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SSS Seeks Ban On Utomi’s Anti-Tinubu Rallies
The SSS is accusing Mr Utomi, the 2007 presidential candidate of ADC, of planning to establish “a shadow government” in Nigeria.
The State Security Service filed a fresh application against Pat Utomi on Wednesday at the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, over his alleged plans to hold rallies related to the subject of a suit pending against him.
The SSS, in an application filed through its lawyer, Akinlolu Kehinde, before Justice James Omotosho, requested that the court restrain Mr Utomi and his associates from making further public comments or engaging in rallies in relation to a planned “shadow government” formation.
The SSS had, earlier, dragged Mr Utomi, the 2007 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, before the court over his alleged plan to establish “a shadow government” in Nigeria.
The security agency, in the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/937/2025, prayed the court to declare the move an attack on the constitution, and the judge had fixed June 25 for the hearing.
Meanwhile, the fresh motion filed before the judge was in response to reports that Mr Utomi, reportedly abroad, had planned to engage in protests, road shows, media interviews, and related activities upon his return to the country on June 6.
In the application filed on Wednesday, the SSS sought one relief.
The SSS prayed for an order of interlocutory injunction, restraining the defendant/respondent (Mr Utomi) and his agents from staging road shows, rallies, public lectures, or any form of public gathering, as well as from publishing in newspapers, producing television programmes, creating jingles, or engaging in any other public enlightenment programme.
The SSS, in its grounds of application, argued that, if not restrained, Mr Utomi’s proposed rallies, road shows, and actions would “constitute a serious threat to the public order, safety and national unity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria“.
The security agency stated that it was statutorily empowered to safeguard the country’s internal security and prevent any threats to the country and its constituent institutions, thereby forestalling any threat to public order, safety, and national unity.
The secret police stated that before filing the substantive suit, Mr Utomi, a professor of Political Economy, had, through public statements, social media, and other platforms, engaged in statements and actions aimed at undermining the outcome of the case now pending before the court, which he is aware of.
The SSS said it gathered through monitoring and intelligence reports that Mr Utomi planned “to stage road shows and rallies under the guise of freedom of speech and association in a bid to cause public discontent in furtherance of his establishment of the purported ‘shadow government/shadow cabinet’”.
The secret police alleged that Mr Utomi’s intention “is to stage roadshows and rallies that are capable of drawing a large number of Nigerians with intent that will cause huge disruption of peace, breakdown of public order, and enable riots and violent protests just as the recent” #EndSARS protests in 2020.
“All the planned protests, riots and agitations that will ensue if the purported actions of the defendant/respondent are not stayed may lead to mayhem with a potential for anarchy and loss of lives and property.
“The proposed allies, road shows and actions of the defendant/respondent constitute a serious threat to the public order, safety and national unity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the SSS further told the judge.
The SSS stated that on May 26, during the fourth edition of the Topaz Lecture Series hosted by the University of Lagos Mass Communication Class of 1988 Alumni Association, Mr Utomi made statements capable of undermining the pending suit.
It added that in the statements, widely publicised in newspapers and on social media platforms, Mr Utomi defended the creation of the purported shadow government and further stated that if the suit succeeded in favour of the SSS, he and his group would adopt a different name.
The agency added that Mr Utomi had been served with the originating process in this suit and had entered an appearance through his counsel, Mike Ozekhome, as of 20 May 2025.
“Unless this honourable court intervenes by granting this application, the defendant/respondent’s acts may foist a fait accompli on the court. It is in the interest of justice, national security, and the rule of law for this honourable court to grant this application,” the SSS stated.
Gazzetengr.com
News
BREAKING: KWAM 1 Writes Ogun Govt, Accuses Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Plot to Exclude Him From Awujale Selection
Popular Fuji musician and Olori Omooba of Ijebu land, Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, widely known as KWAM1, has written to Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, alleging that he is being deliberately sidelined from the ongoing process to select the next Awujale of Ijebu land.
Ayinde, in a petition dated January 8, 2026, accused the Fusengbuwa ruling house next in line to produce the monarch of taking actions that allegedly violate the Chieftaincy Declaration and the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State. He claimed the moves were designed to disenfranchise him from contesting for the revered throne.
The letter, written on his behalf by his lawyer, Dr. Wahab Shittu, SAN, was addressed to Governor Abiodun and outlined what the Fuji star described as procedural irregularities in the selection process.
According to the petition, the contest for the Awujale stool has attracted over 60 aspirants, with Ayinde formally declaring his interest. However, the Fusengbuwa family has maintained that KWAM1 is not a member of the ruling house and is therefore ineligible to participate in the exercise.
Before writing to the governor, Ayinde had approached the Ogun State High Court sitting in Ijebu Ode, seeking an interim injunction to restrain Governor Abiodun and six others from continuing with the selection process. The court, however, dismissed the application, ruling that it lacked merit. The musician later withdrew the suit without publicly stating his reasons.
In his latest letter, Ayinde disclosed that the Ijebu Ode Local Government, via a letter dated January 6, 2026, signed by its Secretary, Oke Adebanjo, had approved the commencement of the selection process by the ruling house.
He expressed surprise that while members of the Fusengbuwa family were preparing for a general meeting, the family’s Public Relations Officer, Prince Adeleye Lateef Ademuyiwa, allegedly issued a notice directing aspirants to collect nomination forms and appear before a screening committee.
The screening committee, according to Ayinde, is chaired by Prince Alhaji Mitiu Adenuga. He further alleged that the directive fixed the nomination exercise for Monday, January 12, 2026, while also stating that the process would be conducted by delegates to be selected at a meeting scheduled for January 10, 2026.
Ayinde argued that the sequence of events was confusing, contradictory, and contrary to established laws guiding traditional chieftaincy matters in Ogun State.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Ogun State Government nor the Fusengbuwa ruling house had officially responded to the allegations.
Lagos Reporters will continue to monitor developments surrounding the Awujale succession process and provide updates as the story unfolds.
News
“Do Not Test Trump’s Resolve”: US Issues Fresh Threat To Nigeria
A United States Congressman, Rep. Riley M. Moore, has warned Nigeria not to take the resolve of President Donald Trump with levity, adding that the US president remained steadfast in his bid to protect Christians in Nigeria, while reiterating the false allegation that Christians have continued to face prosecution in the West African country.
Moore’s warning came days after the US president issued another military action in Nigeria, adding that he would not be carrying out a single operation in Nigeria if the alleged Christian persecution continues in the country.
The threat came days after the United States launched a military strike in Sokoto, targeting some terrorist hideouts in the country. The strike affected other states such as Niger and Kwara.
However, Trump, in an interview with The New York Times, published on Thursday, January 8, while responding to questions about a US military strike carried out in Nigeria on Christmas Day, said: “I’d love to make it a one-time strike. But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike,” Trump said.
Moore took to social media to reiterate Trump’s second threat to the country and warned Nigeria against overlooking the threat. His warning did not sit well with many Nigerians, who took to the comment section of the post and expressed their views about his claim. Below are some of their comments:
Omolayo accused the US of bombing a Christian country, Venezuela, and stealing its oil: “What about Venezuela, which is 80% Christian? Trump doesn’t care about Christians, but I grudgingly welcome his presence in the northern part of Nigeria.”
Umar Yusuf Dayyabu knocked the US: “The same US that just finished bombing a Christian country (Venezuela) and is currently stealing their oil is now claiming to want to save Christians in Nigeria. The US only wants our natural resources, that’s it.”
Amadu Yahuza accused the Trump administration of imperialism: “Let’s be clear: if the U.S. is claiming to defend Christians in Nigeria but simultaneously tightens visa access for Nigerians broadly, including Christians, that is not solidarity, it’s hypocrisy. Trump’s statements about Nigerian Christians are political branding, while visa restrictions, federal actions, and international messaging are geopolitical moves.”
Garvy accused the lawmaker of turning a blind eye to the killing of Christians in the US: “I guess you were blind to Christians murdered right in front of your nose in Salt Lake City, and you were blind to that. Suppose their lives don’t matter, right?”
You can read more reactions on X here:
President Trump is serious about his steadfast support to protecting our brothers and sisters in Christ who continue to face persecution in Nigeria.
Do not test @POTUS' resolve. https://t.co/vd8t0LXdKc
— Rep. Riley M. Moore (@RepRileyMoore) January 9, 2026
News
Buhari’s Ex-Minister Pantami Breaks Silence Over Alleged Wedding Plan With Aisha Buhari
False claims linking former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, with former First Lady, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, have been dismissed after an independent verification found the story to be entirely fabricated.
The rumour, which spread rapidly across Facebook and X, alleged that the two were planning a marriage and circulated alongside an image described online as a pre wedding photograph.
The post gained wide traction after several users pointed to Aisha Buhari’s completion of her Islamic mourning period following the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari in July 2025.
Public figures also reshared the image, drawing thousands of comments and reactions and fuelling speculation among social media users.
A fact check carried out by PRNigeria found no credible evidence supporting the claim. Reviews of the verified social media accounts of both Pantami and Aisha Buhari showed no statements or references linked to any marriage plan. Searches across reputable news platforms also returned no matching reports.
Further forensic analysis subjected the viral photograph to InVid verification and artificial intelligence detection tools. The assessment confirmed that the image was digitally manipulated and generated through artificial means, with faces inserted into a wedding-themed template.
Pantami addressed the allegation directly in a phone conversation with PRNigeria.
“It is shocking that anyone would fabricate such a rumour. President Buhari is a father figure to us, and we regard his widow as a mother. The claim is baseless and impossible,” he said.
Bashir Ahmad, a former media aide to the late president, also rejected the story on his Facebook page in Hausa.
“The story being circulated that Hajiya Aisha Buhari has agreed to marry Sheikh Isa Ali Pantami is an outright lie. There is absolutely no truth in it whatsoever,” Ahmad wrote.
Additional context emerged from a recently released biography titled From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, authored by Dr. Charles Omole and launched at the State House in December 2025. The book records Aisha Buhari as stating clearly that she has no intention of remarrying, citing family responsibilities and a desire for a quieter public life.
The former president died in London on July 13, 2025, at the age of 82. He married Aisha Buhari in 1989 and is survived by his wife, children and grandchildren. Speculation around her personal life increased online after she completed the traditional mourning period in November 2025.
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