“Now that the National Assembly is making a law to create additional states for the people of Southeast, it is reasonable, fair and timely to create additional local governments for Lagos State.”
News
ICC begins probe into alleged shooting of #EndSARS protesters
- UN rights experts say govt has questions to answer
The International Criminal Court says it has commenced a preliminary investigation into the recent #EndSARS protests in Nigeria.
This is coming as UN human rights experts have insisted that Nigerian government must set up a credible, independent inquiry into the reported illegal killing of peaceful protesters by soldiers.
A report by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on Wednesday quoted the ICC as saying this in a statement, adding its prosecutor had earlier confirmed receiving information on alleged crime.
The examination will “assess whether the legal criteria for opening an investigation under the Rome Statute are met.”
It recalled crowds of peaceful protesters had gathered on streets in major towns of the country demonstrating against police brutality, leading to a crackdown.
Amnesty International said security forces opened fire on protesters, killing and injuring a number of people. Both the police and the army have rejected Amnesty’s allegation.
The ICC said it would make findings of the preliminary examination public.
The development is coming after a number of civil society organisations (CSO) threatened to report some heads of security agencies to the ICC over the conduct of their personnel during the demonstrations, popularly called #EndSARS protests.
However, the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, has since dismissed the threats to report him and some heads of security agencies to the ICC and other international authorities.
“They have continually threatened to report the NA to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and also threatened various forms of sanctions against personnel and their families,” Buratai had said.
“Criminal elements are threatening us with travel ban but we are not worried because we must remain in this country to make it better.”
Meanwhile, some UN human rights experts have said, “Since 2005, UN Special Rapporteurs have repeatedly raised the issue of police killings and impunity with the Nigerian government,” the experts said.
They also said, “We have had 15 years of government promises, but nothing has changed. Governments come and go, but police brutality is as intractable as ever. Nigerians need justice.”
The experts noted that excessive use of force during peaceful assemblies was unacceptable, adding that the shootings at Lekki toll plaza in Lagos on 20 October were “especially disturbing because demonstrators were precisely calling for accountability for previous police brutality.”
“What is particularly disturbing is that the authorities said they had disbanded the SARS and agreed to the protestors other demands, including investigations,” the experts said. “But they immediately announced the formation of another similar unit and have not ended the excessive use of force.”
They recalled that protesters were met with water cannons, tear gas and live ammunition.
The fact that in the Lekki toll plaza incident CCTV cameras and lights were apparently switched off shortly before soldiers opened fire on the peaceful protestors indicates “a disturbing level of premeditation,” the experts said.
Systematic police brutality and use of excessive force against peaceful protesters must be independently and impartially investigated and the perpetrators brought to the justice, the human rights experts said.
In addition to setting up an independent inquiry, authorities must clarify why the military was deployed and who gave the order, the experts said. “Any investigation must aim to identify lines of responsibility, deliver accountability and justice, provide remedies and reparations, and recommend structural and systemic changes,” they said.
The experts also called on the government to release the reports of previous investigations into human rights violations by the security forces. These include the 2019 report by the National Human Rights Commission report on SARS and the 2018 report by the Presidential Investigation Panel to Review Compliance of the Armed Forces with Human Rights Obligations and Rules of Engagement.
They stated, “The authorities have promised for years to address human rights violations by the security forces,” said the experts.
“Hundreds of victims and relatives of those who died have testified and sent petitions, but they never received any remedy, not even the acknowledgement that their rights were violated. It is crucial that the government releases all these reports to the public before they start new investigations.”
The experts have written directly to the Nigerian government, stressing that “it is high time that concrete action is taken to properly look into all incidents and that structural changes be made to prevent any re-occurrence.”
News
Protest: Police combat ready, deploy 4,200 operatives to FCT strategic places
Protest: Police combat ready, deploy 4,200 operatives to FCT strategic places
The police say they are combat ready to crush any form of violence that may result from nationwide protests planned for next Thursday August 1 by some Nigerians against hardship and bad governance.
Indeed, starting with the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, the police said it had deployed armed operatives to strategic locations.
The FCT Minister Nyesom Wike had earlier warned the organisers of the protest that Abuja would not be available for any rally or demonstration on August 1.
But a statement by Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, in Abuja on Friday, said the FCT Command had deployed a total of 4,200 police officers to curb any form of violence that might arise from the protest.
The command was reacting in anticipation of the planned nationwide protest by some human rights activists and Nigerian youths, to publicly express their displeasure over hunger and hardship.
The planned protest has since generated massive traction on social media, especially on X.
According to Adeh, the command has proactively deployed material and human resources across the nooks and crannies of the nation’s capital.
The deployment, he said, was aimed at ensuring public safety, protecting protesters, and preventing protests from being hijacked by non-state actors.
The police command said the action was part of visibility policing, involving deployment of explosive ordinance devices (EOD) experts, and personnel at various strategic locations, raids on identified black spots, uncompleted buildings/shanties, stop and search, vehicular and foot patrol, and synergy with sister security agencies.
The Commissioner of Police FCT, Benneth Igweh, while acknowledging the right of residents to protest, advised that it should be peaceful.
He wrote, “The CP vows to resist all forms of violent protest and lawlessness, as the police will not be stampeded into allowing the destruction of public and private properties or loss of lives.
Residents are also advised to be vigilant and take advantage of the police emergency lines, to report suspicious activities through 08032003913, 08028940883, 08061581938, 07057337653 PCB: 09022222352, and CRU: 08107314192.
News
National Assembly urged to create more councils for Lagos
National Assembly urged to create more councils for Lagos
National Assembly has been urged to create more local governments for Lagos State, to meet its current population, social, economic and environmental challenges.
The Red Chamber is also advised to enact laws granting the state a special status for being the country’s commercial city and economic melting pot.
Renowned socio-political activist and critic, Chief Adesunbo Onitiri, made the demands in a statement in Lagos.
The activist recalled that in 1976 when the military government created states and local governments, Lagos and Kano states had 20 councils each.
“Later, Kano State councils increased to 44, while Lagos councils remained at 20. When the Abacha government carved out Jigawa State out of Kano State, Jigawa got 27 local governments, while Kano was still having 44 councils.
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“It is an injustice for Lagos State to remain with only 20 local governments till today, despite its gigantic social, security and economic problems,” Onitiri said.
He recalled that when the then Governor of Lagos State, now Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, created 37 additional councils in 1999, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, then President, seized Lagos State federal allocations for two years.
He said Lagos State through the then Attorney-General, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, sued the Federal Government, and the state government won the case against Federal Government at the Supreme Court.
He regretted that till now, National Assembly has not done the needful to enact a law to accommodate the 37 local governments created by Lagos State Government.
News
FG warns LG chairs misusing FAAC funds will face jail term
FG warns LG chairs misusing FAAC funds will face jail term
The Federal Government has threatened jail terms for Local Government Area chairmen who tamper with Federation Accounts Allocation Committee funds.
Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, made the announcement yesterday at the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria’s 17th annual lecture event in Abuja.
He stated that none of the chairmen have immunity and will be imprisoned if they tamper with funds designated for the development of their areas. Fagbemi stated, “We have a situation on our hands; I know that it is still there; the conduct of elections must be done by the states.”
“But the distinction is this: don’t forget, the governors have immunity, the local government council chairmen or councillors, they have no immunity, so they have to choose between dealing with the funds of the local government as they like and risking going to jail. The choice is theirs (LG chairmen).
“If they want to tamper with these funds and end up in jail, it is their choice. If they want to write their names in letters of gold, activities like construction or road upgrades must be returned to the local government. They don’t all have to come to Abuja.
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“If they stay at the local government, we will be able to reduce the level of insecurity that we have in Nigeria today. What obtains offshore is that the security agents are able to perform optimally because of information that comes to them from members of the public and usually it is from the grassroots.”
The minister said the federal government opted to use the supreme court to achieve local government autonomy due to the challenges it will face at state assemblies, stressing that any speaker who would have supported the cause will not survive the tenure or lose his reelection.
The Minister stated that for over two decades, local government administration in the country has been in comatose with state governments not remitting funds meant for the local governments.
Fagbemi, who urged security agents in the country to stop keeping suspects in detention beyond the period allowed by the constitution, added that detention without any court order will no longer be tolerated as appropriate sanctions will be applied to those found guilty of contravening the law of the land.
On his part, the National coordinator of HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, urged the federal government to cut down on the cost of governance.
He blamed corruption for the insecurity and high unemployment rate in the country, which is responsible for impending protests in the country.
FG warns LG chairs misusing FAAC funds will face jail term
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