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Supreme Court Delays Ruling As Three States Exit EFCC Legal Battle

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In a significant turn of events, three states—Anambra, Adamawa, and Ebonyi—have withdrawn from a Supreme Court case that seeks to challenge the legality of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Their withdrawal was announced on Tuesday as the case was set for hearing.

Anambra’s Attorney General, Prof. Sylvia Ifemeje, informed the court that the state had decided to pull out of the lawsuit originally initiated by Kogi state.

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She submitted a notice of withdrawal dated October 20.

Similarly, Adamawa’s AG, Mr. J. I. Jingi, confirmed that his state filed a notice of withdrawal on October 14. Ebonyi state, previously listed as the 18th plaintiff, also formally withdrew through its counsel, Mr. Ikenna Nwidagu.

The AGF, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, who is representing the federal government as the sole defendant in the matter, did not oppose the states’ requests to withdraw.

Consequently, the Supreme Court panel, led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, struck Anambra, Adamawa, and Ebonyi from the list of plaintiffs.

In contrast to the withdrawals, Osun state has moved to consolidate its legal grievances against the EFCC with those of Kogi state.

Osun’s Attorney General, Mr. Oluwole Bada, expressed the state’s intent to seek similar reliefs as outlined in Kogi’s initial suit.

The ongoing legal battle, marked as SC/CV/178/2023, centers on the legality of the EFCC’s establishment.

The states involved argue that the commission was not validly formed, as they claim the requirements outlined in Section 12 of the 1999 Constitution were not adhered to prior to the EFCC’s creation.

The EFCC was established by an Act of the National Assembly on December 12, 2002, under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.

The plaintiffs contend that a constitutional amendment requires approval from a majority of state Houses of Assembly, a process they claim was not followed.

They maintain that this oversight renders the EFCC’s operations invalid, asserting that any agency formed under the disputed Act should be considered illegal.

Kogi state, as the originating plaintiff, has posed several questions for the Supreme Court to address and is seeking nine primary reliefs, including a declaration that the EFCC lacks the authority to investigate matters related to Kogi’s state funds.

In response, AGF Prince Fagbemi argued that the EFCC was established in line with constitutional provisions, emphasizing the importance of the commission in combating corruption in Nigeria.

He urged the court to dismiss the plaintiffs’ suit, warning that ruling in their favor could undermine the nation’s efforts to tackle corruption and impact previous convictions.

After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Abba-Aji reserved judgment, with a decision to be announced at a later date.

 

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REBUTTAL: Rivers Denies Shutting Nigeria’s Oil Production Facilities

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The Rivers State government has denied a story about her reaction to an obnoxious court ruling baring the Federal Government from releasing her monthly allocations by shutting Nigeria’s Oil production facilities within her territory.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday in Port Harcourt under the signature of Hon. Commissioner for Information and Communications, Rivers State, Warisenibo Joe Johnson.

Recall that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stop disbursing Federal Allocations to Rivers State until the issue of proper passage of the 2024 budget is resolved.

ALSO READ: Internet Fraud: EFCC Arrests Seven Suspects In Abuja

However, Johnson vehemently denied what he described as “spurious news item circulating on social media”.

Under the subject ‘Re: Rivers State Governor Sim Fubara Shuts Down NNPCL’, he maintained that “The report was not only false, but a concocted propaganda from the imagination of the author and enemies of the State.”

The statement reads, “The attention of Rivers State Government has been drawn to a spurious news item circulating on social media on “Gov. Siminalayi Fubara shutting down NNPCL and all oil companies in Rivers State”.

“The report was not only false, but a concocted propaganda from the imagination of the author and enemies of the State. The story was also circulated by an inconsequential and unverified medium.

“Governor Siminalayi Fubara is committed to the rule of law and does not rely on unconventional and crude approaches to respond to matters of governance.

“We therefore enjoin Rivers people and well-meaning Nigerians to discountenance the spurious and fake report as Governor Fubara at no time contemplated and/or directed such needless order of shutting down the economy for any reason.”

 

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NEWS

Budget 2025: Adeleke Presides Over Treasury Board Sittings, Tasks MDAs On Performance

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Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke chaired the Treasury Board meeting for the 2025 budget, on Thursday and issued a strong admonition to Ministries and Agencies to sustain budget performance on all fronts.

Members of the Treasury Board include the Deputy Governor, Prince Kola Adewusi; Secretary to the State Government, Hon Teslim Igbalaye; the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon Kazeem Akinleye; Head of Service, Elder Ayanleye Aina; Attoney General/HCJustice and HC Finance; the Accountant General; Chairman of State Internal Revenue Service among others.

ALSO READ: BREAKING: New Tax Reforms, Not Tweaked Against North – FG

The Governor scrutinised proposals of various Agencies submitted through the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.

The State Governor noted that presentations by the agencies are encouraging but called for a more innovative approach to Revenue and Expenditure process and practice in line with the fiscal procedures and extent laws.

According to the State Governor, the real value of federation allocations to the state has dwindled despite the slight increase in the nominal value but to have a sustainable budget performance for the good of the citizens, political heads and accounting officers should think out of the box by emphasizing high priority projects and programmes.

“I task heads of ministries and agencies to focus on high priority projects. The resources are limited, and our needs are much. So we have to balance both ends by avoiding frivolous programmes and emphasizing areas promoting the five point agenda of this administration.

“You are to conduct full due diligence on your various sectors and programmes. Revenue generation must be driven with vigour but with a human face. Value for money is also key in state expenditure”, the State Governor charged the various ministries and agencies led by the Commissioners and Special Advisers.

Earlier in his presentation, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Prof. Moruf Ademola Adeleke assured that the report of the Treasury Board will be submitted to the State Executive Council for approval as a draft budget for presentation to the State Assembly.

He informed the Governor and other state officials that the budgetary process is on schedule to meet the timeline for final processing and approval by both the State Executive Council and the House of Assembly.

Sectors already covered by the Treasury Board meetings include Education, Solid minerals and infrastructure sectors. The board sitting continues today with the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Mrs Yetunde Esan, coordinating the process

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International News

US Diplomats In Israel For High-Stake-Talks On Lebanon Truce

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Senior U.S. officials are set to meet their Israeli counterparts on Thursday to negotiate a potential agreement aimed at stabilizing Israel’s northern border and reducing the escalating conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

This high-stakes visit comes amid ongoing hostilities in Gaza, where the Palestinian militant group Hamas has rejected multiple ceasefire proposals as Israeli strikes persist.

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Just days before the U.S. presidential election, American envoys Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk are expected to arrive in Israel.

Their mission focuses on securing a framework that could see Hezbollah withdraw approximately 20 miles (30 kilometers) north, beyond the Litani River.

In exchange, Israeli forces would pull back from Lebanon, allowing the Lebanese army, supported by UN peacekeepers, to manage border security.

Under this arrangement, Lebanon would be responsible for preventing Hezbollah from rearming, while Israel would retain its right to self-defense under international law, according to Israeli media reports.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed hope on Wednesday that a ceasefire could be reached “in the coming hours or days.”

Newly appointed Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has indicated that the group would consider a truce under certain conditions, saying Hezbollah could sustain its resistance but remains open to negotiation.

Qassem’s appointment follows the assassination of his predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah, in an Israeli airstrike last month.

In parallel, U.S. and Qatari mediators are attempting to negotiate a brief humanitarian pause in Gaza, where Israel’s campaign against Hamas is ongoing.

However, on Thursday, senior Hamas official Taher al-Nunu reiterated the group’s stance against a temporary ceasefire, stating, “The idea of a temporary pause in the war, only to resume aggression later, is something we have already expressed our position on.

Hamas supports a permanent end to the war, not a temporary one.”

This proposed pause would have allowed essential humanitarian aid to reach Gaza and opened up negotiations for a longer-term resolution, but Hamas’s rejection of the offer dims prospects for an immediate breakthrough.

As a result, attention remains firmly fixed on Lebanon, where efforts for a ceasefire along Israel’s northern front are likely to take precedence.

Last week, Israeli Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi spoke to the growing potential for resolution in Lebanon, saying, “In the north, there’s a possibility of reaching a sharp conclusion.”

Israel’s military has since intensified its strikes, particularly in southern Lebanon, where it issued evacuation orders in areas such as the Palestinian refugee camp of Rashidieh, warning of imminent action following previous strikes.

 

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