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Appeal court voids law prohibiting unmarried police officers from getting pregnant

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The court of appeal in Lagos has voided the regulations 126 and 127 of the Nigeria Police Act which allow the dismissal of unmarried policewomen who become pregnant while in service.

 

A three-member panel of justices led by Olubunmi Oyewole ordered the respondents in the suit – attorney-general of the federation (AGF), Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) – to carry out a comprehensive review of the entire police regulations to ensure that they align with the demands of a modern society operating under the rule of law.

 

“It is unthinkable that the Nigerian Police of this day and age operates on the principle that female officers need to be specially moderated and regulated while their male counterparts are free,” Oyewole held.

“This is unacceptable in a decent and democratic society governed by the rule of law.

“The argument that the deprivation involved was consented to by prospective female police officers who cannot subsequently complain in the face of the constitutional provisions expressly granting them the rights involved as citizens of this country.

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“The rights given go beyond those for the personal benefit of the individuals involved as could be waived by them. They are public rights which accord with the demands of a fair, equitable and humane society. 

 

“These are standards and values demanded of modern nations and which are outside the purview of any individual to waive.

 

“I, therefore, hold that the said regulations 126 and 127 are inconsistent with the provisions of section 37 and 42 of the Constitution and are therefore null and void to the extent of their inconsistency pursuant to section 1 (3) of the Constitution.

 

“The Respondents are advised to carry out a comprehensive review of the entire police regulations to ensure that they accord with the demands of a modern society operating under the rule of law.

 

“I accordingly resolve the two issues in favour of the Appellant and against the Respondents.

 

“This appeal is meritorious, and it is hereby allowed. Consequently, the decision of the lower court in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/178/2021 delivered on the 21st of February 2022 is hereby set aside.

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“Instead, the questions for determination in the said suit are answered in the affirmative while the reliefs sought therein are granted as prayed. Parties shall bear their respective costs.”

 

BACKGROUND

TheCable reported that Omolola Olajide, an unmarried police corporal attached to Iye-Ekiti station, was sacked in 2021 for being pregnant.

Babatunde Mobayo, the state commissioner of police, justified Olajide’s sack, insisting that the officer contravened section 127 of the police regulations.

 

Following the sack, Olawale Fapohunda, Ekiti attorney-general and commissioner for justice, instituted a lawsuit before a federal high court in the state, seeking an order to nullify section 127 of the Police Act. 

 

However, the suit was dismissed because it was an abuse of the court process since a similar case filed by Olajide was pending before the national industrial court.

 

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) approached the Abuja federal high court to challenge the legality of regulation 127 of the police regulations.

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The association contended that the said provision contradicts the 1999 constitution and is discriminatory to unmarried female police officers.

 

However, Inyang Ekwo, the trial judge, dismissed the suit on February 21, 2022.

 

He said the suit lacked merit, holding that such unmarried female police officers were aware of the regulation before they joined the force.

 

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MC Oluomo takes English lessons after ‘kundusi’ backlash

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Musiliu Akinsanya, better known as MC Oluomo, president of the national union of road transport workers, has revealed that he is currently taking English lessons to improve his efficiency in the language.

The NURTW boss made the revelation at a political rally in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, where he addressed actor Adams Kehinde, better known as Lege Miami.

Speaking in Yoruba, the union leader said he and Lege Miami both struggle to speak English fluently, which is why he decided to enrol in classes.

“Lege, you and I have something in common because my English is also not fluent. We are both not fluent in English. But I’m working on improving my English. I’m now attending lessons,” he said.

MC Oluomo also dismissed the notion that his frequent travels should have made him fluent, stressing that his American citizenship gives him unrestricted entry into the United States.

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“I travel around the world. I am a citizen of America. When I get to immigration, and they ask how many weeks I want to stay, I tell them no, this is my home. I am a US citizen; I am going home,” he stated.

He went on to praise his children, noting that they speak English better than he does.

“My children can speak better than me. My children in the US are nurses, a doctor and an engineer,” he said.

“If I get somewhere and cannot speak English well, I will give the microphone to one of my children,” he added.

The remark came over a year after MC Oluomo was mocked online in April 2025 for pronouncing “kudos” as “kundusi” during an event in Abuja.

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Aisha Achimugu: From Business Powerhouse to Paris Style Icon

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Paris has always had a way of making fashion feel less like clothing and more like theatre. And when the world’s style aristocracy gathered for the Spring/Summer 2027 season, Nigerian high flying businesswoman, Aisha Achimugu, arrived with the kind of polished glamour that commands attention without demanding it.

Against the timeless backdrop of the French capital, Achimugu stepped into the world of Paris Fashion Week in a look that married sophistication with modern femininity. Her ensemble was defined by a refined silhouette, impeccable tailoring and the kind of carefully considered styling in which every detail appeared deliberate. The proportions were elegant, the finish luxurious, while her accessories added just the right measure of sparkle and personality.

Her beauty look complemented rather than competed with the outfit. Immaculately styled hair, luminous makeup and a poised, confident bearing completed the picture, allowing the clothes to retain their quiet authority. It was a lesson in restraint: nothing appeared excessive, yet every element, from the jewellery to the finishing touches, contributed to the overall effect.

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The real strength of Achimugu’s Paris appearance, however, was in the details. The interplay of texture and silhouette gave the look dimension, while the accessories provided those subtle flashes of glamour associated with the best society dressing. There was an understanding of proportion, balance and occasion, a recognition that at Paris Fashion Week, being noticed is not necessarily about wearing the loudest look in the room.

For Achimugu, fashion has never seemed like an afterthought. It is part of the persona, the jewellery, the sculpted silhouettes, the luxurious textures, the immaculate finishing and that unmistakable confidence of a woman comfortable in her own skin.

Her Paris appearance offered yet another glimpse into the glamorous lifestyle of the Felak Concept Group boss, whose public persona has over the years straddled business, philanthropy, high society and fashion.

In the city, amid the fashion houses and international style elite, Achimugu appeared more than as a spectator but as a Nigerian woman confidently occupying a global fashion space. Her look spoke in the sophisticated language of Parisian dressing, polished, assured and intentionally glamorous, while retaining the unmistakable confidence of a woman bringing her own sense of style to the occasion.

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And as the lights of Paris dimmed on another fashionable season, her appearance left behind the unmistakable impression of a woman who understands that fashion, at its most powerful, is as much about presence as it is about clothes.

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70-year-old ex-Kogi senator Ocheja marries best friend’s granddaughter

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A video from the wedding of former Kogi East Senator Emmanuel Dangana Ocheja and his new wife has surfaced online.

According to a report by Punch Online, the white wedding was held in Abuja on September 19, 2026

Ocheja, 70, is said to have held his traditional wedding with his new wife, identified simply as Winifred, on September 13.

The traditional ceremony was followed by their white wedding on September 19.

Ocheja is seen in the video dressed in matching colours with Winifred as they danced together.

The former senator appeared cheerful as the couple shared an intimate moment while guests watched and celebrated with them.

A photo from their white wedding has also surfaced online, showing Ocheja dressed in a white suit and black bow tie.

Winifred, said to be the granddaughter of Ocheja’s best friend, wore a sparkly wedding gown and held a bouquet as she posed beside her husband.

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Ocheja is a Law graduate from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. He ventured into politics in the early 2000s.

He represented Kogi east senatorial district in the national assembly between 2011 and 2015 under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Ocheja later resigned from the PDP and announced that he had joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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