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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
Many people are feared to have lost their lives as a military aircraft with tail number NGR 931, en route Lagos from Benin, crashed in the Igbokoda axis of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State on Monday.
The Ondo State Police Command Spokesperson, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, who confirmed the incident to journalists in Akure, noted that details surrounding the incident are still emerging, as efforts to establish the full circumstances continue.
Jimoh said: “The Command urges members of the public, particularly residents of Igbokoda and adjoining communities, to remain calm and refrain from circulating unverified information.”
He stated further that the public will be duly informed as soon as further credible information is available.
Also, a statement by the Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, said that all efforts to raise the aircraft on radio proved abortive.
According to him, the wreckage has been located, and search and rescue operations are ongoing.
Preliminary information suggests that there were 25 passengers and 7 crew members on board.
“Whilst the control and regulation of military aircraft are completely outside the authority of the Ministry of Aviation, and Civil Aviation Authority, I have just spoken to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke and pledged our total cooperation and assistance in the search and rescue efforts ongoing”, Keyamo added.
The identity of the helicopter and the persons on board are yet to be ascertained as of the time of this report.
The Olubosin of Ifetedo in Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State, Oba Akinola Oyetade Akinrera (Latiiri I), has reportedly joined his ancestors.
Oba Akinrera, the fourth Olubosin of Ifetedo Kingdom, reportedly died on Friday, although the palace has yet to issue an official statement confirming his death.
The monarch ascended the throne in 2018 and was widely regarded by indigenes as a highly respected traditional ruler.
Before his emergence as monarch, Oba Akinrera, a lawyer and public servant, had worked in different capacities, including as a teacher, police officer and staff member of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
He joined the Nigeria Police Force in 1988 and served until 1992, when he joined the NNPC in Lagos.
Born into the Ifetedo community, the late monarch attended CAC Primary School, Ipetumodu, before proceeding to Ifetedo Grammar School for his secondary education.
He later attended the Oyo State College of Education, which subsequently became the Osun State College of Education, Ilesa, and is now the University of Ilesa.
In 1993, he proceeded to Lagos State University, Ojo, where he obtained a Diploma in Law. He subsequently gained admission to the University of Lagos in 1997 to study Law and graduated in 2004.
Following his reported death, tributes have continued to pour in from indigenes and residents of Ifetedo, with social media platforms awash with condolence messages mourning the monarch.
Many of the messages described Oba Akinrera as a respected traditional ruler whose reign contributed to the development and unity of Ifetedo Kingdom.
As of the time of filing this report, the palace had not officially announced the monarch’s death or released details regarding his burial arrangements.
The Imo State Police Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, has revealed that security operatives have identified the location where 19 prospective National Youth Service Corps members abducted in the state are being held.
This comes two days after gunmen abducted prospective corps members travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The victims were travelling in two buses when the attackers struck along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Imo State on Thursday.
Naija News reports that Bosso, while giving an update on the search-and-rescue operation in a media interview on Saturday, said security operatives have delayed moving into the camp over fears that it is planted with improvised explosive devices.
Bosso said the police used drones on Friday to locate the suspected camp after security operatives trailed the abductors into the bush, but the security agencies were being cautious because intelligence indicated that the camp had been mined with IEDs.
According to him, the security agencies were preparing to move into the area with heavy equipment, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, in an effort to rescue the victims safely.
He said, “Any moment, we’ll still move into the bush. Yesterday, we were in the bush, we trailed them up to a particular location.
“But at that point in time, we couldn’t move in to where the coordinate showed us where they are because we ran drones yesterday. And the drone actually showed us exactly their location.
“But our predicament is that with the intel we have, the IED is the camp is mined with IEDs.
“We are moving in there with high, you know, high-velocity vehicles, that is, bulldozers, we’re moving in with bulldozers and APCs to see how we’re going to rescue these victims unhurt.”
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