Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the final forfeiture of properties recovered from Chinese and Nigerians involved in illegal mining activities in Ogun State to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The forfeited assets include a mining site located behind the Baale’s Palace on Ileposo Street, adjacent to 59 Street, Ode-Remo, Ogun State; a Toyota 4Runner SUV with registration number AWE 261 AE; two trucks laden with substantial quantities of mica and lithium stones; and a 40-foot container containing substantial quantities of mica and lithium stones.

The judge made the order, following a motion filed by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ikoyi, through its counsel, Bilkisu Buhari, seeking an order for the custody and disposal of the properties pursuant to Section 330 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, and other relevant laws.

The Commission also sought an order empowering the EFCC, in collaboration with the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency and court officials, to dispose of the forfeited assets and deposit the proceeds into an interest-bearing account pending the conclusion of the criminal proceedings.

According to an affidavit deposed to by an EFCC operative, intelligence reports revealed that several individuals, including Chinese and Nigerians, were involved in the illegal mining and trade of mineral resources, particularly mica and lithium stones.

The affidavit further revealed that the syndicate mined and transported the mineral resources from various locations across Nigeria to a site in Ode-Remo Local Government Area of Ogun State, where the minerals were sorted, processed and prepared for export through Apapa Wharf and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

It was also revealed that operatives of the Commission carried out a sting operation in the early hours of Friday, May 9, 2025, leading to the arrest of two Chinese alleged to be kingpins and six Nigerians at the mining site.

Items recovered during the operation included the Toyota SUV, three trucks loaded with substantial quantities of mica and lithium stones, as well as a 40-foot container containing 3,210 bags of the mineral resources.

According to the affidavit, the properties listed in the schedule were at risk of rapid deterioration due to the rainy season and were already losing economic value.

It was also stated in the affidavit that the principal actors involved in the illegal activities had already been arraigned before the court on charges relating to the unauthorised dealing in mineral resources.

After reviewing the affidavit evidence and submissions by the Commission, Justice Osiagor granted the application and ordered the final forfeiture and disposal of the assets.

The judge also directed that the proceeds be paid into an interest-bearing account pending the criminal trial of the defendants.

Telecommunications subscribers across Nigeria have regained access to emergency airtime lending services as major operators, Airtel and Glo, quietly restored the platforms following the suspension of the controversial Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending, DEON, Regulations 2025 by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC.

The development comes amid mounting legal pressure on the Commission after a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos ordered a halt to the enforcement of the regulations pending the determination of a suit challenging its powers over telecom-based airtime advances.

Confirming the restoration of the services, Chairman of the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria, WASPAN, Ayo Stuffman, disclosed on Monday that the platforms had resumed operations on both networks.

“As we speak, the services in question are already active on Airtel and Glo,” he said.

The return of the services has brought relief to millions of subscribers who depend on emergency airtime credit for daily communication and small-scale business operations.

Industry estimates put the annual airtime lending market at over ₦400 billion.

The FCCPC had earlier moved to regulate airtime lending platforms under the DEON Regulations 2025, insisting that such services fall within the scope of digital consumer credit and therefore require oversight to protect users from alleged abuses, including data privacy violations and unfair lending practices.

The Commission claimed it had received more than 11,000 consumer complaints linked to digital lending operations.

However, the enforcement triggered resistance from stakeholders in the telecommunications ecosystem, particularly WASPAN and other operators, who argued that airtime advances are telecom value-added services and not conventional consumer loans.

The legal dispute escalated after Justice A. Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Lagos, issued an order restraining the FCCPC from enforcing the framework, while Form 49 contempt proceedings were reportedly initiated against the Commission’s Executive Vice Chairman, Tunji Bello.

As at the time of putting this story together at about noon on Tuesday, MTN was yet to comply with the court order.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has cleared former President Goodluck Jonathan to participate in the 2027 presidential race.

A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), under the leadership of Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, last week offered a waiver to Jonathan as the only presidential candidate of the party.

But one Johnmary Jideobi had instituted a suit seeking an order restraining Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party as a candidate for the 2027 presidential election.

The plaintiff had earlier asked the court to stop INEC from accepting, processing or publishing Jonathan’s name as a presidential candidate.

He asked the court to determine whether, having regard to Sections 1(1), (2), (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution, Jonathan remains eligible to seek the office of president again.

But in his ruling on Tuesday, Justice Peter Lifu held that Jonathan could participate in the election as a contestant.

He also awarded a N20 million fine against Jideobi and in favour of the ex-president.

He equally awarded a one million fine against the plaintiff and in favour of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).

Justice Lifu held that Jideobi lacked the legal right to have instituted the suit having not suffered any loss from his perceived Jonathan’s intention to vie for the next year poll.

The judge, who said that a Federal High Court in Yenagoa and an Appeal Court had already held that Jonathan was eligible to run, said he was bound by the decision of the appellate court.

The judge then described the lawyer’s suit as “an abuse of court process.”

Justice Lifu also dismissed the Jideobi’s motion seeking the judge’s withdrawal from the case for being frivolous.