Crime
Call out corrupt members — Osinbajo tasks senior lawyers
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has charged senior lawyers to call out colleagues whose actions demean the rank of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN).
Osinbajo made the call at the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) 2021 Annual Dinner and Scholarship Awards on Saturday in Lagos.
The VP, who was the Special Guest of Honour at the event, said that it is a burden on BOSAN and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to ensure that their members remained disciplined and conduct themselves appropriately.
“There is a growing perception that some of our colleagues have developed unhealthy relationships which are meant to influence cases before our courts.
“And it is now becoming the case that even younger members of our profession do much the same thing.
“I think it is time to commit to calling out those whose actions demean the ranks of SAN and ensure that they are brought before the appropriate disciplinary body.
“We must not allow a situation where the rank is demeaned because members of the public believe some of those in our ranks are those who actually corrupt the judicial system.”
According to Osinbajo, the system of justice is a public resource which does not belong to the legal profession.
He said it neither belonged to the bar nor the bench but the people.
“It belongs to the people; we, lawyers and judges are paid operators of a service that our constitution created to resolve their disputes and give justice.
“We are custodians not owners; when this public resort is not working effectively on account of delays or it is being discredited by corruption, we, the operators, have a moral, legal and civic obligations to fix it.”
He cautioned against being defensive but to correct the anomalies so as not to fail the people.
Citing the Bible, Osinbajo urged BOSAN members to stand for the voiceless.
“And to borrow the scriptures in Proverbs 31 verse 8, we would have failed to speak up as the voices of the voiceless and the vulnerable.
“Everyone of us seated here today knows that there is a lot wrong with our system; history beckons us to fix it.
“I congratulate the leadership of BOSAN for sustaining this initiative and for instituting a scholarship scheme,” he said.
Speakers at the dinner included former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Tanko, who represented by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun and Nigeria’s first female SAN, Mrs Folake Solanke, among others.
The Vice President afterwards attended Igbobi College Yaba 90th Anniversary Fundraising Dinner organised by the Igbobi College Old Boy’s Association (ICOBA).
In his keynote address as the Special Host, Osinbajo, an alumnus of the college, recalled fond memories of his days in the school.
He urged the Old Boys of the college to consider a regular payment into an endowment fund in order to contribute the kind of money that would make not just a difference at present but also a difference into the future.
“So, we expect that all of those who were here will make a sacrificial commitment; I hope that the commitment will not just be for today.
“We will continue to do it on a regular basis,” he said.
Eighteen people were killed on Saturday when four suicide bombers set off improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Gwoza, Borno State, the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has said.
The attack, one of the deadliest reported in the state in recent months, injured more than 30 persons. The degree of injuries ranges from abdominal ruptures to skull and limb fractures.
The Director-General of SEMA, Barkindo Saidu, said he witnessed the first blast.
“In my presence, at about 3 pm, the first bomb blast in Gwoza occurred, detonated by a female suicide bomber in the midst of the marriage ceremony celebration,” he wrote in a situation report later in the day.
“It affected more than 30 persons with various levels of injuries and instant death. Some minutes later, another blast occurred around General Hospital.”
The wedding was held at Tashan Mararaba near the Fire Service in Gwoza town.
A survivor said the first bomber was carrying a baby on her back when she stormed the venue and detonated the IED.
As people gathered to bury those killed at the wedding, Saidu said a third bomber, a lady, detonated another IED with a lot of casualties.
While emergency officials were in the hospital coordinating the rescue mission, a fourth blast was set off by a female teenager.
“So far, 18 deaths comprise children, adult males, females, and pregnant women. 19 seriously injured were conveyed to Maiduguri in four ambulances,” Saidu said.
At the time he released the situation report, he said 23 were waiting for military escort “in the Medical Regimental Services (MRS) Clinic.”
The evacuation of the injured continued into the night with the SEMA DG, who was in Gwoza when the attacks occurred, coordinating the process from there.
He also said he had received a report of a suspected suicide bomber in Pulka but did not provide further details about that.
The military has imposed a curfew in Gwoza LGA in the wake of the attacks.
Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State has expressed shock over the boldness displayed by certain drug dealers, who have obtained court orders for the release of confiscated illicit drug shipments.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his spokesperson, Sunusi Tofa, the governor disclosed that he was shocked by their actions during his visit to the Kano Road Traffic Agency where he was briefed on the situation.
The governor’s amazement was evident as he discovered that some individuals who engaged in the illicit drug trade had successfully procured court orders for the release of their seized contraband.
He expressed surprise over the judge’s reasoning for issuing such questionable orders, emphasising the severity of the issue at hand.
Worried by the unfortunate development, the governor instructed the State Attorney General to formulate a comprehensive strategy to prevent drug traffickers from exploiting legal loopholes in the future.
He stressed the need for collaboration between the judiciary and the government, so as to shield the state from the dangers posed by drug trafficking.
Recognising the diligence of KAROTA in apprehending illicit drugs, the governor urged the agency to take the requisite actions to eliminate the confiscated substances.
Reiterating his administration’s unwavering dedication to combating drug smuggling within the state, Yusuf affirmed the state government’s assistance to agencies committed to tackling drug trafficking and abuse.
The Governor, who underscored the seriousness of the drug trafficking dilemma, called for the urgent need for a unified endeavour to protect the state from the menace of illicit substances.
The Lagos State Police Command has apprehended two robbery suspects, Musa Ibrahim (30) and Ibrahim Danjuma (22), who carried out a robbery attack on a woman in her shop in the Imude area of Ojo Local Government Area of the state.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the arrest in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday.
He wrote, “30-year old Musa Ibrahim and 22-year old Ibrahim Danjuma robbed a woman in her shop at about 11pm in the Imude area of Ojo LGA. The police were alerted and a patrol team from Ilemba Hausa Division swiftly responded.
“The suspects were apprehended with the help of community members. A locally made firearm was recovered. Indeed, security is everyone’s business.”
SP Hundeyin’s post highlighted the collaborative efforts between the police and the community, emphasising the importance of collective security measures in tackling crime.
The prompt response by the Ilemba Hausa Division and the assistance from community members played a crucial role in the swift apprehension of the suspects and the recovery of the weapon used in the robbery.
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