Category: PM News

Nigerian referee Joseph Odey Ogabor has been appointed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to officiate the CAF Champions League preliminary round first-leg match between Medeama SC of Ghana and TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The match will be played on September 6, 2026, at the TNA Stadium in Tarkwa, Ghana. Kick-off is scheduled for 3:00pm GMT.

Ogabor will be assisted by fellow Nigerians Tejiri Besmart Digbori and Ahmad Tijjani Mustapha.

Salisu Basheer has been appointed as the fourth official for the encounter.

Gambian Bakary K. Jammeh will serve as the Match Commissioner, while Ivorian Sinko Zeli will work as the Referee Assessor.

The game will be Medeama’s first competitive match of the new season. The Ghana Premier League champions will be hoping to start their continental campaign with a positive result against the experienced TP Mazembe side.

The second leg is scheduled to take place in the Democratic Republic of Congo on September 12, 2026.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared that President Bola Tinubu has surpassed the performance of every democratically elected Nigerian president during their first terms in office.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, made the assertion on Monday during an interview with Channels Television, where he defended the administration’s economic reforms and overall record.

Morka said the evidence of Tinubu’s achievements could be seen in the country’s economic indicators, despite the difficult conditions he claimed the president inherited.

‘President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has outperformed any president in his first term. He has outperformed any democratically elected president in this country in their terms,’ he said.

Asked to identify the specific indicators behind the claim, Morka pointed to the broader state of the economy.

‘The indicators are res ipsa loquitur as we say in law; they speak for themselves. This president inherited an economy that was completely in a mess,’ he said.

The APC spokesman attributed Nigeria’s economic difficulties to what he described as years of poor governance under previous administrations, particularly the 16-year rule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before the APC took power in 2015.

He described former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration as a transition that prevented the country from sliding further into crisis and prepared the ground for Tinubu’s presidency.

‘Buhari was a stopgap president that really came to keep the country from tipping over the precipice from 16 years of horrific maladministration of the PDP government,’ Morka said.

‘President Buhari served his term, did his job to hold the country still for President Tinubu to enter.’

Morka also defended Tinubu’s economic policies, arguing that the reforms had begun to stabilise the economy and produce improvements at the macroeconomic level.

He maintained that the results of the administration’s policies were becoming increasingly noticeable, including among some Nigerians who had initially criticised the government’s approach.

‘The Federal Government says it plans to complete the reconstruction of Lagos’ Carter Bridge within 24 months, bringing forward the original 36-month completion schedule.

Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, disclosed this on Monday during an inspection of the Carter Bridge and Iddo Bridge projects in Lagos. He was accompanied by Minister of State for Works, Sen. Mohammed Goronyo, and members of the National Assembly, including the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, Mr Akin Alabi.

Umahi said the decision to accelerate the Carter Bridge project was driven by its importance to Lagos’ transport network.

The 1.58km bridge has been in service for more than six decades, with years of inadequate maintenance contributing to serious structural deterioration.

‘Carter Bridge has stayed for over 60 to 70 years with no maintenance.

‘The lifespan of every bridge is about 50 years, and what we found out from the underwater survey is that a lot of the piles had detached from the pile caps.

‘It is like having the leg removed from the hip. There was also a lot of rust within the piles, while scouring and illegal sand mining contributed to the failure of the bridge,’ he said.

Umahi said a new design had been completed, incorporating features aimed at improving traffic movement and protecting the structure against future deterioration.

He said the redesigned bridge would have additional ramps to ease congestion, while one carriageway would be elevated over the other. A cable-stayed section would also be introduced to provide sufficient clearance for navigation.

‘Carter Bridge is 1.58km but you are going to see aesthetics, engineering and innovation.

‘We are going to be flying one carriageway over the other, increasing the number of ramps to decongest traffic towards the ramp sections.

‘We are also having a cable bridge to contain the 105 spans for navigational activities. It is going to be beautiful,’ Umahi said.

The minister said the contractor, China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), had completed about 15 per cent of preliminary activities. These include establishing the project yard and constructing access roads.

He added that piling was expected to begin before the end of the week.

Additional measures, including the installation of gabions, will also be used to protect the bridge foundations from erosion and scouring.

According to Umahi, the bridge cannot be shut completely during construction because of its strategic importance to Lagos.

‘If we close Carter Bridge, Lagos will go into katakata (chaos). That is why we are maintaining it while the reconstruction is going on,’ he said.

He said the government was adopting a similar approach on the Third Mainland Bridge, where ongoing intervention was aimed at extending the structure’s lifespan by another 50 years.

Umahi expressed confidence that the reconstructed Carter Bridge would remain functional for more than 100 years because of the additional engineering measures incorporated into its design.

He also commended the contractor for its progress and thanked members of the National Assembly for supporting the project.

Earlier, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr Olufemi Dare, told the minister that CCECC had mobilised to the site and commenced access road construction. He added that the contractor’s yard had been established and preparations were underway for piling.

Dare also updated the minister on the Iddo Bridge project, saying three spans, numbered 13, 14 and 15, had completely failed and were subsequently replaced.

‘Three days ago, we completed the casting, and the bridge has also been elevated, giving us very good headroom underneath.

‘In another 10 days, after the concrete has cured, we will open this section to traffic and close the other section, after which demolition will start immediately,’ he said.

Dare said drainage and Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement (CRCP) works on the Iddo Bridge project were about 90 per cent complete.

He expressed confidence that the intervention would be completed within two months.

As part of efforts to create wealth and boost the standard of living in his state, the Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Ododo has unveiled plans to generate electricity from the state’s abundant solid mineral resources, particularly its coal deposits.

Governor Ododo disclosed this on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ engagement with members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Government House in Lokoja.

The governor said Kogi’s vast mineral resources had remained largely untapped despite the potential to transform the state’s economy and improve the livelihoods of its people.

He identified the coal deposits in Ankpa and other parts of the state as key resources that could be harnessed to support the government’s development agenda.

‘The coal deposits in Ankpa and other local government areas are enough to drive the prosperity agenda of the state government, in addition to other solid mineral deposits in the state,’ he said.

According to him, his administration is determined to turn the state’s natural resources into tangible economic benefits for the people by promoting development, creating jobs, and improving the standard of living among the people.

The governor also announced plans for a major recruitment exercise into the Kogi State Civil Service, saying hundreds of qualified residents would soon be given the opportunity to join the government workforce.

Ododo assured that the planned recruitment would be conducted through a transparent and rigorous process to ensure that qualified citizens have a fair opportunity to secure employment.

He noted that the implementation of the new minimum wage by the state government, improved federal allocations and increased internally generated revenue had strengthened the state’s financial capacity to sustain its workforce and shows that many of those who have retired or are on the verge of retirement from the state civil service could be replaced during the recruitment exercise.

‘There are plans to make the resources of the state more available to many more people within the state, so they can feel the impact of the government,’ he said.

Beyond economic and employment initiatives, the governor called for greater unity among the people, noting that internal divisions and the inability of the people to collectively support one another had constituted major obstacles to the state’s development.

He urged APC stakeholders and other residents to support the administration’s programmes and policies, stressing that collective action was necessary to achieve sustainable development in the state.

Governor Ododo also expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as the federal government’s support to Kogi through increased funding and infrastructural interventions.

He cited the federal government’s intervention on the Abuja-Lokoja-Okene-Benin road, developments around the free trade zone at the Ajaokuta Economic City and investments in the state’s oil and gas sector as well as the proposed Kogi International Airport in Zariagi , saying the various interventions were designed to stimulate economic activity, attract investment and improve the welfare of the people Kogi state.

Terrorist groups are increasingly exploiting crowdfunding platforms, social media and informal financial networks to raise and move money for their operations in Nigeria, according to the 2026 Annual Nigeria Financial Intelligence Report.

The report by the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) said foreign-based facilitators were disguising fundraising campaigns as humanitarian or educational appeals before transferring the proceeds to terrorist operatives in Nigeria.

It said contributors were often encouraged to donate between $50 and $500 through PayPal pages and conventional bank accounts, with the relatively small amounts designed to avoid triggering automated anti-money laundering alerts.

The NFIU said the facilitators promoted the campaigns on social media and used encrypted messaging applications to circulate payment links and bank account details.

Funds raised through the campaigns were reportedly consolidated in master accounts controlled by senior members of the groups based abroad before being transferred to Nigeria through several channels.

‘When the pool reaches a threshold, that account becomes the hub for onward movement. The funds would subsequently be fragmented into dozens of smaller payments and transferred through International Money Transfer Operators and remittance applications to a network of money mules in Nigeria,’ the report stated.

The NFIU said students, small-business owners and relatives were among those allegedly used as money mules.

It said the money was subsequently converted into cash or used to purchase items including motorcycles, fertilisers and satellite internet equipment before being transferred through mobile banking channels to logistics managers and field operatives.

The report also revealed that terrorist financiers were opening bank accounts in women’s names while male commanders and logistics managers secretly controlled the accounts.

According to the NFIU, wives, sisters and female associates were sometimes used as fronts to distance illicit funds from the actual operatives.

The agency said the tactic exploited social and cultural assumptions that women were less likely to attract suspicion from authorities.

‘This tactic functions as identity laundering: women’s accounts are managed by men who hold ATM cards, mobile-banking credentials and PINs, while the women often remain unaware of the transactions and volumes,’ the report stated.

The NFIU also identified the use of telephone numbers that were not registered to account holders or actual beneficiaries for mobile banking and transaction alerts.

It said facilitators used pre-registered SIM cards, SIMs registered to deceased persons or SIMs linked to other individuals to weaken the connection between bank accounts, SIM cards and Bank Verification Numbers.

‘This severs the audit trail: when a transaction is flagged, investigators trace the phone to an unrelated person, letting the real facilitator stay anonymous and continue operations,’ it stated.

The report further said terrorist cells, particularly those linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), used detailed transaction descriptions as part of an internal accounting system.

According to the NFIU, the groups operated with structured financial controls, requiring detailed descriptions to enable field commanders to account for expenditures to central financial controllers.

It said analysts had observed high-frequency, logistics-related payments from a single source to multiple recipients.

However, some facilitators reportedly used seemingly harmless words, secret codes and alphanumeric strings in transaction descriptions to conceal the purpose of transfers.

The agency said the coded language was sometimes combined with different languages to evade automated banking filters designed to detect terms associated with terrorism financing.

The NFIU also said its analysis showed an increasingly interconnected threat involving financial crime, technology and cross-border activities.

It identified rising cases of Ponzi schemes, fraudulent crowdfunding arrangements, cryptocurrency-enabled investment scams and hacking-related fraud, including the compromise of social media and messaging accounts.

The report said financial fraud remained a dominant predicate offence, with criminals increasingly exploiting weaknesses in fintech onboarding systems, including tiered accounts with minimal identification requirements.

It added that digital platforms were being used to rapidly recruit victims and move illicit funds.

On corruption and misappropriation of public funds, the NFIU said the diversion of state and local government funds through accounts belonging to finance officers and associated third parties remained a concern.

It also identified procurement processes as a significant risk area, while the continued use of cash transactions was making it more difficult to establish audit trails and trace assets.

Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has filed a Freedom of Information (FOI) request with the National Assembly, demanding comprehensive legislative records on the National Tobacco Control Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025, following concerns by public health stakeholders that proposed changes would weaken Nigeria’s tobacco-control framework.

The request, dated August 13 and addressed to the Clerk of the Senate, comes days after the Nigeria Tobacco Control Community – a coalition of more than 100 civil society organisations, public-health advocates and tobacco-control stakeholders – rejected the proposed amendments and called for the Bill’s immediate recall.

CAPPA said it is seeking the records to establish the legislative history of the Bill, promote transparency in the lawmaking process and clarify how provisions that the tobacco-control community considers dangerous to public health came to be included in the current consolidated text.

The FOI request asks the National Assembly to provide certified copies of the Senate and House of Representatives Votes and Proceedings reflecting every stage of the Bill’s consideration, including first and second readings, committee referral, consideration of committee reports, third reading and passage.

It also requests the dates of each legislative stage, the names and constituencies of sponsors and co-sponsors, records of any divisions or recorded votes, relevant committee reports, details of public hearings and stakeholder submissions, and the Bill’s current status, including whether it has been transmitted for presidential assent.

CAPPA invoked Sections 1(1), 2(3)(f) and 4 of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, and requested that the National Assembly provide the information within the statutory seven-day period. It said the records could be supplied electronically or as certified physical copies where applicable.

At a press briefing in Abuja on August 9, the Nigeria Tobacco Control Community, which includes CAPPA, warned that the consolidated Bill could weaken important safeguards under the NTCA 2015 and create regulatory openings for tobacco and nicotine companies.

Among the criticised provisions are proposed changes concerning non-combustible nicotine products, advertising and promotion, online sales, point-of-sale promotion, product sampling, packaging and penalties.

The groups also questioned the legislative history of some of these provisions, saying controversial provisions were not contained in the versions of the legislation presented at a public hearing on November 22, 2024. They consequently demanded answers about how the provisions subsequently entered the consolidated Bill.

‘This request is made in the interest of promoting public health, accountability, and transparency,’ CAPPA stated in its letter to the Clerk of the Senate, stressing that it concerns the legislative history of the National Tobacco Control Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025.

The tobacco-control community has questioned who introduced the provisions it considers concessions to tobacco and nicotine interests, and which public-health institutions reviewed them.

It argued that updating tobacco control legislation to address emerging nicotine products should strengthen, not weaken, Nigeria’s protections against tobacco-related disease and nicotine addiction.

It particularly objected to provisions it says could permit forms of promotion of non-combustible products through adult publications, point-of-sale materials and online platforms, as well as sponsorship of cultural, social and recreational events. Its concerns also cover proposed changes to online sales, product sampling and the classification of heated tobacco products.

The groups contended that given Nigeria’s large youth population and the rapid circulation of digital content, exemptions ostensibly designed for adults could nevertheless expose young people to tobacco and nicotine marketing.

The coalition has therefore called for the immediate recall of the consolidated Bill and a fresh, transparent, public health-led review.

Social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has hit back at critics questioning his invitation to the Nigerian Bar Association’s 2026 Annual General Conference.

VDM said he was invited to share his experiences with insecurity and victims of violence-not to lecture lawyers on legal matters.

He spoke on Tuesday during a panel session at the conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

‘There has been a lot of debate about why I was invited to this NBA conference. I’m not here to teach you people law; I’m here to share experience,’ he said.

He argued that critics of his invitation had failed to understand the focus of the session, which he described as ‘Unknown Known Gunmen.’

According to him, insecurity is no longer a subject restricted to courtroom arguments because judges and other members of the legal profession have also become victims.

‘This is not a topic of ‘may I, my lord’ because your lords are being kidnapped,’ he told the gathering.

VDM cited the reported abduction of a judge travelling from Sokoto who, according to him, was kidnapped in Kebbi on July 26 and held for about one week before being released.

He also accused the Nigerian media of failing to provide adequate coverage of killings and their aftermath.

‘When the killings happened, our media are now lazy and they do not really cover these killings and the results of these unknown gunmen,’ he said.

The activist maintained that his contribution to the NBA discussion was shaped by what he described as firsthand encounters with victims and scenes of violence.

‘I was the first respondent at Yelwata. I was also the first respondent when some women were killed some time ago,’ he said.

VeryDarkMan recalled witnessing the aftermath of several attacks and explosions, including an alleged Sallah Day bombing in Borno and incidents involving the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and a post office.

‘I have seen blood and seen people burnt alive,’ he said.

Speaking about the Yelwata attack, VDM claimed the violence was carried out by Fulani attackers in retaliation for the killing of a Fulani boy.

‘In Yelwata, it was Fulani that attacked. It was a retaliation because a Fulani boy was killed and these guys came back to attack,’ he said.

His account of the motive behind the attack was presented as his personal claim.

VeryDarkMan insisted that his appearance at the NBA conference allowed him to bring experiences from outside the courtroom into the national conversation on insecurity.

The NBA conference, which runs from August 21 to 28, has attracted lawyers and other prominent figures for discussions on Nigeria’s legal system and wider national issues.

Nigerian Army has listed rescue of six kidnapped victims and arrest of two suspected terrorists among the achievements of its troops during separate operations in Katsina and Zamfara States.

The operations were conducted as part of ongoing efforts under Operation FANSAN YAMMA to degrade terrorist networks and protect communities across the North-West.

According to an operational report made available on Tuesday, troops rescued the six victims after responding to a terrorist attack on a vehicle.

The report said troops of 1 Brigade at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Anka responded to CCTV footage of the attack along the Anka-Gummi road in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara.

It said troops mobilised to the scene and engaged the terrorists, forcing them to abandon the six victims and flee.

According to the report, the rescued victims include three who sustained minor injuries and were evacuated to General Hospital, Anka, for medical attention.

The report also said that in Katsina, troops of 17 Brigade at FOB FUDMA, acting on credible intelligence from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), arrested two suspected terrorists.

‘The suspects were apprehended along the Turare-Yantumaki road in Dutsinma Local Government Area.

‘Troops recovered a vehicle, ?213,770 and a mobile phone from the suspects, who were subsequently handed over to the ONSA team for further action,’ it said.

The report further said that troops also intercepted materials procured by a notorious terrorist leader, Shehu Bagewaye, for the construction of three canoes.

It said troops of 1 Brigade at FOB Dogon Kade acted on intelligence concerning the procurement and intercepted the dismembered wooden components meant for assembling the canoes.

According to the report, the transporters reportedly abandoned the materials and escaped into a river after sighting the troops.

The report further said that troops conducting a stop-and-search operation around Yantumaki Village in Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina forced two suspected terrorists to abandon a motorcycle and flee.

It added that troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE in Plateau recovered a motorcycle abandoned by two suspicious persons during a night patrol along the Federe road in Jos East Local Government Area.

‘In Bassa Local Government Area, troops raided a suspected drug peddlers’ hideout at Mista Ali, arresting three suspects and recovering substances suspected to be illicit drugs.

‘The suspects and recovered items were handed over to the Nigeria Police for further action.

‘Similarly, troops apprehended a suspected criminal riding a motorcycle along the Ungwan Boka-Forest road in Riyom Local Government Area.

‘Preliminary investigation indicates that the suspect had previously been arrested over suspected gunrunning activities before resurfacing in the area.

‘The latest operations underscore the military’s continued efforts to disrupt terrorist activities, rescue abducted citizens and deny criminal elements freedom of action across the North-West and North-Central regions,’ the report said.

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has criticised the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for inviting former Liberian President George Weah to speak at its annual conference.

Falana accused Weah’s administration of weakening the judiciary in Liberia and questioned why the former president was invited to speak to Nigerian lawyers about democracy and the rule of law.

Falana spoke on Monday, a day after Weah delivered the keynote address at the opening of the NBA’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The senior lawyer urged the NBA to stop inviting African leaders whom he described as dictators to address its conferences.

Falana claimed that during Weah’s presidency from 2018 to 2024, Liberia’s judiciary was seriously weakened, forcing some citizens to seek justice through the ECOWAS Court.

He referred to a case involving the Mandingo people of Liberia, whose properties were allegedly taken during the country’s civil war.

According to Falana, the ECOWAS Court ruled in favour of the affected people, but Weah’s administration failed to enforce the judgment.

He said the current Liberian government under President Joseph Boakai had now set up a committee to enforce the judgment.

Falana also referred to the case of an associate justice of Liberia’s Supreme Court who, according to him, was removed from office without proper justification.

He said the case was taken to the ECOWAS Court, which cancelled the dismissal and awarded the judge $200,000. Falana alleged that Weah’s government refused to obey the court’s decision to reinstate the judge.

He therefore questioned the decision to invite Weah to speak to Nigerian lawyers about democracy and the rule of law.

Falana also accused Weah’s administration of failing to adequately address drug trafficking in Liberia.

He alleged that drug trafficking became a major problem in the country during Weah’s time in office and referred to the recent arrest and trial of Liberia’s former vice president, Edith Gongloe-Weh, over alleged drug trafficking.

Falana also criticised Weah over his decision to travel to Qatar during the 2022 World Cup to watch his son, Timothy Weah, who represented the United States.

He urged the NBA to consider inviting African leaders whom he believes have shown stronger commitment to democracy and good governance.

Meanwhile, Weah, during his keynote address at the NBA conference, called on lawyers to remain impartial when administering justice.

The former Liberian president said countries need an independent judiciary supported by a fearless legal profession.

He said democracy is tested every day and cannot survive through the strength of individuals alone, but through strong institutions.

Weah also warned that governments that claim to be democratic but engage in corruption, interfere with judges and weaken the rule of law pose a serious threat to democracy.

Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who declared the conference open on Sunday, also called for a strong and independent judiciary.

Fubara urged judges to remain courageous and committed to the truth, regardless of the status or political connections of those appearing before them.

The succession crisis over the vacant stool of the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland has taken a legal turn as the Fusengbuwa Ruling House has dragged the Ogun State Government and nine kingmakers to court.

The ruling house is asking the Ogun State High Court to order the kingmakers to resume and complete the process of selecting the next Awujale.

The suit was filed by Otunba AbduLateef Adebayo Owoyemi, Otunba Adedokun Ajidagba and Prof. Fassy Yusuf on behalf of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebu-Ode.

The defendants include the Ogun State Governor, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Chairman and other officials of Ijebu-Ode Local Government, as well as the nine Awujale kingmakers.

The case, marked HCJ/149/2026, was filed at the High Court of Justice, Ijebu-Ode Judicial Division, and sworn to on August 21, 2026.

The ruling house is challenging the alleged closure of the Awujale Palace by the police, which it said was carried out on the instructions of the Ogun State Government.

It is also asking the court to declare that the government had no legal power to stop the selection process.

The Awujale stool became vacant following the death of the former monarch, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, on July 13, 2025, at the age of 91. He had ruled Ijebuland for 65 years.

According to the plaintiffs, Ijebu-Ode Local Government informed the Fusengbuwa Ruling House on December 2, 2025, that it was its turn to produce a candidate for the vacant stool under the rotational system provided by the Ogun State Obas and Chiefs’ Law 2021.

The ruling house said it began its nomination process and held a meeting on January 12, 2026, within the 14-day period required by law.

A total of 95 princes and princesses were nominated, and the list was sent to the nine-member Awujale Afobaje Kingmakers Council on January 19 for the next stage of the process.

The council is chaired by Olorogun Sonny Kuku, the Ogbeni Oja of Ijebuland and co-owner of Eko Hospital.

Other members include Chief Rasheed Adesanya, Chief Oluwaranti Lekan Osifeso, Chief Jimi Lawal, Chief Abimbola Okenla, Chief Kunle Ogunade, Chief Agboola Alausa, Chief Adebisi Adaran and Chief Ayotunde Ola Odulaja.

The ruling house alleged that less than 24 hours after the list was submitted, police officers entered the Awujale Palace after midnight on January 20 and prevented the kingmakers from meeting to choose a preferred candidate from the 95 nominees.

The state government later suspended the process, citing security concerns and allegations of bribery and financial inducement.

The plaintiffs, however, said no evidence or formal petition supporting the allegations was presented.

They also claimed that investigations by the police and the Department of State Services did not establish any wrongdoing.

The ruling house is asking the court to declare that its nomination process was properly completed and that the kingmakers are legally required to select a candidate from the list submitted to them.

It is also asking the court to direct the kingmakers to reconvene within seven days of the judgment and complete the selection process.

In addition, the plaintiffs want an injunction stopping the state government and security agencies from further interfering with the process.

They argued that the Ogun State chieftaincy law provides a clear process for nomination, selection and approval of a new monarch and that the process should be allowed to continue once it has been properly started.

The ruling house is also asking the court to determine whether the state government and other officials had the legal authority to order the police to enter and lock the Awujale Palace and stop the selection process.

Counsel to the plaintiffs, led by Otunba Olusegun Otayemi, also relied on previous court decisions in support of their arguments on statutory duties and fair hearing.

The case has not yet been heard, while responses from the defendants have not been made public.