The year 2025 proved to be a defining period for Nigeria’s judiciary, marked by far-reaching judgments, high-profile convictions and rulings that stirred intense public debate.
While several cases were conclusively decided, many others remain pending, underscoring the complex and evolving nature of the country’s legal landscape.
This report highlights some of the major court decisions that dominated public discourse throughout the year.
Court Proscribes Lakurawa Sect
In January, the Federal High Court in Abuja declared the Lakurawa sect a terrorist organisation, following a motion by security agencies. The group had gained notoriety after a wave of violent attacks on communities in the North-West in late 2024.
One of its deadliest assaults occurred in November 2024, when gunmen invaded Mera village in Augie Local Government Area of Kebbi State, killing at least 15 residents.
The court also proscribed other similar armed groups operating across parts of the North-West and North-Central regions.
Supreme Court Ruling on Rivers Political Crisis
In February, the Supreme Court nullified the local government elections conducted in Rivers State on October 5, 2024. The apex court held that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) failed to meet the requirements stipulated under Section 150(3) of the Electoral Act before conducting the polls.
A five-member panel of the court upheld an earlier Federal High Court ruling that barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant-General of the Federation from releasing statutory monthly allocations to Rivers State. The court also ordered the Martins Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly and other elected lawmakers to resume sitting.
The judgment was widely interpreted as a victory for the camp of Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and a setback for Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s camp. The protracted power struggle eventually culminated in President Bola Tinubu declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State in March.
Sunday Jackson’s Death Sentence and Pardon
One of the most controversial cases revisited public attention in 2025 was that of Sunday Jackson, an Adamawa farmer sentenced to death for killing an attacker on his farm.
Jackson was convicted in February 2021 after an Adamawa High Court ruled that he killed a herder who allegedly attacked him with a knife while he was farming on January 27, 2015. The court held that Jackson had the opportunity to flee rather than stab his assailant.
The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction in June 2022, and in March 2025, the Supreme Court affirmed the lower courts’ decisions, triggering nationwide outrage. Critics argued that the courts failed to adequately consider Jackson’s claim of self-defence.
Following sustained public pressure, Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri granted Jackson a pardon in December, listing him among inmates freed as part of Christmas and New Year clemency.
Appeal Court Upholds Lecturer’s Conviction for Electoral Fraud
In April, the Court of Appeal in Calabar affirmed the conviction of Professor Peter Ogban of the University of Calabar for electoral fraud.
Ogban, who served as the returning officer in the 2019 Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial election, was accused of announcing falsified results in favour of then APC candidate, Godswill Akpabio.
In March 2021, a High Court in Akwa Ibom State sentenced him to three years in prison and fined him N100,000. The appeal court upheld the conviction.
Supreme Court Rejects Governors’ Claim to Recovered Funds
In May, the Supreme Court dismissed a suit filed by the 36 state governments and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) seeking control over N1.8 trillion in recovered looted funds.
In a unanimous decision, the seven-member panel ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to hear the case, holding that the matter fell under the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.
The states had alleged that between 2015 and 2021, the Federal Government recovered assets and funds without remitting them into the federation account as required by the constitution.
Court Affirms FIRS’ Power to Collect VAT on Digital Services
In July, a Federal High Court in Lagos upheld the authority of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to collect value-added tax (VAT) on transport and food delivery services provided through digital platforms such as Bolt.
Justice Akintayo Aluko affirmed an earlier ruling by the Tax Appeal Tribunal, which recognised FIRS’ power to appoint digital platforms as VAT collection agents. The case originated from a 2022 suit by operators seeking to restrain the tax authority from imposing VAT on their services.
Court Declares Pat Utomi’s Shadow Government Illegal
In October, a Federal High Court in Abuja restrained political economist Pat Utomi and his associates from establishing a shadow government in Nigeria.
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In a suit filed by the Department of State Services (DSS), Justice James Omotosho ruled that the concept of a shadow cabinet is unconstitutional and incompatible with Nigeria’s presidential system. The court held that the constitution does not recognise any parallel or alternative government.
Nnamdi Kanu Convicted of Terrorism
In November, the Federal High Court in Abuja convicted Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), on terrorism charges and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
Justice James Omotosho imposed life sentences on four counts, alongside additional prison terms of 20 years and five years on other counts. The ruling concluded Kanu’s trial, which followed his extradition from Kenya in 2021.
Supreme Court Ruling on Osun Local Government Funds
In December, the Supreme Court dismissed a suit filed by the Osun State Attorney-General challenging the withholding of local government allocations by the Federal Government.
In a split decision of six to one, the court ruled that the Attorney-General lacked the legal standing to sue on behalf of the state’s 30 local government areas.
However, the court faulted the Federal Government for withholding the funds, describing the action as a “grave breach” of the constitution.
Supreme Court Upholds Rivers Emergency Rule
On December 15, the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on the declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State by President Tinubu in March.
The apex court upheld the president’s constitutional powers to declare a state of emergency to prevent a breakdown of law and order, as well as his authority to suspend elected officials during such periods.
The ruling followed a suit filed by Adamawa State and 10 other PDP-governed states challenging the legality of the emergency rule.