Daily Digest Online

The South African state's faltering legal pursuit of televangelist Timothy Omotoso has suffered another major setback, with a High Court judge citing fundamental failures in the prosecution's courtroom conduct as the reason for upholding his acquittal. Judge Irma Schoeman of the Gqeberha High Court dismissed the state's application for leave to appeal on Friday, December 12, delivering a sharp rebuke to prosecutors. Omotoso and his two co-accused remain free after being found not guilty on all charges of human trafficking, rape, and racketeering in April 2025. The Court's Ruling: A "Fatal" Prosecutorial Error In her ruling, Judge Schoeman identified a core failure that doomed the state's case. She stated that during the trial, prosecutors did not properly cross-examine the accused, leaving their version of events effectively unchallenged. "Because the accused were not challenged on their version of events, the court was forced ...

In a landmark decision asserting judicial independence, the Supreme Court of Nigeria has overruled a presidential pardon, reinstating the death sentence for Maryam Sanda, who was convicted of killing her husband. In a four-to-one split decision delivered on Friday, December 12, 2025, the apex court overturned the commutation of Sanda's sentence by President Bola Tinubu. The President had recently reduced her sentence to 12 years' imprisonment on compassionate grounds. The Court's Ruling and Legal Journey The Supreme Court affirmed the original death sentence by hanging, which had been handed down by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in 2020 and later upheld by the Court of Appeal. Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Moore Adumein held that the prosecution had proved its case "beyond reasonable doubt" and that the appellate court was correct to affirm the trial court's verdict. The court resolved all issues in S...

The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, has stated that the recent murder of a retired judge underscores the persistent insecurity faced by judicial officers in Nigeria, even after they leave the bench. Her comments follow the killing of retired Delta State High Court Judge, Justice Ifeoma Okogwu, whose body was discovered in her home in Asaba two weeks ago. Police reports indicated she was found with her hands and legs bound, showing signs of a violent assault. Suspect in Custody The Delta State Police Command has announced the arrest of a prime suspect, 25-year-old Godwin Mngumi. Mngumi, who was employed as a night security guard at the judge's residence, was detained in Anambra State on December 6, 2025, after fleeing the scene following the incident. A Call for Safety and Security In a video statement, Justice Monica expressed deep concern over the vulnerability of judges. She pointed out that the late judge resided in an are...