News
BLACK LIVES MATTER IN NAIJA TOO!
Recently there has been an international uproar at the number of black people being shot dead by the police in America. The situation has become so bad that an organisation called ‘Black Lives Matter’ has been set up to draw awareness to the problem.
Far away from the shores of America, and the attention of the world media, the same thing is happening in Nigeria too..
trigger-happy policemen – mostly SARS operatives – are shooting and killing innocent people on a daily basis. In most recent months well-documented cases of extra-judiciary killings by the police include:
* Two workers were shot dead by the police at a rally in Nasarawa state in July.
* Two protesting youths killed in Umomi in Kogi state in August.
* Lagos SARS mistakenly kill a 20-year old student while chasing a suspected fraudster in Setember.
*In September, the blogger Chukwuebuka Isidore, better known as Ghostmode, was shot dead by the police in Port Harcourt.
These are just a few cases that are documented and mentioned in the press, many others go unreported with only the families of the deceased knowing they’ve lost a loved one. Sadly there is no justice for the victims or their families as the guilty police officers are very rarely reprimanded. There will be no inquiry; no court trial and most offending officers are back on the streets within hours.
Most notorious for extra-judiciary killings is SARS – the Special Anti-Robbery police Squad – set-up to combat violent crime. Adequate firearms training is not given to police officers who carry guns and further psychological tests would reveal that a great many of them are not mentally fit to be in possession of a firearm – there are even unconfirmed reports that many of them operate under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
In other countries extra-judiciary killings by the police are taken very seriously but not in Nigeria where their superiors tend to turn a blind eye.
How can people have faith in the police when they know they’re likely to be shot dead for refusing to give a trigger-happy policeman a bribe? And the police, themselves, knowing they’ll never be prosecuted will carry on killing innocent civilians. And it’s not just shooting people they’re guilty of; because they wear a uniform they seem it fit to beat innocent people to a pulp, punishing others – kicking, punching and torturing – in ways one would not expect a police officer to behave.
A recent Amnesty International report entitled: ‘Nigeria: You have signed your death warrant’ points out that the Special Anti-Robbery Squad(SARS) are ‘…subjecting people to horrific torture methods including hanging, starvation, beatings, shootings and mock executions..’ whilst at the same time getting rich by extorting bribes. Armed with guns they become a law unto themselves and use their weapons with impunity. The question on everybody’s lips is how long are they going to go on killing innocent people before the government steps in to do something about it.
The police in their defence will probably argue that there are a lot of armed hardened criminals out there that need to be dealt with properly hence the reason to use lethal force and weapons. This understandable if they’re dealing with armed robbers but not unarmed civilians. If they can’t shoot straight, and are always hitting bystanders, they should be taught how to and if they can’t see properly perhaps they need to take eye tests – there is a big difference between an armed and unarmed person!
But yet again the Nigerian Police are well known for their legendary use of excessive force (- and abuse) when dealing with anyone they deem to be a suspect.
Everybody is innocent until proven guilty and killing people at random doesn’t constitute justice – it’s an unlawful killing whichever way you want to look at it. Armed police should be trained to use their weapons wisely – returning fire only when fired upon is understandable but shooting – dead – unarmed civilians is not tolerable behaviour in a supposedly civilized society. Beating up people for minor misdemeanours or refusal to give bribes is not also acceptable behaviour.
Most Nigerians support and follow #blacklivesmatter in America, condemning the deaths of innocent black people over there, but what about what’s happening on your own doorsteps? They do say charity begins at home. Perhaps it’s time to start a new movement in Nigeria – #blacklivesmatterinnaijatoo!
News
Supreme court nullifies enforcement of National Lottery Act in 36 states
The supreme court has nullified the enforcement of provisions of the National Lottery Act 2005 in the 36 states of the federation.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on Friday, the seven-member panel held that the national assembly lacks the powers to legislate on issues pertaining to lottery and gaming.
In March 2005, former President Olusegun Obasanjo signed the national lottery bill into law.
The legislation provides the framework for the operation of the national lottery and the establishment of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission.
The commission is charged with regulating the business of lottery in Nigeria as well as establishing the national lottery trust fund.
In 2008, the Lagos state government filed a suit against the federal government on whether the control and regulation of gaming and lottery businesses in each state is under the exclusive list.
In October 2020, the Ekiti government joined Lagos as co-plaintiff in the suit.
In November 2022, the supreme court joined 33 state governments as co-defendants in the suit.
In the judgment, the apex court ruled that only state assemblies have the powers to legislate on lottery and gaming businesses.
The supreme court ruled that legislation cannot be enforced in all states, except the federal capital territory (FCT), since the national assembly is empowered to make laws for the country’s capital.
News
NASS amends NDLEA Act, okays life imprisonment for drug traffickers
The Senate has concurred with the recommendation of the House of Representatives to commute the death sentence penalty for persons found guilty of storing, moving or concealing hard drugs and other illicit substances to life imprisonment.
The alignment of the Senate with the House of Representatives yesterday was a sequel to the amendment effected on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act.
The amendment was considered at the plenary, presided over by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, APC! Kano North, after majority of senators supported the harmonisation of the conference committee of the two chambers of the National Assembly on Section 11 of the NDLEA Act.
Recall that recently, the House of Representatives passed an amendment to the NDLEA law to prescribe life imprisonment for drug traffickers but the Senate version of the amendment prescribed death penalty for the offenders.
In order to address the differences, both the Senate and the House of Representatives needed to hold a conference committee on the amendment where they will conclude on a final amendment to the section.
The then Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Tahir Monguno, had told his colleagues that the Senate would adopt the amendment of the House prescribing life imprisonment for drug traffickers.
Monguno, who is the chairman of the conference committee, explained that if the National Assembly adopted the death sentence, it meant over 900 accused persons behind bar on drug related cases would be executed.
He, therefore, urged his colleagues to support the resolution in order to reduce the effect of drug consumption and trading in the country.
After the presentation, the Deputy Senate President put the resolution to a vote and majority of the senators supported it.
Senator Barau, thereafter, approved the amendments to include life imprisonment for drug traffickers.
With the amendment, the section now reads: “Anybody who is unlawfully involved in the storage, custody, movement, carriage or concealment of dangerous drugs or controlled substances and who, while so involved is armed with any offensive weapon or is disguised in anyway, shall be guilty of an offence under this Act, and liable on conviction to be sentenced to life imprisonment.”
News
‘He was never our member’ — IPOB disowns Simon Ekpa
The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) says Simon Ekpa, the controversial Biafra agitator, was never a member of the group.
IPOB said Ekpa was not a registered member of the group’s chapter in Finland and cannot be the leader of the group.
On Thursday, Ekpa, a Finland-based secessionist, was arrested by law enforcement agents in the northern European nation.
He was subsequently sent to prison by the district court of Päijät-Häme for “spreading terrorist propaganda on social media”.
Ekpa was said to have committed the crime in 2021 in Lahti municipality.
The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) also arrested four other men over alleged terrorist offences.
In a statement on Friday, Emma Powerful, IPOB’s spokesperson, said Ekpa was a “destructive agent” paid to “infiltrate and destroy” the “peaceful movement” of IPOB.
Powerful accused the Nigerian and Finnish governments of shielding Ekpa from arrest.
“Simon Ekpa was never and is not an IPOB member, let alone being a leader in IPOB. IPOB has some family units in Finland, and Simon Ekpa is not a registered member of any IPOB unit in Finland or any other IPOB unit globally,” the statement reads.
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu established IPOB as a peaceful movement to seek Biafra Independence via a supervised UN referendum.
“IPOB is a peaceful global movement that has never taken to violence or arms struggle in two decades of our self-determination struggle.
“It was unfortunate that some innocent Biafrans, being passionate for the restoration of the stolen sovereignty of the Biafran Nation, thought that Simon Ekpa was genuinely sympathetic to the Biafra cause.
“Sadly, they had to learn the hard way that he was a destructive agent paid to infiltrate and destroy the IPOB peaceful movement for Biafra self-determination. He recruited violent criminals to destabilize the South East Region in 2021.
“The Simon Ekpa-led group has no alliance, affiliation or relationship with IPOB family worldwide. He recruited his criminal gangs who have been terrorising the Biafran territory since 2021.
“The Nigerian government and politicians that contracted Simon Ekpa have been making strenuous efforts to tag the violent crimes of their agent on IPOB just to blackmail and demonise the genuine and peaceful Biafra self-determination struggle of the Biafran people led by the IPOB.
“On the purported arrest of Simon Ekpa, all IPOB members, Biafrans and lovers of Biafra freedom should remain calm and focused on our core objective which is the restoration of the sovereign state of Biafra.”
-
Politics1 week ago
Okpebholo fires permanent secretaries, dissolves boards
-
Politics6 days ago
DSS operatives arrest man with bags of cash during Ondo guber
-
Business4 days ago
Lagos state government to commence upgrade of major junctions in Ikeja axis, seeks residents’ cooperation
-
News6 days ago
Nnamdi Emeh: Suspect Facing Charges In Court, Process Independent Of Police Influence
-
Celebrities6 days ago
Daddy Freeze, Akah Nnani clash over Emmanuel Iren
-
News6 days ago
Alice Loksha, abducted UNICEF nurse, escapes captivity after 6 years
-
World1 week ago
French newspapers sue X for using content without paying
-
Health6 days ago
Five ways to rid your home of ants