Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has been elected as the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), becoming only the second woman in the association’s history to occupy the prestigious office.
Badejo-Okusanya emerged victorious in the NBA’s 2026 national election after securing the highest number of votes in the electronic poll, which officially concluded on Sunday morning. She defeated fellow Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Lateef Akangbe and Olumuyiwa Akinboro, to clinch the association’s top position.
The Chairman of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA), Chief Aham Ejelam, SAN, announced the final results following the completion of voting and collation.
According to the official tally, Badejo-Okusanya received 47.18 per cent of the 26,106 valid votes cast, earning a two-year mandate to lead Nigeria’s foremost body of legal practitioners from 2026 to 2028.
Her victory marks a significant milestone for the legal profession, as she becomes the second female president of the NBA after Priscilla Kuye, who served between 1991 and 1992.
In her acceptance remarks, Badejo-Okusanya pledged to lead the association with integrity, accountability and courage, promising to build a stronger and more inclusive Bar that prioritises the welfare of lawyers, upholds the rule of law and advances justice across the country.
Her election has been widely hailed by members of the legal community as a historic moment that reflects growing confidence in inclusive leadership within the Nigerian Bar Association.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has unveiled five major social and economic development programmes valued at approximately $3.05 billion, aimed at reducing poverty, strengthening community resilience and accelerating investments in healthcare, education and other human capital development priorities across Nigeria.
The programmes were officially launched on Thursday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja during a ceremony attended by senior government officials, state governors, development partners and key stakeholders.
President Tinubu, who was represented by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, said the interventions reflect the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that ongoing economic reforms translate into tangible improvements in the lives of Nigerians.
The newly launched initiatives, which are largely financed through support from the World Bank, are designed to improve access to quality healthcare, enhance learning outcomes, strengthen social protection systems and support communities affected by conflict, displacement and other socio-economic challenges.
According to the Federal Government, the five programmes form part of a coordinated national strategy to tackle poverty, build resilience among vulnerable populations and promote inclusive economic growth across the country.
The government noted that the interventions would complement existing reform efforts by investing in people, expanding opportunities for vulnerable households and improving the delivery of essential public services.
Stakeholders at the launch commended the initiative, describing it as a significant step towards addressing Nigeria’s development challenges through strategic investments in human capital and community development.
The Federal Government expressed optimism that the implementation of the programmes would help improve living standards, create greater economic opportunities and accelerate sustainable development nationwide.
Justice Alexandra Owoeye of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, ordered the final forfeiture of 52 terrace and maisonette units located in the Lekki area of Lagos.
The properties, located at Mercyville Estate, Covenant Way, off New Road, Ilasan, Lagos, were recovered from Fielddreams Limited, Ifeanyi Nweke and Amex Savings and Loans Limited.
The judge gave the order, following a Motion on Notice filed and argued by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, through its counsel, Franklin Ofoma.
The Commission had, on August 14, 2024, secured the interim forfeiture of the properties through an order granted by Justice Akintayo Aluko, following an ex parte application filed by the EFCC through its counsel, Ofoma.
The order was made in favour of one Dr. Kennedy Okonkwo, a real estate developer and Chief Executive Officer of Capital Gardens Limited.
In his ruling, Justice Aluko also directed the Commission to publish the interim forfeiture order in a national newspaper, inviting any interested party to show cause why the properties should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Following the publication of the order, the respondents filed an affidavit to show cause why the court should not grant the final forfeiture of the properties.
Initially, in paragraphs 16 to 25 of their affidavit, the respondents stated that the funds used to develop the 52 terrace and maisonette units were derived from the sale of a portion of land acquired through the sale of 29 terrace and maisonette units valued at One Billion, Nine Hundred Million Naira (₦1,900,000,000.00).
They, however, subsequently made a U-turn, accusing the 3rd to 19th applicants of failing to complete the various terrace and maisonette units.
This contradicted their earlier affidavit evidence in which they had stated that they used the proceeds from the sale to complete the furnishing and interior decoration of the remaining units and that construction had been completed in 2020.
At Wednesday’s proceedings, Ofoma, while moving the application for the final forfeiture of the properties, informed the court that the Commission had fully complied with the court’s order regarding the publication of the interim forfeiture.
He further told the court that the application was supported by a 31-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Afolabi Seyi Oladele, a litigation officer in the Legal Department of the EFCC.
According to him, the properties were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities, and he urged the court to grant the application for their final forfeiture.
Ofoma further submitted that the second respondent, Nweke, is a criminal fugitive, adding that he “has refused to appear before Justice R.A. Oshodi and Justice Okunuga in Charge No. ID/25771C/2025 and Charge No. ID/25769C/2025 for his arraignment and to defend the charges if he believes that he did not commit any of the offences contained in the charges against him.”
He further informed the court that there were two subsisting warrants of arrest against the second respondent, adding that he had jumped the administrative bail earlier granted him by the Commission over the alleged offences.
After listening to the submissions of both the applicant and the respondents, Justice Owoeye held that “Premised on the foregoing position of the law, I hold that since this court cannot pick and choose which of the evidence given by Respondents to believe, it must consequently reject the entire affidavit evidence placed before it by the 1st-3rd Respondents.
“Accordingly, I reject the 1st-3rd Respondents’ Affidavit to Show Cause/Counter-Affidavit to the Applicant/Respondent’s Motion on Notice for Final Forfeiture filed on the 9th of February, 2026, but deemed properly filed on the 28th of April, 2026.
“The consequence is that there is no opposition to the Motion filed by the 1st and 2nd Applicants for the grant of an order of final forfeiture.”
The judge further held that
“Premised on the foregoing, I find that having demonstrated grounds for reasonable suspicion that the properties in question are the proceeds of unlawful activities, the applicants are entitled to the reliefs sought in this application. I therefore resolve the sole issue in this application in favour of the Applicants.”
In the final analysis, the court held that “Having resolved the sole issue in this application in favour of the applicants, I hold that this application has merit and ought to be granted. Accordingly, I grant the relief sought in this application as prayed.”
The Federal Government has charged three men identified as Abdulrazak Umar (a.k.a. Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (a.k.a. Yunusa bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (a.k.a. Abu Itisar), for the recent k!dnapping of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area (LGA) of Oyo state.
The 10-count charges filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja, border on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment, incitement and illegal mining.
The defendants, all of Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, are alleged to have conspired with one Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab between January and May 2026 to k!dnap school children and teachers in Oyo State.
They are further alleged to have aided the k!dnap of the school children and teachers, and to have concealed information regarding the identities and activities of the alleged masterminds despite knowledge of the plot, offences said to contravene Sections 26(2) and 16(1) of the Act respectively.
The charge sheet also alleged that the trio, on or about 2nd June 2026, professed membership of Darul Salam, described as an affiliate of Jamaatu Asarul Muslima Fi Bilandis Sudan (Ansaru), a proscribed terrorist organisation in Nigeria, contrary to Section 25(1) of the Act.
In separate counts, the first defendant, Abdulrazak Umar, is specifically accused of providing training and instructions to terror!sts and inciting members to commit acts of terror!sm through a WhatsApp group titled “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace,” offences said to contravene Sections 15 and 2(2)(g) of the Terrorism Act as well as Section 18 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
The tenth count accused Umar of engaging in unlawful gold mining at streams within Chaza area of Suleja LGA between 2024 and 2026, contrary to Section 8(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
The suspects are expected to appear in court next week.
Fresh indications of a possible realignment within Nigeria’s opposition political landscape emerged on Friday as the presidential candidate of the Accord Party, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, received his Social Democratic Party (SDP) counterpart, Prince Adewole Adebayo, amid intensifying consultations among leading pro-democracy figures ahead of the 2027 general election.
The meeting, held in Abuja, is the latest in a series of strategic engagements involving presidential candidates and political leaders with long records in Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggle and a shared commitment to centre-left political ideals.
Highly placed sources disclosed that the consultations are exploring avenues for democratic cooperation, institutional reforms and a coordinated response to what participants describe as the growing constraints on Nigeria’s democratic space.
The latest engagement comes as discussions between Dr. Hashim and the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, have also intensified, fuelling speculation that a broader pro-democracy platform may be taking shape ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to sources, the talks are driven by concerns over the state of Nigeria’s democracy, the future of opposition politics and the need to build a credible national alternative, capable of defending constitutional governance, electoral integrity and democratic freedoms.
Although details of the consultations remain closely guarded, insiders said the conversations have gone beyond routine political meetings and are increasingly focused on long-term cooperation among political leaders who share similar democratic values and reform agendas.
The consultations come months after Dr. Hashim, alongside leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), launched the Movement for Democratic Renewal (MDR), a national platform established to promote democratic renewal, strengthen institutions and mobilise citizens around governance reforms.
Promoters of the movement argue that Nigeria’s democratic institutions have suffered serious setbacks arising from persistent internal crises within political parties and declining public confidence in electoral and governance institutions, making broad based democratic reforms an urgent national priority. Hashim Co-Chairs MDR with NLC President, Comrade Ajero, one of the last standing trade Unionist with clear ideological clarity in the Trade Union Movement.
While none of the political leaders has publicly disclosed the full scope of the ongoing consultations, sources confirmed that engagements with other opposition presidential candidates, civil society leaders and pro-democracy stakeholders are expected to continue in the coming weeks.
The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a man, identified as Amos Paul, for allegedly burning the private part of his 10-year-old daughter with a hot pressing iron as punishment for bedwetting.
The incident, which has sparked widespread condemnation, reportedly occurred at the family’s residence in Ondo State. According to police sources, the suspect allegedly inflicted the injury on the child after accusing her of repeatedly wetting the bed.
The victim was said to have sustained serious injuries and was immediately taken to a medical facility for treatment after the incident came to light. The arrest followed a report made to the police by concerned individuals, prompting officers to intervene and take the suspect into custody for investigation.
The Ondo State Police Command confirmed the arrest, stating that the case is under investigation and assuring the public that anyone found culpable would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The command also reiterated its commitment to protecting children from all forms of abuse and urged members of the public to promptly report cases of child abuse, neglect, or domestic violence to the appropriate authorities.
Child rights advocates have condemned the alleged act, describing it as cruel and unacceptable. They stressed that bedwetting is a common childhood condition that should be addressed with medical evaluation, patience, and appropriate guidance rather than physical punishment.
Police say further updates will be provided as investigations progress.
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has approved the extension of the one-day-off-duty work palliative for eligible public and civil servants in the state. The Governor has also approved the payment of a ₦10,000 monthly transport allowance for an additional three months, covering July to September 2026.
The measures are aimed at cushioning the impact of transportation costs on workers and motivating them to continue delivering efficient and excellent service to the people of Ogun State.
It will be recalled that Governor Abiodun had earlier approved the palliative measures for the period of April to June 2026 in response to the increase in the pump price of petrol.
Under the renewed arrangement, the one-day-off-duty concession will not apply to officers on shift duties or personnel providing essential services. These include medical personnel, judicial service workers, teaching and non-teaching staff in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, security personnel, political office holders, accounting officers, directors, as well as other officers receiving Special Responsibility Allowances because of the nature of their responsibilities, which require their physical presence at work.
A circular issued by the State Head of Service, Mr. Kehinde Iskeel Olanrewaju Saka, mni, urged all eligible workers to make the most of the arrangement while ensuring that service delivery is not compromised.
The state government reaffirmed its commitment to the welfare of workers and pledged to continue implementing policies that enhance productivity while easing the economic burden on the workforce.
The Nigerian Senate has just passed the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, significantly increasing penalties for traffic offences, including imposing a N50,000 fine on anyone caught hawking, trading or preaching in commercial buses.
The amendment, which is awaiting presidential assent, also prescribes a N50,000 fine or six months’ imprisonment, or both, for motorists who fail to cooperate with FRSC officials during roadside breath tests conducted on reasonable suspicion.
The bill, titled Federal Road Safety Corps Act (Amendment), 2026 (HBs. 1401 & 1604 – For Concurrence), was first read in the Senate on July 1, 2026.
Under the new provisions, anyone found hawking, trading, or preaching inside commercial vehicles commits an offence and, upon conviction, will be liable to a N50,000 fine.
The amendment also raises the penalty for driving under the influence of alcohol or intoxicating drugs from N5,000 to N100,000, with offenders also facing up to two years’ imprisonment or both.
Similarly, motorists who refuse to cooperate with FRSC personnel conducting preliminary roadside breath tests based upon reasonable suspicion will face a N50,000 fine, six months’ imprisonment, or both.
The amended Act also prescribes a N100,000 fine for motorists who fail to obey traffic lights, road signs, pavement markings, or other traffic control devices.
Speed limit violations, previously punishable with a N5,000 fine, will now attract N100,000, while reckless driving also carries a N100,000 fine, up to two years’ imprisonment, or both.
The revised schedule of offences under the Act lists 52 traffic violations and their corresponding penalties.
IBADAN – The Oyo State Executive Council under the administration of Engr. Seyi Makinde has approved a series of strategic projects and investments aimed at boosting agriculture, healthcare, transportation, industrialization and sports development across the state, with a ₦3 billion interest-free intervention loan for an indigenous cassava processing factory in Ado-Awaye topping the list.
The decisions were reached during the State Executive Council meeting held on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
The Council approved an interest-free loan of ₦3 billion for the indigenous cassava processing factory located in Ado-Awaye, a move expected to strengthen the state’s agricultural value chain and reinforce Oyo’s position as one of Nigeria’s leading cassava-producing states.
According to the government, the intervention will benefit more than 25,000 cassava farmers, create employment opportunities, stimulate rural economic activities and increase the production of cassava flour and other value-added products.
In another major approval, the Council sanctioned an additional ₦2.462 billion as government equity investment towards the commissioning and commencement of commercial operations at Oyo Sugar and Derivatives Industries Limited in Iseyin. The approval follows an earlier equity investment of ₦850 million released by the state government to facilitate the revitalisation and completion of the sugar processing factory.
The Executive Council also approved the construction of the 4-kilometre Idi-Igba/Akinmorin Road in Ilora, Afijio Local Government Area, at a cost of ₦2.901 billion. The government said the project is expected to improve road connectivity, promote economic activities and accelerate socio-economic development within the benefiting communities.
To further enhance aviation infrastructure, the Council approved an additional ₦26.768 billion for the ongoing upgrade of the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport, Ibadan. The approval covers revised engineering works, including the construction of a 140-metre runway strip, runway safety area, blast pad, additional pipe covers and other ancillary facilities required to meet operational standards.
In the health sector, the Council approved the implementation of the Healthcare Initiative Project, which will be financed through a €55 million French loan guaranteed by the Federal Government.
The project will provide for the modular construction and equipping of modern healthcare facilities, including a Cardiac Centre, Emergency and Maternity Centres, Operating Theatres and Intensive Care Units (ICUs). It also includes the procurement of 39 ambulances, establishment of 10 dental centres, upgrading of 200 Primary Healthcare Centres, and the provision of emergency and maternity facilities in hospitals across Igboora, Ogbomoso, Oyo, Moniya, Kishi, Iseyin, Okeho and Eruwa.
The Council also approved an initial take-off grant of ₦200 million for Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) to strengthen the club’s campaign for continental success, as the Oluyole Warriors seek to reclaim continental honours after a 27-year wait.
The approvals, according to the state government, reflect Governor Seyi Makinde’s commitment to driving economic growth, improving public infrastructure, strengthening healthcare delivery, supporting agriculture and industries, and repositioning Oyo State for sustainable development.
The Executive Chairman of the Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency (OYSROMA), Hon. Busoye Ogunlade, has commended Governor Seyi Makinde for approving the construction of the 4-kilometre Idi-Igba–Akinmorin Road in Ilora, Afijio Local Government Area, describing the project as another testament to the administration’s unwavering commitment to infrastructure development across Oyo State.
Speaking with journalists on Thursday following the official announcement of the State Executive Council’s resolutions by the Commissioner for Information, Ogunlade also expressed gratitude to Governor Makinde for entrusting OYSROMA with the execution of the project, saying the decision underscores the governor’s confidence in the agency’s capacity to deliver quality and durable road infrastructure.
According to him, the road project will significantly improve connectivity among communities in the area, facilitate the movement of people and goods, boost commercial activities, and enhance the overall socio-economic wellbeing of residents.
He assured that OYSROMA would justify the confidence reposed in it by executing the project in strict compliance with approved specifications while ensuring timely completion.
“I sincerely appreciate His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde, for approving the construction of the 4-kilometre Idi-Igba–Akinmorin Road and, more importantly, for entrusting OYSROMA with the responsibility of executing the project. This clearly demonstrates his confidence in the agency’s ability to deliver quality infrastructure that will positively impact the lives of the people of Oyo State,” Ogunlade said.
The OYSROMA chairman further pledged that the agency would not disappoint either the governor or the people of the state, stressing that every necessary step would be taken to ensure the successful delivery of the project.
“We will not betray the confidence reposed in us by Governor Makinde. OYSROMA remains fully committed to delivering a high-quality road project that will stand the test of time and meet the expectations of both the government and the benefiting communities,” he added.
The approval for the project was granted during the State Executive Council meeting held on Wednesday. The Council approved the construction of the 4-kilometre Idi-Igba–Akinmorin Road in Ilora, Afijio Local Government Area, at a cost of ₦2,900,715,000, noting that the project is expected to stimulate economic activities, improve accessibility, and drive sustainable development in the benefiting communities.
