The Independent Judicial Accountability Panel (IJAP) has called for stronger disciplinary measures against judicial officers who abuse ex-parte orders, warning that their improper use threatens fair hearing, public confidence in the judiciary and the integrity of Nigeria’s justice system. The panel urged the National Judicial Council (NJC) to take a more proactive approach to disciplining judges who improperly issue such orders and recommended that judicial officers known to misuse ex-parte orders, or with pending disciplinary complaints, should not be appointed to election petition tribunals. Meanwhile, ActionAid Nigeria has backed the reform initiative, stressing that a credible, accessible and accountable justice…
Author: Abimbola Ogunaike
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Africa’s climate commitments risk remaining unfulfilled without increased private-sector investment, affordable financing and stronger government accountability, stakeholders warned on Tuesday as the Africa Climate Forum 2026 opened in Abuja, with the Federal Government insisting that sustainable petroleum development must remain part of Nigeria’s energy transition. The government said Nigeria was pursuing a pragmatic pathway that would allow it to harness its vast oil and gas resources for economic development while reducing emissions, curbing gas flaring and progressively diversifying towards cleaner energy sources. The position, presented by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, through the Deputy Director, Midstream and…
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), has warned that Nigeria’s fight against drug abuse will remain incomplete without adequate investment in mental healthcare, stressing that untreated psychological distress is driving substance abuse among vulnerable Nigerians. Marwa said the relationship between drug use and mental illness was mutually reinforcing, warning that a response focused solely on arrests and enforcement would fail to address the underlying causes of addiction. “If we only arrest the symptoms, we will keep missing the cause,” he said on Tuesday in Abuja, calling for…
Nigeria has called for stronger international intelligence-sharing, intensified action against illicit financial networks and increased investment in drug-control institutions in developing countries, warning that criminal organisations are exploiting gaps between jurisdictions to expand the global drug trade. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) made the call at the ongoing 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where it presented Nigeria’s evolving drug-control system as an example of how institutions can adapt to increasingly sophisticated criminal threats. The agency’s position formed part of Nigeria’s statement under the theme, “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations that…
The Nigerian Environmental Society (NES) has called for strategic collaboration with the Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN) to promote mine-site reclamation, sustainable mining practices and responsible environmental management across the country. The newly elected National President of the NES, ESV. Prof. Muhammad Bashar Nuhu, made the call on Monday, while attending Nigerian Mining Week in Abuja. The event marked his first official assignment since assuming office as president of the professional environmental body. Nuhu said the NES was prepared to work with MAN to strengthen environmental sustainability in the mining sector, particularly through land reclamation, ecological restoration and the development…
By Adetutu Audu The Nigerian gospel music community, particularly in Ibadan, has been thrown into deep shock and mourning following the sudden death of the popular gospel recording artist Olayemi Bayonile Bolaji, widely known as Toluwanisings. Details surrounding his passing remain devastating to fans and loved ones, coming only months after the singer and his crew narrowly cheated death in a harrowing road accident earlier this year. Sources close to the Ibadan-based minister reported that he had previously suffered a sudden health scare, which he managed to pull through, leaving those around him hopeful. However, tragedy struck when a similar…
Forty children are set to undergo reconstructive surgery in Sokoto as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) renews its demand for the urgent integration of noma prevention, diagnosis and treatment into Nigeria’s primary healthcare system. The appeal came as the Sokoto State Ministry of Health’s Noma Hospital began its final surgical intervention for 2026, highlighting both the life-changing work being done at the facility and the failure of the wider health system to detect and treat the disease before it causes irreversible damage. Noma is a rapidly advancing, non-contagious disease that attacks the mouth and face, destroying soft tissue and bone within…
By Segun Adewale in Bauchi The Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, has urged Local Government Councils Chairpersons as well as the State Government to place high premium on child nutrition in their planning, budgeting and resource allocation in order to address the rising prevalence of malnutrition across the State. Nuzhat Rafique made the call on Tuesday, 13 October, 2026, during an advocacy meeting/interaction with Local Government Chairpersons, organised to familiarise newly elected Council leaders with the nutritional challenges facing children in their respective areas and the subregion at large. She explained that the meeting…
By Segun Adewale in Bauchi As thousands of inmates languish in different correctional centres across the country with many of them having no access to justice or legal representation, Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) is set to anchor a national dialogue on ‘Access to Justice’ in November. According to the Chief Executive Officer of Centre, Lucy James Abagi, said the two-day event will be held at the Los Angeles Event Centre, Mabushi, Abuja, to bring judges, civil society, legal practitioners, technology innovators and citizens. The event would also combine the Access to Justice Parley with the Law for Humanity…
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has announced that the state secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC), an ultra-modern facility in Abeokuta, will be commissioned in November. Abiodun disclosed this while conducting an on-the-spot inspection of the imposing edifice located along Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, where he expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work. The Governor said the project, whose groundbreaking ceremony took place less than a year ago, was nearing completion and would provide the party with a befitting permanent administrative base in the state. “We were here for the groundbreaking ceremony less than a year ago, and…