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SERAP petitions UN over Buhari
A human rights advocacy group, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, has called on the United Nations to prevail upon President Muhammadu Buhari to put a stop to wilful disobedience of court judgments by his government.
The organisation, in a petition dated May 11, 2018 to the UN, lamented the Federal Government’s habit of picking and choosing court judgments to obey.
It expressed concern that if not checked, a situation where the Federal Government wilfully disobeyed court judgments would ultimately “put the rule of law in Nigeria under siege.”
The letter, signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Timothy Adewale, was addressed to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Mr. Diego García-Sayán.
SERAP urged García-Sayán to use his good offices to prevail upon President Buhari to ensure the sanctity of the country’s constitution as well as respect for the country’s international obligations.
Among others, SERAP noted that the Federal Government had so far refused to obey the court judgment ordering the release of the leader of the Shi’ite movement, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, and his wife, Zeenatu, who have been in military detention since December 2015.
It noted also that despite a court judgment, a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), was still being detained in prison custody.
Besides these, SERAP noted that it had got two different judgments against the Federal Government, which the Buhari administration had continued to disobey.
It said, “Other court orders that the government continue to disobey include: the ECOWAS court judgment ordering the Nigerian authorities to provide free and quality education to all Nigerian children without discrimination; the rulings by the Nigerian courts ordering the authorities to establish education banks to assist poor students to obtain loans to pursue tertiary education and the restoration of people’s bank to give loans without collateral to underprivileged citizens.
“At least two of the court rulings SERAP recently obtained from the Federal High Court have been disobeyed by the Nigerian authorities. The first involves a case with suit number FHC/IKJ/CS/248/2011 delivered in March 2016 where Justice Mohammed Idris ordered the Federal Government of Nigeria to widely publish details on the spending of recovered stolen funds by successive governments since the return of democracy in 1999.
“The details ordered to be published by the court include: detailed information on the total amount of recovered stolen public assets that have so far been recovered by Nigeria; the amount that has been spent from the recovered stolen public assets and the objects of such spending; and the details of projects on which recovered stolen public assets were spent.
“The second court judgment involves a case with suit number FHC/CS/964/2016 delivered in July 2017 where Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari ordered the government to tell Nigerians the circumstances under which allegedly recovered stolen assets were recovered, as well as the exact amount of funds recovered from each public official.
“However, the Nigerian authorities would seem to have only partially obeyed the court orders in this case. The authorities are not known to have appealed any of these court judgments and rulings.
“Under both the Nigerian constitution and international human rights treaties to which Nigeria is a state party including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, everyone is entitled to the right to an effective remedy, and to seek justice in courts in cases of violations of human rights.”
SERAP warned that continued disobedience of court judgments and rulings would undermine “the crucial role of the judiciary in combating corruption and obstruct access to justice, contrary to international standards, including Article 11 of the UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party.”
FG has no reason to disobey judgment – CACOL
In an interview with one of our correspondents on Sunday, the Executive Chairman, Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Mr. Debo Adeniran, shared in SERAP’s concern, particularly as regards El-Zakzaky.
Adeniran said, “It is not right for the Federal Government to disobey court orders even if it is a drunken judge that delivered the judgment, it should be obeyed. Once a court gives a judgment, if it is not immediately appealed and there is no stay of execution of the judgment, there is no reason for the government to disobey it.
“They claim to be keeping El-Zakzaky in protective custody, but if he says he does not need government’s protection, it is uncharitable for them to continue to keep him.”
Falana hails SERAP, spanks FG
Also, a human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), on Sunday, described the effort by SERAP to institute a case against the Federal Government at the United Nations as commendable.
Falana who spoke with one of our correspondents on the telephone, secured the yet-to-be-obeyed December 2, 2016 judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordering the release of El-Zakzaky, and his wife, Zeinab, from the custody of the DSS.
He noted that it was embarrassing that a government that promised to end impunity and with at least 12 of its cabinet members being lawyers, including two Senior Advocates of Nigeria, in the persons of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami, could be treating court orders with “absolute disdain.”
While urging the Nigerian Bar Association to take up the challenge of fighting against the ugly trend, he recalled that a former NBA President, the late Alao Aka-Bashorun, led lawyers to boycott courts to protest against the then military regime’s flouting of court orders.
He said, “It is a very commendable effort. Since the government has shown unprecedented contempt for our courts, the United Nations will have to intervene to remind the government of its obligation to operate under the rule of law.
“It is particularly embarrassing that the government that promised to end impunity would treat valid and subsisting court orders with absolute disdain.
“It is more embarrassing that there are no fewer than 12 lawyers, including the Vice-President and the Attorney-General of the Federation, who are Senior Advocates of Nigeria, in the government. It means two of the cabinet members are SANs.
“I do hope that the Nigerian Bar Association would take up the challenge. Under a military dictator, Nigerian lawyers, under the leadership of the late Comrade Alao Aka-Bashorun of blessed memory, boycotted courts to protest against government’s disobedience of court orders.”
We’re in military democracy – CD, CDHR
Also, two civil society organisations, the Campaign for Democracy and Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, have condemned the Federal Government’s continual disobedience of court orders, noting that such amounted to “executive recklessness and a military democracy.”
The CD President, Usman Abdul, said the civil society stood with the SERAP’s UN petition, noting that the Federal Government, by its continual disobedience of court orders, was taking Nigeria back to the military era.
Abdul said, “This disobedience shows that the dictatorship in the military era is playing out in this government. The President should be aware that these cases of disobedience will not go in vain. Therefore, the CD will join other groups to seek redress of justice at whatever level.
“We are not in a lawless country and so we expect this government to abide by the core values of democratic ethics. It is baffling that the Federal Government wants to be a judge in its own cases and undermine the judiciary. This is not in tandem with the principle of separation of powers. As investigations continue, the government ought to obey the court orders and release these persons.”
Also, the CDHR President, Malachy Ugwummadu, said, “It is completely condemnable that the Federal Government has refused to obey several court orders regarding the release of El-Zakzaky and Dauski.
“Section 287 of the 1999 Constitution states that the government is bound by the decisions of the court and obligated to implement them. So, it is a constitutional duty. To refuse to do that is to show executive recklessness and impunity.”
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has encouraged media practitioners to introduce probing of manifestoes of aspiring political office holders as part of their responsibilities to reshape the country from frivolous and unkept promises.
Lanre Issa-Onilu, the director general of the agency, gave the task while speaking a a panelist at the 9th annual conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), with the theme,’ Reconciling Campaign Promises with Governance Realities: Challenges and Prospect’, held in Lagos
He pointed out that some of the so-called manifestos are not originally from those who presented but the party they belong to, and they end up subscribing to such manifestos, stressing that as media practitioners this should be probed.
‘Some people proposed manifestos which are not theirs, but party manifestos. They end up subscribing to their party manifestos. As journalists, we do not question manifestos, but populated airtime for other things’
He equally pointed out that the manifesto of the federal government is the manifesto that governed Lagos state, explaining that the National Orientation Agency(NOA) is to communicate government projects.
The Director General added that government require value documentation, recalling that before he joined the agency, he was among those who said it should be scrapped, but when he got there, he discovered that the staff there are committed
‘Before I went to NOA. I was among those who said it should be scrapped. It is not the Agency’s problem but a Nigerian problem. When I got there, I discovered that the staff there are committed
‘I am an agency under a Ministry. There is the problem of the need to have them buy into what I want to do. I am lucky to get the support of the president who is interested in the unity of the country’, he stated.
News
Enugu State Govt Condemns Murder of Catholic Priest, Places ₦10 Million Bounty on Killers
…Commiserates with family, Catholic Church
The Enugu State Government has strongly condemned the gruesome murder of Rev. Fr. Mathew Eya of Nsukka Catholic Diocese by unknown assailants.
The government also commiserated with the late priest’s immediate family, the Catholic Diocese of Nsukka, and indeed the Catholic faithful in general over the tragic incident, which occurred on Friday, September 19, 2025.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr. Malachy Agbo, the government described the action as cowardly and cold-blooded.
Father Eya was said to have been shot dead by a group of assailants, who attacked and killed him along Alumona- Eha Ndiagu road in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu.
The government has, therefore, reiterated that security of lives and property remains its priority and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.
It added that it would not spare any resources within its reach, including technology and credible intelligence to track down the criminals and defeat the remnant agents of evil in the state.
Consequently, the Enugu State Government has placed a ₦10 million reward for anyone with credible information that could lead to the arrest of the perpetrators of the heinous crime.
Anybody with credible information about the perpetrators should quickly contact 07077451426.
The International Press Institute (IPI), a global body committed to protecting press freedom and the free flow of information, has raised concern over the recent cases of media repression in the country.
Mr Musikilu Mojeed, president, IPI Nigeria, raised the alarm at a dinner organised by the institute, to honour one of its members and a retired Director, Digital Media, Voice of Nigeria (VON) Hajia Hadiza Hussaina Sani in Abuja on Saturday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the dinner was organised to honour the media icon for her dedication and service, after clocking mandatory retirement age of 60 years.
NAN also reports that the identical twin sister of the celebrator, Hajia Ameena Hassana Sani, equally retired meritoriously from the service of the agency (NAN) as a Director.
Speaking at the event, Mojeed, Editor-in-Chief, Premium Times, cited the recent “disturbing” instances of banning of live political programme in Kano State and the arrest of a journalist in Ekiti State.
“Akwa Ibom State Government recently evicted Channels TV crew, a journalist and a cameraman, from the press centre inside Government House, Uyo.
“The repressive action was taken, over the publication of a video clip, where the governor, eventually confirmed he is defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“A journalist with FIJ, Sodiq Atanda was recently arrested by the police in Ekiti State.
“A former “ThisDay” employee, Azuka Ogujiuba, was reportedly arrested and harassed by the Police for doing her job.
“Every single day you wake up, it is one form of harassment or the other against the media,” he said.
Mojeed, called for continued advocacy to protect press freedom and promote independent journalism.
He stressed that, efforts to protect journalists’ rights and promote independent journalism are crucial in Nigeria’s media landscape.
Mojeed said Sani’s retirement came at a critical time when the media sector in Nigeria is facing numerous challenges, including harassment, arrests, and censorship.
He noted Sani’s significant contributions to IPI Nigeria, including her role in organising its World Congress in Nigeria in 2018, as well as her subsequent active participation in various committees.
Mojeed appealed to the celebrator to continue advocating for press freedom and supporting the work of IPI Nigeria, emphasising that her expertise and experience are invaluable to the organisation.
The Director-General, VON, Mallam Jibrin Ndace, expressed gratitude to IPI Nigeria for recognising Sani’s contributions, stating that the gesture also reflected positively on the entire VON team.
He described Sani as a professional journalist who seamlessly transitioned from traditional journalism to modern digital practices, leading the digital department with innovation.
According to the DG, Sani’s leadership in the digital space, kept VON at the forefront of public media institutions and global competitiveness.
He commended her experience, passion, and love for journalism, which he said, enabled her to excel in her role and serve as a role model for younger journalists.
The VON DG emphasised that, “journalism is a marathon, not a sprint”, and Sani’s long-standing career is a testament to her dedication and commitment to the profession.
Mr Garba Shehu, s spokesman to late President Muhammadu Buhari, described the retirement of Sani as a significant loss for the organisation but a potential gain for other sectors of the journalism profession.
Shehu praised her, as “a strong and young professional with much to contribute to journalism”.
He highlighted her unique qualities, particularly her social responsibility, selflessness, and commitment to helping others to succeed.
According to him, Sani embodies the principles of servant leadership, a concept often touted by politicians but rarely exemplified.
“Her legacy as a role model for young journalists and a champion of socially responsible journalism will continue to inspire others in the field,” he said.
Abdulwaheed Odusile, former President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), commended Sani’s dedication and expertise, which he said, have earned her recognition and respect in the industry..
On her part, Sani expressed gratitude to God and her family for their support throughout her 34 years career in public service.
While reflecting on the challenges and rewards of her time in service, she highlighted the importance of dedication, clear vision, and family support.
Sani emphasised the need for media professionals to adapt to new technologies and appreciate their impact on the industry and the society
She stressed that, telling a good story starts with understanding oneself and one’s audience.
Despite retiring from active public service, she assured to remain active in the media space, pursuing research, teaching, writing, and lecturing.
“It has been a very difficult, challenging, interesting and rewarding 34 years in service.
“It’s not easy. You have new and great ideas, but some people don’t understand, so they find it a bit difficult to agree with you.
“But if you are consistent, if you have a clear vision of what you want to achieve, and you are dedicated and resolute, the sky is not the limit.
“I have pulled out from active public service, but have not retired. My brain is still exceptionally active, and I plan to utilise it.
“I’ll be doing a lot of research work and writing, and I won’t get tired of seeing myself in the media space,” she said.
NAN reports that Sani’s dedication to her work and her commitment to excellence have been hallmarks of her career, which started with the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) before joining VON.
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