A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Wole Olanipekun, has urged the Olu badan of Ibadan land, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, to bring his wealth of experience as a seasoned administrator and foremost traditional ruler to bear in uniting traditional rulers in the Southwest region.

Advocating for a unified identity among the traditional rulers in the region, the legal luminary said traditional rulers can only advance the course of the region with unity of purpose.

Olanipekun made the plea during a courtsey visit to the Olubadan at his Oke-Aremo palace, Ibadan on Tuesday.

He urged the monarch to bring his wealth of experience as former governor, senator and entrepreneur to bear in the interest of the traditional institution in the region.

He described Oba Ladoja as a leading figure among the traditional rulers in Yorubaland, noting the history of the ancient town and the role that it played in wading off the invasion of the Fulani Jihadist.

He said, “It is of note how Ibadan warlords fought gallantly to defend the territorial integrity of the Yorubaland during Kiriji war, Ijaiye war, Jalumi to mention but few.

A Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, has dismissed a suit challenging key provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) relating to host community liability, affirming the validity of the statutory framework governing Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

Daily voice reports that that the court threw  out all the claims filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the Centre for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade (CHURAC),

CHURAC sought to invalidate aspects of the PIA on constitutional and human rights grounds.

The organisation had approached the court to contest provisions of the PIA that impose liability on host communities for acts of vandalism and sabotage affecting petroleum infrastructure, arguing that such provisions were unconstitutional, discriminatory, and amounted to a denial of fair hearing.

At the hearing of the suit,B. E. Oghenekaro appeared as counsel to the plaintiff

The Attorney-General of the Federation, listed as the 1st defendant, was represented by K. K. Akpule. Dr. Abiodun Adesanya, alongside A. A. Affe, represented the President of the Nigerian Senate, the 2nd defendant. There was no appearance for the 3rd defendant.

The defendants had earlier raised a preliminary objection, contending that CHURAC lacked the requisite locus standi to institute the action in a representative capacity on behalf of host communities.

However, in its ruling, the court declined to uphold the objection, holding that the issue of locus standi did not bar it from considering the substantive issues raised in the suit.

Despite overruling the preliminary objection, the court proceeded to examine the plaintiff’s claims on their merits and ultimately found them lacking in substance.

In its judgment, the court held that the challenge to the host community liability provisions of the PIA was unfounded.

It ruled that the plaintiff failed to establish that the impugned sections of the Act were unconstitutional or discriminatory, or that they violated the right to fair hearing as alleged.

The court further held that the National Assembly acted within its legislative competence in enacting the Petroleum Industry Act and that the provisions complained of were part of a broader statutory framework aimed at balancing the interests of host communities, operators, and the Nigerian state.

Accordingly, the court dismissed all the reliefs sought by CHURAC in their entirety and affirmed the validity and enforceability of the relevant provisions of the PIA.

Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Ododo, has announced the discovery of a massive cache of arms and ammunition from criminal hideouts following a decisive joint security operation carried out in the state.

The governor disclosed this while briefing journalists in Lokoja on Tuesday, stating that the operation was the outcome of over a week of sustained, intelligence-driven surveillance by security agencies working in close coordination with the state government.

Ododo explained that the renewed and aggressive crackdown on criminal elements was further galvanised after his recent meeting with President Bola Tinubu, who charged him to intensify security efforts rather than seek accolades.

“When I met Mr President, I expected commendation, but he told me to go back and do more for my people. That statement re-energised me. We immediately regrouped, met with the security agencies, harmonized our strategies and acted decisively on credible intelligence,” he said.

According to the governor, security operatives executed a coordinated overnight operation that uncovered a major criminal enclave where a significant stockpile of weapons was concealed.

Although no arrests were made during the raid, Ododo described the recovery of the arms as “a major and strategic breakthrough in the fight against crime.”

He attributed the persistence of criminal activities to Kogi State’s strategic geography, noting that the state shares boundaries with 10 states and serves as a critical corridor with multiple entry and exit routes.

“Kogi State is fully alert. The DSS, the police, the military, the navy and all other security agencies are working relentlessly, day and night.