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Anambra land recertification: Court fixes hearing As Okonkwo Alleges Financial Fraud Against Soludo
Okonkwo, who is a layman, had dragged Governor Charles Soludo, the 1st respondent and three others before the court, for allegedly embarking on the land document recertification and revalidation exercise, outside the Land Use Act 1978.
The other three respondents in the suit respectively, are the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Anambra State, Commissioner for Lands, Survey, Urban Planning and Commissioner of Police, Anambra State.
The matter came up on Thursday for mention.
In suit number A/23/2025, which he initiated through an originating summons, Okonkwo alleged that conducting such an exercise against the provisions of a federal legislation, violated the 1999 Constitution of the Nigerian Federation (as amended).
According to him, the imposition/demand of N25, 000 land recertification/revalidation tax on Anambra land owners by the Soludo government, without an iota of authorization by the Land Use Act, constituted a mega financial fraud, and hence, should be investigated thoroughly by the Nigerian Police Force.
The plaintiff deposed a 14-paragraph affidavit in support of the originating summons, alleged that the “illegal” land document recertification/revalidation exercise was deployed to corruptly enrich the budget for Governor Soludo’s re-election campaign, ahead of the forthcoming November 8, 2025 Anambra State Governorship Election.
He asked the court to interpret Sections 5, 6, 8,9,11, 26, 46 (1) and 50(1) of the Land Use Act 1978, regarding the power of the Anambra State Governor in relation to land.
The issues for determination are as follows: “Whether the 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants who purport to arrogate the powers of recertification and revalidation of all land documents in Anambra State (State and Non-State Land) have shown to the satisfaction of the court that the Land Use Act, clearly and specifically authorised their action.
“Whether the recertification/revalidation fee/tax of N25, 000 contained in Exhibit ‘A’, which was charged on Anambra State land owners, is not contrary to Part II of the Schedule of the taxes and levies (Approved list of collection) Act, Cap.T2 LFN 2011, and therefore illegal and unconstitutional and subject to account and refund to the defrauded people of Anambra State.”
Pursuant to sections 6(6) (a) & (b) 272 (1) and 315 (1) of the 1999 constitution, of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the plaintiff sought 13 reliefs, including a declaratory order, order for account, injunction and exemplary damages in his favour, against the 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants in the sum of N10 billion.
However, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Patrick Ikwueto, hired by the Attorney General of Anambra State, filed a memorandum of conditional appearance and preliminary objection dated May 6, 2025 on behalf of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants, requesting for an order striking out or dismissing the suit, for lack of locus standi by the plaintiff.
Ikwueto urged the court to hold that the plaintiff lacks the locus standi to institute this action and accordingly, strike out/dismiss this suit for lack of jurisdiction on this ground and uphold the preliminary objection.
Responding on point of law to the preliminary objection filed by Ikwueto without a motion number as practiced by the court, Okonkwo, the layman who appears for himself in court, pointed out that none of the four respondents in the matter filed a memorandum of appearance within the statutory period of 42 days after service.
“Therefore, the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants flagrantly breached the mandatory statutory provision in Order 23, Rule 2(1) and Order 4, Rule 1 and 3(4) of the High Court of Anambra State (Civil Procedures) Rules 2019,” he stated.
According to him, belatedly on May 6, 2025, after a period of four months, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants filed a memorandum of conditional appearance without the approval of the Honourable Court first sought and obtained.
He further submitted: “Take notice that there is no provision under the High Court of Anambra State (Civil procedures) Rules 2019, for any purported process styled: ‘Notice of Preliminary Objection’. Instead Order 40 Rules 1, 3(4), provides:
“Where by these rules, any application is authorised to be made by a judge, such application shall be made by motion, which shall be supported by affidavit and shall state under what rule of court or law the application is brought. Every motion shall be served within five days of filing by counsel to counsel, where the parties are represented by legal practitioners. Every such application shall be accompanied by a written address in support of the relief sought.”
He insisted that notice of preliminary objection without affidavit is outside the contemplation of Order 40 Rules 1 and 3(4) of the High Court of Anambra State (Civil Procedures) Rule 2019 and therefore urged the court to hold that the defendants’ notice of preliminary objection is incompetent.
He asked the court to strike out the memorandum of conditional appearance filed by the 1st to 3rd defendants and any other processes filed belatedly on their behalf, not known to the High Court (Civil Procedures) Rules 2019 of Anambra State.
He submitted the following issues for determination: “Whether the Court has jurisdiction to hear and determine 1st, 2nd and 3rd Defendants process styled “Notice of Preliminary Objection” strange to Order 40 Rule 1 of the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019, in raising issue of locus standi of the Plaintiff, contrary to the decisions: EBONGO vs. UWEMEDIMO (1995)…..
“Whether the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Defendants/Objectors having failed to satisfy a pre-condition by not filing a Counter-Affidavit in opposition to the Originating Summons. The Plaintiff is entitled to judgment in line with the Supreme Court direction in, INAKOJU vs. ADELEKE (2007) ….”
Citing several authorities including Supreme Court and Court of Appeal decisions, Okonkwo urged the court to resolve the two issues against the defendants, and decree judgment in his favour on the terms in the originating summons, against the defendants, for not following the procedures in the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019 of Anambra State, which renders their entire process incompetent.
He contended that a Notice of Preliminary Objection is not interchangeable with a motion on notice, and therefore urged the court to hold that in such circumstance, the defect is fatal to the competence of the trial Court to entertain the preliminary objection.
“It is settled law that there is a duty cast upon Court to ensure compliance with its Rules. The Rules of Court must, prima facie be obeyed. And the Courts have inherent jurisdiction to ensure compliance with the statutory Rules by the litigants.
“Accordingly, the Court can strike out any process not filed in accordance or in compliance with the relevant rules as in the instant case,” the plaintiff stated.
Besides the N10 billion damages, other reliefs sought by the plaintiff in the originating summons include an order of perpetual injunction from the court, restraining the 1st to 3rd defendants, their servants, agents or privies howsoever from issuing or pursuing the recertification/ revalidated exercise contained in Exhibit ‘A’ at any other time both now and in the future, except in consonance with Land Use Act, 1978 or any valid law subject to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
He requested for an order directing the Inspector-General Nigeria Police Force (the 4th defendant) to investigate his co-defendants deployment of Exhibit ‘A’ to commit mega financial fraud on the land owners in Anambra State, recover the sums of monies collected, and upon the citizens, make a demand to the Nigeria Police Force to ensure that a Police investigation report is issued, and the public officers involved, brought before the law to answer for their crime.
The plaintiff prayed the court to order the 1st to 3rd defendants to refund to the Anambra State Land Owners their N25,000.00 recertification tax, illegally levied on them in the State, as the imposition of tax/levy can only be validly levied for breach of the law, whether under civil process or after conviction for an offence.
When the matter was called up on Thursday, Okonkwo told the court that the matter was for mention.
Cyril Eziamaka holding the brief of Chika Ndianefo, announced appearance for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd respondents.
Justice Otti said the matter was coming before her for the first time and ordered that hearing notice should be issued to the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State, the 4th respondent.
She adjourned the matter to October 30, 2025, for hearing.
Source: Daily Post
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the immediate dissolution of the Presidential Implementation Committee (PIC) on the Alienation of Federal Government Properties, ending the operations of a body that has overseen the privatisation, sale and lease of federal assets for more than two decades.
The decision was announced in a statement issued on Thursday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, President Tinubu directed that all matters relating to the committee’s activities will henceforth be handled by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.
The PIC was established in 2000 under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to supervise the disposal of Federal Government landed assets under the monetisation policy.
The committee was chaired by the then Minister of Housing and comprised representatives of the Ministries of Transportation, Justice, Health and Agriculture, as well as the Nigeria Police Force. Professor P.T. Ahire served as its pioneer secretary, while members were drawn from both the public and private sectors.
The statement recalled that the Federal Executive Council approved the establishment of a Panel of Inquiry on March 22, 2001, to produce a White Paper guiding the implementation of the committee’s recommendations. The panel worked for 21 months before submitting its report.
Explaining the decision, Onanuga said the Federal Government concluded that the committee had outlived its usefulness, as its activities had extended beyond its original mandate and resulted in multiple litigations across the country.
“After careful consideration, the Government has noted that the activities of the PIC had extended beyond its original mandate, resulting in multiple litigations across the country, and the continued existence of the Committee is no longer justified,” he said.
President Tinubu also directed that, with effect from November 5, 2025, all outstanding matters previously handled by the committee be coordinated by the Attorney-General of the Federation.
In addition, the former Secretary of the committee, B. S. Dutsin-Ma, was directed to immediately cease acting on behalf of the dissolved committee and the Federal Government on related matters.
The Presidency said the move is aimed at streamlining the management of issues relating to the alienation of Federal Government properties under the supervision of the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
By Chinedu Sabastine
The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and Afrinvest have urged Nigerian clubs to embrace digital transformation, saying strong online presence, quality data and commercial partnerships are key to financial sustainability.
Speaking at a seminar for media and marketing officers of NPFL clubs in Enugu, NPFL Chief Operating Officer, Davidson Owunmi, challenged clubs to improve their digital platforms or risk missing sponsorship opportunities.
To underscore the importance of data, Owunmi offered a ₦100,000 reward to any club with a functional website containing comprehensive statistics from the just-concluded season, including player profiles, goals, match records and attendance figures.
He lamented that many clubs either lack functional websites or operate platforms with little useful content, stressing that data and digital engagement have become major revenue drivers in modern football.
“Our Gen Z audience lives online. If clubs are absent from the digital space, they cannot reach young fans, attract sponsors or benefit from e-commerce opportunities,” he said.
According to Owunmi, potential sponsors now demand audience and performance data before committing funds, but many clubs are unable to provide credible figures due to poor data generation.
He urged clubs to reduce dependence on government funding by strengthening their media and marketing departments, citing Rangers International’s ₦200 million sleeve sponsorship deal and other commercial partnerships as examples of what effective branding can achieve.
Owunmi also disclosed that from next season, the NPFL will introduce measurable digital benchmarks for clubs, including website functionality, quality content and social media engagement.
Afrinvest Manager, Emmanuel Eleojo, said the company’s partnership with Rangers International and the NPFL is anchored on its “Finance Meets Football” initiative, which promotes corporate investment in football.
He said Afrinvest’s support for Rangers since 2023 has boosted youth development, led to the establishment of the club’s academy and contributed to two league titles in three seasons, while producing players for the national team.
“When finance meets football, we see growth. We see progress. We see trophies won,” Eleojo said.
One of the lead paper presenters at the seminar, Mr George Isitua-Onukwu, who spoke on ‘Monetising NPFL Clubs Through Marketing, Sponsorship and Brand Investment’, harped on the need for the clubs to adopt a clear and timed approach to branding and marketing.
According to him, NPFL sponsors report hesitation because clubs cannot yet guarantee the consistent visibility and production quality brands ask for.
“Clubs without a structured calendar for renewals, activation briefs, and reporting are, by definition, always reacting,” he further stated.
The seminar brought together media and marketing officers from the 20 NPFL clubs to strengthen capacity in digital marketing, branding, content creation and data management aimed at improving the league’s commercial appeal.
A socio-political organization, Forum of Abia Democrats (FABD), has lauded the sterling leadership qualities of Dr Prince Michael Chiemezuo Agrippa.
Dr Prince Michael Chiemezuo Agrippa is the Nigeria Democratic Congress State House of Assembly candidate for Isiala Ngwa South Constituency of Abia State
Forum of Abia Democrats (FABD), whose membership is drawn from the seventeen (17) local government areas of Abia State in a statement on Thursday, hailed
Dr Prince Michael Chiemezuo Agrippa’s resilience and commitment to nation-building and development.
The statement by the forum was signed by the Chairman, Surveyor Samuel Azubuike and Secretary General, Victor Mbanaso.
While noting that Dr Michael Chiemezuo ‘s invaluable contributions towards deepening democracy in Abia state and Nigeria cannot be overemphasized, Forum of Abia Democrats(FABD) also noted that Dr. Prince Michael Chiemezuo Agrippa has remained unwavering in her pursuit of gender equality in the country.
The pro-democracy forum further noted that Dr Prince Michael Chiemezuo’s continued support for human empowerment, community development, and as well passion for good governance.
“Dr Prince Michael Chiemezuo Agrippa has remained committed to public service and also dedicated to the advancement of democratic values in Abia state and larger Nigeria. And this illustrious son of Abia state has continuously demonstrated his desire to contribute to societal building and development, having chaired and coordinated professional bodies effectively and efficiently.
Forum of Abia Democrats (FABD) therefore threw their weights behind Dr Prince Michael Chiemezuo Agrippa’s House of assembly bid, describing his recent emergence as the NDC State House of Assembly standard-bearer for Isiala Ngwa South state Constituency as a beginning of a new chapter of progress and purposeful leadership in Isiala Ngwa South.
The forum expressed confidence in the ability and capacity of Dr Prince Michael Chiemezuo Agrippa in driving even development and uplifting local communities across Isiala Ngwa South Constituency through attractions of government’s provision of critical infrastructural amenities and projects when elected into the Abia State House of Assembly come 2027.
According to the ethnic-nationality body, aside from attracting meaningful socio-economic and infrastructural projects across IIsiala Ngwa South Constituency, we believe Dr Prince Michael Chiemezuo Agrippa equally possessed the wherewithal to pursue and make impactful laws that strengthen all statutory and relevant institutions of democratic governance in Abia State.
“Dr Prince Michael Chiemezuo has remained a defender of justice and advocate for the rights and welfare of average Nigerians.
“The confidence and widespread acceptance he enjoy among the electorates in isiala Ngwa South state constituency will turn into electoral victory for NDC in the coming general election next year,”the forum noted.
Forum of Abia Democrats (FABD) pledged to rally bulk votes for NDC State House of Assembly Candidate, Dr. Prince Michael Chiemezuo Agrippa to ensure his total victory in the upcoming election in 2027 in isiala Ngwa South Constituency by the independent national electoral commission (INEC).
The southeast forum also used the medium to call on all eligible Nigerian citizens to participate in the ongoing nationwide voters registration exercise by INEC, so as to enable them exercise their franchise in next year’s general election in the country.
“Every eligible imo citizens should ensure it register and collect their permanent voters cards (PVC), because, it is the only weapon and power vested on citizens by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to effect a change in government, and vote in credible people to mount leadership saddle in all levels in the country,”They stated.
The Service stated this in a statement posted on its official X handle on Wednesday.
According to the NIS, the only authorised platform for passport payments by Nigerians, both within the country and in the diaspora, is its official passport portal.
It added that foreigners seeking Nigerian visas should use only its official visa portal for embassy applications or the designated e-visa portal for electronic visa applications.
It said, “The Nigeria Immigration Service wishes to reiterate that the only authorised platforms for passport payments for Nigerians (at home and in diaspora) is https://passport.immigration.gov.ng.
“For foreigners wishing to apply for visa, https://visa.immigration.gov.ng (for visa at the Embassy) and https://evisa.immigration.gov.ng (for e-visa) are the official links.
The NIS urged applicants who require clarification or assistance with passport or visa applications to contact its verified communication channels.
It listed its official X accounts as @nigimmigration and @InquireAtNaija, while its verified Facebook and Instagram handles are @nigimmigration.
The Service also provided WhatsApp numbers 09160878000 and 09117717772 for enquiries and support.
The statement reiterated the Service’s commitment to ensuring secure and transparent passport and visa application processes, urging the public to avoid fraudulent intermediaries.
The US Department of State said the move is aimed at centralising routine visa services in regional hubs to enhance national security, reduce government spending, and ensure greater consistency in visa screening, vetting and adjudication.
In a statement on the US Department of State website on Wednesday, the department said the reorganisation aligns with the President Donald Trump’s administration’s priority of placing America’s interests and security first.
“The Department of State is constantly evaluating its overseas operations in order to advance America’s priorities as efficiently and effectively as possible. This includes a visa process that maintains rigorous standards of security screening and vetting and aligns resources and operational capacity with America’s national interests.
“The Trump administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans, and the State Department will continue to provide Americans with appropriate consular services and assistance at diplomatic posts around the world,” the statement read.
Besides Abuja, the affected diplomatic posts are located in Asmara, Bamako, Banjul, Brazzaville, Bujumbura, Conakry, Cotonou, Durban, Freetown, Gaborone, Harare, Juba, Libreville, Lilongwe, Lusaka, Maputo, Maseru, Mbabane, N’Djamena, Niamey, Nouakchott, Ouagadougou and Windhoek.
It also emphasised that all diplomatic missions will continue to provide consular services and carry out their regular functions on behalf of the United States.
The department further assured travellers that the policy does not invalidate visas that have already been issued.
The United States periodically reviews its global diplomatic operations to reallocate resources and streamline consular services.
Under the new arrangement, applicants in countries affected by the policy are expected to access routine visa services through designated regional processing hubs, while embassies and consulates continue to provide other diplomatic and consular assistance.
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