A 17-year-old boy, Usman (surname withheld) is currently on the run and being searched for after he allegedly defiled a five-year-old girl, ‘Labisi (surname withheld), who is the granddaughter of his neighbour at Foko area in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Saturday Tribune learnt that the defilement was carried out last week Thursday when the suspect boy, popularly called “Booda Ajao” by children, allegedly lured the girl with biscuits and sexually assaulted her.

Unknown to ‘Labisi, the 17-year-old half-brother of one of her playmates, a four-year-old boy, had been lusting for her tiny frame, and on the fateful day, he decided to carry out his plan.

Noticing that no adult was around, and his young brother was playing with ‘Labisi, Usman went for his Plan A. He bought biscuits and peanut burger, beckoned on the two children, and offered them the snacks. The children, happy to get the freebies, joyfully munched the snacks.

As they were doing this, Usman effected Plan B. He allegedly took the children inside his mother’s room, asked ‘Labisi to lie down, removed her underwear and his own trousers, baring his manhood. Then, he allegedly knelt in front of the girl, crouched over her and defiled her.

The distraught mother of the girl, Ms Ishola, aged 35, who narrated the incident to Saturday Tribune, explained: “My daughter used to stay with my mother on her return from school. My mother lives in the house next to that of Usman’s mother, and my daughter used to play with Usman’s four-year-old half-brother as they belong to the same age group.

“As I learnt, last Thursday, the two children were playing outside together in the evening when Usman came with biscuits to lure my daughter, ‘Labisi, inside, followed by his younger brother, unnoticed by anyone.

“The following day, my mother was bathing my girl when she started crying, saying that her private part was hurting her. That rang an alarm in my mother’s head, and she immediately asked my daughter what happened to her.

“’Labisi told her grandmother of how the teenager asked her to lie down, removed his trousers and her own pants, and laid on her, and told his younger brother to leave the room when the boy was watching his elder brother’s act. My daughter said that Usman put his manhood in her private part and started thrusting.

Read Also: Ogun man accused of impregnating daughter, forcing multiple abortions, as police arrest 23-year-old for alleged defilement of minor in Ondo

“The narration made my mother to raise the alarm. The young boy was called, and he confirmed that his brother laid on ’Labisi.”

When summoned, Saturday Tribune gathered that the teenager denied defiling the little girl, which angered the people around as they attempted to beat him.

Ms Ishola added: “My daughter has not changed her words since the incident happened. When I came to my mother’s place, I was told of what happened in my absence and my daughter repeated all she had said. I could not bear the sexual assault on my young daughter, so I went to Health Centre, Foko, for medical examination. On Sunday, we went to Adeoyo Hospital, Yemetu, to conduct tests which confirmed bruises in my daughter’s private part.”

When Saturday Tribune spoke with the little girl, she repeated everything her mother had said, adding: “Booda Ajao was doing like this (making thrusting gestures).”

Usman, who reportedly disappeared after the incident, is still at large. The girl’s family, it was learnt, went to the Amotekun Corps at Ibadan South West Local Government Area in Oyo State Command to report the case.

“We got information that he came on Wednesday to pack his clothes, but his mother said she was yet to see him since he ran away,” Ms Ishola said.

Saturday Tribune also contacted the runaway boy’s mother, Madam Ganiya (surname withheld), and she confirmed the disappearance of her son, claiming that she didn’t plan it or knew nothing about it.

“My son is in SSS3 and learning a vocation. Last Saturday, I was told of how he defiled the five-year-old girl and was beaten for doing such a thing. I also spanked him. On Sunday, he told me he was going to the shop where he is learning shoe sales. In annoyance, I told him not to let me see him return, as what he did was filthy. This was because he followed us to Adeoyo for a medical examination conducted on the little girl on that same Sunday. I’ve bought the medications prescribed for her,” the mother stated.

Showing displeasure to what her son allegedly did, Madam Ganiya said it was strange because in the neighborhood, they live communally. I used to give the girl’s grandmother the key to my room to keep for me. We are both tenants in houses next to each other. The girl used to come to us to play with my four-year-old son,” she said.

Usman’s mother maintained that “I didn’t take my son away to hide. If I were to be the one it happened to, I would not also have taken it kindly. I just plead that the government should have mercy on me.

“I can’t say precisely where my son is now. I’ve been searching for him. I heard that he was in Omi Adio with my mother and I informed Amotekun officers. I have told them to go for him and punish him accordingly if he is found. How can I hide him in my mother’s house after his embarrassing act?”

When contacted, the second-in-command at the IBSWLG, Sikiru Apanpa, confirmed the report of the case. He said that the suspect’s mother was invited for questioning and advised to look for the son.

Dear Chief Jibrin Samuel Okutepa, SAN,

I read your write up with more amusement than anger. In other to portray yourself as a victim of political oppression and witch-hunt, you accused me of abuse of office, forgery and indeed, professional misconduct. Nothing can be farther from the truth. I would ordinarily have ignored your post but for the fear that your misleading public narrative may be believed and thereby portray me as one guilty of your allegations. You will therefore understand why I have to respond to you in the same medium you have accused me.

The petition to the LPDC is not about whether Chief Okutepa had the right to accept a brief or challenge the constitution of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA). That right is unquestionable and firmly rooted in our adversarial system. The issue, rather, concerns the manner in which that right was exercised and whether, in the course of doing so, the ethical obligations owed to the court, particularly in ex parte proceedings, were fully observed.

Contrary to the narrative being advanced, the petition is neither personal nor retaliatory. It arises from what appears to be a serious professional concern deserving examination by the appropriate disciplinary body. The focus is not on representation, but on the circumstances surrounding Suit No. I/221/2026 and the procurement of far-reaching ex parte orders affecting the electoral process of the Association.

It is not disputed that the ECNBA was constituted at the National Executive Committee meeting held in Benin. The records of the meeting indicate that, following deliberations, a motion for the constitution of the ECNBA was formally moved by Chief Richard Oma Ahonaruogho, SAN, seconded by Mr. Clever N. Owhor, and adopted by NEC. Chief Okutepa, SAN, was present throughout the proceedings and actively participated in the meeting, including presenting the report and communiqué of the Security Ad-hoc Committee which he chaired shortly after the ratification of the ECNBA.

This procedure of presentation, motion, seconding, and adoption, reflects the established practice of NEC. A communiqué issued immediately after the meeting also reflected, among other resolutions, the constitution of the ECNBA. That communiqué circulated widely within the Bar and remained unchallenged. No objection was raised by those present, including Chief Okutepa, SAN, regarding the accuracy of the communiqué or the fact of the ECNBA’s constitution.

In addition, video recordings of the NEC proceedings capture the deliberations leading to the constitution of the ECNBA, including the motion, the seconding, and the adoption. The recordings also show that Chief Okutepa, SAN, was present in the hall during these proceedings. These materials underscore the importance of examining whether all material facts known to counsel were disclosed when the ex parte orders were sought.

The concern is further heightened by the reliance on minutes which allegedly did not reflect the full proceedings of the meeting, particularly the motion and adoption of the ECNBA. The ex parte application was prosecuted without disclosure of the material fact that both lead counsel and the first claimant were present at the meeting where the committee was constituted. Interim orders were thereafter granted restraining the ECNBA from functioning, thereby affecting the electoral process of the Association.

This raises an important professional question: where counsel personally witnessed the constitution of a body through a motion duly moved and seconded, and where a communiqué issued immediately thereafter reflected that decision without objection, does the failure to disclose those facts in an ex parte application not call for scrutiny? Would reliance on minutes that allegedly did not capture the full proceedings, particularly in the face of video evidence and an unchallenged communiqué, not raise legitimate concerns regarding the duty of candour owed to the court?

The Rules of Professional Conduct impose a clear duty in this regard. A lawyer is not permitted to rely solely on client instructions where he knows, or ought reasonably to know, that material facts are being withheld or misrepresented. The obligation is even stricter in ex parte proceedings, where the court depends entirely on the utmost good faith of counsel. Any omission of material facts, whether deliberate or reckless, goes directly to the integrity of the judicial process.

It is therefore incorrect to frame the petition as intimidation or victimisation. The LPDC exists precisely to examine allegations of professional misconduct. Submitting a petition to that body is the invocation of a lawful accountability mechanism. Whether the petition succeeds or fails is a matter for determination on evidence, not public sentiment.

Permit me to note that the assertion that I lobbied for Chief Okutepa’s exclusion from the Body of Benchers is misconceived. The NBA merely exercised its discretion not to recommend his renewal in light of the pending petition before the LPDC. It would have been inconsistent for the Association to recommend for re-appointment to a body of the highest distinction in the profession a person whose conduct it had simultaneously referred for disciplinary scrutiny. Recommendations for renewal are discretionary and may legitimately take prevailing circumstances into account.

This matter is not about personalities. It is about preserving professional ethics, particularly where ex parte orders are invoked in circumstances capable of affecting the electoral process of the Association. The petition seeks clarification on the extent to which a lawyer may rely on client instructions where material facts known to counsel are not disclosed, and the scope of the duty of candour under Rule 24(1) of the Rules of Professional Conduct.

The issues raised are properly for determination by the disciplinary process. The LPDC is not a political arena but a quasi-judicial body guided by rules, evidence, and precedent. If there is a defence to the allegations, it will find its strength there.

The petition is therefore an institutional step taken in good faith. It is not a personal attack. It is not a political contest. It is a professional inquiry into whether the procurement of ex parte orders, in the circumstances presented, complied with the ethical standards expected of legal practitioners.

The determination of these issues should properly lie with the disciplinary process, not in the arena of public debate.

Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN
President,
Nigerian Bar Association

It has come to my knowledge that the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Afam Josiah Osigwe, SAN has written petition against me to the Hon Body of Benchers and or the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee of the Body of Benchers. I am yet to be served with copy of the petition. But before his petition is served on me, he has found me guilty already. He filed petition against me because in his misconcieved view, it is professional misconduct to accept to be lead counsel in the two cases filed against his unconstitutional composition of ECNBA.

The President of NBA has chosen LPDC as a weapon against me as the lead counsel in a case he is a party. I am not surprised. He was part and parcel of the NBA regime that engineered petitions to LPDC against those who disagreed with them in 2015 or so. I was the Chief Prosecutor of NBA at LPDC then. I refused to be used. I know this very well. I am not surprised about his current antics. Weaponisation of petitions against those who disagreed with them has been their stock in trade in abuse of process. I am waiting to be served with his petition.

His grouse as I understand it, is based on his misconceived view, that I committed professional misconduct for accepting to act as lead counsel in the two cases filed against the Incorporated Trustees of NBA and Ors which cases are currently pending before the High Court of Justice of Oyo State sitting in Ibadan. NBA president is not just a lawyer, he is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. He knows the law. He is a party in those two suits and I am a lead counsel in the two cases.

NBA President did not stop at just filing the petition against me and the 1st Claimant in one of the cases, but in the most unfortunate abuse of power and corrupt use of office and power, Mr. Osigwe SAN proceeded to use his office and position to lobby those who have responsibilities to educate him not to do so, to cause my name to be removed from the list of those to be re-appointed as members of the Body of Benchers.

It is important to note, that I did not become a member of the Hon Body of Benchers through NBA. I became a member of the Body in 2023 because the Hon Body of Benchers considered me as an eminent legal practitioner and I was appointed under Section 3(1)(l) of LPA 2004 as amended. NBA President in abuse of power, used his position in concert with those who do not mean well for the legal profession to engineer the non-inclusion of my name for renewal of my membership of the Body of Benchers even though I had excellent reports of good performances as a member of the Body of Benchers.

It is sad that NBA president does not know that his petition constitutes direct affront and interference with pending litigation against his very unconstitutional hand picking and constitution of ECNBA which is one of the issues submitted for judicial determination. The President of NBA is a party in these two cases. NBA president should know that being a party, he cannot take extra judicial steps as he did. When parties have turned over their disputes to courts for adjudication, none of the parties is allowed to take extra judicial steps in sabotage of the pending process. This is an elementary principle that I think NBA president should know.

As President of the Bar, Mr. Osigwe SAN should note that he cannot intimidate me from pursuing a cause I know is rooted in justice and good cause. NBA president should know that it is unethical and unacceptable to use his position as President of NBA to pursue personal vendetta against me for taking up cases that complained against his whimsical, autocratic and despotic constitution of ECNBA. His references to me in the petition as being present in the Benin NEC meeting should be a pointer to him that no amount of panel-beating of the minutes of the meeting held in Benin can erase the eye witness accounts of what we saw him do at the Benin NEC.

Let me use this medium to inform Mr. President of the NBA that I am a legal practitioner and a trained advocate to practice law and no amount of intimidation including his underground interference with the renewal of my membership of the Hon Body of Benchers, can stop me from acting as lead counsel in the two cases against his handpicked ECNBA. I am happy NBA President Mr. Osigwe SAN petitioned me. I will rather pursue truth with courage than to be tolerantly dishonest about the truth of the unconstitutional manner the ECNBA was constituted by him. The matters before the court raised fundamental questions of constitutional importance that no amount of intimidation can stop me from pursuing, in seeking for justice and that is why we are lawyers!

My joy is that LPDC is not NBA NEC meetings where he lords it over everybody and where he is treated as king that does no wrong and his words are laws and cannot be challenged. I am not afraid of his petition! It is unfortunate that the President of the Bar does not want his despotic composition of ECNBA challenged. It has been challenged. He should allow the judiciary to decide those cases. His petition will not stop me from acting as lawyer to the Claimants. Indeed the petition has given me more energy to pursue those cases with envagelical commitment.

With insecurity spreading across regions and economic pressures reshaping governance priorities, the African Bar Association (AfBA) has issued a sweeping call for papers ahead of its 2026 Annual Conference—seeking bold legal ideas to confront what it describes as Africa’s most defining challenges.

The call is more than a routine academic exercise. It is a direct appeal to legal scholars, practitioners, and policy thinkers to interrogate how law can respond to the growing intersection of military activity, security threats, and economic instability across the continent.

At stake, organisers suggest, is not just legal reform—but the durability of Africa’s development trajectory.

A Theme Rooted in Urgency

The conference, themed “Resilient Africa’s Roadmap for Sustainable Development: Addressing and Strengthening Issues of Military, Security and Economic Stability,” signals a shift toward integrated thinking.

AfBA is asking contributors to move beyond siloed analysis and instead explore how legal systems can simultaneously address conflict, governance breakdown, and economic fragility.

The scope is deliberately expansive.

From access to justice in conflict zones to the regulation of artificial intelligence, from cross-border trade disruptions to environmental damage linked to military activity, the call invites submissions across 18 thematic areas that collectively map Africa’s most pressing vulnerabilities.

Where Law Meets Instability

Central to the call is a recognition that traditional legal frameworks are being tested by rapidly evolving realities.

In regions affected by violence, questions of justice and human rights are increasingly shaped by security considerations. In economic corridors, instability is disrupting trade, finance, and investment flows. In digital spaces, emerging technologies are outpacing regulation.

AfBA’s call challenges contributors to confront these tensions head-on.

Key areas of focus include:

• protecting human rights during military operations
• strengthening legal frameworks for counterterrorism and anti-corruption efforts
• addressing cross-border legal challenges under the African Continental Free Trade Area
• building resilient financial systems capable of withstanding security shocks
• regulating digital transformation and artificial intelligence in fragile environments

From Theory to Policy Impact

Unlike purely academic calls, AfBA is placing emphasis on practical relevance.

Submissions are expected not only to diagnose problems but to propose workable legal and policy solutions—frameworks that can be adopted, adapted, or debated within real governance systems.

The goal, organisers indicate, is to generate ideas that move beyond conference rooms and into legislative, judicial, and institutional reform processes across African states.

Submission Requirements

AfBA has outlined a structured submission process:

• Abstracts: Up to 300 words, including title, author details, affiliation, and contact information
• Full Papers: Maximum of 8,000 words (excluding references), using OSCOLA citation style
• Format: Word document (.docx)
• Languages: English, French, or Arabic

Timeline:

• Abstract deadline: May 31, 2026
• Acceptance notification: June 30, 2026
• Full paper deadline: August 15, 2026

Submissions are to be sent to: [email protected]

No Honorarium, High Expectations

AfBA makes clear that participation comes without financial compensation. Contributors will not receive honoraria, and all submitted works must be original and unpublished.

Authors are also required to transfer intellectual property rights—excluding moral rights—to the association.

For many in the legal community, however, the value lies elsewhere: visibility, influence, and the opportunity to shape high-level discourse on Africa’s future.

A Defining Moment for Legal Thought

As Africa navigates overlapping crises—from armed conflict and political instability to economic disruption and technological change—the AfBA call positions legal scholarship as a critical tool in shaping outcomes.

The question now is whether the continent’s legal minds will rise to the challenge.

The police in Ogun state have arrested a man identified as Oluwadamilare Ewedemi, for allegedly sexually abusing his daughter over several years and procuring multiple illegal abortions for her.

In a related development, the Police Command in Ondo State says it has arrested a 23 year-old man, Emmanuel Usman, for allegedly defiling a 14-year-old girl at Ijebu-Owo, Owo Local Government Area of the state.

The Ogun incident, which reportedly began in 2019 in Ijebu Ode, came to light after the 21-year-old survivor (name withheld) reported the matter at the Ifo Division of the command.

According to the police, the survivor alleged that her father repeatedly abused her, resulting in five pregnancies, all of which he allegedly forced her to terminate.

She explained that after losing her mother as an infant, she was placed in a motherless home in Ikeja, Lagos, before her father later took her to Ijebu Ode in 2019 under the guise of caring for her.

Confirming the arrest, the command’s spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said the survivor escaped from her father’s residence on February 1, 2026, due to persistent abuse and sought refuge at a church in the Pakoto area.

He said the case was formally reported on March 26, prompting swift action by operatives of the Ifo Division.

“During this period, she became pregnant five times, and her father reportedly procured abortion for each pregnancy,” Babaseyi said

He added that the suspect was apprehended following intelligence gathering by officers under the leadership of the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Kamorudeen.

The police spokesperson disclosed that the suspect is currently in custody, while the case has been transferred to the Gender Desk for detailed investigation and prosecution.

Meanwhile, the Ondo state police command’s spokesperson, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, in a statement on Monday in Akure, said the case of defiling a 14-year-old girl at Ijebu-Owo, Owo Local Government Area of the state, was reported on March 29 by the victim.

“The victim alleged that Usman (suspect) forcefully dragged her into his employer’s office located along Ijebu Owo, where he had unlawful carnal knowledge of her without her consent.

“She further alleged that the suspect threatened her with dire consequences should she disclose the incident to anyone, an act intended to intimidate and silence her.

“Despite the threat, the victim courageously reported the matter to the police, prompting immediate action, which is currently under thorough investigation by the command’s Gender-Based Violence Unit.

“Upon receipt of the report, operatives swiftly moved into action, leading to the arrest of the suspect. He is currently in custody and has made useful statement to aid the investigation,” he said.

Jimoh explained that the suspect would be charged to court accordingly upon conclusion of investigations, while the victim had been taken to the General Hospital, Owo, where she received necessary medical care.

The spokesperson said additional, appropriate psychosocial support mechanisms were being explored to ensure the victim’s well-being throughout the investigative and judicial process.

According to him, the Commissioner of Police (CP) in the state, Adebowale Lawal, directed that the case is to be handled with utmost diligence, sensitivity, and urgency to ensure justice is served.

“The CP further reiterates the command’s unwavering commitment to combating all forms of sexual and gender-based violence across the state.

“The command strongly condemns acts of defilement and all forms of abuse against minors and assures the public that such offenders will be brought to justice in accordance with the law.

“Parents, guardians, and the public are advised to remain vigilant, educate their wards on personal safety, and promptly report any suspicious or criminal activities to the nearest police station,” he said.

The Eboma family of Idumu-Oza Community in Agbor Kingdom, Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State, are calling for justice following the tragic death of their daughter, Etunim Henrieta Ebere Sunday (née Eboma), a mother of three.

Speaking with Ika Newspaper, the family patriarch, Mr. Friday Eboma, expressed deep sorrow over the loss, alleging that Etunim was subjected to prolonged domestic abuse by her husband, Mr. Ebere Sunday, an indigene of Alisimie, Agbor.

“Ebere Sunday beat Etunim to death so he could marry another woman he claimed was pregnant for him,” Eboma said.

“It was only after her death that we discovered she had been enduring severe and frequent beatings in her marriage, which ultimately led to her untimely death.

“The last incident occurred on January 23, 2026. According to her children, their father locked their mother inside the house and beat her with a Lister generator belt. She fainted and was rushed to the General Hospital, Agbor, for treatment.

“Since that beating, our daughter had been in and out of illness until she gave up the ghost on March 24, 2026.

 “Ebere’s family members have come to plead with us, but we will not accept it. We have resolved that he should come with his people to explain the circumstances that led to our daughter’s death.

“I recall that as a carpenter, he met Etunim during the Idumu-Oza road construction and persistently appealed to her to marry him.

 “His children also confirmed that their father constantly beat their mother, not only at home but even at her shop on Imudia Street, Agbor.”

Also speaking, the younger sister of the deceased, Blessing, said she received a distress call from her late sister, prompting her to travel from Lagos to Agbor.

“My sister was tortured to death by her husband. Before her death, she lived in fear and trauma due to constant abuse.

The Eboma family vowed that Ebere Sunday would not go scot-free for killing their daughter, Etunim, while calling on relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding Etunim’s death and ensure justice is served.

Efforts to reach the accused for comment were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

Residents and youths of Nyamgo Gyel community in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State have accused soldiers of detaining them and forcing them to pay for a dead cow they knew nothing about, while allegedly failing to respond when gunmen later attacked their community.

The development came after Nigeria’s president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, visited Plateau State following a deadly attack on Angwan Rukuba, where dozens of residents were killed.Nigeria travel guide

SaharaReporters gathered that three persons were killed and another injured in a fresh attack on Friday evening in Nyamgo Gyel, further heightening tensions in the troubled community.

According to reports, the victims were ambushed at about 7 p.m. on Friday while returning home from Gero after visiting a mining site.

The victims were travelling on a motorbike when the attackers reportedly struck.

Those killed were identified as Luka Pam, 36; Samuel Davou, 38; and Deme Saidu, 35.

The attack has thrown the community into mourning, with residents expressing anger over continued security failures and growing threats to their safety.

In a viral video, a youth leader in the community lamented that residents have increasingly been prevented from accessing their ancestral land due to the presence of Fulani herders.

According to him, the situation has left the community feeling trapped and helpless.

“These Fulani people have been living in this land and they have not taken even single permission from the community. We have not given them a chance, we have not given them any space for them to live in our own land,” the youth leader said.

“And us, the real owners of the land, we can no longer go there to even take our own farm.”

He added that even women and young people now live in fear of attacks whenever they attempt to access the area.

“Our women cannot even go there. Us, the young people, to even go there to even search for what is going to help us, we cannot even get there because they have been surrounding us,” he said.

“In fact, whenever we are even going there, if we are not many, definitely we will experience this kind of incident.”

The youth leader said the latest killings were not isolated incidents, adding that similar attacks had occurred in recent months.

“Like last month, last two months, the same incident happened that two of my youths again died,” he said.

“I have continued to plead with these youths that are here to even remain calm. I have continued to plead with them to remain calm.”

He explained that the location where the latest attack occurred was the same place where two other people had earlier been killed near an area called Tahir.

The youth leader further alleged that security personnel previously detained residents after a dead cow was discovered in the same area.

According to him, the soldiers demanded that community members produce those responsible for the incident.

“The same place that they killed two people that are around that Tahir is the same place that the death of a cow was found last two weeks, where we were even called for a security meeting for a report,” he said.

According to him, they were detained and asked to provide the people responsible for the cow’s death.

He insisted that those responsible for the attack on the cow were believed to be Fulani individuals who fled the scene.

“And we know that it’s Fulani people. Based on the people that escaped, it’s Fulani people that were even running after this thing. Where are they now?” he asked.

“But lastly, we have to even buy a cow for them. But who is going to pay the life of these youths?”

The youth leader warned that the patience of young people in the community was running out, despite repeated appeals for calm.

“For so many months, I have continued to plead with these youths to remain calm. And I cannot even stop everybody here from doing what they want to do,” he said.

He warned that community leaders should not be blamed if residents eventually resort to taking the law into their own hands.

“And then nobody should come and hold me responsible or hold any committee leader responsible of whatever is going to happen,” he said.

“So we are calling them. If they are not going to guarantee our safety, our security here, we will definitely allow the youth to even take their own step, whatever they want to even do.”

The youth leader also lamented the alleged absence of security personnel and government officials following the latest killings.

“From today, I will not continue to even speak to the journalists. I will not continue to even talk with people like this,” he said.

“But if the security cannot… Imagine since yesterday night that this incident happened, I have not seen anybody.

“I have called the sector, I have called the DSS, I have called the police people.”

He said only officers from the B Division of the police reportedly came to evacuate the injured victim to the hospital.

“If not only the police, the B Division that went to take the other person to the hospital. But nobody has even come here. No government officials have come here.”

The youth leader appealed to the Plateau State Government and the federal government to urgently intervene to prevent further violence.

“So I’m still pleading with the governor of Plateau State, even with the president of Nigeria, to come to our aid,” he said.Nigeria travel guide

“If not, we cannot tell the people what they are going to do.”

“In fact, we are going to allow them to do whatever thing they want to do. And no community leader should be held responsible,” he added.

By Oluwakemi Adelagun

Nigeria’s Bank of Industry (BOI) positions itself as a champion of inclusive growth—supporting women-owned businesses and gender integration.

Its thematic areas include gender inclusion, digital transformation and youth development.

“We finance and support women-owned businesses so they can grow, create jobs, and lead across sectors,” BOI stated on its website and annual reports.

Yet a closer look at the institution’s leadership structure suggests a paradox: while the bank promotes gender equity externally, women have been significantly underrepresented in its top decision-making positions over the last five years.

BOI is a development vehicle established to support projects aimed at boosting job creation, reducing poverty, and improving the socio-economic conditions of Nigerian families.

Male domination

BOI’s board currently consists of 13 members, including five executive and six non-executive directors. Of these, only two are women, representing roughly 15 per cent of the total. President Bola Tinubu appointed the board on 2 September 2024.

The women are Mabel Ndagi, executive director, Public Sector/Intervention Programmes, and Ifeoma Uz’Okpala, executive director, Large Enterprises.

Other members of the board, including the chairperson, managing director, and multiple executive and non-executive directors, are men. While Mansur Muhtar chairs the board, Olasupo Olusi has been the Managing Director/CEO since 2020.

The board’s composition is at odds with global governance recommendations. Global financial institutions, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), now aim for at least 30 per cent female representation on their boards and 40 per cent in management.

In 2012, the CBN established a regulatory mandate to foster gender diversity in the financial sector, requiring a minimum of 30 per cent female representation on the boards of commercial banks. The directive is part of a broader push for gender equality in corporate leadership.

Since then, Nigeria’s commercial banks have undergone a paradigm shift: as of 2023, eight women served as chief executive officers/managing directors in the country’s 23 commercial banks.

BOI, whose appointments are presidency-controlled, sits outside that market-driven pressure, making the gap a matter of political will and governance rather than of competence.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Tinubu had, in his ministerial appointments, jettisoned his campaign promise to ensure fair representation of women.

Just as the 2025 appointments to the NNPC board, the leadership composition in BOI contradicts Mr Tinubu’s promise to “feature women prominently” in governance, despite persistent advocacy for inclusion.

Of the 18 members of the board of directors in 2023, only two were women. The women are Mabel Nndagi, executive director, Public Sector and Intervention Programme and Toyin Adeniji, executive director, Micro-Enterprises, who retired in March of the same year. Women hold seven of 20 management-level seats.

However, in 2024, eight out of 19 management positions were held by women. These appointments demonstrate that women are somewhat present at the mid-senior level. However, most of these roles fall below the highest tier of executive decision-making.

Meanwhile, women were significantly underrepresented in decision-making roles at the bank in both 2020 and 2021.

During those years, the executive level had minimal representation of women; Toyin Adeniji, appointed in 2016, was the only woman on the 11-member board. In 2020, women accounted for only three of the 11 management personnel, a number that increased slightly to four in 2021.

In October 2024, the agency received the “Most Outstanding Performance as a Women-Friendly DFI” at The Peak Performer Africa Awards. In the same year, BOI signed a declaration of commitment to the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Code (We-Fi Code) to advance gender equality and enhance financial inclusion for women entrepreneurs across all sectors. However, the low representation of women in BOI leadership calls this commitment into question.

Why representation matters in development finance

According to its 2024 annual report, the development finance institution disbursed N510.9 billion to nearly one million beneficiaries through its lending platforms and intervention programmes.

The bank’s customers include businesses in the manufacturing, solid minerals and climate-resilient agribusiness sectors.

In her call for an increase from 30 to 40 per cent female representation in Nigeria’s banking boardrooms, Rafiat Onitiri, the chairperson of the Association of Professional Women Bankers (APWB), argued that women account for nearly 60 per cent of the banking workforce but remain underrepresented at the highest decision-making levels.

“Even achieving 40 per cent representation would be a major milestone,” Ms Onitiri said, emphasising that APWB is advocating fairness rather than numerical equality.

BOI’s spokesperson, Hadiza Olaosebikan, was contacted for comment. She replied via WhatsApp that she was on leave and out of the country, and referred our reporter to one Mr Solomon.

Mr Solomon initially requested that our reporter send an email, but no response had been received at the time of this report. During a subsequent WhatsApp call, he instructed the reporter to read a press statement published by BOI for International Women’s Day, claiming it addressed the questions previously sent via email on 16 March.

However, our reporter found the statement irrelevant to the questions submitted through the official BOI channel. Further attempts to contact Mr Solomon were unsuccessful.

Premium Times