News

We Feel Your Pains, Senate Tells Nigerians

Published

1 year ago

February 20, 2024

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters, Mohammed Monguno, on Monday said the National Assembly was concerned and shared the citizens’ distress over the current security challenges in the country.

The senator who decried the situation noted that the security sector had a huge allocation in the 2024 appropriation act to enable the various security agencies to deliver on their mandate of protecting lives and properties.

Despite allocating N3.25trn for national security out of the total N28.7trn budget, insecurity continues to persist in various regions of the country.

According to a Civil Society Organisation, Enough is Enough, there were approximately 245 reported kidnapping cases with over N6bn ransoms demanded by kidnappers in January 2024.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ dialogue on the State of Human Rights in Nigeria, organised by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre in Abuja on Monday, Monguno said the primary responsibility of the government is to provide adequate security to the citizens, adding that to address the insecurity in the country, the National Assembly allocated a large percentage of the budget to the security sector.

He said, “I want to assure you that the 10th National Assembly is a very responsible and responsive assembly to the yearnings and aspirations of the people. We feel the pains of Nigerians that we are representing as a result of the problem of insecurity in the country.

“And the Senate, in order to address this problem in the 2024 Appropriations Act, has made robust provisions to the security sector because the security sector got the highest amount of allocation because the National Assembly is desirous of giving all the wherewithal and the necessary input for them to be able to discharge their constitutional mandate of protecting the lives and properties of Nigeria to grantee peace order and good governance.

“Security is the primary responsibility of government. And that is the social contract that the government has with the people. That is the primacy of governance and because of that, the National Assembly appropriated the highest amount of money to the security sector.”

Monguno, however, vowed that the national assembly would intensify its oversight functions to ensure the judicious utilization of the funds.

“And we are also going to double on our oversight functions, to oversight the security agencies that are charged with the responsibility of guaranteeing our security to make sure that these funds are judiciously utilized for the benefit of Nigerians.”

The Executive Director, PLAC, Clement Nwankwo lamented that despite the ENDSARs protest which occurred in 2020, human rights challenges remained in the country.

He said, “The challenge of human rights in Nigeria remains. Some of them are institutional, some of them are behavioral, and others are human-made. Those challenges continue to pose obstacles to the exercise and human rights in the country.

“We see the abuses that come with citizens interaction with the police, we saw the circumstances that led to protests in 2020, and we saw the commitments of government agencies to address the problem raised for it. Unfortunately, they continue to operate in ways that do not help citizens to exercise the full value of rights recognised in the Constitution. ”

Executive Secretary, of the National Human Rights Commission, Anthony Ojukwu(SAN) said to boost the nation’s Foreign Direct Investment, the government and its agencies must obey court orders.

He noted that disobeying courts sends a wrong signal to foreign investors.

Ojukwu said, “Disobeying court orders has implications on our FDI. They will believe if their rights are infringed and they go to court the orders might not be obeyed. And as such they will not get the remedy they seek. ”

He also backed the call for the establishment of state police, allaying fears that it would be hijacked by governors.

Ojukwu added, “We should have state police. If we establish one are we not going to prescribe how they will operate?

“We need security. Look at the large number of ungoverned spaces we have, state police will go a long way to help in securing those areas. “

News

Misconduct, Indiscipline: 151 Senior Police Officers Face Force Disciplinary C’ttee

Published

2 hours ago

July 17, 2025

Editor

As part of effort towards reinforcing internal accountability and professional standards, 151 senior police officers are currently facing the Force Disciplinary Committee, FDC, over various pending disciplinary matters.

Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi while confirming the appearances, said: “The exercise commenced on July 14 and will last till July 25, 2025, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

“The Force Disciplinary Committee is an essential internal structure responsible for reviewing and adjudicating cases of alleged breaches of professional conduct, misconduct, and ethical violations involving senior officers of the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police and above.

“The affected officers, drawn from various commands and formations across the country, are expected to undergo a thorough and transparent review process in line with extant police regulations and disciplinary procedures for final recommendation to the Police Service Commission, PSC.

“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun has reaffirmed his administration’s dedication to discipline and ethical conduct within the Force. He emphasized that the Police Force will not condone any form of indiscipline or misconduct.

“The Police Force remains resolute in its commitment to promoting integrity, professionalism, and public trust. The disciplinary process reflects the Force’s keenness to maintaining an accountable and service-driven institution, where standards are upheld and the rule of law is respected from within.”

News

FG Suspends Online Application Recruitment Into Paramilitary Services

Published

2 hours ago

July 17, 2025

Editor

The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, and Immigration Service Board (CDCFIB) has suspended online recruitment for job applicants in any of the paramilitary agencies until July 21.

In a statement on Thursday, the Secretary to the Board, retired Maj.-Gen. Abdulmalik Jubril, said that the temporary suspension was to optimise the efficiency of the recruitment portal https://recruitment.cdcfib.gov.ng.

“This development will ensure that the portal accommodates the high level of applications while guaranteeing a smooth, transparent, and fair recruitment process.

“We appreciate the enthusiasm and interest of young Nigerians to serve their country through these vital agencies,” Jubril said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the online recruitment exercise was initially slated to commence July 2 before it was moved to July 14.

The paramilitary agencies with vacancies are the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, and Federal Fire Service.
(NAN)

News

Court Strips Transport Minister, CRFFN Regulatory Power Over Licensed Customs

Published

3 hours ago

July 17, 2025

Editor

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has declared that Licensed Customs Agents, LCA shall not be subjected to regulatory control of the Minister of Transporation and the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding, CRFFN or required to pay fees or obtain clearance as a condition for access to ports or renewal of their licenses under Customs Act.

The suit No. FHC/CS/765/2018 which commenced at the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division, was instituted by the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, NCMDLCA against the Minister of Transportation, the Nigeria Authority, NPA and the CRFFN as defendants.

The court ruled that the Minister of Transportation lacks legal authority to issue directives regulating the business or operation of LCA, declaring null and void the directive published in the Vanguard Newspapers on August 1, 2017.

The landmark judgment delivered by Justice Daniel Osiagor, resolved that: “the regulation of LCA is governed squarely by the Customs and Excise Management Act, CEMA which provides a comprehensive legal frame for the licensing and oversight of Customs operation in Nigeria. Only the Minister of Finance, acting through the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS is statutorily authorized to regulate the business and operation of LCA.

“The Minister of Transportation is not recognized under the Customs Act as having any supervisory or regulatory role in this regard.

“Under section 4 the CRFFN is empowered to determine qualification, register freight forwarders and set standard for practice. LCA is a distinct profession from freight forwarders.

“The business and regulation of LCA fall exclusively under the Customs Act, which vests regulatory control in the Minister of Finance and NCS. The CRFFN established under the CRFFN Act 2007, is a separate regulatory body whose jurisdiction applies only to freight forwarders not LCA”

Speaking at a media briefing in Lagos, President, NCMDLCA, Lucky Amiwero, described the victory as long overdue, even as he maintained that the CRFFN and the Ministry of Transportation have no statutory authority to regulate the business or operations of LCAs.

“We are not freight forwarders. We are licensed under a different law, and this judgment affirms that distinction. “Meanwhile, Registrar of CRFFN Kingsley Igwe, said that the court ruling will not prevent the Council from collecting Practitioners operating Fee, POF from customs agents.

Speaking at a press briefing in response to the judgment, Igwe said that it remains the legally empowered authority to regulate freight forwarding in Nigeria under Act No. 16 of 2007.
(Vanguard)