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US, UK urged to impose visa ban on judges giving politically motivated judgments
US, UK urged to impose visa ban on judges giving politically motivated judgments
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has issued a strong condemnation of recent Federal High Court judgments, calling for visa restrictions on judges allegedly involved in issuing rulings perceived as politically motivated and destabilizing for Rivers State.
The group cited recent judgments halting federal allocations to the state as alarming, calling for international embassies, including those of the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union, to impose travel restrictions on affected judges.
HURIWA’s statement follows Justice Joyce Abdulmalik’s ruling to halt financial allocations to Rivers State, which group says disrupts Nigeria’s democracy.
HURIWA argued that such judgements are reminiscent of previous politically charged decisions, such as the Imo State governorship verdict that led to a visa ban on Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun (now the Chief Justice of Nigeria).
According to a statement signed by HURIWA national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, on Thursday, the recent ruling, effectively disregarded a longstanding Supreme Court principle affirming that statutory allocations to states cannot be withheld by federal authorities.
HURIWA insisted that the judgement violates established legal precedence, putting Rivers State and Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s administration at risk of political destabilization.
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“The lawsuit, initiated by a faction within the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to former Governor Nyesom Wike, claims the power to halt funds distribution within the state. HURIWA views this as a strategic attempt to undermine Governor Fubara’s administration through judicial means,” it said.
According to HURIWA, such “partisan” judgements blatantly contradict principles of judicial impartiality, as the judiciary should uphold constitutional protections rather than favor specific political agendas.
HURIWA’s appeal also included reference to notable human rights lawyer Professor Chidi Odinkalu, who echoed similar sentiments in response to Justice Abdulmalik’s ruling. In his public reaction, Odinkalu stated that the ruling overturns a precedent set by the Supreme Court, describing the judgement as a form of judicial tyranny that dismisses the rule of law. “Today, a judge of @FederalHigh overruled the Supreme Court. This is not #RuleOfLaw; it is tyranny of the #Outlaw,” Odinkalu tweeted, underscoring the dangerous precedent this decision establishes.
In addition to Justice Abdulmalik, HURIWA highlighted several other recent rulings by Federal High Court judges that it considers constitutionally questionable. The group pointed to Justice Lifu’s recent decision regarding Rivers State Local Government elections, where he ruled that the Electoral Act, rather than state electoral laws, governs Local Government elections.
HURIWA, alongside constitutional lawyers, expressed concern that this judgement could endanger the legality of local elections already conducted in states such as Kwara, Anambra, and Imo, which had relied on State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) laws.
“If upheld, the judgement would also challenge the authority of SIEC to conduct local elections, placing upcoming polls across multiple states in jeopardy,” it said.
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HURIWA emphasized the potential for civil unrest if financial allocations are withheld from Rivers State, as groups within the region have reportedly issued warnings threatening to disrupt critical infrastructure, including oil pipelines, in retaliation.
The group stressed that the court’s ruling aggravates existing tensions and could incite further instability in the region. “The judgement issued is like dousing the flames of political discord in Rivers State with gasoline, in what appears to be a deliberate push toward civil instability,” HURIWA stated. “Justice Abdulmalik’s decision delegitimizes the duly elected administration of Governor Fubara, and as such, is unconstitutional and akin to a plot to forcefully remove the governor without due process.”
In response, HURIWA appealed to Chief Justice Kekere-Ekun, urging her to restore integrity within Nigeria’s judicial system. HURIWA warned that the credibility of the judiciary is at stake, as these repeated instances of perceived bias in high-profile cases erode public trust in the rule of law. “The Nigerian judiciary is in jeopardy as these rulings reflect a disturbing pattern of bias in political disputes. If this persists, Nigerians may begin to question the value of seeking legal recourse, potentially leading to societal chaos,” HURIWA stated.
Concluding its statement, HURIWA warned that the judiciary must act quickly to address these incidents of alleged misconduct to prevent the erosion of Nigeria’s democratic framework.
HURIWA vowed to pursue sanctions on any judge whose rulings compromise Nigeria’s democratic principles, emphasizing that Justice Abdulmalik’s order represents a dangerous encroachment on the powers vested in elected officials. “It is crucial that the CJN and the National Judicial Council take corrective measures to prevent further damage to Nigeria’s judicial image,” the group stated. *
US, UK urged to impose visa ban on judges giving politically motivated judgments
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200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS
200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has disclosed that about 200,000 repentant terrorists have so far dropped their arms and surrendered to troops in the North East, noting that the twin strategy of kinetic and non-kinetic operations was responsible for this achievement.
The CDS made this known at the Security and Justice Symposium organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in collaboration with the British High Commission, which began at the National Counterterrorism Centre in Abuja on Tuesday.
He disclosed that the theme of the symposium, ”Securing Peace, Ensuring Justice, Protection, Conduct, and Accountability,” speaks volumes about the deluge of security challenges the armed forces and security agencies are facing.
His words, “All the challenges we are facing today have to do with fairness, equity, justice, and accountability.
“There will not be peace without justice, equity, fairness, and accountability. In our operations, we are conducting both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies, which have to a large extent yielded significant successes, and we want to particularly thank the National Security Adviser for his great support in this regard.
“Nigeria is going through so many challenges, and we feel we’re able to address this, and everybody has a sense of belonging. A lot of the security challenges we are having, we are sure, will go down. I want to thank the National Security Advisor for all the support he’s given us, both the kinetic and the non-kinetic.
“We have said it; the kinetic aspect is just less than 30%. The non-kinetic has a lot to play. The non-kinetic, because when you have democracy, people must have the evidence of democracy. As long as it tells people to sleep well and be peaceful, and they are hungry, their children cannot eat, and all this creates more problems.
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“The issue of informants. We have to look at how we tackle this issue of informants. Because these are the people who have created the issue.
200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS
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Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police
Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police
The spokesperson for the police in Delta State, SP Bright Edafe, has confirmed the death of two robbery suspects in the state.
Mr Edafe, who disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday in Warri, said that the deceased were killed from the bullets shot by their gang members.
According to him, the incident occurred on Wednesday at Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of the state.
Mr Edafe explained that the deceased were leading the police surveillance team attached to the Ekpan Division to their hideout when they were caught during a shoot-out.
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“The suspects were arrested at Effurun roundabout with a bag containing 57 live cartridges and other items. They were leading the surveillance team to their hideout at Warri/Sapele road when their gang members, on sighting the vehicle of the police team, engaged them in a shootout.During the gun duel, the arrested suspects that were leading the police team were fatally wounded by the gun shot of their colleagues. The two injured suspects were taken to the hospital and later died while receiving treatment,” he said.
Mr Edafe said that items recovered from the hoodlums hideout included: one English pump action gun, one locally made cut-to-size gun and eight live cartridges.
Others were: six iPhones, Smart phones and a Rolex wrist watch.
He said that the command had intensified manhunt on the fleeing members of the gang.
Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police
(NAN)
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Akwa Ibom businessman abducted, driver killed, police orderly injured
Akwa Ibom businessman abducted, driver killed, police orderly injured
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