News
The Chief of Staff to the President and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, has issued a “cease and desist” notice to Mr. Segun Olatunji, Editor of FirstNews, over allegedly “false and malicious defamatory” articles published by him or published off his interview with a news platform.
Gbajabiamila, in two letters dated May 3, 2024, by his solicitors Dr. Kemi Pinheiro SAN of Pinheiro LP, alerted the public to a “series of deliberate and coordinated malicious campaign of calumny against his person in various print, electronic and social media platforms.”
The Chief of Staff demanded a public apology from Olatunji and First News and a retraction of the allegedly false and malicious defamatory articles within seven days.
He also warned persons already hosting the said publications on their platforms or considering repeating the publications, of the legal implications of doing so, including civil and criminal proceedings under the cybercrime laws, among others.
The letter to Olatunji reads in part: “Our client’s attention has been drawn to the series of deliberate and coordinated malicious campaigns of calumny against his person in various print, electronic media and social media platforms arising from your article published on the 28th day of January 2024 (republished on the 6th of April, 2024) and interview you granted to the same online media platform Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) on the 4th day of April, 2024 in relation to your arrest and detention by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).
“By the said article and interview you falsely and maliciously published of and concerning our Client defamatory words, wherein he was either expressly or by innuendo portrayed as a fraudulent, corrupt, dishonest, shady, unreliable and disloyal person who is unfit to hold the exalted office of Chief of Staff to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The letter demanded that Olatunji, “within 7 days of receipt of this letter, cause to be published in two national newspapers a full page unequivocal public retraction and apology in terms to be approved by our firm; and in this regard we expect you to revert to us within 3 days of receipt of this letter. You shall also be expected to circulate the retraction and apology on the same platforms wherein your article and interview were circulated.”
It warned that unless Olatunji responds satisfactorily, Pinheiro LP would seek exemplary and aggravated damages for libel, an injunction restraining him from further or similar publications, “an order for retraction of the defamatory words and a public apology in the terms and manners to be stipulated by us and published in at least two national dailies.”
Furthermore, the law firm advised the “unsuspecting members of the public who are already indulged or may be tempted to indulge in the dissemination of these obviously false and defamatory contents to immediately cease and desist from sharing, posting, forwarding, or disseminating the said contents or otherwise engage in cyberstalking of our client, premised on the defamatory words contained in the aforementioned interview and article….
“Unless this warning is heeded, our client will not hesitate to ensure that such perpetrators face the wrath of the law as provided for under Section 24 of the Cybercrime Prohibition and Prevention Act 2015, Sections 375 and 376 of the Criminal Code, and Sections 391, 392, 393, 394, and 395 of the Penal Code as well as a civil action in defamation.”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Thursday, swore in General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd) as Minister of Defence at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
General Musa’s appointment follows the resignation of Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar on Monday, December 1, 2025. His nomination was announced the following day and transmitted to the Senate, where it received expedited screening and confirmation.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, General Musa was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant into the Nigerian Army in 1991 and had a distinguished military career. He was appointed Chief of Defence Staff by President Tinubu in 2023 and retired in October 2025.
As Chief of Defence Staff, he championed inter-service security collaboration.
With his swearing-in, the new Defence Minister is expected to immediately assume duties as the Tinubu administration seeks to consolidate recent security gains and fast-track reforms aimed at achieving lasting peace and stability nationwide.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Sen. Adeniyi Adegbonmire, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, attended the swearing-in ceremony.
Also in attendance were the spouse of the new Minister, Mrs Lilian Oghogho Musa; Chief of Defense Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan Kukah; and Justice Kumai Bayang Akaahs (rtd).
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has said it has appealed the judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, which ordered the release of twenty-seven houses to James Ibechukwu Okoye and his company.
In the Notice of Appeal filed at the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, the Commission expressed dissatisfaction with the decision of the trial court, which was delivered on October 31, 2025.
EFCC counsel, Abba Mohammed, SAN, sought two orders from the Court of Appeal, which include; Staying the execution of the judgment of the trial court pending the hearing and determination of the appeal; and such further or other orders as the court may deem fit to make in the circumstances.
Meanwhile, the Commission said it felt obliged to correct the distortions and misrepresentations contained in a news story titled “EFCC Invades Abuja Property Despite Court Order Restraining Agency, Awarding N20 million To Jona Brothers”.
It explained in a statement on X that the Abuja property, Plot 680-689 Cadastral Zone B06, Mabushi, Abuja, referenced in the report, is a subject of criminal charge before Justice A.I Kutigi of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court .
However, the EFCC said it sought and secured an order of interim forfeiture of the property before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja pending the determination of the criminal charge before Justice Kutigi.
“In granting the order, the court authorized the EFCC to ‘appoint competent persons/ firm to manage the assets/properties listed in the schedule therein, temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government pending the conclusion of investigation and determination of criminal charges against the suspect,’”
“It is also important to point out that the criminal charge struck out by Justice Osho Adebiyi and the N20m cost she awarded is not in any way connected to the interim order.
“In addition, the enforcement of the interim forfeiture order of the property by the Commission is without prejudice to ongoing appeals on court pronouncements about the true ownership of the property. The appeals are ongoing and the EFCC is diligently attending proceedings.”
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun has reaffirmed the commitment of the country’s judiciary to protection of human rights as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution and other international laws and treaties.
She emphasized that the judiciary remains steadfast in its constitutional mandate to uphold the rule of law and protect the rights of citizens.
The CJN spoke on Thursday at the conference on ‘Proportional Force and Respect for Human Dignity: A Dialogue in Governance’, organized by the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, in collaboration with Citizen FM.
The Administrator of the National Judicial Institute, NJI, Justice Babatunde Adeniran Adejumo, represented the Chief Justice of Nigeria at the conference.
In the goodwill message, Justice Kekere-Ekun congratulated the National Human Rights Commission on its 30th anniversary and commended the organizers for holding the conference on International Human Rights Day.
She emphasized that when authority is exercised with restraint, discipline, and accountability, it strengthens public trust and reinforces the legitimacy of institutions.
The CJN reiterated the judiciary’s commitment to protecting human rights and providing remedies where they are infringed.
“Let me make it abundantly clear that the judiciary remains steadfast in its constitutional mandate to uphold the rule of law and protect the rights of citizens,” she said.
The CJN further commended the NHRC for promoting dialogue and awareness on critical human rights issues in Nigeria.
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