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A lawyer, Emmanuel Chinyere Orji, has sued the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun for declaring him wanted without a court order.

He is seeking N1billion in exemplary and general damages.

In a fundamental rights suit filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos, he is praying for a declaration that the publication and hasty declaration of him as a wanted person with his name and photo published in The Nation Newspaper on August 20, 2025, Special Police Gazette Bulletin and official website of the police without any prior order or leave of a court of competent jurisdiction is illegal, unconstitutional, null and void.

He is urging the court to hold that the publication amounted to a gross violation of his fundamental rights to personal liberty, private and family life, freedom of movement and rights not to be subjected to inhuman treatment as guaranteed under Sections 34, 35, 37, 41(1) and 46 of the 1999 Constitution and Articles 6 and 12 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights as ratified and domesticated by the National Assembly.

ýOrji is asking the court to declare that the IG lacks the statutory power to declare him a wanted person without first obtaining an order from a court of competent jurisdiction.

Through his legal team led by Edwin Anikwem (SAN), he sought an order quashing the publications.

ýThe applicant also sought an order directing the IG to publish an apology to him for the illegal, unconstitutional and gross violation of his fundamental rights in the publication and hasty declaration of him as a wanted person.

He sought an order awarding him N500million only as exemplary damages for the flagrant violation of his rights, and another N500million only as general damages.

Orji sought an order of injunction restraining the respondent or his agents from further infringing or violating his constitutionally guaranteed rights with respect to the subject matter of the suit.

It is on the ground that he has never been tried or convicted of any criminal offence in any court of law, nor has he ever jumped bail for any offence in Nigeria; therefore, he cannot be declared wanted by administrative fiat without any prior order or leave of court.

ýIn a supporting affidavit, Stephen Adekpe, a litigation officer in the applicant’s counsel’s law firm, stated that Orji is a legal practitioner of over 20 years’ standing.

ýýHe stated that the applicant is presently outside the country to treat a spinal cord issue.

The deponent stated that Orji, as a lawyer, has represented companies and individuals and has always discharged his obligations diligently and dutifully.

He stated that declaring the applicant a wanted person makes him a fugitive from the law.

Adekpe added: ‘Any person who knows about the fact of the applicant being declared wanted has a right to arrest him.

‘Arresting the applicant will lead to his liberty being constrained.

‘The applicant is not aware of any order against him from a court of competent jurisdiction that would warrant the respondent to publish Exhibit A (wanted declaration) against him.

‘The respondent has not followed the provisions of the law with regard to declaring persons wanted.

ý’If the respondent is not restrained by an order of this Honourable Court, the respondent shall continue to circulate the unlawful and illegal publication.

‘The applicant is entitled to be indemnified in both exemplary and general damages, and most importantly, an apology from the respondent.

‘No amount of damages can compensate for the damage the Respondent has done to the Applicant’s reputation personally and in the practice of his profession.’

Save for the disruptive, needlessly atavistic waves generated in its wake, it is at once tempting to pass-off the latest showdown between Dangote Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) over an alleged disengagement of 800 workers by the management of the refinery as the last kicks of a dying horse.

However, with PENGASSAN not merely stopping at threatening fire and brimstone on a wearied nation, but apparently sworn to bring the roof over the heads of everyone, Nigeria and Nigerians ought to be alarmed at the extent to which our industrial unions, many of whose self-entitlement are as legendary as their resort to union power has become mindlessly destructive, could go to force their will on just any institution and anyone.

Guess it was inevitable that PENGASSAN would again put the country on the war mode so soon after its alter ego, the no-less powerful tanker drivers unit of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG-PTD) sought to disrupt the nation’s peace.

Thanks to their nemesis, Dangote Refinery, it has been a case of each breaking of the dawn forcing new lessons on an unwilling, recalcitrant pupil.

For NUPENG, it came to a challenge of their strange financial orthodoxy: a hefty levy of N50,000 delivered to the union coffers on every single truck loaded at the gantry – an imposition neither sanctioned by the industry regulators nor the tax authorities, but which has been accepted as convention to keep the union fat cats happy but for which business mogul, Aliko Dangote insists on applying its rightful appellation of plain extortion!

Imagine calling out the Dangote behemoth for refusing to play the enabler for that extortion ring whose operative motif is power without responsibility!

It is not exactly that the elements in the PENGASSAN industrial action are not worthy of careful consideration. Starting with the issue of the sack of 800 locals, PENGASSAN says Dangote Refinery has since replaced them with 2000 foreigners – an unpatriotic act, if true. PENGASSAN president, Festus Osifo noted that the problem actually started when close to 1000 workers filled forms to join PENGASSAN in accordance with Section 40 of the constitution. He claimed that the union wrote to Dangote Refinery to inform it of the development and that the company sent teams from unit to unit to verify those names only to issue them sack letters thereafter.

Dangote Refinery has since denied that this was not the case. It frames the entire saga as one of a union overreach; a schism designed to buoy the union’s fading relevance as well as enhance its purse. In fact, its summary of the issues as contained in the four-page advertisement in yesterday’s edition of this newspaper obviously says it all: PENGASSAN, given its antecedents, has long ceased to be a force for good, in terms of enhancing the welfare of its members, but rather as a destructive force in the industry. One example it cited, and which has become an albatross on its neck, is the union’s role in aborting the sale of the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries to Bluestar Consortium promoted by business mogul, Aliko Dangote. More than a decade and half after, the entities have remained the relics they were, and these after billions of dollars of public funds were sunk into their Turn Around Maintenances (TAMs).

So, to suggest that there is no love-lost between the Dangote and PENGASSAN is merely stating the obvious. Like parallel lines, their interests are as divergent as to be irreconcilable. The point here is that there is nothing new in what PENGASSAN has said of the Dangote Refinery or Dangote’s other business interests that have not been said by Nigerians in one way or the other.

At this point in time, my guess is that the issue is not that those in charge of regulation and fair consumer practices are unaware, but a case of the behemoth being entitled to some forbearance given that the terrain could, for the most part, be described as uncharted. That it continues to find sympathy among Nigerians is essentially because, its promoter, Aliko Dangote, chose to plod on where his peers would rather engage in buying and selling. This, most certainly, could not be said of PENGASSAN whose role has been more of an enabler of the rot for which the industry has long earned notoriety.

Talking of union overreach: calling its members in various offices, companies, institutions, and agencies, including those in the field to cease all services effective Monday, September 29 offers of classic example of mindless use of union power. Just as ominous was the strike instrument as signed by its General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa: ‘All processes involving gas and crude supply to Dangote Refinery should be halted immediately.All IOC (International Oil Companies) branches must ramp down gas production and supply to Dangote Refinery and petrochemicals.’

It is akin to a declaration of war, not just on the refinery as an entity, but the citizens of this country; a case of the interest of the 800 workers towering above those of 200 million odd citizens. Perhaps lost to PENGASSAN is the irony of its invocation of the constitutional safeguards regarding the right of the workers to join any association to advance their interests and presenting those rights as so expansive as if to strip the management of its prerogatives to determine how their enterprise is run, while seeking to deny other Nigerians their rights to live in peace and to enjoy those services that they are ordinarily entitled.

Where will all of these end? It seems doubtful that the two unions ever understood the import of the saying about ‘an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object’ else they would have been more restrained in calling for a war they could never hope to win. Between union power and management prerogative, who says the former is fated to win?

Moreover, to the extent that the lessons of the past weeks has proven a revelation of their astounding lack of strategy, I believe that their very survival would depend on their ability to better appreciate the nature of the current time and the imperative of flexibility in the choice of means to fight whatever cause they deem fit. As of the moment, our two foremost unions in the oil industry, have, sadly not even begun the slow march to unlearning their old, destructive ways!

Two weeks ago, I had ended my piece about NUPENG’s sunset and those of its DAPPMAN allies as potentially ‘slow and drawn out’, and that ‘hoping against hope that the ship that had long departed the shores could still be halted midstream would at best be an exercise in futility’; I believe the statement applies as much to PENGASSAN as those two.

Nigeria’s justice sector took a bold step last week, toward reform as stakeholders gathered in Maiduguri, Borno State, for a two-day retreat on strengthening justice delivery through technology, innovation, and coordinated reform.

Convened by the Federal Ministry of Justice under Attorney-General Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the forum brought together key justice institutions, policymakers, and legal experts.

Discussions centred on deploying digital tools to reduce case backlogs, improve transparency, and make the system more accessible, especially for vulnerable groups.

With Borno’s post-insurgency rebuilding efforts as backdrop, participants emphasised collaboration, accountability, and innovation as critical drivers for a faster, fairer, and people-centred justice system

Held under the theme: ‘Strengthening Justice Sector Service Delivery through Technology, Innovation, and Coordinated Reform,’ the event brought together the heads of Nigeria’s most critical justice institutions.

For many participants, the retreat was more than a meeting – it was a turning point, a crucible where old silos gave way to a collective vision of a digital, transparent, and citizen-friendly justice system.

Fagbemi: Future of justice lies in technology

Fagbemi left no doubt about the scale of ambition.

‘The future of justice in Nigeria is intrinsically linked to its embrace of technology,’ he declared. ‘The methods of achieving justice must evolve to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world.

‘Our citizens expect services that are not only fair but also efficient, transparent, and accessible.’

Fagbemi argued that technology is no longer optional but central to justice delivery.

From digital case management and artificial intelligence in legal research to online access to legal services, he said, innovations offer a unique chance to tackle the judiciary’s biggest challenges – case backlogs, delays, and limited access to justice.

But he issued a caution: technology alone is not sufficient.

‘It must be embedded within a coordinated reform agenda that fosters collaboration, accountability, and innovation across the sector,’ he said.

Breaking the silo mentality

The AGF stressed that a fragmented approach to justice was no longer tenable.

‘The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the Legal Aid Council, the Human Rights Commission, the Law Reform Commission, the Nigerian Copyright Commission – all these institutions carry noble responsibilities, but too often they work in isolation,’ he said.

He urged participants to dismantle silos and build a justice ecosystem where institutions complement rather than duplicate each other.

‘Together, they form a constellation of institutions whose combined light must guide our nation toward fairness, efficiency, and trust in the rule of law,’ he said.

Institutions at the heart of reform

The retreat highlighted the roles of different institutions in the reform drive.

NDLEA: for its battle against drug abuse and trafficking.

NAPTIP: for defending the most vulnerable, particularly victims of human trafficking.

Legal Aid Council: for ensuring access to justice for the poor.

NHRC: for standing as the conscience of Nigeria’s democracy.

Nigerian Law School and NIALS: for shaping the next generation of lawyers.

Law Reform Commission: for keeping laws relevant to changing realities.

Copyright Commission: for safeguarding intellectual property.

Regional Centre for Arbitration: for aligning Nigeria with global best practices.

By placing all these institutions on the same platform, the AGF made clear that reform must be collaborative, comprehensive, and citizen-focused.

Jedy-Agba: Coordinated reform is non-negotiable

Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba, echoed the AGF’s message, insisting that ‘true transformation requires coordinated reform across the entire justice sector.’

She described the retreat’s agenda – including cluster sessions informed by a pre-retreat survey – as deliberately designed to move beyond rhetoric to practical solutions.

‘The collective desire for an efficient, accessible, and equitable justice system is a powerful force that now has a clear-eyed strategy to guide it,’ she said.

The symbolism of holding the retreat in Borno State was not lost on her.

A region scarred by insurgency, Borno provided a powerful backdrop for conversations about justice as an instrument of healing and rebuilding.

Zulum: Technology is a necessity

Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State delivered a sobering keynote, tying justice reform to the realities of insurgency, terrorism, and community rebuilding.

‘In the aftermath of tragic events such as the recent terrorist attack in Darul Jamal, citizens now demand a faster, more transparent, and more accountable justice system,’ Zulum said.

‘These expectations cannot be achieved using outdated tools or fragmented systems. Technology must be embraced not as a luxury, but as a necessity.’

Zulum highlighted how digital tools had already transformed Borno’s justice system: enabling virtual court sittings, improving prison decongestion, and expanding access to legal aid in hard-to-reach communities.

But like the AGF, he warned that technology alone is not enough.

‘We need innovations not only in ICT gadgets but in mindsets, procedures, and leadership approach,’ he said.

‘Justice must serve as a foundation for healing, rebuilding trust, and restoring the social contract.’

Shittu: Bridging the rural-urban justice divide

In one of the retreat’s most thought-provoking papers, Dr. Wahab Shittu (SAN) addressed the theme: ‘Strengthening Justice in Nigeria: Bridging the Rural-Urban Divide.’

He argued that despite constitutional guarantees, many rural Nigerians remain effectively cut off from justice. The barriers, he said, are both structural and systemic:

Geographical limitations: Courts and legal institutions are concentrated in urban centres. Farmers and traders often face prohibitively costly and time-consuming journeys to access justice.

Poverty and economic exclusion: High litigation costs, including lawyers’ and filing fees, keep justice out of reach for the poor.

Illiteracy and lack of awareness: Many Nigerians cannot read or write, making it impossible to understand legal documents or enforce rights.

Weak institutions and corruption: Delays, inefficiencies, and corruption erode public trust and deny justice in practice.

‘Justice delayed is not only justice denied; in rural Nigeria, it is justice abandoned,’ Dr. Shittu warned.

Using technology to close the gap

Despite these challenges, Dr. Shittu pointed to Nigeria’s high mobile penetration as a unique opportunity. He recommended:

E-filing and digital case management to reduce delays.

Mobile and USSD platforms to allow citizens to lodge complaints, seek legal aid, and receive updates without internet access.

Community radio, SMS alerts, and local-language broadcasts to spread legal awareness.

Beyond technology, he urged a community-based approach, including mobile courts, grassroots legal clinics, and ADR mechanisms led by trained traditional leaders.

‘By formalising local dispute-resolution systems while embedding human rights standards, Nigeria can create a hybrid justice model that is both accessible and legitimate,’ he said.

Ngige: Legal education must catch up

Another critical intervention came from Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN), Chairman of the Council of Legal Education, who spoke on ‘Innovations in Legal Education: Preparing Lawyers for the Digital Age.’

He noted the law school’s chronic underfunding, energy insecurity, and shortage of ICT-trained personnel as obstacles to modernising legal training. ‘Funds meant for technology are wasted on diesel to power campuses,’ he lamented.

Ngige called for:

Improved funding to modernise infrastructure.

Strengthened ICT training for students and faculty.

Ethical guidelines for using AI, robotics, and blockchain in legal practice.

Stronger collaboration between Nigerian and foreign law schools.

Continuous professional training for lawyers and judges through the NBA.

‘Though digital tools have transformed legal practice, caution must remain the watchword,’ he said. ‘A right infusion of governance and ethics is essential.’

Innovation, ethics as pillars of reform

Two papers emphasised innovation and ethics as pillars of reform.

Shamsudeen Hammed, representing NITDA’s DG/CEO, presented ‘Design Thinking for Collaborative Problem-Solving in Justice Sector Reforms: Lessons from the UAE.’

He argued that traditional, rigid approaches often fail in complex justice challenges.

Instead, Design Thinking-human-centred, empathetic, and iterative-should place citizens at the core of reforms.

Drawing from the UAE, he stressed treating citizens as customers, using pilots that ‘fail fast and learn faster,’ and adopting KPIs like backlog reduction and user satisfaction. Leaders were urged to prototype, empathise with users, and collaborate across silos.

Prof. Olanrewaju Onadeko (SAN), in his paper ‘Guardians of Justice: Prosecutors at the Intersection of Ethics, Professionalism and Human Rights,’ underscored prosecutors’ vital role in justice delivery.

He highlighted their duty to balance accountability with fairness and human rights while upholding ethics and professionalism.

He recommended adopting a prosecutorial code of conduct, strengthening adherence to professional guidelines, and ensuring prosecutors receive adequate security given the dangers of their work.

Together, the papers called for a justice system that is innovative, ethical, and people-centred-anchored on technology, empathy, and professionalism.

Toward a citizen-centred justice system

Across the sessions, a consensus emerged: justice reform is not just a technical matter but a moral imperative.

For Fagbemi, technology must be wedded to accountability and collaboration.

For Jedy-Agba, reform must be coordinated. For Zulum, justice is central to peace and healing.

For Shittu, inclusivity is non-negotiable. For Ngige, legal education must keep pace with innovation.

Each voice added to the same conclusion: Nigeria must embrace a whole-of-society approach where institutions, communities, and citizens together redefine justice for the 21st century.

The Maiduguri retreat may go down as a watershed moment for Nigeria’s justice sector.

For the first time, the heads of institutions came together not only to identify problems but to agree on a shared roadmap.

The message was clear: technology and innovation, guided by reform and accountability, are the levers by which justice in Nigeria can be transformed.

If the commitments made in Maiduguri are sustained, Nigerians may yet witness a justice system that is faster, fairer, more transparent, and, above all, accessible to every citizen, whether in the bustling streets of Lagos or the remote villages of Borno.

Activist lawyer , Femi Falana (SAN), yesterday urged the judiciary to urgently determine the constitutional validity of the emergency rule recently lifted in Rivers State.

Falana warned that leaving the matter unresolved would set a dangerous precedent for Nigeria’s democracy.

Falana, in a statement issued yesterday, warned that without a judicial pronouncement, Section 305 of the Constitution-which empowers the President to declare a state of emergency-could be abused to settle political scores.

President Bola Tinubu had on September 17, 2025, announced the cessation of emergency rule in Rivers State and reinstated Governor Siminalayi Fubara and other elected officials. President Tinubu in his broadcast acknowledged the controversy generated by his proclamation.

The President, however, noted that over 40 cases were instituted in Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Yenagoa to challenge the declaration.

‘That is the way it should be in a democratic setting,’ Tinubu said, adding that some of the suits remain pending in court.

Falana, however, insisted that the judiciary cannot sidestep its responsibility as it did in earlier cases involving emergency rule.

He cited that in Attorney-General of Plateau State v Attorney-General of the Federation (2006), the Supreme Court struck out a suit challenging the suspension of state officials on the grounds that the emergency rule had expired, rendering the case academic. Similarly, he said that in Attorney-General of Ekiti State v Attorney-General of the Federation, the apex court declined jurisdiction.

Falana, however, contended that the Rivers’ cases are different because they raise ‘live constitutional issues’ that go beyond the restoration of Governor Fubara and other officials.

He said: ‘the pending suits question the President’s powers to suspend elected state officials, appoint a sole administrator, dissolve state executive bodies, and even conduct local government elections without due process.

‘These matters involve the interpretation of sections 1(2), 5(2), 11, 176, 180, 188, and 305 of the Constitution, and they cannot be dismissed as speculative.’

Falana also cited the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who had earlier described the Rivers declaration as a ‘clear signal’ to other crisis-ridden states, and urged critics to allow the courts to make a final determination.

‘The Bola Tinubu administration has thrown a challenge to the judiciary,’ Falana said.

‘The courts must take it up without further delay. Otherwise, the sword of Damocles will continue to hang over the heads of elected governors’, he warned.

A pupil of Corona School, Gbagada, Lagos, Miss Precious Aroh, has been named Best Finalist in the 18th Toyota Dream Car Art Contest.

Miss Aroh was selected from over 660,000 contestants worldwide and awarded $3,000 from Toyota Motor Corporation.

The award was presented to Precious, her parents, and school representatives in Lagos by Managing Director of Toyota Nigeria Limited Kunle Ade-Ojo.

Ade-Ojo praised the young artist’s ingenuity. He said: ‘Precious’s artistry and vision have again placed Nigeria on a global stage. Her masterpiece is a powerful concept that imagines a world free of illness and viruses like COVID-19. She has shown empathy and a brilliant imagination, turning a compelling idea into outstanding creation. She made Nigeria, TNL, and her school proud.’

According to him, Miss Aroh’s achievement echoed the historic win two years ago by David Odumuboni, the first Nigerian to win a Global Grand Prize in the same competition.

‘It is a remarkable coincidence and a testament to the nurturing environment of their shared school that these talents hail from the same place,’ he said.

The managing director also congratulated her art teacher and parents, noting their ‘unwavering support and encouragement.’

Precious’s submission: ‘Virus Vacuum,’ is a powerful concept car designed to create a healthier world.

She said: ‘My dream car is called Virus Vacuum, the dream car of clean air. It has special suction vents on top that pull harmful viruses out of the air. Once inside the car, the viruses are destroyed, leaving clean, safe, and fresh air for people to breathe. The car is my dream for a healthier world, a car that not only carries people but also cares for people and heals the environment.’

Precious will use the money, designated for educational pursuits, to buy books, art materials, and digital learning tools to help her improve her creativity.

In addition to the money, Precious got a shield from Toyota Motor Corporation, with a certificate and a trophy from Toyota Nigeria.

Toyota Dream Car Art Contest is a global Corporate Social Responsibility initiative by Toyota Motor Corporation to inspire children to imagine a future car and, in doing so, foster a creative and caring mindset towards the planet.