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Court reserves judgment in Murtala Ajaka’s rights suit against Yahaya Bello, others

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• SDP Governorship Candidate, Mr Muritala Yakubu-Ajaka and Governor Yahaya Bello
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A Federal High Court, Abuja on Monday, reserved judgment in a suit filed by Alhaji Murtala Ajaka, the Social Democratic Party (SDP)’s candidate in the Nov. 11 governorship election in Kogi, against Gov. Yahaya Bello and others over alleged plan to arrest him.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a short ruling, adjourned the matter after Ajaka’s counsel, Mr S.E. Aruwa, SAN, and lawyer to the governor, A.M. Adoyi, and other lawyers representing respondents in the suit, adopted their processes in support and against the suit.

Earlier, Adoyi told the court that a preliminary objection was filed on Gov. Bello’s behalf on July 19 with a written address.

Besides, the lawyer, who said a counter affidavit was also filed, urged the court to strike out the suit for want of jurisdiction.

But Aruwa said their application was dated and filed July 11. He said a reply on points of law and a further affidavit were also filed in response to Bello and others’ processes, urging the court to grant their reliefs.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ajaka, in the fundamental right enforcement suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/952/2023, had sought protection from court over alleged plan to arrest him.

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The SDP candidate, who insisted that his life was in danger, prayed the court to enforce his fundamental rights to life, dignity of his human person, personal liberty, fair hearing, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, freedom of movement, among others.

He anchored the suit on Sections 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 and 43 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as well as on Articles 2, 3, 4. 5, 6, 7(1), 10(1), 11(1), 12(1), 13 and 14 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, CAP A9, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

Aside from Governor Bello, who was cited as the 1st respondent, the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police, Commissioner of Police (Kogi ), the Department of State Services (DSS) as well as its Director General, were listed as 2nd to 6th respondents.

Other respondents in the matte are the Director of DSS (Kogi), the Commandant-General (C-G) of the Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Chief of Naval Staff.

NAN reports that Justice Ekwo had, on July 13, restrained the defendants from arresting Ajaka after Aruwa moved an exparte motion to the effect.

In his ruling, the judge held that he found merit in the ex-parte motion and affidavit of urgency that the applicant brought before the court.

He, therefore, issued an order, “restraining the respondents, their agents, servants and anybody acting through or under them from arresting, inviting, detaining or threatening the applicant’s life and property pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

“An order is hereby made compelling the 2nd to 11th respondents to immediately provide maximum security to the applicant in Abuja, FCT, Kogi State and elsewhere in Nigeria pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

“Applicant is hereby ordered to serve respondents with all the processes in this suit together with the order of court.”(NAN)

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Enugu Lawyer rejects paternity claim after DNA Test results

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A legal practitioner, Barrister Chinedu Ifeanyi Iloeje, has publicly declared that a man previously believed to be his son is not biologically related to him, following the outcome of a DNA test.

In a public notice published in a newspaper, Iloeje stated that he was allegedly misled by the man’s mother into believing that the individual, identified as Chinedu Francis Iloeje, was his biological son.

According to the notice, DNA testing conducted on the matter established “beyond any doubt” that the man is not his son.

The lawyer further clarified that he never legally adopted the individual, despite the latter bearing the name Chinedu Francis Iloeje.

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Barrister Iloeje explained that the man’s original name is Chinedu Francis Onwualu and stressed that he has no legal or biological relationship with him.

The notice also informed members of the public, the Greater Iloeje Family, the Umuodu Village Union, Uwani Amokwe Town Union, St. Theresa’s Catholic Church Amokwe, Udi Local Government Council, and other stakeholders of his declaration.

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He stated that the disclaimer was made in good faith and while of sound mind, urging the public to take note of the clarification.

The publication has sparked discussions on paternity disputes and the increasing reliance on DNA testing to resolve questions of biological parentage.

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Obi donates N10 million to burnt hospital in Enugu

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Mr Peter Obi presenting a cheque of 10 Million Naira to assist in the renovation of the burnt Mother of Christ Specialist Hospital, Enugu State.
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Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the forthcoming 2027 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has donated N10 million to assist in the renovation of the burnt Mother of Christ Specialist Hospital, Enugu State.

The former Anambra State governor handed over the cheque for the donation to the hospital management team when he visited the hospital yesterday.

The hospital belongs to the Reverend Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of the Catholic Church.

Mr Peter Obi inspecting the burnt hospital

Addressing the hospital management team after inspecting parts of the burnt hospital, the NDC presidential candidate commended them for their efforts in contributing to healthcare delivery services.

Telling them that even though they might feel that they were not being appreciated for what they were doing, Obi, however, described healthcare delivery services and education as among the “most critical needs of society” and urged them not to relent in what they were doing.

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Accompanied during the visit by his Chief of Staff, Commissioner for Housing, as well as Special Adviser on Media when he was Anambra State governor, Prof. Stella Okunna, Prof. Patrick Obi, and Dr. Valentine Obienyem respectively, Obi assured the hospital management team that he would continue to support them.

Part of the hospital gutted by the inferno and inspected by Obi was the Children’s Ward.

Expressing gratitude on behalf of the hospital management, the Chief Medical Director of Immaculate Heart Hospital, Nkpor, Anambra State, Rev. Sister Dr. Maria Nkiruka Okafor, eulogised Obi for his sacrifices and selfless contributions to humanity.

Disclosing that Obi had already credited the hospital’s accountant with the N10 million donation and that he was even the person who called her to inform her that he had received the sad news of the inferno and promised to donate towards the renovation, Rev. Sister Okafor described him as a rare politician.

She prayed that God would grant him his ambition to become President of the country and enable him to achieve his desire to transform it.

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FG, Enugu State target direct China-Enugu Cargo flights by December – Keyamo

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Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo
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The Federal Government and Enugu State Government are in talks to ensure the commencement of direct cargo flight operations between Enugu and Guangzhou, China, before the end of the year.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Barr Festus Keyamo, disclosed this in Lagos during the launch of the United Air’s newly acquired airplanes on Thursday.

The Minister added said the FG had affected a structural management overhaul at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, also bringing the airport under a privately run operational framework.

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“One of our prides in the South is the Enugu International Airport. The Enugu governor approached Mr. President, noting that the airport was not maximising its economic potential under standard bureaucratic structures, and requested to bring in private investors to run it. Mr. President gave the green light.

“As I speak with you, Enugu is now fully privately owned and fully supported by state government, with the clear objective of also turning it into a dedicated cargo hub for the entire Southeast.”

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To this effect, therefore, Keyamo said that a high-level bilateral trade negotiations were ongoing with a view to securing direct logistics flights between China and the Southeast by the end of 2026.

“Just two days ago, the Enugu governor and I were actively negotiating the first direct cargo flight from Guangzhou, China, straight into Enugu.

“We are targeting December for the maiden flight. This will allow our Southeast merchants and traders in China to consolidate their goods into unified cargo accounts twice a week, flying straight into Enugu for seamless delivery to hubs like Onitsha and Aba,” he concluded.

It is recalled that Governor Mbah had in July 2025 launched Enugu Air, a state-owned airline, as part of the administration’s integrated blueprint for a modern, multimodal transport ecosystem and the vision to make Enugu a major aviation and logistics hub.

Since then, Enugu Air has grown its fleet from three at inception to six planes with plans to further increase it as it prepares to commence operations to regional destinations like Accra, Libreville, Abidjan in next few months and long haul flight operations to various destinations around the world by the end of the year.

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