Connect with us

News

Human Rights Violation: EDOCSO, CLEEN Foundation Want Govt To Strip Police Right Of Prosecutions

Published

on

A right group, Edo Civil Society Organizations (EDOCSO) in collaboration with the CLEEN Foundation Wednesday, February 19, called on the Federal and state governments to strip the Nigeria Police of the power to prosecute suspect facing criminal trials in court to end violation of the rights of citizens.

While making the call in Benin City during their 2nd quarter state working group meeting on accountable governance, justice and security project-accessing, they said law given the Nigeria police the right to investigate, arrest and prosecute a suspect has led to the violation of the rights of citizens.

Speaking on the topic: ‘Challenges in the Implementation of Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Edo State and Way Forward’, Assistant Chief State Counsel, Ministry of Justice, Department of Public Prosecutions, Edo State, Mrs. Odihirin Justina, recommended that police should be given right to arrest and investigate and thereafter should hand to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution.

Advertisement

READ ALSO: Suspected Herders Attack Community, Kill Two In Edo

She said Kano State government has applied such law, Lagos State is following suit, stressing that there is need for Edo State government to quickly apply such for her citizens not to be unlawfully detained.

According to her, the decision of the police to take up the roles of prosecution, has led to unlawful detentions of citizens in custody.

Advertisement

“In Ministry of Justice today, we discovered that 70 percent of the files on our table brought in by the police are those who don’t have anything to do in detention at all.

READ ALSO: Borno Burns, Bayelsa Boils, Buhari Dey Kampe

“So, when we in the DPP discovered that, we recommended that they should be released and they were released.

Advertisement

“I believed that this is happening because the police want to assume the role of arrest, investigation and prosecutions.

“I suggest that their roles should be narrowed to the arrest and investigation of criminal suspect while the prosecutions should be left with the DPP”, she added.

Corroborating Julianna’s recommendations, Coordinator-General, EDOCSO, Comrade Omubude Agho, said the state law given the Nigeria police the right to investigate, arrest and prosecute a criminal suspect have led to the violation of the rights of the citizens of the state which ordinarily ought not to have been.

Advertisement

READ ALSO: Group Takes Investment Campaign To Imo, Woos Potential Investors

Agho said the duty of the police should start with the arrest and the investigation of suspect and that upon completion of their investigations, should hand them over to the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for onward prosecutions.

The one-day roundtable meeting gave opportunity to stakeholders to make contributions on the urgent need for Edo State government amend the criminal law in the state so as to end unlawful detention and prosecution in the state.

Advertisement

The meeting brought together Edo Dtate Ministry of Justice, Independent Corrupt Practice and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria Bar Association and Edo Civil Society Organisations, but other stakeholders such as the Nigeria Police, Nigerian Correctional Services were absent.

Advertisement
Comments

News

UNIMAID, Federal Polytechnic Matriculate 82 Degree Students

Published

on

University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) in affiliation with the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi has matriculated 82 students into the degree programmes across five courses.

Speaking during the matriculation ceremony at the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi on Tuesday, Professor Muhammad Laminu Mele, the Vice chancellor, University of Maiduguri, charged the matriculated students to strictly adhere to the rules and regulations guiding the two institutions to enable them achieve the set objectives.

The VC, who was represented by Professor Muhammad Ahmad Waziri, Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Services, warned that any student or group of students trying to breach the peace of the two institutions would face the full wrath of the law.

Advertisement

READ ALSO:NEDC Hands Over Mega School To Bauchi Govt

The Don further assured that the University and its affiliated institutions would continue to make easy access to higher quality education to the teeming population across the country.

In a remark, the Rector of the Polytechnic, Alhaji Sani Usman, said they were affiliated with the university to pursue academic excellence, describing the affiliation as a huge pillar in the education reforms.

Advertisement

READ ALSO:Bauchi Govt, UNICEF Strengthen Education Platforms To Improve Learning Outcomes

The Rector, who was also represented by Dr. Dalhatu Saidu, the Deputy Rector of the Polymeric, commended the university of Maiduguri for not only improving the UNIMAID’s conducive learning environment but expanding the horizon to different higher institutions of learning across Nigeria.

He therefore advised the newly matriculated students to pursue knowledge, to interact freely with the Polytechnic staff, be vigilant and be a brother’s keeper, adding that this would help to achieve the desired objectives.

Advertisement

The affiliated courses included BSc Mass Communication, BSc Accountancy, BSc Public Administration, BSc Business Administration and BSc Banking and Finance respectively.

Continue Reading

News

Trouble Looms As Egbesu Group Drags FG To Court Over Resource Control, Others

Published

on

Group known as Supreme Egbesu Assembly (SEA) has dragged the Federal Government and the National Assembly to a Federal High Court, Yenagoa, over failure to create additional 24 Local government councils in Bayelsa State as the need for Ijaw to control natural resources in its territory.

The Originating Summons marked: FHC/YNA/CS/63/2026 was filed on Tuesday April 21, 2026 by the plaintiffs including; Felix Tuodolo, Weri Digifa, Ebi Waribigha, Kabowei Akamade, Rosebella Jackson, Thomas Jacklloyd, Primrose Kpokposei, David Imole and Welman Warri at the Federal High Court Yenagoa.

Joined as defendants in the suit are the National Assembly, the Clerk of the National Assembly and the Attorney General of the Federation.

Advertisement

In the court documents, the Egbesu Assembly premised their action on the alleged failure of the federal government particularly the National Assembly to deliberate, approve and amend the relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

This, according to them, is to allow for resource control as well as the creation of additional LGAs in the state to fulfil the requirements in line with the Constitution.

READ ALSO:FG Bans Unauthorized Use Of Ambassador Title

Advertisement

The group is therefore seeking, among others, the amendment of the constitution by the National Assembly to allow for the right to resource control.

The Supreme Egbesu Assembly described the suit action as a promise kept.

Mranwh, In a press statement announcing the institution of the lawsuit on Tuesday, the Egbesu Assembly recalled that, on 12th February 2026, it wrote to both the Federal Government and the National Assembly wherein its gave a 21-Day ultimatum for the duo to respond to the age-long demands for resource control and creation of additional LGAs or face a lawsuit.

Advertisement

The statement partly reads: “Recall that on 12th February 2026, we did inform you that we have written to the National Assembly and the federal government on the need for the creation of an additional 24 Local Government Areas in Bayelsa State as well as the control of our God-given natural resources in Ijaw territory.

“We promised that if the National Assembly and or federal government did not respond to these age-long demands, we were going to seek legal actions to address our demands.

READ ALSO:

Advertisement

We gave a time frame of twenty-one days for them to respond to us—we got no response!

“Today the Supreme Egbesu Assembly (SEA) has kept to its promise.

“We instituted an action at the Federal High Court Yenagoa against the National Assembly and the Federal Government after the expiration of the 21 days. Today we were in court for the first hearing of both cases.”

Advertisement

According to the group, creation of additional local government areas for Bayelsa is as old as the creation of the State itself.

The SEA maintained that “there is nowhere in any democracy where a state is limited to just 8 LGAs: more pathetic is the fact that Bayelsa State is an oil bearing State.

“Bayelsa State presently has twenty four Rural Development Authorities (RDA) which can be easily converted to Local Government areas thereby making the State eligible to participate in the sharing of allocation and the development of their areas for the purpose of justice and equity.

Advertisement

READ ALSO:

Gentlemen, we wish to inform you that our suit on Resource Control is a revival of our age long agitation.”

The group further stated that Nigeria can no longer operate a system where contributors to the national coffers are not in charge of their resources.

Advertisement

The group added that the lawsuit is therefore for the Ijaw people.

The Ijaw Nation must be free from all economic strangulation carried out against them by successive Governments,” they added.

The SEA called on all Ijaws to be steadfast and resolute, and continue to support the process by attending all court sessions, stating that “your solidarity is very vital at this point of time in our history. “

Advertisement

The group also called on other Ijaw organizations, communities, Niger Delta people, organizations and all people of goodwill “to join in the march to control and manage our despoiled and mismanaged natural resources.”

Continue Reading

News

BREAKING: Tinubu Sacks Wale Edun, Dangiwa As Ministers

Published

on

President Bola Tinubu has approved a minor reshuffle of the Federal Executive Council, removing the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, from their cabinet positions.

Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yomi Odunuga, said the development was contained in a memo signed by the
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.

According to the memo, Taiwo Oyedele has been appointed as the new Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.

Advertisement

Also appointed is Dr. Muttaqha Darma as Minister-designate for Housing and Urban Development.

READ ALSO:VIDEO: I Took Over Leadership From Myself; The Late Buhari Is Me — Tinubu

The memo directed the outgoing ministers to complete handover processes to their respective successors or supervising officials.

Advertisement

It stated that all handing over and taking over activities must be concluded on or before the close of business on Thursday, 23rd April, 2026.

Explaining the decision, Akume said the changes were aimed at improving coordination and strengthening delivery across key sectors of the economy under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

These changes are aimed at strengthening cohesion, synergy in governance as well as achieving more impactful delivery on the economy to Nigerians, through the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Akume stated.

Advertisement

READ ALSO:VIDEO: Tinubu Till 2031, City Boy Movement Members Declare At Bayelsa Rally

He added that President Tinubu acted in line with his constitutional powers as provided under Sections 147 and 148 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The SGF also conveyed the President’s appreciation to the outgoing ministers for their service to the nation and wished them well in their future endeavours, noting that the process of cabinet reinvigoration would remain continuous.

Advertisement

The statement further noted that Taiwo Oyedele was appointed as Minister of State for Finance in March 2026, while Edun was among the ministers appointed on August 16, 2023.

Continue Reading

Trending