An Abuja Federal High Court has halted the production of an energy drink in a copied bottle design that is the subject of a copyright dispute.

The court presided by Justice Binta Nyako, ordered Mamuda Beverages Nigeria Limited to stop producing its Pop Power Energy Drink in a copied bottle design on the grounds that it infringes on the trademark of Fearless Energy Drink, a brand of Rite Foods Limited.

The court in its ruling refused a preliminary objection filed by Mamuda Beverages in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/705/2025.

Mamuda Beverages in its preliminary bjection had challenged the suit on the basis of abuse of court process, arguing that Rite Foods’ complaint of infringement of its intellectual property is different from an earlier suit between the parties, wherein Rite Foods had complained about a different act of infringement.

Ruling on the matter, the court held that Mamuda Beverages’ new bottle design still bears a striking resemblance to Rite Foods’ Fearless Energy Drink product.

The court, as a result granted an order restraining further production of the Pop Power Energy Drink pending the final determination of the suit.

The court ordered Mamuda Beverages to cease production of the product forthwith, destroy all existing products, and directed the court bailiff, in conjunction with the parties, to undertake an inventory of the products slated for destruction and file same.

The court equally ordered that the injunction shall remain in force until the end of the year or pending the determination of the substantive suit.

Consequently, the court adjourned the suit to Wednesday, 23rd September 2026, for the hearing of the substantive suit.

The order follows an earlier suit against Mamuda Beverages, filed in January 2025, in which Rite Foods sued the company for infringing on the trademark and design of its Fearless Energy Drink through the launch of a lookalike product, Pop Power Energy Drink.

However, Mamuda Beverages sought a settlement. Terms of settlement were agreed and filed and the court entered same as its consent judgment.

Some of the terms of settlement include that Mamuda Beverages would desist from further violation of Fearless Energy Drink trademark and identity pass-off.

It also agreed to destroy all infringing products and pledged to change its design and avoid any form of identity imitation.

However, Mamuda Beverages subsequently reintroduced Pop Power into the market with only cosmetic adjustments to its appearance.

Rite Foods maintained that the changes are minor and do little to address the original issues of consumer confusion. According to Rite Foods, reports from the market indicate that the new Pop Power continues to be informally referred to as “small Fearless”, reinforcing concerns that the revised product may not only breach the spirit of the earlier agreement but could also undermine consumer clarity and brand differentiation.

Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba state, on Friday pledged to uphold fairness, humility, and inclusive leadership following his emergence as winner of the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship primary election in the state.
Kefas made the commitment while delivering his acceptance speech shortly after he was declared winner of the keenly contested primary election.

Shortly after the announcement, members of the APC Governorship Primary Election Committee visited the Government House in Jalingo, where they formally presented the election results to the governor.

In his remarks, Kefas described his victory as a collective achievement for all members of the APC across Taraba state, stressing that the outcome reflected the strength and unity of the party.

He expressed gratitude to the leadership of the APC at all levels for their support and confidence in his leadership, while also appreciating the people of the state for their continued trust and cooperation.

The governor also commended other aspirants who participated in the primary election, noting that democracy thrives on participation and provides a platform for diverse voices to be heard.

According to him, the conclusion of the primaries signals the end of political competition within the party, urging stakeholders to embrace unity and work collectively toward the development of Taraba state.

Kefas further reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening the APC and driving policies aimed at building a more prosperous and inclusive state.

Earlier, the chairperson of the election committee said the exercise reflected the genuine will of party members, adding that the process was conducted with integrity and adherence to due process.

According to results announced by the Returning Officer, Governor Agbu Kefas polled 166,357 votes to emerge winner of the primary election, while details of his closest challenger were yet to be fully disclosed at the time of filing this report.

Members of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Cross River State on Friday conducted a voice vote to affirm the only aspirant, Dr Effiong Nyong, as their 2027 governorship candidate.

The voice vote was conducted at the party’s state secretariat on Diamond Road Calabar where significant number of members converged for the affirmation.

Chairman of electoral committee, Dr MacFarlane Ejah, who is also the Secretary of the party in the state, had conducted the exercise in the presence of chairman of screening committee, Dr Minika Bassey, and other dignitaries as witnesses.

MacFarlane said the exercise complied with the rules and directives of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

“What we have just done is in consonance with the latest directives of INEC. And so we formally affirmed and unveiled Dr Effiong Efa Nyong as our flag bearer for the 2027 Governorship election in Cross River State”, he said.

Speaking about his experience, credentials and the imperative for vying for the governorship seat, the veteran broadcaster and one time chairman of the party, said the decision to run for office of governor for the second time is borne out of his passion for his people, state and strong desire to impact governance to avert the retrogression witnessed in the state.

“My decision to vie for the governorship race for the second time is borne out of passion for my people, state, deep desire to avert the steady slide into retrogression.

“I have idea where we’re coming from. Hardly will people believe that civilisation actually started from here, and high standards were set from here for others to follow when the colonial masters held sway. Education, sports, civil service were top-notch.

“They chose Calabar as centre of national administration. Before the British came, the Portuguese had also laid out their standards. And so, our forebears had sustained the standards until recently when today’s politicians allowed such to degenerate.

“The level of poverty and backwardness is shocking. And so, as a true Son, it is imperative that we must come together to lift ourselves out of this trajectory,” he said.

He also spoke about the alarming multiple and high taxations, noting that it had impoverished the people and scared away businesses and potential investors from the state.

The Chief Judge of Taraba state and presiding judge of Court No. 1 in Jalingo, Justice Joel Agya, on Friday, discharged and acquitted three former officials of Sardauna local government council over allegations of misappropriation of project funds.
Delivering judgment in Charge No. TRSJ/19C/2020, Agya held that the prosecution failed to prove the allegations of fraud against the defendants beyond reasonable doubts.

The defendants are Dr. Jedua Ahmed Dawud, former Executive Chairman of the council; Oliver Wubon, former Caretaker Chairman; and Joseph Danladi John, former Director of Finance.

It will be recalled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), acting on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, filed a six-count charge against the defendants in June 2020.

The charges included criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust by public servants, forgery, and use of false documents.

According to the prosecution, the defendants allegedly conspired in 2012 within Sardauna local government Council to commit criminal breach of trust involving funds meant for capital projects.

The prosecution alleged that Dr. Jedua Ahmed and Danladi dishonestly misappropriated N27 million allocated for capital projects on or about Oct. 4, 2012.

They were also accused of misappropriating another N35 million meant for capital projects on or about June 1, 2012.

In another count, Wubon and Danladi were alleged to have dishonestly diverted N42 million provided for capital projects sometime in 2012.

The EFCC further accused Wubon and Danladi of forging payment voucher No. 3 in the name of Alhaji Saidu Mohammed on or about Feb. 8, 2012, with intent to commit fraud.

They were also charged with knowingly using the alleged forged payment voucher as genuine.

During proceedings, defence counsel argued that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against the defendants.

The defence also challenged the EFCC’s investigative report, contending that it relied heavily on statements obtained from prosecution witnesses.

Justice Agya, in his judgment, said the prosecution failed to substantiate the allegations of criminal conspiracy and fraud against the defendants.

He held that the conspiracy charge was not sustainable because the alleged offences were said to have been committed separately by the defendants.

The judge first discharged and acquitted the second and third defendants on counts five and six bordering on forgery and use of false documents.

He subsequently discharged and acquitted all three defendants on counts one to four.

Counsel to the defendants, Dr. Ibrahim Effiong, commended the court for what he described as a landmark judgment.
Counsel to the EFCC, Mr. Stephen Okemini, said he had learnt a lot from the judgment and would study it before deciding on further action.

Speaking after the judgment, Wubon expressed happiness over the court’s decision, saying it has “loosened the rope on their neck.”

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Kaduna State chapter, has upheld the position of the National Executive Council of the union, urging the Ministry of Education and the Federal Government to retrace their steps on excluding candidates seeking admission into the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programme from sitting for the examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), in the interest of national development.

The National Executive Council of the union has described as counterproductive the decision of the Federal Ministry of Education to exclude candidates seeking admission into the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programme from sitting for the examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

Ibrahim Dalhatu and Adamu Ayuba Kaltungo, chairman and secretary of the union, in a joint statement, explained that the position of the union stems from the fact that exempting candidates seeking admission into Colleges of Education from writing the JAMB examination would adversely affect the quality of teacher education and consequently impact the standard of education in Nigeria.

The NUT Kaduna State wing re-emphasized that teaching is a “highly intellectual and strategic profession,” and that the process of training teachers must remain vigorous and highly competitive.

According to the statement, “Excluding candidates from taking the examination will imply that the profession is for academically weak candidates and ‘all comers’.”

It observed that the teaching profession is already suffering from low esteem, and that exempting candidates would further reinforce the erroneous belief that teaching is a “last resort” profession, adding that it contradicts global best practices, as countries with high-performing education systems recruit their teachers from among the best and brightest students.

It would further confirm the belief that teaching is an “all-comers” job rather than a profession for those genuinely passionate about teaching, stressing that it would weaken the ongoing efforts and reforms aimed at making teaching a respected profession by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).

The union posited that, rather than removing Colleges of Education candidates from JAMB requirements, the Federal Government should make concerted efforts to improve teachers’ welfare packages and remuneration to attract brilliant candidates to the profession.

It added that the Federal Government should consider providing scholarships, bursaries, and special incentives for students studying education courses, while also providing special admission incentives without compromising standards.

The union also called for the full implementation of the bill signed into law by the Muhammadu Buhari administration on April 9, 2022, stating that it would address the issue the Federal Government intends to tackle through exempting candidates seeking admission into Colleges of Education from writing the JAMB examination.

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi CFR, has congratulated Dr Stanley Uzochukwu, Founder and CEO of Stanel Group and The Delborough Lagos, on completing elite executive leadership programmes at the University of Oxford and Harvard Kennedy School.

In a letter dated May 20, 2026, the monarch praised Dr Uzochukwu’s drive for continuous learning at “two of the world’s most prestigious institutions,” saying it reflects a deep commitment to solving societal problems and improving lives.

Dr Uzochukwu has recently completed multiple Harvard Kennedy School programmes, including High Performance Leadership, Emerging Leaders, Leadership Decision Making, Leading Successful Programs using Evidence, and Strategic Leadership for Personal Effectiveness. He capped it off with the High Performance Leadership programme at the University of Oxford, London.

“I have always known you as a lover of continuous education, a personality who dedicates himself to acquiring solutions to societal problems, thereby making life better for the common people,” the Ooni stated.

The monarch said the training positions Dr Uzochukwu to drive greater impact in leadership, governance, and business development, adding: “As the world cannot wait for the deployment of the newly acquired knowledge, I wish to congratulate you once again and wish you success in your future endeavours.”

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Katsina State has conducted its senatorial primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections, producing candidates for the three senatorial districts in the state.

At the end of the exercise, Nura Khalil, the 2023 New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, governorship candidate, emerged as the PDP candidate for Katsina South Senatorial District.

Similarly, Hon. Aliyu Abdulmumini Abdullahi secured the party’s ticket for Daura Senatorial District, while Hon. Hamisu Gambo clinched the nomination for Katsina Central Senatorial District.

The primaries were held simultaneously across the three senatorial zones and were monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, alongside party officials and delegates from the affected local government areas.

Speaking after his emergence, Khalil expressed appreciation to party leaders and delegates for the confidence reposed in him, pledging to strengthen the PDP in Katsina South ahead of the 2027 elections.

Also reacting, Gambo promised inclusive representation and intensified grassroots mobilisation to ensure PDP’s success in the coming elections, adding that the party remains committed to addressing insecurity, unemployment, and economic challenges in the state.

The PDP governorship aspirant, Senator Yakubu Lado, urged party members to mobilise massively and ensure strong voter turnout during the elections, while also calling on them to defend their votes.

Earlier, the state PDP Chairman, Hon. Nura Amadi Kurfi, said the party is determined to reclaim political power from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2027, urging members to remain united ahead of the polls.

The Imo East Senatorial hopeful of the Action People’s Party, APP, Mazi Chima Matthew Amadi, has expressed deep concern over the disturbing resurgence of insecurity, killings, and violent attacks across several parts of Imo State, particularly Umuguma, Ihiagwa, and Eziobodo communities in Owerri West, as well as parts of Ngor Okpala.

He described the worsening situation as a tragic indictment on a government that has repeatedly failed in its constitutional responsibility to protect the lives and property of its citizens.

Amadi made this known during an unscheduled condolence visit to the family of the late Mr. David Onyegbula, a community vigilante officer who was brutally killed by rampaging assailants in Umuojukwu, Umuagu, Umuguma, Owerri West LGA.

The visit took place while he was on a private engagement with Rt. Commodore Ogechi Osuagwu, a distinguished Nigerian Navy veteran and prominent community leader.

During the visit, Mazi Amadi expressed heartfelt sympathy to the widow of the deceased, Mrs. Joy David Onyegbula, their children, and other relatives, lamenting the painful and avoidable loss of innocent lives to acts of violence and criminality that have now become frighteningly recurrent across many communities in Imo State.

He urged the widow to remain courageous and look up to God for strength and consolation, noting that although no words can truly heal the pain of losing a loved one under such tragic circumstances, faith in God and the support of family and well-wishers would help sustain her through this difficult period.

Amadi further condemned in very strong terms the recurring incidents of insecurity in the state, insisting that the continued bloodshed, violent attacks, and atmosphere of fear are clear evidence of the failure of the APC-led government in Imo State to discharge its most fundamental responsibility of governance, which is the protection of lives and property.

According to him, it is unacceptable that citizens now live in fear, communities remain unsafe, and families are constantly subjected to grief and uncertainty, while those entrusted with the responsibility of governance continue to preoccupy themselves with political permutations instead of providing practical and effective solutions to the deteriorating security situation in the state.

He further lamented that the alarming rise in violent attacks has not only led to the loss of innocent lives but has also crippled economic activities, disrupted livelihoods, displaced families, and deepened the level of fear and hopelessness among ordinary citizens across the state.

This was contained in a statement issued on Friday by his Chief press Secretary, Cajetan Duke and made available to journalists in Owerri.

The Aspirant therefore called on security agencies to urgently intensify intelligence gathering, strengthen community-based security operations, and ensure that those responsible for these heinous acts are identified, arrested, and brought to justice without delay.

He maintained that the people of Imo State deserve to live in peace, safety, and dignity, rather than under constant fear

and tension.

While praying for the peaceful repose of the souls of the deceased, Mazi Amadi reassured affected families and residents of the state that their pains and cries are not ignored.

He urged the government at all levels to abandon propaganda, show sincerity of purpose, and demonstrate genuine commitment towards restoring security, protecting citizens, and rebuilding public confidence across Imo State.