Lawyers
Lagos assembly to establish organ transplant dept
The Lagos State House of Assembly has organised a public hearing on a bill to establish an organ harvest transplantation department in the state Ministry of Health. The Chairman, House Committee on Health Services, Mr Hakeem Sokunle, made the disclosure at one-day public hearing on Organ Harvest and Transplantation Bill on Wednesday in Lagos. Sokunle explained that the department was to advise the state government on all matters relating to organ harvest, transplantation and preservation. The lawmaker said the department would also formulate and develop state strategies, guidelines and protocols for medical transplant and harvest in the state. He said: “The bill when passed into law will formulate and develop state strategies, guidelines and protocols for medical transplants and harvest in...
Meet The Senior Advocates Of Nigeria Who Defended Baba Ijesha In Court
Meet The Senior Advocates Of Nigeria Who Defended Baba Ijesha In Court Today Top Nigerian actor Olanrewaju Omiyinka popularly called Baba Ijesha has beefed up his defence in his trial over allegations of child molestation by hiring two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) to represent him during proceedings at an Ikeja Special Offences Court. The NAN reports that the two SANs who announced their appearance before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo during Thursday’s proceedings are; Mr Dada Awosika (SAN) and Mr Babatunde Ogala (SAN). The senior lawyers announced appearance with a team of six junior counsel to represent Baba Ijesha in his defence. The Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs Olayinka Adeyemi, led the prosecution for the state. The DPP was accompanied by four state prosecuto...
Appeal court president inaugurates special court sitting 270 cases in Jos
The President of the Court of Appeal, Hon Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, has organised a special court sitting in Jos where about 270 Motions and Appeals would be addressed for quick dispensation of justice. Justice Dongban-Mensem disclosed this on Monday during the inauguration of the special court sitting, held at the Court of Appeal Jos Division, Plateau State. She noted that the essence of the special sitting was to ensure quick dispensation of justice over motions and Appeals that have not been heard. She described the special sitting which started from Abuja, Lagos and Jos as apt and said any Court of Appeal Division that apply for the special court sitting would be given the opportunity. Dongban-Mensem applauded the Chief Judge of Plateau State, Chief Judge of Federal High Court and...
Lagos begins plea bargain session for Kirikiri inmates
In an effort to decongest correctional centres, the Lagos State Ministry of Justice on Thursday held a plea bargain session for some inmates at the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Centre. The plea bargain session was the first of its kind to be held at a correctional centre in Lagos State. Newsmen reports that the previous practice was for counsel to incarcerated inmates to write to the Attorney-General of the state to consider plea bargain agreements for their clients. A total of 27 inmates – 16 males and 11 females – were beneficiaries of Thursday’s plea bargain session. The Lagos State Attorney-General, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), the state Solicitor-General, Titilayo Shitta-Bey, and some of the ministry of justice staff kick-started the initiative. The state Directorate of Public Prosecuti...
Omoyele Sowore: Let the struggle continue even if they take my life
Omoyele Sowore, human rights activist, has asked his supporters to carry on with “the struggle” even if he loses his life. Reacting to the incident at Unity Fountain in Abuja on Monday morning, Sowore simply identified the officer who shot him as one ACP Etine. “Just been shot by a police officer, ACP Atine at the Unity Fountain in Abuja. #RevolutionNow Let the struggle continue even if they take my life!” he tweeted. Inibehe Effiong, one of Sowore’s lawyers, had said that the officer fired a teargas cannister directly at the right thigh of the activist. “The criminal officer is said to be CSP Atine. I watched Sowore being shot live on Facebook.” “This is what Nigeria has been turned into under Buhari. They’ve declared war on the Civic Space. “The FCT Police Commissioner has fenced the Uni...
Justice Adah: Nigerians must work hard to ensure the country remains one
A legal luminary in the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, Justice Steve Adah, has stressed the need for all Nigerians to work hard to ensure that the country remains one indivisible entity. Justice Adah who stated this on Saturday at the 35th anniversary celebration of the Faith Women Fellowship in Makurdi, Benue State capital recalled that on May 29, 1999, Nigeria returned to democratic rule but has had little or nothing to show for it 22 years after. While speaking on the theme, “Defy Limitations to Soar Higher”, Adah noted that God had ordained Nigeria as the most populous black nation in the world to remain one indivisible country despite the numerous tribes, religion and political affiliation of the people. ‘May 29th of every four years, our presidents take oath of office. This is a da...
Myanmar junta leader says Aung San Suu Kyi will soon appear
Myanmar’s junta leader Min Aung Hlaing said deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi was healthy at home and would appear in court in a few days, in his first interview since overthrowing her in a Feb. 1 coup. The coup has plunged the Southeast Asian country into chaos and one of several ethnic armed groups opposed to the ruling junta advanced to attack a military post in a northwestern jade mining town on Saturday, local media said. Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate for her long struggle against previous military rulers, is among more than 4,000 people detained since the coup. She faces charges that range from illegally possessing walkie-talkie radios to violating a state secrets law. “Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is in good health. She is at her home and healthy. She is going to face trial at the cou...
Nigerian anti-graft agencies urged to beam searchlight on professional bodies
Human rights activist, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), members of civil society groups and others have called on anti-graft agencies to beam their searchlight on professional bodies in the country if the fight against corruption must be successful. Falana and others are of the opinion that until members of professional bodies who are found to have aided crimes and criminality are sanctioned, corruption will continue to be on the rise. Falana, Chairman, Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), Olarenwaju Suraj, and Executive Secretary, Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption (PACAC), Mr Sadiq Radda, argued that professionals such as lawyers, accountants, bankers etc should be made to face the same punishment alongside their criminal clients. They made the suggestions on Wednesday...
Lagos: Police arrest protesting Uber, Bolt drivers
The police in Lagos have arrested some members of the Professional E-hailing Drivers and Private Owners Association (PEDPA), the umbrella body of e-hailing ride companies including Uber and Bolt, who had embarked on an industrial action over the services rendered by the platforms. Five drivers, including the president of PEDPA, Idris Shonuga, were arrested on Tuesday. Speaking on the arrest, Kolawole Aina, the Regional Vice President PEDPA, South-west, said the drivers were picked up by the police at the National Stadium in Surulere while they were gathering for a peaceful march to Alausa. Newsmen reported that Bolt and Uber drivers commenced strike on Monday to express their displeasure over the “unfavourable pricing” of the companies and its impact on their business. Shonuga, who listed ...
Strike: Minister to hold fresh meeting with governors, NBA, JUSUN, others
Labour minister, Chris Ngige, has rescheduled a fresh meeting with the leaderships of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), over the lingering strike that has crippled court activities across the country for two weeks. Representatives of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) are also expected to be at the meeting scheduled to hold in Abuja on Tuesday. Members of JUSUN had on April 6 embarked on the indefinite nationwide strike to press home their demand for judiciary’s financial autonomy. The labour minister had on Thursday announced a last-minute postponement of the meeting he was scheduled to hold with the NBA, JUSUN and other stakeholders over the lingering crisis. The abrupt postponement of the meeting infuriated the leaderships of the body ...
NIMASA: SPOMO act improving Nigeria’s image
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) says the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act, is improving Nigeria’s image in its fight against piracy and sea robbery. Dr Bashir Jamoh, Director-General, NIMASA, said this in a statement on Sunday in Lagos. He said that the Act signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari in June, 2019 was to end piracy and sea robbery in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea. He made this known at the maiden edition of the Nigerian Admiralty Law Colloquium organised recently in Lagos by the agency, in collaboration with the National Judicial Institute (NJI). The colloquium had the theme, “Achieving Maritime Safety, Security and Shipping Development (TRIPODS) through Enforcement of Legislations and the Implementation of th...
Guatemalan president says graft fighter biased, ahead of Harris visit
Guatemala’s President Alejandro Giammattei criticized the country’s best-known graft prosecutor for what he said was a left-wing politicization of the fight against corruption, a view at odds with strong U.S. backing for his work. Speaking in an interview with Reuters late on Tuesday, Giammattei nonetheless expressed hope that a visit to Guatemala next week by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will produce shared strategies to create prosperity in rural areas prone to emigration. Harris, a Democrat, is in charge of Washington efforts to tackle the causes of mass migration from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, collectively dubbed the Northern Triangle, including a focus on corruption and poor governance that she says limit opportunities. There is a $4 billion U.S. aid package to the reg...