By Adenike Lawal

Controversial activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has fired back at a court order for his arrest over alleged defamation of gospel singer Mercy Chinwo, vowing not to be silenced.

In a video shared on his X account on March 14, 2025, VDM dismissed the judiciary’s authority to suppress his voice, alleging a conspiracy to take him down.

His response follows a bench warrant issued by the Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 6, Abuja, over criminal defamation charges linked to Mercy Chinwo.

“The judiciary cannot shut me down,” he declared, accusing influential figures of financing a legal campaign against him.

He also questioned why multiple cases against him were assigned to the same magistrate and criticized the timing of the arrest order while he was outside Nigeria.

VDM further pointed out inconsistencies in court affidavits and slammed the injunction from a Nyanya court restricting him from discussing Chinwo and her associate Eezee Tee.

He insisted that even if arrested upon his return, the move would only expose alleged judicial manipulation.

His remarks fuel ongoing debates about judicial power, free speech, and accountability in Nigeria’s legal system.

By Adenike Lawal

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has put a temporary stop to the reinstatement of Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II as the Emir of Kano.

A three-member panel, led by Justice Okon Abang, ruled on Friday, March 14, 2025, suspending the enforcement of a January 10 judgment that had overturned the nullification of Sanusi’s appointment.

The appellate court’s decision follows fresh applications seeking to delay the implementation of the lower court’s ruling pending an appeal before the Supreme Court.

Justice Abang stressed the need to maintain judicial fairness, noting that Sanusi’s removal and reinstatement involve sensitive chieftaincy and state legislative matters.

The court also ruled that a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed against Sanusi should be transferred to the Kano State High Court and assigned to a judge without prior involvement in the case.

Additionally, a fine of N500,000 was imposed on Aminu Baba-Dan’Agundi in favor of the Kano State House of Assembly.

With this ruling, Sanusi’s reinstatement remains on hold, pending further legal proceedings.

By Njoku Chijioke

The trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is set to resume on March 21, 2025, amid growing legal disputes and public outcry.

Kanu, detained since his controversial re-arrest in Kenya in 2021, faces terrorism and treasonable felony charges.

His legal team has strongly opposed the trial’s continuation, questioning the neutrality of Justice Binta Nyako.

Though she recused herself in September 2024, the Federal High Court’s Chief Judge reassigned the case to her, insisting that Kanu’s recusal request must be formally filed.

Kanu’s lead counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, insists that the recusal remains valid and has accused the prosecution of misleading the court.

Meanwhile, government authorities maintain that Kanu must stand trial, despite mounting pressure from his supporters demanding his release.

With the trial set to resume, all eyes will be on the courtroom, where a high-stakes legal and political battle continues to unfold.