The apex body of Igbo lawyers, Otu Oka-Iwu, has sharply criticized the Federal Government over the complete exclusion of the South East and South South geopolitical zones from the recently constituted Presidential Committee on the 2025 National Population and Housing Census.

In a press release issued on April 19 and signed by its President, Mazi Okechukwu Unegbu, and Secretary, Chief Ben Ihesiulo, the group described the composition of the committee as “a deliberate affront to justice, equity, and national cohesion.”

“We are alarmed to observe that the entire South East and South South geopolitical zones/regions that are home to millions of Nigerian citizens have been totally and deliberately excluded from this critical national assignment,” the statement read.

The committee comprises seven members, with five drawn from the South West and the remaining two from the North Central and North West. No single representative hails from either of the South East or South South regions, a development the lawyers consider a calculated act of marginalization.

“This is not just an omission. This is a clear and calculated act of marginalization, one that reinforces the entrenched and widening pattern of exclusion and systemic discrimination against the Igbo people and our neighbours in the South South region,” the association stated.

Otu Oka-Iwu expressed disbelief that in 2025, the Federal Government could constitute such a crucial committee without any representation from regions that have contributed significantly to Nigeria’s growth.

“This action, under the watch of a government that claims to govern in the interest of all, is not only reprehensible but amounts to a brazen insult to the principles of federal character, equity, inclusion, and justice as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.”

The group emphasized the broader significance of a national census, noting its impact on policy, representation, and resource distribution.

“A national census is not a technical exercise, it is political, economic, social, and cultural. It determines representation in government, allocation of resources, and the trajectory of development for decades to come. It defines who counts, and who is counted.”

Calling for the immediate reconstitution of the committee, the lawyers warned that continued exclusion could spark widespread rejection of the census process in the affected regions.

“We call for the immediate reconstitution of the Presidential Census Committee to reflect the true federal character of Nigeria and to include qualified and capable representatives from the South East and South South zones. Anything short of this is unacceptable, provocative, and a direct invitation to civil disobedience.”

The group vowed to mobilize communities in the South East and South South to boycott the census if their concerns are not addressed.

“We will not hesitate to mobilize our people across Igbo land and the South South to resist and reject any enumeration or census process carried out under such a flawed and exclusionary framework. We will not allow any group to reduce our people to mere statistics to be used and discarded at will.”

Otu Oka-Iwu concluded by urging traditional rulers, political leaders, religious bodies, civil society, and the international community to speak out against what it described as a grievous national injustice.

“The continued undermining of ‘ndi Igbo’ and other marginalized groups in the governance of this country must end. The unity of Nigeria cannot be built on selective inclusion and calculated injustice. There can be no peace where there is no justice.”

“Nigeria belongs to all of us. The Census must reflect that or it will reflect nothing at all.”

An Ogun State High Court sitting in Abeokuta has ordered the Gbengande of Ososa, Oba Adetoye Alatishe, to pay N500 million in damages for libel against renowned industrialist and philanthropist, Dr. Sulaiman Adegunwa.

Justice E.O. Osinuga, presiding over the case at the Isabo High Court on Friday, April 11, 2025, also mandated the monarch to issue a public apology and retraction of the defamatory statements in three national newspapers — Punch, ThisDay, and The Nation.

The ruling followed the court’s findings in a libel case marked Suit No. 4CJ/205/19, which was filed by Adegunwa on November 25, 2019.

The suit stemmed from a petition written by Oba Alatishe on January 7, 2019, to then-Governor Ibikunle Amosun, and subsequently circulated to key government officials and agencies.

In the letter, the monarch alleged:

“Alhaji Adegunwa at a gathering had promised to demolish the entire resuscitated and reconstructed Gbengande Market and turn same to a palace, while the present palace will be forcefully turned to a townhall through the office of the Special Adviser on Urban and Physical Planning.”

He warned:

“If this threat is not urgently checked and nipped in the bud, it is capable of leading to a monumental breach of peace, serious confrontation and total breakdown of law and order in the community.”

Justice Osinuga held that the contents of the petition, which were also published in City People Magazine on January 15 and Obanta Newsday on August 7, 2019, were defamatory and damaging to the Claimant’s “highly earned reputation.”

The judge noted:

“When the Kabiyesi was asked how he came about the information as contained in the letter, he said some people told him yet Kabiyesi was not ready to disclose these people.”

She ruled that Oba Alatishe relied on hearsay and failed to provide credible evidence for his claims.

Adegunwa, who holds the national honour of Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) and is widely recognized as the Asiwaju of Ijebuland, initially sought a peaceful resolution by requesting an apology and retraction. When the monarch declined, the philanthropist turned to the court for justice, citing damage to his global reputation due to the publications’ wide reach.

Though the Claimant had asked for N5 billion in damages, the court awarded N500 million and an additional N500,000 as litigation costs. A perpetual injunction was also granted, restraining the monarch from making further defamatory statements against Adegunwa.

Justice Osinuga concluded that:

“It was wrong and so unwise for the royal father to have refused to tender an apology knowing fully well that he has no evidence to substantiate his allegations.”

The court’s ruling is being seen as a victory for justice and accountability, even when traditional authority is involved.

A businessman, Okorie Sunday, who was arrested on March 19, 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, with $578,000 in cash, collapsed on Wednesday morning during his trial at the Federal High Court, Lagos.

The trial, which began at 8:30 AM, was proceeding as the defendant entered the dock. However, as the court registrar was about to read the charges against him, Okorie suddenly slumped, causing a commotion in the courtroom.

Defendant Was Set to Change Plea

The businessman had been arraigned a day earlier, on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on four counts of alleged money laundering and currency smuggling before Justice Deinde Dipeolu. He initially pleaded not guilty.

At Wednesday’s hearing, his defense counsel, Uche Okoronkwo, informed the court of Okorie’s decision to change his plea.

Okoronkwo stated:

“My client would like to change his plea from not guilty to guilty.”

Confirming the development, EFCC’s counsel, Chineye Okezie, told the court:

“In view of the defendant’s wish to change his plea from not guilty to guilty on counts one and two, the commission would like to withdraw counts three and four.”

Justice Dipeolu granted the request and ordered the withdrawal of the third and fourth charges.

Courtroom Drama as Defendant Collapses

As the registrar was about to re-read the charges, he asked the defendant if he understood English. Okorie did not respond but suddenly collapsed in the dock. His wife and daughter, who were present in court, burst into tears.

Following the incident, court officials rushed him to the hospital, and proceedings were temporarily halted.

As of the time of this report, the court has stood down the matter pending further updates on Okorie’s health.