2020 CASES & PRINCIPLES
ADAMU ABUBAKAR v. MICHELIN MOTOR SERVICES LTD
ADAMU ABUBAKAR v. MICHELIN MOTOR TYRE SERVICES LTD
ENGR. CHINEDUM O. ANYA v. BARR. ONWUCHEKWA
HAJIA YINUSA BAKARI v. DEACONESS (MRS) FELICIA ARINOLA OGUNDIPE OGUNDIPE & ORS
CIL RISK & ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD v. EKITI STATE GOVT. & ORS
APOSTLE PETER EKWEOZOR & ORS v. REG. TRUSTEES OF THE SAVIOURS APOSTOLIC CHURCH OF NIG
FIRST BANK OF NIGERIA PLC v. CHIEF ISAAC OSARO & ORS
NWEKE CHIBUEZE FRANCIS v. FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
BULUS GOLIT v. INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE
SGT. STEPHEN IDAHOSA v. CHRISTOPHER IDAHOSA
THEOPHILUS KURE v. COMMISSIONER OF POLICE
EYONG IDAM v. FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
FRANCIS IKENE ITOK v. OBONG FRIDAY THOMPSON UDOYO
MARIAM MOHAMMED v. ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION
UMAR MOHAMMED NASKO & ANOR v. ABUBAKAR SANI BELLO & ORS
NATIONAL INLAND WATERWAYS AUTHORITY v. THE SHELL PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY OF NIGERIA LIMITED
OSAHON NATHANIEL OBAYUWANA & ORS V. CHIEF JOHN OSAMEDE ADUN
BONIFACE EBERE OKEZIE & ORS v. CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA & ORS
CAPT. JACKSON FRIDAY OLALI v. NIGERIAN ARMY
SURAJU OLANREWAJU v. THE STATE
TAOHEED LAMIDI OLAYODE v. THE STATE
ONYEMUCHE ONUKWUBE v. THE STATE
OTERI HOLDINGS LTD v. CHIEF MUKAILA KOLAWOLE OLUWA & ORS
PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP) & ORS v. BIOBARAKUMA DEGI-EREMIENYO & ORS
ALHAJI ABBA MOHAMMED SANI v. THE PRESIDENT FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
SKYMIT MOTORS LIMITED v. UNITED BANK OF AFRICA PLC
THE SHELL PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY OF NIGERIA LIMITED & ORS v. CHIEF ISAAC OSARO AGBARA & ORS
TONIMAS NIGERIA LIMITED v. NZE BERNARD CHIGBU
U.O.O. NIGERIA PLC & ORS v. MR. MARIBE OKAFOR & ORS
MUSA UMAR v. FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA & ORS
PIUS UMEADI & ORS v. VICTOR CHIBUNZE & ORS
SENATOR HOPE UZODINMA & ANOR v. RT. HON. EMEKA IHEDIOHA & ORS
WARRI REFINING & PETROCHEMICAL CO LTD v. GECMEP NIGERIA LIMITED
YOUNG SHALL GROW MOTORS LIMITED v. MADAM NIMOTA ONALADA & ORS
EVIDENCE – CAUSE OF DEATH – When the cause of death can be said to be the act of the accused
EVIDENCE – EVIDENCE OF A SINGLE WITNESS – Whether a court can convict on the evidence of a single witness
EVIDENCE – TRIAL WITHIN TRIAL – When will a trial within trial be conducted
EVIDENCE – PROOF BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT – Meaning/nature of proof beyond reasonable doubt
CRIMINAL LAW AND PROCEDURE – OFFENCE OF CONSPIRACY – How the offence of conspiracy can be inferred
CRIMINAL LAW AND PROCEDURE – OFFENCE OF ARMED ROBBERY – Meaning of armed robbery
APPEAL – BRIEF OF ARGUMENT – Effect of failure of appellant to file brief of argument within time stipulated by the Rules; whether the Supreme Court can set aside its decision affirming the dismissal of an appeal for failure of appellant to file brief of argument
WORDS AND PHRASES – “HOMICIDE” “CULPABLE HOMICIDE” – Meaning of “homicide” and “culpable homicide”
EVIDENCE – PROOF BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT – Meaning of proof beyond reasonable doubt
EVIDENCE – CONFESSIONAL STATEMENT – Meaning of confession/confessional statement
EQUITY – PRINCIPLES OF EQUITY – Principles of equity
EQUITY – PRINCIPLES OF EQUITY – Whether a party can benefit from his own wrong
COMPANY LAW – MEETING(S) – Whether a member can be chosen as chairman at an annual general meeting
ACTION – LOCUS STANDI – Importance of the issue of locus standi to the jurisdiction of a court
ACTION – LOCUS STANDI – Effect of absence of locus standi
CRIMINAL LAW AND PROCEDURE – DEFENCE/PLEA OF ALIBI – Meaning and nature of the defence of alibi
CRIMINAL LAW AND PROCEDURE – BAIL – Duty of a judge when considering an application for bail
CRIMINAL LAW AND PROCEDURE – IDENTIFICATION PARADE – Whether identification parade is essential to a conviction
EVIDENCE – BURDEN OF PROOF/ONUS OF PROOF – On whom lies the onus of proof of custom
LAND LAW – FAMILY PROPERTY/LAND – Definition of family property
CUSTOMARY LAW – OATH TAKING – Whether oath-taking is recognised under customary law arbitration
ACTION – PLEADINGS – Essence of pleadings
ACTION – PLEADINGS – Effect of failure to call evidence in support of pleadings
EVIDENCE – ESTOPPEL BY CONDUCT – Instance of estoppel by conduct
ACTION – STATUTE BARRED ACTION – Effect of a statute barred action on the jurisdiction of Court
LIMITATION LAW – LIMITATION LAW – Nature, purport/essence of Limitation Law
ACTION – STATUTE BARRED ACTION – Instance where an action is statute barred
ACTION – STATUTE BARRED ACTION – When is an action statute barred; effect of a statute barred action
APPEAL – APPEALABLE/UNAPPEALABLE DECISION – Whether an obiter qualifies as an appealable decision
APPEAL – INTERFERENCE WITH CONCURRENT FINDING(S) OF FACT(S) – Instances where the Supreme Court will not interfere with concurrent findings of fact(s) made by Lower Courts
CRIMINAL LAW AND PROCEDURE – OFFENCE OF ARMED ROBBERY – Meaning of armed robbery
COURT – DUTY OF COURT – Duty of the trial court to assess credibility of witnesses
EVIDENCE – CONFESSIONAL STATEMENT – The position of the law on a retracted statement
EVIDENCE – BEST EVIDENCE – What is the best evidence in criminal proceedings; Duty of Court thereto
ABUSE OF COURT/JUDICIAL PROCESS(ES) – Instance of an abuse of court process and the effect of same
PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – DELAY – Whether a party can be allowed to benefit from the delay he caused
PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – DELAY – Whether a party can be allowed to benefit from the delay he caused
COURT – DUTY OF COURT – Duty of the Court to do substantial justice
EVIDENCE – DOCTRINE OF LAST SEEN – Application and validity of the doctrine of last seen
APPEAL – NOTICE(S) OF APPEAL – Effect of a notice of appeal filed out of time
APPEAL – NOTICE(S) OF APPEAL – Effect of a notice of appeal filed out of time
APPEAL – NOTICE(S) OF APPEAL – Effect of a notice of appeal filed out of time
APPEAL – NOTICE(S) OF APPEAL – Effect of a notice of appeal filed out of time
CRIMINAL LAW AND PROCEDURE – ARRAIGNMENT/TAKING OF PLEA – Requirements for a valid arraignment
APPEAL – NOTICE(S) OF APPEAL – Effect of a notice of appeal filed out of time:
ACTION – STATUTE BARRED ACTION – Instance where an action is statute barred
EVIDENCE – CONTRADICTION IN EVIDENCE – Nature of a contradictory statement/evidence
EVIDENCE – HEARSAY EVIDENCE – Meaning of hearsay evidence; what constitutes hearsay evidence
COURT – JURISDICTION – What determines jurisdiction of Court to entertain a cause/matter
PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – TECHNICALITIES – Attitude of court to technicalities
APPEAL – NATURE OF APPEAL – Nature of an appeal
JUDGMENT OF COURT – When can a judgment/decision said to be judicious
CRIMINAL LAW AND PROCEDURE – ALLOCUTUS – Meaning of allocutus
COURT – DUTY OF COURT – Duty of Court to be consistent in its findings
APPEAL – APPEAL AS OF RIGHT – Instances/cases where an appeal will lie as of right
APPEAL – GROUND(S) OF APPEAL – Whether leave of court is required to file and argue a ground of law
EVIDENCE – CORROBORATION/CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE – Purpose of corroboration
PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – WAIVER OF RIGHT – When a party is deemed to have waived his right
EVIDENCE – IDENTIFICATION EVIDENCE – Position of the law on identification evidence
EVIDENCE – PROOF BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT – Meaning/nature of proof beyond reasonable doubt
CRIMINAL LAW AND PROCEDURE – OFFENCE OF CONSPIRACY – How the offence of conspiracy can be inferred