The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal challenging the merger between Providus Bank Limited and Unity Bank Plc, effectively bringing an end to the prolonged legal dispute over the transaction.
In a unanimous judgment delivered by a five-member panel led by Justice Tijani Abubakar, the apex court upheld the merger and dismissed the appeal for lacking merit. The court also awarded N10 million in costs against the appellants in favour of each respondent.
The appeal, filed under Appeal No. SC/CV/132/2026, arose from earlier proceedings at the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court, where efforts were made to halt the consolidation of the two financial institutions.
Invoking its powers under Section 22 of the Supreme Court Act, the court went beyond dismissing the appeal by formally sanctioning the merger scheme. It ordered the transfer of all assets, liabilities, undertakings and real properties of Unity Bank Plc to Providus Bank Limited in line with the approved merger arrangement.
The apex court directed that the transfer process be completed within 10 days.
As part of the merger terms, the court approved a consideration of N3.18 per share for Unity Bank shareholders or an exchange ratio of 18 Providus Bank shares of 50 kobo each for every 17 Unity Bank shares held.
The court further ordered the dissolution of the Unity Bank board without winding up the institution and approved the adoption of a new corporate identity, ProvidusUnity Bank Limited, for the merged entity.
Suleiman Abubakar and Mohammed Goni Modu, customers and shareholders of the affected banks, had sought through a series of legal actions to stop the merger. Their challenge moved from the Federal High Court to the Court of Appeal before reaching the Supreme Court.
Reacting to the judgment, counsel to Unity Bank, Chief D.D. Dodo, SAN, and R.O. Atabo, SAN, described the ruling as a historic decision that finally settles all disputes relating to the merger.
According to Dodo, the judgment removes every legal impediment to the consolidation of the two banks.
“What the Supreme Court has done by this judgment is to bring closure to the merger between Providus Bank and Unity Bank. Some persons went to the Federal High Court and attempted to truncate the merger, and the matter progressed through the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court. Today, that chapter has been conclusively closed,” he said.
Supreme Court Dissolves Unity Bank Board
Nollywood Comic Actor, Janmole, Dies
By Akinwale Kasali
Less than a week after the demise of veteran Nollywood actor, Patrick Okoye, the Nigeria Movie Industry has again lost one of its comic actors, Okiki Adeshina Oshin, popular as JActor.
The news of his passing has sparked an outpouring of grief among colleagues, fans, and admirers, many of whom have taken to social media to express shock and sadness over the loss.
The circumstances surrounding his demise still remain uncertain, but tribute circulating online described the late actor as a hardworking and determined individual who dedicated his life to pursuing success and making people laugh through his craft.
An emotional tribute from a fan, @Oribamise reads, “My darling brother, Okiki Adeshina Oshin, you are a hustler. You laboured day and night to achieve greatness, but as you drew close to greatness, your sun set at noon. All efforts now seem a waste. This is too unbearable, Janmole,” it reads.
The message further lamented the painful reality of his death, describing it as difficult to come to terms with.
Known for his unique comic roles and energetic performances in Yoruba movies, Janmole carved a niche for himself in the Nigerian film industry and earned the admiration of many viewers.
Friends, colleagues, and fans prayed for the peaceful repose of his soul and strength for his family during this difficult period.
His passing marks another sad moment for the Yoruba movie industry, which has lost several notable talents in recent years.
Atiku Tackles Babachir: “You Can’t Reject ADC Presidential Primary, Endorse Your Cousin’s Guber Victory With Same Process”
By Adesina Soyooye
Atiku Abubakar, Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress, has literally dismiss former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal, as a hypocrite.
Atiku accused Lawal, who quit the ADC over Atiku’s victory at the Presidential Primary which was won by him, of “selective outrage”. for rejecting the party’s
Lawal had rejected the result of the presidential primary but embraced the same process which produced his cousin as the party’s Adamawa governorship candidate.
In a response b Phrank Shaibu, his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Atiku, dismussed Lawal’s criticism of the ADC primaries as a “lengthy and emotionally charged outburst” with no evidence.
Atiku’s response, issued on Monday, reads in part:
“Mr. Lawal has failed to explain how the very same primary process he now dismisses as fraudulent somehow produced a result he appears perfectly willing to accept in Adamawa State, where his cousin, Omar Suleiman, emerged as the ADC governorship candidate.
“Intellectual honesty would require him to reject every outcome arising from that exercise, including the emergence of his cousin. Instead, he has chosen the path of selective outrage—embracing results that suit his interests while condemning those that do not.”
It is “ironic” the statement further stated, that Lawal who was removed from his high profile office as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation over “grass cutting contract scandal”, would present himself as a champion of transparency.
“That one of the most recognizable faces from that era now seeks to occupy the moral high ground is not merely ironic; it is political satire writing itself.
“Before accusing others of operating a ‘rigging machine,’ Mr. Lawal should first explain why Nigerians should suddenly erase from their memory one of the most embarrassing chapters in the history of public accountability.”
Atiku, also, noted what he called Lawal’s contradiction in condemning alleged electoral manipulation in the ADC presidential primary while “openly admiring” President Bola Tinubu’s “superior rigging machine.
“One cannot denounce electoral malpractice while simultaneously praising its supposed efficiency elsewhere.”
The statement accused Lawal of offering “no documents, no verifiable facts, no credible witnesses, and no proof whatsoever.
“What Mr. Lawal has offered Nigerians is a familiar cocktail of disappointment, bitterness, conspiracy theories, and personal attacks against a political leader whose national appeal continues to transcend the narrow confines of factional politics.”
Atiku accused Lawal of resorting to “ethnic and religious prejudice” because he failed to secure support for his preferred candidate. Such rhetoric, Atiku said, “creates no jobs, lowers no food prices, secures no communities, and offers no pathway out of the national crisis.
Atiku, in the statement, wished Lawal a good farming season.
He said: “Given his enduring association with the grass-cutting scandal that defined his exit from public office, the farm may indeed be a fitting destination.
“There, surrounded by fields in need of trimming, he may finally find the grass-cutting assignment that has become inseparable from his political legacy.”
Osun Gov. Election : “I Am At Goalpost Against Any Intruder – Gov. Adeleke
By Ayodele Oni
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has described himself as the “divine goalkeeper” of the state, declaring his readiness to protect the government’s mandate against opposition forces ahead of the August 15 election.
In a statement posted on his X platform on Monday, Adeleke said his emergence as the party’s candidate was a divine affirmation of his role in safeguarding the interests of Osun people.
Adeleke expressed optimism about the outcome of the election, attributing his confidence to public support and divine backing.
“With God on our side and the people behind us, victory is assured. Imole continuity is imminent,” he added.
“Today, by the grace of God and the support of the good people of Osun, I have been divinely affirmed as the goalkeeper to man the goalpost of Osun State Government against any potential intruder,” the governor said.
Adeleke expressed confidence in securing another term, citing his administration’s performance in infrastructure, workers’ welfare, education, healthcare and grassroots development.
“I remain confident because our administration has genuinely served the people.
From infrastructure to workers’ welfare, education, healthcare and grassroots development, our record speaks for itself,” he stated.
As we prepare for the August 15 election, I am ready to visit every town and village to present our achievements and unveil an updated Five Point Agenda for a greater Osun,” Adeleke said.
Taking a swipe at opposition parties, the governor urged them to focus on issues rather than political rhetoric, insisting that voters should judge candidates based on performance and facts.
“I call on the opposition to stop running away from issue-based campaigns and allow Osun people decide based on facts, performance and truth,” he said.
Fayose Fingers Gov. Makinde In Oyo Kidnap
By Ayodele Oni
Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has again poured his anger on Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State accusing him of orchestrating the recent school kidnapping to blackmail President Bola Tinubu.
Some school children and teachers were kidnapped by unknown gunmen in some local governments in Oyo State last Friday.
Tinubu despatched a high powered delegation to the affected areas and promised to ensure the safe return of the abducted school children.
However, Fayose while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said: “Let me branch to Oyo State, before you get to the president in the hierarchy of leadership and governance, there is local government, there is state, state has security vote and there are people that are supposed to be working.
“In Oyo State, I strongly believe though I might be wrong, but this sometimes might be orchestrated.
“The governor of Oyo State had his nomination and that of his candidates in the face of this abduction.
“He did not take any action, no steps were taken, it was after those nominations that he went to the families to visit them.
“I sometimes believe that the abduction at Oyo School was orchestrated by the Oyo State Government to blackmail President Tinubu’s administration.
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, had on Saturday visited families and relations of the victims revealing government efforts to ensure safe return of the victims.
Posting his visit on his official Facebook page, Makinde said: “Today we visited Oriire LGA to meet with the family members of children and teachers that were abducted about two weeks ago.
“After listening to them, I gave them the assurance that we are doing everything humanly possible to ensure the safe return of those who were kidnapped, and that by the grace of God, they will be reunited with their loved ones very soon.”
The abduction which occurred on May 15 has since sparked outrage across the State and the country at large, prompting protests by teachers and civil society groups, who called for urgent government action to secure the release of the victims and improve security around schools.
Lagos: Police Debunks Bandit Invasion Rumours
“ADC Primaries: Atiku, Mark, Just Lured Amaechi, Rubbished Him” – Wike
By Suleiman Anyalewechi
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has claimed that the structures of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, were primed from the foundation to produce Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate.
Wike noted that had his counsel been sought, he would have advised immediate past Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, against joining the presidential fray on the platform of the ADC.
According to him, going by the arrangement in place from the beginning, no other person had the chance of picking the ADC as there was little room for transparency and due process in the party’s presidential primaries
Speaking during his monthly media chat on Monday, June 1, 2026, the FCT Minister who was Amaechi Chief of Staff when Amaechi was Governor, disclosed that he is not at all surprised at the outcome of the ADC’s presidential primaries.
He noted that the emergence of Senator David Mark as the National Chairman of the ADC was when he saw clearly what will be the outcome of the arrangement in the ADC.
“Amaechi is my brother. I served as Chief of Staff in his Government. When I saw that he was running with them, I knew what would happen.
“If he had called me, I would have said “don’t go there”. It was very clear he would not get a transparent and due process.
“When I saw the set up in ADC, and saw David Mark there, I laughed. When you have worked with these people, you know who is who, and what they are capable of doing. That set-up was Atiku’s set-up 100 per cent.
“You cannot set a trap for me. We know ourselves as politicians. Who told you that kind of structure would give you transparency? Who told you that kind of structure would give you free and fair elections.
” I think my brother made a mistake. He was too much in a hurry. He was carried away by people shouting that this Government is not doing well . They used that to lure people and give themselves credibility”, Wike stated .
Wike who was the immediate past Governor of Rivers state, also, alleged that Mark had aided Atiku’s victory against him during the 2022 Peoples Democratic party PDP primaries .
Gov. Adeleke Approves N204bn For Relatives Of Deceased Civil Servants In Osun
By Ayodele Oni
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has approved the release of ₦204,275,209.80 as death benefits to the next of kin of civil servants who lost their lives while in active service.
The state government explained that the payment forms part of its ongoing commitment to the welfare of workers, pensioners, and families of deceased public servants.
The cheques were presented in Osogbo, the state capital, during a formal ceremony where the Head of Service, Elder Ayanleye Aina, represented the governor.
A statement issued by the Osun State Government via its handle on Monday, confirmed that the total disbursement was split between state and local government beneficiaries.
It revealed that ₦125,631,083.45 was allocated to state-level beneficiaries, while ₦78,644,126.35 went to those at the local government level.
The government explained that the funds were intended to provide financial relief to families of workers who died while serving the state, describing the initiative as part of efforts to reduce the burden on bereaved households.
North Is Doomed With Atiku
By Babachir David Lawal
I am exiting the ADC because its just concluded primaries were at all levels massively rigged in favour Kachalla Abubakar Atiku. I sense a conspiracy of silence of which i want no part of Most members of the party are behaving as if this is the normal thing to do. Results were just written or rewritten to favour him and his coven. Even where they allowed some semblance of election to hold, the winners were simply replaced with members of his syndicate. In the real sense it was a disgraceful charade.
I am doing so because I do not intend to be part of Kachalla Atiku’s rigging machine in the 2027 general elections and I cannot avoid doing so if I remain in the party. The man and his cabal are just irredentist Fulani and religious hegemonists. For me, working for Kachalla Atiku means giving Tinubu an automatic ticket to a second term which gives me nightmares. I believe Tinubu might, comparatively speaking, end up a better Nigerian president than Kachalla Atiku could ever be (as bad as Tinubu currently is and possibly could ever be). The choice in 2027 it seems will be a Morton’s fork.
I did not join the ADC to make Nigeria progressively worse so my beliefs and conscience won’t allow me partner with the evil that Atiku and his people represent. For, with close to 25 adult children, 6 wives (past and present, some offshore) and a heavily shrunk decapitated business empire, I foresee 25 Seyi Tinubus and 6 Remi Tinubus; a prospect that has been keeping me awake all night with worry. And who knows which Chagouri’s might be lurking around the corner waiting for an Atiku bazaar?
I would have thought that the Northerners who helped rig the primaries for a near-senile octogenarian they all know to be an incompetent, tribal and religious bigot would be the ones that should crave the most a good post-2027 governance seeing as Tinubu has driven its people to total destitution. I would have thought that when Northerners insist on a northern president they would be thinking of one that will stop the downward spiral into poverty and insecurity not an ineptocrat like Kachalla Atiku. Alas, a leopard cannot change its spots. The North, it seems, is perpetually doomed to self-harm.
While I will be tweaking my plans for the future and consulting with like-minded colleagues on how to stop this incompetent octogenerian from coming close to the presidential office, I will in the meantimd retire to my village farm from where I will be watching Kachalla Atiku and his band of wicked vote riggers and result manipulators mercilessly out-rigged and beaten to pulp by Tinubu’s ruthless and superior rigging machine.
Then, it will be bye bye to this octogenarian presidential wannabe. It will be bye bye to the North for prefaring a religious hegemonists over a competent world-renown economist and corporate guru.
PSC Issues Disclaimer On Recruitment List Circulating On Social Media, Says It’s Fake
The Police Service Commission, PSC, has disclaimed a list of Police Recruitment currently circulating on Social Media.
The Commission, in a statement issued on Monday, June, 1, 2026, signed by its Spokesperson and Head of Protocol, Torty Njoku Kalu, dismissed the List as fake and asked the public to beware and ignore.
The statement states:
“The attention of the Police Service Commission has been drawn to a fake list currently circulating on social media, purporting to be a shortlist of candidates scheduled for medical examination.
“The Commission wishes to state categorically that no such shortlist has been released. The evaluation of the written examination is still at its concluding stage, and invitation for medical examination will be communicated to successful applicants in the coming days. This notification will be sent via email, SMS, the recruitment portal (npfapplication.psc.gov.ng), and the Commission’s other official communication channels.
“The Commission reiterates its commitment to a merit-based recruitment process, which it has consistently upheld. It believes that the effectiveness of the Police Force depends on the quality of personnel recruited.
“Applicants and members of the public are advised to be wary of fraudsters and fake news. All official communications regarding the ongoing recruitment process will be disseminated solely through the Commission’s verified channels.
“The Commission reiterates that the recruitment exercise is completely FREE at all stages.”