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Court declares Prof Pat Utomi’s shadow government formation unlawful, illegal

Published

4 months ago

September 29, 2025

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has declared illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional, the plan by a former Presidential candidate, Prof Pat Utomi, to establish a Shadow Government in Nigeria.

The Judge on Monday, issued an order restraining Utomi and his associates from proceeding with their plan to establish a shadow government/cabinet in the country.

Justice Omotosho issued the order while delivering judgment on a suit filed by the Department of State Services, DSS, against Utomi.

Justice Omotosho declared the concept of shadow government or cabinet as unconstitutional and an alien concept to the nation’s presidential system of government.

The judge held that Utomi and his associates cannot hide under the rights of association and to criticise the government to engage in unlawful activities.

He commended the plaintiff for filing the suit and held among others, that it was within the right of the DSS to take steps to prevent acts capable today threatening the nation’s internal security.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/937/2025, was instituted by the DSS, which had argued that Utomi’s initiative was unconstitutional and posed a threat to national security.

The security agency asked the court to declare the move illegal, describing it as a parallel authority not recognised by the 1999 Constitution.

The DSS contended that the proposed shadow structure, if allowed, could incite unrest, embolden separatist groups and destabilise the country’s democratic system.

It therefore sought a perpetual injunction restraining Utomi, his agents and associates from pursuing the project.

In the final address of DSS dated July 10, DSS counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), had maintained that Utomi lacked constitutional authority to establish any such government, likening the plan to early warning signs of insurgent groups.

“We know how Boko Haram started, and even IPOB. We must not wait for a crisis to happen before we act,” he argued.

However, Utomi’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), had countered that the initiative was not a parallel authority but a civic action designed to scrutinise government policies and proffer solutions.

He insisted that branding it as subversive amounted to gagging Nigerians.

“They are trying to chain Nigerians with shackles stronger than those that dehumanised slaves over 500 years ago,” Ozekhome told the court.

He had argued that the group neither has an executive, legislature nor judiciary, but is a coalition of like-minded citizens and urged the court to dismiss the suit as an attempt to criminalise dissent.

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Man in shock after lady he lodged with in a hotel in Abuja flees with his car and other valuables

Published

1 hour ago

February 6, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

A Nigerian man is currently in shock after a young lady identified as Precious Chinyere , whom he took to a hotel in the Asokoro area in the FCT for a romantic getaway allegedly fled with his car and other personal belongings on Thursday, February 5,

The distraught man and Precious had visited the hotel and opted for a short time stay. Things took a different in the evening when the man noticed Precious had left the hotel room without notifying him and took along with her some of his personal belongings including phones and laptop and also his car.

The victim immediately reported the incident to the police.

When contacted, the spokesperson of the FCT police command, SP Josephine Adeh, told LIB that the matter is currently being investigated and that efforts are being made to apprehend the suspect.

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US Reacts As De@th Toll In Kwara Terror Attacks Hits 200

Published

5 hours ago

February 6, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

The United States Mission in Nigeria has condemned the k!lling of more than 200 civilians in recent attacks on communities in Kwara State.

Recall that terrorists launched de@dly attacks on Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday night, k!lling unsuspecting citizens.

It was gathered that the gunmen invaded the villages, opened fire on residents and burned homes.

According to reports, the de@th toll from the unfortunate incident hit 200 on Thursday night.

Reacting, the US Mission Nigeria condemned the k!lling via a post on its official X handle.

The post reads, “The United States condemns the horrific attack in Kwara state in Nigeria, which claimed the lives of more than 160 people, with the de@th toll still unconfirmed and many still unaccounted for.

“We express our deepest condolences to the families of those affected by this senseless violence.

“We welcome President Tinubu’s order to deploy security forces to protect villages in the area and his directive to federal and state officials to provide aid to the community and bring the perpetrators of this atrocity to justice.”

News

“I’ll never settle for a barber, yahoo boy or a poor man” — nail tech’s list of men she says she can’t marry sparks reactions online

Published

7 hours ago

February 6, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

A Nigerian nail technician has set social media talking after openly listing the kind of men she says she can never settle for.

In a now-viral post, she stated clearly that she refuses to “settle for less” and went on to mention professions and traits she considers a no-go area.

According to her, she can never settle for a barber, an aza man, a yahoo boy, a mechanic, an actor, a laundry man, a hype man, or a plumber. She also added that she wouldn’t marry a man with a high body count or a poor man.