Headlines
Hoodlums Set Ebonyi Federal High Court Building Ablaze
The Federal High Court Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria’s South-east, has been set ablaze by unknown gunmen.
The building is located along the Enugu/Abakaliki Highway, opposite the Peoples Democratic Party office in the state.
The attack was carried out on Tuesday by hoodlums using petrol bombs, a source told our correspondent.
The fire which began in the early hours affected the library and the security post of the court building.
However, fire fighters were said to have later mobilised to the scene to put out the fire before it could cause more damage.
No casualty was recorded in the attack which destroyed court records in the library.
The police spokesperson in the state, Loveth Odah, confirmed the incident.
She said the attackers came in their large numbers to carry out the attack.
Most states in the South-east and South-south, have been grappling with severe security challenges, including the spate of attacks on security agencies.
The motive for attack on the Federal High Court, just like the attacks on security officials, is possibly to weaken state institutions that are in-charge of law and order, so as to create fear and confusion.
In Imo State, another South-east state, gunmen recently attacked and set ablaze the country home of the state governor, Hope Uzodinma.
With Boko Haram insurgency raging in the North-east, and banditry, kidnapping, and the ongoing bloody conflict between herders and farmers in different parts of the country, Nigeria’s security agencies seem to be losing ground, while the country bleeds.
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President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Sunday, joined others for prayers at the National Eid ground in Abuja, as Nigerian Muslims mark the Eid-El-Fitr celebrations together with millions of others around the world.
Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu and some ministers also observed the prayer at the same venue.
Eid-El-Fitr, meaning the festival of breaking the fast, is a time of gratitude, charity and communal harmony.
It began with special prayers known as Eid prayers held in Mosques and open spaces. Following the prayers, families share festive meals, exchange gifts and extend warm greetings.
Eid is a time to remember those less fortunate and to strengthen the bond of brotherhood and sisterhood. A key component of Eid is Zakat al Fitr, a mandatory charitable donation intended to ensure everyone irrespective of their financial situation can participate in the joy of the celebration.
This act of giving embodies the spirit of compassion and solidarity that Ramdan emphasizes. From the elaborate feast of South Asia to the festive clothing of Nigeria and the African continent and the warm gatherings of the Middle East, Eid celebrations vary across cultures, showcasing the rich diversity of the Muslim world.
However, the underlining message of unity, gratitude and compassion remains universal.
Saudi Arabia and some other Gulf Arab states are celebrating the Eid al-Fitr holiday from today, but other Middle Eastern countries will not do so until Monday.
“The Supreme Court has decided that tomorrow, Sunday, March 30, 2025, is the first day of Eid al-Fitr,” the Saudi Royal Court said in a statement carried by official media.
The timing of the holiday, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon, in accordance with the Muslim lunar calendar.
The United Arab Emirates and Qatar also announced Sunday would be the first day of the holiday.
But neighbouring Oman and Jordan, as well as Shiite-majority Iran, said that Eid al-Fitr would not begin until Monday because the crescent moon had yet to be sighted. Egypt and other North African countries followed suit.
Lawyers representing Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan have issued a fresh demand to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), insisting that their client must be served with the recall petition and all supporting documents within 24 hours.
In a letter addressed to the INEC Chairman, the legal team from J.S. Okutepa SAN & Co. reminded the commission that they had previously written on March 24 and March 25, 2025, requesting service of the petition.
However, they noted that no action had been taken.
“Several days have passed since our communication to your office on the urgency of the matter,” they stated, emphasising that withholding the petition could create “negative impressions in the minds of the public and affected persons, when this could easily have been avoided.”
Citing the case of Senator Dino Melaye & 7 Ors. Vs. Independent National Electoral Commission & 3 Ors. (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/567/2017), the lawyers stressed that for the recall process to proceed, INEC must serve the affected senator with the necessary documents.
“For a recall process to proceed, the 1st Defendant should serve on the 1st Plaintiff a copy of the petition, together with all the documents accompanying it,” they quoted from the ruling.
The legal team listed the required documents, including “the recall petition, the schedule of signatures attached to the petition, and the full list of persons in support of the recall process,” which were explicitly referenced in the petition.
According to the letter, failure to comply within 24 hours would be seen as an attempt to “undermine the fundamental right of our client to be served the petition said to have been received by your commission.”
“We hope that your commission is not allowing itself to be used in sabotage.
“We therefore reiterate, that you cause the said petition and all attachments to be served within 24 hours from the date of this letter,” the letter added, urging INEC to uphold fairness and due process.
The Rivers State Government has suspended all political office holders and appointees with immediate effect.
A statement issued on Wednesday by the Chief of Staff to the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), listed the affected officers as follows:
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG)
The Chief of Staff
All Honourable Commissioners
Chairmen and members of boards, councils of agencies, commissions, institutions, and parastatals
All Special Advisers, Special Assistants, and Senior Special Assistants
The statement further directed the suspended officials to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries in their respective ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
In cases where no Permanent Secretary is in place, the most senior Director or Head of Administration is to take over.
This directive takes effect from Wednesday, March 26, 2025.
