Author: Lawbreed Limited

The Federal Government has clarified that no inmate has been released under the recent Presidential Prerogative of Mercy exercise, noting that the process is still undergoing final administrative review. PUNCH Online reported that President Bola Tinubu recently granted a pardon to Sir Herbert Macaulay, as well as 174 others, following approval by the Council of State. Among the beneficiaries are notable figures such as Ken Saro-Wiwa, the environmental activist, and Major General Mamman Vatsa, who was executed in 1986 for alleged coup plotting. The pardon list also includes Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for killing her…

A Kano State High Court, presided over by Justice Musa Dahuru Muhammad, has sentenced Hayatu Muhammad, a coach of one of Kano’s prominent football clubs, to serve eight years in prison, without option of fine. Hayatu bagged his eight-year jail term, on Wednesday, for committing sodomy against one of his players, a minor. Evidence before the Court showed that Hayatu, a resident of Sanka in Kano Metropolis, was found to have committed the act twice at different locations. The prosecution Counsel, Barr. Ibrahim Arif Garba, provided five witnesses who testified against Hayatu. The offense contravenes Section 284 of the Penal…

The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has dismissed a high-profile misconduct petition against Danladi Umar, former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, ruling that the allegations of professional impropriety did not hold up in court. In a decision handed down on October 15, 2025, the LPDC threw out case number BB/LPDC/489/2021, filed in 2021 by lawyer John Aikpokpo-Martins. The petition accused Umar of conduct unbecoming of a legal practitioner under Rule 1 of the Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC) 2023, stemming from a widely publicized altercation on March 29, 2021, at Banex Plaza in Abuja. The incident, captured in…

The debate on the role of artificial intelligence in judicial decision-making must begin now, the master of the rolls said today. Addressing the annual Legal Geek networking event, Sir Geoffrey Vos said that, despite early scepticism, lawyers and the judiciary are now ‘piling in’ to find uses for the technology – which he stressed was simply a tool. ‘Like a helicopter or a chainsaw, in the right hands can be jolly useful, in the wrong hands jolly dangerous.’ Vos told the audience of lawyers and lawtech entrepreneurs that, while it is clear that AI can be used in judicial decision-making,…

Lateef Fagbemi, the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and minister of justice, says the presidential pardon list is currently at the “final administrative stage,” which involves reviewing the names and recommendations. Last Thursday, President Bola Tinubu granted presidential pardon and other forms of clemency to 175 persons, following the approval of the Council of State. Among the 175 beneficiaries are Herbert Macaulay, one of Nigeria’s foremost nationalists; Farouk Lawan, a former member of the House of Representatives; and Mamman Vatsa, a major general and poet executed in 1986 over alleged treason. Drug offenders, illegal miners, white-collar convicts, and foreigners are…

The House of Representatives on Tuesday resolved to probe what it described as the “arbitrary, excessive, and unexplained” charges drawn from customers’ accounts by money deposit banks operating in the country. The resolution of the House was a sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Kwara lawmaker Tolani Shagaya at a plenary session presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas. Titled, ‘Need to curb arbitrary bank charges and protect Nigerian customers,’ Shagaya drew the attention of his colleagues to the incessant charges levied on Nigerian bank customers despite repeated warnings by the regulator, the Central…

The National Assembly has assured Nigerians that the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act 2022 will be completed on or before December 2025, well in time for the 2027 general elections. Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, representing Ekiti Central, gave the assurance on Tuesday after Senate President Godswill Akpabio read President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s letter seeking confirmation of Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Bamidele explained that the aim is to avoid delays that affected past electoral reforms, noting that the previous administration under late President Muhammadu Buhari could not sign the…

The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, has fixed March 10, 2026, for the hearing of an appeal filed by the Medical Director of Excel Medical Centre, Dr. Ferdinand Ejike Orji, challenging his conviction and one-year jail sentence by the Lagos State High Court. The appellate court will also hear a cross appeal by the Lagos State Government seeking to set aside the portion of the judgment that discharged and acquitted Dr. Orji on Count 1 of the six-count amended charge. The state is asking the court to convict and sentence him on that count as well. A three-member panel of…

The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) has released a comprehensive guideline on the responsible use of social media and digital communication platforms by medical and dental practitioners across the country. Dated October 14, 2025, the document titled “Guidance on Social Media and Responsible Online Conduct” sets out the standards expected of all practitioners registered with the Council in their online engagements, stressing professionalism, accuracy, and respect in digital spaces. According to the MDCN, the new directive aims to safeguard patients’ rights, protect practitioners, and uphold the integrity of the medical and dental professions while promoting evidence-based communication online.…