–Plaintiff Fined N20m

By Son Tertsea, Abuja

A Federal High Court in Abuja presided over byJustice Peter Lifu today dismissed a suit filed by a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.

Justice Lifu while delivering the Judgement also awarded a N20 million fine against Jideobi in favour of the ex-president.

The further awarded a 1 million fine against the plaintiff in favour of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).

He held that Jideobi lacked the legal right to have instituted the suit, having not suffered any loss from his perceived Jonathan’s intention to vie for the next year’s poll.

The judge added that a Federal High Court in Yenagoa and an Appeal Court had already held that Jonathan was eligible to run, and he was bound by the decision of the appellate court.

The judge then described the lawyer’s suit as “an abuse of court process”.

Jideobi’s motion seeking the judge’s withdrawal from the case for being frivoloud was equally dismissed.

Before this judgment, Lifu had awarded a N1 million fine against Jideobi in favour of the ex president for lack of due diligence in the prosecution of the matter.

Jideobi had sued Jonathan, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and AGF as the 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively.

The former president Jonathan first assumed power in 2010 after the death of ex-President Musa Yar’Adua. The Bayelsa-born politician served as vice president under Yar’Adua.

A year later, he contested and won the 2011 presidential election. But in 2015, Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) defeated him, the first time an incumbent had lost a presidential election since the return of democracy in 1999.

Since then, there have been calls on him to run in the 2027 polls even though the former president has moved away from partisan politics since his exit.

Following calls for him to join the race, Jonathan told youths under the Coalition for Goodluck Jonathan that he would consult before deciding on the matter.

“Yes, you are asking me to come and contest the next elections,” the former president told the group when members visited him in Abuja.

“The presidential race is not a computer game, but I’ve heard you, and I’ll consult widely.”

The ravaging effects of cybercrime on society have convinced Kogi State Government for the mounting of Anti-Internet Fraud Campaign Clubs in schools and tertiary institutions across the state. The effort is to combat cybercrime and promote ethical values among youths.

Governor Usman Ododo made the call during the official flag-off of the Kogi Anti-Internet Fraud Campaign at the Government House, Lokoja, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Folashade Arike.

He emphasised the need for parents, schools, religious institutions, and community leaders to support government efforts in tackling internet fraud, warning that poor moral upbringing and the quest for quick wealth were damaging societal values.

“The system is going bad, and it is in our hands to correct it,” while advocating the creation of anti-fraud clubs in schools to promote awareness among students.

Earlier, the Convener of the campaign and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Fraud and Internet Matters, Oluseyi Eleta, said the initiative was designed to protect the image and future of Kogi State.

Intelligence and talent become dangerous when not guided by integrity, he said, urging youths to use the digital space for innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment rather than cybercrime.

CP Nathaniel Diton, while speaking for ICPC, identified pressure, opportunity, and rationalisation as major factors encouraging fraudulent behaviour.

In a lecture entitled, “Internet Fraud and the Nigerian Youth: The Way Forward,” Diton urged youths to embrace ethical means of livelihood and warned against defending corruption based on ethnic or social sentiments.

Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, advised against seeing the state based on the activities of a few internet fraudsters, saying Kogi people as intelligent, dynamic, and hospitable.

Fanwo blamed some parents for indirectly encouraging internet fraud by accepting expensive gifts from unemployed children without questioning the source of the money.

The commissioner added that the state government was developing innovation hubs to help youths channel their digital skills into legitimate ventures.

He donated ₦100,000 to Great Onize Suleiman of GYB Model School for her brilliant performance at the occasion.

On their part, the Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, Mrs. Helen Adebirimibe, and the Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Taiye Abanika, called on parents to make sacrifices for the future of their children while encouraging youths to make productive use of the internet.

GYB Model School and Faith Academy students presented papers which exposed the dangers of internet fraud on individuals, families, and society.

Government officials, students, security agencies, and education stakeholders, present were united in the call for stronger moral values and collective action against cybercrime for a better Kogi State.

Police say suspect died after gunfire exchange; family demands independent probe

By Felix Umande, Makurdi

Outrage is mounting in Benue State over the death of 17-year-old Atser Sesugh, with civil society voices demanding a transparent and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Benue-based activist and humanitarian, Ukan Kurugh has accused the Benue State Police Command of attempting to manipulate the narrative and protect powerful interests.

In a statement circulated online, Kurugh alleged that the teenager was killed “in broad daylight” before witnesses, and said the family was being subjected to further pain through what he called “careless lies” and “shameless attempts to twist the truth.”

“A young boy died, a mother is crying herself to sleep. A family has been thrown into permanent pain yet your priority is propaganda instead of justice,” Kurugh said, directing criticism at the Police Public Relations Officer, Dsp. Udeme Edet.

He further alleged that the police were trying to shield influential figures while ordinary citizens suffer, adding that “no official statement can suppress the voice of innocent blood.”

The controversy follows a press release issued by the Benue State Police Command detailing its version of events.

According to the command, on 28th April 2026, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Makurdi, arrested three suspects—James Onuh, Atser Sesugh, and Solomon Aondoakura Orhena—in connection with alleged fraud and cybercrime. The suspects reportedly escaped from lawful custody at the EFCC Makurdi facility on 4th May 2026.

The police said credible intelligence led EFCC operatives to a hideout behind Mechanic Village, Kanshio, Makurdi, on 23rd May 2026 at about 1500hrs. On arrival, operatives encountered a group of armed young men suspected to be cultists who opened fire. During the exchange of gunfire, EFCC operatives said they later found Sesugh lying in a pool of blood by the roadside.

The suspect was taken to the Police Cottage Hospital Makurdi, where he was confirmed dead. His body has since been deposited at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy.

The Commissioner of Police has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, to investigate the circumstances of the death. Efforts are also ongoing to apprehend the other fleeing suspects.

While the police have assured the public of a thorough investigation and reiterated commitment to the rule of law, Kurugh and other residents have called for an independent probe, arguing that public trust requires transparency beyond internal police inquiries.

Kurugh warned that “all evil has an expiry date and time,” urging authorities to prioritize truth and accountability over narrative control.

Meanwhile, there is another account from Gberindyer, a settlement in Makurdi, which is that, Sesugh and a friend had escaped from EFCC custody after a raid and were later traced to the area. Eyewitnesses allege further that when EFCC operatives arrived, Sesugh attempted to flee but was shot in the leg, he fell before being allegedly shot in the chest again. As a result, residents demanded that his body would not be taken away. However, EFCC operatives took the body and since then the family had no access to it.