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ECOWAS COURT PRESIDENT PLEDGES TO IMPLEMENT ROADMAP FOR IMPROVED EFFICIENCY IN THE OPERATIONS OF THE COURT

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ECOWAS COURT PRESIDENT PLEDGES TO IMPLEMENT ROADMAP FOR IMPROVED EFFICIENCY IN THE OPERATIONS OF THE COURT

By: Michael Mike

Honourable President Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves has expressed his commitment to the implementation of the resolutions from the three-day Judicial Retreat of the ECOWAS Court of Justice that concluded on 27 November 2024 at Niger State, Nigeria.

President Gonçalves made the statement in his remarks during the closing ceremony of the Judicial Retreat. “Over the last three days, we discussed important issues and proposed recommendations which have been adopted for implementation,” he said.

He added that measures will be put in place to monitor the progress of the implementation process to ensure resolved issues are not brought for reconsideration at next year’s retreat.

He also said that status of implementation of the recommendations from past retreats would be evaluated and actions taken where necessary, to ensure smooth implementation for enhanced performance of the Court.

Participants including the judges, directors and staff examined and proposed recommendations on various sub-themes of the retreat including implementation of writ of execution in member states; standardising the rulings and orders made in open court; discrepancies between the common law and civil law practices on the format of interlocutory applications and motions.

They also discussed modalities and best practices for the translation of decisions of the court, and guidelines on collaboration between research and judges’ chambers.

In his vote of thanks, Honourable Vice-President of the Court, Justice Sengu Mohamed Koroma commended the participants for their remarkable professionalism and teamwork. “The success of this retreat is a reflection of both teamwork and respect for the legal profession manifested in the respect for views of others. We have just started a journey towards setting standards for the Court that will make it operate optimally as a judicial institution,” he said.

The 2024 Judicial Retreat was held under the theme: “Judicial Case Management: Relation Between the Office of the Honourable President, Honourable Judges, Registry Department, and Legal Research & Documentation Department,” The judicial retreat is an important activity of the Court aimed at improving the Court’s efficiency and effectiveness as the principal legal organ of the ECOWAS Community.

ECOWAS COURT PRESIDENT PLEDGES TO IMPLEMENT ROADMAP FOR IMPROVED EFFICIENCY IN THE OPERATIONS OF THE COURT

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Nigeria Unveils World-Class Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre

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Nigeria Unveils World-Class Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre

By: Michael Mike

The Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has announced that Nigeria’s first Centralised Passport Personalisation and Production Centre is now completed and fully ready to be deployed to end the challenges facing the nation’s passport issuance process.

Speaking at the tour of facility at the Nigeria immigration Service (NIS) headquarter in Abuja on Thursday, the Minister described the acquisition of the facility as a landmark moment in the ongoing reform aimed at transforming the country’s passport issuance system and eliminate backlogs permanently.

He said the project represents one of the boldest steps by the administration of President Bola Tinubu to modernise the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and align it with global best practices.

According to him, unlike in the past when passports were personalised across 96 locations in Nigeria and the diaspora, the new centralised model consolidates production into a single hub for efficiency, quality assurance, and uniformity.

He noted that: “Nigeria is now in the league of countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, India, and Bangladesh that run centralised passport personalisation centres,” stressing that: “This is a big win for the government and a major shift towards efficiency and reliability.”

The new facility, built in partnership with IRISMAT Technologies Limited, deploys advanced machines capable of producing up to 1,000 passports per hour—a massive leap from the previous Iskra machines which only produced 250–300 passports per day.

With this capacity, the NIS can now produce between 4,500 and 5,000 passports daily, enabling Nigerians to receive approved passports within 24 hours to one week.

Tunji-Ojo said: “This centre puts an end to the era of backlogs and delays. When this administration came on board, we inherited over 204,000 pending applications. That chapter is now closed. Everything is automated and efficient, ensuring Nigerians get value for their money.”

He highlighted other key reforms achieved under the current administration to include: Migration to a single passport series – eliminating the old dual “A and B” series system to strengthen document integrity; Diaspora coverage – ensuring all missions abroad now issue the enhanced B-series passport; Global authentication compliance, which means Nigeria has been fully integrated into the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)‘s Public Key Directory (PKD), boosting international acceptance of its travel documents.

He stated that: “These reforms ensure that no two Nigerians carry different passport types, enhance global trust in our documents, and position Nigeria as a serious player in global travel systems.”

The Minister credited the project’s success to strong collaboration between government, the NIS, and IRISMAT Technologies Limited.

He emphasised that the facility was not funded directly from government coffers but through a strategic partnership designed to deliver value.

He also expressed gratitude to President Tinubu, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, the Comptroller-General of Immigration, and all NIS officers who worked tirelessly to deliver what he called “a career and time-defining project.”

Responding to concerns about how the project will impact citizens, the Minister assured Nigerians that the centralisation will drastically reduce waiting time for new passports and changes of data.

He said: “We promised two weeks, but we are working towards one week. With this centre, Nigerians no longer have to wait endlessly. What matters most is service efficiency, and this project guarantees that.”

He described the project as historic, noting that since the establishment of the Immigration Service in 1963, Nigeria had never built such a facility.

“With this centre, Nigeria now stands shoulder-to-shoulder with advanced nations in the management of travel documents. It is a legacy project that will define the future of our passport system,” he said.

Nigeria Unveils World-Class Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre

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Police arrest 18 ESN suspects, recover arms and ammunition in Imo

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Police arrest 18 ESN suspects, recover arms and ammunition in Imo

By: Zagazola Makama

The Police Command in Imo has arrested 18 suspected members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), including male and female accomplices, and recovered arms, ammunition and other exhibits in Oguta Local Government Area of the state.

Zagazola learnt that the arrests followed the routine dislodgement of terrorist camps in Umuaka, Njaba LGA, and Ezioha, Mbaitoli LGA, on Sept. 17, which forced fleeing kingpins into hiding in Agwa, Oguta LGA.

Sources said operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit trailed the suspects to Obudi and Ubah communities in Agwa, where 18 suspects were arrested.

They were identified as Okeabia Onyiyechi, 38; Ndukwe Ebube, 19; Mmadubueze Promise, 20; Raphael Echefu, 19; Ibaku Chigemezu, 19; Chika Augustine, 22; Ibuku Pascal, 22; Mbojisochukwu Odueze, 18; Obioma Emenyionu, 21; Christopher Ugonna, 28; Ozioma Onwatugws, 17; Mathew Chibuenyi, 16; Orusakwe Favour, 19; Uzochi Nkiruka, 45; Uzochi Adaeze, 20; Akubuome Chialuka, 20; Ibuaku Caroline, 50; and Godwin Okechukwu Uzochi, 22, all from Oguta LGA and its environs.

Items recovered from the suspects included one AK-47 rifle, three AK-47 magazines, one pump action gun, 90 rounds of live cartridges, two Biafra flags, and various criminal charms.

The sources added that two suspects sustained gunshot injuries during the raid and are undergoing treatment at the Police Clinic.

The sources noted that some of the arrested suspects confessed to several killings within the state, while others were identified in viral videos with terrorist commanders.

“The command is intensifying efforts to track down other fleeing terrorist kingpins, many of whom escaped with bullet wounds during the encounter,”the sources said.

Police arrest 18 ESN suspects, recover arms and ammunition in Imo

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Borno: Suspected robbers injure hunter in Gubio attack

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Borno: Suspected robbers injure hunter in Gubio attack

By: Zagazola Makama

A Grasshopper’s hunter sustained serious injuries after he was attacked by suspected armed robbers at Jatori village in Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State.

Sources said the attack occurred on Sept. 16, 2025, at about 10:30 p.m., when Dauda Modu Tela, 35, and his colleague, Bulama Adam, 20, were returning from a hunting expedition. They were accosted by three unknown men armed with machetes, bow and arrow.

“During the encounter, Dauda Modu Tela attempted to flee but was shot with an arrow on the neck, sustaining serious injuries,” the sources said.

Security sources immediately visited the scene, documented the incident, and ensured the victim received medical attention at PHCC Gubio before he was referred to University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital for further treatment.

The sources said that efforts are being intensified to apprehend the culprits in collaboration with members of the community,” the statement added.

Borno: Suspected robbers injure hunter in Gubio attack

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