• 40-year-old Kogi man apprehended for allegedly raping toddler

A man identified as Idowu Adebanjo has been arrested by the police in Ogun state allegedly defiling his four-year-old daughter in the Okunsanya Ijebu Igbo area of the state.

The suspected was immediately arrested when victim’s mother, Aderonke Adebanjo, reported the matter to the police on January 15.

Confirming the arrest to newsmen, the command’s spokesperson CSP Omolola Odutola, said the victim had been taken to the General Hospital in Ijebu Igbo for a medical examination. 

She added that the case will be forwarded to the SCID for further action after preliminary investigations have been concluded.

Likewise, the Kogi State Government has vowed to prosecute a 40-year-old man, Mr. Elisha Daniel, accused of raping a three-year-old girl, describing the act as “barbaric” and stating that the society must not tolerate “conscienceless people.”

Addressing journalists in Lokoja on Thursday, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, emphasised the government’s commitment to ensuring the suspect faced the full wrath of the law. He noted that Governor Ahmed Ododo had issued a firm directive to government officials to collaborate with the Nigeria Police Force to ensure justice was served.

“His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Ododo, has given a marching order to the Secretary to the State Government and other officials to work closely with the Nigeria Police Force to ensure the accused is prosecuted without delay,” Fanwo said.

He condemned the act as “appalling and unconscionable,” stressing that a man of 40 destroying the life of a three-year-old in the name of rape is unacceptable.

“Our society must have zero tolerance for such heinous acts. The law must not only bark but bite hard to send a clear message that such behaviour will not be condoned.

“The governor has also directed the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to ensure the right legal framework is applied to secure justice for the little girl and the society at large,” he added.

Fanwo reaffirmed the government’s dedication to protecting the girl child, labelling the crime as both “criminal and condemnable.”

“The accused must explain his actions in court and to the public. Justice must prevail, and we will ensure this case sets a precedent for handling such abominable acts in the state,” Fanwo declared.

Additionally, the governor has tasked the Ministry for Women Affairs and Social Development with providing immediate support to the victim to help her recover from the trauma saying the government was also committed to showing the child and her family that they were not alone in this fight.

The suspect, who was apprehended by the police following a report from a government official, is said to be cooperating with investigators.

This case underscores the Kogi State Government’s resolve to stand against all forms of violence and exploitation, particularly those targeting vulnerable members of society.

Several Nigerians living in the United Kingdom (UK) are reportedly being hired as prison as the British government seeks to address staffing shortages in overcrowded prisons.

The Telegraph reports that the UK prison service is now sponsoring skilled worker visas for the first time, as a result of a rule change that allows them to recruit from abroad.

Prison governors disclosed that many of the new recruits come from Nigeria, with some skilled workers switching to the role from other visa routes.

However, many of these workers soon arrive in the UK only to encounter accommodation challenges, upon realizing that their job offers did not include any provision for housing.

Reports reveal that some have resorted to camping or even sleeping in their cars as a cost-saving measure.

Mark Fairhurst, president of the Prison Officers’ Association (POA), shared an example of one foreign recruit who commuted 70 miles daily from Huddersfield to Nottingham but later decided to sleep in his car outside the prison to save costs.

At another prison, recruits camped in a wooded area near their workplace after discovering no housing was provided.

“We have got problems with people who turn up at the gates with cases in tow and with their families saying to the staff: ‘Where is the accommodation?’” said Mr. Fairhurst.

The recruitment drive follows changes in visa rules in October 2023, which added prison officers to the list of skilled workers eligible for sponsorship.

Ministry of Justice (MoJ) sources estimate that about 250 foreign nationals have been sponsored to join the prison service so far, completing Zoom interviews and vetting processes.

Prison governors report a high interest in these roles, with many applicants coming from Africa.

In one month last year, two-thirds of 3,500 applicants were from the continent.

Tom Wheatley, president of the Prison Governors Association (PGA), believes online word-of-mouth among the Nigerian expat community has fueled the demand.

This influx has created challenges in some prisons, particularly in remote rural areas, where integration into local communities and communication issues have surfaced.

“It’s turned into an approach that has been promoted online by the expat Nigerian community,” Wheatley noted.

Despite these challenges, the Prison Service maintains that all recruits undergo thorough assessments and training.

“In October 2023, changes were made to the skilled worker visa scheme which has allowed the prison service to sponsor visa applications for foreign nationals,” said a spokesperson. “All staff – regardless of nationality – undergo robust assessments and training before they work in prisons. Our strengthened vetting process roots out those who fall below our high standards.”

However, Mr. Fairhurst has criticised the recruitment process, particularly the reliance on Zoom interviews and six weeks of training.

He argued that this system is inadequate for preparing recruits to manage prisoners effectively.

“The process is simply not fit for purpose,” he said, warning that it risks recruiting under-qualified or corrupt officers.

Vanguard

By Ernest Ojukwu, SAN

I have just read a notice of 15th January 2025, by BOSAN signed by Secretary Olumide Sofowora, SAN titled “Prohibition of Advertisements and Adulatory Publications”.

The notice requires among other things a prohibition of SANs from any form of advertisement that promotes lawyer’s services.

I do not think that BOSAN or any of its agents, has the power to re-write the Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC) for Legal Practitioners in Nigeria.

Rule 39 of our RPC declares that “a lawyer may engage in any advertisement or promotion in connection with his practice of the law”. How can BOSAN then prohibit Senior Advocates from any form of advertisement that promotes lawyer’s services. Rule 39 RPC clearly permits all lawyers in Nigeria to promote their services or businesses. And that is the right thing to do in 2025 civilization.

Before we enacted the RPC in 2007 which is now RPC 2023, the Bar held several workshops and debates at NBA annual conferences and agreed that it was time to advertise though with some restrictions. Late Justice Dr. Orojo who put up the initial draft that later became the RPC 2007 had, following this development included advertisement in the Rules. Rule 39 was copied from the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Model Rule of 1974. ABA has since made more progress on advertisement. 1974 is about 50 years ago! In the ABA current Model Rule 7.2- Communications Concerning a Lawyer’s Services, Rule 7.2(a) simply declares that “A lawyer may communicate information regarding the lawyer’s services through any media.” And the major limitation to the ABA model advertisement rule (apart from prohibiting payment to any person that recommends a lawyer’s service) is Rule 7.1 that declares that “A lawyer shall not make a false or misleading communication about the lawyer or the lawyer’s services. A communication is false or misleading if it contains a material misrepresentation of fact or law or omits a fact necessary to make the statement considered as a whole not materially misleading.”

Our Rule 39 that permits every lawyer to advertise in Nigeria is only limited by the following:

1. The advertisement must be fair and proper in all circumstances – R 39(1)(a)
2. The advertisement must not be inaccurate or likely to mislead- R 39(2)(a)
3. It must not be likely to diminish public confidence in the legal profession, or administration of justice or otherwise bring the legal profession into disrepute- R 39(2)(b)
4. It must not make comparison with or criticise other lawyers or other professions or professionals- R.39(2)(c)
5. It cannot include statement about the quality of the lawyer’s work, the size or success of his practice or success rate- R.39(2)(d)
6. It cannot be so frequent or obstructive as to cause annoyance to those to whom it is directed- R.39(2)(e)
7. No lawyer can engage in any form of solicitation- R.39(3)

BOSAN’s notice bans what it calls “adulatory” publications. Adulatory, meaning “excessively praising “ will surely violate Rules 39(2)(d) and 39(3) of the RPC, but that is not the words of the RPC. The advertisement that is not permitted under the RPC is clearly spelt out by the Bar Council in our RPC.

The interesting thing in the BOSAN notice is that it seems that in banning advertisement by SANs, it still goes ahead to authorise advertisement via websites and social media so long as the advertisement is not “in a manner that is inconsistent with the principles and ethics of the legal profession”. The principles and ethics of the profession in relation to advertisement are clearly spelt out in the RPC. They are not imaginary. If you look through most lawyer’s websites including many SANs, they violate our rules on advertisement.

My advice is that the mentioned BOSAN Ethics Committee should take their member’s websites “one by one” and advise each person or firm. BOSAN cannot rewrite our Rules of Professional Conduct.

Prof Ernest Ojukwu, SAN
[email protected]
16th Jan 2025

In just 43 days the Early Bird registration window will close. Hurry now and register to attend the Nigerian Bar Association 2025 Annual General Conference. The early bird registration discount window closes on February 28th!

The NBA AGC is an annual event dedicated to exploring the latest developments in law and providing participants with the highest-level insights from leading experts in the field.
How to Register:
To register for the conference, please follow the simple step-by-step guide below:

1. Visit the registration portal at https://agc.nigerianbar.org.ng/register/event.
2. Click on “Register”.
3. Select the “Individual” option.
4. Input your details as prompted.
5. Preview your details for accuracy.
6. An email verification link will be sent to your registered email address (please check your spam folder if you do not see the email in your inbox).
7. Proceed to login using the verified details.
8. Click on “Make Payment” to complete your registration.
9. Once payment is made, you will receive a receipt and a confirmation email.

Important Notes:
• Your Supreme Court Number (SCN) will serve as your unique identifier throughout the registration and conference process.
• QR codes will also be utilized for verification purposes during the event.
• We urge all registrants to ensure their email details are correctly entered to avoid delays in receiving verification and confirmation emails.

The NBA looks forward to welcoming you to this prestigious event, where critical legal issues and innovations will be discussed, and networking opportunities will abound. Act promptly to secure your participation at early bird rates, which will only be available until February 28, 2025. 

For registration inquiries or further assistance, please contact Sadeeq at: [email protected] or 09129209903(Strictly on Whatsapp).
Register today and join us for an unforgettable 2025 Annual General Conference!
Signed;
Chief Emeka Obegolu SAN, Chairman, AGCPC

Barbara Omosun, Esq.
Secretary AGCPC

Senior Advocate of Nigeria and rights lawyer, Femi Falana on Wednesday stressed that Kano State can only have one emir as declared by the Court of Appeal and that the 16th emir of Kano has come to stay despite the tribulations.

Falana who made the disclosure in a viral video at the 21st Memorial Lecture of Chief Gani Fawehimi held in Lagos added that some lawyers are deceiving their clients, thereby causing problems in the country.

“But for us as lawyers, when we are gathered there, we must tell ourselves some basic truths. Your Majesty, we want to congratulate you on your victory in the Court of Appeal.

“Your opponents say they are going to the Supreme Court as far as the law is concerned and it is so certain and this is where the NBA must come in.

“Where the law has been settled that the traditional institution is not a fundamental right matter. So, you can’t say as a traditional ruler, you are going to enforce your fundamental rights in court.

“Two, the court again has made the point that the federal high court has no jurisdiction in chieftaincy matters. So, if some of our colleagues are deceiving their clients and they are causing problems in the country, the NBA owes it a duty to begin to intervene and call our colleagues to order.

“Your majesty, wherever they are going, whether to the Supreme Court or whatever, you have come to stay. And we must only have one emir in Kano. We can’t have two Emirs in Kano, and two speakers in Rivers. This confusion must stop,” Falana added.

An Associate Professor of Law and Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, Dr Sam Amadi, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the judiciary of destroying the 2023 general election in Nigeria.

The social critic and rights activist who was a former Executive Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, expressed concern over the political strategy in Nigeria, which he said is all about bribing INEC, the judiciary, and the security.

In a video sighted by DAILY POST on Friday, the ex-NERC boss averred that when an agency created under the law, with enabling act, make rules, those rules become law.

Amadi stressed that such an agency can only unmake it through rule making process, if not it will be bound to obey it.

“Let me say this, and I’m going to be very clear. In every country, election is one of the strategies. So in US today you see the policy people thinking around, mapping constituencies.

“In Nigeria as well, election is one of the strategies. And the strategy in Nigeria is very simple: bribe INEC, bribe the judiciary, and come and dear the security and you are done.

“The people that destroyed 2023 election is INEC and the judiciary. The rules were clear. The electoral act isn’t perfect but it is very clear.

“I’m surprised that any judge who understands administrative law, which I have taught in the university for many years, which I studied under the best in the world, would argue that an internal regulation built on law and an act, a regulation directing that you will do an ‘X’ you can choose to do ‘Y’, when there’s a legitimate expectation and detrimental reliance. INEC was totally wrong. And the courts – Supreme Court downwards got it wrong.

“When an agency created under the law with enabling act, and the constitution says you can make rules, those rules are law. They can unmake it through rulemaking process. If they don’t, they are bound to obey it.

“Results should have been transmitted electronically. I am ashamed. I have a PhD in law. I can stand anywhere in the world to dispute with the brightest. I am ashamed that the court affirmed that INEC could just walk away from the law,” he said.

According to reports, the Governor who has just dissolved his Cabinet, “exempted two critical cabinet members, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Kayode Ajulo, and Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Omowunmi Isaac from the recent changes, citing the essential nature of their roles.”- I’m not surprised at all. Rather, I salute His Excellency for retaining Dr. Kayode Ajulo, OON, SAN, in his cabinet.

The young man is dynamic, erudite industrious, energetic and yet courteous. He is performing excellently as the Chief Law Officer of the State. He continues to network with the Bar, the Bench and the Civil Society, not only in Ondo State but throughout the country to deliver excellent outcomes for the Justice sector of the State.

He rightly guides the ODSG to prioritize the welfare of judges, prosecutors and other critical stakeholders of the Justice sector.

That Ajulo is perceptive, proactive, responsive and effective is evident in the passage of the Anti-Land Grabbing Law and the construction of a befitting High Court complex in the State. More grease to your elbows.

Prof Yemi Akinseye-George,SAN, FNIALS