SeunPhillips Rights Empowerment Foundation

26/08/2026

Court Is Not The Only Way To Get Justice

A lot of people, when they hear of a problem, the first thing they think about is litigation:

“Let’s go to court!”

But what many people don’t know is that going to court and arguing, “My Lord, My Lord,” is not the only way to get justice.

There are several Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms that can help parties resolve their disputes without going through the full rigour of litigation.

✅ Number One: Reconciliation: Reconciliation is quite common. It involves the two parties who are having issues sitting down and talking things through, usually with the aim of resolving their differences and restoring their relationship.

Simply put: “You offended me, I offended you. Let’s settle this matter.”

✅ Number Two: Mediation: Mediation is assisted reconciliation. Here, a neutral third party, known as a mediator, assists the parties in communicating and negotiating towards a mutually acceptable settlement.

The mediator does not normally impose a decision on the parties. Instead, the parties themselves work towards finding a solution.

✅ Number Three: Arbitration: Arbitration is different. Here, the parties agree to submit their dispute to an arbitrator, who considers the matter and gives a decision known as an arbitral award.

Depending on the circumstances and the applicable law, an arbitral award can be binding and enforceable.

✅ Number Four: Conciliation: Conciliation is also a form of ADR where a neutral third party assists disputing parties to reach a settlement.

The conciliator may take a more active role in suggesting or facilitating possible solutions than a mediator, depending on the applicable process.

So, the next time you have a dispute, don’t automatically think:

“Court!”

Sometimes, the fastest, cheaper and more peaceful route to resolving a dispute may be through ADR.

Because justice is not always about who can shout “My Lord!” the loudest.

17/08/2026

Do you know that Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez reportedly married under a “separation of assets” arrangement? 💍

Reports say they signed a prenuptial agreement just one day before their wedding, agreeing that their individual assets would remain separate.

In simple terms, what belongs to Ronaldo remains Ronaldo’s, and what belongs to Georgina remains Georgina’s, subject to the terms of their agreement and applicable law. Their marriage does not automatically mean that everything either person owns becomes jointly owned.

The couple reportedly had a private civil wedding in Cascais, Portugal, on August 11, 2026. Their five children and four witnesses were said to be present.

Me: Na this kind marriage Facebook men want.
You marry for love, but you still protect your investment.

17/08/2026

16/08/2026

Inec declared Governor Adeleke winner of just concluded Osun Governorship election

15/08/2026

⚖️ LEGAL INSIGHT

The Central Bank of Nigeria's Regulation on Instant Payment recognises situations where a customer makes a transfer in error.

Where a customer discovers that money has been transferred to the wrong account, the first step is to report the error to the bank immediately. The CBN also places a duty on customers to promptly report problems arising from electronic fund transfers.

Where the beneficiary is known, the CBN's rules provide that the sending institution should encourage the customer to contact the beneficiary for an amicable resolution. The receiving institution is also required to take steps concerning the wrong credit once it receives the appropriate notification and reversal authorisation.

This is where the consent of the person who received the money becomes important.

If the unintended recipient agrees to the reversal, the bank can process the reversal without the need for the sender to obtain a court order.

However, where the recipient refuses to give consent or refuses to cooperate with the reversal, the matter may have to be taken to court.

In that situation, the person who made the erroneous transfer should engage a lawyer. The lawyer can commence the appropriate court process seeking an order directing the relevant bank to reverse the erroneously transferred funds and return the money to the rightful owner.

The application will ordinarily be supported by evidence showing that the transfer was made in error. This may include the electronic transfer receipt, bank statement, transaction details, correspondence with the bank and evidence of the complaint made concerning the erroneous transfer.

The exact court process to be used will depend on the circumstances of the case, the amount involved and the applicable rules of the court. So, it is better not to assume that every case will require exactly the same type of application.

The courts have in fact dealt with situations involving erroneous transfers and applications for revers

14/08/2026

LEGAL INSIGHT
The first question is, what is gazumping? Gazumping occurs where a seller has accepted an offer from one prospective buyer but, before the transaction is legally concluded, accepts a higher offer from another buyer. From the facts you have given, your landlord appears to have gazumped you: he agreed to sell the property to you for ₦23 million, gave you time to arrange financing, and then sold it to another buyer for ₦45 million.

But here is the important legal distinction: gazumping is generally not, by itself, a criminal offence in Nigeria. The real question is whether there was a legally enforceable contract between you and your landlord. For a sale of land, the law generally requires the agreement or a memorandum evidencing the agreement to be in writing and signed by the party to be charged. An oral agreement can, however, raise more complicated issues where there has been part performance or other exceptional circumstances. Therefore, simply having a verbal agreement for ₦23 million does not automatically mean you can successfully sue him and force him to sell the property to you.

Your biggest mistake was not reducing the agreement to writing. Ideally, both of you should have signed an agreement stating the purchase price, the deadline for payment, and that the landlord would not sell the property to another person within that period.

13/08/2026

🚨 YOUR LOVED ONE HAS BEEN IN POLICE CUSTODY FOR MORE THAN 48 HOURS? READ THIS BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!

When a relative or friend is arrested by the police, one of the most stressful questions families ask is: "How long can the police legally keep them in custody?"

Under Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution, the general rule is clear: the police cannot detain a suspect for more than 24 to 48 hours without bringing them before a court of law.

So, what happens if the police need more time to investigate a serious crime?

They cannot simply hold a suspect indefinitely on their own authority. To keep someone in custody past the 48-hour limit, the police or investigating agency must apply for a Remand Order.

What Exactly is a Remand Order?

The Legal Definition: A Remand Order is an official court order issued by a Magistrate or Judge authorizing law enforcement agencies (like the Police, EFCC, or ICPC) to hold a suspect in detention for a specified, limited period while investigations are completed.

How It Works Under the Law: Under Part 30 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, a court can grant an initial remand order for a maximum of 14 days. If the police show good cause, it can be extended once for another 14 days making a maximum total of 28 days.

Your Rights, Misconceptions & Accountability
The Remand Order system was created specifically to end the illegal practice of holding suspects in police cells for months or years without court oversight.

Real-Life Example:
If an investigating officer tells a family, "We are keeping your son in our cell for two months while we investigate," without presenting a court-issued Remand Order, that detention is illegal.

Common Legal Misconceptions Cleared Up:

Misconception 1: "A Remand Order means the suspect has been found guilty."
Fact: False! Remand is not a conviction or punishment. The suspect remains legally innocent under Section 36(5) of the Constitution. Remand only permits temporary detention

13/08/2026

A lot of people are familiar with the offence of unlawful detention, but not many know that false imprisonment is also a civil wrong under the law of tort. It simply means unlawfully restraining a person’s freedom of movement without lawful justification. It can be committed by the Police, EFCC, DSS, other security agencies, or even a private individual.

Here are some situations where an imprisonment or detention may amount to false imprisonment:

✅ 1. Detaining a person without any lawful authority or reasonable cause: This happens where a person is arrested or locked up despite not committing any offence known to law. For example, arresting someone through the police because they owe a debt, or a microfinance bank locking a customer in a private room or cell because of an unpaid loan. A civil debt is not a crime.

✅ 2. Keeping a person beyond the constitutionally permitted period without taking them to court: An arrest may be lawful at the beginning, but it becomes unlawful if the suspect is not brought before a court within the period prescribed by the Constitution, unless a court has ordered otherwise.

✅ 3. Using arrest or detention to enforce a purely civil transaction: Security agencies are not debt recovery agents. They cannot lawfully arrest or detain someone because of an unpaid debt, breach of contract, landlord-tenant dispute, failed business transaction, or any other matter that is purely civil in nature.

✅ 4. Arresting a person without informing them of the reason for the arrest: The law requires that a person be informed, in a language they understand, of the reason for their arrest. Failure to do so may render the detention unlawful.

✅ 5. Continuing to detain a person after the basis for the detention has ceased to exist: For example, where investigations have been concluded, the suspect has been granted bail, or there is no longer any lawful basis for the detention, but the person is still kept in custody.

✅ 6. Detaining a person in a private fa

13/08/2026

LEGAL STEPS TO EVICT A TENANT IN NIGERIA

Many landlords make the mistake of locking out tenants, removing their belongings, or disconnecting light or water because the tenant refused to vacate the rented property.

That is called self-help, and it is not the legal way to evict a tenant.

The law provides proper steps that must be followed before a tenant can be lawfully removed from a property.

1. SERVE THE TENANT A NOTICE TO QUIT
The first step is to issue the appropriate Notice to Quit. The type of notice depends on the nature of the tenancy agreement between the landlord and the tenant.

2. SERVE A 7-DAY NOTICE OF OWNER'S INTENTION TO RECOVER POSSESSION
At the expiration of the Notice to Quit, if the tenant still refuses to vacate the property, the landlord should serve the tenant a 7-Day Notice of Owner's Intention to Recover Possession.

3. FILE AN ACTION IN COURT
If the tenant still remains in the property after the notices have been served, the landlord should approach the Court and file an action for recovery of possession.

4. CLAIM MESNE PROFITS
The landlord may also ask the Court for mesne profits, which is compensation for the tenant's continued use of the property after the tenancy has expired.

5. OBTAIN AND ENFORCE JUDGMENT
Only the Court can lawfully order the eviction of a tenant. After judgment is delivered, the eviction is usually carried out with the assistance of the Court Bailiff.

A landlord should never take the law into his or her own hands by throwing out a tenant, removing the roof, locking the premises, or seizing the tenant's property.

Such actions may expose the landlord to legal liability.

Stay informed.
Stay protected.
Stay Legally Wise.

IGNORANTIA JURIS NON EXCUSAT.

© Naomi Umeje, Esq.
The Legal Sentinel.

Legal Talk with Naomi Umeje