action to the plaintiffs, assessed at N100,000 only,” the court ordered.

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BREAKING: Tinubu, Starmer Meet as £746m Port Investment Deal Set for Signing

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President Bola Tinubu is currently meeting with United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a high-level bilateral engagement aimed at strengthening ties between Nigeria and Britain.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Monday, said the meeting will culminate in the signing of various Memoranda of Understanding and agreements, including those on trade, investment, defence, and cultural cooperation.

The statement said the meeting reinforces Nigeria’s commitment to deepening bilateral relations, attracting foreign investment, and modernising key infrastructure to support economic growth.

It added that a major highlight of the visit was the signing of a £746 million financing agreement between UK Export Finance, the Nigerian Ports Authority, and the Federal Ministry of Finance.

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The statement said the deal will fund the refurbishment of two key maritime infrastructures — the Lagos Port Complex (Apapa Quays) and the Tin Can Island Port Complex.

The President and the First Lady had earlier been the guests of their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle.

Tinubu was accompanied by a high-profile delegation, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi; Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed; and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu.

Other members of the delegation include Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole; Minister of Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa; Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani; Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa; National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu; and Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed.

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Breaking: Senegal Lose AFCON Crown as CAF Declares Morocco Winners

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Morocco have been officially crowned champions of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after the CAF Appeal Board overturned the result of the final against Senegal. The decision comes after extraordinary scenes in Rabat where the Lions of Teranga walked off the pitch in protest, leading to a retrospective 3-0 forfeit victory for the host nation.

In a detailed statement, the CAF Appeal Board confirmed that the appeal lodged by the FRMF was “declared admissible in form and the appeal is upheld.” This landmark ruling effectively strips Senegal of what would have been their second continental crown, rewarding the hosts for a match that descended into chaos during extra time.

The roots of the controversy lie in a heated moment deep into stoppage time when Morocco’s Brahim Diaz went down in the box. While the referee initially waved play away, a VAR review resulted in a spot-kick for the hosts. This sparked a furious reaction from the Senegalese bench, with head coach Pape Thiaw instructing his players to return to the dressing room in a protest that lasted several minutes.

The CAF Appeal Board found that “the conduct of the Senegal team falls within the scope of Articles 82 and 84 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations.” By leaving the field of play, Senegal was deemed to have infringed on the regulations, leading to the administrative 3-0 defeat. The ruling sets aside the previous CAF Disciplinary Board decision and confirms that the protest lodged by Morocco has been fully upheld

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NRC Confirms 26 Injured in Mid-Route Train Incident, Says Opeifa

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Mo No fewer than 26 passengers and onboard personnel sustained varying degrees of injuries following a train incident along the Abuja–Kaduna rail corridor on Monday.

The incident, which occurred at about 9:16 a.m. near Asham Station, involved the KA-2 service travelling from Rigasa to Idu. According to an interim report released by the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), a loud bang was heard as the power car and a trailing locomotive collided with one of the coaches.

Preliminary findings indicate that the incident may have been caused by a fault in one or more couplers, leading to a possible disconnection within the train formation. However, authorities confirmed that none of the coaches derailed.

The train had earlier departed Rigasa Station at 7:15 a.m., arriving at Jere slightly ahead of schedule before departing a few minutes later after an additional locomotive was coupled to improve operational resilience.

Following the incident, affected components—including a locomotive, power car, and one passenger coach—were detached from the train to allow the journey to continue safely.

A total of 481 people were onboard at the time, including passengers, crew members, security personnel, vendors, cleaners, and other service providers. Of the 459 passengers booked for the trip, 429 were confirmed to have boarded.

Despite the disruption, the train resumed movement at about 9:42 a.m., arriving in Kubwa at 10:10 a.m. and terminating at Idu Station at 10:39 a.m., with an overall delay of approximately 38 minutes.

The NRC stated that injured persons included passengers, staff, and security personnel, although details of the severity of injuries were not fully disclosed.

Train services on the route were later restored the same day, with subsequent trips resuming operations, albeit with delays. The Managing Director of the NRC, Kayode Opeifa, was onboard one of the recovery services to monitor the situation.

The corporation assured the public that a full investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the incident and to prevent future occurrences.

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