Author: Lawbreed Limited

Background Issue 1 Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc (“Stanbic” or the “Bank”) set up a reward scheme (the “Programme”) for exceptional employees. The Programme entailed subsidising the interest on mortgage loans taken by qualifying employees. The Programme was designed to enhance staff performance and boost profitability; as such, the costs were recognised as staff costs in the Bank’s books. The FIRS audited the Bank’s 2016 and 2017 records and disallowed expenses relating to the Programme, resulting in a liability of about N360m for the period. Issue 2 In 2017, the Bank incurred legal expenses in respect of a Court of Appeal…

Former deputy president of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has denied offering money to a prospective kidney donor to save his sick daughter, Sonia. The lawmaker, his wife, Beatrice, and their 25-year-old daughter are on trial in London for allegedly trafficking a young man from Nigeria to serve as kidney donor. The Ekweremadus were alleged to have offered £7,000 to the 21-year-old trader whom they flew to London and falsely presented as Sonia’s cousin so as to obtain his kidney. According to Daily Mail, in his opening addresses at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, lawyers for the defendant, Martin Hicks, insisted…

A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has granted an order restraining the Rivers State Government, led by Governor Nyesom Wike; the Department of State Services, DSS; and the Nigeria Police Force, NPF; from arresting and intimidating members of the Atiku Campaign Council in the State. Justice A.T Ibrahim issued the order against the DSS and the police following a motion ex parte filed by leaders of the Rivers State Atiku/Okowa Campaign Council. The Council Spokesperson, Dr Leloonu Nwibubasa, on Wednesday, noted that Atiku Abubakar’s supporters are now protected by the court order after some of them were arraigned…

The Kano state Government has prayed for a mandatory order seeking for reversal of the Federal Government policy to recall the N200, N500 and N1,000 notes from circulation saying the policy is affecting the economic well-being of the over 20 million citizens Kano State. The state prayed for, among others, “a mandatory order to compel the FGN to reverse the Naira redesign policy for failure to comply with 1999 (as amended) constitution of the FRN. The originating summons seen by Loyal Nigerian Lawyer reporter was filed by Mr Sunusi Musa, SAN of Aliyu & Musa Legal Practitioners and Consultants, Kano.…

The police have filed an appeal against the judgement reinstating some police officers after they were retired. The aggrieved police officers had recently demanded the removal of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, and his committal to prison for disobeying the April 19, 2022 judgement of the National Industrial Court which ordered their reinstatement. But the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi, on Thursday described the call for the sack and imprisonment of the IGP as baseless and mischievous. He said the appeal number NICN/AB/21M/2023 was filed on February 8. Adejobi said, “For the records, the said retired…

Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation says the federal government would obey the supreme court order restraining the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from banning the use of the old naira notes from February 10. A seven-member panel of the apex court led by John Okoro, made the ruling on Wednesday in an ex parte application brought by three states: Kaduna, Kogi, and Zamfara. The AGF has also filed a preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit. But in an interview with Arise TV on Wednesday, Malami said the federal government would obey the order…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will not accept the nomination of university lecturers who have participated in partisan politics or were convicted of electoral malpractice as returning and state collation officers in the coming polls. Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, spoke in Abuja at a meeting with vice-chancellors of universities. Yakubu said the collation of election results would take place in 8,809 registration areas in 774 LGAs in the country. “Put together, we will engage 23,258 personnel as collation and returning officers. It is for this reason that this meeting is crucial,” he said. “We need the support…

The National Universities Commission, NUC, has directed the closure of all universities and inter-university centres between February 22nd and March 14. NUC said there would be no academic activities during the shutdown. The announcement was contained in a statement signed by the Deputy Executive Secretary (Administration), Chris Maiyaki. According to the statement, the decision followed concerns about the security of staff, students and the universities’ properties during the general elections scheduled from February 25 – March 14. The Commission said the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, gave the directive following consultation with relevant security agencies. In a letter addressed…

The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho on Thursday said the process for the appointment of Judges to the Bench of the court will be based on competence and merit. Justice Tsoho stated this in Abuja while addressing the valedictory court session in honour of Justice Ibrahim Buba, who bowed out of the Federal High Court Bench on Saturday, January 1, 2023 upon the attainment of the statutory retirement age of 65 years. He said only persons with intellectual ability with broad and sound knowledge would be considered for appointment to the Federal High Court Bench.…

Barring any last-minute change of mind, Lagos State Chief Judge, Justice Kazeem Alogba will on March 1, 2023 pronounce Surulere/Yaba and Eti-osa as Judicial Divisions within the Lagos State Judiciary. Justice Alogba made the commitment today when he led a high-powered delegation of the state judiciary on a working visit to the Christopher Segun Courthouse in Eti-osa. Addressing members of the Eti-osa Lawyers Forum (ELF) who also accompanied the chief judge on the visit, Alogba noted the hardship caused by the lack of pronouncement on the matter, adding that that would soon be over. CITY LAWYER recalls that though the…