Nigerian Army confirms killing of Brigadier-General Zirkushu by ISWAP

  The Nigerian Army has revealed the identity of the Brigadier-General killed on Saturday, November 13, by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists.

The slain general is Brigadier-General Dzarma Zirkushu, the commander of 28 Task Force Brigade, Chibok.

The general's identity was revealed in statement issued by the Nigerian Army spokesman, Onyeama Nwachukwu.

The terrorists killed Zirkushu alongside three other soldiers, while on their way to reinforce troops at Bungulwa village, near Askira Uba.

Meanwhile, the Army spokesman said the troops successfully defended their location and destroyed ISWAP equipment during the battle at Askira Uba local government area of Borno state.

The statement reads:

“Troops of Joint Task Force, North East Operation HADIN KAI have neutralized several Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP terrorists during a recent encounter in Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.

“In the fierce encounter which is still raging as at the time of filing this report, troops supported by the Air Component of OPHK have destroyed five A-Jet, two A-29, two Dragon combat vehicles and nine Gun Trucks.

“Sadly, a gallant senior officer Brigadier General Dzarma Zirkusu and three soldiers paid the supreme sacrifice in a very rare display of gallantry as they provided reinforcement in a counter offensive against the terrorists, and successfully defended the location.

“The family of the senior officer and soldiers have been contacted."

Meanwhile, the statement added that the Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Faruk Yahaya has deeply commiserated with the families and relations of the fallen heroes.

He has also directed that the troops continue in the ferocious counter offensive and hot pursuit to eliminate the remnant of the fleeing terrorists.

Earlier, the deputy speaker of Borno state House of Assembly, Askira, decried an attack on his brother's house by some insurgents.

He said some ISWAP fighters attacked his community and burnt his elder brother's house. Abdullahi Askira said his late brother's house was burnt by some insurgents.

The lawmaker said that his brother's house located in Chan Chan Dana Community in Askira Uba local government area was completely razed by the insurgents on Wednesday, November 10.

Hit-and-run driver killed missing journalist - Police

The police has revealed how missing Vanguard reporter, Tordue Henry Salem, who was recently found dead barely one month after his disappearance died.

According to the authorities, the journalist was killed by a hit-and-run driver identified as Itoro Clement.

CP Frank Mba, the Force Public Relations Officer, confirmed the development on Friday, November 12, The Nation reports.

, Tordue Salem  Photo credit: Gbenga Awe, Abahuraira Muhd Mainasara Source: Facebook

Mba said the driver has, however, been apprehended. He made this known while parading the suspect at the Police Intelligence Responce Team (IRT) premises, Guzape, Abuja.

The police spokesman noted that Salem’s body was discovered at the Wuse General Hospital.

In a similar report by Channels TV, Itoro confessed to having knocked off someone at about 10:00 pm the same day Salem went missing around Mabushi area in Abuja.

The 29-year-old explained that he did not stop to check on the pedestrian because he was afraid of being attacked by armed robbers as the area where the accident took place is known for criminal activities.

According to the driver, he thought the person he had knocked down was an armed robber until a smashed phone was found on his windscreen.

Salem worked as a correspondent covering the National Assembly especially the House of Representatives before his disappearance and death.

This development is coming hours after the Vanguard journalist was found dead. The remains of Salem were recovered on Thursday, November 11, in Abuja, two-days short of one month since his disappearance.

A suspect, Prince Enyenihi, was arrested in connection with the disappearance and possibly, the death of Salem.

Enyenihi, 25, was said to have tried to extort money from Salem's family after his disappearance on October 13.

In a previous report by some newspapers, lawmakers of the National Assembly had called on the IGP to institute a special investigation into the disappearance of Salem.

In a point of order, Senator Orker-Jev Emmanuel Yisa of Benue northwest senatorial district told the Senate at the plenary that Salem had been missing since October 13.

He also said that it should be noted that if a journalist can disappear into the tin air from the FCT, it poses a big challenge for Nigeria's capital city.

Nigeria majorly earns from non-oil exports - Osinbajo

Nigeria's Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) says revenue recently flowing into the nation’s treasury are majorly from non oil and gas exports.

This is contained in a statement by Josephine Ademu, Press and Public Relations of the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation on Friday, in Abuja.

The Vice President said this at the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers (NSCHE) 51st Annual International Conference/AGM on Thursday in Lagos.

Represented by Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Osinbajo pointed out that the Federal Government had worked assiduously to ensure that the country achieve economic diversification.

He said that the nation could not afford to be taken off guard as crude oil and gas were no longer the major fuel that drives global economies.

According to him, this is due to the fact that more technologically developed nations of the world have switched to clean and renewable energy.

Former Chief Justice calls for standardisation of criminal justice

A former chief justice of the Federal Capital Territory, Justice Ishaq Bello, has called for the standardisation of the administration of the criminal justice system in Nigeria.

Bello said the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (2015) in Nigeria needs to operate at an international standard that would deliver a working system.

Justice Bello . Photo: Ben Shemang Source: Facebook

A retired chief judge of the FCT, Bello made the recommendation while giving his keynote address at the first annual conference of the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee.

The conference was organised with support from GiZ, MacArthur Foundation, the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC), the CLEEN Foundation and the Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA).

Addressing challenges of delivering speedy judgement in Nigeria, the retired chief judge said many cases in the country are delayed by frivolities and interlocutory applications that most times mess up the process.

Bello said:

"When going to the high court, you must go by information as frivolities are one of the major issues encountered in the administration of criminal justice in Nigeria."

"The international standard process is that cases must go through sieving to make sure there are no frivolities such that when you go to court, cases are not unnecessarily delayed."

He noted that the ACJA, 2015 was set to solve some of the challenges and lapses bedevilling the criminal justice system in Nigeria.

He, however, said that without a standardise administration of criminal justice in the country, Nigeria would continue to be victim to trumped-up charges either by personal or political malice.

Bello also noted the importance of making provisions for social amenities that are necessary for the creation of the platform for peace and stability in the country.

He said:

"The government do not engage the services of lawyers to enhance the standardised way of handling and presentation of cases, from the magistracy upward due to this some state have modified their act."

"In saner climes, implementation of judgement must not be delivered by the same judge who handled the matter.

Continuing, Bello said that in other parts of the world, a court or a judge is expected to handle three cases per time but in Nigeria, you can find one judge assigned to over 1,000 criminal cases that are riddled with all manner of applications.

He noted that a standardized system is one with three stages of the justice system - the pre-trial judge, the trial judge and the post-trial justice who ensures the implementation of the judgement by the court.

He said:

"That is what the ACJA seeks to address but here we are."

He said that all hands must be on deck to ensure that the Act eliminates all the bottlenecks that make the system less attractive.

He added:

"We must be jealous in protecting the Justice system in Nigeria as this is the show of patriotism as any misdeed is going to have a negative impact on the country."

On his part, Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf said that the ACJMC is the most crucial innovation of the ACJA as it creates room for uniformity of work and purpose for an upward trajectory.

"This is important, as ACJMC establishes a mechanism by which the implementation of the provisions of the Act would be closely monitored to ensure compliance and uniformity of the application by all relevant agencies and institutions."

Earlier, Sulayman Dawodu, the secretary of the ACJMC had said that the committee is charged with the unique responsibility of implementing the provisions of ACJA which is aimed at ensuring speedy and effective dispensation of Criminal Justice

Dawodu said:

"The system is currently blessed with a number of remarkable innovation such as oversight, timeline reporting and monitoring mechanism to ensure the purpose of ACJA is met."

He said that in its effort to uphold the law, the committee has a series of projects that have brought major stakeholders from all works of life to play key roles in making ensuring speedy trial.

Nigerian Air Force deploys helicopters to monitor Kaduna-Abuja railway

The Nigerian military has deployed some of its attack helicopters to monitor the Kaduna-Abuja railway tracks.

This was announced at a press briefing on Thursday, November 11 by the acting director, Defence Media Operations, Brigadier-General Bernard Onyeuko.

 Photo: Jerrywright Ukwu Source:

Although Brigadier-General Onyeuko did not say much on the new initiative, he, however, confirmed that the monitoring has started.

Asked to explain more on the military exercise, Onyeuko said:

‘’The important thing is the Nigerian Air Force is present at the rail tracks. Suffice to say, the operation has started. Even if you travel by road, you will see our helicopters along that route.’’

There have been a series of attacks on trains and railway tracks by some yet to be unidentified bandits. railway occurred on the night of Wednesday, October 20 and the early morning of Thursday, October 21.

Raising alarm over the incident, a former lawmaker who represented Kaduna central in the Eight Senate, Shehu Sani, said the bandits had planted some explosives on the rail track.

According, to Shehu Sani, the explosive planted by the bandits damaged a portion of the rail track preventing the movement of trains along the Kaduna-Abuja railway.

Sani called on the federal government and the leadership of the Nigerian Railway Corporation to take action against the bandits.

Following the former lawmaker's recommendation, the NRC suspended all train movement for two days to allow the FG to sort the security issues out.

Officials of the NRC said services on the route were also suspended as investigations were ongoing to determine if the facility was actually bombed as widely speculated.

In a swift move, the managing director of the NRC, Fidet Okhiria, said the attack on the rail track was carried out by vandals.

WOC Summit: Osinbajo, Falana, others to speak on implementing justice sector reforms

 Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Nigeria's vice president, would lead eminent stakeholders in the justice sector at the second edition of the Wole Olanipekun & Co (WOC) Justice Summit slated for Friday, November 19. 

 Bode Olanipekun (SAN), the managing partner, Wole Olanipekun & Co, made this known in Ikoyi at a news conference on Tuesday, November 9, in Lagos.   

Olanipekun said the theme of the summit is: “Implementing Justice Sector Reforms.” He said the summit would bring together all stakeholders to share insights and broaden the thinking needed for the growth of the sector. According to him, the summit coincides with the 70th birthday of the firm’s founder, Chief Wole Olanipekun, who was called to the Nigerian Bar 45 years ago. 

He added: “At this year’s event, two retired Justices of the Supreme Court and a serving Chief Judge would speak on the topic of integrity. This is critical because the value of a judicial system is largely dependent on the trust that judicial outcomes command. 

“The trust that judicial outcomes command also has a direct bearing on virtually all aspects of national life. For instance, the fact that judicial outcomes in the United Kingdom command global respectability is a fundamental factor why the City London, despite its size, in terms of landmass, has remained a leading global financial hub. 

The WOC Justice Summit would nudge discussions from the theoretical to the practical with distinguished and reputable thought leaders proffering practical ways to build sustainable, trusted and adaptable justice delivery mechanisms.

 Other speakers expected at the summit include Justice Fedode Tabai JSC (rtd.); Justice Adamu Galumje, JSC (rtd.); Chief Judge of Borno State, Justice Kashim Zannah; former President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) A. B. Mahmoud (SAN). 

He also noted that former NBA Vice President, Funke Adekoya (SAN), lawyer-activist, Femi Falana (SAN); founder of the Chair Centre, Ibukun Awosika and the immediate past chief executive/vice-chancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun would attend the summit.

 Olanipekun further stated: "This year's summit coincides with the 70th birthday of the founder of our firm, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, who was called to the Nigerian Bar about 45 years ago and has practised law for over three decades as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. We are proud to be part of the worthy heritage that he originated and are also excited at the opportunities to build on exemplary legacies that have sustained our firm till date." 

Meanwhile, in a related news. Chief Olanipekun SAN, lists four major problems has he  described the nation's 1999 constitution as amended as an unrealistic document that needs a replacement and not an amendment.

Olanipekun on Wednesday, November 3, said that Nigeria's highest legal document is deceptive and unrealistic. The constitutional lawyer said while delivering a paper at the 13th convocation lecture of the Redeemer’s University, said the constitution aggregated all the security agencies in the federal government against any known constitution globally at the detriment of the safety of the peoples’ safety. 

Anambra Governorship Election: Soludo Becomes Second Ex-CBN Governor to Emerge State Governor

 Anambra governor-elect, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo has written his name in gold in the history books of Nigeria.

 Soludo, a member of the British Department for International Development's International Advisory Group, is the second ex-Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor to emerge as a state governor in the country.

 The first was Clement Isong, former governor of Cross River state. Isong was CBN governor from 1967 to 1975. He later became the Cross River governor from 1979 to 1983. 

Soludo becomes 6th Nigerian governor with a PhD Interestingly, it was Soludo who honoured Clement Isong by placing his portrait on the Nigerian N1000 note. Also, Soludo has a Ph.D. in Economics just like Isong did. 

 Late Isong studied at University College, Ibadan, Iowa Wesleyan College, Mount Pleasant, Iowa, and the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, where he obtained a Ph.D. in Economics. 

He taught economics at the University of Ibadan before joining the CBN as secretary, later becoming director of research. He was seconded to the International Monetary Fund as an adviser in the African Department. 

Soludo has been a visiting scholar at the International Monetary Fund, the University of Cambridge, the Brookings Institution, the University of Warwick, and the University of Oxford as well as a visiting professor at Swarthmore College (USA). 

He has also worked as a consultant for a number of international organisations, including The World Bank, the United Nations. Economic Commission for Africa, and the United Nations Development Programme. 

He obtained his three degrees and then professorship at the University of Nigeria in Nsukka, Enugu state. He graduated with a First Class Honours degree in 1984, an MSc in Economics in 1987, and a PhD in 1989, winning prizes for the best student at all three levels. 

Meanwhile, election observer group, Yiaga Africa has declared that the counting process at polling units during the Anambra governorship election was transparent and included representatives from the four political parties that received the most votes.

 Executive director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo made the statement at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, November 8, saying:  “At 83% of polling units, the polling official posted the official polling unit results for the public to see.”  

Yiaga Africa had earlier accused politicians of inducing voters with gift items and monetary gifts before the election. The group disclosed this at a press briefing  in Awka on Friday, November 6. Reading the summary of findings from Yiaga Africa's pre-election observation, its executive director, Samson Itodo, said some citizens were being compromised by collecting fabrics and a token of N1,500 each.