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Tag: Rule of Law

  • Shettima urges judiciary to uphold integrity, rule of law

    Shettima urges judiciary to uphold integrity, rule of law

    Vice President, Kashim Shettima on Wednesday in Abuja, put the judiciary to task on the need to resist external pressure and sustain its integrity in upholding the rule of law and justice delivery.

    Shettima made the call at the maiden edition of the Body of Benchers’ Annual Lecture and Public Presentation of its Law Report.

    The vice president said that the judiciary was an essential pillar of the nation’s democratic framework and must be protected against external interference.

    “The foundation of every great nation is built on the ethical sensitivity of the institutions that uphold justice.”

    He warned that bending the law to serve vested interests eroded national stability and weakened democratic governance.

    “Laws are not mere technicalities; they are the scaffolding of civilisation.

    “Without laws, there is no order, without order, there is no society.

    “Every time justice is delayed, every time the law is bent to serve the interests of agents of anarchy, and every time institutions waver in the face of blackmail, we erode the very foundation of our nation.

    “If that foundation crumbles, no matter how high we have built, everything falls apart,” the vice president said.

    The vice president who declared the event open, urged legal practitioners to make  honesty and fairness their watchword adding  that history would judge those who allowed justice to be compromised.

    In a keynote address, former governor of Lagos State, Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN, said it was important for benchers to rigorously scrutinise the legal professionals admitted to the bar in order to maintain the profession’s standards.

    He called for a re-evaluation of legal training to separate the education of solicitors from that of barristers or advocates.

    “Given the public concerns about the administration of justice, has the time not come upon us to separate and specialise the training of solicitors from barristers or advocates?” he said.

    He also said that in his opinion  the the one-year law school training was inadequate as it lacked sufficient court exposure, making it difficult to instill the intangible attitudes of a lawyer that were essential for legal practice.

    Also speaking, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, called for a renewed commitment to ethical standards and professional discipline in the country’s legal profession.

    “This forum is not only a testament to the progressive evolution of the body but also a much-needed platform for intellectual engagement, practical discourse, and introspective reflections on the role of the Body of Benchers within the legal profession in Nigeria.”

    She acknowledged the increasing ethical challenges facing the legal profession and underscored the body of benchers role in enforcing discipline through the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC).

    She stressed that disciplinary measures must be transparent, fair, and resolute to maintain the integrity of the profession.

    “The responsibility of upholding the sanctity of the legal profession rests heavily on the shoulders of the body of benchers.

    “The enforcement of professional discipline among legal practitioners must be pursued with fairness, transparency, and unwavering resolve,” she said.

    The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN said that the legal profession was not only a cornerstone of our democratic system but a vital force in shaping the direction of our national development.

    Fagbemi who was represented by the Solicitor-General of the Federation, Mrs Beatrice Jedy-Agba
    added that the very essence of the legal profession was to uphold the rule of law, ensure justice and safeguard fairness in society.

    “As legal practitioners we are duty-bound to ensure that justice is served and that the law remains  for the protection of the people.”

    Welcoming guests to the event, the Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Mr Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN said that event was organised to enable legal minds to talk about activities of the body in half a century.

    According to him, the body is by statute given powers to regulate the practice of law and discipline of lawyers whose conduct violate the rules of professional conduct in the legal profession.

    The body of benchers was established in 1971 with the primary responsibility of admitting individuals of learning and character into the legal profession as barristers and solicitors of the Supreme Court.

  • 2025, year to advance rule of law – NBA president

    2025, year to advance rule of law – NBA president

    President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), on Wednesday, said that he will intensify advocacy for preservation of the rule of law and human rights, in 2025.

    Osigwe made this known in his new year message to Nigerian Lawyers, which was made available to newsmen in Lagos.

    According to him, the NBA under his watch, will take the front seat in advancing respect for the rule of law and human rights, and will also partner security agencies, to foster a more just and equitable society.

    While noting that the strength of the Nigerian Bar lies in its unity, he urged every Nigeria lawyer to foster collaboration, dialogue, and mutual respect.

    “As we proudly step into the year 2025, I am honored to welcome you all to a new era of limitless possibilities, reflection, gratitude, and renewed determination.

    “This year will also be marked by intensified advocacy for the rule of law and human rights. We will remain at the forefront of holding authorities accountable and ensuring that citizens’ rights are upheld.

    “We will work tirelessly to address issues such as police brutality, unlawful detentions, and other human rights abuses, while partnering with stakeholders to foster a more just and equitable society,” he said .

    Osigwe also harped on the need for collaboration among members of the bar, as the strength of the NBA lies in the unity of its members.

    “As we embark on the tasks ahead, I encourage every member of the NBA to foster collaboration, dialogue, and mutual respect; together, we can overcome the challenges facing our profession and nation.

    “Let us continue to stand as a beacon of hope, integrity, and resilience for Nigeria. As we look forward to 2025, I invite you all to join me in embracing this year with courage, determination, and a shared vision for a brighter future.

    “May it be a year of growth, unity, and success for the NBA, the legal profession, and Nigeria as a whole,” he said.

  • In pursuit of justice, productivity, under the rule of law – By Wole Soyinka

    In pursuit of justice, productivity, under the rule of law – By Wole Soyinka

    Concerning governance, there is never any moment too early, nor demand too drastic in calling for the overhaul of security agencies where their activities intrude on the fundamental rights of the citizen.

    The immediate provocation for these reflections is ongoing predicament of a former Minister of Power, Dr. Olu Agunloye, currently detained by the EFCC

    The practice of citizen detention at the whim of either religious blackmail or secular arrogation demands curtailment at source, most especially when exercised in defiance of the law, and the pronouncements of its agencies. Anything less goes to remind us that anarchy remains a choice for citizen recourse, with unpredictable consequences.

    The immediate provocation for these reflections is ongoing predicament of a former Minister of Power, Dr. Olu Agunloye, currently detained by the EFCC, in total contempt of sense and justice, or indeed, basic humane considerations. We shall not go into the merit or demerits of the charges raised against him over a 16-year-old project that bears the name Manbilla. – that is the business of the law courts. Our concern at this moment is however only partially on the basis of individual Fundamental Human Rights. Most fortuitously, the detention of any former public servant under circumstances such as Agunloye also provokes the question: how is public interest – such as the pursuit of justice – served by such an arbitrary exercise of power?

    Before the now familiar carping, let me state that this is not the first time I have personally intervened in the high-handed and illegal conduct of the EFCC. All the way back to its inception, and public enthusiasm over its mission, I have had cause to use every means to promote and facilitate the success of that mission, while at the same time insisting on the organization’s operation under the law and citizen entitlement. My personal relations with the EFCC include placing the civic organization in which I am involved in an active relationship with that corruption-fighting agency, even to the existence of an MOU of collaboration. From the time when intoxicated by righteous zeal, the EFCC in its early years attacked the home and offices of a businessman with a bulldozer, destroying and carrying off valuable equipment, I tackled its then director and demanded civilized usage in opposition to brute force. It was this that impelled me to facilitate bringing to Nigeria President Kagame of Rwanda to Nigeria to lecture on how he tackled a deep-seated corruption culture among public servants. That was effected in the context of a conference on that very theme at the dedication of new offices of EFCC. I have never hidden my commitment to the operations of any corruption-fighting agency, including EFCC’s predecessor, the ICPC.

    Those credentials are stated to forestall any time-wasting and distracting interventions – let us now get down to immediate, and nation affective missteps by that same EFCC. The resort to “Trial or Smear by Media” of the most sensationalist kind, launched against the person of Dr. Olu Agunloye is unworthy and reprehensible. Most critically – and I want both governance and citizenry to understand this – it is counterproductive. It inhibits genuine inclination by proficient citizens for public service. That is a lamentable obstacle on the way to any nation’s development.

    WANTED? Just what is that?  Olu Agunloye has pursued his movements openly to the extent of being present and photographed at my sister’s funeral on December 8. He did not appear in disguise, did not sneak in and out. He functioned as any normal human being at an event at which the Press was present. Less than thirty-six hours later, he was declared WANTED: If that was an EFCC joke, it was in extremely bad taste, obviously designed for Social Media sensationalism, not for any serious crime-solving commitment.

    Nonetheless, Agunloye, as a dutiful citizen, issued a statement on his visibility and ready compliance. He promised to show up at the EFCC offices in Abuja the following day. He appeared, and was promptly arrested and detained. The information I have been able to obtain during the past two days of my return to the country is that the Head of the EFCC declared that he would release him only on the instructions of the President of the Nation.

    True or false? I am not in the game of “He said, I said”.  What matters is the murky exercise of power. I have had cause to intervene before this, all the way from Are, through Ribadu and Magu, that last until he stopped taking my calls. The present however transcends all other interventions, as it involves certain issues of national interest, in tandem with the evident issues of fundamental citizen rights.

    Put succinctly, I wish to claim that finally, after so many years of frustration, the nation is being offered an opportunity to put the Mambilla Project to rest, be it through terminal abandonment or resuscitation, corralling its lessons in fulfilling one of the most basic conditions for national industrial development with private creative input – addressing frontally and holistically the basic question of sustainable supply of power., In addition – and I concede that this is a personal, yet national concern. We stand a chance to finally solve a nation’s high-profile murder case, this being none other than that of Bola Ige, also prior minister of Power under President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    Let this be understood. The murder of Bola Ige, plus a monumental act of sabotage that took place under Ige’s watch, involving the loss of some engineers, was linked to massive corruption that underlay the Mambilla collapse. It is time to end the deception, the cynical cover-ups, the blame passing, the diversionary utterances, and the now open admission of corporate corruption with high reaches of power. We are calling for a non-partisan Commission that will sit in public, take evidence, ask questions, and cross-examine witnesses over even one year if necessary. After all, this MASSIVE FAILURE has gone on for nearly two decades. We can spare one more year, surely to lay bare the ugly face of Truth, then let the public do what it will with the revelations. The cycle of self-deception has gone on far enough. Let the two legislative chambers take the bull by the horns to end the charade, cut our losses, and move on.

    In the meantime, the EFCC should release all its prisoners or, in the alternative, equally arrest and detain ALL those involved in this mammoth SCAM that has deprived the “GIANT OF AFRICA” the basic survival facility for a twenty-first-century society. One chicken in the coop is a travesty of justice and a deplorable lack of nerve.  Release Agunloye, or detain all those directly or indirectly implicated in that fiasco. The preening and posturing of EFCC has served its purpose, it is time to now divert it to a productive end –  bringing closure on the one hand, and also opening up new channels of productive fulfillment for a stressed and distressed nation.

  • 2023: I will respect rule of law if elected president – Peter Obi

    2023: I will respect rule of law if elected president – Peter Obi

    The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, has promised that his administration will respect the rule of law if he is voted into power.

    Obi gave the assurance during a town hall meeting, organised by the Imo chapter of the party on Thursday in Owerri.

    He commended the organisers of the meeting for their painstaking efforts at mobilising Nigerians to key into the programmes of the party.

    Obi further reaffirmed his commitment to a new Nigeria that would work for and accommodate everyone, irrespective of tribe, religion or other inclinations.

    He assured Nigerians that electing him as president would help to unite the country and bring an end to poverty, sufferings and insecurity.

    He also said that his emergence would open the way for the country’s economic emancipation, by moving the country from consumption to production.

    He said: “My government will work closely with state governments to build uncommon synergy, with the aim of an all-inclusive governance for the overall good of all the citizens.

    “Nigeria is blessed, we have all it takes to be a great country.

    “All we need is the right leadership that will harness our potential as a country, such as the oil and gas in Imo, for our collective benefit.

    “I will ensure respect for rule of law, secure and unite Nigeria and move the country from consumption to production.

    “Vote for Labour Party, vote for human beings: papa, mama, pikin,” the LP governorship hopeful said.

    He further said that his government would support a legislation to guarantee a certain percentage of women and youths in governance, as a way of pursuing affirmative action in line with global best practices.

    This, he said, he would achieve by strengthening the not-too-young-to-run and other relevant extant laws.

  • Godwin Emefiele: AFBA urges DSS to respect rule of law

    Godwin Emefiele: AFBA urges DSS to respect rule of law

    The Human and Constitutional Rights Committee of the African Bar Association  has registered their displeasure over  the ongoing drama between the Department of State Security (DSS) and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria concerning sundry issues allegedly bothering on State security, Corruption and politics.

    The body frowns at the way and manner the DSS is handling allegations leveled against the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele.

    According to the central lawyers, the DSS should respect the rule of law and allow justice take its course on the allegations leveled against Emefiele.

    Addressing journalist at an event in Lagos, the Chairman of the HRCC,  Sonnie Ekwonusi  ESq. who spoke on behalf of the  central lawyers, noted that not respecting rule of law has got far reaching implications that could hamper democracy.

    Continuing, he added that, sacrificing the rule of law and doing things their own way might derail governance in the country and could affect human rights.

    Ekwonusi reiterated that the courts are there to interpret laws and settle dispute, saying that the DSS should abide by that tenets.

    He noted that the matter at hand is in court and the DSS should allow justice take it course on it.

    The lawyer added that the court already ruled that the evidence presented before it is not  substantive enough to get the CBN Governor arrested and detained.

    He said  ‘’While the association would have ordinarily regarded this as a domestic issue involving Nigeria, which can adequately be dealt with by the Local Bar Association and civil process of Law and Human rights which is universal.

    ‘’Under the Nigerian Law  the DSS has power  to invite, question and detain any person who it considers have breached state security or is a threat to Nigeria’s security and the CBN is not above the Law

    “However, the DSS opted to ask the Federal High Court in Nigeria to hand her the authority to arrest the CBN Governor which the court rejected on the grounds that there was insufficient information amongst others, that ought to put the DSS on it toes that if needed to do more homework or walk the road on her own

    ‘’We are similarly aware that a civil Society Organization following the steps of the DSS approached the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Nigeria, which ordered that the CBN Governor should not be arrested, questioned  or detained until the matter  in court is heard and determined .

    ‘’Our committee believe that all these represents the rule of law at work and must be followed with logical conclusion.

    “In conclusion we advise that in this case, the matter is sub-judiced and parties to this controversy must respect the appropriate court orders and stop and acts that will create an impression that there is more to this than the DSS  is carrying out her legitimate duties”

    However,  the AFBA made it clear that it wasn’t holding brief for either  of the two parties but only asking that the DSS allow the rule of law and justice take it course on the matter that’s still in the court of law.

  • Rule of law bedrock of every democratic society – Rtd Justice Adekeye

    Rule of law bedrock of every democratic society – Rtd Justice Adekeye

    Retired Justice Olufunlola Adekeye of the Supreme Court says rule of law is the bedrock of every democratic society.

    Adekeye made this known in Abuja at a-two-day forum organised by the National Human Rights (NHRC) for the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on civil liberties and rule of law.

    “It is a concept that suggests that no one is above the law and that government decisions must be made only by applying known legal and moral principles.

    ”The doctrine of the Rule of Law limits the powers of Government and helps to prevent dictatorship as well as to protect the rights of the people.

    “The rule of law simply means that law rules or reigns” she said.

    According to Adekeye, the rule of law being a constitutional concept remains the cornerstone of governance in any given polity.

    She said it means that everything must be done according to the law.

    Adekeye said the government and the governed must always justify their actions in law.

    ”According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Civil and political rights have been defined as a class of rights that protect individuals’ freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals.

    ”They ensure one’s entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of society and the state without discrimination or repression.

    ”In 1993, Nigeria ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by which the country agreed that, in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

    ”The idea of human beings enjoying civil and political freedom and freedom from fear and want can only be achieved if conditions are created whereby, everyone may enjoy his civil and political rights, as well as his economic, social and cultural rights” she said.

    Some of the rights contained in the international instrument according to her include that all people have the right of self-determination and may not be deprived of their own means of subsistence.

    She said the right to freedom from torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the right to fair trial right

    She further said right to freedom of thought, religion and expression, privacy, home and family life, equality and non-discrimination.

    She said although human rights globally, have experienced challenges, the Nigerian narrative leaves more to be desired.

    She maintained that human rights cannot be overemphasised.

    ”The courts have a plethora of cases ruled on the sanctity of human rights.

    ”Not only is this right very important, it encapsulates the entirety.

    “One of the major issues that the world, in general, is faced with is harassment and infringement of these rights” she said.

    According to her, the questions that beg for answers are: why do the security forces use excessive force most times on citizens?

    She contiuned, Is there a miscommunication on the responsibility of the security forces? Are Nigerians too stubborn and all they do is cause trouble?

    ”Is the problem the law framing or the interpretation? Are there things the international community is to do? Is Nigeria acting like a truly democratic state?

    ”These questions I believe set the tone for our discussion today and our deliberations I strongly believe in Nigeria.

    ”I believe solutions to the above questions will foster national unity, growth and development” she said.

    Newsmen reports that the forum was organised towards the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948.

    UDHR is celebrated every Dec. 10 annually, this year ‘s theme is ‘Dignity, Freedom and Justice for all.’

  • Championing rule of law at home and criminality abroad – By Owei Lakemfa

    Championing rule of law at home and criminality abroad – By Owei Lakemfa

    Only a quarter of the eight million Palestinian people live in the Palestine; one million in Gaza, 750,000 in the occupied West Bank and 250,000 inside Israel. The rest, or over six million, are forced to live outside with at least three million of them classified as stateless persons with no legal rights. Yet these Palestinians in the diaspora are hunted like rabbits by the Israeli state.

    On September 28, 2022, two Palestinians were confronted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by four men working for Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency. They snatched one of them, a programmer from Gaza while the second Palestinian escaped. The victim was then taken to a chalet where he was tortured and interrogated directly by two Mossad agents via video call.

    The New Strait Times, Malaysia’s oldest newspaper published since 1845 reported that for 24 hours, the Palestinian was interrogated and beaten by his Malaysian captors whenever the answer he gave were not satisfactory to the Israeli agents.

    It reported that the Israelis wanted to know the depth of the victim’s knowledge of computer application development, what he knew about the Palestinian group, Hamas’ expertise in developing software and information on its military arm, the Al-Qassam Brigade.

    Luckily for the victim, his colleague who escaped, alerted the Malaysian police which was able to trace the victim and free him. He had sustained injuries to his body, head and legs. Both Palestinians left the country, eleven Malaysians were charged with the kidnap while the Israelis remain free in their country to track down more Palestinians abroad for abduction or even murder. Israel at home, claims to be a democracy based on the rule of law, but believes it is licensed abroad to carry out brigandage and murder defenceless people who are given no chance to defend themselves.

    Nnamdi Kanu is the leader of the separatist Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB. He was on bail in September 2017 when the military invaded his home in Afara-Ukwu, near Umuahia, Abia State. He escaped the bloody invasion and fled the country. On June 19, 2021 in Nairobi, Kenya, he drove himself to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport named after the father of the then Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.

    His mission was to receive an IPOB leader. In the underground car park, he was abducted, and then, terrorised for eight days before his rendition to Abuja on Sunday, June 27. He was travelling on his British passport. So it was a case of a vising foreign national abducted by a third country. His lawyer in Nigeria, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, claimed Kanu was “mercilessly beaten and tortured” in a private residence before his extradition.

    It was a clear case of a government sworn to uphold the rule of law, constitutionality and fundamental human rights, caught abroad violently violating all these.

    But the Nigerian courts would have none of these. The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Thursday October 13, 2022 quashed the terrorism charges against Kanu, discharged and acquitted him because it was satisfied that the government flagrantly violated Nigerian, African and international laws in abducting him.

    The appellate court held that the proceedings against Kanu amounted to “an abuse of criminal prosecution in general”. It declared that: “The court will never shy away from calling the Executive to order when it tilts towards Executive recklessness”.

    In the criminality called extraordinary rendition, the abductors sometimes mix up faces and people. This was the case of Khaled El-Masri, a German who was seized by Macedonian agents on December 31, 2003 and held in solitary confinement for 23 days on suspicion of being a member of Al-Qaida.

    The Macedonians transferred him to the American Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, who flew him to Kabul, Afghanistan where he was detained and interrogated. Nobody was ready to listen to his explanations or cross check his claims. When after four months the Americans discovered their error, rather than apologise and return him home, they flew him back to Europe and abandoned him on a roadside in Albania.

    There was also the case of Syrian-born Canadian, Maher Arar, who was detained at the JFK Airport, New York while returning from vacation. He was first taken to a detention centre in Brookyln, then flown to Jordan before being finally dumped in a prison in Syria.

    In the last two decades, the Americans have illegally abducted over 150 persons across the world and dumped them in its detention centres in places like Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Diego Garcia, Guantánamo and Afghanistan – before the Americans were forced to evacuate that country.

    A former CIA agent, Robert Baer, said of the shadowy American programme: “If you want a serious interrogation, you send a prisoner to Jordan. If you want them to be tortured, you send them to Syria. If you want someone to disappear — never to see them again — you send them to Egypt.”

    Ambassador Alex Saab, a Colombian-born Venezuelan diplomat was flying to Iran to buy food and medicines for his country. On June 12, 2020, his aircraft refuelled in Cape Verde where he was abducted and detained. The regional Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, court ruled his detention illegal and ordered Cape Verde to pay him $200,000 in compensation. But rather than free him, he was delivered to the Americans who bundled him to their country where he sits in jail. The Americans accuse him of money laundry for violating unilateral United States sanctions against Venezuela and Iran.

    When the Americans tried a similar action against Huawei Executive Meng Wanzhou in December 2018 by getting Canada to detain her preparatory to bundling her to America, the Chinese retaliated by seizing two Canadians, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig and charged them with espionage. Wanzhou had been accused of having business dealings with Iran in violation of unilateral American sanctions. A deal had to be reached exchanging her for the Canadians.

    France is another player in the game. In 1994, Venezuelan internationalist, Ilich Ramirez Sanchez better known as Carlos the Jackal was visiting Sudan when French agents abducted him. Carlos who had led campaigns for Palestinian freedom, has since remained in jail having received three life sentences.

    France has a long history of such abductions. In October 1956 it hijacked an aircraft in which Moroccan-born Algerian freedom fighter, Ahmed Ben Bella was travelling. He was set free on July 5, 1962 and went on to become President of a free Algeria.

    Abdullah Ocalan, 73, sits in a Turkish prison for championing the minority rights of Kurds in Turkey. He was abducted in Nairobi, Kenya by a Turkish secret agent in February 1999.

    Countries cannot claim to operate the rule of law at home while committing criminality abroad.

  • China advocates rule of law to tackle substandard products in Africa

    China advocates rule of law to tackle substandard products in Africa

    Wu Peng, Director-General of the Department of African Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, has stressed the need for the Rule of Law to tackle issues about substandard products in Africa.

    Wu said this at his interactive session with African Journalists under auspices of the China Africa Press Centre (CAPC) Programme 2022, which began in June in Beijing.

    He decried the situation where there was alleged production of substandard products between China and Africa trade that has become important for collective efforts to tackle such problems.

    Wu said, “If some Chinese in Africa violate the rule of law they must face consequences, no doubt about it.

    “Our Chinese Government always advocates that our nationals must respect African people, respect your culture and follow the rule of law of local country.

    “We also encourage all our Chinese nationals and companies living and working in Africa to contribute through social responsibility to their local community.

    “Certainly, there are always some bad apples who do bad things, I condemn this kind of behaviour, but isolated cases do not represent all Chinese, just like we will count African people in China.

    “We cannot just consider some crime that happened in China by an African to represent Africans; the same thing applies if Chinese nationals violate the Rule of Law we condemn it.”

    He reiterated China’s respect for Africa, saying “we also respect our own Rule of Law to handle these kinds of cases”.

    According to him, there is no need to trade this kind of thing into a political level or at bilateral relations levels, there are isolated cases according to Rule of Law of African countries.

    “I think this is a commercial issue, we noticed many African businessmen go into China for procurement and do lots of shopping for stuffs and then bring back to Africa.

    “Such people even do such through the use of e-commerce to buy some stuffs back to Africa; whether these kinds of stuffs are made in China, the quality is good or not, it must reach the national standard.

    “From our Chinese official point of view, we have an inspection procedure of goods exported to China; of course, I cannot deny this because sometimes the price is different.

    “Some quality of the products cannot reach the expectations of the African consumers; I think China and Africa need to work together to change the situation.

    “We do not like it at all, let us work together to fight against counterfeit or smuggling and such bad things; we do not like it at all, we should uphold the Rule of Law to fight against it,” he added.

    He observed such incidence had changed a lot in recent years, adding that at African shopping centres one could find a lot of high level Chinese products and even, around the world.

    He further said that Chinese products now enjoyed the reputation of low price but high quality amidst some isolated cases, which were not good for the reputation of Chinese products.

    He, however, expressed displeasure, saying such acts often portrayed Chinese products in a bad light to the outside world.

    No fewer than 90 journalists from 67 countries across Africa, Middle East, Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific, are participating in the programme, which began in June.

    The programme, which is being hosted by the China Public Diplomacy Association (CPDA), is expected to end in November.

  • Deborah: The rule of law must triumph – By Sonnie Ekwowusi

    Deborah: The rule of law must triumph – By Sonnie Ekwowusi

    The rule of law must be allowed to triumph in the matter of the barbaric murder of Deborah Samuel no matter whose ox is gored. Therefore the Sokoto State police, State security agents and the authorities must not succumb to the cheap blackmail and intimidation of some Islamic fanatics and extremists who are now sponsoring orgy of arson and circles of violence in demand for the release of the suspected killers of Deborah. Deborah was a 200-level female Christian student of Shehu Shagari College of Education (SSCOE), Sokoto State. Last week she was astonishingly stoned to death and set ablaze in the most barbaric, horrifying and animalistic manner by some fanatical Muslim students of the same SSCOE for allegedly insulting Prophet Mohammed (Peace be on him). Instead of listening to the voice of the Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar 111 and other voices of reason who have been condemning the murder and calling for justice for Deborah, the Sokoto State Chief Imam Dr. Sheikh Mansour and some Islamic fanatics and extremists are putting pressure on the police and the authorities to release the suspected killers of Deborah. The police and the security agents should not only ignore them but should move quickly to arrest them and charge them to court for sabotaging and obstructing the course of criminal justice.

    On its part, the Sokoto State Ministry of Justice must ensure that all the suspected killers of Deborah are swiftly charged to court for murder and executed upon conviction as stipulated in the law. I repeat: Deborah’s murderers should be rounded up, charged to court for murder and executed upon conviction. And if it is established that Professor Ibrahim Magari, the Chief Imam of the National Mosque, Abuja and others had in any way aided and abetted the murder of Deborah they too should be arrested, charged to court for murder and killed if found guilty of murder. Nobody is above the law of the land.

    The Sokoto State Chief Imam Dr. Sheikh Mansour and Professor Magari argue that jungle justice meted out against Deborah was aimed at defending Prophet Mohammed (peace be on him) and Islam. Hear Professor Magari “It should be known to everyone that we the Muslims have some redlines beyond which must not be crossed. The dignity of the Prophet (PBUH) is at the forefront of the redlines. If our grievances are not properly addressed, then we should not be criticized for addressing them ourselves.” Contrary to the assertions of Dr. Sheikh Mansour and Professor Magari, jungle justice is unacceptable in Islam. In any case, Deborah did not cross any Islamic redline warranting her murder. She neither insulted Prophet Mohammed (peace be on him) nor blasphemed against Islam before she was stoned to death. Like the conscience of the nation Leah Sharibu, Deborah, merely publicly exercised her right to religious freedom before she was murdered. What was her “offence”? She ascribed her success in an examination which she sat for to Jesus Christ. And when violently ordered by the fanatical Muslim students around her to retract the name Jesus Christ, she refused to do so. That was all before they stoned her to death and set her body ablaze. She never insulted Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him). She did not desecrate the Holy Qur’an either. She merely exercised her right to religious freedom as enshrined in our 1999 Constitution. By virtue of section 10 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, Nigeria is a secular State. Islam is not a State religion either in Sokoto State or anywhere in Nigeria. The import of this is that Deborah, like Leah Sharibu, was free to publicly reject Islam and embrace Christianity. She did so without insulting Prophet Mohammed (peace be on him). She merely publicly professed her Christian faith before they brutally murdered her.

    You see, you cannot force anyone to subscribe to your religion. God has created all of us and given us human freedom and expects us to freely exercise our freedom in one way or another. It is disappointing that clerics whose calling is to shepherd their flock to conduct themselves in edifying manner are busy inciting them to take to violence-to maiming, killing and destruction of property of the so-called infidels. By their fruits we shall know them. Violence has never been used to ultimately solve any human problem. So, why unleash violence against others for refusing to profess your religion?. Although Muslims are enjoined to proselytize non-believers to embrace Islam and spread Islamic teachings, they are not enjoined to do so by force or through terrorism or through abduction or killing of human beings or arson. It is the obligation and duty of the Muslim community to enjoin its members to shun wickedness and evil (Holy Quran 3:110).

    Dr. Sheikh Mansour and Professor Magari cannot claim to know the Holy Qur’an more than the Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar 111 who has since condemned the murder of Deborah. It is fanatics like Dr. Mansour and Professor Magari who bring bad name to Islam. Islam is a religion of peace. Islam abhors jungle justice. I am surrounded by many fervent Muslim friends and I have never heard any of them threatening to kill any Christian for any reason. Like in Christianity, human life is inviolable in Islam. Human life cannot be taken away in Islam except for a just cause. What is this just cause? Three of these causes are embodied in the Qur’an while the two additional causes have been stated by the Prophet Mohammed (peace be on him). The causes stipulated in the Qur’an are: First, when a person is convicted of deliberate homicide and thus the claim of retaliation is established against him. Second: when someone resists the establishment of the true faith so that fighting against him might become necessary. Third: when someone is guilty of spreading disorder in the domain of Islam and strives to overthrow the Islamic order of government. The two causes stipulated by Prophet Mohammed (peace be on him) are: First: when a person commits illegitimate sexual intercourse even after marriage. Second: when a Muslim is guilty of apostasy and rebellion against the Muslim body-politic. Except for aforesaid five reasons, murdering a human being is not permissible in Islam, regardless of whether the victim is a believer, a protected non-Muslim (dhimmi) or an ordinary unbeliever. (Read Surah Al-Anam Ayat 151(6;151-154)

    Despite the foregoing Islamic teaching, some Nigerian murderers under the pretext of defending Allah, seem to have perfected the crime of killing their fellow brothers and sisters in Nigeria. For years, they have been getting away with such killings. For example, in 1995, Gideon Akaluka, a Christian, was beheaded in Kano prison for no reason other than the fact that he was a Christian. Till date, the killers of Akaluka have not been brought to justice. In 1999 major Islamic violent riots erupted in Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano, Minna and Jos claiming human lives. In the year 2000, we witnessed the Sharia riots. Other violent riots seized Jos in 2001 and 2004. From 2005 to 2011, major religious and ethnic riots and killings had engulfed some major cities in the North. On December 18 1980 the “Maitatsine guerrilla war” engulfed the North claiming officially about the lives of 2,800 people even though the army was invited to stop the war. In 1982 or so, the Maitatsine “war” was again ignited in Bulunkutu, Borno State, Jimeta and Gongola, leaving in its aftermath the death of about 900 people. In 1984 some Muslim students of Bayero University started a religious riot which spread to Bauchi and Kano claiming uncountable heavy human lives. In 1985 a violet religious riot erupted simultaneously in about seven Northern States. While the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) debate raged in the country in 1986, a religious violence was averted in the North. By 6th or 7th of March 7 1987, the Kafanchan religious conflagration swallowed up Kaduna, Zaria and Kano. About 50 churches were set ablaze. The 90s were not safe either. Following the Crusade organized in Kano in 1991 by a German evangelist Reinhard Bonke, another round of religious riots overtook Katsina, Kafanchan, Zaria, Funtua, Kankum, Tafawa Balewa, Bauchi and other Northern cities claiming many human lives and leaving many people injured.

    On June 2 2016, a 70-year old citizen of Imo State called lady Mrs. Bridget Agbahime, and a member of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) was murdered in Kano for alleged blasphemy of the Koran. And barely 10 days later, Francis Emmanuel, a 41-year old Christian, was almost stabbed to death in Kaduna for allegedly eating meat during the Ramadan. As if that was not enough, on the 9th of July 2016, Mrs. Eunic Olawale, a mother of seven who was also the wife of a Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) pastor was murdered in cold blood in Abuja by Muslim fanatics while she was preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Between 2016 and 2020 thousands upon thousands of Southern Kaduna Christians have been killed in several renewed genocidal attacks carried out against the Southern Kaduna Christians. Between 2016 and 2022 thousands upon thousands of Southern Kaduna Christians have been killed in several renewed genocidal attacks carried out against the Southern Kaduna Christians. In fact, over 15,500 Christians have reportedly been murdered in Nigeria since June 2015. On August 25 2016, eight students of Talat Mafara Polytechnic, Zamfara State were killed set ablaze by fanatical Muslim students of the institution following a fight between two students of the institution. One of the two students alleged that the other student had committed blasphemy against Prophet Mohammed (peace be on him) and that eventually led to the killing and setting ablaze of the eight persons.

    On January 8 2020 Rev. Timothy Lawan Andimi, the then Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the Michika area, and, an ordained Christian minister at Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN), the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria., was shamefully beheaded. On or around the same time On around the same time, Michael Nnadi, a Seminarian of the Good Shepherd, Seminary, and Kaduna was abducted from the Seminary and was brutally murdered. An eye-witness in the Seminary and a friend of Michael recounted that on Wednesday January 8 2020 at 10.27 p.m., he went to the room of Michael and suddenly there were gun shots all over the Seminary which were followed intermittently by the following command in Hausa language: “Ja su waje, Alsaabiun…Kafirai, Ja su wa je! Alsaabiun…Kafirai !! (Drag them out…infidels!, Drag them out…infidels!!). Thereafter two heavily-armed men in military uniform entered the room where he and Michael were lying flat on the floor in great trepidation and seized their respective laptops and other personal belongings. Thereafter, the two men whisked them away to a waiting vehicle where Michael was later killed.

    You can now see why it is imperative that the suspected killers of Deborah should be charged to court and be executed if found guilty. Apart from satisfying the demand of our criminal justice system, such punishment would serve as a deterrent to would-be killers of their fellow men and women. Reacting to the murder of Deborah, the Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN) has stated that it is a criminal offence in Islam for any Muslim or group of Muslims to kill anybody through jungle justice. I completely agree with them. The universal fundamental right for humanity which Islam upholds and which must be observed and respected in all circumstances and at all times is the sacredness of human life. “Do not take a ˹human˺ life—made sacred by Allah—except with ˹legal˺ right. This is what He has commanded you, so perhaps you will understand” (Holy Quran; 17:33). In Islam, human blood is sacred and cannot be spilled anyhow. The first and foremost basic right in the Holy Quran is the right to life. “Whoever kills a human being without justification like manslaughter or corruption on earth, it is though he had killed all mankind” (Holy Quran; 5:32). “Do not kill a soul which Allah has made scared except through the due process of law” (Holy Quran; 6:151). Islam forbids slavery and adduction. In the words of the Prophet (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him), “There are three categories of people against whom I shall myself be a plaintiff on the Day of Judgment. Of these three, one is he who enslaves a free man, then sells him and eats this money”. The life, property and honour of non-Muslims (dhimmis) are to be respected and protected in exactly the same manner as those of Muslims. According to the Prophet (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him) Muslims who kill non-Muslims (dhimmis) will not even smell the fragrance of paradise. The Holy Quran stipulates that, “there should be no coercion in the matter of Faith” (Holy Quran 2:256).

    Islam recognizes that all human beings are brothers and sisters. That they are descendant from one father and mother and therefore should not be killed. According to Holy Quran 5:3, “Do not let your hatred of a people incite you to aggression”. Islam teaches that no harm should be done to the civilian population during a war or conflict. The instruction of the Prophet (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him) on this is this, “Do not kill any old person, any child or any woman”, “Do not kill the monks in monasteries” and “Do not kill the people who are sitting in places of worship”. Once upon a time during a certain war, the Prophet (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him) saw a corpse of a woman lying on the ground and he said, “She is not fighting. How then came she to be killed?”.

    All said, it is crystal clear that human life is sacred in Islam. It is clear that wanton killing of non-Muslims by fanatical Muslims is against the teaching of the Prophet and Allah. And he who fights against Allah will incur the wrath of Allah the Almighty. We must understand that the spilling of the blood of our fellow men and women diminishes our own existence. The use of force in place of the rule of law is a recipe for anarchy. Any religion ungoverned by the rule of law is dangerous to human society . Under the rule of law the judiciary occupies a unique place in safeguarding the rights of the citizenry. Such rights and regard for the rule of law are the bedrock upon which the society lays its claim to civilization.

  • The Rule of Law, Nigeria’s only hope for survival (3), By Hassan Gimba

    The Rule of Law, Nigeria’s only hope for survival (3), By Hassan Gimba

    By Hassan Gimba

    Many patriots concerned with our rapid nose-diving in morals and abandonment of the rule of law believe that the British left too early. Some theorise that perhaps if our independence, achieved on a platter of gold, was delayed for 20 more years, we would have still been on the course.

    Had we gotten our independence in 1980, about three generations of Nigerians would have gone through tutelage under the prim and proper Britons rather than just one generation. And perhaps respect for the rule of law might have been so engraved in our national psyche, they reason.

    Well, our situation has passed the level of lamentation. What we should aim at, after identifying the cause(s) of our problem(s), is proffering the way out.

    The most important thing is for our crime-fighting and justice enforcement capability to be strengthened.

    At the height of the EndSARS protest, I wrote that the Nigerian Police Force, with the motto ‘The Police is Your Friend’, whose mission is to ‘make Nigeria safer and more secure for economic development and growth; to create a safe environment for everyone living in Nigeria and to build a people-friendly police force that will respect and uphold the fundamental rights of all citizens. But is the Force friendly? Do its operatives care for our rights?

    The Nigeria Police have done its best to be accepted by Nigerians as an altruistic institution. It has created an excellent motto and at a time even changed its name by excising force, but apparently it has stuck. Happy to use force, often it never pretends to be a friend, even earning for itself the sobriquet ‘Kill and Go’, especially when the Police Mobile Force (PMF) was in vogue.

    Even though many innocent citizens have died in its hands, the Nigeria Police have done wonderfully well in crime-solving that, sometimes, one wonders whether they use magic. Apart from excelling in international missions, they have cracked a lot of seemingly hopeless cases at home.

    This is despite the known fact that the police in Nigeria are underpaid, under-trained, under-equipped and under-appreciated. The welfare of the average police officer is appalling as the force’s big guns convert provided funds for personal use, exhorting their juniors to “wait for your time”.

    But the rot in the police force is beyond SARS. It is foundational, historical, institutional, traditional as well as cultural that only education (training is part of education) can improve them and save our country from their atrocities. In the first place, the primary reason the colonialists established the police was to protect British economic and political interests and the police achieved that through brutal subjugation of indigenous communities by the use of violence, repression, and excessive use of force.

    Nigerian leaders who took over from the colonialists have continued to use the police in a similar vein. So all ministers, legislators, entrepreneurs, their wives, children, girlfriends, businesses, residences, etc, all have adequate police protection while our communities and streets do not have enough.

    Though it is a Nigerian phenomenon for anyone in a uniform of whatever shade to be a tyrant, the police officer must be educated to know that the personal safety and wellbeing of every Nigerian is his primary duty, not the opposite as has been the case most times. His loyalty is foremost to the Nigerian constitution, not to any individual. He must be humane, law-abiding, conscientious and people-friendly. But their bosses (of course there are excellent ones) must be fair to the institution and subordinates by jettisoning the mantra, ‘Wait for your time.”

    Again, it is not just about salary. A poor mind will still lust for more, no matter how much his take-home pay is. Coupled with education, the police officers’ welfare must also be looked into. What obtains now, right from training school, can only produce frustrated individuals. He should not be allowed to put his life on the line for us while the state treats him with disdain.

    Then we must enhance our intelligence-gathering methods. There used to be a time when the Crime Investigation Department of our police was famed for its many successful exploits. Likewise, the Department of State Services is still doing a wonderful job. I know this because the DSS played a major role in decimating Boko Haram members living in towns.

    Perhaps what remains is to resuscitate our information gathering abilities because apart from technology, human intelligence (HUMINT) gathering through stool pigeons, etc, cannot be overemphasized.

    Our judiciary and its capacity to deliver timely, just and fair judgment on cases involving the weak and the strong must be improved. Timely judgment delivery takes care of case clogs. Cases that have been begging for attention overwhelm the courts because of their plodding nature. Some cases can take years, even decades, before they can be foreclosed.

    There also has to be the least interference in the dispensation of justice. Where the executive stops a case through nolle prosequi or outrightly tells the judge to hands off a case, or even deliberately refuses to attend proceedings, must stop.

    We have witnessed how criminals who break the laws of the land are given a soft landing. There are cases where governments “pardon” those who have taken up arms against the state. These are insurgents who have slaughtered, maimed, burned public and private property. To pardon them while nothing is done to mitigate the pain of those they harmed, or their families in both the civilian and uniformed populations, sends the wrong signal.

    Next, which may be the last part of this treatise, we shall look at the role of leadership in entrenching the rule of law in a country. We shall also attempt to suggest the type of leadership that suits us as a nation with diversity and possibly a leader that may be capable.