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REVEALED: FG Spends N1.1bn On Top Lawyers Over Three Years

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The Federal Ministry of Justice in Nigeria has disbursed a staggering N1.1 billion in professional fees to some of the country’s leading lawyers over the last three years.

This revelation follows an analysis of data from GovSpend, a platform dedicated to tracking government expenditures.

Prominent beneficiaries of these payments include Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) Chief Afe Babalola, Wole Olanipekun, and Dr. Alex Izinyon, among 23 other legal firms.

READ MORE: 2025: Nigerian States Fail To Achieve 60% Budget Execution In 2024

The scope of their professional services ranged from offering legal advice and drafting documents to representing the government in court and handling regulatory compliance matters.

Breakdown of Payments

According to records, Babalola, Olanipekun, and Izinyon collectively received N482.7 million in July 2024 alone. Of this amount:

Chief Afe Babalola received N372.9 million on July 23 for representing the Federal Government in a case registered as FHC/ABJ/SC/8962/2023.

Wole Olanipekun was paid N103.6 million on July 26, while Dr. Alex Izinyon received N6.2 million on July 29.

Further analysis revealed that in 2022, 17 lawyers were paid a combined total of N359.7 million, while four lawyers collectively received N319.3 million in 2021.

Notable beneficiaries include: Savannah Law Chambers: N17.4 million in 2022 and an additional N29 million.

LDS Legal: N70.9 million in 2022 and N21.8 million in 2021, Sulaiman Salihu & Co: N31.4 million in two tranches in 2022 and N100.5 million in 2021.

Other firms like Lex Habitae, Rashida Mohammed & Co, and King’s Chambers each received between N15 million and N22 million for their services.

Tax Payments

As part of the payments, Babalola paid N31 million in Value Added Tax (VAT) and N41.4 million in withholding tax to the Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Ministry of Justice, respectively.

Similarly, Olanipekun paid N8.6 million in VAT and N11.5 million in withholding tax.

Despite the comprehensive scale of services rendered, the payments have raised concerns about the transparency and accountability of government expenditures.

The Legal Practitioners Remuneration Order, 2023, outlines guidelines for legal fees, yet the significant sums disbursed to these top lawyers and firms have prompted calls for greater scrutiny of how public funds are allocated.

 

 

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NNPC Ltd Anchors Meeting Crude Production Target on Sustained Drilling

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Nigeria’s hope of meeting her targeted production level of three million barrels a day (bpd) has been anchored on sustained drilling activities.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), has said that security web across exploration infrastructure has improved production in recent times, while the level of oil theft has also been reduced.

READ ALSO: Ndindi Nyoro Gives Ruto 14 Days to Disclose Dangote Refinery Deal

According to the NNPC Ltd, crude oil production has risen to 1.8 million barrels per day in the last month.

The Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, gave the information on Thursday at the 2026 Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria (NAEC) Conference in Lagos.

Ojulari, who was represented by the Chief Communications Officer of the Company, Andy Odeh, noted that Nigeria’s crude oil production rose to 1.821 million barrels per day (bpd), including condensates, reflecting improved regulations and upstream activities.

According to Ojulari, the approach has helped to improve the operating environment and accelerate activities across the upstream sector.

“Today, we are doing 1.821 million barrels per day,” he said. “The country has recorded more than 80 per cent success in its efforts to improve production.”

The event was themed: ‘Access To Assets: Empowering Players & Driving Growth’.

Nigeria produced 1, 677,777 barrels of crude oil and condensate per day in the month of August 2026, representing an increase of 0.4 percent when compared to the month of July.

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Yenagoa Hosts NCDMB 2026 Content Forum

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NCDMB Emerges Best MDA In Ease Of Doing Business Ranking

The 15th edition of the Practical Nigerian Content Forum (PNCF) is billed for Yenagoa, Bayelsa State from November 30.

This edition of the initiative of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) would hold be in collaboration with the Bayelsa State Government as disclosed on Tuesday when a delegation of the NCDMB and DMG Events met with the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Dr Peter Pereotubo Akpe, at the Government House, Yenagoa.

Leading the delegation, the General Manager, Corporate Communications Division of NCDMB, Dr Obinna Ezeobi, conveyed the appreciation of the Executive Secretary of the board, Felix Omatsola Ogbe, to the state government for its continued support for the forum.

He said, “We appreciate the Bayelsa State Government for its continued partnership and support for the PNC Forum”.

READ ALSO: 40 Oil Blocks up for Grabs as NUPRC Opens 2026 Bid Round

According to him, the Youth PNC was designed to expose young people in the Niger Delta to emerging opportunities in the oil and gas industry and the competencies required to build successful careers in other sectors of the economy.

Ezeobi added, “We have introduced new initiatives into this year’s programme to ensure that the PNC continues to deliver greater value to participants and address emerging issues in the Nigerian content space.”

The Senior Manager, Zonal Coordination, NCDMB, Mr Adebayo Joseph, spoke on plans for the Youth PNC, while the leader of the DMG Events delegation, Ms Olamide Oloko, outlined the major activities planned for the conference.

Oloko said the new initiatives would include a Local Content Roundtable and a two-day programme for Local Community Contractors aimed at helping them scale up their operations.

She added, “The 2026 edition will also feature a breakout session to collate stakeholders’ views on the future direction of Nigerian Content over the next decade.”

Responding, Akpe assured the NCDMB and DMG Events of the state government’s continued support for the PNC Forum.

Akpe said, “The Bayelsa State Government is committed to ensuring that the event is successful and that participants have a conducive and secure environment throughout their stay in the state.”

He said the initiative demonstrated the practical impact of the programme and urged the board to sustain efforts aimed at creating opportunities for young people in the region.

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‘Dem Dey Use Stick Dey Flog Women’ — Nigerians in India Camp Cry Out

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Nigerian women allegedly being held at a deportation facility in India have cried out over their treatment, with a video circulating online showing some of them displaying injuries and alleging that security personnel flogged detainees.

The video began circulating online on Wednesday and shows a group of Nigerian women inside and around what they described as a deportation camp.

Several of the women pointed to marks, bruises and apparent injuries on their legs, feet and bodies while alleging that they were beaten with sticks or canes.

SEE ALSO: Rufai Oseni Row: NiDCOM Breaks Silence on Nigerians Detained in India, Addresses Ekene’s Case

“See my video, see my leg,” one of the women could be heard saying in the footage.

Another woman said, “Mona see wetin dem dey do for deportation camp.”

“Deportation camp, na dem flog person, see,” another woman said while showing what appeared to be an injury.

The women further alleged that female detainees were beaten with sticks.
“Dem dey use stick dey flog women, mona dey see am,” one of them said.

Another woman, while pointing at an injured detainee, said, “Dem carry cane flog o… see her body, dem flog am.”

The women also alleged that police officers carried sticks inside the facility.

“Police carry stick like say dem dey cut firewood,” one of the women said.

The footage shows the women appearing distressed as they moved through the facility and gathered in an outdoor area.

They repeatedly appealed to Nigerians to share the video and draw attention to their situation.

“Make una see… make this video trend/go,” one woman said.

“Make una share am,” another added.
One of the women also expressed frustration over their alleged experience at the facility, saying, “We don suffer, every time, every time.”

The footage comes amid ongoing concerns over Nigerians detained at the Lampur detention centre, also known as Sewa Sadan, in New Delhi.

Recall that in September, reports emerged that more than 200 Nigerians were being held at the facility, with some detainees alleging poor food, inadequate medical care and prolonged detention.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) subsequently defended its handling of the situation and said the Nigerian High Commission in India was seeking another amnesty period to facilitate the departure of Nigerians without proper immigration documentation.

No official response from the Indian authorities or the Nigerian government specifically addressing the allegations in the latest video had been made available at the time of publication.

 

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