Benue Police Condemn Killing of MACBAN Chairman, Launch Full Investigation

By Zagazola Makama

The Benue State Police Command has condemned the killing of the Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in the state, Ardo Rabo Mohammed, and one Yakubu Isa, describing the attack as a senseless criminal act capable of undermining ongoing peace and security efforts.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Cletus C.N. Nwadiogbu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet.

According to the statement, the two victims were attacked by unknown assailants while returning from a security meeting along the Okwudu-Ogoli Road in Otukpo Local Government Area.

The police commissioner expressed deep concern over the incident and extended his condolences to the families of the deceased and all those affected by the tragedy.

He assured residents that the command had commenced a full-scale investigation into the killings, adding that tactical and intelligence assets had been deployed to identify, apprehend and prosecute those responsible.

“The command will not leave any stone unturned to ensure that the culprits are arrested and prosecuted,” the statement quoted the commissioner as saying.

Nwadiogbu urged members of the public to remain calm, law-abiding and avoid taking the law into their own hands or spreading unverified information capable of escalating tensions.

He also appealed to anyone with credible information that could assist the investigation to report to the nearest police station or through the command’s emergency communication channels.

The commissioner reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, stressing that the police would continue to work closely with relevant stakeholders to ensure those behind the killings are brought to justice.

Benue Police Condemn Killing of MACBAN Chairman, Launch Full Investigation

Suspected Looter Dies After Arrest Attempt in Borno, Illicit Drugs Recovered

By Zagazola Makama

A suspected looter who was apprehended by troops of the Nigerian Army in Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State has died after reportedly suffering a cardiac arrest while attempting to flee from security personnel.

Security sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred at about 1:45 a.m. on June 25 when troops of 3 Battalion (Mechanised) under 24 Task Force Brigade, aided by members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), detected suspicious movement through closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance around the Junior Quarters in Ngala.

The troops swiftly responded and apprehended a suspect allegedly involved in looting goods from a bogged-down vehicle.

According to the sources, the suspect attempted to escape while being taken into custody but suddenly collapsed during the pursuit.

He was immediately evacuated to the Ngala General Hospital, where he was later confirmed dead.

A medical examination attributed the death to cardiac arrest, allegedly caused by an overdose of illicit drugs.

The sources said security personnel recovered quantities of tramadol and flurazepam from the deceased.

The incident has been reported to the Nigeria Police in Ngala for further investigation and necessary action

Suspected Looter Dies After Arrest Attempt in Borno, Illicit Drugs Recovered

ECOWAS Court Throws Out SERAP’s Suit Against Nigeria’s Borrowing, Cites Lack of Evidence

The Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS, has dismissed a suit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) challenging Nigeria’s public borrowing practices, ruling that the organisation failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove that the country’s debt accumulation had resulted in violations of the socio-economic rights of Nigerians.

In a judgment delivered in Case No. ECW/CCJ/APP/05/22, the regional court held that while concerns over the impact of government economic policies on human rights fall within its jurisdiction, allegations of rights violations must be supported by concrete legal and factual evidence.

SERAP had approached the court, alleging that Nigeria’s persistent and allegedly unsustainable borrowing had created a huge public debt burden that had weakened the government’s capacity to provide essential public services, including healthcare, education and access to clean water. According to the organisation, the growing debt profile had disproportionately affected vulnerable and marginalised citizens and amounted to violations of rights guaranteed under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other international human rights instruments.

The Federal Republic of Nigeria denied the allegations and urged the court to dismiss the case.

In its decision, the court affirmed its jurisdiction under Article 9(4) of its Protocol, noting that claims relating to the impact of state policies on protected human rights fall within its human rights mandate. It also declared the application admissible and recognised SERAP’s status as a public interest litigant, observing that the case was instituted on behalf of Nigerians.

However, on the substance of the case, the court found significant gaps in the applicant’s arguments. It held that although SERAP presented statistical information on Nigeria’s external and domestic debt and highlighted the economic hardship allegedly experienced by citizens, it failed to identify the specific rights that had been violated, define the corresponding legal obligations of the Nigerian government, or establish a direct causal relationship between the borrowing policies and the alleged violations.

The court further noted that the applicant did not provide concrete evidence identifying particular communities or groups of persons that had suffered rights violations as a direct consequence of the government’s borrowing practices.

Describing the application as consisting largely of broad economic and political grievances, the court ruled that it did not satisfy the evidentiary standards required in human rights litigation before the regional tribunal.

Consequently, the court held that the alleged human rights violations arising from Nigeria’s borrowing policy had not been substantiated in law and in fact and dismissed the application in its entirety.

The judgment was delivered by a three-member panel comprising Justice Sengu Mohamed Koroma, who presided over the matter, Justice Gberi-Bè Ouattara, and Justice Edward Amoako Asante, who served as Judge Rapporteur.

ECOWAS Court Throws Out SERAP’s Suit Against Nigeria’s Borrowing, Cites Lack of Evidence