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Take Bullion Van Petition Against Tinubu Seriously, Transparency International Tells EFCC
Anti-corruption group, Transparency International, has advised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to take the petition against All Progressives Congress leader, Bola Tinubu, seriously.
Speaking with The PUNCH on Monday, the Head, Transparency International Nigeria and Executive Director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Musa, popularly known as Rafsanjani, said the EFCC must prove to Nigerians that it is not a partial organisation.
Rafsanjani told The PUNCH that the EFCC had arrested several persons for vote buying during the last elections.
He said the anti-graft agency must therefore not betray the confidence Nigerians have in it.
The TI boss said, “We think that the fight against corruption must be seen to be real and whoever is involved in any act, no matter how powerful, the law must take its course. That is the only way that citizens can continue to have confidence in the anti-graft agency.
“For me, this petition should be taken seriously and the EFCC should not waste time before working on it because similar things happened during the elections where some politicians were arrested with money.
“In this case, nothing has happened to the man (Tinubu) and citizens are calling for action so that there will be no impunity in the system. I think it will be in the interest of the anti-corruption agencies to be proactive and take action that will make citizens have confidence in the anti-corruption war.”
The Convener, Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju; and others including Ariyo-Dare Atoye of the Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and Constitution and Adebayo Raphael of the Free Nigeria Movement, had submitted a petition to the EFCC last month.
The activists had asked the EFCC to investigate Tinubu who admitted to having two cash-laden bullion vans on his premises on the eve of the Presidential election in February.
There have been reports, however, that the EFCC had abandoned the petition because of the personality involved.
The EFCC is currently prosecuting the son-in-law and lawyer to the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, for allegedly attempting to distribute $2m ahead of the same election.”
The Punch
The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, has declined to set up a judicial panel to investigate Governor Siminalayi Fubara, citing a court order.
The Rivers State House of Assembly had requested that Amadi set up a seven-member panel to probe Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, over allegations of gross misconduct.
However, in a letter dated January 20 and addressed to the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, the chief judge cited two court orders barring him from receiving, forwarding, or considering any requests to form such a panel.
The judge stated that the orders were served on his office on January 16, 2026 and remain in force.
The chief judge emphasised that constitutionalism and the rule of law require all authorities to obey subsisting court orders, irrespective of their perception of the orders’ validity.
He referenced legal precedents, noting that in a similar case in 2007, the Chief Judge of Kwara State was condemned for ignoring a restraining court order when setting up an investigative panel, a decision later voided by the Court of Appeal.
Justice Amadi further observed that the Speaker has already filed an appeal against the court orders at the Court of Appeal, adding another layer to the ongoing legal proceedings surrounding the allegations.
“By the doctrine of ‘lis pendens’, parties and the court have to await the outcome of the appeal,” he said.
Justice Amadi further stated that the existence of the injunctions and the pending appeal had effectively tied his hands.
“In view of the foregoing, my hand is fettered, as there are subsisting interim orders of injunction and appeal against the said orders. I am therefore legally disabled at this point from exercising my duties under Section 188(5) of the Constitution in the instant,” he said.
The chief judge appealed to the lawmakers to recognise the legal constraints surrounding the matter.
Justice Amadi, therefore, urged the state assembly to be “magnanimous enough to appreciate the legal position of the matter.”
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has reportedly affirmed the removal of Julius Abure as the national chairman of the Labour Party, LP.
The Court also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to recognize the Senator Nenadi Usman-led National Caretaker Committee as the party’s lawful leadership.
The development was disclosed by human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, in a post on X, where he said he was present at the Federal High Court when the judgment was delivered in a related case.
Effiong stated that Justice Lifu delivering judgment on Wednesday, upheld the Nenadi Usman-led committee as the only valid and lawful leadership of the Labour Party, reaffirming that Abure’s tenure had elapsed in line with an earlier Supreme Court judgment.
The court consequently directed INEC to immediately recognize Nenadi Usman as the party’s leader.
He wrote: “I am currently before the Federal High Court in Abuja for a case. I listened to judgement delivered in an another case.
“Honourable Justice Lifu has just upheld Senator Nnadi Esther Usman-led National Caretaker Committee as the only valid and lawful leadership of the Labour Party.
“The Judge reaffirmed that by the Supreme Court’s judgement, Julius Abure’s tenure had since elapsed.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria defeated Egypt 4-2 on penalties to win the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 third-place playoff on Saturday.
Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali proved the hero of the night with two crucial saves during the shootout, including one from Egyptian star Mohamed Salah.
Ademola Lookman then calmly converted the decisive penalty to secure the bronze medal —Nigeria’s ninth third-place finish in AFCON history.
With neither side able to break the deadlock in a cagey second half, the game ended 0-0, sending the contest directly to penalties.
Despite Fisayo Dele-Bashiru missing Nigeria’s first kick, Nwabali’s immediate saved from Egypt’s first two attempts shifted the momentum.
