Crime
Boko Haram suspects to face mass prosecution
A similar exercise had been conducted some years ago when such trial was conducted in military facilities in Niger and Borno states.
According to him, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has approved funds for the exercise.
The AGF, represented by the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Beatrice Jedy-Agba, dropped the information in Abuja during a special court session to mark the new legal year (2022/2023) for the Federal High Court.
He said, “I would like to use this opportunity to appreciate the recent special intervention granted by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, for the provision of funds and other logistics for the commencement of the second phase of prosecutions of Boko Haram suspects.
“It is my considered advisory that the fast-track innovations that were introduced in the electoral cases should also be extended to certain cases which are of high economic or commercial importance in view of the ripple effects of delay in the conclusion of such cases.”
The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho faulted the National Assembly for amending the Electoral Act without inputs from the Judiciary.
He expressed reservation that other arms of government were increasing the workload of the Judiciary without a commensurate increase in funding.
Justice Tsoho said, “By virtue of Sections 29 (5) and 84(14), of the Act (Electoral Act 2022), exclusive jurisdiction is foisted on the Federal High Court in the hearing and determination of pre-election complaints.
“Linked to that jurisdiction is Section 285(10) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which provides that such pre-election cases must be concluded within 180 days from the date of filing of the suit.
“This is notwithstanding the judges’ existing ‘high-volume’ dockets that present enormous challenges.
“It is necessary to place on record that the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2022 was enacted without any consultation with the court.
“Also, no support whatsoever was provided to address the increased responsibility. This weighed heavily on the operations of the court.”
The Chief Judge, who called for an increase in the number of judges of the Federal High Court, said poor funding was a major constraint to the court’s effective operation.
“The budget of the court this year, unfortunately, makes it impracticable to effectively achieve its normal running. It is in reality, not different from that of last year, considering the raging inflationary trend.
“This brings to fore, the need for the Judiciary to exercise control over its administrative, financial, and operational matters, to have the capacity to implement the necessary reforms within the system.”
He said despite the additional burden that the new Electoral Act has placed on the Federal High Court, the court has performed appreciably well in promptly dealing with the total 1838 pre-election cases filed before the court.
“As of today, a total of 1,838 pre-election cases were filed in the court, out of which 1,285 cases have been disposed of, leaving a total of 556 cases pending,” he said.
“Within that legal year, a total of 17,677 cases were filed, while the total number of cases disposed of was 13,906.
“When this is added to the total number of cases carried over from the previous year which is 131,821, we have a total of 135,592 cases pending at the end of the legal year.
“This comprises 41,788 civil cases; 31,832 criminal cases; 39,799 motions and 22,173 fundamental rights enforcement applications pending at the end of the legal year,” Justice Tsoho said.
The representative of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), expressed concern that election cases were consuming the courts’ time to the detriment of other cases.
He suggested the creation of a special court to deal with elections and related cases.
He said such a court was provided for under Section 250 of the 1995 Construction proposed by the Sani Abacha military government.
He said, “Normal cases inevitably had to suffer adjournments thereby frustrating good and urgent causes.
“With all humility, we have reached a stage when very urgently, the Parliament, Judiciary and stakeholders in the administration of justice should consider the establishment of the National Constitutional Court of Nigeria.
“The Constitutional Court is one that will handle all constitutional, political and election matters. It will be a federal court, of the status of a High court with divisions in all the states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
“The court will have unlimited jurisdiction to determine all causes relating to or connected with the interpretation of the Constitution, enforcement of fundamental rights of the citizens, determination as to whether any person has been lawfully elected into any office from the President to the State Governors and members of all the Legislative houses.
“The court will be like the National Industrial Court of Nigeria that exercises jurisdiction on matters related to employment and other industry-related matters.
“All the decisions of the court will be appealable to the Court of Appeal and all appeals end at the Court of Appeal.
“There will no longer be the need to take away about 500 judges from their normal court responsibilities to sit on election tribunals all over the country.
“We have enough human resources to serve the Court in all capacities.”
Awomolo said that such courts exist and function effectively in countries like India, South Africa, South Korea, Egypt, Zambia, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Germany.
He said, “In all these countries, records are available to show that Constitutional courts have become a solution that enhances jurisprudence, specialization and promotion of political stability through judicial interventions.
“Nigeria is perhaps the only country in the world where litigation on political disputations including election causes is the highest in the world.
“The courts, including the Supreme Court, have constituted the most reliable pillar of support for the practice of democracy since 1999.”
Chief Sir Joseph Ebere Ezeokafor, chairman of Jezco Group of Companies, popularly known as Jezco, has regained his freedom after spending several days in the custody of his abductors.
Ezeokafor, the father of popular social media personality Jowi Zaza, was abducted in the early hours of Tuesday while on his way to a prayer ground in Awka, Anambra State.
The businessman was reportedly released near the boundary between Anambra and Enugu States, close to Ebenebe, near Awka. A family member was said to have picked him up late at night after his release.
His freedom followed ransom negotiations between the kidnappers and his family. The abductors had initially demanded N700 million before reportedly increasing the ransom to N1.5 billion.
However, following negotiations, the family eventually agreed to pay an undisclosed amount to secure his release.
Details of the final amount agreed upon, including whether the full sum was paid before or after his release, were not immediately available.
His release has brought relief to his family, friends, business associates and well-wishers, following widespread concern over his abduction across Anambra State and beyond.
Ezeokafor is the founder of Jezco Oil and Lubricants, a company he established in 1980 and subsequently expanded into other areas of manufacturing and business.
The circumstances surrounding the abduction and release, as well as the identities of the abductors, remain unclear.
Relatives of some of the 52 kidnapped residents of Borno State have resorted to selling their houses in anticipation of ransom demands by the kidnappers.The victims were kidnapped by gunmen from different parts of the state on April 15.The spokesperson for the families of the victims, Hassan Yati, said that one of the relatives whose two sons were kidnapped had been defrauded of N1.5m out of the N3m demanded by individuals posing as the abductors.He said the family later discovered that the actual terrorists had neither demanded the money nor authorised anyone to collect ransom on their behalf.Yati added that the incident had compounded the financial burden on families already struggling to cater to their children.He also revealed that a woman whose only daughter was kidnapped had sold her family house in the Biu Local Government Area of the state.“Initially, we thought it was money the kidnappers wanted. One of the parents with only daughter kidnapped told me she sold her family house in Biu in anticipation, only to hear otherwise.“Even me, I put our family house up for sale, but no one is talking to us again,” he stated.Yati said he decided to sell his family house because his younger brother and his wife were among those abducted on April 15.
He explained that he had been under pressure from other relatives of the victims, who accused him of withholding information about efforts to secure the release of their loved ones.“The rest of the parents bombard me with calls and messages. They now accuse me of hiding information,” he said.Yati said efforts to get the attention of the government had so far yielded no result, leaving the families to endure what he described as prolonged silence from the authorities.A parent who sold her house, Monday Bako, expressed frustration, saying her daughter was kidnapped on January 13.Bako, a food vendor, said, “They kidnapped my daughter since 13th of January till today. I have no idea of where they are and who held her captive. We have not heard anything about her and others abducted in our community.“I later sold my house to raise money in case we hear any information. We thought they would demand ransom but unfortunately, nothing has been demanded.”Another relative, whose wife and three-month-old baby are in the terrorists’ den, appealed to the government to expedite action towards their release.“We are tired of waiting. We are dying in silence. Our appeal to the government is for them to come to our aid,” the source said.
Headline
The Police Command in Enugu State has arrested 14 kidnap suspects through intelligence-led operations, which busted major kidnapping syndicates operating in the state.
Police recovered some items, which included: five AK-47 rifles, two pump-action guns; one locally-fabricated firearm, 310 rounds of live 7.62 x 39mm ammunition; eight live cartridges and seven AK-47 empty magazines.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Mamman Giwa, disclosed this during a press briefing on Friday in Enugu on the recent successes recorded by the command in the state against coordinated syndicates of kidnap gangs.
The commissioner said that recently, in separate joint operations, security operatives rescued kidnapped victims at Ogbozara Community in Nsukka LGA and Owukpa Community in Ogbadibo LGA of Benue State, with several exhibits, including live ammunition, recovered.
According to him, most recently, one of the victims abducted from a Church at Inoyi, Affa Community in Udi LGA, was rescued on Aug. 2.
“A joint, intelligence-led operations subsequently led to the rescue of the remaining two victims, the arrest of three suspects, the neutralisation of one suspect, and the recovery of ransom money, firearms, ammunition and other incriminating exhibits.
“Further intelligence-led operations by the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Violent Crime Response Unit (AK-VCRU) led to the arrest of two additional male suspects linked to the Affa Church kidnapping.
“The duo, who fled to Port Harcourt following the operational pressure mounted by joint security operatives, were traced and arrested in Port Harcourt and brought back to Enugu.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that after fleeing Enugu, the suspects regrouped with their cohorts in Port Harcourt and abducted another victim, who was released after a ransom of ₦5 million was paid,” he said.
The commissioner said that in a sustained offensive against kidnapping and other violent crimes, 12 additional suspects were earlier arrested through human and technical intelligence-led operations conducted in different parts of the country.
He said that the suspects were arrested on various dates in June, July and August 2026 in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and Enugu, Kogi, Nasarawa, Rivers, Kwara and Taraba States.
Giwa said investigation indicated the suspects are members of an organised criminal network operating from different parts of the country, adding they converge in Enugu State to plan and execute kidnapping operations before returning to their respective locations.
He said that the network was aided by an Enugu-based member, who operates a tricycle and provides transportation for the gang members, their firearms and other criminal implements to and from operational locations.
The state police boss said that another Enugu-based member provides intelligence that enables the gang to evade security surveillance and identify suitable targets and locations.
“The suspects have, during interrogation, confessed to involvement in several recent and past kidnapping incidents across Enugu State, including along Enugu–Ugwuogo–Opi–Nsukka Road; Obioma–9th Mile–Umulumgbe–Okpatu Road; Eke–Affa–Egede–Ezinze axis; and various locations in Ezeagu LGA.
“Specifically, preliminary investigation has linked the suspects to the following armed kidnapping incidents: The abduction of a male victim at Mgbabuowa/Aguobuowa, Ezeagu LGA, on May 25 during which ₦5.5 million was obtained as ransom.
“The abduction of two male victims and the shooting and murder of a female victim at Obioma, Udi LGA, on May 9 during which the gang obtained twenty-eight thousand US Dollars ($28,700) as ransom.
“The abduction of two male victims along the Eke–Ezinze Road, Udi LGA, on April 10 for which Seventy Thousand US Dollars ($70,000) was obtained as ransom.
“The kidnapping of seven victims at Obinaofia, Ezeagu LGA, on April 12 during which ₦25 million was obtained as ransom as well as other kidnapping incidents and ransom payments which the suspects disclosed during interrogation,” he said.
He said that the suspects laundered and concealed proceeds of their criminal activities through investments in livestock and different properties, lavish spending and other conspicuous consumption, as well as leisure and overseas trips.
The commissioner noted that further investigations would establish the suspects’ involvement in other kidnapping and violent-crime incidents within and outside the state, identify and arrest other members of the syndicate, and recover additional firearms, ammunition.
“The command will also recover other criminal proceeds and finally after the extensive investigations they will be charged to court in accordance with extant laws,” he added.
The incident reportedly occurred on August 12, 2026, at Gwamma Village in Bauchi Local Government Area, where the suspect was said to have allegedly laced her husband’s meal with a poisonous substance.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Nafiu Habib, said the police received a distress call at about 7:40pm from an anonymous woman in the Wunti Dada area of Bauchi.
He said operatives attached to the ‘C’ Division, Tafawa Balewa Estate, immediately responded to the report and rushed the victim to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital for medical attention.
According to Habib, the victim was still receiving treatment and was in stable condition as of the time of the report.
He added that detectives recovered an empty bottle suspected to have contained the poisonous substance, alongside remnants of the food allegedly contaminated by the suspect.
The items, he said, had been preserved as exhibits to aid the ongoing investigation.
Following the development, the state Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, ordered that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.Law Enforcement
Habib said the suspect would be prosecuted after the completion of the investigation, while the command urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to the police.
The command’s spokesperson, Peter Aondongu, disclosed t] is while giving an update on the incident in a telephone interview on Thursday, as he noted that the baby had been recovered.
“I can confirm to you that some suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft of a newborn baby in Gboko on Tuesday.
“Some of the suspects were earlier transferred to the state headquarters in Makurdi while other suspects are in police custody at Gboko division right now,” the PPRO said.
The baby, according to sources, was allegedly stolen from his mother in the hospital a few hours after he was delivered on Tuesday.
The incident reportedly attracted family members, sympathisers and other concerned persons to the hospital, creating tension within and around the facility. It was also gathered that security operatives were subsequently deployed to the healthcare centre to prevent the breakdown of law and order.
An eyewitness who craved anonymity told journalists on Wednesday that the alleged thief had been following the baby’s mother disguised as a nurse working in the hospital. According to the eyewitness, the baby was said not to be responding at the time he was born, which prompted the nurse to move the mother and the baby to a ward for further care.
The eyewitness alleged that shortly after they were moved to the ward, a woman, who camouflaged as a nurse, approached the mother and asked to examine the baby again.
It was later that they discovered that the newborn baby was missing.
“Immediately after the baby was born, the infant did not cry as expected. The nurse on duty reportedly intervened, and the newborn eventually responded normally.
“Thereafter, both the mother and the baby were taken to a ward. Not long after, an alleged child trafficker approached the mother of the newborn under the pretence of being one of the nurses.
“The suspect claimed they wanted to check the baby once again. The trafficker then took the baby from the mother and headed toward the labour room.
“Sensing something amiss, the mother-in-law who had been with her daughter-in-law followed and stood at the labour room’s entrance, but she was instructed to step back, with assurances that everything would be fine; so she complied. Shortly afterwards, the strange woman disappeared with the newborn baby,” the witness stated.
It was gathered that while searching for the baby, the nurses on duty reportedly denied taking the baby from the ward and also said the woman who allegedly presented herself as a nurse was not a member of their team.
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