–Begins Talks With NBA’s Leadership Over Possible Return
-We Prefer A United Bar, Says NBA Spokesman

The New Nigerian Bar Association, a splinter group, has said that it had begun discussions with some members of the Nigerian Bar Association for the possible return of their members to the parent body.

Convener (1) of the New NBA, Nuhu Ibrahim, made this known to THE WHISTLER in an exclusive interview.

“In any case, there have been some efforts by some concerned lawyers and we are in the process right now, but I will not really confirm to you our terms…

“I don’t know whether Elisha Kura is one of them, but there have been moves and we are already in discussion with them,” he said.

THE WHISTLER earlier reported that participants from about 40 branches of the NBA in the North, had at a stakeholders meeting, unanimously rejected the splinter group.

They also affirmed their loyalty to the NBA under the leadership of Olumide Akpata.

“We, the under-signed individuals, who are Chairmen of the various branches of the Nigerian Bar Association that make up the Northern Geopolitical Zone as defined in the NBA Constitution 2015, and other senior members of the Bar, have today Wednesday, September, 2, 2020 in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, met with the NBA President, Mr Olumide Akpata, and the National Officers of the NBA.

“We have unanimously agreed to support his leadership of the NBA, and we hereby restate our true allegiance to the NBA and disassociate ourselves from the ‘New NBA’ or any splinter group whatsoever making the waves in recent weeks as a new association/body of lawyers in Nigeria,” the acting Chairman of the Arewa Lawyers’ Forum, Mr Elisha Kaura, had stated.

But, Ibrahim clarified that the decision of the New NBA was to form an alternative platform and not to break away from the NBA.

“The issue is that we never said we have left the NBA, all we said is that we want an alternative platform.

“The constitution did not say that we must belong to one association; we can belong to more than one association and we can alternate between two associations.

“So, we may chose to leave the NBA, we may chose to remain in the NBA and still form another association,” he said.

He held that “all we are saying is that we need an alternative to the NBA, and we have come to form the new NBA in other to bring about justice, equity.

“I want to believe that the Arewa Lawyers Forum, is like an example, it is still an umbrella but it is still under the NBA.”

Recall that the conveners of the New NBA had written to the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, regarding its decision to form another association.

This came days after the Paul Usoro SAN-led NBA had dropped Kaduna Governor Nasir El-rufai from its list of speakers for the 2020 NBA National Conference, due to the security situation in Southern Kaduna.

Usoro took the decision based on petitions written by some lawyers and groups, who maintained that El-rufai was not qualified to speak at its annual conference, held on August 26.

However, the NBA Spokesperson, Rapulu Nduka, told our correspondent on Monday that he was “not too sure of any immediate meeting at the moment with the leadership of the NBA.”

But, he observed that the NBA’s leadership was willing to do what it would to have a united Bar.

“You know, the way things are now, we have a lot of issues we are tackling at the same time.

“So, I can’t really confirm whether there is anything at the moment.

“Definitely, we will prefer to explore that option; some people have been calling for sanctions for them but then, having a united Bar is better than just looking for people to punish,” he said.

Reno Omokri, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, on Tuesday, condemned the killing of an operative of the Department of State Services, DSS, Sadiq Abdullahi Bindawa in Katsina State by bandits.

Omokri berated President Muhammadu Buhari for the spate of insecurity in the country, following the abduction and murder of Bindawa.

Newspot had reported that Bindawa, a 33-year-old was killed by the Bandits after receiving N5 million as ransom.

Bindawa worked with the intelligence department, DSS headquarters in Abuja.

While decrying the payment of ransom by the DSS, Omokri warned that nowhere was safe in Nigeria.

In a series of tweets, Omokri narrated several situations of criminals over powering security operatives.

“A DSS officer was kidnapped and the DSS paid a ransom. Let this sink in. This is like a pastor that is meant to deliver you from Satan begging demons for mercy. They paid, yet the man was killed. Believe it or not, in parts of Nigeria, Nigerians pay taxes to bandits! Nowhere is safe in Nigeria

“General @MBuhari’s Nigeria: DSS pays kidnappers ransom, @OfficialEFCC boss is a thief

“Soldiers kill policemen to protect Wadume, a kidnapper. Buhari lifts the hand of a Governor caught on camera receiving a bribe. Bandits stop trains to rob passengers.”

Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) including Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike; Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal; Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, among others are currently in Benin, Edo State capital campaigning for Governor Godwin Obaseki.

The leaders are gathered at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City for the party’s mega rally ahead of Edo State gubernatorial election.

Spokesperson of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan at the rally appreciated supporters for massively supporting Obaseki.

Other leaders at the event include Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel; former Imo State Governor Emeka Ihedioha; Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa; Raymond Dopkepsi, among others.

The party’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2019 presidential election also at the event urged the electorate to troop out and vote Obaseki on September 19, the date of the election.

Uche Secondus, PDP National Chairman in his speech said victory is assured for Obaseki considering the number of bigwigs who have thrown their weight behind him.

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) commends the recent historic move by the United State Government with resultant Visa restrictions on electoral-related violence, primarily to restore fairness, credibility and transparency in Nigeria’s electoral processes.

We recognised the remarkable development as restoration of fast-eroding democratic principles and core values in the nation’s electoral processes, dominated by decades of unchecked violence, vote buying and ballot lootings.

We express total support for the new policy, which has validated the years of persistent demands by Civil Society, Human Rights and Anti-corruption activists for stringent international measures to discourage electoral violence that paves way for electoral fraud and undermines democratic principles in Nigeria.

We are not unaware of lack of political will at all levels of government to address electoral violence, in spite of the existence of laws and reports from several Panels and Commissions, with recommendations.

We also welcome the pronouncement by the United State Government in anticipation of respect for sanity and sanctity of rules of law in the run up to the September and October 2020 Edo and Ondo State elections, and beyond.

We therefore, call on British and other Governments to follow suit in the imposition of Visa restrictions to discourage electoral offenders from using their respective countries as alternatives in harbouring electoral crimes.

Signed:
Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani)
Executive Director, CISLAC

A retired United States of America army officer, Major Jide Ijadare and one other have been kidnapped at his palm producing factory in Ijan-Ekiti, Gbonyin Council area of Ekiti State.

It was gathered that the seven-gang arm-wielding attackers invaded the factory on Tuesday at about 2pm during which a staff was shot dead.

Eye witnesses said that the gunmen numbering seven, had invaded the factory, where they shot a staff in the course of making spirited efforts to kidnap the Ijan-born retired army officer and other victim.

“They came into the factory with guns and started shooting sporadically. They shot one of the staff of the factory and killed him.

“They thereafter dragged Major Ijadare and the other staff into the car and zoomed off to unknown destination”.

The sources stated that the arm-wielding attackers escaped through Ise Ekiti road.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, Mr. Sunday Abutu, who confirmed the development, said one person was killed during the abduction.

“We can confirm to you that a retired US soldier was kidnapped around 2:00pm Tuesday and one other.

“One person was also killed during the attack at a factory in Ijan Ekiti where the two persons were kidnapped.

Islamic clerics across the nation are livid with anger and outrage over the construction of a multimillion naira luxury tomb or mausoleum in memory of the late former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, who was buried in Ibadan last June 28, 2020.

Ajimobi, both in life and death, literally breathed controversy. As Governor, the ebullient politician’s tenure was full of controversies while at death, controversy still trailed him to the grave as his burial was seen as largely politicised.

Not only that, his burial on a Sunday, almost four days after he died on Thursday June 25, at the First Cardiology Hospital, Ikoyi, Lagos, was widely criticised as “un-islamic” and capable of ridiculing the faith.

Immediately just after Ajimobi’s corpse was interred at his Oluyole palatial mansion, another controversy was stirred by his wife, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, whose vituperations literally brought Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and his government, to ridicule

Now comes the trending videos and photo shoots of the exorbitantly built all-marble Mausoleum housing the tomb of the late politician.

The Mausoleum is said to be remarkable for its luxury, fitted with air-conditioning unit, exotic chairs and with marbles fitted on both floors and wall.

This development has sparked outbursts of anger and outrage by a coterie of Islamic faithfuls who described Ajimobi’s wife and the immediate family members as courting the anger of Allah as well as desecrating well known Islamic values.

Many commentators who are well grounded scholars in Islam are united in their submissions that Islam does not support any form of extravagance or worldly lavishness.

The viewpoints of the cross-section of Islamic Clerics interviewed are reproduced below:

Prof A.A.A. AGBOOLA, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta

“This is completely against the Teaching and Practice of Islam, the religion Ajimobi proclaimed while he was alive. Instead of the family to be praying fervently to Allah for the forgiveness of the sins of Ajimobi and for Allah to grant him Aljanah, they are ignorantly adding more to his burden in his new abode.

“I have once participated in the burials of many people in the cemetery (Barki) very close to Haram in Madina where many companions and wives of the Holy Prophet  Muhammad (PBOH) were buried without any labeling! Islam preaches against extravagance and wastefulness!”

ALFA AL-AMEEN ADEBESIN, of Oke-Aregba Mosque

“To me, what the Ajimobi family has done is not consistent with Islamic practices about the dead. Also, just imagine the high level of extravagance with air conditioner and everything? Is he the one to enjoy all those facilities? Do we know the condition he is before Allah with all these? This is not the best. It is unislamic and does not reflect the reality of what would be happening to him inside the grave”

Alhaji LEKAN FIJABI, a Lagos-based food processing expert

“This is outrightly “non-Sunnah”. Islam doesn’t support such funerals and grave sites are expected to be quite simple without any form of lavishness or worldly extravagance. It doesn’t really matter whether the man is the only Muslim within the family. I assume the wife and the children erroneously believed that that is one of the best and the most befitting posthumous honours they could bestow on their patriarch.”

ALHAJI TAOFEEK ADAM

“This is the highest level of ignorance I have ever seen in Muslim burial way. Even the pious prophets of the Almighty God have never been buried in this manner. Senator Ajimobi may have claimed he was a Muslim because there is difference in being a Muslim and a practicing Muslim, likewise a Christian is different from a practicing Christian. Let’s all abide by the two religious books. May Almighty God forgive us all of our sins especially the hidden sins. It his by the grace of God, no man his holy. 

“Secondly, my question is; is the air-conditioner in the tomb meant for cooling the dead that has become dust? Our people perish because of lack of wisdom as said by the Bible while the Qur’an says the words of the Qur’an is for those that have wisdom. So, I am wondering what wisdom or knowledge do we derive from this ignorant manner of burial. How I wish God open his wife’s or children’s eyes to see what their father is passing through in his grave. I can tell you a lot of snakes, scorpions, termite ,ants with blade teeth,millipedes with blade legs, and even the gravity of the hotness and coldness and torture that can never be compared to the world we are living in. People believed paradise is by mere mouth,our grave is our ticket to Paradise.”

PROF MUFUTAU ATAYESE, FUNAAB

“As a Muslim, it’s crazy. I agree totally. This is an absolute display of profligacy which is abhorred in Islam”

COMRADE ABDUKAREEM BAMIGBADE

“I think it is worthy to note that it is the late Abiola Ajimobi that was a Muslim while he was alive. The wife who, inadvertently, is now the family head is not a Muslim and as such, the above may have nothing much to do with Islam. However, no Muslim who believes in ALLAH and, the hereafter, will be involved with this in any slightest way, as it is totally against the principles of Islam.

“As little as putting only sandcrete block to surround a grave may seem, it is not permitted in Islam not to talk of building a structure over the grave. ALLAH frowns at wastage even in the life of a living person not to talk of the dead, who undoubtedly, can not be benefited by all the worldly adornments in the tomb. May ALLAAH grant us all families that will be of GODly benefit to us while on earth and after we are long gone.”

ALHAJI ISIAQ ODUNJO, Chief Imam MISLAM Central Mosque Abeokuta

“Well, looking at the tomb and graveyard, I realized that the conveniences provided there are not meant for the dead but for those that might have come to pay visit. I hope people will not misunderstand the purpose of their provision. Even though Islam calls for simplicity of the burial of a deceased Muslim and detests flamboyancy therein, but that doesn’t stop the family from making the graveyard comfortable for the visitors.”

Ajimobi, both in life and death, literally breathed controversy. As Governor, the ebullient politician’s tenure was full of controversies while at death, controversy still trailed him to the grave as his burial was seen as largely politicised.

Not only that, his burial on a Sunday, almost four days after he died on Thursday June 25, at the First Cardiology Hospital, Ikoyi, Lagos, was widely criticised as “un-islamic” and capable of ridiculing the faith.

Immediately just after Ajimobi’s corpse was interred at his Oluyole palatial mansion, another controversy was stirred by his wife, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, whose vituperations literally brought Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and his government, to ridicule

Now comes the trending videos and photo shoots of the exorbitantly built all-marble Mausoleum housing the tomb of the late politician.

The Mausoleum is said to be remarkable for its luxury, fitted with air-conditioning unit, exotic chairs and with marbles fitted on both floors and wall.

This development has sparked outbursts of anger and outrage by a coterie of Islamic faithfuls who described Ajimobi’s wife and the immediate family members as courting the anger of Allah as well as desecrating well known Islamic values.

Many commentators who are well grounded scholars in Islam are united in their submissions that Islam does not support any form of extravagance or worldly lavishness.

The viewpoints of the cross-section of Islamic Clerics interviewed are reproduced below:

Prof A.A.A. AGBOOLA, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta

“This is completely against the Teaching and Practice of Islam, the religion Ajimobi proclaimed while he was alive. Instead of the family to be praying fervently to Allah for the forgiveness of the sins of Ajimobi and for Allah to grant him Aljanah, they are ignorantly adding more to his burden in his new abode.

“I have once participated in the burials of many people in the cemetery (Barki) very close to Haram in Madina where many companions and wives of the Holy Prophet  Muhammad (PBOH) were buried without any labeling! Islam preaches against extravagance and wastefulness!”

ALFA AL-AMEEN ADEBESIN, of Oke-Aregba Mosque

“To me, what the Ajimobi family has done is not consistent with Islamic practices about the dead. Also, just imagine the high level of extravagance with air conditioner and everything? Is he the one to enjoy all those facilities? Do we know the condition he is before Allah with all these? This is not the best. It is unislamic and does not reflect the reality of what would be happening to him inside the grave”

Alhaji LEKAN FIJABI, a Lagos-based food processing expert

“This is outrightly “non-Sunnah”. Islam doesn’t support such funerals and grave sites are expected to be quite simple without any form of lavishness or worldly extravagance. It doesn’t really matter whether the man is the only Muslim within the family. I assume the wife and the children erroneously believed that that is one of the best and the most befitting posthumous honours they could bestow on their patriarch.”

ALHAJI TAOFEEK ADAM

“This is the highest level of ignorance I have ever seen in Muslim burial way. Even the pious prophets of the Almighty God have never been buried in this manner. Senator Ajimobi may have claimed he was a Muslim because there is difference in being a Muslim and a practicing Muslim, likewise a Christian is different from a practicing Christian. Let’s all abide by the two religious books. May Almighty God forgive us all of our sins especially the hidden sins. It his by the grace of God, no man his holy. 

“Secondly, my question is; is the air-conditioner in the tomb meant for cooling the dead that has become dust? Our people perish because of lack of wisdom as said by the Bible while the Qur’an says the words of the Qur’an is for those that have wisdom. So, I am wondering what wisdom or knowledge do we derive from this ignorant manner of burial. How I wish God open his wife’s or children’s eyes to see what their father is passing through in his grave. I can tell you a lot of snakes, scorpions, termite ,ants with blade teeth,millipedes with blade legs, and even the gravity of the hotness and coldness and torture that can never be compared to the world we are living in. People believed paradise is by mere mouth,our grave is our ticket to Paradise.”

PROF MUFUTAU ATAYESE, FUNAAB

“As a Muslim, it’s crazy. I agree totally. This is an absolute display of profligacy which is abhorred in Islam”

COMRADE ABDUKAREEM BAMIGBADE

“I think it is worthy to note that it is the late Abiola Ajimobi that was a Muslim while he was alive. The wife who, inadvertently, is now the family head is not a Muslim and as such, the above may have nothing much to do with Islam. However, no Muslim who believes in ALLAH and, the hereafter, will be involved with this in any slightest way, as it is totally against the principles of Islam.

“As little as putting only sandcrete block to surround a grave may seem, it is not permitted in Islam not to talk of building a structure over the grave. ALLAH frowns at wastage even in the life of a living person not to talk of the dead, who undoubtedly, can not be benefited by all the worldly adornments in the tomb. May ALLAAH grant us all families that will be of GODly benefit to us while on earth and after we are long gone.”

ALHAJI ISIAQ ODUNJO, Chief Imam MISLAM Central Mosque Abeokuta

“Well, looking at the tomb and graveyard, I realized that the conveniences provided there are not meant for the dead but for those that might have come to pay visit. I hope people will not misunderstand the purpose of their provision. Even though Islam calls for simplicity of the burial of a deceased Muslim and detests flamboyancy therein, but that doesn’t stop the family from making the graveyard comfortable for the visitors.”

The Nasarawa State Commissioner of Police, Bola Longe Tuesday said three of the abducted Federal Road Safety (FRSC) officials who were kidnapped on Monday in Nasarawa State have been rescued by security personnel.

Longe said in Lafia that the rescue efforts were carried out in collaboration with the military. Intensified efforts are also in place to rescue the remaining seven officials still in captivity.

“The police in tandem with the military personnel pursued the bandits. There was a lot of exchange of fire, because of this; some of the bandits ran in different directions.

“Three of the personal have been rescued. They are with the police so we are now on an operation to rescue the rest of the seven personnel,” Longe said.

He urged members of the public with vital information that can assist in rescuing the abductees not to hesitate in helping the police.

Longe said following the exchange of gun shots some of the victims emerged from the bush on their own.

Earlier, the FRSC Corps Public Education Officer, Assistant Corps Marshal Bisi Kazeem, confirmed that Two officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) were killed in an attack by gunmen.

He said one of the victims died during the attack while another officer died in the hospital, adding that four others were injured.

According to Kazeem, eight corps escaped unhurt, adding that 10 were abducted.

The eight were said by CP Longe to have come out of the bush after their kidnappers succumbed to pressure of pursuit by security agents.

Channels Television reported that Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule has commiserated with the FRSC over the demise of two of their officers.

The two officers were killed on Monday following an attack at Udege junction, along Mararaban-Udege between Adoka in the state.

The governor extended his condolence during a Security Council meeting at the council chambers of the Government House in Lafia, the state capital.

Sule charged security personnel in the state to sustain the tempo of the recently recorded successes in the fight against insecurity in the state and the North Central region.

The meeting with the governor had all the state security heads, traditional rulers, and other stakeholders in attendance.

The Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly called petrol should be sold for N181 per litre, if all costs implications are considered and factored in rather than the present pump price of N161; the Federal Government disclosed on Tuesday.

The Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, made this known even as he pointed out that Nigeria lost a total N10.413 trillion to subsidy between 2006 and 2019, while between the year 2016 and 2019, the Federal Government lost a total sum of N2.193 trillion on subsidy.

Sylva was speaking at the bipartite meeting between the Federal Government and the Organised labour, held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, in Abuja. The Federal Government was led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige with five other ministers and chief executives of relevant government agencies; while the organized labour was led by the President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, and the TUC President, Comrade Quadri Olaleye.

In its presentation titled: “Understanding the Impact of fuel Subsidy on the Nigerian Economy… and the Gains of Deregulation,” the Silver pointed out that if the sector was fully deregulated and the dollar exchange rate was fully factored in, the fuel price would not be N161 but N183 per litre.

The minister of state for petroleum said with the present price increase, the price of fuel in Nigeria at N161 per litre is still the cheapest in the sub-region, comparing with Senegal N549 equivalent, Cameroon N449, Benin N359, Ghana N332 and other neighbouring countries.

He said: “Between 2016 and 2019, we were losing an average of N1 billion a day because it was like a leaking basket. We import the thing, and as we bring it to Nigeria, it will leak out through all the borders. Before that, we are even losing as much as N3. 7 billion a day because we would be importing the thing, as you are importing it is not enough because it was leaking out.

“So we now felt instead of this leaking basket that we were trying to manage, why don’t we try to see, so that we can at least make it profitable so that if it is sold at market price in Nigeria, even if it goes out of Nigeria, it is okay, it becomes a business opportunity. At least, the government will not be losing from the process of importing.

“But even when we now raised the price, with deregulation today, in Nigeria our price is still N161 per litre, in Senegal the price of petrol is still N549, in Cameroon, it is N449 per litre. You can see that we are still the cheapest in this sub-region.

As Body Of Benchers Charges Them To Uphold Rule Of Law & Pursuit Of Justice

The Body of Benchers on Tuesday called a total of 1,785 candidates to the Nigerian Bar, which usually happens after they have successfully passed the Bar Final Examination.

The Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Prof. Isa Hayatu (SAN) who spoke at the ceremony which was held at the Eagle Square, Abuja, said 1, 779 candidates passed the January 2020 Bar final examinations, while six candidates were from previous Bar final examinations.

He said: “The candidates successfully completed the vocational training at the Nigerian Law School as prescribed by the Legal Education Act and had also taken the prescribed examinations and the dining terms and met all other required conditions set by the Council of Legal Education.

“A total of 2, 515 students participated at the examinations and a total of 1, 779 were successful, out of which five candidates were graded in first class, 76 graded in the second class upper, 633 graduated with second class lower while 1, 065 came out with a pass in the Bar final examinations.

“I am happy to affirm that they all exhibited good manners and decorum during their training. They have also been groomed in the best ethics and ethos of our noble profession,” he added.

Speaking further, he commended them for their hard work, diligence, and dedication.

The Chairman of the Body of Benchers, O. C Okocha (SAN), In his remark stated that since Nigerian Law School came into existence in 1962, the Council has always made sure that all candidates admitted into the School are given the requisite skills and knowledge, in order for them to be a sound lawyer.

Okocha, who is also a life bencher warned the new lawyers that any breach of the rules and regulations will be meted with severe census and sanctions.

He said the Body of Benchers has the power to enforce discipline and decorum at the Bar and that the exercise of the power is done through the instrumentality of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), which is a standing committee of the Body of Benchers.

He urged them to be of good character and uphold honesty and integrity, which is the hallmark of the legal profession, and to conduct themselves as respectable lawyers.