The Supreme Court has greenlit the extradition of Emmanuel Okoyomon, the former Managing Director and CEO of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPM), to the United Kingdom to answer to bribery allegations. In a unanimous ruling, a five-judge panel presided over by Justice Mohammed Garba dismissed Okoyomon’s appeal, declaring it meritless. The court upheld the previous 2016 Court of Appeal ruling, with Justice Mohammed Idris reading the lead judgment authored by Justice Emmanuel Agim, which affirmed that there were no grounds to overturn the lower court’s decisions.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The legal battle stems from a request by the Attorney General of the Federation for Okoyomon’s surrender to the UK regarding his alleged involvement in a bribery scandal linked to Securency International Pty of Australia, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the NSPM. Although the Federal High Court initially approved the extradition in May 2015, Okoyomon sought to block the move, citing a denial of his right to a fair hearing.

The Court of Appeal previously rejected his challenge, emphasizing that under the London Scheme for Extradition within the Commonwealth—which is reflected in Nigeria’s Extradition Act—the country is obligated to surrender individuals wanted for such offenses. The appellate court further dismissed his claims regarding his citizenship status, ruling it irrelevant to the core merits of the extradition application. With this final Supreme Court decision, the long-standing legal challenge has been brought to a close.

The trial of two Indian nationals, one British citizen, and two companies—Agrico Agbe Limited and Wilben Trade Limited—concerning an alleged $42.5 million rice import fraud involving Ecobank Plc has been delayed following Justice Akintayo Aluko’s decision to recuse himself from the case. The defendants, identified as Prem Garg, Devashish Garg, and Marcus Wade, face five charges including conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretenses, cheating, and conversion.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Justice D.I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has reserved his ruling on the bail application for social media influencer Okoro Blessing Nkiruka, commonly known as Blessing CEO, until June 9, 2026. Following arguments from the prosecution and defense on Friday, the court deferred its decision.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Blessing CEO is currently standing trial on a two-count charge filed by the EFCC regarding an alleged ₦36 million fraud. The allegations state that between July 14 and July 17, 2024, she obtained ₦36 million from Mrs. Ifeyinwa Nonye Okoye under the false pretense of leasing a six-bedroom duplex in Lekki, Lagos, and subsequently converted the funds for personal use.

Key developments in the case include:

• Plea and Custody: Blessing CEO pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the court previously ordered her remand in EFCC custody.

• Refund Claims: Defense counsel P.I. Nwafor stated that the defendant has already refunded ₦24 million and sought time to negotiate a settlement for the remaining balance.

• Prosecution Stance: The EFCC maintains that private settlement discussions do not impact the ongoing criminal proceedings, as the Federal Government is the complainant in the matter.

• Judicial Directive: Justice Dipeolu previously allowed settlement discussions to proceed parallel to the court case while directing the defendant to take her plea.