Two Lagos women identified as Folake Adeoti and Modupe Adewuyi have been sentenced to one year imprisonment each after they pleaded guilty to separate one-count charge, bordering on illegal hawking of Naira notes filed against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Adeoti and Adewuyi were intercepted on March 21, 2025 along Jobi Fele Way, Ikeja, Lagos, while hawking Naira notes to the tune of N3,850,000.00 and N1,600,000, respectively.

They were arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of EFCC before Justice Yellin Bogoro of the Federal High Court, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Friday, May 2, Dele Oyewale, the spokesperson for the anti-graft agency said in a statement.

The charge against Adeoti reads: “That you, Folake Adeoti, on the 21st day of March, 2025, opposite Regency Hall, Jobi Felé Way, Ikeja, in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, hawked the sum of N3,850,000.00 (Three Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 21(4)) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007.”

That of Adewuyi reads: “That you, Modupe Adewuyi, on the 21st day of March, 2025, at Jobi Fele Street, opposite Regency Event Center, Alausa Ikeja, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, engaged in hawking the total sum of N1,600,000 (One Million, Six Hundred Thousand Naira) of N500 and N1000 denominations, issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 21(4) and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2007.”

They pleaded “guilty” to their charges, following which prosecution counsel, Z.B. Atiku tendered their confessional statement as well as the money recovered from them in evidence and urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly. The prosecution counsel further informed the court that Adeoti was an ex-convict, having been prosecuted before Justice Ibrahim Kala and convicted on the same matter of Naira abuse. 

Justice Bogoro sentenced Adeoti to one year imprisonment without an option of fine.
In addition, her POS machine as well as the money recovered from her were forfeited to the federal government.

Adewuyi also bagged one year imprisonment or to pay N500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) fine. In addition, her POS machine and money recovered from her were also forfeited to the federal government.

A traveler identified as Agudosi Christopher Okechukwu who was caught with undeclared £8020 and $704 at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, has been sentenced to six months imprisonment.

Okechukwu was arrested in December 2024 at Lagos Airport by operatives of Nigerian Customs Service and handed over to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, or further investigations.

Consequently, he was before Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Friday, May 2, 2025, on a two-count charge, bordering on money laundering.

One of the charges reads: “That you, Agudosi Christopher Okechukwu, on the 10th day of December, 2024 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, failed to make a declaration of the sum of £8,020 (Eight Thousand and Twenty Pounds Sterling) to the Nigerian Customs Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.” 

He pleaded “guilty” to the charges following which prosecution counsel, C.C. Okezie called on Abubakar Magaji, an EFCC operative to review the facts of the case.

Magaji informed the court that Okechukwu had a total sum of £15,020 and $704 (Fifteen Thousand and Twenty British Pounds) and $704 (Seven Hundred and Four Dollars) and that while he declared £7000 (Seven Thousand British Pounds) he kept back £8020 (Eight Thousand and Twenty Pounds Sterling) and $704 (Seven Hundred and Four Dollars), claiming that he lost his brother and was going to use the undeclared sums to fly his corpse back to the country.

At Friday’ sitting, Justice Bogoro convicted and sentenced him to six months imprisonment on both counts or to pay N200, 000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) on each. In addition, he forfeited the sums of £8,020 and $704 to the federal government.

….Presidency says Adesina wrong, spoke like a politician on Nigeria’s GDP per capital figures 

The Nigerian Presidency has faulted claim of the President of African Development Bank, AfDB, Akinwumi Adesina on the current Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP per capita figures versus the level it was in 1960 when Nigeria attained independence.

The outgoing AfDB President had in a recent viral statement claimed that Nigerians are worse off today than in 1960 when Nigeria’s GDP per capita was $1847..

The AfDB President claimed that in contrast to the level of the GDP per capita at Nigeria independence, the country’s current GDP stands at $824 today, a reflection of the current rampant poverty and low human development in the country.

But in a rebuttal of the claim, the presidency, in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, the spokesperson to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu accused the AfDB President of failure to carry out proper research and speaking like a politician in his assertions.

“Adesina spoke like a politician, in the mould of Peter Obi and did not do due diligence before making his unverifiable statement,” the presidency said while faulting the claim of the AfDB President

While countering the claim of Adesina, the presidency noted in the statement that available data indicated that Nigeria’s GDP was $4.2 billion in 1960, and per capita income for a population of 44.9 million was $93, not even one hundred dollars.

“Our country’s GDP did not rise remarkably until the 1970s, when crude earnings ballooned. In 1970, our GDP rose to $12.55 billion. In 1975, it was $27.7 billion, $64.2 billion in 1980, and $164 billion in 1981. Up until 1980, per capita income did not exceed $880. It rose to $2187 in 1981 and dropped to $1844 in 1982. In 2014, after rebasing, it reached an all-time high of $3,200.

“These facts raise questions about the source of Dr Adesina’s figures,” Onanuga said.

However, the presidency also faulted the AfDB President, a former Nigerian Minister of Agriculture of making inferences on the state of poverty or human development in Nigeria solely based on the GPD per capita numbers. .

“Dr Adesina should know that GDP per capita is not the only criterion used to determine whether people live better lives now than in the past. Indeed, it is a poor tool for assessing living standards.

“Its primary usefulness is in giving us the metrics to compare economic output in a country or between countries. 

“GDP masks many activities in a country’s economy. It neither discloses wealth distribution or income inequality nor accounts for the informal economy, which experts have said is enormous. It does not account for subsistence farming or income transfer from one family member to another,” the presidency said.

The Presidency also noted that GDP per capita is not reflective of the fact that Nigerians in 2025 have better access to healthcare, education, and transportation, such as rail and air transport, than in 1960.

“This premise alone suggests why Dr Adesina should not have arrived at his conclusion.

“Compared with 1960, Nigeria today has more primary, secondary, and tertiary schools. 

“We have more road networks and more medical facilities, private and public. We have phenomenal access to telephones.

“At Independence, we had 18,724 operational phone lines for a population of about 45 million. Over 200 million Nigerians now enjoy near-universal access to mobile phones and digital services, indicating we are better off today than 65 years ago.”

Furthermore, the presidency noted that Nigerian policymakers know that whatever GDP figure NBS publishes may not capture our economy’s full depth and breadth as it usually excludes the greater part of the informal economy, which some pundits have said may even be more significant than the formal economy.

“This underscores why Dr. Adesina should have considered all aspects of our economy before concluding.”

“When Vodacom, a telecommunications company, considered entering the Nigerian market in 1999 or 2000, its consultants, using the available GDP metrics, advised against it.

“They believed that Nigerians were too poor to afford GSM services. However, MTN and other companies that entered the market later proved them wrong, demonstrating that GDP figures alone do not provide a complete picture of a country’s economic potential or the living standards of its people.

“MTN and other adventurers came later, and they laughed all the way to the bank. More than 20 years later, they are still laughing despite some setbacks in 2023 and 2024. In its first-quarter results this year, MTN declared revenue of N1 trillion and an increase of 8.2 percent in subscriptions, which took the number of its voice and data users to 84 million. Does this MTN experience correlate with a country worse off than in 1960, when we had analogue telephones and the number of lines was fewer than 20,000?

“No objective observer can claim that Nigeria has not made progress since 1960. Today, as we await the NBS’s recalibration of our GDP, we can comfortably say without contradiction that it is at least 50 times, if not 100 times, more than it was at Independence.”

The Niger Delta Development Commission has warned the public regarding the activities of fraudsters offering non-existent postgraduate scholarships to unsuspecting victims. 

Seledi Thompson-Wakama, NDDC spokeswoman, issued the warning in a statement on Sunday.

She disclosed that the scammers had been soliciting money from members of the public under the pretext of securing scholarship placements.

“The attention of the NDDC has been drawn to fraudulent emails and messages sent to applicants of the commission’s postgraduate foreign scholarship programme,” she said.

Ms Thompson-Wakama revealed that the fraudulent emails, purportedly sent from nddcregistry@gmail.comand claiming to be from NDDC’s ‘Board Registry’, invite recipients to a fictitious document verification and authentication exercise.

According to her, the purported exercise is scheduled for May 19 to 21 at Bishop Oluwole Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

“Members of the public are hereby advised that the NDDC has no affiliation with this fraudulent selection process,” she said.

She clarified that all official communication concerning the commission’s scholarship programme is conducted exclusively through the official NDDC portal: www.scholarship.nddc.gov.ng.

“Applicants are strongly advised to disregard any unsolicited messages requesting money, invitation, sensitive information, or offering scholarship placements outside of the official NDDC procedures,” she added.

Ms Thompson-Wakama urged anyone who receives such fraudulent emails to report them immediately to the appropriate law enforcement authorities for prompt investigation and action.

She encouraged Nigerians interested in the NDDC’s programmes to utilise only the official NDDC communication channels.

“We also advise former beneficiaries of the commission’s programmes and prospective applicants to verify all information through the NDDC’s official website official: www.nddc.gov.ng,” Ms Thompson-Wakama explained.

(NAN)

Human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, has vowed to take legal action against those responsible for his arrest and detention in December 2024 in connection with a now-withdrawn defamation case filed by senior lawyer, Afe Babalola.

In an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Farotimi expressed his intent to seek justice for what he described as the misuse of state power to pursue a private matter.

Naija News recalls that he was arrested by the police in Lagos and taken to Ekiti State, where he was charged with defamation over comments made in his book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System. A magistrate court subsequently ordered his remand for 21 days.

Although the defamation case was eventually withdrawn by Babalola, bringing an end to the legal dispute, Farotimi has made it clear that he will not let the matter rest.

The human rights lawyer intends to seek redress for his incarceration, stating, “I will certainly be demanding an account from those who sent me to prison.”

Farotimi emphasised the importance of accountability, stressing that his case was about more than just the withdrawal of the criminal suit.

“Even though the criminal suit has been withdrawn, the civil suits are there, and what I would like to do in response to my incarceration is another ball game entirely.

“You can be certain that some people will account for my incarceration, but that is not a matter for banter. That is something for the courts to decide,” he said.

When asked who he intended to sue, Farotimi stated that the decision would be left to his legal team. He explained that he was willing to hold anyone involved in the misuse of state power accountable.

“Whether it’s the police that I have to sue, whether it’s the magistrate who sent me to prison, whether it’s the persons who wrote the petition, whether it’s whoever, but somebody would explain,” Farotimi said.

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, former state chairmen of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change have declared that their continued stay in the All Progressives Congress is rooted in loyalty to their political leader and former President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the forum’s National Secretary, Sulaiman Oyaremi, the former CPC leaders affirmed their commitment to the APC, while expressing concern over the internal wrangling and marginalisation of their bloc within the party.

“Except for a few of us, we are unanimous in our decision to remain in the party with our principal, former President Muhammadu Buhari,” the statement read. “We owe it to ourselves to support the current leader of the party, President Bola  Tinubu, and contribute to building an inclusive APC where all stakeholders feel a sense of belonging.”

The forum acknowledged that many former CPC members feel sidelined within the APC, both in terms of appointments and inclusion in party structures, despite their contributions to the party’s electoral victories.

They lamented the lack of recognition for their role in the formation and growth of the APC.

“Members of the defunct CPC, especially former state chairmen, have not been treated fairly in government appointments or party structures at both national and state levels,” the statement added.

While speculation had suggested that elements within the CPC might form a coalition with opposition figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, the forum distanced itself from such moves.

Their stance followed an earlier meeting on April 16, where former CPC members led by ex-Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Al-Makura reaffirmed their loyalty to President Tinubu and the APC.

However, this drew criticism from former Attorney General Abubakar Malami (SAN), who argued that Al-Makura lacked the mandate to speak for the CPC bloc.

Addressing the factionalism, the forum noted, “Unfortunately, with several camps speaking for the defunct CPC, the situation has exposed a lack of coherent leadership within the bloc.”

Nonetheless, they emphasised that decisions to remain in or leave the APC are a democratic right and should not be a source of division.

“We do not begrudge those who have decided to quit the APC,” they said, reiterating their choice to stay, guided by loyalty to Buhari.

The forum also used the opportunity to call on the Tinubu administration to shift focus away from political maneuvering ahead of 2027 and address the growing insecurity and economic challenges facing the nation.

“We urge the President and APC governments at all levels to prioritise tackling these existential issues rather than focusing on the next election,” the forum added.

The President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, says he is still fighting for the survival of his $20bn refinery, stressing that the fight is not yet finished.

Dangote expressed optimism that he would win the fight for the refinery, stating his determination to fight on.

According to Semafor, an international news medium, Africa’s richest man spoke at an investor forum in Lagos on Friday.

The report stated that Dangote pointed out that some individuals who “for a very, very long time” have “made a lot of money from” government-subsidised oil imports into Nigeria, were the ones trying to sabotage the 650,000 barrels per day oil refinery situated in Lekki, Lagos.

Dangote was quoted as saying that “those groups have funded resistance to the Bola Tinubu government’s removal of petrol subsidies and are opposed to the refinery operating easily in the country.”

However, Dangote was confident that the battle between him and the groups would be won, priding himself as a long-time fighter.

“We’re fighting, and the fight is not yet finished. But I have been fighting all my life, and I am ready and 100 per cent sure I will win at the end of the day,” he was quoted.

Dangote’s latest comments came as Nigeria plans to increase its capacity to stockpile petroleum products, to prepare against shocks to the global oil market following US President Donald Trump’s shake-up of international trade with the threat of tariffs.

Recall that Dangote has since last year raised the alarm that some mafias were sabotaging his refinery.

He specifically mentioned that some international oil companies were sabotaging his investment by denying the facility adequate crude supply despite the domestic crude supply obligation.

Dangote had alleged that the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority was issuing licences to marketers to import substandard petroleum products into the country.

He vowed to push his $20bn refinery to full operational capacity despite what he said were challenges from oil importers seeking to undermine his venture to retain their dominance in the country’s energy sector.

At a point last year, Dangote said he regretted building the refinery, saying the mafias in the oil and gas sector were stronger than those of drugs.

However, he refused to give up on the project as the facility targets its full capacity soon.

The PUNCH recalls that the Dangote Group boss once accused some powerful individuals of frustrating his refinery.

“In a system where, for 35 years, people are used to counting good money, and all of a sudden, they see that the days of counting that money have come to an end, you don’t expect them to pray for you. Of course, you expect them to fight back.

“And I think that is the process that we’re now really going through. But the truth is that, yes, the country, the sub-region, and also the continent of sub-Saharan Africa, need this refinery. So, you expect them to fight through non-supply of crude, non-purchase of the product, but I think it’s all temporary. We’ll get there,” Dangote added.

He had recalled that he was once persuaded by a former Minister of Energy in Saudi Arabia, Khalid Al-Falih, to shelve the idea of building a refinery. However, he said he told the former minister that he did not need his advice.

In June 2024, the Vice President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin, accused IOCs in Nigeria of plans to frustrate the survival of the new Dangote refinery.

Edwin said the IOCs were “deliberately and willfully frustrating” the refinery’s efforts to buy local crude by hiking the cost above the market price, thereby forcing the refinery to import crude from countries as far as the United States, with its attendant high costs.

Edwin also accused the NMDPRA of granting licences indiscriminately to marketers to import dirty refined products into the country.

“It appears that the objective of the IOCs is to ensure that Nigeria remains a country that exports crude oil and imports refined petroleum products. They (IOCs) are keen on exporting the raw materials to their home countries, creating employment and wealth for their countries, adding to their Gross Domestic Product, and dumping the expensive refined products into Nigeria – thus making us dependent on imported products,” Edwin had stated.

The refinery, which started petrol production last September, is seen as a way for Africa’s biggest crude oil producer to end its reliance on the costly importation of refined fuel.

It was reported that the refinery’s entry has helped push down the pump prices of refined products even as retailers count their losses.

With the naira-for-crude deal, the Dangote refinery promised to ensure enough fuel supply to Nigeria, Africa, and the world.

IPMAN supports Dangote

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria said they are with Dangote as he pushes ahead to fight the cabal.

IPMAN Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Udadike, said Dangote had promised before that he would fight the so-called cabal for the good of the masses, stressing that the association is behind him.

He said the fight is just the usual competition in any business, especially when a product is doing better than others in the market.

“Well, this is business. Competition abounds. There is no businessman whom people will not fight if he is doing well, especially when it is only your goods that are being produced, and the others are not being patronised because of the price. So, it is evident that every businessman wants to survive. It’s not an issue. What we can do is encourage him.

“We independent marketers are happy with him for his price slashes, although sometimes it’s against our own business strategy and projections. But that is part of the business, it is profit and loss.

“You know the factor of demand and supply matter determines the market. So, if he’s talking about how people want to sabotage him, he has told us that he’s ready to fight the oil cabals, and he is in this business to ensure that Nigerians don’t suffer. So, we encourage him not to lose hope, and we independent marketers support him in all ramifications,” Ukadike said.

No need to fight, says PETROAN

The National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry, said there should be no form of discord in the downstream.

According to him, Dangote should be allowed to refine its products with the naira-for-crude deal while importers and other traders should be given a level playing field to operate.

Gillis-Harry noted that there should be facts to back up all claims, saying there will be competition in any business, pleading, however, that it should be healthy.

He appealed to the Federal Government to supply enough crude to Dangote and other refineries.

Asked whether he felt the temporary stoppage of the naira-for-crude deal by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited could have prompted Dangote’s comment, he replied that there was a need to review the pilot phase of the deal, emphasising that PETROAN was always in support of the naira petrol sales deal, which he said would make petroleum products available for all Nigerians.

He stressed that other refineries are coming onstream and there will be more competitors in the market.

“I just want all players to do their business without any fight,” the PETROAN boss said.

The naira-for-crude deal ordered by President Bola Tinubu allowed the sale of crude in naira to the Dangote refinery, prompting a crash in fuel prices.

With the supply of crude in naira, the Dangote refinery continued to crash petrol prices across the country. From about N1,100 per litre, the company slashed the price of premium motor spirit to N860.

But importers of petroleum products lamented the repeated reduction of petrol prices by the refinery. Some of the importers lamented that they were compelled to sell below their costs, as consumers only buy from where the product is cheaper.

While Nigerians were rejoicing over the price slashes, fuel importers and retailers said they were counting losses.

President Bola Tinubu is expected to meet with the leadership of Nigeria’s power-generating companies as part of an emergency effort to address the N4tn debt threatening to cripple the country’s electricity supply chain.

The move follows a high-level meeting on Tuesday between the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, and chairmen of Gencos in Abuja, amid mounting fears of a possible collapse of the national grid due to liquidity constraints in the sector, according to a statement from the power ministry on Sunday.

The government pledged immediate action to reduce the N4tn debt owed to power generation companies.

The PUNCH earlier reported that Gencos had issued a warning to the Federal Government over the continued accumulation of debts now totaling over N4tn.

The companies said they were currently owed N2tn for power supplied in 2024 and N1.9tn in legacy debts.

The statement by the minister’s Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji, stated that the Federal Government had resolved to settle a substantial portion of the debt immediately, while the remainder would be cleared through financial instruments such as promissory notes within the next six months.

He said this would be proposed in a meeting being planned between President Bola Tinubu and the Gencos’ leadership. 

“There is a need to pay a substantial amount of the debt in cash. At the minimum, let us pay a substantial amount, then ask for debt instruments in promissory notes to pay the rest,” Adelabu said.

He emphasised the Federal Government’s determination to prevent a collapse of the power sector, describing the situation as a national emergency.

“We recognise the urgency of this matter. The government is committed to resolving this debt to stabilise the sector and prevent further crisis,” he said.

When questioned on a likely date for the meeting, the media aide said, “I can’t say yet,” explaining that discussions were still ongoing among relevant parties.

The Gencos were led by the Chairman of Mainstream Energy Solutions and head of the Association of Power Generating Companies, Col. Sani Bello (retd), who warned that the sector faced a looming collapse due to the mounting debt and persistent liquidity challenges.

Bello noted that the debt burden had crippled operations and limited access to funding for maintenance and infrastructure upgrades. “Without urgent intervention, the entire power ecosystem could collapse,” he said.

Echoing his concerns, the Chairman of Egbin Power and First Independent Power Limited, Kola Adesina, said, “This is a national emergency. Everything hinges on power—industries, homes, hospitals. We cannot afford to let the sector fail.”

Adelabu acknowledged the role of systemic failures and policy inconsistencies in the sector’s woes, adding that the government was not only focused on debt repayment but also committed to pushing reforms that would ease operational challenges.

He advocated for a full liberalisation of the electricity market and called on Nigerians to embrace cost-reflective tariffs, stressing that subsidies were no longer sustainable in the long term. “Citizens must pay the appropriate price for the energy consumed. The Federal Government will continue to provide targeted subsidy for economically disadvantaged Nigerians,” he stated.

The CEO of APGC, Dr Joy Ogaji, also outlined the challenges bedevilling the GenCos, including erratic gas supply, persistent defaults on payments, and foreign exchange volatility. She noted that the dramatic depreciation of the naira—from N157/\$1 in 2013 to N1,600/\$1—had severely affected maintenance budgets and loan repayments.

“Gencos have borne unsustainable risks—from grid failures to unproductive taxes—while remaining patriotic,” she said.

Adelabu disclosed that plans were underway to implement regulatory reforms aimed at enhancing market stability and reducing levies. He urged Gencos to partner with the government in creating public awareness on electricity consumption, efficient usage, and tariff realities.

Amid ongoing defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has dismissed suggestions that he is planning to dump the PDP.

Naija News reports that the denial was disclosed by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor, Humwashi Wonosikou.

Speaking during a media parley in Yola over the weekend, Wonosikou said Governor Fintiri remains a committed and “bona fide member” of the PDP and is focused on leading the party’s National Convention Committee.

“His Excellency Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri remains a bona fide member of the PDP. He is not leaving,” the CPS stated.

The clarification comes amid mounting speculations that more PDP governors may defect to the ruling APC, following the recent high-profile defection of Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, and his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa.

The duo’s defection, alongside the entire PDP structure in Delta State, has stirred debate over the opposition party’s future ahead of the 2027 general elections.

APC National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, who received the defectors last week, had boasted that more PDP governors would soon join the ruling party.

However, Wonosikou insisted that Fintiri has no such plans.

The death penalty is authorised by Section 33 of the Constitution of Nigeria. Being sentenced to death means a court has officially ordered that a convicted individual be executed as punishment for a crime.

This is a legal penalty for certain serious offences, primarily those involving murder, treason, and armed robbery.

The death sentence is carried out by the state after a court of competent jurisdiction finds the person guilty.

In the past few years, many individuals convicted by the court have remained on death row, and while governors in Nigeria are not very open to signing death warrants. These people are one signature away from losing their lives.

Bamise Ayanwola and Andrew Ominikoron case

In April 2025, the Lagos High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square convicted and sentenced to death a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) driver, Andrew Ominikoron, for the murder of a 22-year-old fashion designer, Bamise Ayanwola.

Delivering judgment, Justice Sherifat Sonaike held that the prosecution successfully proved its case, relying on the doctrine of “last seen” and the victim’s dying declaration to establish Ominikoron’s guilt.

Ominikoron faced a five-count charge, including conspiracy to commit a felony, rape, sexual assault, and murder. He was found guilty on all counts.

The case captured national attention in 2022 after Bamise went missing on February 26, following her boarding of a BRT bus operated by Ominikoron at the Ajah area of Lagos. Her mysterious disappearance ignited public outrage, social media campaigns, and demands for justice.

Nine days later, her body was tragically discovered dumped under the Carter Bridge on Lagos Island.

Soldier and girlfriend’s murder

A General Court Martial sitting at the Headquarters, 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Enugu, sentenced Private Adamu Mohammed to death by hanging for murder.

The sentence was handed down following the conclusion of his murder trial.

A statement on Tuesday by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 82 Division, Lieutenant Colonel Jonah Unuakhalu said the court martial composed of 11 members, was inaugurated on February 18, 2025, by the General Officer Commanding, 82 Division, Major General Oluyemi Olatoye, to adjudicate cases involving erring personnel within the Division.

Delivering judgment on Private Mohammed, the President of the court, Brigadier General Sadisu Buhari, said the soldier was found guilty of the murder of his girlfriend, Miss Hauwa Ali, an offence punishable under Section 106(a) of the Armed Forces Act, Cap A20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Osinachi’s husband was sentenced to death by hanging for murder

A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Wuse Zone 2 sentenced Peter Nwachukwu, the husband of late gospel singer Osinachi Nwachukwu, to death by hanging following his conviction for her murder.

Judge Njideka Nwosu-Iheme, delivering her judgment on Monday, found Peter Nwachukwu guilty of culpable homicide in connection with the death of his wife, Osinachi, on April 8, 2022.

Osinachi, who tragically passed away on April 8, 2022, was initially believed to have died from throat cancer.

The federal government brought a 23-count charge against Nwachukwu, including culpable homicide punishable by death, criminal intimidation, child cruelty, spousal abuse, and other offences.

The trial, which began on June 20, 2022, and concluded on March 10, 2023, saw 17 witnesses testify for the prosecution. The accused’s children also gave testimony as the fourth and fifth prosecution witnesses, PW4 and PW5.

Hanifa Abubakar’s case

On the 28th day of July 2022, Justice Usman Naabba of the Kano State High Court sentenced the Proprietor of Noble Kids College Kano, Abdulmalik Muhammmad Tanko (38), and two others to death by hanging for the kidnapping and killing of Hanifa Abubakar, a five-year-old pupil.

Tanko, alongside his accomplice, Hashim Isyaku and Fatima Musa, were arraigned before the Kano State High Court on a five-count charge of criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, confinement, and culpable homicide contrary to sections 97, 274, 277, 221 of the penal code.

Tanko kidnapped and killed Hanifa, a five-year-old pupil, on 4 December 2021, while she was returning from Islamiyya School and subsequently buried her in a shallow grave.

The judge, Usman Nababa, sentenced Mr Tanko, 38, and Hashimu Isyaku, 38, to death by hanging for the kidnapping and killing of Hanifa Abubakar.

The convicts were sentenced to five years each for conspiracy.

Ramon Adedoyin

Ramon Adedoyin, the owner of Hilton Hotels in Ile-Ife, has also been sentenced to death by the Court of Appeal in Akure, Ondo State, for his role in the murder of Obafemi Awolowo University graduate student Timothy Adegoke.

This verdict upholds a lower court’s earlier decision and brings a measure of closure to a case that has gripped the nation. The appellate court had reserved judgment on the matter since 29 October 2024.

The Appeal Court judgement reads: “The judgment of the High Court of Osun State stands. Adedoyin’s appeal is dismissed in part. The Court of Appeal held that Adedoyin was properly convicted and sentenced to death.”

The appeal court, however, set aside some of the decisions of the lower court.

“Order of forfeiture of Hilton Hotel quashed and set aside. Order of education scholarship to children of Timothy Adegoke by Adedoyin and others quashed and set aside,” the judgment read.

Sunday Jackson

In 2015, Jackson, a 29-year-old farmer and student from Dong Communi­ty in Demsa LGA of Adamawa, was working on his farm in Kodomti Community, Numan LGA, when Buba Ardo Bawuro, a herdsman, herded his cattle into his farm to feed on his crops.

Jackson challenged him, but the herdsman pulled out a knife and attacked him twice.

Although wounded, Jackson was able to seize the knife and stab him in return. Bawuro later died from his wounds.

The police arrested and tried the farmer for culpable homicide in the Yola High Court. The charge carried a death sentence under Section 211 of the penal code.

In court, Jackson admitted that his attacker died at his hands, but he maintained his innocence of any crime.