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Pope Francis: A model of mercy and simplicity I aspire to embrace

By Fr. Michael ‘Leke Banjo

In a world that wraps power in ego and casts authority as something to be feared, Pope Francis was a striking contradiction: a shepherd who led from within his flock, never towering above them. As Supreme Pontiff of over 1.4 billion Catholics and Head of the Vatican City State, he held one of the most influential offices on earth. Yet his leadership was defined not by grandeur but by gospel simplicity, not by command alone but by the quiet eloquence of mercy.

From the moment he stepped onto the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica on that cool March evening in 2013, he expressed the kind of pope he would be: one of humility, simplicity, and profound connection with the people. He bowed his head and asked the people to pray for him before he gave his blessing. It was a gesture of humility that echoed the example of the carpenter of Nazareth. And when multitudes began preparing to travel to Rome for his inaugural Mass, he urged them not to come. Instead, he invited them to use that money to care for the poor. With this gesture, Pope Francis took us along the path of charity, drawing attention to the peripheries where Christ suffers in the poor, the hungry, the homeless, and the forgotten.

For Pope Francis, true authority always bore the face of mercy. This vision was beautifully expressed during the Jubilee Year of Mercy when he granted all priests the faculty to absolve the sin and crime of abortion, a faculty previously reserved to bishops and specially designated confessors. With this decision, he did not reduce the seriousness of the offence but widened the reach of reconciliation. Through this pastoral action, he proclaimed that no one is beyond the embrace of God’s forgiveness, reminding us that the Church and the priesthood exist because of sinners. All priests continue to enjoy this special faculty.

For the Jubilee Year of Hope, Pope Francis did not limit the opening of the Holy Doors to the four major basilicas alone; he also included a prison on the outskirts of the city. In this profoundly symbolic act, he reminded the world that grace reaches even the most forgotten places. That sacred door in the prison is a living image of the Church’s mission to go to the margins and restore dignity to the excluded. The same spirit inspired the establishment of the World Day of the Poor, where Pope Francis celebrated Mass with the poor and then invited them to dine with him. In those moments, there was no throne, only a silent homily on the worth of every human life. He cared deeply about the plight of single and unwed mothers, insisting that they and their children should not be denied the sacraments, as long as they are properly disposed.

His choice of the name Francis was intentional. Inspired by the poverello of Assisi, he embraced a life free of excess. He lived in the modest Domus Sanctae Marthae rather than the Apostolic Palace, travelled in a simple car, carried his bag, and decreed that his funeral should be simple, with his tomb “without particular ornamentation” (cf. Pope Francis, Spiritual Testament, June 2022). His simplicity came from genuine spirituality, and his authority did not impose; it inspired. I recall how tears flowed from my eyes when I saw him kneel on Holy Thursday of 2016 to wash the feet of refugee men and women, some of them Muslims and Hindus. He tenderly kissed their feet and looked lovingly into the eyes of each of them, reflecting that, though we may be different in our cultures and religions, we are all brothers and sisters seeking peace. Pope Francis showed that greatness lies not in domination but in service, not in control but in tenderness, not in disdain for others but in respect for all. In Pope Francis, power stooped to lift the weak. I wish all those in positions of power, whether in the religious or civil domain, would emulate the example of Pope Francis.

As I reflect on his life and witness, I find in his simplicity and love for the poor and lowly a path I deeply desire to follow. His example reminds me that holiness is not distant or reserved for the extraordinary, but close, gentle, and human. I pray for the grace to live with this spirit, to be present to others with compassion, especially the forgotten and the wounded. Lord, grant me the courage to walk this path faithfully. Teach me to lead by serving, to speak the truth with gentleness, and to love with the wideness of your mercy. Amen.

(Fr. Michael Banjo is the Secretary General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria)

Pope Francis to be buried on Saturday 

The Vatican has announced that the funeral of Pope Francis will take place on Saturday morning.

Officials confirmed the service would be held in St Peter’s Square and begin at 9 am UK time (10 am local time).

It comes after the 88-year-old died on Monday morning, with officials later saying he had suffered a stroke and heart failure.

Following the funeral, a conclave to choose a new pope will begin on 5 May.

The liturgy for the funeral will be presided over by the dean of the college of cardinals, the Most Reverend Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re.

The body of Pope Francis is placed in an open casket during the rite of the declaration of death in Santa Marta residence at the Vatican, April 21, 2025. Vatican Media/­Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REFILE - CORRECTING DATE
Image: The body of Pope Francis is placed in an open casket. Pic: Vatican Media/­Handout/Reuters

Following the service, “the coffin of the Roman Pontiff will then be taken to St Peter’s Basilica and from there to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore for burial,” a Vatican spokesperson said.

Earlier on Tuesday, the first images of the Pope lying in state were released, showing the late pontiff in his casket with the Vatican secretary of state praying over him.

The coffin is currently in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence, where he lived during his 12-year papacy.

A Vatican employee told Sky News she saw the Pope’s coffin on Tuesday morning.

She described the atmosphere as “so sadly impressive”, with some of the pontiff’s closest aides around his body in tears.

The Pope’s body will be taken into the adjacent St Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday at 8 am UK time, allowing people to pay their respects in the lead-up to the funeral.

Sky News

Violent Colonial History of Looted Human Remains: How Oxford academics drank from cup made from human skull

Oxford academics drank from a chalice made from a human skull for decades, a book that explores the violent colonial history of looted human remains has revealed.

The skull-cup, fashioned from a sawn-off and polished braincase adorned with a silver rim and stand, was used regularly at formal dinners at Worcester College, Oxford, until 2015, according to Prof Dan Hicks, the curator of world archaeology at the university’s Pitt Rivers Museum.

Hicks, whose forthcoming book, Every Monument Will Fall, traces the “shameful history of the skull”, said the cup was also used to serve chocolates after it began to leak wine.

The archaeologist said mounting disquiet among fellows and guests put an end to the senior common room ritual and, in 2019, the college invited Hicks to investigate the skull’s origins, and how it became what he calls “some sick variety of tableware”.

Hicks said debates about the legacy of colonialism usually focused on how the prominent Britons who profited from it, such as Cecil Rhodes or Edward Colston, had been memorialised by statues, objects or institutions bearing their names.

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Harvard drags Trump administration to court over federal funding and academic freedom

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By Michelle WatsonBrad LendonMatt Egan and Jeff Winter, CNN

Harvard University sued the Trump administration Monday in a new escalation of the fight over institutional oversight, independence and federal funding for the Ivy League school.

University President Alan M. Garber said in a letter to the Harvard community that the administration’s recent actions — including a $2.2 billion federal funding freeze at Harvard, with even more money potentially on the line — “have stark real-life consequences for patients, students, faculty, staff, researchers, and the standing of American higher education in the world.”

The Trump administration is demanding Harvard give it access to all university reports on antisemitism and anti-Muslim bias on campus generated since October 2023, as it ramps up a confrontation with the school that risks billions in federal money amid a broader push to bring elite US colleges in line with its political ideology.

“The gravy train of federal assistance to institutions like Harvard, which enrich their grossly overpaid bureaucrats with tax dollars from struggling American families is coming to an end,” White House principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields said in a statement Monday evening. “Taxpayer funds are a privilege, and Harvard fails to meet the basic conditions required to access that privilege.”

Harvard emerged as the first elite US university to publicly rebuke the White House’s demands, which Trump officials have said aim to combat antisemitism following contentious campus protests in response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

“Under whatever name, the Government has ceased the flow of funds to Harvard as part of its pressure campaign to force Harvard to submit to the Government’s control over its academic programs. That, in itself, violates Harvard’s constitutional rights,” Harvard wrote in the lawsuit.

“The Government has not – and cannot – identify any rational connection between antisemitism concerns and the medical, scientific, technological, and other research it has frozen that aims to save American lives, foster American success, preserve American security, and maintain America’s position as a global leader in innovation,” the suit, filed Monday, said.

Garber, who is Jewish, said in his letter he knows there are valid concerns to the rise of antisemitism and that the university has task force groups designated to help “address intolerance” in our community.

“Make no mistake: Harvard rejects antisemitism and discrimination in all of its forms and is actively making structural reforms to eradicate antisemitism on campus,” the school’s lawsuit says. “But rather than engage with Harvard regarding those ongoing efforts, the Government announced a sweeping freeze of funding for medical, scientific, technological, and other research that has nothing at all to do with antisemitism and Title VI compliance.”

The university said it’s not looking for money.

“Instead, it seeks an order declaring unlawful and setting aside sweeping agency action taken in violation of Harvard’s constitutional rights under the First Amendment and its rights guaranteed by statute and regulation,” the suit said.

The Trump administration has said it would freeze more than $2.2 billion in grants and contracts after the Ivy League school refused to submit to demands, including that it eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programsban masks at campus protests; enact merit-based hiring and admissions reforms; and reduce the power of faculty and administrators the White House has said are “more committed to activism than scholarship.”

The university must turn over all reports generated by school task forces on combating antisemitism and anti-Muslim bias on campus, including drafts never released to the public, a letter Saturday from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights to Harvard leadership says.

The letter, published by The Free Press, also requests the names of anyone involved in preparing the reports and says they should be made available for interviews by federal officials.

The letter is among the latest twists in the Trump administration’s growing fight with Harvard. It comes as some Jewish organizations and students at Harvard say the White House’s recent threats – from pulling research funding to ending its eligibility to host international students – are not making them safer or more welcome but instead, as some wrote, “pawns in a broader political agenda.”

Another $1 billion in federal health research contracts to Harvard could also be withheld, The Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend, as the Internal Revenue Service is making plans to rescind the tax-exempt status of the university and the administration has threatened Harvard’s ability to enroll foreign students.

Other universities, including Princeton, Cornell and Northwestern, also have seen federal funding paused amid similar demands.WSJ: Another $1B in jeopardy for Harvard

The threat of rescinding a further $1 billion in federal money follows the White House’s fury after Harvard made public an April 11 letter from the federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, demanding it allow federal government oversight of admissions, hiring and the ideology of students and staff – on top of other demands laid out in a prior letter – people familiar with Harvard’s response said, the Journal reported Sunday.

CNN has reached out to Harvard and the White House for comment on the Journal’s report.

Harvard strongly rejected the Trump administration’s demands in the April 11 letter, with Garber, the school’s president, saying in an April 14 letter to the academic community the “University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”

The demands go beyond the power of the federal government, and the majority “represent direct governmental regulation of the ‘intellectual conditions’ at Harvard,” rather than combating antisemitism, the university president has said.

Anticipating rocky relations with the incoming administration, Harvard in January hired high-powered lobbying firm Ballard Partners, and a source confirmed to CNN the relationship is ongoing. Ballard has deep ties to Trump and previously employed White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The latest back-and-forth between the US government and America’s oldest university marks a sea change in how the Trump administration intended to engage with Harvard, according to the Journal.

Before the April 11 letter’s release, “the administration was planning to treat Harvard more leniently than Columbia University, but now officials want to apply even more pressure to the nation’s most prominent university, according to the people,” the newspaper reports. “People familiar with Harvard’s response say there was no agreement to keep the letter private, and that its contents – including requirements that Harvard allow federal government oversight of admissions, hiring and the ideology of students and staff – were a nonstarter.”

Columbia University, on the heels of President Donald Trump’s revocation of $400 million in federal funding over campus protests, last month made policy changes in a dispute over federal funding, including restrictions on demonstrations, new disciplinary procedures and immediately reviewing its Middle East curriculum.

Although it has prompted a furious response from the university, the letter sent to Harvard April 11 may not have been meant to be sent at that time, The New York Times reported Friday. It was believed inside the administration the letter first would be circulated to members of the task force, the Times reported, citing two unnamed people familiar with the matter.

A White House official confirmed its authenticity Saturday, telling CNN the White House “stands by the letter.” Garber said the demands go beyond the power of the federal government, and the majority “represent direct governmental regulation of the ‘intellectual conditions’ at Harvard” rather than combating antisemitism.

Feds’ possible overreach concerns ADL chief

The Anti-Defamation League’s CEO and national director also has expressed concern the Trump administration may be overreaching in the Harvard case, looking to punish the university outside of the antisemitism debate that has simmered since last spring’s protests, which sparked rampant fear among Jewish students and staff on many US campuses.

“The issue of combating antisemitism on campus should be addressed on its own process and merits. Other debates on higher education may be important, but they can and should be resolved separate from fighting antisemitism on campus,” Jonathan Greenblatt wrote Friday in an article published in the Times of Israel.

Similarly, Harvard’s chapter of Hillel, a global advocacy organization for Jewish college students, wrote last week on social media: “(D)espite positive elements of the government’s recent demands (such as streamlining disciplinary processes), the current, escalating federal assault against Harvard – shuttering apolitical, life-saving research; targeting the university’s tax-exempt status; and threatening all student visas, including those of Israeli students who are proud veterans of the Israel Defense Forces and forceful advocates for Israel on campus – is neither focused nor measured, and stands to substantially harm the very Jewish students and scholars it purports to protect.”

An open letter signed by more than 100 Jewish students at Harvard says tying government academic demands to complaints of antisemitism makes them “pawns in a broader political agenda.”

“We have a variety of views on what actions constitute antisemitism and how to address it,” reads the letter shared with CNN. “But we overwhelmingly oppose these drastic funding cuts to our university.”

Some Harvard critics unite against threats

The effort by Harvard leadership to publicly fight back against the administration may draw Trump’s ire, but it is uniting stakeholders on campus, an employee told CNN.

“Garber’s (April 14) letter sent a jolt of energy through the campus,” said the employee, who declined to be named because they are not authorized to speak publicly for the university. “The Trump administration’s demands were so far beyond the pale. Nothing has united Harvard’s deeply fractured campus more.”

Some prominent Harvard alumni are also hailing the university’s defiance in the face of government pressure.

The White House threats “will backfire as even those most critical of the university pull together against dictatorial overreach and as the political motivations behind the prosecution becomes apparent,” Larry Summers, a former Harvard president and PhD recipient who was a top economic official in the Clinton and Obama administrations, said in a post to X.

Summers has been very critical in the past of how Harvard leaders have handled antisemitism on campus but is now defending the institution’s response to the government’s demands.

“An enemies list did not work out for President Nixon. It won’t for President Trump,” Summers wrote.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, a graduate of Harvard and a Democrat, said Trump’s push to revoke Harvard’s not-for-profit status is “outrageous,” she told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “It’s part of this continued playbook that Donald Trump has been using, which is to silence critics.”

“First he went after the law firms, then he went after companies, then he went after everyday Americans. Now he’s going after colleges and universities, using any and all tactics to try to shut them down, to silence them,” Healey said.

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CNN’s Jeff Zeleny, Kara Scannell, Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, Betsy Klein, Andy Rose, Nicki Brown and Liz Enochs contributed to this report.

Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the North and our votes

By Suyi Ayodele

”We have released Northern Nigeria from the leading strings of the treasury. The promising and well conducted youth is now on allowance on his own and is about to effect an alliance with a southern lady of means. I have issued the special licence, and Sir Frederick Lugard will perform the ceremony. May the union be fruitful and the couple constant.” That was Lord Lewis Harcourt, British Secretary of State for the Colonies on the decision to amalgamate Northern and Southern Nigeria on January 1, 1914.

Those who created Nigeria clearly made the North the husband and the South, the wife. In Africa, the husband is the head and driver of the home. We see and feel this each time the North has to deal with the South on matters of power and resources.

The latest is the movement towards the 2027 election. Northern leaders are no longer hiding their opposition to the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu government. They say he has not been fair to them. The poor husband is threatening the resourceful wife with sanctions.

A former Tinubu aide, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, spoke very loud at the weekend. He said nobody would be president in 2027 without the support of the North. He was right. But I will also be right if I say that no one outside the South will be president tomorrow or next year and forever without the support of the South. The poor husband and the rich wife need each other to have a functional home.

What all these means is that the Gídígbo gídígbó!/Hey! (battle cry) for the 2027 presidential election has started. The war drums up North have been rolled out with a full folk ensemble.

The percussion for President Tinubu up North is not melodious! The 2027 election is two long years away, yet there is cause for alarm for Tinubu and his political dynasty. Nobody should feign ignorance; nobody should ignore the pulsating sounds!

There is a counter battle cry that Tinubu needs at this moment. It has smooth, melodious, danceable and assuring lyrics. Tinubu mi má mikàn, a p’agbo yí o ká(2ice)/Gbogbo ènìyàn ún be léhìn re/Tinubu mi má mikàn, a p’agbo yí o ká/ – Tinubu don’t be troubled, we have formed a ring of protection around you/All the people are behind you/Tinubu don’t be troubled, we have formed a ring of protection around you.

But can any man of good conscience join the Tinubu orchestra to sing this song? The unfortunate answer is a resounding NO! When one’s masquerade dances very well at the village square, one is usually proud. But are Tinubu, our masquerade’s steps in accord with the beats from our musical instruments? How I wish the absentee President Tinubu gives one the confidence to approach the village square with our band in support of the man, the North of Baba-Ahmed is preparing for supper in 2027. Pity!

The lead drummer for the North in the impending battle for the soul of Nigeria in 2027 is a known figure, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, an ex-this and ex-that and a ‘familiar spirit’ in the political configuration of Nigeria and the North in particular. He is a man who thinks his North is the oxygen Nigeria breathes! Who is Hakeem Baba-Ahmed to arrogate to himself the position of the mouthpiece of the North?

When the wrapping leave stays too long with the soap, it becomes soap itself. Those are the words of our elders. They utter the eternal wisdom whenever our sages see a butterfly which thinks itself a bird.

Baba-Ahmed, the son of a cattle merchant migrant from Mauritania is more northerner than an aboriginal northerner. He thinks more for the North than the North thinks for itself. Whenever the levers of power are not in the hands of his supposed kith and kin across the River Niger, the only thing Hakeem sees is the ‘marginalisation’ of the North! He is at it again, singing his song of discord over the weekend.

Speaking in a video interview that went viral over the weekend, Baba-Ahmed intoned that no part of the country could win the 2027 election without the North. “One thing is clear: nobody can become president of Nigeria without northern support”, is the way he put it. He went ahead to announce that “In the next six months, the North will decide where it stands.” Then he warned: “If the rest of the country wants to join us, fine. If not, we will go our own way.”

Hakeem will not hang it there. He must threaten us: “If they plan to rig the election, they should be careful. It won’t be good for Nigeria. The North is watching. Elders, masses, and interest groups will soon say ‘enough is enough.’ The injustice and sidelining must stop.” What are his grouses with the present arrangement? Baba-Ahmed said that the North needed “a government that understands our problems and can address them. After Buhari’s eight years, we became wiser. Now, we are in another government, and we are still crying. Is crying all we know how to do?”

Let us do the arithmetic. Nigeria gained independence in 1960. That was 65 years ago. Of the number, Baba-Ahmed’s North has ruled the country for 48 years. The entire South has just 17 years. By the time Tinubu completes his first term in 2027, the South would have been in the saddle for 19 years out of 67 years of the Nigerian nationhood.

Now tell me, what did the North do with its 48 years in power such that the region is ‘marginalised’ to warrant the colic from Baba-Ahmed? Who should have ‘marginalised’ who between those who have ruled for 48 years and those who have been in power for 19 years? If, in 2027, Baba-Ahmed’s craving is, “We just want a right leader; let him fall from heaven, we just want someone who will solve our problems,”, can we ask him what the leaders from the North did in 48 years to “solve” the North’s “problems”?

We would not argue with the North that every part of the nation needs it to win the presidency. Baba-Ahmed is absolutely correct with that assertion. But it should also not be lost on the northern irredentist that no one from the North can be president of Nigeria without the votes of the people down South. The electoral law says to be elected president, a candidate needs 25 percent of the votes cast in two-third of the states of the Federation (Section 134 (2), 1999 constitution as amended).

There are 36 states in Nigeria. The entire North has 19 states, and the South, 17. Two-third of 36, my Mathematics teachers say is 24. Good! If the entire northern states voted for a northern candidate in 2027, Baba-Ahmed’s candidate would still need five states from the South to win the presidency! If his candidate fails to get that, assuming the South followed Hakeem’s analogy of the North taking its destiny in its hands, what happens? This brings us back to Baba-Ahmed’s threat of “It won’t be good for Nigeria.” Should that happen, what gives?

There are messages for the Hakeem Baba-Ahmeds of this epoch who think the North can end Nigeria in 2027. Nigeria belongs to all of us. That should sink in, deeply too! Nobody is afraid of what happens to Nigeria again. We have gone beyond that era when the refrain: ‘To keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done’, was our unofficial anthem.

Àgunlá, àguntètè means who cares! That is the stage where all the ethnic nationalities that make up the country are now. No ethnic group is happy with our present configuration. Nigeria, to many, is an ‘expired’ entity; a nation that has long passed its nationhood! We are only enduring because our elders counsel that if the hands refuse swinging, we fold them on our heads. So be it with the Nigeria of Baba-Ahmed and his the-country-will-break-up slogan!

In fact, those of us down South will celebrate should the North re-enact its Araba (secession) cry of 1953, when the late nationalist, Chief Anthony Eromosele Enahoro, moved the motion for independence. Baba-Ahmed should be told that a deer with an inguinal hernia is a gain to the hunter (Àgbòrín tó so ìpá, ìfà olóde). Nobody needs the marriage of inconvenience that Nigeria has turned into. Someone should help us tell Baba-Ahmed that whenever the town experiences turmoil, the diviner gains something. We no dey fear again!

Baba-Ahmed said that the North would do it alone in 2027 if the rest of us down South were not ready. Really? So, we should shiver at that? Let us register this, here, again: We (Southerners) shall surely clap for Baba-Ahmed and his ilk if the North can walk the talk and “do it alone in 2027. Like they say in the street: we asked the slave for acrobatic displays, he says the ground is too hard; who wishes him to land and survive in the first instance? Let Hakeem and those he represents give us from the pockets of their sòkòtò (trousers) what we are going to Sokoto to look for. The jollification down South will drown him!

I hate to sound this way. But we need to tell ourselves some painful truths! Who does Baba-Ahmed think is afraid of 2027? Who needs a united Nigeria more, between the North and the South? What gives him this irritating sense of arrogance that the North is the soul of Nigeria? Has Baba-Ahmed ever released the dog and the red monkey to the boxing ring to discover who is covered with blood? If 2027 breaks up Nigeria as he threatened, to whose disadvantage(s) will the polarisation be?

It is okay for Baba-Ahmed’s woodpecker to boast that it would carve stone as a coffin for his father-in-law. The only caution here is that the woodpecker should also not forget the possibility of developing a boil on its beak before its father-in-law’s funeral! 2027 is still far away. Who told Baba-Ahmed what would have been the fate of the nation before then? When a man buys a calabash and identifies it with marks, and the calabash gets lost, our elders say that it is when the owner sees the calabash that he can identify his marks on it? Does Baba-Ahmed understand that?

It is rather unfortunate that Baba-Ahmed is becoming a bad recurrent decimal anytime the issue of the North and South dichotomy is discussed. At his age and clout, he should not be the signpost of everything that is bad from the North. Ordinarily, with all the positions he has occupied in governments at different levels, the old folk should be concerned that he has not been able to change the fortune of the North and its large number of Almajiris on the streets. His blame game is no longer working; nobody fancies that anymore.

Whatever happens to Nigeria either now, before or in 2027, we all shall have our fair share of it. Nobody should threaten anyone! While on the character of Baba-Ahmed on this page on September 28, 2021, in a piece titled: “Between Shehu Sani and Hakeem Baba-Ahmed”, I submitted that Nigeria is like a calabash that is turned face downward. If we have difficulties in opening it, we have the capacity to break it! Baba-Ahmed and his gang don’t have the monopoly of threat. If they throw pebbles at us, we will hurl stones at them!

The views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of Law & Society Magazine.

Body Parts, Stealing and Trafficking Scandal – A Nigerian law perspective 

By E. Monjok Agom

Background: The Harvard Morgue Scandal 

Recently in 2025, a chilling international scandal emerged (as widely reported by international news outlets like BBC, CNN) when a former Harvard Medical School morgue manager was accused of orchestrating a clandestine network trafficking human body parts. The manager allegedly stole and sold organs, skin, and bones from cadavers donated for medical research, violating the trust of grieving families and exploiting the dead for profit. This case, though occurring in the U.S., has global resonance, including in Nigeria, where cultural reverence for the dead and gaps in regulatory oversight raise urgent concerns. 

Legal Framework: Nigerian Statutes Governing Human Remains 

Nigeria’s legal system provides a robust, albeit underenforced, framework for protecting human dignity post mortem: 

1. National Health Act (2014): 

section 51–53: Prohibit the removal of tissues or organs without written consent from the deceased (before death) or their next of kin. 

Section 64: Mandates that healthcare facilities handle human remains with “respect and dignity,” emphasising lawful disposal. 

2. Anatomy Act (1933): 

Section 5: Regulates anatomy practices, requiring licences for institutions handling cadavers and criminalising unauthorised dissection. 

3. Criminal Code Act (Southern Nigeria): 

section 287 (stealing) : Human tissues, once lawfully possessed (e.g., in a morgue), qualify as “property” capable of being stolen. 

   – section 309 (Criminal Misappropriation) : Fraudulent conversion of human remains for personal gain attracts up to 7 years’ imprisonment. 

4. Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act (TIPPEA) 2015: 

   – section 23 (p. 15): Explicitly criminalises trafficking in human tissues, punishable by 7 years’ imprisonment. 

5. Penal Code (Northern Nigeria)

 – section 219: Criminalises “indignity to a corpse,” including unlawful dismemberment, with penalties up to 5 years’ imprisonment. 

Case Law: Bridging Precedent and Contemporary Crimes 

While direct Nigerian cases on body trafficking are scarce, courts have addressed analogous issues: 

1. Adewale v. State (2015) LPELR-24718(CA) at p. 12

– The Court of Appeal upheld a theft conviction where a hospital staffer stole medical equipment, affirming that “possession + fraudulent intent” suffices for guilt. This logic applies to morgue staff misappropriating cadavers. 

2. Onyekwere v. State (2018) LPELR-44271(CA) at p. 9

– Emphasised that “dishonest intention” is critical in stealing cases, even for non-traditional “property” like human tissues. 

3. R v. Edgal [1946] 12 WACA 383 at p. 385

– A colonial-era precedent punished improper corpse disposal, underscoring societal disdain for disrespecting the dead. 

4. State v. Okeke (2020) FHC/ABJ/CR/256/2020 (unreported)

– A pending case involving illegal organ harvesting highlights the judiciary’s growing scrutiny of biomedical crimes. 

Organ Donation and Transplantation: A Double-Edged Sword 

Nigeria’s organ donation system, though nascent, is fraught with challenges that inadvertently enable trafficking: 

1. Legal Ambiguities: 

 – The National Health Act 2014 permits organ donation with consent, but lacks clear guidelines on verification processes, creating loopholes for exploitation. 

2. Illegal Harvesting vs. Legitimate Donation

 – In Medical and Dental Council v. Okonkwo (2019) LPELR-48901(SC) at p. 6, the Supreme Court condemned unauthorised organ removal, stressing that “consent must be unequivocal and verifiable.” 

3. Cultural Reluctance

 – Many Nigerians reject organ donation due to beliefs in bodily integrity after death, leading to shortages that fuel black markets. A 2022 study by the Nigerian Medical Association revealed that fewer than 5% of citizens are registered donors. 

4. Transplant Tourism: 

 – Affluent Nigerians often travel abroad for transplants, inadvertently supporting global trafficking networks. The National Health Act 2014 (section 54) restricts commercial organ transplants but lacks enforcement mechanisms. 

Ethical and Cultural Ramifications 

In Nigeria, where ancestral veneration and religious rites (e.g., Christian burials, Islamic janazah) govern death practices, body trafficking is not just a crime- it is a cultural sacrilege. As Justice Chukwudifu Oputa famously declared: “The dead, though silent, are entitled to dignity. To violate their remains is to assault the collective conscience of humanity.” (Ezeuko v. The State [2016] LPELR-40566(SC) at p. 17). 

Key Ethical Concerns: 

Breach of Trust: Morgues and hospitals are custodians, not owners, of cadavers. 

Commercial Exploitation: Reducing human remains to commodities violates Ubuntu principles (“I am because we are”). 

Global Complicity: Nigerian syndicates could exploit weak regulations to trade in illicit tissues, mirroring the Harvard case. 

 Recommendations for Legal Reform 

1. Modernise the Anatomy Act: The 1933 law predates biomedical advancements. A revised version should mandate digital tracking of cadavers and stricter licensing. 

2. Adopt a Human Tissue Bill: Modelled after the UK’s Human Tissue Act 2004, requiring explicit consent for tissue use and establishing a regulatory authority. 

3. Enhance Enforcement: Task the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) with investigating body trafficking under TIPPEA. 

4. Public Awareness: Leverage traditional and religious leaders to educate communities on consent and lawful practices. 

Iconic Quotes for Reflection 

– Chinua Achebe:

– “A man who cannot respect the dead will scarcely honour the living.”

– UNESCO Universal Declaration on Bioethics (2005): “Human dignity, human rights, and fundamental freedoms are to be fully respected in the application of science.(Art. 3,). 

– Justice Niki Tobi (Nigerian Supreme Court): “The law is a moral compass; it must punish those who turn death into commerce.” (FRN v. Osahon [2006] 5 NWLR (Pt. 973) 361 at p. 385). 

Conclusion: A Call to Action 

The Harvard scandal is a wake-up call for Nigeria. While existing laws provide a foundation, enforcement gaps and cultural naivety risk enabling similar crimes. By updating statutes, empowering agencies like NAPTIP, and fostering ethical vigilance, Nigeria can honour its dead and protect the living from the macabre trade in human body parts. As the Igbo proverb goes: “A corpse has no price tag; its value lies in the respect we accord it.” 

E. Monjok Agom

22nd April, 2025

The Supreme Court Judgment of 28th February 2025-For once Wike is correct, For once Falana is wrong, However both Wike and Falana must face the LPDC and Hon. Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim JSC must face the NJC (The Dangers of Voice Notes and Voice Votes)

By Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja

This whole article is inspired by a voice note that I received on my WhatsApp phone number, it is a cautionary tale about the dangers of relaince on voice notes and voice votes which has become our favourite tools to evade responsibility as Nigerians.

Based on my experience, whenever anyone wants to evade responsibility or hide evidence, the said person refuses to commit anything in writing, they prefer to put it in the form of voice notes (or voice votes as per our National Assembly).

This is because they can easily deny their previous statements as voice notes and voice votes are more difficult to ascertain unlike written notes or messages.

A certain Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) phoned me to say that the Supreme Court of Nigeria raised the issue of defection Suo moto in the judgment of 28th February 2025.

It was that phone call and voice note that triggered my suspicions and causes me to read and re-read the entire judgment of 28th February 2025.

The SHOCKING DISCOVERIES THAT I MADE are what I have now reproduced in this article!!!

Let me begin by admitting my conflict of interests and a summary of the reasons why I believe that both Wike and Falana should face a panel of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC).

While Hon. Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim JSC should face a panel of the National Judicial Council-NJC.

I am a beneficiary of funding from the administration of His Excellency Nyesom Ezenwo Wike (NEW) during his tenure as Governor of Rivers State. The said funds were utilised by myself and my co-author for publication of a book entitled: “Re-Visiting The Courtroom Trial of King Jaja of Opobo”. However, I have a pathology hatred for Wike’s words and actions that have plunged Rivers State into the current state of emergency!!!

Wike ought to face the LPDC to explain how he came to possess a verbatim (word for word) recital and knowledge of the Supreme Court judgment of 28th February 2015, especially the concurring judgment of Hon. Justice Chioma E. Wosu-Iheme, JSC.

Also, I myself and my NGO (ALDRAP) are both beneficiaries of funding and the goodwill of Femi Falana, SAN since the year 2015 when he first engaged my services to draft a legislative Bill to amend the Offshore Deep Production Sharing Contract Act, 2000.

However, he got it wrong when he alleged that the Supreme Court raised SUO MOTO the issue of defection of the 27 law-makers of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Hon. Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim JSC was a former Chief Justice of The Gambia, a country that I regard as my second home having previously worked as a UNDP funded legal consultant for their Ministry of Justice and later given an appointment as an Associate Professor of Law/Legislative Drafting, at the Faculty of Law, University of The Gambia.

However, Hon. Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim, JSC is supposed to face a panel of the National Judicial Council-NJC to explain why in his judgment of 28th February 2025 he refused to comply with the previous supreme court judgments and precedents.

One of such judgments is that as a general rule the courts (laid down through a long line of decided cases such as Samuel Anyanwu vs. Udeh Okoye, Unreported delivered on 21st March 2025) would not interfere with the internal affairs of any political party such as membership.

However, the event that there are allegations of infraction of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 or manifest injustice or failure to comply with the rule of law, then the courts would interfere.

In this case, at pages 28 and 29 of the said judgment, Hon. Justice Agim, JSC admitted that the counsel to Governor Fubara raised the issue that the defection of the 27 Amawhule legislators of the Rivers State House of Assembly was a violation of Section 109 (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as well as constitutes a mischief to the Rule of Law.

In the determination of this particular issue which goes to the membership of political parties, Hon. Justice Agim, JSC failed to apply the Supreme Court precedent as set out in Hon. J. I. Ekpenkhio v. Hon. Matthew Egbadon (1962-2001)1 Legislative Law Reports of Nigeria (LLRN) pages 307 to 336, Jaja said: “The Supreme Court of Nigeria held that the court has a duty to take judicial notice of the record of proceedings of the House of Assembly as stipulated under Section 73 of the Evidence Act.

It is for the foregoing reasons that Hon. Justice Agim, JSC should appear before a panel of the NJC because the judicial Code of Conduct requires that any judge must undertake meticulous research and abide by precedents of superior courts of record.

Additionally, both Hon. Justice Agim, JSC and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) erred in adjudication of the said case with a panel of five judges of the Supreme Court of Nigeria instead of a panel of seven as is required whenever the issues require adjudication on the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.

Sometime in March 2025, the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners-ALDRAP, had approached the Supreme Court of Nigeria to request a review of the said judgment on these grounds. The formal letter requesting the review was submitted awaiting formal response from the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

For me to arrive at the above named conclusions, I spent the entire night reading and re-reading the judgment of 28th February 2025.

I am hereunder reproducing the relevant sections of the said judgment, to demonstrate that Femi Falana, SAN was not correct when he stated that the Supreme Court of Nigeria raised the issue of defection SUO MOTO (that is by itself).

Contrary to that assertion, it was raised as an issue arising from the Cross Appeal filed by the lawyer to Governor Fubara.

Below are the excerpts as found at pages 24, 28 and 29 of the judgment of the 28th February 2025 (per Hon. Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim, JSC) as follows:

“The unambiguous effect of these two judgments of the Honourable Court is that as at today the 2nd Respondent (Amaewhule) and other members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who allegedly defected are still legitimate members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and empowered to conduct the business of the House of Assembly. I abide by this well reasoned decision of this court…Let me now deal with the question of whether Ss. 102 and 109 (g) of the 1999 Constitution and the Doctrine of necessity give validity to the proceedings of the Rivers State House of Assembly constituted by less than one third of all the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the actions of the Government of Rivers State on the basis of such proceedings.

This is the main issue in cross appeal No.SC/CV/1175A/2024 filed by the Governor of Rivers State. Learned SAN for the Cross Appellant argues that the 2nd Respondent (who was the 2nd Plaintiff at the trial court) and 26 others were no longer members of the Rivers State House of Assembly having defected from the political party platform on which they were elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly thereby actuating the provisions of Section 109(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, that from the moment the 2nd Cross Respondent and the 26 others moved to become members of another political party, they automaticallyvacated their seats and could under no circumstances be considered as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, that this must be so to forestall the mischief of the aforesaid provision which is the unsavoury practice of cross-carpeting by politicians without consequences.

For these submissions, he relied on the decisions in Abegunde v. Ondo State House of Assembly (2015) 8 NWLR (Pt. 1461) 314 @ 368-370 paras C-D and Federal Electoral Commission (FEDECO) v. Goni (1983) 2 SCNLR.”

Let me conclude by quoting Femi Falana SAN, regarding why it is important for lawyers to CRITIQUE the judgments of the Supreme Court of Nigeria as follows:

“Legal Right To Criticise
Citing Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Falana insisted he had a legal right to criticise court judgments….The human rights lawyer said, “I would have ignored the minister’s latest gratuitous attack, but he recently urged the Body of Benchers to sanction lawyers who criticise judgements of Nigerian courts,” Falana continued.

“Unlike Mr Wike, who calls judges names when they disagree with his politics of opportunism, I have always criticised judicial decisions with utmost decorum and in good faith,” he said.

Referencing the landmark case of Adegoke Motors Ltd v Adesanya (1989) 3 NWLR (Pt 109) 250, Falana reminded Wike that even the Supreme Court acknowledges the fallibility of its judgements.

“As Justice Oputa famously stated, ‘We are final not because we are infallible; we are infallible because we are final,’” he noted.

Falana also cited former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, who once encouraged legal practitioners to criticise court decisions constructively to ensure accountability and improve the justice delivery system.”

The views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of Law & Society Magazine.

Three landmark cases won by Femi Falana, SAN

By Ade omo Ade

In response to Lere Olayinka, an erstwhile shoemaker from Okemesi Ekiti whose highest academic qualification is a diploma from one backwater institute of journalism in Lagos, I present three landmark cases won by the respected human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN.

He has more than these three, but it is deemed sufficient for Lere, whose boss Nyesome Wike, the consumer of 40-year-old whisky, has ZERO experience at trial and appellate courts.

Here we go:

  1. ANPP v IGP IGP v. ANPP [2007] 18 NWLR (Pt. 1066) 457 at 498-499 where the Court of Appeal upheld the sanctity of citizens rights to protest. This case nullified the requirement of police permit as a precondition for holding rallies and professions. 13 years after, the National Assembly codified some aspects of this case law into the Police Act of 2020.
  2. Speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly v Honourable Honourable Rifkatu Danna (2017) 49 WRN 82. *This case is the locus classicus on suspension of lawmakers in Nigeria. Femi Falana as counsel to the plaintiff (later respondent at the Court of Appeal) convinced the court to set aside the suspension of the state lawmaker. The court held that the relationship between the leadership of the House and Members is not a master-servant relationship. The Court equally held that the decision of the House to withhold the salaries and allowances of the legislator was illegal as she was not an employee but an elected member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly.
  3. Osun State Independent Electoral Commission v Action Congress & Ors (2010) JELR 47597 (SC) Supreme Court • SC.265/2009. The gist of this case was the applicability of the Electoral Act of 2010 to the conduct of Local Government Elections. Mr Femi Falana, Esq (as he then was) was counsel to the plaintiff (later appellant at the Court of Appeal and respondent at the Supreme Court). On December 17, 2010, the Supreme Court upheld Falana’s arguments and set aside the elections of 30 Local Govt Chairmen and 323 Councillors in Osun State.

In closing, I hereby challenge Cobbler Lere Olayinka to tell us his professional accomplishments in the practice of journalism that is devoid of running errands for Oni, Fayose & now, Wike.

Ire oooooo kabiti kanka gbangba rabande.

The views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of Law & Society Magazine.

Police narrates how Stepfather impregnated stepdaughter three times, leading to abortions

A Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court in Ikeja on Thursday heard how a step-father, Adewunmi Ajayi, reportedly had unlawful sexual intercourse with his underage stepdaughter.

The unlawful sexual assault resulted in multiple pregnancies and abortions.

An Investigating Police Officer, Aderinto Foluke, made this known on Thursday while giving evidence before Justice Abiola Soladoye.

The IPO with AP No. 287997 attached to the Human Rights Unit of the Nigeria Police testified in the ongoing trial of a couple, Mr. Adewunmi, who is married to the survivor’s mother, Idowu Ajayi.

Informing the court about the outcome of the police investigation into the alleged sexual assault, the inspector said, “We concluded that Mr. Adewunmi has been sleeping with the survivors since 2019.”

The prosecution witness, led by State Prosecution Counsel Abibat Ogunwemimo, told the court that the incident was reported to the Adeniji Adele Police Station, Lagos Island, by a teacher who came with a 15-year-old survivor and a referral letter from Alausa.

She further stated that the survivor’s stepfather had been having carnal knowledge with the minor, and in the process, the survivor had two pregnancies, which her mother aborted.

She claimed the survivor also told them she was pregnant by her stepfather for the third time.

She said the survivor said she was afraid, so she confided in her teacher because of her mother, who she claimed would abort the pregnancy again.

The IPO said trouble started for the couple in 2021 when they were arrested by the police.

Following the arrest of the first defendant, Ajayi, his wife, Mrs Idowu Ajayi, the second defendant, went to the police, where they wrote statements.

The prosecution witness equally said, “The survivor also said she did not notice that her stepfather used to put drugs in her tea until the day her sister saw leftover particles in the cup.”

The IPO said the survivor complained to her grandmother, who, in turn, talked to her mother, but that the mother denied it when she was told and took her daughter to the hospital when she complained of stomach pain.

“The girl said she wanted to further her education, that is why she reported to her teacher. We gave her a referral paper, and when the result came, she was pregnant. We found out that the mother had taken her for abortion two times.”

Under cross-examination by the Defence Counsel Emmanuel Uwadoka, the IPO said she investigated the matter.

She, however, said she didn’t visit the crime scene or the hospital.

She maintained that the survivor told the police that something was put in her tea.

She also claimed she spoke with the survivor’s grandmother over the phone during her investigation.

Two statements, a medical referral letter, and a medical result were admitted as exhibits by the court.

Justice Soladoye adjourned the matter till May 28 for a continuation of the trial.

The Conclave

The Trial of Jesus Christ: Divine paradox and judicial reformations for Nigeria’s legal system

By E. Monjok Agom

As Good Friday 2025 was solemnly marked on the 18th day of April, the trial and execution of Jesus Christ stand as history’s most profound paradox – simultaneously the vilest perversion of human justice and the most glorious fulfilment of divine justice. This seminal event presents Nigeria’s judiciary with both a mirror to examine its failings and a model for its redemption.

The Dual Nature of Christ’s Trial

Human Justice Crucified:
The proceedings against Jesus exemplify every corruption of legal systems:

  • Procedural violations: Nighttime hearings contravened Jewish law requiring public trials (Sanhedrin 4:1)
  • Prosecutorial malfeasance: Shifting charges from blasphemy to sedition exposed truth’s irrelevance to conviction
  • Judicial cowardice: Pilate’s verdict (“I find no fault”) while ordering execution revealed spineless complicity

“They band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.” (Psalm 94:21)

Divine Justice Fulfilled:
Yet this travesty achieved heaven’s perfect justice:

  • The sinless Lamb bore humanity’s guilt
  • The eternal Judge submitted to corrupt judgment
  • The Lawgiver satisfied the Law’s demands

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” (1 Peter 3:18)

Nigeria’s Judicial Examination

The Passion narrative indicts every legal actor:

To Prosecutors:
The High Priest’s tactics warn against:

  • Prioritizing convictions over truth
  • Political weaponization of charges
  • Eternal consequences of malicious prosecution

To Judges:
Pilate’s example cautions against:

  • Succumbing to political pressure
  • Symbolic gestures replacing moral courage
  • The permanent stain of unjust rulings

To Society:
The Jerusalem mob’s choice of Barabbas reveals:

  • Our preference for violent criminals over peaceful truth-tellers
  • The danger of manipulated public opinion
  • Collective guilt through silent complicity

“Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent – the Lord detests them both.” (Proverbs 17:15)

The Easter Verdict on Justice Systems

The empty tomb proclaims three eternal truths:

  1. Earthly Injustice is Provisional
    No corrupt verdict enjoys finality
  2. Divine Justice is Inevitable
    Truth ultimately triumphs over suppression
  3. Judicial Redemption is Possible
    Even the most broken systems can be reformed

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require? To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly.” (Micah 6:8)

A Mandate for Nigeria’s Legal Reformation

This holy season demands soul-searching from all legal practitioners:

  • Judges: Will history remember you as modern Pilates or as guardians of justice?
  • Prosecutors: Will you pursue convictions or truth?
  • Defenders: Will you champion unpopular causes as Joseph of Arimathea did?
  • Officers: Will you protect citizens or enable oppression?

The cross stands as both:

  • Eternal indictment of judicial corruption
  • Divine promise of ultimate justice

Let Nigeria’s judiciary (in this context including the Bar), this Good Friday, resolve: Our courts shall become temples of justice rather than instruments of oppression. For as the Scriptures declare: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)

The challenge remains: Will Nigeria’s legal system reflect the corrupted justice that crucified Christ, or the perfect justice His resurrection inaugurated? The verdict rests in our hands.

E. Monjok Agom
18th April, 2025
(Good Friday)

The views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of Law & Society Magazine.