The Nation Newspaper

Category: Law

  • Foundation inaugurates rights club for children

    Foundation inaugurates rights club for children

    The Crime Victims Foundation (CRIVIFON) has inaugurated new members into the Human Rights Children Club, to create and protect the rights of the children in Ajeromi Ifelodun area of Lagos State.

    The new inductees were drawn from  schools in the area including Delight International School,  Rolex Schools/Highstone College, Caro Favoured Schools, Dorcass Memorial School, El-Leonara, Victory Progressive International School and God’s Will Redeemer Secondary School.

    The inauguration was organised by CRIVIFON in collaboration with Human Rights Education and Awareness Centre (HUREAC) with the theme: “Human Rights Awareness in Ajeromi Ifelodun and the Graduation of Civilian/Inauguration of Human Rights Children Club.

    Executive Director of CRIVIFON, Dr. (Mrs) Gloria Egbuji in her address told the inductees that they are the future of the country and should be ready to speak up for what is right, and help build a kinder and safer world for everyone around them.

    Mrs Egbuji also admonished them to learn and know what constitute rights stressing, “learning about your right makes you more powerful and more responsible to the society.

    “You must respect others and all that is right. You must help your friends and families, and understand that every child deserves love, peace and fairness. Never forget you are the future of our country”, she said.

    Mrs Egbuji remarked that one of the things the foundation is doing is to spread knowledge amongst the down trodden, pointing out that for them to get  access to justice, they must first know what justice is, in order to be able to demand for it

    “So, this is why  we are trying to spread knowledge among the down trodden, not at the top but amongst the less privileged because there is no access to justice for the down trodding.

    “How do you get access to justice, when you don’t even know what justice is, when you don’t know what the right is, when you don’t know what  right to demand..

    “So, our foundation has taken it upon itself  to take knowledge and awareness down to the grassroots. So, congratulations to each one of you, the graduates coming from these units.

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    “You have learned something very important, your rights as human beings. You now know that it is your right to be safe, to be heard, to go to school, to live free from fear, and to dream big dreams”, she said

    Launching the young people’s Human Rights Club, Mrs Egbuji encouraged the youth to always ask questions, speak up peacefully, and help others learn too in order to shine as young human rights champions.

    The CRIVIFON Executive Director disclosed that the foundation has trained over 45,000 police officers across board.

    “In almost all the divisions in Lagos State numbering  over 100,  we have at least six or 10 people trained on human rights.

    “We have moved beyond Lagos, we have gone to Imo State, Anambra State, other states, Akwa Ibom. Enugu State and so many other states, and we are still moving forward”, she said.

    She said they  are training them in order to ensure that “Police don’t take your rights from you.  When the policeman does not know the rights  to give to you, they will not give in to you.

    “That’s why they don’t allow you to bail  yourself without money. They will not allow you to speak at the police station, you have the rights to do so.You don’t have to give police money to be bailed  because it’s in the Constitution, but because we don’t know, they would keep on  holding you to ransom.

    “Bail  is free and that is a fact and that is a fact. It is in the Constitution.

    “But how are you going to demand that  bail is free if you don’t know that you have that rights?

    You have the right to silence when you are in police station. You don’t need to talk if you don’t want to talk and cannot  force you to make statement that you don’t want to make.

     “When I train them I ask them, there is a word of caution they were supposed to explain  to you before you write statement, You are not supposed to say anything unless you wish to do so.

    So we had to enlighten them, to let them know they don’t have the right to force you to write statement.

    “So after teaching them that and  you go there and you don’t know your rights, how are you going to be able to ask for your rights? That is one of the reasons we want to educate people about their rights”, she said.

    The Chairman of the event who also doubled as a guest speaker, Mr, Gbakumor Agbeotu argued that a better country would be created if the government and citizens adhere strictly to and imbibe the tenets of human rights, and the rights of the child inclusive, by placing pre-eminent value on them.

    Agbotu listed fundamental rights to be given value by citizens  for a better Nigeria to include those listed in sections 33 to 45 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended)  and as enshrined in Chapter IV of the   African Charter on Human.

    He posited that upholding human rights value underscores the fact that the inherent dignity and value of every individual  must be recognized, ensuring fair and just treatment and fostering a society where every citizens can flourish and prosper.

    “it entails promoting principle s like equality, non-discrimination on tribal, language and religious differences and the fulfillment of basic needs such as health, education and a safe environment among others.

    Another guest lecturer, Sir Patrick Ekwunife argued that the fight against corruption in the country can only succeed  through promptings of leaders who wre ready to embrace  and transmit honest habits, creating equal opportunities to all citizens through open career to talents, reward honesty and integrity while sanctioning what is wrong.

    Ekwunife listed challenges facing corruption fight to include complex legal framework, weak enforcement , lack of political will and societal norms that tolerate and encourage corrupt practices.

  • Court rejects bid to extend order freezing TAK Logistics’ N24.9b

    Court rejects bid to extend order freezing TAK Logistics’ N24.9b

    The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has declined Keystone Bank Limited’s application to extend an ex-parte Mareva injunction freezing several accounts linked to TAK Logistics Limited.

    The order, originally granted on July 16, 2025, by Justice A. Akobi, expired by its own terms seven days later and was not renewed by the vacation judge, Justice Chizoba Oji, who found no compelling justification in law to entertain the matter as presented by the Claimant/Applicant.

    The decision marks a pivotal turn in a matter the firm contends has been widely misrepresented in public discourse, particularly concerning TAK Agro Plc and its chairman, Mr. Thomas Akoh Etuh.

    TAK Agro Plc’s lawyers argued that the company was not a party to the credit transaction at the heart of the dispute.

    The company maintained that it was not a party to the credit transaction at the heart of the dispute.

    It insisted that the N24.9billion loan was granted in January 2021 solely to TAK Logistics under the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Real Sector Support Facility/Differentiated Cash Reserve Requirement (RSSF/DCRR) Scheme, with Keystone Bank acting as the financial intermediary.

    It argued that TAK Agro Plc had no contractual obligation to Keystone Bank that had arisen in this matter, and that Mr. Thomas Etuh, who previously held a non-executive role on TAK Logistics’ board, had disengaged from that position well before the dispute arose.

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    It is the defendants’ position that neither TAK Agro Plc nor Mr. Etuh had any involvement in the administration or disbursement of the said facility.

    Thus, they are querying why Keystone Bank chose to join both parties in a dispute with their customer for a loan that, in their view, had yet to reach maturity date.

    They averred that as of July 2025, the company had already repaid N9.78 billion, approximately 40 per cent of the loan and that the facility has a tenor of seven years, with final maturity not due until 2028.

    The defendants also claimed that, though Keystone Bank filed its originating processes on June 18, 2025, these were not served on TAK Logistics until July 18.

    According to them, TAK Agro Plc and Mr. Etuh were also not served until July 23, weeks after the ex parte injunction had taken effect.

    On July 22, the return date fixed by the trial judge, Keystone Bank made a second ex parte application before a vacation judge, one day after the courts began their annual recess.

    This procedural manoeuvre could have prolonged the freezing orders without the knowledge or input of the affected parties.

    However, TAK Logistics’ legal team, comprising Michael Kaase Aondoakaa (SAN) with A.T. Kohol, C.O. Nnaeto, Mathew Onoja, Atna Kuyembo, and Abdulbasit Shuaib, were present at the proceedings and successfully objected to this attempt.

    The court agreed, declining to entertain the matter or to extend the expired injunction in the absence of credible evidence that the defendants posed a risk of asset dissipation.

    The case is likely to come up again in September 2025 for the continuation of proceedings, once the court’s annual recess has ended.

  • DSVA inducts over 300 into kings, queens club

    DSVA inducts over 300 into kings, queens club

    Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) in collaboration with the Ford Foundation has inducted 300 students from Education District 5 into the Kings and Queens Club.

    The induction  ceremony followed  weeks of orientation to stand against any form of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in the state.

     DSVA Executive Secretary, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, said the initiative was designed to establish a sustainable social framework within educational institutions, aimed at dismantling socio-cultural misconceptions and promoting empowered femininity.

    Mrs. Vivour-Adeniyi, represented by the agency’s Programmes Officer, Zainab Alaka, stated that the initiative also seeks to build a network of trained students who would act as peer educators and advocates for positive expressions of femininity and masculinity within their schools.

    She noted that the clubs would equip participants with deeper knowledge about Gender-Based Violence, empowering them to critically examine prevailing societal norms that sustain gender inequality, while also challenging myths and false beliefs surrounding violence.

    Mrs. Vivour-Adeniyi, said empowering and inaugurating the students into the King’s Club and Queen’s Club Initiative was expedient as children are amongst the statistics of victims, prey to peodophiles and forms of abuse.

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    DSVA  Head of Community Engagement and the Project Coordinator for King’s club and Queen’s club, Damilare Adewusi, said the programme aimed at reiterating the state government’s zero tolerance for all forms of SGBV  and to address the grappling issues of violence that individuals and communities are faced with.

    While urging them to speak out and report any case of sexual violence in their community, Adewusi said the purpose was to help the young boys and girls to imbibe the act of discipline in the fight to end SGVB.

    Adewusi, who is also the Project Coordinator for Kings and Girls club, urged the students to continue to strive for excellence and champion a world free of all forms of Sexual and Gender Based Violence and to see themselves as ambassadors and change agents in the society.

    One of the Teachers from Ansar Ud Deen Society Senior Grammar School Badagry, Linda Orji,who commended efforts of the agency in ensuring attitudinal change in the society, said the effort would tackle the menace of Gender Based Violence and the prevention of child domestic and sexual abuse in Lagos.

    A student of Araromi Ilogbo Secondary School Oko-Afo Badagry, Ayomide Amoo, who stated that he has learnt a lot of being in a kings club, stressing that the club has shown him how not to be harmful in the society. But report any forms of Sexual and Gender Based Violence in the society.

    Another  Student of Ajara Senior Grammar School, Badagry, Efe Heaven stated that he would always be a peer educators and advocates of positive femininity and masculinity in the society.

    After taking the pledge of allegiance, the students from the Education District five, were subsequently inducted into the club and awarded certificates and identity cards to validate their induction into the club.

    So far, the  agency has inducted  over 7,400 students thus far I to the Kings Club and Queens Club.

    The breakdown for Kings Club, is over 3,900 students while for QC the agency has inducted over 3400 students.

    “We are training these students as our Ambassadors who would train their peers and by speaking out thereby breaking the culture of silence which encourages GBV to thrive.

    “It is also crucial to note that the partnership with Ford Foundation and DSVA is based on the mutual desire to institutionalize and mainstream  prevention efforts into various sectors including the education sector,   and ensure children are adequately armed with the relevant tools required for child safeguarding and protection”, she said.

  • Ownership battle intensifies over Ikeja property

    Ownership battle intensifies over Ikeja property

    The long-running ownership dispute over a high-value property situated at No. 10, Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun, Lagos, has taken a new turn.

    At the heart of the controversy is a Supreme Court judgment which, according to the Egunaye family, affirms their rightful ownership of the property.

    They said the position has been upheld despite repeated attempts by the Fasehun Estate to challenge their title through various legal proceedings that have spanned over 15 years.

    The latest flashpoint came after Mr. Femi Fasehun petitioned the Inspector General of Police, alleging gross abuse of power and professional misconduct by officers of the Nigeria Police Force attached to the Monitoring Unit of Zone 2 Command, Onikan, Lagos.

    However, the Egunaye family has strongly rebutted these claims.

    According to sources close to the matter, the Police, acting on a petition from the Egunaye family and under the direction of CSP Taofik Tijani of Zone 2 Command, launched an investigation into the dispute.

    Their findings reportedly confirmed the existence of an interlocutory order from the Lagos State High Court in Suit No. ID/11239LMW/2021 (Olufemi Fasehun v. Cletus Nwagwu & Ors), which mandated all parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive suit.

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    The police documented the resumption of construction activities on the disputed land with photographic evidence to avoid physical confrontation.

    The police sealed off the property to enforce compliance with the court’s directive.

    “The role of the police is to prevent a breakdown of law and order while ensuring that all parties are given an equal opportunity to present their claims in court,” said Aare Tomori Williams, speaking on behalf of the Egunaye family.

    He described Mr. Fasehun’s petition as “an effort to politicise a straightforward legal enforcement matter.”

    Williams said: “The rule of law must prevail. We urge Mr. Fasehun and his legal team to respect ongoing judicial processes.”

  • Case against usurpation of NJC’spowers

    Case against usurpation of NJC’spowers

    • SERAP seeks probe of missing funds

    What has happened to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) audit report?

    Why have contractors who collected over N167 billion from 31 ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) but failed to execute any projects not been prosecuted?

    These are among the latest questions being asked by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) as it works to promote transparency and accountability in the use of Nigeria’s resources.

    SERAP has urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to promptly investigate the allegations that high-ranking officials and politicians indicted in the report of the forensic audit on the NDDC between 2000 and 2019 obstructed the publication of the report.

    The group urged the President “to direct Mr Fagbemi and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly identify those responsible for obstructing the release of the report and bring them to justice for obstruction of justice.”

    SERAP also urged him to direct the AGF to publish the NDDC forensic report immediately and to name and shame those responsible for the alleged embezzlement of over N6 trillion, bring them to justice, recover any proceeds of corruption, and provide adequate compensation to victims.

    It stated: “The NDDC forensic audit report allegedly reveals grim allegations of misappropriation of N6 trillion in the commission between 2000 and 2019, and that there are over 13,000 abandoned projects in the Niger Delta.

    “The missing N6 trillion and over 13,000 abandoned projects in the Niger Delta have continued to have a negative impact on the human rights of Nigerians, undermining their access to basic public goods and services, such as education, healthcare, and regular and uninterrupted electricity supply.

    “The NDDC forensic audit report was supposed to be published by the Buhari administration. Four years after it was submitted to the former president, the report still has not seen the light of day.”

    In the letter dated  July 5, 2025 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “While the audit report may make uncomfortable reading for the indicted officials and politicians, your government has a constitutional responsibility to publish it and act upon its recommendations.

    “Obstructing the release of the forensic audit report or hiding it is a grave and wilful attempt to obstruct, prevent and pervert the course of justice for the allegations of corruption in the NDDC.”

    It noted that approximately N1.4 billion was reportedly approved for the auditors who carried out the NDDC forensic audit, which has been gathering dust.

    It vowed to take appropriate legal actions before the ECOWAS Court of Justice to compel the government to comply with the request in the public interest.

    SERAP sues NNPCL

    SERAP has filed a lawsuit against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited over the “failure to account for and explain the whereabouts of the alleged missing N500 billion, which the NNPCL failed to remit to the Federation Account between October 2024 and December 2024.”

    The suit followed the allegations by the World Bank that out of the N1.1trillion revenue from crude sales and other income in 2024, the NNPCL only remitted N600 billion, leaving a deficit of N500 billion unaccounted for.

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    In response to SERAP’s Freedom of Information (FoI) request, the NNPCL had claimed through its lawyers, Afe Babalola and Co, that the FoI Act does not apply to it.

    But in the suit numbered FHC/L/MSC/553/2025 at the Federal High Court in Lagos, SERAP seeks “an order of mandamus to direct and compel the NNPCL to account for the alleged missing N500 billion, which it allegedly failed to remit to the Federation Account between October 2024 and December 2024.”

    The suit, filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare, Ms Oluwakemi Oni, and Ms Valentina Adegoke, states: “Nigerians continue to bear the brunt of these missing public funds from the NNPCL meant for the economic development of the country.

    “There is a legitimate public interest in providing the details sought. The NNPC has a legal responsibility to account for and explain the whereabouts of the missing oil money.

    “The country’s oil wealth ought to be used solely for the benefit of the Nigerian people, and for the sake of the present and future generations.

    “Without the full recovery and remittance of the missing N500 billion oil revenues, the dire economic situation may worsen and Nigerians will continue to be denied access to basic public goods and services.”

    SERAP noted that the Auditor-General of the Federation and the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) have, for years, documented reports of the disappearance of oil money from the NNPCL.

    “The World Bank recently disclosed that out of the N1.1trillion revenue from crude sales and other income in 2024, the NNPCL only remitted N600 billion, leaving a deficit of N500 billion unaccounted for.

    “The revenue and other income were expected to be paid into the Federation Account and shared by all levels of government, but the NNPCL reportedly failed to do so.”

    Aside from the suit, SERAP urged NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr Bayo Bashir Ojulari, “to account for and explain the whereabouts of the missing N500 billion, which the NNPCL failed to remit to the Federation Account, between October 2024 and December 2024, as revealed by the World Bank.”

    SERAP urged Mr Ojulari “to identify those suspected to be involved, surcharge them for the full amount involved, and hand them over to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for investigation and prosecution.”

    In a Freedom of Information request dated  May 17, 2025 and signed by Oluwadare, the organisation said: “There is a legitimate public interest in explaining the whereabouts of the alleged missing N500 billion oil money and grave violations of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended].

    “Had the NNPCL accounted for and remitted the alleged missing N500 billion to the Federation Account, it is likely that more funds would have been allocated to the fulfilment of economic and social rights, such as increased spending on public goods and services.” 

    Suit on N167b unexecuted contracts

    In another case, SERAP sued President Tinubu over “the failure to direct the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Olawale Edun, to name and ensure the prosecution of the contractors who collected over N167 billion from 31 ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) but failed to execute any projects.”

    Joined in the suit as respondent is the AGF.

    In the suit numbered FHC/L/MISC/121/2025 filed at the Federal High Court, Lagos, SERAP is asking the court to compel President Tinubu to direct Mr Fagbemi to bring to justice, as appropriate, any companies and contractors who collected over N167 billion of public funds from 31 MDAs but failed to execute any projects.

    It asked for the publication of the specific names of the companies and contractors, as well as details, such as locations, as documented in the 2021 Audited Report by the Auditor General of the Federation.

    SERAP argued: “The allegations of corruption involving many companies and contractors who collected over N167 billion from 31 MDAs have continued to impair, obstruct and undermine access of poor Nigerians to public goods and services.”

    The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Oluwadare and Ms Oluwakemi Agunbiade, states: “Granting the reliefs sought would ensure transparency and accountability in how any public funds are spent by MDAs, and reduce vulnerability to corruption and mismanagement.”

    Before the suit, SERAP had urged President Tinubu “to direct Edun and the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein, to disclose the specific names of the companies and contractors who collected over N167 billion from 31 MDAs but failed to execute any projects.

    In the letter dated 30 November 2024 and signed by Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Publishing the names will make it hard for companies and contractors to get away with complicity in grand corruption.

    “Holding the companies and contractors who collected over N167 billion from 31 MDAs but disappeared with the money accountable would also prevent and combat waste, fraud, and abuse in the spending of public funds.

    “The Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc. (NBET) alone reportedly paid N100 billion to companies and contractors for projects not executed.

    “The 30 other MDAs include Nigerian Correctional Service; National Pension Commission, Abuja; Federal College of Land Resources Technology, Owerri; and Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) Office.

    “Others include: Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF); Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development; Federal Medical Centre, Bida, Niger state; National Centre for Women Development; Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution; National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB); Federal University of Gasua; and Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

    “The companies and contractors that allegedly disappeared with public funds meant for public projects may also be liable for aiding and abetting the commission of acts of grand corruption.

    “We would, therefore, be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter.

    “If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest.”

    Probe ‘missing N26b’

    SERAP has urged President Tinubu to direct Fagbemi and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly probe allegations that over N26 billion of public funds were missing, diverted or stolen from the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) and the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources in 2021.

    The damning revelation, it said, is documented in the 2021 audited report published on November 13 2024 by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.

    SERAP said: “Anyone suspected to be responsible should face prosecution as appropriate, if there is sufficient admissible evidence, and any missing public funds should be fully recovered and remitted to the treasury.”

    SERAP urged the President to “use any recovered stolen funds to fund the deficit in the 2025 budget and to ease Nigeria’s crippling debt crisis.” 

    In the letter dated 1 February 2025 and signed by Oluwadare, the organisation said: “There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these grave allegations.

    “Tackling corruption in the oil sector would go a long way in addressing the budget deficit and debt problems.”

    ‘Stop giving cars, houses to judges’

    In another public interest intervention, SERAP urged President Tinubu to stop the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike and 36 governors from usurping the authority and responsibilities of the National Judicial Council (NJC) and heads of court through giving cars and houses to judges.

    SERAP said: “Such practices are clearly antithetical to the constitutional principles of separation of powers, checks and balances and the rule of law, and may create the perception that the judiciary is subservient to the executive.”

    The group also urged him to direct Fagbemi, as a defender of public interest, to challenge in court the constitutionality and legality of the practices by members of the executive of giving cars and houses to judges in Abuja and across the states.

    In the open letter signed by Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Politicians ought to keep their hands off the judiciary and respect and protect its integrity and independence. Politicians must treat judges with dignity and respect.

    “The Nigerian Constitution and international standards make clear that the judiciary is neither subservient to the executive nor the legislature.”

    The letter, copied to Ms. Margaret Satterthwaite, UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, added: “Undermining the fundamental principle of separation of powers risks constraining the ability of the judiciary to act as a check on the executive.

    “SERAP urges you to substantially improve funding for the judiciary to enhance their working conditions, welfare and pensions through existing constitutional arrangements and mechanisms, to uphold the independence and autonomy of the judiciary and to protect judges from executive interference.

    “Your government has the constitutional and international obligations to promote public confidence in the judiciary and safeguard the rule of law.”

    About SERAP

    SERAP’s work includes research and publications, legal support and litigation, public mobilisation, media advocacy and government engagement. It highlights and educates the general public on civil rights.

    The group received the Wole Soyinka Anti-Corruption Defender Award in 2014.

    It has also been nominated for the UN Civil Society Award and the Ford Foundation’s Jubilee Transparency Award.

    SERAP serves as one of two Sub-Saharan African civil society representatives on the UNCAC Coalition, a global anti-corruption network of over 310 civil society organisations (CSOs) in over 100 countries.

    It has filed many public interest cases and petitions before Nigerian courts, ECOWAS Court, African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

  • Death penalty dilemma: between law, morality, governance

    Death penalty dilemma: between law, morality, governance

    • By Onogwu Muhammed

    The growing number of inmates on death row in Nigeria, currently standing at 3,833, has drawn renewed attention to a complex and deeply sensitive issue: the persistent reluctance of many state governors to sign execution warrants.

    These condemned individuals live for years, sometimes decades, in a state of psychological torment and uncertainty. Although the courts have spoken, the final act of enforcement, which is the approval by the governor, is often indefinitely delayed.

    While each governor’s hesitation may be personally motivated, widespread opinion suggests that many are influenced by religious, moral, or spiritual beliefs about the sanctity of human life. In some cases, this is likened to a “Pontius Pilate complex”, a symbolic handwashing of responsibility despite legal obligation.

    Yet, while the moral hesitations are understandable, they are in tension with the practical realities of a criminal justice system under strain. The death penalty remains a lawful punishment under Nigeria’s legal framework, both in statute and constitutional law.

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    But when governors avoid giving effect to death sentences, it creates a significant backlog, contributing to prison overcrowding and systemic inefficiencies.

    Correctional centres are overstretched, and the justice system, expected to be firm and final, appears caught in a limbo between condemnation and compassion.

    This inaction not only delays justice but also raises fundamental questions about the purpose, future, and morality of capital punishment in Nigeria.

    Historically, the death penalty is as old as civilisation itself, accepted and institutionalised across cultures and religions. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, scriptures speak of “life for life, eye for eye,” while Islam, under Sharia, prescribes death for certain hudud (fixed) offences.

    Ancient Greece, under the Draconian code, employed capital punishment for a wide array of crimes.

    In medieval Europe, executions were often public and political; under King Henry VIII, more than 70,000 were reportedly put to death. China, both ancient and modern, has consistently enforced the death penalty with vigour, using it as a tool of deterrence, social control, and anti-corruption. Even the United States, despite growing debate, retains it in many states as the ultimate form of criminal sanction. In each of these contexts, execution has been justified on grounds of retribution, deterrence, and public order.

    Nigeria is no exception in its legal recognition of capital punishment. Section 33(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) provides for the right to life but also allows for lawful deprivation of life through a judicial sentence.

    The Criminal Code (applicable in the South) and the Penal Code (in the North), along with various procedural laws, spell out offences punishable by death: armed robbery, murder, treason, terrorism, and, under Sharia law, adultery, apostasy, and sodomy, among others.

    Judicial precedent, including the landmark Onuoha Kalu v. The State, affirms the constitutionality of the death penalty. The Supreme Court, while acknowledging the debate, ruled decisively that capital punishment is not inherently cruel or unconstitutional within the Nigerian legal order.

    Despite this legal clarity, implementation is often hampered at the executive level. By law, state governors have three options upon receiving recommendations after a death sentence: allow the law to take its course, commute the sentence to life imprisonment, or reduce it to a fixed prison term. In practice, many governors choose none of the above, leaving inmates languishing in indefinite limbo.

    The result is a paradox: the state sentences individuals to death but lacks the political will to enforce it. This inconsistency erodes public trust in the justice system and undermines its deterrent effect. It also denies victims’ families the closure they desperately seek, particularly in cases involving violent crimes such as terrorism, mass killings, and kidnappings by insurgent groups like Boko Haram.

    Prolonged uncertainty on death row, often for over 10 to 20 years, has also drawn criticism from human rights advocates who argue it constitutes cruel and degrading treatment. Even when governors are morally or religiously opposed to capital punishment, their inaction, without taking steps to commute or review these sentences, creates a dangerous policy vacuum.

    It exposes gaps in governance, weakens judicial authority, and places Nigeria at a crossroads: either enforce the law as it stands, reform the legal system to abolish capital punishment altogether, or establish a middle ground that ensures justice without cruelty.

    Ultimately, Nigeria must confront this issue with honesty and urgency. If the death penalty is to remain part of the justice system, then its enforcement must be consistent, transparent, and just.

    If the nation no longer has the moral appetite for it, then lawmakers must initiate its abolition. But as things stand, the status quo, where inmates are sentenced but not executed, where governors are empowered but reluctant, serves neither justice, nor mercy, nor governance. Justice must not only be done; it must be seen to be done, and in Nigeria’s case, it must also be seen to be clear, fair, and final.

    The souls of those brutally murdered by kidnappers, bandits, and insurgents like Boko Haram may never truly find peace if their killers, despite being tried, convicted, and sentenced, are allowed to continue living simply because the authorities lack the will or courage to sign execution warrants. Justice becomes hollow when it stops at conviction without consequence. For the families and communities devastated by such heinous crimes, watching convicted perpetrators remain alive on death row for years without closure deepens the trauma.

    It sends a troubling signal that the system is more sympathetic to the condemned than to the victims whose lives were cut short in the most violent and inhuman manner. Where justice is delayed or denied, the memories of the innocent continue to cry out, not just for remembrance, but for resolution.

        Muhammed is a lawyer, public policy analyst, multimedia journalist, and public relations expert.

  • Man remanded for impersonating Epe monarch, forging Supreme Court ruling

    Man remanded for impersonating Epe monarch, forging Supreme Court ruling

    A man, Musiliu Musa Awoga a.k.a. Ajingolo, has been remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) for parading and impersonating  the Orijeru of Igbooye  Kingdom, Epe and forging Supreme Court of Nigeria ruling.

    Awoga , 1st defenfant, was remanded alongside three others , Olamilekan Awoga, Hassan Adefala and Moses Awoga (2nd to 4th defendants)  after they pleaded not guilty to a 13-count charge bordering on  forgery, impersonation, breach of peace and assault of police officers among other charges brought against them by the Lagos State government.

     Chief Magistrate Jimoh Adefioye  of an Oshodi Chief Magistrate Court  sitting at the Lagos Task Force office ordered their remand after the defendants had taken their plea.

    Awoga pleaded not guilty to 11 charges while others also entered not-guilty plea in respect of  seven charges brought against them.

    Prosecuting counsel, Mr. O.A. Adekunle who appeared with Omotunde Airat, told the court that the defendants and others still at large on June 14, 2025 at their house at Igbooye , Eredo, Epe forged Supreme Court ruling in suit SC/CV/969/2020, the letter head paper of Eredo, Epe Local Council Development Area (LCDA) and the signature of the Chairman of the LCDA, Hon. Ismail Akinloye.

    The prosecuting team also told the court that Musiliu Awoga ,impersonated the Igbooye monarch, Oba AbdulRasak Musa referring to himself  as Orijeru of Igbooye, Awujale of Ijebu-Eko, an unknown stool  or chieftaincy contrary to section 34 of the Obas and Chieftaincy Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The first defendant , while not being an Oba, was accused of wearing a beaded crown and held a beaded Staff of Office described as Oba Orijeru of Igbooye contrary to provisions of the Obas and Chieftaincy Law of Lagos State, 2015.

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    The first defendant was further alleged to have printed a banner  in which he wore a beaded crown with a beaded staff and printed invitation cards in which he described himself  as Oba-elect, Orijeru of Igbooye, Awujale of Ijebu-Eko.

    The 1st to 4th defendants pleaded not guilty to the 13 charges against them.

    Following their not guilty plea, the prosecuting team, Adekunle and Omotunde told the court that the Director, Directorate of Public Prosecution(DPP) had directed that the case file be forwarded to the department for legal advice as investigation was still on going.

    The prosecution subsequently prayed the court to remand the defendants pending legal advice.

    Chief Magistrate Adefioye granted their prayers and ordered the remand of the defendants in custody of the NCoS.

    The case has been adjourned to September 8 for DPP advice.

  • Court restrains Okpere, Raybok Development over N206m Lekki property

    Court restrains Okpere, Raybok Development over N206m Lekki property

    The Lagos High Court in Ikorodu has issued an injunction restraining a real estate developer and associated parties from taking any further action on a disputed property in Lekki Phase 1.

    It follows a heated contract dispute involving over N200 million in off-plan investment.

    The injunction is against Mr. Raymond Irabor Okpere and his company, Raybok Development and Construction Company Limited, regarding the property valued at N206 million.

    The court’s decision came after Mr. A.A. Sanda, the buyer, sought urgent judicial protection to prevent what he described as an imminent threat to his interest in a four-bedroom (cornerpiece unit) terrace duplex with a maid’s quarters located in Blockville Estate, Off Freedom Way, Lekki.

    According to documents presented to the court, the buyer entered into a contract in early 2024 with Raybok Development and Construction Company Limited and its CEO, Mr. Raymond Irabor Okpere, for the purchase of the luxury unit.

    The project, developed under a joint venture with a third party, was part of a larger residential scheme on land registered in the Elegushi Royal Family area of Lekki Phase 1 Extension.

    The buyer alleged that after making a down payment of over N61 million and paying up to N136 million in total by March 2025, the developers suddenly reportedly issued a termination notice.

    Claiming full compliance with all contractual terms, the buyer stated that he had made significant financial sacrifices to meet his payment obligations, including taking loans, selling assets, and liquidating shares.

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    He also expressed concern that the developers were planning to resell the property to third parties, a move he argued would cause him irreparable harm.

    In its ruling, the court held that the buyer had demonstrated a valid legal interest in the property and that there was a credible risk of that interest being extinguished if urgent protective relief was not granted.

    The interim injunction order now bars the developer, the company, and the landowner from selling, reallocating, or further developing the specific unit in question, pending the outcome of the hearing of the substantive case between the parties.

    Legal experts say the case highlights growing risks in Nigeria’s off-plan property market, where buyers frequently face shifting terms, unclear project governance, and contract disputes—often with little recourse if proper legal protections are not in place.

  • Igbogbo Obaship tussle: Court fixes Oct. 14 for hearing

    Igbogbo Obaship tussle: Court fixes Oct. 14 for hearing

    The Lagos High Court in Ikorodu has fixed October 14 for hearing in the ongoing dispute over the obaship tussle of Oba of Igbogbo in Ikorodu.

    Justice Iyabo Akinkugbe adjourned after listening to the submissions of the counsel.

    The claimants in the suit IKD/1162GCMW/2015 are Mrs Oyindamola Osho-Ojuba, Mr Olusanya Adeyemi Osho-Ojuba, Mr Sakiru Odufuwa Osho-Ojuba, Alhaja Karimotu Talabi and Mr Rasaq Ero Osho-Ojuba.

    The claimants appeared for themselves and as representatives of the members of Ijaolu-Osho-Ojuba Ruling House of Igbogbo, Lagos State.

    The respondents are the Lagos State Government, Lagos Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, and Lagos State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

    Others are Executive Secretary, Igbogbo/Baiyeku Local Council Development Area and Chief Tajudeen Onasanya (Odofin Of Igbogbo), Chief Ganiu Omotayo, Alhaji Nasirudeen  Oyekande and Alhaji Kolawole Jubril.

    The legal battle over the Igbogbo Obaship stool, which began in 2015, has seen multiple judges preside over the matter at various times due to transfers and administrative reassignments.

    The claimant’s Counsel, Mr M.O. Ishola, had, however, informed the court that there was a a pending injunction on April 19, 2016, but the monarch and the chiefs of Adeboruwa Oba-in-Council disobeyed the court order and nominated an Oba.

    Justice Akintunde Savage, who had initially presided over the matter, has since been transferred to the Ikeja Division.

    Consequently, the case file was sent to the Chief Judge for reassignment to a judge within the jurisdiction of Ikorodu.

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    Savage had sometimes in 2016, ruled that the Chairman, Council of Kingmakers of Igbogbo, Ikorodu, was a juristic person known to law and could be sued in the case.

    Savage had ruled on an application dated May 24 2016, filed by some of the respondents, Omotayo, Oyekade, and Jubril, who had asked the court to strike out the name of the chairman, council of kingmakers of Igbogbo, on the ground that the title was not a juristic personality.

    The application was in response to a suit filed by all the claimants on behalf of the Ijaolu (Osho-Ojuba) ruling house, Igbogbo.

    The claimants are seeking a court declaration that the directives issued by the Chairman, Council of Kingmakers, to the sixth to eighth respondents to forward a candidate’s name for approval and appointment were unlawful and violated the Obas and Chiefs Law of Lagos State.

    They are also asking the court to declare that it is the turn of the Ijaolu (Osho-Ojuba) ruling house to present a candidate for the vacant stool, and for a mandatory injunction compelling the fifth respondent to accept and approve their nominated candidate.

  • Ex-CJ urges govs to sign death warrants

    Ex-CJ urges govs to sign death warrants

    A former Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, Justice Ishaq Usman Bello, has urged governors to fulfil their constitutional duty by signing death warrants for inmates who have exhausted all legal appeals up to the Supreme Court.

    Speaking at the Nigeria Human Rights Conference held in Enugu, with the theme: “The Right to Development, Rule of Law and the Nigerian Dream,” Justice Bello warned that the failure of governors to act on death sentences is inadvertently encouraging criminal activities.

    He said: “Governors’ refusal to sign death warrants after due legal process is contributing to the rise in capital and violent crimes.

    “The people are watching, and when justice is not fully served, it emboldens wrongdoers.”

    Delivering a paper titled “Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015: The Impact on Access to Justice and Fundamental Human Rights in Nigeria,” the former CJ criticised the practice of commuting death sentences to life imprisonment after 10 years.

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    He argued that such leniency weakens deterrence and undermines the justice system.

    “If you are a judge and a case is brought before you, you hear it and decide fairly. If it is a civil matter, you do what the law requires.

    “If it is criminal, and the sentence is death, then governors must also do their part,” he said.

    Justice Bello, who previously chaired the Presidential Committee on Prisons Reforms and Decongestion, recounted his encounters with numerous death-row inmates whose cases remained in limbo due to governors’ inaction.

    “By refusing to carry out their constitutional responsibilities, governors indirectly encourage criminality,” he stressed.

    He attributed their reluctance not to flaws in the law but to a lack of understanding of their constitutional obligations. While some cite humanitarian concerns, others blame the complexity of the legal process.

    The jurist also criticised frequent comparisons between Nigeria’s justice system and those of developed countries like the UK and the US, pointing out that such systems are backed by substantial investments in the judiciary, law enforcement, and infrastructure.

    He said that for there to be an efficient justice system, all those involved in justice delivery must work together to achieve that purpose.

    “What level of investment is made in our judiciary, in the police, and other related institutions? Where there’s responsibility, there must be adequate funding,” he noted.

    Justice Bello commended the domestication of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) across states, describing it as a positive step toward safeguarding the rights of suspects and reducing incidences of torture and abuse.

    He emphasised the need to curb unlawful detentions, especially arresting suspects before investigations are concluded.

    “When a security agency seeks to detain a suspect, there must be justification.

    “If they return to court to seek an extension, the court must assess the necessity and protect the suspect’s rights,” he said.

    According to him, the ACJA has introduced crucial reforms, bringing more uniformity to criminal justice procedures across the country.

    “Incarceration is a legal consequence for wrongdoing, but the process must be humane.

    “An inmate must not be detained beyond the period the law prescribes for the crime committed. During my tenure, I ordered the release of several awaiting trial inmates who had been held longer than the maximum sentence for their alleged offences.”