Headline
Constitution Amendment: PFN Warns NASS Against Islamisation Of Nigeria
Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, has warned the National Assembly against what it called “the islamisation of Nigeria through the backdoor.”
The PFN chairman, Enugu State Chapter, Bishop Giddy Madu, who gave this warning in a statement issued to pressmen in Enugu, said the PFN was aware of a move to smuggle in some amendments into the constitution.
The PFN said: “The attention of Nigerians is called to the dangerous proposals in the Senate and House of Representatives to alter sections 262(1) and 277(1) which provide respectively that, ‘The Sharia Court of Appeal shall, in addition to such other jurisdiction as may be conferred upon it by an Act of the National Assembly, exercise such appellate and supervisory jurisdiction in civil proceedings involving questions of Islamic personal law.”
It said this was an amendment to the existing provision that: “The Sharia Court of Appeal of a state shall, in addition to such other jurisdiction as may be conferred upon it by the law of the state, exercise such appellate and supervisory jurisdiction in civil proceedings involving questions of Islamic personal law which the court is competent to decide in accordance with the provisions of subsection (2) of this section.”
According to the Christian group, “The above provisions only permit Islamic Personal Law in civil proceedings. This is clearly defined in Sections 262(1) and (2) and 277(1) and (2). All references under these provisions are to ‘Islamic personal law.
“The proposed amendments elevate Islamic law to the status of ‘a general law. Once the word ‘personal’ is removed from Sections 262 and 277 of the Constitution, it opens the door for ‘the wholesale’ importation of Sharia Law, including Sharia Criminal Law into the FCT or any part of the federation.
“The proposed amendment will give the Sharia Court of Appeal unlimited jurisdiction to entertain all kinds of matters, both civil and criminal, using Islamic Law. It will interfere with the jurisdictions of both the Federal High Court and the State High Courts.”
PFN said the secularity of the Nigerian state as enshrined in the Constitution was sacrosanct and should not be tampered with.
“We vehemently reject the proposed amendment of Sections 266 and 267 of the Constitution, which spelt out the secularity of the nation and freedom of worship. It will lead to a situation where non-Muslims would be tried for Sharia offences.
“Such an amendment will make for an unhealthy breach of the human rights of the people, as the freedom of association of non-Muslims cannot be guaranteed under such circumstances.
“The PFN Enugu State is, therefore, calling on the National Assembly to reject in its entirety the proposed amendment of the sections above to avoid plunging Nigeria into an avoidable crisis.”
(VANGUARD)
Headline
12 Die, 30 Missing In Peru Landslide
At least 12 people, including three children, died in a landslide at a river port in central Peru on Monday, and 30 were reported missing, officials said.
The landslide submerged a boat with about 50 passengers on board, and another with none, as they were docked at the port of Iparia in the Amazon jungle region of Ucayali, according to a police report cited by the Andina news agency.
Six people were injured, it added, and a search and rescue operation was underway at the start of the Peruvian rainy season.
READ ALSO:FULL LIST: APC Sweeps Rivers Elections, Wins 20 Of 23 LGAs
Without giving a toll, Peru’s COEN national emergency operations centre said on X that tragedy struck at dawn due to “erosion” of the bank of the Ucayali river.
It said the navy has been called in to help.
AFP
Headline
Nigeria Grants Asylum To Guinea-Bissau Opposition Candidate
The Nigerian embassy in Guinea-Bissau has granted asylum to Fernando Dias da Costa, the country’s opposition presidential candidate, following alleged threats to his life after last week’s military coup, The Cable Reports.
The coup was announced by military officers on Wednesday, just days after Guinea-Bissau’s presidential election in which both incumbent President Umaro Embaló and his main challenger, da Costa, claimed victory before official results were released.
Nigeria condemned the takeover and urged an immediate return to constitutional order.
In a letter to the President of the Economic Community of West African States Commission, Omar Touray, dated November 30, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said President Bola Tinubu had approved asylum and protection for da Costa inside the Nigerian embassy in Bissau.
READ ALSO:Guinea-Bissau Military Takeover Is ‘Ceremonial Coup’ – Jonathan
Tuggar wrote that the decision was made “in response to threats made against da Costa’s life.”
“In this regard, it would be appreciated if you would kindly mandate the ECOWAS Stabilisation Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau to provide him protection and security while in the premises of the Nigerian embassy,” the letter stated.
The foreign affairs minister’s Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir, confirmed the letter’s authenticity to The Cable on Monday.
He said, “The decision of the Federal Government of Nigeria to grant asylum and provide protection to Fernando Dia Da Costa falls squarely within Nigeria’s sovereign responsibility and longstanding commitment to regional peace, stability, and democratic governance.”
READ ALSO:Guinea-Bissau Coup: FG Gives Update On Ex-President Jonathan
He added that Nigeria acted “in the broader interest of de-escalation,” saying the government had exercised its discretion “to prevent further deterioration of tensions and to promote social cohesion in Guinea-Bissau and the wider West African sub-region.”
According to Abdulkadir, the intervention aligns with ECOWAS principles and reflects Nigeria’s role as a stabilising force in West Africa.
Following the coup, ECOWAS held an emergency virtual summit of heads of state and subsequently suspended Guinea-Bissau from the regional bloc until constitutional order is restored.
Headline
Trump To Attend FIFA World Cup Finals Draw On Friday
The White House on Monday confirmed US President Donald Trump would attend the draw for the FIFA World Cup finals in Washington later this week.
The United States will co-host the 2026 tournament alongside Canada and Mexico.
“On Friday, President Trump will attend the FIFA World Cup final draw at the Kennedy Centre,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
READ ALSO:Trump Unveils Fast-track Visas For World Cup Ticket Holders
Trump has made the World Cup a centrepiece event of both his second presidency and the 250th anniversary of US independence next year.
But the giant sporting extravaganza has not escaped the political turmoil caused by Trump’s hardline stance on a host of issues.
Trump, a Republican, has raised the possibility of moving games from some US host cities amid a crackdown on what he says is crime and illegal migration in some Democratic-run areas.
AFP
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