Author: Lawbreed Limited

Nigerians were rightly exultant about the recent judgement of the London Commercial Court quashing the $11bn arbitration award against Nigeria in the case involving an Irish company, Process and Industrial Developments Ltd, also known as P&ID. Former President Muhammadu Buhari penned a newspaper article titled ‘A matter of principle’, in which he described the award as “an attempted heist of historic proportions”, arguing that Nigeria would have forfeited “a third of its foreign reserves” had it lost the case. Bola Tinubu, the current president, called it a “landmark judgement.” Both Buhari and Tinubu credited their governments for the victory. But…

In this report, Vanguard’s Law & Human Rights examines the present composition of the Supreme Court and the extent of compliance by the appointing authorities with the provisions of sections 230(2), 231(3) and 14(2) of the 1999 Constitution in the appointment of justices to the apex bench between 1999 and 2023 with a survey of stakeholders on the concomitant impact of past appointments on the quality of judgments emanating from the apex court and its public image in the last 24 years with recommendations on how about a dozen vacant seats at the Supreme Court bench should be filled in…

A Federal High Court, Abuja, has declined to grant a motion ex-parte brought by Alhaji Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) to stop Athan Achonu as governorship candidate of the Saturday’s election in Imo. Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a short ruling, refused to grant the prayer of the plaintiffs for an order of interim injunction recognising their candidate, Chief Joseph Ukaegbu, as validly elected standard bearer of the party. The development followed an ex-parte motion moved by counsel to the plaintiffs, Mohammed Mohammed, SAN, to the effect. Rather, the judge directed Mohammed to put the Independent National Electoral…

The High Commission of Canada in Nigeria said on Thursday that visa application centres in Abuja and Lagos remained open to the public. The mission said this in a statement following the fire outbreak that affected a section of the building of the high commission in Abuja on Monday. “As we continue to mourn the passing of our dear colleague from the High Commission of Canada in Abuja, please note the following information below: “Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC clients: processing of applications continues). “Regardless of the suspension of operations at the High Commission of Canada in Abuja, the…

In the bustling economic landscape of Africa, some nations are shining brighter than ever. Based on findings from the Africa Development Bank report titled “From Millions to Billions: Financing the Development of African Cities,” let’s take a closer look at the top 10 fastest-growing economies, unravelling their stories of growth and potential. 1. Rwanda (GDP Growth: 6.2%): Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills, boasts a remarkable GDP growth of 6.2%. This East African nation is not just a scenic beauty; it’s a growing economic force. 2. Côte d’Ivoire (GDP Growth: 6.2%): Côte d’Ivoire emerges as a West African dynamo,…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ibadan Zonal Command has charged eleven Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) students with online fraud before Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel of the Federal High Court, Osogbo, Osun State. According to a release signed by the EFCC’s head of media and marketing, Dele Oyewale, the defendants were arraigned on various count charges ranging from one to six as preferred against them by the EFCC. They are: Perekebena Olombeni Micah, Nnekwelugo Nnaemeka, Moyosore Favour Oluwasakin, Aghwaritoma Wisdom Obaro, Daniel Olashile Maiye, Gbolahan Khalid Adesina, Yinka Temitope Jayeola, Olumuyiwa Emmanuel Adeleye, Abiola Emmanuel Oluwadare, Busari Abdulazeez Ayodeji and…

The Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Ibadan branch, has called on the Chief Judge of Oyo State to, as a matter of urgency, totally withdraw or suspend the Pre-Action Protocol, which is contained in the Oyo State High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2022, which the association describes as a hindrance to people getting access to justice. The NBA made the call on Tuesday evening at a press conference held at the Aare Afe Babalola Bar Centre, Iyaganku, Ibadan, adding that if by Monday, which is the expiration of the seven-day notice given to the judiciary, nothing is done, lawyers in the…

In June last year, hackers took control of an email account belonging to an employee at heavy machinery manufacturer Mountain Crane. The hackers used their access to send an invoice totaling $1.75 million to one of the company’s customers, wind turbine giant Nordex, which then unwittingly paid the hackers over $800,000. A month later, Nordex realized it had been defrauded and contacted the FBI. The fraud, outlined in a search warrant obtained by Forbes, was a classic case of what’s known as Business Email Compromise (BEC), one of the most common and financially devastating cyberattacks, costing the U.S. $2.7 billion…

In Dark Hearts, Layi Babatunde, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who has been in legal practice for close to four decades, brings into the open, in simple prose, what would otherwise have been buried in Law Reports and other legal literature. He delivers a chilling account, which would make you ponder, on the increasing loss of humanity amongst humans using a collection of short stories. Evidently aided by the legal luminary’s well-known interest in scholarship and incursion into law reporting through the Supreme Court Reports (S.C Reports) which he has edited and published for decades, Dark Hearts is a collection…

Of the controversies and flip-flops that have trailed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s numerous appointments since he assumed office barely five months ago, possibly the most dangerous and consequential to Nigeria’s democracy was the recent nomination and then confirmation by the Senate of at least two known political figures as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). These appointments violate and negate the principles of fairness and impartiality, alongside extant laws that seek to protect the sanctity of Nigeria’s elections and democracy, such as the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act. It is particularly disturbing that the…