Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state has called on the farmers and Fulani herders in Darazo Local Government Area of the state to shield their swords and embrace peace.

Mohammed made the call in Darazo on Sunday while addressing the farmers and herders during a peace meeting in the area after a recent conflict between the groups.

The governor said he was in the area in order to foster peace and harmony and to ensure that conflict would not happen between them again.

Mohammed, who commended all parties for reaching a consensus during the meeting, urged them to come together and appreciate each other.

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“We have noticed this problem, we have listened to the perspectives of the Fulani herders and the farmers in the area and what we need is to come together and appreciate each other.

“We are setting up a committee to look at the issues and we have asked everybody to shield their swords so that at the end of the day, we will have peace.

“We have also explained to them that today in Nigeria, only the farmers and the herders are providing the economic activities that are providing sustainability.

“They are in the informal sector but certainly they are the ones keeping us alive,” said the governor.

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Earlier, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Sani Omolori-Aliyu said the clashes between the two groups in the area was not an isolated case but something that does with the season.

“About three weeks ago, we had issues in Darazo where we had to deploy a unit of mobile policemen and they have been here since then working round the clock to maintain peace.

“The heart of this issue is the issue of cattle routes and we urge all parties to be calm as the state government tries to address these issues.

“Nobody should take the laws into their hands because the police will not allow the society to degenerate into anarchy,” he said.

The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) has named 57 legal practitioners as candidates for elevation to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Kabir Akanbi, announced in a statement on Thursday that the decision was made during the committee’s 169th plenary session, which took place on Tuesday.

“The rank of senior advocate of Nigeria is conferred as a mark of professional excellence upon legal practitioners who have demonstrated exceptional distinction either as advocates in the courts or as academics contributing significantly to the development of legal scholarship,” the statement reads.

“In accordance with the directives of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN), all shortlisted prospective Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) conferees are required to attend and successfully complete the pre-swearing-in induction programme.

“Participation in this programme is a mandatory prerequisite for the formal conferment of the rank of SAN.

“Furthermore, in line with Paragraph 25(1) of the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Guidelines and the provisions of Rule 39(3) of the Rules of Professional Conduct, 2023, all shortlisted conferees must refrain from publishing and discourage the publication of advertisements, congratulatory messages, or goodwill notices related to their nomination or conferment.

“Any breach of these provisions may attract sanctions for violations of statutory or ethical rules as expressly stated.”

The swearing-in ceremony for the 57 successful applicants is scheduled to be held on September 29, 2025.

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Full list below:

• Theophilus Kolawole Esan

• Fedude Zimughan

• Ernest Chikwendu Ikeji

• Victor Esiri Akpoguma

• Leslie Akujuobi Njemanze

• Akintunde Wilson Adewale

• Preye Agedah

• Omamuzo Erebe

• Hannibal Egbe Uwaifo

• Olumide Ekisola

• George Ejie Ukaegbu

• Oromena Justice Ajakpovi

• Tairu Adebayo

• Bawa Akhimie Osali Ibrahim

• Suleh Umar

• Emeka Akabogu

• Godwin Sunday Ogboji

• Godwin Aimuagbonrie Idiagbonya

• Adeolu Olusegun Salako

• Adetunji Oso

• Achinike Godwin William-Wobodo

• Shuaib Agbarere Mustapha

• Adizua Chu-Chu Okoroafor

• Olanrewaju Tasleem Akinsola

• Amaechi Fidelis Iteshi

• Adakole Edwin Inegedu

• Oyinkansola Badejo-Okunsanya

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• David Ogenyi Ogebe

• Aminu Sani Gadanya

• Oluseun Awonuga Adeniyi

• Ikechukwu Raphael Uwanna

• Ayodeji Joseph Ademola

• Kelechi Nwaiwu

• Lawal Garba Hudu

• Ibim Simeon Dokubo

• Luka Abubakar Haruna Musa

• Shakeer Adedayo Oshodi

• Oluwole Tolulope Jimi-Bada

• Mubarak Tijani Adekilekun

• Chinyere Ekene Moneme

• Shuaibu Magaji Labaran

• Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh

• Augustine Enenche Audu

• Ali Dussah Zubairu

• Adeyemi Adebambo Pitan

• Habeeb Abdulrahman Oredola

• Abdulakeem Labi-Lawal

• Victor Agunzi

• Nkwegu Luke Ogbagaegwu

• Bidemi Ifedunni Ademola-Bello

• Temilolu Femi Adamolekun

• Abdulkarim Kabiru Maude

• Adedayo Gbolahan Adesina

• Usman Yusuf Zaiyanu

• Taiwo Azeez Hassan

• Olufemi Olubunmi Oyewole

• Chima Josephat Ubanyionwu (Successful Academic Applicant)

The Federal High Court in Abuja has declared the National Youth Service Corps’ refusal to allow female corps members to wear skirts in observance of their religious beliefs as unconstitutional and a breach of the fundamental right to freedom of religion.

In a judgement delivered on June 13, 2025, a certified true copy of which was sighted on Sunday, Justice Hauwa Yilwa held that the NYSC’s enforcement of trousers as the only acceptable uniform for female participants violated the constitutionally guaranteed rights to freedom of religion and human dignity.

The cases, initially filed separately by former corps members Miss Ogunjobi Blessing and Miss Ayuba Vivian, were later consolidated due to their legal similarities and adjudicated together by Justice Yilwa.

In the suits marked FHC/ABJ/CS/989/2020 and FHC/ABJ/CS/988/2020, the applicants argued that being compelled to wear trousers contradicted their Christian faith, citing Deuteronomy 22:5, which they interpret as prohibiting women from wearing garments associated with men.

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The applicants, in their separate suits, had sought the enforcement of their fundamental rights to freedom of religion, alleging that these rights had been violated by the respondents.

Listed as respondents in the suits were the National Youth Service Corps and the Director-General of the NYSC.

Their applications were brought pursuant to Order 11, Rules 1–5 of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009; Sections 38 and 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended); Articles 2, 5, 6, 8, 10, 17, and 19 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights; and under the inherent jurisdiction of the court.

They sought the following reliefs, “A declaration that the refusal of the NYSC to recognise and allow skirts as part of the NYSC uniform constitutes a breach of the applicant’s right under Section 38(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as well as Deuteronomy 22:5 of the Bible, and a misinterpretation of Schedule 2, Article 1(I)(a) of the NYSC Bye-Laws 1993.

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“A declaration that the use of skirts by the applicant in the NYSC scheme forms part of her fundamental rights to freedom of religion and to manifest the same in practice and observance as provided for in Section 38(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“A declaration that the harassment, embarrassment, and humiliation suffered by the applicant at the hands of NYSC officials constitute a clear infringement of her rights to freedom of religion and to manifest same in practice, as well as the right to human dignity and protection from degrading treatment.

“An order compelling the respondents, their servants, agents, privies, or anyone acting on their behalf, to recognise, allow, and provide skirts for the applicant or any female corps member wishing to wear same in accordance with Section 38(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Deuteronomy 22:5”.

They also demanded damages for ₦10,000,000, and any such further order(s) as the Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances.

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The court in its decision held that the NYSC’s insistence on trousers not only infringed on the applicants’ right to manifest their religion under Section 38(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), but also subjected them to undue harassment and degrading treatment.

Justice Yilwa, in a ruling, granted all the reliefs sought by the applicants and issued identical orders in both cases.

“A declaration that the refusal to allow skirts for religious purposes is unconstitutional.

“An order mandating the NYSC to recognise and permit the use of skirts for female corps members with genuine religious objections.

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“A directive compelling the NYSC to recall the affected former corps members and issue their certificates accordingly,” the court stated.

The court further declared that the harassment, embarrassment, and humiliation suffered by the applicants at the hands of NYSC officials constituted a clear infringement of their fundamental rights to religion and freedom to practise it.

The judge awarded ₦500,000 in damages to each applicant for the violation of their fundamental rights.

Although both applicants had sought ₦10 million in damages, the court considered ₦500,000 to be adequate in the circumstances.

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The judgement emphasised that denying the applicants the opportunity to complete their national service due to their attire amounted to religious discrimination.

“The actions of the respondents resulted in the applicants being embarrassed and humiliated.

“This is a blatant infringement of their fundamental rights,” Justice Yilwa stated.

Baba Shehu Ahmad, with K.A.Lawal, represented the applicant in the suit while J.E. Okpe appeared for the respondents.