The Lagos State Government is bringing electricity regulators, distribution companies, resellers and suppliers together to confront persistent power supply challenges, as it seeks a pathway to round-the-clock electricity across the state.

The Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Biodun Ogunleye, said the stakeholders would use the 2026 Lagos Energy Summit to examine structural problems in the electricity sector and develop practical solutions to improve supply.

He spoke on Thursday at a press briefing ahead of the three-day summit, scheduled for November 10 to 12, 2026.

The plan signals an attempt to address problems that cut across regulation, distribution, metering and the supply of alternative energy.

The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Ibilola Kasumu, said the summit would depart from the usual format of policy speeches and presentations by putting specific industry problems before experts for resolution.

“This summit is going to be different from the last one. It is not just going to be a talk shop. We are going to bring real problems to the table and look for solutions from different experts in this sector,” she said.

Kasumu said the objective was to establish pathways towards reliable, round-the-clock electricity supply in Lagos, with the possibility of providing a model that could be replicated across the country.

Ogunleye said discussions would also address electricity sector reforms, energy efficiency, renewable energy, metering solutions and the development of alternative energy sources.

He disclosed that the state and the Federal Government were holding discussions to clarify their respective regulatory responsibilities and strengthen Lagos’s control over its energy infrastructure.

The commissioner also identified compressed natural gas and electric vehicles as part of the state’s clean-energy and transportation agenda.

The summit, themed “Lagos Energy Evolution: Transforming the Future”, will also feature youth-led clean-energy innovations, including projects and prototypes developed by secondary school students.

The government said the event would also bring together public officials, private investors, energy experts, academics and innovators.

Source: punchng.com

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A family of one of the 10 recently discharged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted on the Ijebu-Ode-Ibadan Road have appealed to the Federal Government and security operatives to help rescue their son, Dapo.

Dapo’s sister, Abigeal, who spoke with PUNCH Metro on the telephone on Thursday, said the incident occurred shortly after the victims left Ijebu-Ode en route to Ibadan on Tuesday.

Abigeal said, “Although the matter has been reported at the Ijebu-Ode Police Station, the kidnappers initially reached out to the family, demanding a ransom of N20m, but later raised it to N25m, with a deadline of 24 hours to make the payment. The last thing we heard from Dapo before the incident was when he sent a video of the traffic situation on the road, but he became unreachable shortly after.

“On Tuesday, my brother was on his way back from Edo. He was posted to Edo State for NYSC. He did his POP last week. So, he was on his way back to Ibadan. He was still giving us updates about his journey. At some point, he posted that there was traffic. I have the videos on my phone showing the traffic. So, that was the last time we heard from him.

“Not until around 7 pm, one of the co-members escaped. I don’t know how he escaped. I spoke to that guy yesterday, too. He was the one who told another brother of mine that their bus had been attacked and that they had been kidnapped, my brother and nine other people.

“He was the one who gave us that information. Immediately, the police and vigilantes entered the bush that Tuesday when it happened, but they have yet to return.

“So yesterday (Wednesday), we went to the Ijebu-Ode Police Station. We met with the police, and they told us to calm down, saying their people were not back yet. I think it was less than an hour later that those people returned without any news.

“So, the police told us that we should wait for the kidnappers’ call. On our way back to the park yesterday, we got a call. They (the kidnappers) used his (my brother’s) phone to call us. We ran back to the police station.

“We just heard his voice. He said, ‘Hello, mummy.’ We asked, ‘What is happening?’ They collected the phone from him and said they were demanding N20m. We were still trying to beg them when they ended the call. The phone was switched off again until around 6:59 pm, when they called us again, demanding N25m.

“We were still begging. They said, ‘Shebi na cry you wan cry, they cry, they go.’ Then they ended the call and said the deadline was today (Thursday). Some of the victims they kidnapped are also corps members. I saw some of their posts on Twitter, and their families are also trying to raise funds. I have all that information.

“The bus has been recovered, along with their luggage, and it is already at the police station. The police gave us his luggage yesterday, and we came home with his bags, but my brother and the other nine corps members are still there. But from the information given to us by the guy who escaped, the driver drove directly into the bush, and before they knew what was happening, they were surrounded by armed Fulanis.

“I was trying to relate that, let’s say there was even traffic, and the driver was trying to take shortcuts; they said they were shouting at him to reverse, but he did not respond. My brother and the guy who escaped are the only males; the others are females. Please, my brother and the other corps members are still in the bush. Those people called us yesterday (Wednesday), and we have filed a report at the Ijebu-Ode Police Station,” she narrated.

Abigeal, therefore, appealed to the government and security operatives to ensure their safe rescue.

She said, “Please, we are calling on the government, the security operatives and everybody to help us because they have been in the bush since Tuesday. They have already spent two nights with the kidnappers, and we don’t even have the N25m to raise.

“So, there is possibly another night. They will be spending another night with them. Please, we are asking the government to help us. We need our brother back, and we need the other victims back.

“We heard their denial, but my brother is the only guy among them. Please, we need the government and the security operatives. We need them to rescue them. Please, we heard his voice; he was crying yesterday. We need everybody, please.”

Recounting how the incident occurred, the corps member who escaped said in a voice note shared with our correspondent that when traffic was observed, the driver of the bus suddenly turned onto a bush path.

He said that as the driver went deeper into the bush, sporadic gunshots rang out when they arrived at the kidnappers’ den.

He said, “As we were travelling, shortly after passing through Ijebu and heading towards Ibadan, it was around 7 pm when we suddenly saw our driver turn towards the bush.

“Before we knew what was happening, we saw Fulani people. They attacked us and repeatedly fired their guns. Right there, they shot someone, but I just hid inside. All I knew was that I found myself in the bush after they had taken the others away. Some of the abductees left their phones in the bus. It was a very tough time.”

Contacted on Thursday for a reaction, the spokesperson of the state police command, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, confirmed the abduction of some persons around the Ogun State corridor of the Ijebu-Ode–Ibadan Road but denied that any corps member was among those abducted.

Babaseyi said, “There was no abduction of 10 corps members. I can confirm that no corps member was abducted. Some persons were abducted, and we are on it.”

Source: punchng.com

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The National Judicial Council (NJC) has suspended three judges for one year without pay over various acts of judicial misconduct, including unlawful detention of litigants, reopening of concluded cases and imposition of fines without due process.

The council also barred two of the judges from elevation for three years, while issuing warning letters and cautions to six other judicial officers over alleged breaches of judicial conduct.

The decisions were taken at the NJC’s 112th meeting held on November 3, 2026, under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, but sighted by our correspondent on Thursday, the council said it approved the suspension of Justice Hannatu Mohammed Kabir of the Nasarawa State High Court, Grand Kadi Mohammed Sani Salihu of the Jigawa State Sharia Court of Appeal and Justice Sobere Biambo of the Rivers State High Court.

Justice Kabir was sanctioned over the unlawful detention of a litigant for 58 days without proper contempt proceedings.

The NJC said, “The Investigation Committee found that she ordered the litigant’s arrest and detention for alleged disobedience of court orders without the issuance and service of the mandatory Forms 48 and 49 or the institution of proper contempt proceedings.”

It added that the alleged contempt occurred outside the court’s presence and could not lawfully be summarily tried and punished.

“The committee also found that the action violated the litigant’s right to fair hearing,” the statement added.

The council consequently approved her suspension for one year without pay and barred her from nomination for elevation for three years.

Similarly, Grand Kadi Salihu was suspended for one year without pay over his involvement in reopening a judgment delivered by the FCT Upper Area Court.

According to the NJC, the investigation committee found that the Grand Kadi exceeded his authority by constituting a committee to review the judgment and subsequently assigning the matter to a Higher Sharia Court judge, who received fresh evidence and delivered another judgment.

“The committee held that the process amounted to an appeal against a valid judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction, which was subsequently set aside by the Jigawa State High Court,” the council stated.

It added that the action violated Rule 3.3.1 of the Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers, 2016.

The NJC directed that the most senior Kadi of the Jigawa State Sharia Court of Appeal should perform the functions of the office of the Grand Kadi during the suspension.

The third judge, Biambo, was suspended for one year without pay and barred from elevation for three years over the issuance of bench warrants and imposition of fines on litigants in a civil dispute without due process.

The council said the committee found that he ordered the arrest of the petitioners for alleged disobedience of an interim injunction and subsequently imposed fines of N300,000 on each of them without instituting contempt proceedings or serving Forms 48 and 49.

It stated, “The committee held that the alleged contempt occurred outside the court’s presence and ought not to have been summarily tried and punished.”

Meanwhile, the NJC cautioned Justice Bello Kawu of the FCT High Court over his handling of proceedings involving former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN).

Justice Kawu was found to have granted interim bail to Malami despite a subsisting remand order issued by another judge of the same court.

The council said the investigation committee found that Justice Kawu knew of the earlier order, which was due to expire at midnight on December 24, 2025, but granted interim bail on December 23, 2025, in conflict with it.

The NJC consequently directed that a warning letter be issued to the judge and that he be placed on its Watch List.

It also approved warning letters to Justices Danjuma Oyigbenu and Isa Ebini Kana of the Nasarawa State High Court over their failure to deliver judgment in an appeal within the constitutionally prescribed 90 days.

The council said it rejected their arguments that the constitutional provision did not apply to appellate courts.

It stated, “The committee rejected their arguments that the constitutional provision did not apply to appellate courts, noting their admission that judgment was delivered outside the stipulated period without a satisfactory explanation for the delay.”

The NJC said their actions breached Section 294 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and advised them to be more diligent in their case management.

The council also cautioned Justice Mohammed Zubairu of the FCT High Court for entertaining an application and making orders after being informed that an appeal had already been entered at the Court of Appeal.

It said the committee found that his action “amounted to disregard for the appellate court and bordered on insubordination.”

Similarly, Justice C. A. Ogbuagor of the Enugu State High Court was cautioned for allegedly denying fair hearing and disregarding due process and the hierarchy of courts by continuing proceedings despite a pending appeal and an application for stay of proceedings.

Justice Chibuike Azuama of the Imo State High Court was also cautioned and placed on the NJC’s watch list after granting an ex parte garnishee order freezing the bank accounts of Puma Energy, a company that was not a party to the substantive suit.

The council said the action caused the company substantial losses.

In another development, the NJC recommended 28 candidates for appointment as judicial officers across five states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The candidates comprise 24 nominees for appointment as High Court judges in Kano, Ebonyi, Edo, Adamawa and Ogun states, one candidate for appointment as Grand Kadi of the Plateau State Sharia Court of Appeal, another as Kadi of the Adamawa State Sharia Court of Appeal and two candidates for the Adamawa State Customary Court of Appeal.

The council said, “All recommended candidates are expected to be sworn in by their respective state governors without delay.”

It also directed the Imo State Judicial Service Commission to include the name of the state’s Acting Chief Judge, Justice Ijeoma Agugua, in the shortlist of candidates for appointment as substantive Chief Judge.

The decision followed a petition by Bob Kay Njemanze, who challenged her exclusion from the shortlist submitted by the commission.

The NJC noted that although the State Judicial Service Commission had the constitutional responsibility to advise it on suitable candidates, the council retained the authority to determine the suitability of persons presented to it.

It consequently directed its secretariat to formally request the commission to include Agugua’s name in the shortlist.

Source: punchng.com

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