Home Blog Page 6

Pope Francis: A bridge builder of mercy and peace

By Sonnie Ekwowusi

Pope Francis was, by all standards, a Pope of mercy. Following the teaching of Jesus Christ—exemplified in His eating and drinking with sinners—and in line with Jesus’ dictum, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Matthew 9:13), Pope Francis, since the beginning of his pontificate, has always opened his arms to welcome and receive sinners and all who sought his company, even to the misunderstanding of some.

Like Jesus Christ, Pope Francis understood that his mission was not to condemn or judge others, but rather to reach out and save others, especially those abandoned in the periphery. I remember that when the Nigerian Catholic lawyers visited the Vatican some years ago, Pope Francis told them and others that, beyond operating in parishes, they should go into the world and bear witness for Christ.

In 2015, Pope Francis declared an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, calling on people to embrace God’s mercy and be more merciful toward others. He has consistently reached out to marginalized groups—such as refugees, the poor, the vulnerable, prisoners, and people with disabilities. He has emphasized that the Church should focus on those on the periphery of society rather than the powerful or elite. This is seen as an act of mercy, as he believes the Church’s mission is to heal and support the suffering.

Pope Francis’ message of mercy, love, forgiveness, a non-judgmental stance, and compassion for sinners underscores the importance of humility, the recognition of one’s own sinfulness, and the need for God’s grace and mercy.

Amid high-level terrorism, suicide bombings, wars, rumors of a Third World War, and human tragedies afflicting humanity and threatening international peace, several Popes have constructed an ethical framework for human solidarity in finding solutions to the absence of peace in the world.

For example, shortly after the First World War in 1919, President Woodrow Wilson was received at the Vatican by Pope Benedict XV to foster peace in the world. President Eisenhower visited Pope John XXIII in Rome to discuss world peace. In his epic Encyclical Pacem in Terris, Pope John XXIII established four pillars upon which peace should be built.

Remember President Bush’s meeting with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI to promote peace in the world? With 104 trips outside Italy (including 16 trips to the African continent), St. John Paul II the Great was outstanding for his tenacity in promoting peace, tolerance, commitment to social justice, respect for human dignity, and inter-religious dialogue.

On October 6, 1979, President Jimmy Carter had the pleasure of hosting the first White House visit by a Pope when St. John Paul II visited the United States, advocating for peace in the world. In fact, St. John Paul II acted directly as an intermediary in the promotion of justice and peace in countries where peace was threatened.

Recall that on December 15, 1982, St. John Paul II had

an audience with Yasser Arafat on the peaceful settlement of the Palestinian question. Not to mention his famous meeting with King Hassan II on August 19, 1995, which was attended by well over 80,000 youths, or his visits to Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, Cameroon, and Nigeria.

In fact, his visit to Nigeria during the reign of dictator Sani Abacha remains indelibly engraved in the minds of many Nigerians—if not for anything else, for the fact that the Pope called for peace in Nigeria.

Therefore, following in the footsteps of his predecessors in the Papacy, Pope Francis had throughout his Papacy doggedly committed himself to the promotion of international peace throughout the duration of his pontificate. He has advocated for the abolition of nuclear weapons, stressing that their existence is an “immoral” threat to humanity. He has urged world leaders to invest in peace rather than in arms, warning against the destructive power of modern weaponry. Pope Francis has also been a vocal critic of the arms trade, which he believes fuels conflicts around the world.

Lest we forget, Pope Francis played a key role in the peace process between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). In 2017, he met with both sides in an effort to broker reconciliation and peace after years of violent conflict. Pope Francis has consistently advocated for peace in the Middle East, emphasizing that the spilling of human blood in Gaza is a slur on our human existence. He has called for a two-state solution, stressing the rights of both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples to live in peace and security.

On June 8, 2014, Pope Francis hosted Israeli President Shimon Peres, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios in the Vatican Gardens to explore new ways of building peace in Jerusalem and reconciling seemingly irreconcilable foes.

At that historic meeting, the participants acknowledged that despite the failure of previous efforts by world leaders to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian and broader Middle East crises, renewed and greater efforts must be made to broker peace in the region.

In his address, Pope Francis—whom President Peres described as “a bridge builder of brotherhood and peace”—stated that while human ingenuity is essential in resolving the Middle East crisis, peacemakers must also begin to rely on the help of God. He stressed the urgency of the moment, noting that children weary and worn out by the conflict are now pleading with leaders “to tear down the walls of enmity and to set out on the path of dialogue and peace, so that love and friendship will prevail.”

In his emotional and poetic response, President Peres said, “The tears of mothers over their children are still etched in our hearts. We must put an end to the cries, to the violence, to the conflict. We all need peace—peace between equals. Your invitation to us to join you in this momentous ceremony to call for peace, here in the Vatican Garden, in the presence of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Druze leaders, graciously reflects your vision of the aspiration we all share.”

Pained by the seemingly unending war and the continued spilling of human blood in South Sudan, Pope Francis, in 2019, organized a retreat for South Sudanese leaders and their warring opposition groups at the Vatican. It was a two-day retreat—what Cardinal Parolin called a “spiritual, ecumenical, and diplomatic” initiative.

Among the preachers at the retreat were Archbishop John Baptist Odama of Gulu, Uganda, and Nigerian Jesuit priest Father Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator. Other notable attendees included the spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion worldwide, Archbishop Justin Welby, members of the South Sudan Council of Churches, and other Catholic and Presbyterian church leaders from across Africa.

At the end of the retreat, Pope Francis addressed the attendees in Italian, saying: “There will be struggles and disagreements among you, but keep them within you—inside the office, so to speak. But in front of the people, hold hands, united. So, as simple citizens, you will become fathers of the nation… I am asking you as a brother to stay in peace. I am asking you with my heart: let us go forward. There will be many problems, but they will not overcome us. Resolve your problems.”

Therefore, following in the footsteps of his predecessors in the Papacy, Pope Francis has doggedly committed himself to the promotion of international peace throughout the duration of his papacy. He has advocated for the abolition of nuclear weapons, stressing that their existence is an “immoral” threat to humanity. He has urged world leaders to invest in peace rather than arms, warning against the destructive power of modern weaponry. He has also been a vocal critic of the arms trade, which he believes fuels conflicts around the world.

Lest we forget, Pope Francis played a key role in the peace process between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). In 2017, he met with both parties in an effort to broker reconciliation and peace after years of violent conflict. He has consistently advocated for peace in the Middle East, emphasizing that the spilling of human blood in Gaza is a stain on our shared humanity. He has called for a two-state solution, upholding the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security.

On June 8, 2014, Pope Francis hosted Israeli President Shimon Peres, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios in the Vatican Gardens to explore new avenues for peace in Jerusalem and reconciliation between seemingly irreconcilable foes. During this historic meeting, the leaders agreed that although previous efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian and broader Middle East crises had borne little fruit, renewed and intensified efforts were necessary.

In his address, Pope Francis—described by President Peres as “a bridge builder of brotherhood and peace”—stated that in addition to human effort, peacemakers must rely on divine assistance. He underscored the urgency of resolving the crisis, noting that children, weary and worn out by prolonged conflict, are now pleading with leaders “to tear down the walls of enmity and to set out on the path of dialogue and peace, so that love and friendship will prevail.”

In his emotional and poetic response, President Peres said, “The tears of mothers over their children are still etched in our hearts. We must put an end to the cries, the violence, the conflict. We all need peace—peace between equals. Your invitation to us to join you in this momentous ceremony to call for peace, here in the Vatican Garden, in the presence of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Druze leaders, graciously reflects your vision of the aspiration we all share.”

Pained by the seemingly unending war and bloodshed in South Sudan, Pope Francis, in 2019, organized a retreat for South Sudanese leaders, including members of the opposition and rebel groups, at the Vatican. This two-day retreat—described by Cardinal Parolin as a “spiritual, ecumenical, and diplomatic” initiative—was attended by various Christian leaders, including Archbishop John Baptist Odama of Gulu, Uganda, Nigerian Jesuit priest Father Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator, Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby, and members of the South Sudan Council of Churches.

At the close of the retreat, Pope Francis addressed the leaders in Italian: “There will be struggles and disagreements among you, but keep them within you—inside the office, so to speak. In front of the people, hold hands, united. As simple citizens, you will become fathers of the nation… I am asking you as a brother to stay in peace. I am asking you with my heart: let us go forward. There will be many problems, but they will not overcome us. Resolve your problems.”

Thereafter, Pope Francis did something dramatic. Clad in his white cassock and zucchetto, he stooped low—flattening himself on the ground—and kissed the feet of the South Sudanese leaders and their opponents.

Though they were wearing shoes, the Pope humbly kissed their dusty footwear. With this profound gesture, he appealed to them to lay down their arms and allow peace to reign in South Sudan. Many visitors and onlookers were deeply moved by the Pope’s extraordinary humility.

It is clear that if mankind is to pursue peace, now more than ever, we must rediscover the path that leads to genuine reconciliation, concord, and unity. It is not enough to wax philosophical on the vexing matter of global peace. World leaders must identify common values as the foundation for a new international order grounded in justice, service, mutual respect, and human dignity.

For peace to reign in the world, warring factions must learn to forgive one another. Peace begins in the heart. As Josemaría Escrivá wrote, “It is useless to call for external calm if there is no calm in men’s consciences.”

Therefore, peace is born from a purified heart. It is nurtured in sacrifice. It is sustained by justice.

Building on the Church’s ecumenical dialogue with Muslims, Pope Francis established strong relations with Muslim leaders. A milestone was his 2019 visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he signed the Document on Human Fraternity with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar. The document emphasized cooperation between Christians and Muslims to foster peace, tolerance, and mutual respect.

Age upon age, wrote Emmet John Hughes on October 20, 1958, the city of Rome “has affected the destiny and trial of the Church in profound and ever new ways. No matter who sits on the throne of St. Peter in Rome,” continued Hughes, “he can know but one heritage, one purpose and, in G.K. Chesterton’s words, ‘one scheme…bestriding lands and ages with gigantic arches, and carrying everywhere the high river of baptism upon an aqueduct of Rome.’”

These prophetic words find fulfillment in Pope Francis’ recent declaration, Dignitas Infinita (“Infinite Dignity”), released on April 8, 2024. This 20-page document unequivocally denounces, among other things, LGBT ideology, surrogacy, and gender ideology as grave violations of human dignity and transgressions against God’s teaching and divine plan for humanity. Citing the prophet Isaiah—”Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness”—Dignitas Infinita bluntly criticizes these practices. It affirms the Church’s longstanding position that the human person is a unity of body and soul, and that “the dignity of the body cannot be considered inferior to that of the person as such.”

This reiterates the Church’s established doctrine, previously outlined in the 2008 document Dignitas Personae and in Donum Vitae some twenty years prior, which condemned artificial reproduction, surrogacy, and experimentation on human embryos as violations of human dignity and offenses against God.

In an age when many define their worth by the size of their cars, houses, or wealth, Pope Francis’ austere lifestyle and detachment from materialism are striking. He has deliberately renounced the comfort and luxury often associated with high office, modeling his life on Jesus Christ, who said: “If any man wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me. For he who would save his life will lose it; but he who loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, but ruins or loses his soul?”

During his visit to America, Pope Francis famously chose to ride in a modest black Fiat 500L, rather than a limousine. Flanked by other vehicles, his humble choice of transportation stood as a powerful symbol of simplicity and servant leadership—one that, to many, was deeply edifying.

In Washington D.C., Pope Francis made a clear and compelling case for American founding principles as understood and exemplified by President Abraham Lincoln, civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., Catholic Worker Movement founder Dorothy Day, and Cistercian monk Thomas Merton. He presented these figures as enduring sources of hope and as bulwarks of American democracy.

Addressing a joint session of the American Congress (Pope Francis is the first pope ever to address a joint session of the U.S. Congress), he reminded the senators and representatives that politics is not the first thing; rather, politics is an expression of the deeper values within humanity. Therefore, politics should not be perceived as a mere instrument for promoting secular progressivism at the expense of the lofty values that reside in the human heart.

But the crowning moment of Pope Francis’ visit to America, in my humble view, was his speech at the General Assembly of the United Nations. The Pope began by reflecting on the lofty ideals that led to the founding of the United Nations as the successor to the League of Nations. He praised the great achievements of the UN, as it turned 70, in promoting peace, human fraternity, and the advancement of human rights.

However, he expressed regret that the misuse of political power and environmental degradation has left many people marginalized. As a solution, Pope Francis advocated for inclusive politics and responsible environmental stewardship that benefits all—economically, socially, politically, and spiritually. He emphasized that integral human development is rooted in three material and spiritual goods: housing; dignified and properly remunerated employment; adequate food and drinking water; religious freedom; and, more broadly, spiritual freedom and education.

“These pillars of integral human development have a common foundation,” said Pope Francis, “which is the right to life and, more generally, what we could call the right to the existence of human nature itself.”

I believe Pope Francis will also be most remembered as a Pope of hope. He has proclaimed the year 2025 as a Jubilee Year—a special holy year of grace and pilgrimage in the Church—with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.” This Jubilee is officially titled Spes Non Confundit (Hope Does Not Disappoint). Its theme is a profound reminder that all of us on earth are wayfarers and pilgrims journeying toward a definitive Home.

Pope Francis passed away in April, during the Octave of Easter, probably the time he wanted to died Yesterday, it was very difficult for him to perform the Urbi et Orbi blessing at St. Peter’s Basilica. I watched him—tired and barely able to lift his hands. It is noteworthy that St. Pope John Paul II also died in April, around the Easter season.

In the death of Pope Francis, the world has lost not just a peacemaker and a bridge builder, but a spiritual father—a universal shepherd who was always ready to provide his flock with their due of spiritual nourishment at the opportune time.

Sonnie Ekwowusi is a Member of the Editorial Board of The Guardian Newspaper

How romantic rejection at 12 forged the most controversial Pope of modern times

By Daniel Johnson

When Jorge Mario Bergoglio was 12, he developed a crush on a girl called Amalia. Both sets of parents disapproved of their children forming an attachment so young but Jorge went ahead and proposed marriage anyway, according to Amalia.

She recalled with a laugh: ‘He said that if I didn’t say yes, he would have to become a priest. Fortunately for him I said no.’

It must count as one of the most momentous rejections in history, as Bergoglio not only went on to be ordained but rose to become head of the Roman Catholic church.

Pope Francis, who has died aged 88, was the first non-European to be elected to his office in 13 centuries.

A Jesuit from Argentina, Francis was also the most liberal, the most political and the most controversial of modern popes.

His informality, simplicity and charm won him many admirers.

His 12 years as Supreme Pontiff were marred by bitter divisions over doctrine between liberals and traditionalists.

The Pope sparked pandemonium by issuing a document advocating a relaxation of the Church’s ban on the sacrament of Communion for divorced and civilly remarried couples. Four leading cardinals publicly dissented and the issue continues to divide Catholics.

When Bergoglio became Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1997, he placed great emphasis on evangelism and poverty relief in the city’s most deprived barrios (neighbourhoods), acquiring the nickname ‘the Slum Bishop’.

As pope he also broke with the politically conservative stance of his two predecessors, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, siding with the Left across a range of issues and proved more ready to compromise with authoritarian regimes.

In 2022, Francis courted controversy by refusing to explicitly condemn Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. Instead, the Vatican has maintained dialogue with the pro-Putin Russian Orthodox Church.

His conciliatory attitude to China, meanwhile, led to accusations that he had abandoned the underground Church there to persecution by the communist authorities.

Perhaps his most distinctive achievement was to shift the attention of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics away from issues of personal morality, such as birth control and abortion, towards threats to the environment and the plight of the poor.

Having adopted the name of St Francis of Assisi, famous for his humility and love of animals, this ‘ecological Pope’ never ceased to remind humanity of its duty to preserve God’s creation.

Born in 1936, the future Pope grew up in a large family of middle-class Italian immigrants living in a suburb of Buenos Aires. His parents had left Mussolini’s fascist Italy before his birth, for political rather than economic reasons.

Pope emeritus Benedict XVI greets his successor, Pope Francis, upon his arrival at the heliport in Castel Gandolfo, the Pontiff’s summer residence outside Rome

The young Jorge was not always wedded to the priesthood. As a young man, he once worked as a bouncer at a night club and was, reputedly, an enthusiastic dancer of the tango.

He went on to train as a chemical technician and, in 1958, at the age of 21, he had most of one lung removed after a serious bout of pneumonia. Despite periodic respiratory infections, plus colon and heart conditions in later years, Bergoglio was able to live a normal life.

Later that same year he did find his vocation: after going to confession, he was inspired by the priest to take the cloth. While a seminarian, he fell in love with another young woman and briefly considered dropping out but, in the end, persevered with his studies.

Once he became a Jesuit, Bergoglio rose rapidly in the Order to become a professor of theology and later the Jesuits’ provincial-general in Argentina from 1973-79.

In 2001, he was given the cardinal’s hat by John Paul II. By then he was already emerging as the best hope of the liberals within the Church elite to reverse the conservative restoration inaugurated by the Polish Pope.

When John Paul died in 2005, the conclave was divided between two rival candidates: Joseph Ratzinger, the late Pope’s right hand man and dean of the College of Cardinals, and Bergoglio, who attracted strong support from liberals and the southern hemisphere.

Ratzinger’s election as Benedict XVI was a triumph for traditionalists, but Bergoglio bided his time. Eight years later, in 2013, Benedict suddenly announced his resignation — the first pope to have done so in five centuries.

This was Bergoglio’s chance, despite his fragile health. By now 76, the Cardinal Archbishop of Buenos Aires soon emerged as the clear favourite. His election was greeted with joy by Catholics in the developing world, although, given his parents’ roots, Italians saw him as one of their own, after 35 years under first a Pole and then a German.

Francis became the first Pope for more than a century to live outside the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace, choosing to reside in the Vatican guest house.

His predecessor, Benedict, now Pope Emeritus, lived nearby. Their relations were described as friendly, but tensions remained. Benedict continued to publish books and articles while conservative Catholics rallied around him.

For his part, Francis kept up a punishing schedule of foreign visits until the Covid pandemic forced him to remain isolated in the Vatican. Having put on weight after an operation for diverticulitis – inflammation of the large intestine – the increasingly sedentary Pope became reliant on a wheelchair.

His loss of mobility became evident at the funeral of Benedict in January 2023, when Francis presided over the Requiem Mass from his cathedra (episcopal throne) and blessed the departing coffin from his wheelchair.

Finally, his failing lungs caught up with him and he was admitted to the hospital on Valentine’s Day to be treated for bronchitis – especially dangerous given his existing respiratory ailments. He was later diagnosed with double pneumonia, and his condition was later described as critical.

As his condition worsened, there were rumours that the Swiss Guard had started funeral rehearsals. And today came the news that the Catholic faithful had dreaded for so long.

This article was originally published by Daily Mail online newspaper on 21 April 2025

Nigerians are bleeding, hungry, unsafe, disillusioned, Says Kaigama in Easter Message

The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Most Rev Ignatius Kaigama has called on the Federal Government to address the challenges of insecurity, revive the economy, and restore the dignity of human lives because Nigeria is bleeding, people are hungry, unsafe and disillusioned.

According to him, as a people, the citizens must rise above despair, division, and violence and commit themselves to peace, justice, and truth.

“Our country is bleeding – our people are hungry, unsafe, and disillusioned. It is therefore imperative that politicians in government focus more on addressing the real challenges before us: ending insecurity, reviving the economy, and restoring the dignity of Nigerian lives”, he said

While describing the political tensions and institutional breakdown that led to the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State as “deeply troubling”, the cleric said that although government intervention in moments of crisis is sometimes necessary to restore order and protect democratic institutions, the government must be cautious in its reactions and avoid actions that could further polarize an already tense environment.

Kaigama said these in his Easter Message titled, “The Light Shines in the Darkness, and the Darkness Cannot Overcome It”, taken from John 1:5 and sent to Arise News in Abuja.

He said Easter is not just a Christian ritual—but a powerful reminder that light always follows darkness, and life prevails over death.

Kaigama said, “Yet, even as we celebrate, our hearts are heavy with grief and concern over the senseless bloodshed and insecurity that continue to plague our land.
We mourn the tragic and reckless killing of innocent travellers in Uromi, Edo State—lives cut short without reason or mercy.

“We grieve the repeated violence and massacres in Bokkos and Bassa Local Government Areas of Plateau State, where entire communities are being decimated. These attacks have left families shattered and dreams destroyed, and they underscore the urgent need for a sincere and coordinated response to insecurity across Nigeria.
We are also alarmed by the continual hunger and economic hardship gripping our people. Families struggle daily to put food on the table, and children go to bed hungry in a nation so richly blessed.

“The desperation in the land is palpable, and it calls for immediate action from all levels of government, faith-based institutions, and citizens. As Jesus fed the multitudes with compassion, so must we work together to ensure that no Nigerian goes hungry in the midst of plenty.

“Equally distressing is the increasing trend of kidnapping and targeted attacks on clergy, especially priests who dedicate their lives to serving others. These brutal acts not only rob families of their loved ones but also strike at the heart of our moral and spiritual fabric. Every priest kidnapped or murdered is a blow to the conscience of our nation.

“In addition, the recent political tensions and institutional breakdown that led to the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State are deeply troubling. While government intervention in moments of crisis is sometimes necessary to restore order and protect democratic institutions, we must be cautious in our reactions and avoid actions that could further polarize an already tense environment.

“Let this moment serve as a call to all stakeholders – political leaders, traditional authorities, civil society, and citizens – to embrace dialogue over division. No democracy can thrive without the culture of give and take, live and let live.
Power, like life, is transient. Therefore, we must strive to build bridges and not burn them, to prioritize the welfare of the people over personal or party interests. Let us resist the temptation of inflammatory rhetoric and embrace peace, understanding, and mutual respect as the pathway to lasting stability.

“We must also be deeply concerned about the rising tide of acrimonious political rhetoric that is spreading across the nation. Words are powerful, and when used carelessly, they can inflame tensions and deepen our divisions. This is not yet the time for political campaigns or endless jostling for power.
Let us demand accountability and protection for every Nigerian, regardless of tribe, faith, or region.

He said since leadership is a sacred responsibility, not a contest of noise, Nigerian leaders should “prioritize governance over politics, solutions over slogans, and unity over personal ambition. Nigeria needs healing, not hostility.”

Kaigama said that in the face of the darkness that seems to surround Nigeria and envelop her lands, “we must not lose hope” as Easter teaches that even the tomb cannot hold back the power of resurrection.

“As a people, we must rise above despair, division, and violence. Let us commit ourselves to peace, justice, and truth. Let us demand accountability and protection for every Nigerian, regardless of tribe, faith, or region.

“This Easter, may the risen Christ ignite in us the courage to speak up against evil, the strength to support one another, and the wisdom to build a Nigeria where dignity and life are sacred once again. Let our celebration not just be of Christ’s resurrection, but of the renewal of our national spirit. May God bless Nigeria, and may peace reign in our hearts and across our land”, the cleric emphasized.

Falana to Wike, “You are the only Life Bencher in Nigeria who has never handled a case in any trial or appellate court”

Leading-edge rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has replied to the recent attack against him by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike.

Falana, in response to Wike’s recent media attack, where the Minister said the senior lawyer was being economical with the truth about a Supreme Court judgment on the defection of 27 lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC, described the former Rivers State Governor as “the only Life Bencher in Nigeria who has never handled a case in any trial or appellate court.”

During the interview, Wike taunted Falana, saying he lost the case and labelled him “a television lawyer.”

Dismissing Wike’s claims, the Senior Advocate in a statement titled: “I Did Not Lie Against the Supreme Court of Nigeria,” Falana dismissed Wike’s claims, stating, “It is no crime for a lawyer to lose a case in court. Only a corrupt lawyer wins all cases in all courts.

Falana said he felt compelled to respond to Wike through a rebuttal after the Minister’s renewed outburst during his recent media briefing.

He added that contrary to Wike’s claims, there is video and affidavit evidence confirming the lawmakers’ defection to the APC.

“It is public knowledge that Mr. Wike celebrated the Supreme Court judgment with a thanksgiving service. Yet, he attacks me for commenting on the same ruling,” Falana said.

He challenged Wike to report him to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee if he believed there was any professional misconduct.

“Unlike Mr. Wike, who insults judges when rulings don’t align with his politics, I’ve always critiqued court decisions with respect and good faith,” Falana asserted.

He also pointed to legal precedents and past statements by respected jurists, including the late Justice Oputa and former Chief Justice Tanko Muhammad, who welcomed critical engagement from the bar.

Falana warned that the recent Supreme Court position on defection— requiring the production of a political party’s register, could embolden “unpatriotic politicians” and encourage “political prostitution.”

“In the interest of political stability and national morality, I urge the Supreme Court to continue to uphold its earlier positions in cases like Attorney-General of the Federation v. Abubakar and Dapialong v. Dariye,” he added.

The senior lawyer added that the Minister’s attack had failed in its “desperate bid to incite the Justices of the Supreme Court.”

Falana said that Wike must be stopped from parading himself as the unsolicited defender of the judiciary in Nigeria.

The president is my brother, I shall not talk…

By Lasisi Olagunju

I found myself inventing that verse as today’s headline. The verse came sounding like “The Lord is my shepherd/ I Shall not want…” The twenty-third Psalm. Yesterday was Easter Sunday; today is Easter Monday. All Judases are shamed.

Life here is bitter as brine. The green pastures are withered. The still waters are poisoned. More and more, victims fall in undeclared wars in Benue and Plateau. Terrorists rebrand and relaunch in Borno and Niger and Zamfara. The Commander-in-Chief is absent in flesh, in body and soul. But I must be quiet, because the president is my brother.

Some twenty-something years ago, one of us (I can’t remember who the person was) blurted out a question:

“The name of your governor, ‘Alamiyeseigha’, reads like a tongue-twisting clause. What does it mean?”

Our guest was the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information.

The guest sat up, grinned and looked round the Tribune boardroom. She then smiled out the answer.

“It means God is never wrong. Just like my name, ‘Benamaisia’, means brother is never wrong.”

I thought that was deep. I quickly got it stored in the depth of my brain. True. God is never wrong. But brother? An argument would have ensued but that commissioner, Mrs Ruth Benamaisia Opia, went into an intelligent analysis of how and when a brother is deemed not wrong: She said a brother is never wrong in the presence of outsiders. She might be right. Among her audience were a people whose own culture instructs them to first deal with the fox before spanking the cock. They also say you don’t sell your brother cheap; if you do, you won’t be able to buy him back expensive.

“Kin-blood is not spoiled by water.” That is how 12th-century German poet, Heinrich der Glîchezære, couches it in his epic, Reinhart Fuchs (Reynard the Fox). I am supposed to love and be loyal to the king because he is my brother. Is my brother, the king, supposed to love and be loyal to me? Christian scholar, T. L. Westow, in his ‘Who is my Brother?’ published in May 1964, declares that “nobody can eat for somebody else.” That may be true in biology; it is not true in politics. What do you think my brother, the president, is doing on my behalf in Europe? He has been there for the past two weeks.

Because my brother is the president, he can do anything and get away with it. And he has been doing it. The president is the law. He keeps a very good company in the US President Donald Trump. Last week, Trump complained about his country’s Federal Reserves chair, Jerome Powell. “I’m not happy with him. I don’t think Powell is doing the job. He will leave if I ask him to.” An American reacted: “Why has anybody but Trump run anything? Just get rid of congress, senate, Supreme Court, etc. He’s so smart; he can run everything.” It is too late to recommend the same here. President Bola Tinubu is the smartest somebody ever created. He had been the law long before he became president. Presidential powers have only enlarged his coast, and we are happy and grateful for the answered prayers.

I have no problem with Tinubu staying put abroad. The only issue I have with it is that in his absence, Muhammadu Buhari’s eunuch is having an erection again. I don’t like that. It is risky. While I agonise over the resurgent eunuchs, I will not stop stopping critics from hampering my president with the constitution and all its provisions. Scrap the law, scrap the courts, the legislature, everything; sack the governors, give the president their functions and budgets. Make him President and Governor General of the federation. Trash all the scrapped. Scrap Abuja and let the super man reign from wherever he finds comfort. Why not?

My brother, the president, is in Europe, running the country effectively unseen like an unseen poem. It is my duty as a brother to expose the ignorance of critics who say the president residing abroad is immoral and illegal. I should tell such critics that the people who created Nigeria started Nigeria with that arrangement. When the two Nigerias were brought together in 1914, the first ‘president’ (nicknamed Governor General) reigned six months in Nigeria; four and a half months in London; one and half months cruising on the high seas. Lord Lugard gave his employers that condition and he got it, he maintained and enjoyed it for several years. A befitting office with full complement of competent staff was even provided for him righ  t inside the colonial office in London. That is our history.

Shakespeare says there is no darkness but ignorance. Ignorant critics say my brother does not delegate as the constitution dictates. They should read history. Our president’s ancestor, Lord Lugard had two deputies called Assistant Governors. From 1914 when he took charge till he left in 1919, he delegated neither power nor responsibility to any of them. There were complaints and grumblings, home and abroad; the Governor-General ignored them all. Nothing happened. Nothing will happen if President Tinubu keeps that foundational tradition alive. He has a duty to run his government undisturbed from the Moon, even from inside the Sun.

If my brother is not ready for home, it is my duty to beg him to stay back wherever he is. It is also my duty to attack his attackers here. He should not rush home after these Easter holidays simply because sibling rivalry is pushing some of our bad brothers to demand his immediate homecoming. The president should work harder in London – or cross the English Channel back to Paris, and continue where he stopped.

Last week, from wherever he was, the president set up an eight-man committee on his pet census project, five out of the eight members are from his sitting room. Because he is my brother, I am not supposed to mention this and say he was wrong to use his household to rule the whole world.

For those who are not happy that five brothers out of eight make the list of Tinubu’s census committee, I recommend, in the spirit of this Easter season, ‘The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard’. It is a Bible passage:

“Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.

“And He said to her, ‘What do you wish?’”

“She said to Him, ‘Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.’” (Mathew 20:20,21).

What you just read is a brother to the right; his blood brother to the left. The Master was number one. The brothers would be numbers two and three. And there were twelve disciples. The two brothers were John and James. Whose cousins or nephews were they? Find out whose sister their mother, Salome, was.

Some neighbours are already saying that without them in 2027 my brother will be sent back home empty-handed. They should shut up, and go and listen to Juju music Commander Ebenezer Obey. He warns that no one should vow that without them their friend won’t find food to eat. They should not say that again  Sustenance is God’s. He is the only provider. If they want war in 2027, my brother will give them. I will watch the bull fight; my popcorn is ordered.

So, those who are not happy with my brother’s nepotism should go drink iced water. They should wait for their own time. Nigeria is a tripod. Every good and every bad must get entered in the country’s balance sheet. Muhammadu Buhari had his own fill. We shouted, but Bayajidda II pointed us to his kurmo (deaf) ears. Goodluck Jonathan had aides who helped him do his own so well that he became Azikiwe.

I read Keith Ferrazzi’s ‘Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success.’ But I will not join outsiders to quote that book and warn the solo man that he “can’t get there alone” and “in fact, can’t get very far at all.” I will also refrain from reading ‘What do you think of eating alone?’, a recent piece written by The Korea Times’ senior advisor, Park Moo-jong. There is a spice in that piece. It is from Desmond Morris, English zoologist, ethologist and author of ‘The Naked Ape’: “One may eat alone in the privacy of one’s own home, but to eat alone in a public place is to invite suspicion of personal failure at best and deviancy at worst.” If the president were not my brother, I would have expanded that verdict to accommodate what critics say of him here. I would have said that Nigeria is a public, multi-regional, multi ethnic entity and that no group, no matter how smart, or wise or vicious can kidnap Nigeria and hold it hostage for long. But the president is Yoruba and Muslim like me, so I won’t undermine my brother. I won’t join those who say that even the British who created the country did not succeed in putting it in purdah for as long as they wished.

President Bola Tinubu is a brother to some because he is a Muslim. To some others he is a brother because of the language he speaks — his mother tongue – Yoruba. Still, to some others, he is a brother because of the fraternity of politics he leads. Common to these concentric circle of brotherhoods is the charge that his wrong must not be said from any mouth there. Scores killed in Plateau, 56 murdered in Benue, the Commander-in-Chief is rocking the cities of Paris and London. He must not be accused of playing Nero while his Rome burns. Our brother must never be said to be wrong.

This president campaigned and pledged to renew our hopes in a better Nigeria. Where are the promised “sparkling springs” and the “babbling brooks”? A brother has no right to question his brother, the president. If he is your brother, tell him not that he lives in an illusory world where failure is praiseworthy success and poverty is wealth. The people’s suffering notwithstanding, rejoice with your brother.

A brother is never wrong. Like the anonymous American army major said in the Vietnam war, there is nothing bad to have my brother destroy the town in order to save it. The king can invent his own reality and call us to project it for the world to admire and applaud. We will obey him; he is our brother.

Poverty unravels homes; policies upend businesses. But what is real is unreal because the president is my brother. We hear politicians of various ailments hail the president for making Nigeria great again. Even some opposition governors are rushing into his Noah’s Ark. Reality has different versions. When it is bad as we have it, regime washers create a positive one and command me to praise it. They say we must celebrate their reality because it is done everywhere, even in America where we borrowed this system that sells the freeborn into slavery. If that sounds interesting to you, read ‘Bad for Democracy: How the Presidency Undermines the Power of the People’ by Dana D. Nelson. It was published in 2008 long before Donald Trump came with his ideology of alternative truth.

You see them on TV boasting of unprecedented achievements and daring you to contradict them. They did and do it where we copied our constitution. Towards the 2004 presidential election in the US, a Bush administration official with the swag of a conquistador told a New York Times reporter, Ron Suskind: “We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you’re studying that reality judiciously, as you will, we’ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that’s how things will sort out. We’re history’s actors . . . and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.” This sounds like what my brother’s government can say in Nigeria. The government is a pack of confidence men. We – you and I – exist to only study, write and talk about what they do.

My brother is dining alone somewhere across the Mediterranean Sea. Some people say he is in Paris, France; some say he is in London, United Kingdom. I am supposed to thank him for eating on my behalf abroad while I yawn at home. As I do that, I should also ask what will end anyone’s ‘eat alone’ regime if they do not change? An Arabian proverb speaks on the consequences of fencing off others from a communal feast. They say he who eats alone vomits alone. They also say he who eats alone chokes alone. The Tigrigna of Eritrea and northern Ethiopia say: He who eats alone dies alone. The NURTW has a more radical version. Its members shout: “Eat alone, Go away!”

Breaking News! Pope Francis, the 267th  pontiff, dies after 12 years in the Vatican

The death of Pope Francis, the groundbreaking Jesuit pontiff and head of the Catholic Church, has triggered a period of global mourning. The Vatican conclave of cardinals is poised to elect a successor.

According to The Guardian, the pontiff revered by millions of Catholics worldwide, whose popular appeal reached far beyond his global congregation, died at the age of 88.

Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, said: “At 7.35 this morning, the bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his church.″

Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli hospital on 14 February for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days there, the longest hospitalisation of his 12-year papacy.

The pontiff, who was discharged from hospital on 23 March, made his last public appearance on Sunday, when he briefly spoke to the crowds gathered in St Peter’s Square for Easter mass.

In recent weeks, he left his home in Casa Santa Marta on several other occasions, including visiting prisoners at Rome’s Regina Coeli prison on Thursday and making a surprise visit to St Peter’s basilica, wearing plain attire, a week before.

Loved by many Catholics for his humility, Francis simplified rites for papal funerals last year and previously said he had already planned his tomb in the basilica Santa Maria Maggiore in the Esquilino neighbourhood in Rome, where he went to pray before and after trips overseas. Popes are usually buried with much fanfare in the grottoes beneath St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.

Amid intense mourning over the coming days and weeks, manoeuvring within the Vatican over who is to succeed Francis asbecome the 268th head of the Catholic church is certain to begin. Cardinals from around the world will head to Rome for a conclave, the secret, complex election ritual held in the Sistine Chapel and involving about 138 cardinals who are eligible to vote.

Some of the potential contenders mooted before Francis’s death were Matteo Zuppi, a progressive Italian cardinal, Pietro Parolin, who serves as the Vatican’s secretary of state, and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, from the Philippines.

His death is likely to exacerbate sharp divisions within the curia, with conservatives seeking to wrest control of the church away from reformers.

During his 12-year papacy, Francis – the first ever Jesuit pope – was a vocal champion of the world’s poor, dispossessed and disadvantaged, and a blunt critic of corporate greed and social and economic inequality. Within the Vatican, he criticised extravagance and privilege, calling on church leaders to show humility.

His views riled significant numbers of cardinals and powerful Vatican officials, who often sought to frustrate Francis’s efforts to reform the ancient institutions of the church. But his compassion and humanity endeared him to millions around the world

Francis, who was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1936, was elected pope in March 2013. He immediately signalled his style of papacy by taking the bus, rather than papal car, to his hotel, where he paid his bill before moving into the Vatican guesthouse, eschewing the opulent papal apartments. At his first media appearance, he expressed his wish for a “poor church and a church for the poor”.

He focused papal attention on poverty and inequality, calling unfettered capitalism the “dung of the devil”. Two years into his papacy, he issued an 180-page encyclical on the environment, demanding the world’s richest nations pay their “grave social debt” to the poor. Climate change represented “one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day”, the pope declared.

He called for compassion for and generosity towards refugees, saying they should not be treated as “pawns on the chessboard of humanity”. After visiting the Greek island of Lesbos, he offered 12 Syrians refuge at the Vatican. Prisoners and the victims of modern day slavery and human trafficking were also highlighted in his frequent appeals for mercy and social action. During his recent period in hospital, he kept up his telephone calls to the Holy Family church in Gaza, a nightly routine since 9 October 2023.

One of the biggest issues Francis had to contend with was that of clerical sexual abuse and the church’s cover-up of crimes committed by priests and bishops. In the first few years of his papacy, as wave after wave of scandals engulfed the church, Francis was accused by survivors and others of failing to understand the scale of the crisis and the urgent need to proactively root out abuse and its cover-up.

In 2019, Francis summoned bishops from around the world to Rome to discuss the crisis and later issued an edict requiring priests and nuns to report sexual abuse and its cover-up to the church authorities, and guaranteeing protection for whistleblowers. It was a significant move towards the church taking responsibility for the scandals, and went much further than his predecessors.

Also during his tenure as the head of the Catholic church, Francis was obliged to respond to repeated acts of terrorism and persecution. He was at pains to stress that violence had no part to play in true practice of religion, and that people should not conflate acts of terrorism with Islam. “I think it is not right to identity Islam with violence,” he said after the murder of a Catholic priest in France in 2016. “I think that in nearly all religions there is always a small fundamentalist group,” he said, adding “We [Catholics] have them.”

Francis spoke with compassion on issues of sexuality (famously responding “Who am I to judge?” to a question about gay priests), the family and the role of women in society – while adhering to traditional Catholic doctrine on marriage, contraception and abortion. Although many on the left strove to claim Francis as one of their own, he could not easily be defined as liberal or conservative.

On his many trips abroad, Francis was greeted like a rock star, with hundreds of thousands – sometimes millions – waiting for hours for a glimpse of the diminutive, white-robed figure in his open-sided popemobile. His appeal was particularly strong among young people, whom he frequently urged to reject materialism and over-dependence on technology. “Happiness … is not an app that you can download on your phones,” Francis – who had nearly 19 million followers of his English Twitter account– told Catholic youth in April 2016.

Although part of one lung was removed after a teenage infection, the pope was in remarkably good health until recent years. But he still kept up a busy schedule and last September embarked on his longest trip, to south-east Asia.

In July 2021, he had surgery to remove 13in of his large intestine, spending 10 days in hospital after the operation. Francis underwent further intestinal surgery in June 2023, almost three months after being hospitalised at Rome’s Gemelli hospital with bronchitis.

The deliberations and final choice of the Catholic church’s cardinal-electors in the coming days and weeks will determine whether Francis’s efforts to reform its institutions and to shift its emphasis towards the poor will be a durable legacy.

The College of Cardinals is expected to convene for the conclave within 15-20 days of Francis’s death.

Culled from The Guardian.

The wages of presidential subterfuge

By Chidi Anselm Odinkalu

On the evening of 5 April 2012, the prime-time bulletin on the television news of the Malawi Broacasting Corporation (MBC), announced to the country that the president, Ngwazi Professor Bingu wa Mutharika, “had been taken ill and had been flown to South Africa for specialist treatment.” At another end of the capital city, Lilongwe, a presidential convoy was on its way to the Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) where an air ambulance awaited with instructions to fly to South Africa a president who was supposedly alive but unwell.

Earlier in the day, around 11:00 in the morning, Ngwazi Professor Bingu had collapsed while receiving in audience the Member of Parliament representing the south-east constituency of the capital city, Lilongwe, Agnes Penemulungu. The judicial commission of inquiry which later investigated what transpired thereafter received evidence which showed quite clearly that the presidential court had not prepared nor practiced for the possibility of a life-and-death emergency involving the president. Elton Singini, a senior judge, chaired the inquiry

The commission of inquiry established as a fact that the president died earlier in the day inside the ambulance en route to Kamuzu Central Hospital in the capital city. According to the inquiry report, “the President was brought in dead (BID) at Kamuzu Central Hospital [KCH] at around 11.25 in the morning” of 5 April.

At the time of the news bulletin announcing that he was to be flown to South Africa later on the same day, President Bingu had been dead for over eight hours. Despite being aware of this, the presidential retinue instructed staff at the hospital to apply cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the presidential remains for over two hours. In the process, they crushed his rib-cage.

More was to follow. At the airport, the air ambulance pilots from South Africa declined to board the body, citing the fact that their permission was to fly with a patient not a dead body. High level conversations ensued between Lilongwe and Pretoria. It may have helped and was certainly relevant that Malawi’s Foreign Minister at the time was Peter Mutharika, President Bingu’s younger brother who was also intent on stepping into the shoes of his just deceased brother. Peter needed time to set the wheels in motion to leap-frog Vice-President, Joyce Banda in the succession stakes.

South Africa’s President, Jacob Zuma who had retired for the day had to be woken up to personally authorize the flight. Shortly after mid-night on 6 April 2012, the air ambulance took off for South Africa. In Malawi, the people were told their president was headed to South Africa for medical attention. In South Africa, the authorities knew that the air ambulance on its way from Lilongwe would arrive with the dead body of Malawi’s president. Shortly after 02:30 on 6 April, the aircraft landed at South Africa’s National Defence Force (SANDF) Waterkloof Airbase on the outskirts of Pretoria. From there, it was transferred to a mortuary.

The authors of all this malign chicanery designed to deceive the people of Malawi, however, forgot to also notify the processes of bio-chemistry. By the time the body arrived the morgue in South Africa, it had been “in the open without refrigeration for about 18 hours after death.” As a result, the very important and high profile invitees to the state funeral of President Bingu which took place on 23 April, 2012, had to endure the uncomfortable company of flies, as well as the majestic fragrance of human of putrefaction. As the report of the Justice Elton Singini Commission of Inquiry recorded, “the body had started decomposing as evidenced by the smell and a few flies hovering around.”

Four years earlier, in August 2008, Levy Mwanawasa, the president of neighbouring Zambia, died in a military hospital near Paris in France. While attending the summit of the African Union in Cairo, Egypt, on 29 June 2008, President Mwanawasa had collapsed following what was later understood to be an aneurysm (Stroke). He was stabilized there before being transferred to France where he died two months later. At his death, it came out that two years earlier, during his first term as president in 2006, President Mwanawasa had suffered an earlier stroke. For that, he received extended treatment in the United Kingdom. No one told Zambians.

The year after the death of President Mwanawasa, in June 2009, Omar Bongo, who had ruled Gabon for 41years died in hospital in Spain. When he left Libreville at the beginning of the previous month, his compatriots believed that their president, the doyen and favorite of France Afrique, was away on a working visit – a phrase all too familiar to Nigerians – to his favorite haunts in Europe. At his death, it emerged that more than one month before his death, President Bongo had been hospitalized for cancer treatment in Spain.

President Bongo was not the last long-serving African president to die in Spain. On 8 July 2022, former Angolan president, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, died also there after prolonged cancer treatment. Following his death, a family crisis broke out over his funeral, which delayed the repatriation of his remains to Luanda for more than one month. Six weeks after his death, in the third week of August 2022, a judge in Spain finally authorized the return of the body of President dos Santos to Angola for burial.

When he departed Nigeria on 2 April, the presidency in Abuja issued a statement claiming that Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria’s president, was off to France on a “short working visit”, during which he would “retreat to review the progress of ongoing reforms and engage in strategic planning ahead of his administration’s second anniversary.” They barely stopped short of telling Nigerians that their president was headed to Lourdes for the grace of its historic apparitions. President Tinubu is a Muslim; it was in the middle of the Christian season of Lent and no one had apparently bothered to advise him or his image makers that it is usually Christians who undertake two week-long retreats in the middle of this season.

The day after the end of the initially announced 14 days, the same presidential retinue disclosed that the president had relocated from France to the United Kingdom, from where he was doing an excellent job as Nigeria’s president in Europe.

The evidence seems inescapable that President Tinubu has significant health challenges and needs regular medical attention from doctors overseas. For this, his destination of choice is clearly France. In 22 months as president, Tinubu has made at least eight trips to the country under different guises for a cumulative period of over 60 days.

While that he’s been away this time, hundreds – if not more – had been killed in massacres in different parts of Nigeria. As president, Tinubu is also the Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria’s armed and security forces. Yet, from Europe, he is reported to be passing the buck to state governors to do that which only he has the tools to accomplish under Nigeria’s constitution.

Excluding the five years and three months of the presidency of Goodluck Jonathan from February 2010 to May 2015, Nigeria has had a presidency in near-permanent occupancy of sanatoriums overseas for 15 years. The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), which Tinubu led, was aggressively voluble in asking for candour on the health status of a terminally ill President Umaru Yar’Adua. After going into marriage with Muhammadu Buhari’s Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) to create All Progressives Congress (APC), they made virtue of unlooking when Buhari took up residence in foreign hospitals for much of his presidency.

It should be no news that a man of President Tinubu’s age is unwell. Those invested in concealing that reality from Nigerians are more interested in protecting their present perquisites than in the wellbeing of their principal or of the country.

The presidency is more than just an office. For those around the occupant of the office, it also means money, power, and privilege. To preserve it, most people in and around the presidency take liberties, sometimes, even with the wellbeing of their principal or with accountability to the people in whose name he holds office. For the country and even for the president, the wages of this interminable subterfuge are prohibitive.

A lawyer and a teacher, Odinkalu can be reached at [email protected]

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

Lawyer accuses Lagos Police of spreading fake news in the teenage Quadri Alabi frame-up

Inibehe Effiong, the lawyer who secured the release of 17-year-old Quadri Yusuf Alabi that was held at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri, on a trumped-up charge of armed robbery, has alleged that the Lagos state Police command is spreading false news to coverup their complicity in the minor’s illegal detention with adult criminal suspects.

Effiong, in a statement sighted by Law & Society Magazine, said the information put out by the police was fabricated and calculated to mislead the public.

The full text of statemnet reads:

Our attention has been drawn to a false and provocative statement issued by the Lagos State Police Command in which the Command unsuccessfully attempted to mislead the public on the fabricated case they initiated against Quadri Alabi.

The statement is not only laughable, it is ridiculous. It is embarrassing to see the police spread disinformation and fake news about an innocent Nigerian child.

Nigerians will note that in our previous statements, we disclosed that our client was abducted by two ‘Area Boys’ named Lege and Baba Waris while he was on his way home from work and dumped at the Amukoko Divisional Police Station.

These same Area Boys and their cohorts have been been harassing our client since 2023 in their effort to extort “their share” of the donations made to him after he stood in front of the convoy of Mr. Peter Obi.

In its statement, the police claimed that Quadri was arrested in connection with street fighting.

They also claimed that some properties were damaged, and that some persons were also robbed. According to the police, Quadri was identified by some people in the community and by the victims.

First, we wish to restate that Quadri is not 18 years old as mischievously parroted by the police. He is 17 as contained in his birth certificate and attested to by his mother.

He was born on the 29th day of September, 2007.

Second, Quadri was not involved in street fighting and did not rob anyone, he also did not damage anyone’s property.

Third, there was no time that our client was identified by any victim of the alleged crimes. The police should tell the public when and where the identification was done and the method used.

How was Quadri identified by the alleged victims when no identification parade was conducted as required by law, given that the alleged offences were said to have been committed at about 10pm?

Fourth, the police in their statement said that our client was arrested, but they failed to state who exactly arrested him and the place he was arrested. Their silence on these key points is quite revealing.

Sixth, the so-called casemates of Quadri are adults who are not known to him. The police failed to disclose the relationship or connection between Quadri and the four adults who were remanded along with him.

We should also state for the records that the police had detained Quadri for about a week in the police cell before unlawfully taking him before a Magistrate for remand.

It is the law that once the permissible constitutional limit for detaining a suspect has passed, a subsequent order of remand cannot cure the infringement.

It is preposterous that despite the Legal Advice issued by the Learned Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Lagos State exonerating Quadri, and his subsequent discharge by the Court, the Lagos State Police Command rather than exude remorse, has chosen the ignoble path of doubling down on its acts of perfidy, shamelessness, lawlessness, and utter contempt for justice and the truth.

We condemn this gross act of recklessness and irresponsibility by the police.

By taking this path, the Nigeria Police Force is reminding the country that it is very far from redemption.

We shall meet the Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Moshood Jimoh, the DPO of Amukoko CSP Olaniran Ismaila O., the IPO Inspector Odigbe Samuel, and others in the court in the coming days to seek redress and adequate compensation for Quadri.

We will also file a formal complaint with the Police Service Commission against the lawless DPO of Amukoko.

Nigeria is our country, we will not allow agents of impunity to get away with such abominable oppression of a Nigerian child.

INIBEHE EFFIONG, ESQ.
19th April, 2025.

Landmark Supreme Court Verdict: Male rapists can no longer claim to be women

Officers of the Police forces are now expected to record criminals’ sex from birth, rather than their chosen gender.

This is coming on the heels of It comes after the Supreme Court this week concluded that transgender women are not biological women under equality laws in a move hailed as a “victory for common sense”.

Currently, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) recommend forces ask suspects if they are “male”, “female” or “intersex”.

But it goes on to advice that gender is a “social construction” and therefore not a substitute for the term “sex”.

Despite the guidance, at least 12 police forces in the UK have allowed rape suspects and other sexual offenders to self declare their preferred gender.

This means that men can call themselves a woman and get recorded as such on official crime stats for violent sexual offences.

Male rapists like Isla Bryson can no longer claim to be women under the Supreme Court rulingCredit: Les Gallagher

It is hoped the landmark ruling will end police recording rapists as women – even though the legal definition of the crime requires a penis.

The move is also expected to put a stop to male-born transgender inmates in female jails, The Telegraph reports.

A debate over suspects adopting their preferred gender after being charged was led by public outrage over the Isla Bryson scandal.

Born as Adam Graham, the double rapist changed gender and was sent to a women’s prison upon conviction.

Bryson was subsequently moved to a male prison following pressure on the Scottish government.

It also led to Police Scotland last year announcing that rape suspects would no longer be able to self identify as female.

In 2023, a new policy was brought in for the UK that stated transgender female offenders would no longer be held in women’s jails if they male genitalia or have committed sex crimes.

But latest prison service data for 2023/24 shows there were 295 transgender prisoners in England and Wales – with 51 in female prisons and 244 in male prisons.

Of the transgender prisoners in the male jails, 225 self-identified as transgender female, while 48 inmates in the women’s self-identified as transgender male.

Campaign group For Women Scotland went against the Scottish government to bring the row to the Supreme Court.

In an 88-page ruling, judges Lord Hodge, Lady Rose and Lady Simler found “the definition of sex in the Equality Act 2010 makes clear that the concept of sex is binary, a person is either a woman or a man.”

Lord Hodge stated it was the unanimous decision of the court that “the definition of the terms woman and sex in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex”.

The top judge added that the Act still offers protection from discrimination for trans people.

It came following a long-running debate surrounding trans rights and women’s spaces led by several prominent activists.

Harry Potter author and defiant feminist campaigner JK Rowling was among those who welcomed the decision.

She has been a long standing advocate for group For Women Scotland, which she is also believed to have backed with funding.

However, Rowling has also come under fire for comments made in the past towards trans people, with the author bravely standing firm in the face of online pressure.

In 2020, the esteemed author slammed the growing trend of replacing “biological sex” with “gender identity”.

Her stance, that declared “sex is real”, led to death threats, but also moulded her into a figurehead for the “gender-critical” movement.

Activists accused her of transphobia in 2020 when replying to an article with the headline: “Opinion: Creating a more equal post Covid-19 world for people who menstruate.”

She tweeted: “‘People who menstruate’. I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”

Rowling celebrated the win with an image of herself with a cigar and cocktail on board a luxury yacht.

She captioned the image “I love it when a plan comes together” in a nod to the A-Team.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has said the decision will lead to changes in codes of conduct for the NHS and the prison service.

These changes will potentially affect areas such as hospital wards, changing rooms, and domestic refuges.

Chief Constable Rachel Swann, chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s diversity, equality and inclusion committee, said: “I welcome the clarity that the decision at the Supreme Court has provided and we will be reviewing our policies and procedures in accordance with the outcome.

“We will need time to consider the full implications of the court’s decision, as will many other public bodies.”

What happens next for campaigners and female-only spaces?

  • The Supreme Court ruling has clarified that organisations can lawfully exclude trans women from women-only spaces when it is necessary for safeguarding biological women.
  • This decision provides a legal framework for institutions to create clearer, more defined policies regarding access to female-only spaces like domestic abuse shelters, gyms, changing rooms, and prisons.
  • As a result, women’s rights groups are likely to push for stronger protections to maintain the integrity of female-only spaces, citing concerns over safety and fairness.
  • The ruling could spark further legal challenges from trans rights activists, who may argue that the decision undermines their rights to access spaces in line with their gender identity.
  • Public services like schools and hospitals will face pressure to reconsider how they handle access to gender-segregated facilities, potentially leading to the introduction of more detailed guidelines.
  • The ruling also opens the door for more tailored safeguarding policies within women’s spaces, but these may lead to accusations of discrimination from trans activists if seen as overly restrictive.
  • Women’s refuges and domestic violence shelters may introduce stricter policies to ensure that biological women’s safety is prioritised.
  • Legal and public debates around the interpretation of “sex” vs. “gender” will intensify, with experts and lawmakers grappling to find a solution that satisfies both parties.
  • The case is likely to set a precedent, influencing future legal decisions on the rights of trans people in relation to women-only spaces and potentially prompting more judicial reviews.

The SUN UK

Former Harvard morgue manager agrees to plead guilty to stealing, selling human body parts

A former Harvard Medical School morgue manager accused of stealing and selling human organs and other parts of cadavers donated to the school for medical research and education has agreed to plead guilty. 

Cedric Lodge, 57, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, was indicted in June 2023 and accused of stealing and selling heads, brains, skin and bones from cadavers that were donated to the university as part of a “nationwide network” between 2018 and 2023, prosecutors said. 

Lodge and his wife, Denise, allegedly sold the body parts to buyers in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts and shipped them via the postal service to clients who, in one instance, intended to tan skin into leather. 
 

Ex-Harvard morgue manager agrees to plead guilty to stealing, selling human body parts

Denise Lodge (left in black)


Cedric Lodge, who managed Harvard’s morgue for more than two decades before his 2023 arrest, has agreed to plead guilty to transporting stolen goods across state lines, which carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine, according to a plea agreement filed on Wednesday, April 16, in federal court in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. 

Remaining charges of conspiracy and transport of stolen goods are due to be dropped. 

A hearing on his plea change has not been scheduled, although his trial was initially scheduled for May. 

The expected plea change comes almost a year after Denise Lodge, 64, who was accused of shipping stolen human body parts to buyers, pleaded guilty on the count of aiding and abetting interstate transport of stolen goods in April last year. 

Lodge worked at Harvard University for approximately 28 years before being fired in May 2023.  

As well as taking body parts to his home, Lodge had also allowed potential buyers into the school’s morgue to hand-pick what human remains they wanted, prosecutors said. 

The cadavers are intended for educational, teaching, or research purposes and are donated to the medical school through the Anatomical Gifts Program. 

Alongside the Lodges, four other defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in Pennsylvania on charges of conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods. 

One of those charged was Katrina Maclean, 44, from Salem, Massachusetts, who owns a store called Kat’s Creepy Creations in Peabody. 

According to court documents, Maclean shipped human skin she purchased from Lodge to another defendant and “engaged his services to tan the skin to create leather.” 

Another facing federal charges is Joshua Taylor of West Lawn Berks County. He sent Denise Lodge $1,000 via PayPal with a memo that read “head number 7,” prosecutors said. Another $200 transaction from Taylor to Lodge allegedly read “braiiiiiins.” 

After the allegations emerged, family members who donated their loved ones’ bodies to medical research spoke of their horror and shared concerns about what may have happened to their remains. 

“We were just disgusted,” Paula Peltonovich, whose father’s remains were donated to the school, told the Boston Globe in June 2023. “Sick, like we were going to throw up.” 

Sarah Hill, whose aunt Christine Eppich had her remains gifted via the Anatomical Gifts Program, also told Boston 25 News that she felt “sick” over the ordeal in June 2023.