News
FG REAFFIRMS ITS COMMITMENT TO PROVIDE ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION IN NIGERIA
FG REAFFIRMS ITS COMMITMENT TO PROVIDE ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION IN NIGERIA
— As Justice Minister, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN Commissions NHRC’s Lagos State Office at Ikeja
The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to the promotion, protection and enforcement of human rights in Nigeria by providing the enabling environment for the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to effectively realize its mandate.
The Government also promised to support the NHRC to own its offices nationwide to further entrench its independence and strengthen its strive to protect the rights of citizens.
The Honorable Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN who made this statement on the occasion of the commissioning of the Lagos State office of the NHRC noted that the operational independence of the Commission has been future strengthened with the construction of it own offices.
“Under the Paris Principles, such national human rights institutions are to be independent in the execution of their mandate, structure and operations” .
Section 6(3) of the NHRC Act 1995 as amended, stipulates that the Commission in carrying out it’s mandate and operations shall not be subject to the control of any authority or person, he added.
“Accordingly, the ownership of their place of operations (office) constitutes an important aspect of their independence. I am happy to say that since this administration, the government has not interfered with the independence of the Commission”, the AGF said.
The Chief Law Officer of the Federation noted that in fact, during the last dissolution of Boards of all parastatals, the government exempted the Governing Council of the Commission from the general dissolution of Federal Government Boards due to its independence under the enabling Act and the Paris Principles.
In her opening remarks, the Chairperson of the Governing Council of the NHRC, Dr. Salamatu Suleiman, FICMC, thanked the Honorable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and other highly distinguished guests for gracing the occasion of the completion and commissioning of the Lagos State office of the National Human Rights Commission in Alausa, Ikeja Lagos.
According to the senior lawyer, the history of the realization of this project needs to be told as a testimony of the determination of the Commission to strengthen its operations and independence.
She recalled that the Commission was established through the National Human Rights Commission Act 1995 as amended and that in its determination to entrench its independence from the beginning, the Commission commenced its daily operations from its own independently owned buildings in the six geo-political zonal headquarters of Lagos, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Kano, Jos and Maiduguri between 1996 and 2002.
“Over time however, the acquired Lagos office building was no longer befitting and structurally fit to meet the challenges and demands of a modern office suitable for the operations of a national human rights institution like the Commission.
The need for inclusivity and diversity in the working environment of the Commission necessitated a new office structure after 23 years of the acquisition of the Lagos office building and the other zonal headquarters”, the Chairperson narrated.
She observed that things like ramps, lifts, mediation rooms and conference rooms have become key components of any structure for conducting business by a national human rights institution like ours.
The project, she stated, was fully funded by the Federal Government of Nigeria with no donor support.
“The Commission is indeed grateful to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Budget office of the Federation, the National Assembly for appropriating funds for the execution of this laudable project. It is our fervent hope that the dream of realizing the construction of the remaining State offices of the Commission will soon be a reality”, she added.
In his speech at the occasion, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu OFR, SAN said the Commission had identified the ownership of its offices as one of the indices of its independence under the Paris principles from inception, but due to inadequate financial resources in the Commission, it could not continue on the trajectory of owning all its offices, the way it had started at inception from 1996 to 2002.
The Chief Human Rights Officer of Nigeria recollected that the Lagos office being commissioned today was the first to be awarded in 2019 while the others were awarded in 2020.
“It is hoped that by the end of this year, the Commission will be completing at least 8 of the 9 projects while the 9th project will hopefully be completed before the end of 2025. The delivery period has been 4 to 5 years. This is due to the lean financial resources available to the Commission”, the Executive Secretary stated.
He used the opportunity to appeal to the National Assembly and the Budget office to appropriate more funds to help the Commission further realize its mandate to provide adequate protection to Nigerians when their rights are violated.
Finally, he thanked the Chief Judge of Lagos state, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, the Hon Attorney General of Lagos state, the Commissioner of Police for Lagos state, civil society organizations, human rights defenders like Chief Femi Falana SAN, and the Media who work with us daily to resolve complaints on human rights violations.
Other dignitaries and stakeholders who also graced the occasion were, Chairman House Committee on Human Rights and Legal Matters, Hon. Abiola Peter Makinde, representative of the Speaker Lagos State House of Assembly, representative of the Commission of Police, Lagos State, Chairman Nigerian Bar Association, Ikrodu, Bayo Akinlade, representative of the Director General Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, representative of International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Victor Lutenco (Senior Programme Coordinator), representative of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Mr. Frederick Uche Oko, and the Vice Chairman NBA Lagos State, Esther Jimo, etc.
FG REAFFIRMS ITS COMMITMENT TO PROVIDE ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION IN NIGERIA
Police arrest three suspected kidnappers in Gombe
By: Zagazola Makama
The Gombe State Police Command has arrested three suspected kidnappers following a tip-off from credible intelligence, sources said on Friday.
Police sources said the suspects were apprehended on March 10 at about 10:00 p.m. by operatives working in conjunction with local hunters.
The arrested suspects were identified as Mohammed Abubakar, 29; Mohammed Bello, 23; and Mohammadu Ali, 25, all residents of Galda Village, Fika Local Government Area of Yobe State.
According to the report, the suspects were planning to carry out a kidnapping in an unspecified location in Bauchi State. Upon interrogation, they allegedly confessed to the planned crime.
Police said investigations were ongoing to uncover further details and apprehend any other accomplices involved in the plot.
Police arrest three suspected kidnappers in Gombe
Youths attack and kill two army officers while responding to dispute in Cross River
By: Zagazola Makama
Two army officers, including an intelligence officer, were reportedly killed during a violent clash between youths in a disputed crisis zone between Isabang and Alesi communities in Obubra Local Government Area of Cross River State.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident followed a conflict on March 11 when Ibrahim Musa, a 25-year-old miner from Kusa, who deals in tin ore at Ekuri village, was allegedly beaten by youths at a village checkpoint and had his mined minerals seized.
The miner reportedly reported the attack to soldiers stationed at 245 Battalion, Edor Barracks, near Jenifer Etuh’s Hospital in Ochon. Troops responded by moving into the forest to arrest four youths allegedly involved in the attack.
Residents said other youths blocked the access road to prevent the arrest and attacked the soldiers. In response, they fired which resulted to the injuries of four persons, including Christopher Agara, 27, and Ogobi Egbe, 30, while two others were evacuated for native treatment.
The attack resulted in the deaths of two soldiers.
Additional troops have since deployed additional personnel to restore order in the area, and normalcy has reportedly returned.
Youths attack and kill two army officers while responding to dispute in Cross River
New Tax Regime to Ease Burden on Workers, Small Businesses — Tegbe
By: Michael Mike
Chairman of the National Tax Policy Implementation Committee (NTPIC), Joseph Tegbe, has said Nigeria’s new tax regime is structured to reduce the financial burden on workers and small businesses while strengthening the country’s fiscal stability and economic competitiveness.
Speaking at the BusinessDay Tax Reform Conference 2026 themed “Navigating the New Tax Regime: What It Means for Your Wallet,” Tegbe described the reforms as the most far-reaching restructuring of Nigeria’s tax system in decades. He noted that the initiative is aimed at simplifying tax processes, promoting fairness, and creating an environment that supports economic expansion.
According to him, the reforms are anchored on four major legislations — the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025, Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025 and the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2025 — which collectively introduce a more coordinated and transparent tax administration framework.
Tegbe explained that the new structure provides targeted reliefs for individuals and small enterprises, ensuring that low-income earners and emerging businesses are not overburdened by taxation.
Under the new regime, individuals earning below ₦800,000 annually will be exempted from personal income tax. Workers will also benefit from a rent relief allowance of up to 20 per cent, capped at ₦500,000, among other incentives designed to ease financial pressure on households.
Small businesses are equally positioned to gain from the reforms. Companies with annual revenues below ₦100 million and assets not exceeding ₦250 million will be exempted from Company Income Tax, while nano-enterprises with annual earnings below ₦12 million will not be required to pay income tax.
Despite these relief measures, Tegbe stressed that individuals and businesses within the exempted thresholds must still maintain proper documentation of their earnings and comply with the requirement to file tax returns.
He noted that beyond the tax reliefs, the reforms will also strengthen institutional coordination among key agencies including the Nigeria Revenue Service, the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria, the Tax Appeal Tribunal and the Office of the Tax Ombud. He added that increased digitalisation of tax processes will improve transparency, efficiency and compliance across the system.
According to Tegbe, the broader objective of the reforms is to create a tax structure that supports enterprise development, encourages investment and enhances Nigeria’s ability to mobilise revenue for national development without placing excessive strain on citizens.
“The goal is to build a tax system that works for everyone — one that supports government in delivering development while also protecting the financial wellbeing of ordinary Nigerians,” he said.
Other dignitaries at the conference included Executive Secretary of the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria, Olusegun Adesokan; Acting Executive Chairman of the FCT Internal Revenue Service, Michael Ango; renowned economist Uche Uwaleke; and policy expert Sam Amadi, among others, who also contributed to discussions on the implications of the new tax framework for businesses and households.
New Tax Regime to Ease Burden on Workers, Small Businesses — Tegbe
Police arrest three suspected kidnappers in Gombe
Youths attack and kill two army officers while responding to dispute in Cross River
New Tax Regime to Ease Burden on Workers, Small Businesses — Tegbe
Roger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
FAILED COUP IN BURKINA FASO: HOW TRAORÉ NARROWLY ESCAPED ASSASSINATION PLOT AMID FOREIGN INTERFERENCE CLAIMS
-
News2 years agoRoger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
-
Opinions4 years ago
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
-
News11 months agoFAILED COUP IN BURKINA FASO: HOW TRAORÉ NARROWLY ESCAPED ASSASSINATION PLOT AMID FOREIGN INTERFERENCE CLAIMS
-
News2 years agoEYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree
-
Opinions4 years agoPOLICE CHARGE ROOMS, A MINTING PRESS
-
ACADEMICS2 years agoA History of Biu” (2015) and The Lingering Bura-Pabir Question (1)
-
Columns2 years agoArmy University Biu: There is certain interest, but certainly not from Borno.
-
Opinions2 years agoTinubu,Shettima: The epidemic of economic, insecurity in Nigeria
