News

CSO, Stakeholders Lament Impact Of Mining In Edo Communities, Want A Halt

Published

1 month ago

June 13, 2025

A Civil Society Organization – The Ecological Action Advocacy Foundation (TEAF) – has called for an immediate halt to mining activities in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State particularly in Igarra, Ipesi, Dagbala, among other communities.

The organization said the call became necessary in order for the companies operating in the area and the communities to come to a round table and discuss the terms and conditions of operations.

INFO DAILY reports that the one-day dialogue event drew participants from communities where mining activities are taking place in Akoko-Edo and the civil society community.

Speaking at the one-day Community Dialogue on Halting Extractive Activities in Akoko-Edo, an environmentalist and climate justice campaigner, Comrade Cadmus Atake-Enade, lamented that “mining and extractive activities have rendered community people hopeless in their own lands, hence need to stop.”

“We must stand in unity to halt these destructive activities and actions. We must stand firm to halt all forms of extractive activities that have destroyed our lives and wellbeing,” he added.

The environmentalist, who noted that “communities where extractions have taken place experience mostly negative impacts,” stressed that “mining and the extractive industries are among the most destructive sectors on the planet, especially for indigenous and farming communities.”

He added: “These activities pose grave threats to cultures and community life because it takes generations for them to recover from the damages done to their community environment.

“Most of these negative impacts are usually in the rural areas where smallholder agricultural production is carried out in Africa and where the bulk of extraction occurs.

“Most of our farmers are women and they are disproportionately affected by mining and extractive activities.”

Giving a damning narration on how a JSS 3 student lost her life in the course of looking for her daily bread,
Angela Alonge from Ipesi community, while listing the risk involved in mining sites, said “a JSS 3 student who went to look for her daily bread in one of the mining sites lost her steps and fell into the pit and died at the spot. A pit deep enough to contain a 10-storey building. It is pathetic.”

She added: “The children in our communities are used like rags. The children are fending for themselves and the family. The community does enjoy any positive impact from mining.”

Joseph Lawson from Igarra community, lamented that rather than being a blessing to the people, the reverse is the case, adding: “Mining ought to create jobs for the community but the reverse is the case. Mining could cause earthquakes.”

Lawson, who urged the state government to re-register the over fifty mining companies in the area with a view to regulating them, urged the government to also intervene in the incessant clash between the communities and the mining companies.

Also, Precious Momoh from Igarra, lamented that “God has blessed us with natural resources yet we are suffering. We have limestone that they use for road construction yet we have no road.”

He added: “We need empowerment and development in our communities. People cannot be earning billions from our communities while we remain in abject poverty. Also, there should be rules and regulations for these mining companies.”

News

LG Chairman Drags Niger Govt To Court Over Alleged Tenure Reduction

Published

2 hours ago

July 25, 2025

Editor

Alhaji Aminu Yakubu-Ladan, the Chairman of Chanchaga Local Government Area (LGA) in Niger, has sued the state government over alleged reduction of tenure of local government chairmen and councillors.

Yakubu-Ladan, in the suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, sought an order restraining the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC) and its co-defendants from conducting the scheduled LGAs’ election until the expiration of their tenure.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NSIEC has fixed November 1 for the conduct of the local government poll across the state.

However, the plaintiff, in the suit, named the Attorney-General of Niger State, the House of Assembly, NSIEC, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Inspector-General (IG) of Police as 1st to 5th defendants respectively.

The chairman is challenging the constitutionality of the Niger State Local Government Law, 2001, which seeks to reduce the tenure of local government chairmen and councillors from four years to three years.

Yakubu-Ladan, in the originating summons marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1370/2025, dated July 10 but filed July 11 by his counsel, Chris Udeoyibo, sought eight questions for determination.

The chairman questions whether the state government can enforce inconsistent local government law, 2001 (as amended), which clashed with the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act, 2022.

“Should Niger State Local Government Law Section 29 (2) be declared unconstitutional for clashing with the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act, 2022,” he said.

The plaintiff seeks a declaration that a four-year tenure for local government chairmen and councillors is constitutionally guaranteed by virtue of the Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2022.

The suit also challenged the NSIEC’s preparation for the local government elections slated for November 1.

The plaintiff, therefore, seeks an order restraining the defendants from the elections on Nov. 1 until the expiration of a four-year tenure for chairmen and councillors.

The suit also seeks to restrain INEC and the I-G from providing logistical support and security protection for the election.

Yakubu-Ladan argued that the state’s local government law, 2001, is inconsistent with Section 7 of the constitution and Sections 018 and 150 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

The suit is yet to be assigned to a judge as of the time of the report.

News

France’s Top Court Annuls Arrest Warrant Against Syria’s Ex-president al-Assad

Published

2 hours ago

July 25, 2025

Editor

France’s highest court Friday annulled a French arrest warrant against Syria’s ex-president Bashar al-Assad — issued before his ouster — over 2013 deadly chemical attacks.

The Court of Cassation ruled there were no exceptions to presidential immunity, even for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

But its presiding judge, Christophe Soulard, added that, as Assad was no longer president after an Islamist-led group toppled him in December, “new arrest warrants can have been, or can be, issued against him” and as such the investigation into the case could continue.

Human rights advocates had hoped the court would rule that immunity did not apply because of the severity of the allegations, which would have set a major precedent in international law towards holding accused war criminals to account.

French authorities issued the warrant against Assad in November 2023 over his alleged role in the chain of command for a sarin gas attack that killed more than 1,000 people, according to US intelligence, on August 4 and 5, 2013 in Adra and Douma outside Damascus.

Assad is accused of complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity in the case. Syrian authorities at the time denied involvement and blamed rebels.

– Universal jurisdiction –

The French judiciary tackled the case under the principle of universal jurisdiction, whereby a court may prosecute individuals for serious crimes committed in other countries.

An investigation — based on testimonies of survivors and military defectors, as well as photos and video footage — led to warrants for the arrest of Assad, his brother Maher who headed an elite army unit, and two generals.

Public prosecutors approved three of the warrants, but issued an appeal against the one targeting Assad, arguing he should have immunity as a head of state.

The Paris Court of Appeal in June last year however upheld it, and prosecutors again appealed.

But in December, Assad’s circumstances changed.

He and his family fled to Russia, according to Russian authorities, after he was ousted by advancing rebels.

In January, French investigating magistrates issued a second arrest warrant against Assad for suspected complicity in war crimes for a bombing in the Syrian city of Deraa in 2017 that killed a French-Syrian civilian.

– Indictment of ex-bank governor valid –

The Court of Cassation said Assad’s so called “personal immunity”, granted because of his office, meant he could not be targeted by arrest warrants until his ouster.

But it ruled that “functional immunity”, which is granted to people who perform certain functions of state, could be lifted in the case of accusations of severe crimes.

Thus it upheld the French judiciary’s indictment in another case of ex-governor of the Central Bank of Syria and former finance minister, Adib Mayaleh, for complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity over alleged funding of the Assad government during the civil war.

Headline

Fashion Designers, IT Specialists: UK Opens Door To Foreign Talents With New Visa Rules

Published

3 hours ago

July 25, 2025

Editor

The United Kingdom has expanded its Skilled Worker visa route to include more than 70 mid-level occupations, opening the door for foreign professionals such as fashion designers, technicians, and IT specialists to work in the country with salaries starting from €29,000.

This move, which took effect on July 22, 2025, is part of the government’s strategy to tackle urgent labour shortages by easing access to roles traditionally considered outside the high-skilled visa category.

The update introduces a newly expanded Temporary Shortage Occupation List (TSOL), which comes with significantly lower salary thresholds and streamlined visa processes for eligible roles across sectors such as engineering, construction, healthcare, science, finance, creative arts, and information technology.

The changes reflect a deliberate shift to address staffing gaps in industries critical to the UK economy.

Under the revised rules, salary requirements now vary based on an applicant’s visa history. While standard

thresholds still apply to newcomers, those categorized as “new entrants,” PhD holders, or individuals with continuous Skilled Worker visas prior to April 4, 2024, can qualify at lower salary levels.

For instance, a pipe fitter who previously needed to earn at least £46,000 can now be eligible with £40,400. Engineering technicians are permitted at £34,700, down from £42,500. In the creative sector, fashion designers can now qualify with £29,100, while data analysts in tech are eligible at £28,600. Laboratory technicians in science and healthcare can apply with £25,000, reduced from the standard £33,400.

This restructured visa list is seen as a direct response to economic and political pressures surrounding skills shortages. It seeks to make the UK labor market more globally competitive while addressing domestic gaps in practical, mid-level roles.

Despite these new allowances, all applicants must still meet basic eligibility requirements, including having a confirmed job offer from a licensed UK sponsor and obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship. Applications must also include proof of qualifications, salary information, and a valid job match aligned with the official occupation codes.

Although the government describes the updated list as temporary, no fixed end date has been announced.