Author: Lawbreed Limited

The Federal High Court of Nigeria has announced a change in its administrative leadership following the elevation of its Chief Registrar, Sulaiman Amida Hassan, to the Bench. In a statement issued on Tuesday by the court’s Director of Information, Catherine Oby Christopher, the court said the Federal Judicial Service Commission at its 98th meeting held on January 22, 2026, approved the appointment of Yahaya Yakubu Shafa, FCArb, as Acting Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court “with effect from February 17, 2026.” The statement added that Shafa’s appointment “follows the elevation of the outgoing Chief Registrar, Sulaiman Amida Hassan, to…

Legal experts and scholars have raised fresh alarms over the growing phenomenon of “trial by media” in Nigeria, warning that the increasing influence of press coverage and social media commentary on ongoing legal matters threatens fundamental rights and the integrity of the justice system. “Trial by media” refers to situations where media outlets, commentators, or online platforms effectively judge individuals in the court of public opinion long before a matter is heard and decided in an actual court of law. Legal analysts describe this trend as a serious danger to constitutional democracy, undermining the principles of fair hearing, presumption of…

A Magistrate Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, on Tuesday, barred the United Bank for Africa (UBA) from releasing or dealing with local government funds on behalf of individuals identified as members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who refer to themselves as chairmen of local government councils in the state. The court also reaffirmed the subsisting bench warrant earlier issued for the arrest of senior officials of the bank, insisting that the ongoing proceedings against them must continue. Delivering his ruling on Tuesday, Magistrate Adeyeba restrained UBA from “conducting any business transactions with individuals parading themselves as chairmen of…

The United Kingdom is set to fully enforce its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system from February 25, 2026, a move that will prevent eligible visa-exempt visitors from travelling without prior approval. UK authorities have warned that travellers who fail to secure an ETA before departure risk being stopped at the point of boarding, whether by air, rail or sea. “From 25 February 2026, eligible visitors to the UK can’t legally travel without an Electronic Travel Authorisation,” the Home Office said, urging travellers to complete the process ahead of time through the official GOV.UK website or the UK ETA mobile application.…

The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has upheld the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, ruling that the Nigerian Senate acted within its constitutional and procedural powers. The appellate court, in a unanimous judgment delivered on Monday by a three-member panel, dismissed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s appeal challenging her suspension. The appeal, marked CA/ABJ/CV/1107/2025, was filed against the Clerk of the National Assembly and three others. The court held that the suspension did not violate the senator’s parliamentary privileges or her constitutional rights. However, the court set aside the contempt proceedings and the ₦5 million fine earlier imposed on the lawmaker over…

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) adopted the Report of the NBA Remuneration Committee led by Chief Emeka Obegolu, SAN, at its meeting held on Thursday, 5 February 2026, in Maiduguri, Borno State, reaffirming the Association’s commitment to the full enforcement of the Legal Practitioners’ Remuneration Order (LPRO) 2023 and the protection of lawyers from professional undercutting. At the meeting, NEC considered the comprehensive report presented by the Committee, which detailed strategic interventions, nationwide advocacy efforts, enforcement activities, and disciplinary reviews undertaken in the concluding quarter of 2025 and the commencement of the 2026 legal…

Former Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Munta Ladipo Abimbola, has joined the lecturing team of Bola Ajibola College of Law (BACOLAW), Crescent University, Abeokuta, after years of being behind the bench. Abimbola, who is now retired, according to the Dean of BACOLAW, Dr. Saliu Jimoh, bagged his “appointment as a senior lecturer in the College and seconded to the Department of Commercial and Property Law”. Jimoh, also added that he will be bringing his wealth of experience in Arbitration and Professional Ethics as well as Civil and Criminal Procedure to the College. Meanwhile, reports gathered revealed that Justice Munta…

The Council of Legal Education, through the Nigerian Law School, has issued an official public announcement dated February 4, 2026, outlining the procedure for eligible students to pay their Bar Part II tuition fees for the 2025/2026 academic session. The directive applies strictly to candidates who have received full admission into the Bar Part II programme, which commenced on February 2, 2026, at the Nigerian Law School headquarters in Abuja and campuses in Lagos, Enugu, Kano, Yenagoa, Yola, and Port Harcourt. According to the notice signed by the Secretary to the Council and Director of Administration, the approved tuition fee…

The Magistrates Association of Nigeria (MAN), Cross River State Chapter, has threatened to embark on an indefinite strike over unresolved welfare and security concerns. The threat was disclosed during the association’s General Congress held on January 30, 2026, in Calabar. A communiqué issued after the congress and jointly signed by the state Chairman of MAN, Godwin Onah, and the General Secretary, Solomon Abuo, stated that magistrates would resume an indefinite strike from Monday, February 9, 2026, if their outstanding demands are not addressed by the state government. The communiqué recalled that the association had earlier resolved to commence an indefinite…

The appointments of five out of the six executive directors of the Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS) were done in breach of the provisions stipulated in Part IV Section 17 (1) of the Nigerian Revenue Service (Establishment) Act 2025 signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Daily Trust reports. The Nigerian Revenue Service Act is among the four tax reform laws that have faced scathing criticisms following allegations of alterations and insertions. What the law says on appointment of executive directors Section 17 (1) of Part IV of the NRS Act 2025 (Certified Act released by the National Assembly) stipulates…