Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, minister of women affairs, says the planned marriage of 100 girls in Niger state has been suspended.

Kennedy-Ohanenye spoke in Abuja on Friday after meeting with Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, speaker of the Niger state house of assembly.

The meeting was also attended by Mohammed Mu’azu, Emir of Kotangora.

BACKGROUND

Sarkindaji had last week said he would sponsor the wedding ceremony of the girls on May 24 as part of his constituency obligations.

The development sparked controversy on social media, with many saying the speaker should have channelled the money into giving the girls an education or skills.

On Monday, Kennedy-Ohanenye stepped into the matter and asked the speaker to halt his plans or face legal action.

The minister said she had petitioned the inspector-general of police (IGP) and sought a court injunction to stop the planned wedding.

Sarkindaji subsequently cancelled his participation in the event and asked the minister to take over.

The speaker said the parents and guardians of the girls, most of whom are orphans, could do whatever they wished with the resources he had provided.

‘WE’VE MADE PEACE’

Addressing journalists after the meeting, the minister said she and Sarkindaji have reconciled their differences and are now partnering to seek better alternatives for the girls.

Kennedy-Ohanenye said she secured an injunction from the Minna high court to restrain the organisers from proceeding with the wedding.

She added that “the court injunction still subsists till we resolve all grey areas”.

“I want to let you know that as I speak to you now, I’m at peace with my royal father, Emir of Kontagora, Mohammed Bara’u Mu’azu, and I am in good terms with my brother, the Speaker. We have made peace,” Kennedy-Ohanenye said.

The emir also said he has suspended the proposed wedding and pledged his emirate’s willingness to partner with the ministry to provide a new lease of life for the girls.

‘EDUCATION, PHONES, HUGE MACHINES’ — MINISTER LISTS PLANS FOR MARIGA GIRLS

Kennedy-Ohanenye said, for a start, there will be a meeting with the girls to discuss their individual needs and preferences.

She said her ministry has taken “the entire village as a job,” promising to extend the opportunities for education and skill acquisition beyond the 100 girls to other orphans.

The minister described herself as a “protective mother hen” who is committed to defending the rights and safety of the vulnerable girls under her care.

“So, I have no problem with anybody. I have no problem with any religion, all I want to say is please don’t tamper with my children, don’t tamper with my women,” she said.

“My brother, the Speaker came to my office, and we have partnered (ministry of women affairs and the Speaker) to empower these women.

“The ones that want to go to school, we will send them to school. This ministry has taken up this village now as a job, and I am promising Nigerians. I am going to empower them with sustainable economic empowerment.

“By talking to them, I will know the kind of things they like to farm, and I will give them huge machines. If it is rice, beans, or corn, I will put one for a whole village to manage themselves and onboard them in the system on our portal.

“And whatever the federal government is doing for every other person, all of them will get it.

“I will go to the extent of giving them small phones—at least one in each family—to enable them to communicate and get involved in the portal so that they will be like every other woman.

“Because the speaker told me a lot of things concerning the village, like how they are always tormented by the bandits, everybody ends up there. If bandits want to hide, they end up there.

“But I am going to send them to this particular community, and these children will be able to go to school. We will empower them, teach them skills, and give them what to start off their skills with.

“I will equally help them on marketing whatever they will make out of their skills. We shall not, we will not abandon them.

“We are now working together to make sure we better the lives of these girls, not just the 100 girls but all the orphans, all the people that have been affected by this banditry and the insecurity we used to have before.”

The minister said her position on the matter reflects the wishes of President Bola Tinubu and thanked Nigerians for supporting her initiatives.

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended the appointment of 22 judges to the appeal court.

In a statement on Friday, Soji Oye, NJC’s director of information, announced that 86 judicial officers were recommended as judges for federal and state courts.

Oye said the recommended judicial officers will be sworn in after approvals from President Bola Tinubu and their respective state governors.

Among the judges recommended for elevation to the court of appeal is Nyesom-Wike Eberechi Suzzette, a judge at Rivers high court.

Suzzette is the wife of Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).

Also, Ariwoola Oluwakemi Victoria, the daughter-in-law of Olukayode Ariwoola, chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), was among those recommended as judges of the FCT high court.

FULL LIST

JUSTICES OF COURT OF APPEAL

1. Hon. Justice Kwahar Polycarp Terna
2. Hon. Justice Ruqayat Oremei Ayoola
3. Hon. Justice Eleojo Eneche
4. Hon. Justice Asma’u Akanbi-Yusuf
5. Hon. Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman
6. Hon. Justice Abdu Dogo
7. Hon. Justice Fadawu Umaru
8. Hon. Justice Ishaq Mohammed Sani
9. Hon. Justice Zainab Bage Abubakar

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended the appointment of 22 judges to the appeal court.

In a statement on Friday, Soji Oye, NJC’s director of information, announced that 86 judicial officers were recommended as judges for federal and state courts.

Oye said the recommended judicial officers will be sworn in after approvals from President Bola Tinubu and their respective state governors.

Among the judges recommended for elevation to the court of appeal is Nyesom-Wike Eberechi Suzzette, a judge at Rivers high court.

Suzzette is the wife of Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).

Also, Ariwoola Oluwakemi Victoria, the daughter-in-law of Olukayode Ariwoola, chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), was among those recommended as judges of the FCT high court.

FULL LIST

JUSTICES OF COURT OF APPEAL

1. Hon. Justice Kwahar Polycarp Terna
2. Hon. Justice Ruqayat Oremei Ayoola
3. Hon. Justice Eleojo Eneche

4. Hon. Justice Asma’u Akanbi-Yusuf
5. Hon. Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman
6. Hon. Justice Abdu Dogo
7. Hon. Justice Fadawu Umaru
8. Hon. Justice Ishaq Mohammed Sani
9. Hon. Justice Zainab Bage Abubakar

10. Hon. Justice Abdulazeez M. Anka
11. Hon. Justice Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba
12. Hon. Justice Nwoye Victoria Tochukwu
13. Hon. Justice Nwabunkeonye Onwosi
14. Hon. Justice Okorowo Donatus Uwaezuoke
15. Hon. Justice Ngozika Uwazurunonye Okaisabor
16. Hon. Justice Ntong Festus Ntong
17. Hon. Justice Nehizena Idemudia Afolabi
18. Hon. Justice Nyesom-Wike Eberechi Suzzette
19. Hon. Justice Lateef Babajide Lawal-Akapo
20. Hon. Justice Akinyemi Abiodun Azeem
21. Hon. Justice Oyewumi Oyejoju Oyebiola
22. Hon. Justice Olukayode Adegbola Adeniyi

JUDGES OF HIGH COURT, FCT ABUJA

1. Ademuyiwa Olakunle Oyeyipo
2. Bamodu Odunayo Olutomi
3. Anumaenwe Godwin Iheabunike
4. Odo Celestine Obinna
5. Hauwa Lawal Gummi
6. Abdurahman Usman
7. Buetnaan Mandy Bassi
8. Sarah Benjamin Inesu Avoh
9. Maryan Iye Yusuf
10. Ariwoola Oluwakemi Victoria
11. Lesley Nkesi Belema Wike
12. Munirat Ibrahim Tanko

JUDGES OF IMO STATE HIGH COURT

1. Akowundu Cletus Ndubuisi
2. Uchenna Mary Njoku
3. Chibuogwu Ojiugo Chukwumaeze
4. Ononogbo Chidi Linus
5. Adaego Peace Nosiri
6. Emeka Ozoma Orafu
7. Mathew Chinedu Ijezie

JUDGES OF BAUCH STATE HIGH COURT

1. Amin Umar Ilelah
2. Aliyu Bin Idris
3. Ahmed Shuaibu Ningi
4. Shafa’u Ladan Yusuf
5. Abdussalam Idris Waziri
6. Kawu A. Yerima

JUDGES OF TARABA STATE HIGH COURT

1. Hamidu Audu
2. Bibonga Jeniffer Nauma
3. Joel Daniel Ubandoma

JUDGES OF LAGOS STATE HIGH COURT

1. Sunmonu Tunde Bashiru
2. Azeez Fimisola Augusta
3. Alebiosu Olawale Lawal
4. Adewale Russel Musiliu
5. Popoola Oluwatosin Ajose
6. Anjorin-Ajose Tanimola Abdulwaheed
7. Muyideen Abdul-Raheem Tejumade
8. George Alfred Akingbola
9. Balogun Adegboyega Ganiu
10. Shonubi Adenike Kudirat
11. Badejo-Okusanya Yewande Jokotola
12. Layinka Oyeladun Amope
13. Ojuromi Nalirat Olayinka Oluwatosin

JUDGES OF KOGI STATE HIGH COURT

1. Ajesola Joseph Sunday
2. Ojoma Rachael Haruna
3. Kadiri Badama
4. Ezema Beatrice Ada

JUDGES OF JIGAWA STATE HIGH COURT

1. Mohammad El-Usman
2. Nilfa Abdullahi Gambo

KADIS OF SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, BAUCHI STATE

1. Ishaku Magaji
2. Abdurrahman Hassan Sabo
3. Bello Mohammed Sambowal
4. Muhyiddeen Mohammed
5. Mahmoud Idris Shehu Tiyin

KADIS OF SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, KOGI STATE

1. Muhammad Muhammad Bello
2. Okino Isah Saidu
3. Yakubu Adavenge Abbas
4. Shaibu Ridwan Aliyu
5. Idris Alhaji Abdullahi

KADI OF SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, JIGAWA STATE

1. Mukhtar Shuaibu Adam

JUDGES OF IMO STATE CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL

1. Everyman Ezenna Eleanya
2. Ofoha Sylvesta Uchenna
3. Ibeh Rosemond Oluchi

JUDGES OF CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL, TARABA STATE

1. Esther Tata
2. Benjamin Samuila Bawage

JUDGE OF CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL, KOGI STATE

1. Maryann Oziohu Otaru

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has inaugurated a radio station to disseminate information about the activities of the anti-graft agency.

The event held on Thursday at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.

Speaking at the inauguration, Ola Olukoyede, chairman of the commission, said the agency is now in “a better position to tell our stories factually, ungarnished and unspun”.

“For us in the EFCC, owning a radio station is not a status symbol, but an important organ of mobilisation against graft where communication and public engagement have the same impact and depth as our operational activities,” he said.

“Communication offers us stronger weapons for breaking half-truths, lies, insinuations and other distortions of the works we do.

“Indeed, with our own radio station, we are in a better position to tell our stories, factually, ungarnished and unspun.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the commissioning of this ultra-modern radio station today opens a new phase of fully integrated, mass-based and all-inclusive fight against corrupt practices by the EFCC.

“The station offers the commission a platform for discussions, marketplace of ideas and sounding board of knowing the pulse of the nation concerning our work. It will also provide real-time feedback from the public about the work of the commission.

“To this end, I want to use this opportunity to invite all stakeholders to make the EFCC Radio 97.3FM your station of choice for authentic news and features about anti-corruption and good governance.

“Let us see this new feather in the cap of the EFCC as a window of opportunity for participation and whistle-blowing.

“Let us also see it as a platform of linking up with our day-to-day activities for information, enlightenment and, of course, entertainment.”

Also speaking at the event, Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, commended the EFCC for its efforts in combatting corruption, and charged employees of the new radio station to operate in line with global best practices.

“The EFCC should be deliberate and strategic about shaping the narratives around the war against corruption,” the minister said.

“The Ministry of Information and National Orientation, in collaboration with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), will ensure that other relevant public sector agencies tow similar paths and contribute to the task of informing, enlightening and sensitising the public.”