The Court of Appeal has sacked Musiliu Akinsanya aka MC Oluomo as the National President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

In a ruling that upheld the earlier judgment of the National Industrial Court, the appellate court sacked MC Oluomo and reaffirmed Tajudeen Baruwa as the legitimate leader of the union.

Baruwa had assumed office after a properly conducted election held at the union’s headquarters in Abuja.

The three-member panel of the Appeal Court dismissed the appeal filed by MC Oluomo’s faction, declaring it devoid of merit.

In addition, the court imposed a fine of N100,000 on the appellants, further solidifying Baruwa’s leadership position.

Reports quoting court documents said to have been released on Friday detailed the ruling, which effectively countered any attempts to displace Baruwa from his role as the NURTW president.

The judgment read: “This is an appeal against the judgment/decision of the National Industrial Court Sitting in Abuja, in Suit No. NICN/ABJ/263/2023, delivered on the 11th March, 2024, by Justice O. O. Oyewumi.

“Upon reading the Record of Appeal compiled and transmitted before this court, together with the respective briefs of argument, and after hearing the counsels for the appellants and respondents, it is hereby ordered that:

“This Appeal is devoid of merit, and the same is hereby dismissed.”

The ruling reinforces the legitimacy of Baruwa’s presidency, concluding the legal dispute over the union’s leadership.

Meanwhile, MC Oluomo’s son Idowu Akinsanya (King West) had bragged about his feat of emerging the NURTW president, saying: “We are now in charge of Nigeria, not only Lagos,” a comment that attracted public opprobrium.

MC Oluomo, a diehard supporter of President Bola Tinubu and a prominent figure in Lagos politics, was the sole candidate in the election, which took place at the union’s zonal secretariat in Osogbo. His perceived victory was deemed to carry significant implications for the future of the NURTW and the political landscape of Nigeria.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has withheld the international passport of the former governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa.

Okowa was arrested by the anti-graft agency on November 4, 2024, over an alleged diversion of N1.3tn derivation fund.

The N1.3trn amounted to a 13 per cent derivation fund from the federation account between 2015 and 2023.

He was also accused of failing to render accounts of the funds as well as another N40bn he allegedly claimed he used to acquire shares in UTM Floating Liquefied Natural Gas.

Okowa also allegedly bought shares of N40bn in one of the major banks in the country, representing eight per cent equity to float the offshore LNG.

According to sources in the commission, Okowa was at the EFCC office in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and was subsequently arrested by officials of the commission.

A source privy to the matter but not permitted to speak with journalists said Okowa had been released since last week Wednesday, after meeting his bail conditions.

The source said one of the conditions was to submit his travel documents with the agency, pending the conclusion of the matter.

“Okowa is no longer in our custody. He was released last Wednesday after meeting his bail conditions, which include depositing his travel documents with the commission, pending the conclusion of our investigations of the allegations against him.

“The sum allegedly is too huge to take risks. And what we have done is not out of place. This is to prevent anyone under investigation from jumping the bail he/she had been granted,” he said.

Several calls put through to the EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, were not answered.

He was also yet to respond to the message sent to him on the matter as of the time of filing this report.

Speaking on his trial, Okowa described the allegation that he misappropriated N1.3tn oil derivation funds while in office as laughable and totally false.

Speaking when he received the national leadership of Urhobo Progress Union, led by its President General, Chief Ese Owe, on a solidarity visit at his residence in Asaba, on Tuesday, Okowa said he was not worried by the EFCC invitation.

The former governor, who was speaking publicly on the issue for the first time since his return from honouring the EFCC invitation, said he was confident that he would come out clean.

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Olisa Ifejika, the former governor disclosed that the petitioners were driven by mundane political considerations but asserted that he would continue to support Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to deliver on the mandate freely given to him by the Delta people.

“It was a petition written several months ago, but unfortunately, with the politics of our time, some people decided to ensure that Okowa must be invited by the EFCC.

“People are genuinely uncomfortable about Okowa and I was actually invited and I went there by myself and the first thing I saw was that they said I misappropriated N1.3tn. I said, do you know the kind of money you are talking about?

“To successfully take N1.3tn, it means you have to be taking between N16bn and N20bn every month into your pocket. I don’t even know if the President of this country will be able to do that, not to talk of the governor of Delta State.

“They have forgotten that the first in three years we came into office – 2015, 2016 and 2017 – the money that was coming into the state was not even enough to pay salaries at all.

“Some local governments like Ethiope East were owing as much as 15 months salaries and even in the state here, some people were getting half salaries.

“It was a petition written several months ago, but unfortunately, with the politics of our time, some people decided to ensure that Okowa must be invited by the EFCC.

“People are genuinely uncomfortable about Okowa and I was actually invited and I went there by myself and the first thing I saw was that they said I misappropriated N1.3tn. I said, do you know the kind of money you are talking about?

“To successfully take N1.3tn, it means you have to be taking between N16bn and N20bn every month into your pocket. I don’t even know if the President of this country will be able to do that, not to talk of the governor of Delta State.

“They have forgotten that the first in three years we came into office – 2015, 2016 and 2017 – the money that was coming into the state was not even enough to pay salaries at all.

“Some local governments like Ethiope East were owing as much as 15 months salaries and even in the state here, some people were getting half salaries.

The Government of Equatorial Guinea has filed a lawsuit against Baltasar Ebang Engonga, former Director General of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF), over allegations of misconduct involving a sex scandal.

In an official statement, the government gave reasons why Engonga is being prosecuted, describing his actions as “violations of the ethical and moral values of noble Equatorial Guinean society.”

The lawsuit was announced by Jerónimo Osa Osa, Minister of Information, Press, and Culture, who confirmed that the Attorney General’s Office would conduct a comprehensive investigation into the allegations.

According to local news platform Ahora EG, “This decision comes after several videos went viral in which Ebang Engonga is seen having sexual relations with multiple women, some of whom are married.”

The leaked videos, which have sparked outrage, prompted the government to take a stand on what it deems a violation of public morality and family values.

During an address on Friday, the government, through the Public Prosecutor’s Office, tasked with overseeing the case, intends to pursue administrative, civil, and criminal charges against Engonga and any accomplices, reiterated its condemnation of Engonga’s conduct.

The government emphasised the far-reaching impact of the scandal on social and family cohesion, stating, “In light of these serious events, which severely undermine family and social cohesion, and considering the negative impact that this situation has on the good image of our country, tarnishing its reputation, the government, through the Public Prosecutor’s Office, has commenced a thorough investigation to establish responsibilities at the administrative, civil, and criminal levels, given the possibility of a public health impact.”

Meanwhile, the investigation aims to address multiple issues, including the line between personal and public conduct, potential privacy violations, and damages to individuals’ honor and reputation.

The government affirmed its commitment to safeguarding the rights of those affected by the scandal, including the State itself.

Baltasar Engonga has been facing severe backlash after investigators discovered over 400 explicit videos involving him and the wives of prominent national figures.

The scandal surfaced amid a fraud probe into Engonga’s stewardship, leading ANIF officials to search his home and office.

During this search, investigators reportedly uncovered CDs containing the explicit recordings, which have since leaked online, sparking a national outcry and widespread media coverage.