WHEN IS A GROUND OF APPEAL SAID TO BE VAGUE

The case of Hassan v. Buhari and Ors., (2022) LPELR – 56677 (CA), where this Court per Abiru, JCA, explained what constitutes a vague ground of appeal, as follows: “Now, a ground of appeal is said to be vague and imprecise when it is couched in a manner which does not provide any explicit standard for its being understood or when what is stated is so uncertain that it is not susceptible of being understood. It may also be considered vague when the complaint is not defined in relation to the subject or it is not defined in relation to the subject or it is not particularized or the particulars are clearly irrelevant – Central Bank of Nigeria v. Okojie (2002) 8 NWLR (Pt. 768) 48, Governor, Ekiti State v. Osayomi (2005) 2 NWLR (Pt. 909) 67, Imam v. Sheriff (2005) 4 NWLR (Pt. 914) 80 and Nwabueze v. Nwora (2005) 8 NWLR (Pt. 926) 1. In other words, where the complaint in a ground of appeal is discernible vis-a-vis the judgment of a lower Court, the ground of appeal cannot be said to be vague or imprecise”.

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GROUND WILL BE STRUCK OUT WHERE NO ISSUE ARISES THEREFROM

The law is that in the absence of any issue(s) being so formulated from the grounds, the said grounds of appeal are deemed abandoned and liable to be struck out. I therefore hold that grounds 1,3 and 5 having been abandoned by the appellants are hereby struck out.

— Onnoghen JSC. Aigbobahi & Ors. v. Aifuwa, Osabuohien & Ors. (SC. 194/2001, 3 Feb 2006)

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RESPONDENT CANNOT RAISE ISSUES OUTSIDE THE GROUNDS OF APPEAL

It is settled law that issues for determination must relate to and arise from the grounds of appeal filed by the appellant and any issue that is not distilled from the grounds of appeal is incompetent and must be struck out. A respondent must formulate his issues from the grounds of appeal and he has no business to raise any issue outside them when he did not file a cross appeal or a respondent’s notice that the judgment of the court should be affirmed on other grounds. See:- “ Carlen (Nig.) Ltd. v. University of Jos and Anor (1994) 1 SCNJ 72 Agwundu and Ors v. Onwumere (1994) 1 SCNJ 106 Godwin v. C.A.C. (1998) 14 NWLR (Pt. 584) 162 Shitta Bey v. Attorney-General of the Federation (1998) 10 NWLR (Pt. 570) 392.

— Opene JCA. United Bank for Africa (UBA) v. Samuel Igelle Ujor (CA/C/134/99, 20 FEB 2001)

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NOT MORE THAN ONE ISSUE FROM A GROUND OF APPEAL

It is inappropriate to distill more than one issue from one ground of appeal. – Nwodo, JCA. OLAM v. Intercontinental Bank (2009)

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ISSUES SHOULD NOT BE MORE THAN THE GROUND OF APPEAL

The principle of law is that the grounds of appeal should in no circumstance be less than the issues for determination. Since the Respondent did not marry his issues with the grounds of appeal, I am left with one option – to strike out the Respondent’s third issue. Issue three in the Respondent’s brief is hereby struck out as it does not relate to any of grounds one or two of the appellant’s grounds of appeal. (See Omo v. JSC Delta State (2000) 7 SC (Pt. 11) page 1.

— N.S. Ngwuta, JSC. Henry Nwokearu V. The State (SC.227/2011, 24 MAY 2013)

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IT IS THE ISSUE FORMULATED THAT THE COURT CONSIDERS, NOT GROUNDS OF APPEAL

It has to be noted that what an appellate court considers in its decision are the issues formulated for determination not the ground or grounds of appeal or every question that arises from the ground(s) of appeal, see Ibori v. Agbi (2004) All FWLR (Pt. 202) 1799, (2004) 6 NWLR (Pt. 868) 78. — Onnoghen JSC. Aigbobahi & Ors. v. Aifuwa, Osabuohien & Ors. (SC. 194/2001, 3 Feb 2006)

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WHEN IS A GROUND OF APPEAL SAID TO BE VAGUE

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GROUND WILL BE STRUCK OUT WHERE NO ISSUE ARISES THEREFROM

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RESPONDENT CANNOT RAISE ISSUES OUTSIDE THE GROUNDS OF APPEAL

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NOT MORE THAN ONE ISSUE FROM A GROUND OF APPEAL

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ISSUES SHOULD NOT BE MORE THAN THE GROUND OF APPEAL

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IT IS THE ISSUE FORMULATED THAT THE COURT CONSIDERS, NOT GROUNDS OF APPEAL

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