A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has dismissed a suit filed by the Labour Party in Rivers State challenging the alleged defection of the suspended Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and 26 others.

Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Emmanuel Obile cited a recent Supreme Court decision, which he said had already addressed the issue of defection raised in the suit.

The judge held that he lacked the jurisdiction to adjudicate on a matter that had been conclusively determined by the apex court.

Counsel to the defendants, Ken Njemanze, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, had in his final written address urged the court to dismiss the suit in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling, which upheld the legitimacy of the lawmakers.

However, Counsel to the Labour Party, Clifford Chuku, argued that the issue of defection was a collateral matter in the case decided by the Supreme Court and urged the court not to dismiss the suit.

Another United States of America federal judge has ended President Donald Trump administration’s plan to end former president Joe Biden’s pro-migrant programme that allowed hundreds of migrants from four countries into the US and to work legally.

This is the case as Judge Indira Talwani, of the Federal District Court in Boston, temporarily prevented the Trump administration from ending the programme.

Trump’s administration had announced a plan to stop the programme on April 24, 2025.

However, in a judgement, Talwani noted that the programme’s termination put thousands of immigrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Haiti at imminent risk of deportation hearings once their legal status expires in less than two weeks.

Judge Talwani blocked the wholesale shutdown of the programme. In her ruling she said the affected migrants would “be forced to choose between two injurious options: continue following the law and leave the country on their own, or await removal proceedings.”

The judge’s decision came as the Trump administration moved to end legal protections for migrants from many countries, including by shutting down a programme, as well as granting legal status to Afghan and Cameroonian migrants.

Meanwhile, a separate effort to revoke Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans in the United States was also blocked by a federal judge.

More than 500,000 migrants entered the country under the programme during Biden’s government.

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has reacted to the escalating wave of terrorist attacks in Borno State, condemning the Nigerian Government for their alleged incompetence.

In a statement posted on his official X account on Tuesday, Atiku expressed deep concern over the insecurity situation in Borno State, recalling recent comments by Governor Babagana Zulum and the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi.

Atiku in the statement said, “I am deeply saddened and alarmed by the resurgence of violent attacks in Plateau State, particularly the recent killings in Zike community in the Kimakpa area of Kwali district, Bassa Local Government Area, where at least 47 innocent lives were lost on Sunday,
“This tragedy, coming just days after a similar attack in Bokkos LGA, is a grim reminder of the worsening state of security in our country.”

Atiku also condemned the Nigerian government saying the situation was unacceptable.

“It is regrettable and entirely unacceptable that these Nigerians had to lose their lives as a result of the incompetence of the Tinubu-led administration.”
“The protection of lives and property is the primary responsibility of any government. Unfortunately, President Tinubu has failed these citizens and continues to fail them”.

“I also condemn the escalating wave of terrorist attacks in Borno State, which, according to Governor Babagana Zulum and the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, has resulted in the loss of lives and territory to insurgents. These disturbing developments underscore the total collapse of the current administration’s security policy and architecture.

“Every sincere Nigerian should be disturbed by how terrorists and bandits operate with impunity, especially in Northern Nigeria, which has become the epicentre of this violence. The continued delay in prosecuting terrorists and bandits, some of whom have been in custody since 2016, has only emboldened these mass murderers.”