By HALIMA TAKWAS Court Stops Planned Resident Doctors’ Strike Pending Hearing THE National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja has issued an interim injunction restraining the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) from embarking on any form of industrial action, including strikes, go-slows, picketing, or preparatory protests, from Monday 12 January 2026. Justice E. D. Subilim […]
By MELVIN KOFFA Legal and Human Rights Implications A magistrate’s court in Jigawa State has issued a warrant for the arrest of an official from the State Security Service (SSS) following allegations involving the abduction, forced conversion and sexual assault of a teenage girl. The court ruling was delivered by Magistrate Sadisu Musa on Friday […]
By NJORIGE LYNUS The Constitutional Chess Game Judicial Victory, Political Defeat? ON 11 July 2024, the Supreme Court delivered what many hailed as a watershed judgment: the abolishment in practice of the State–Local Government Joint Account and the directive that federal allocations be paid directly to all 774 councils. The ruling, championed by President Bola […]
A Trend Misunderstood IN recent years, name change announcements have quietly risen in Nigerian newspapers, driven by marriage, religion, family disputes, and personal reinvention. But legal analysts warn that the public misunderstands what a name change actually accomplishes. While many citizens assume that publishing a new name equals a reset, investigations show a different reality: […]
The Appeal of Finality — And Its Hidden Cost STATUTORY marriage offers what customary unions sometimes struggle with: certainty, portability, and legal authority without family arbitration. Adults can marry without extended approvals. The certificate speaks for itself globally. But that finality has a cost: it is far easier to enter than exit. The Legal Cage: […]
A Regulatory Deadline Disguised as Routine ACROSS Nigeria’s small business ecosystem, one compliance requirement continues to ambush entrepreneurs long after registration: the filing of Annual Returns with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). Many business owners treat it like paperwork for another day — until that day arrives and their business legitimacy is in question. CAC […]
A Record You Cannot Outrun IN Nigeria, the police statement is often the quiet killer of strong cases. Many suspects discover only later that the most consequential moment at the station was not the arrest, the questioning, or even detention—it was the signature. Once appended, that document becomes a speaking witness, carrying a version of […]
By DEBORAH OCHEJA The Constitutional Backing THE right to observe Nigerian court proceedings stems from the constitutional doctrine of open justice. Except where the law expressly restricts it, hearings are public events, accessible to citizens who wish to learn, monitor, or research judicial processes. This is the legal basis that allows journalists, law students, governance analysts, […]
When Equity Withdraws Its Hand ACROSS Nigeria’s courtrooms, one doctrine quietly ends more lawsuits than judges ever headline: Laches and acquiescence—a rule of equity that punishes conduct, not conviction. While statutes bar claims by fixed limitation periods, equity bars them by unreasonable delay that misleads the other party into believing the dispute is over. In […]
When the Court Walks Away, It’s Not Always Defeat Mootness vs. Merit: The Distinction Courts Assume You Know NIGERIA’S legal system suffers from a public-communication deficit: complex judicial doctrines are delivered in dense rulings but rarely translated for mass understanding. One of the most misreported is the doctrine of mootness—often summarised by judges as a […]