National News
Mock Courts: AGF Malami Harps on Training of Specialist Prosecutors, Investigators on SGBV

Mock Courts: AGF Malami Harps on Training of Specialist Prosecutors, Investigators on SGBV
By: Michael Mike, Abuja
As part of the activities marking this year’s ’16 Days of Activism against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, has called for the training of investigators and prosecutors as specialists in the handling of SGBV cases in Nigeria.
Malami made this statement at the First Mock Court Trial organised by the EU-funded Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme of the British Council in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
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According to the AGF, it is imperative to train these first responders in the access to justice spectrum on evidence collection and storage, intelligence gathering and reporting, evidence analysis and chain of custody preservation.

Represented by the Director in the Public Prosecution Department, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr Abdulrahim Shuaibu, he stressed the need for the establishment of more Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC) in the country.
He said: “The absence of SARC is akin to retraining the survivors of SGBV, this is at the very core of my ministerial pursuit and I am seriously working on an Access to Justice based SARC which will evolve in due course,”
“This is a holistic vehicle that provides an all-inclusive integrated service amongst MDAs to the survivors of SGBV.”
It is, therefore, he noted, critical, fundamental and essential in-service delivery to Survivors,” he added.
According to the Minister, access to justice based SARC will include improved health care services that would address the medical, physical, mental and psychosocial consequences of SGBV to Survivors.
While noting that, there is also a need to train our Judges on the handling of SGBV cases especially about victim and witness protection and the management of evidence gathered due to the sensitive nature of these cases.
Malami commended all the Judges, lawyers and stakeholders who took out time to participate and I assure everyone present of my dedication in the fight against SGBV.”
In the same vein, Prof. Joy Ezeilo, Chairperson of SARCs, Prof. Joy Ezeilo, disclosed that since its establishment in 2013, SARC has continued to provide free immediate emergency medical treatment, counselling and follow up support to survivors of rape and sexual assault.
Ezeilo noted that in just eight years, the SARC Network has grown from a single SARC in Lagos to 32 SARCS across 19 states in Nigeria assisting over 22,000 survivors of sexual assault combined.
She stressed that there is a remarkable expansion spread of the SARC initiative in Nigeria and a stronger focus nationwide on comprehensive medical and counselling services for survivors.
In addition to supporting their engagement with the legal system, there is strong evidence that the number of SGBV cases reported to SARCs is still a poor representation of the scale of sexual assault in Nigeria and the number of cases that are prosecuted, are very few compared to the number of incidents.
Ezeilo stated that the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) programme would like to support the call and effort to establish specialised courts for SGBV by holding these mock specialised SGBV courts.
According to her, this will model what survivor centred SGBV court processes and proceedings would look like in the context of Nigeria’s legislative social policy environment.

“It will provide the opportunity to model police investigation and prosecution scenarios that support or compromise justice for survivors,” she said.
She said that the lessons gathered from the mock trials will assist law enforcement, the judiciary and the criminal justice system to fast track the justice process on similar existing cases.
Ezeilo said it will also encourage justice service providers to employ the right attitudes and tools in their interactions with victims and perpetrators of SGBV. She also noted that they brought in innovations, which connotes gender offence is not just committed against a woman, with this you see the good, the bad and the ugly.
“If for example, our population is 100million, at least 30 million women and girls are victims of gender-based violence, it is really serious when we say one in every three women is going to be a victim in their lifetime is an underestimation, because in a daily basis you hear about this coupled with the cases handled in the SARC and other organisation”, she said.
On his part, former Minister of Justice, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode SAN reiterated that many people go through this violence today from an immediate environment who are very close.
Kayode was of the view that these persons are sometimes those persons who feel they are higher in status and the victim cannot do anything to them.
He said that ” rape of a minor is a serious issue, the bottom line is that it should not even get there, the rules of engagement must change”.
According to the former Minister of Defence, trauma for people who go through violence is unimaginable. We should be able to carve out the proof of evidence and the very important burden. There must be litigations that must be directed by the court. The laws are prospective, we make laws for the future.
He said there is a need to vow to never raise your hand to your spouse, it might become necessary to use the law to reduce incidents of domestic violence.
“I am an advocate for special courts and I feel they should be a specialised court for different cases”, headed.
Mock Courts: AGF Malami Harps on Training of Specialist Prosecutors, Investigators on SGBV
National News
Seyi Tinubu storms Damaturu to consult with the youths

Seyi Tinubu storms Damaturu to consult with the youths
By: Bodunrin Kayode
Following after his agenda of connecting with the young people in Nigeria, Sheyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, yesterday visited Damaturu, the Yobe State capital to engage with the young people of the state while breaking fast.
The “iftar” engagement was aimed at connecting with the young stakeholders in the polity in the state with a view to possibly watering the ground of any form of latent tension by rallying support for his father Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The visit, seen as a strategic move in the buildup to the pending political season, was heralded with a courtesy call on the Governor of Yobe state, Mai Mala Buni before settling into the banquet hall of the government house for an interactive session with stakeholder from all over the state who gathered in the hall hours before his arrival.
Although he did not settle down to have the iftar with the mammoth crowd waiting for him in the hall, it turned out to be a bold reaffirmation of his father’s commitment to youth development and national progress as he went round the tables and acknowledged the guests waiting for him.
The iftar in the banquet hall though a bit rowdy in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, was the second half of the visit of the scion of the billionaire magnate and President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu was held amidst tight security as he was ushered into the hall for the business of the evening.
The visit actually marked a significant political outreach by the inner caucus of the presidency, with the son of Tinubu engaging mostly young people in what many observers described as a prelude to a broader political campaign lying ahead to usher in his father’s desired second term proposed for 2027 just two years from now.
Seyi accompanied by the Minister of youth development Olawande Emmanuel had earlier visited the Emir of Damaturu
Dr Shehu Hashimi El-Kanemi to receive royal blessings from the monarch before his private talks with Governor Mai Mala Buni at the Government house.

At the banquet hall in the government house Damaturu, the youth minister Emmanuel had addressed the crowd shortly after their arrival at Banquet Hall galvanizing support for his Principal President Bola Tinubu.
Some of the stakeholders who interacted with this reporter during the goodwill visit posited that the young Tinubu was indeed trying to learn the ropes politically creating friendship aimed at pacifying the north after the last altercation the region had with his father over sweeping proposals within the revenue sector of the country.
They however agreed that the visit was both symbolic and strategic, noting that it was beyond just politics, but a call for young people to participate in national development and assist in the stabilization of the polity.
Seyi Tinubu storms Damaturu to consult with the youths
Health
We have the best Opthalmology department in the North East of Nigeria – Prof. Tahir

We have the best Opthalmology department in the North East of Nigeria –Prof. Tahir
By: Bodunrin Kayode
Medical Director of the ultra modern Police Hospital Damaturu Prof Bashir Tahir has said that his facility has one of the best Ophthalmology departments in North East Nigeria.
He made this declaration while speaking with this reporter in Damaturu recently.
Professor Tahir stated that having met the facility in a near comatose state, he and his team have been able to create a department of Opthalmology plus six others and set it on a very high standard ready to serve the people in the catchment area.

Tahir who spoke through his Director of Administration Mallam Hamza Saleh stated that “Our Opthalmology dept is one of the best in the North East of Nigeria and you can get a recommended glasses within an hour because of the state of arts machines in that very department in the hospital.”
Speaking on the current expansion going on in the facility the MD stated that “We have ENT and consultants coming from the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital UMTH alternatively during the week to do routine consultations, ward rounds and even operations in the theatre.

“We recently spent about N10m to buy equipments in the ENT and we do hope that all the equipments will be available before the end of the year.
On the revitalization of the facility, he went on: “We actually met the three theatres in bad shape but we have been able to put them into functional use by restructuring them accordingly. For now all three are functioning including the O and G theatre where routine operations have been conducted.

“When we came on board also the hospital was not departmentalized. So we did that and opened the way for more doctors to come by creating these seven departments for them to work in an organized way.
“All the departments are functional with seven consultants who man these departments to the satisfaction of all the patients who visit the facility.
This new facility can also boast of two Eye Nose and Throat surgeons and others as the support staff to support the facility.
“We have about 100 nurses with one that is a police officer. We also have some of them with specialized techniques and that has contributed to the progress of the place.
On medical lab scientists, the MD posited that they now have six lab scientists in different areas, two pharmacists and a couple of technicians that assist them on the ground on a daily basis.

They have a solid Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement with a pharmacy company in the supply of drugs which is used to stabilize the availability of drugs in the hospital.
On supply of drugs, he noted that they make sure that people served well and patient are the priority of anything that happens in the facility adding that they now have satellite pharmacies in the facility to ensure quality time is not wasted.
The MD said that it was part of their plan to get most of the major equipments before any fresh employment of any professional commences so that all hands will be on deck to ensure the best.
We have the best Opthalmology department in the North East of Nigeria –Prof. Tahir
National News
The Hidden Truth: How Niger’s Sovereignty Was Secretly Sold to Foreign Powers

The Hidden Truth: How Niger’s Sovereignty Was Secretly Sold to Foreign Powers
By: Our Reporter
A shocking revelation has come to light, exposing the true origins of foreign military deployment in Niger. Contrary to popular belief, it was not President Mohamed Bazoum who initiated the permanent presence of foreign troops in the country. Instead, classified documents and insider accounts reveal that it was the 2010-2011 military junta—the same type of government Niger is under today—that secretly invited French forces into Niger and granted them unrestricted military access.
The Secret Deal That Changed Niger Forever
On September 18, 2010, General Salou Djibo, then head of Niger’s ruling military junta, was preparing to leave for the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Before his departure, he held a closed-door meeting with his second-in-command, Colonel Abdoulaye Badié, and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces (FAN), General Salou Souleymane. The main topic of discussion? Whether to allow a permanent French military presence in Niger. Whether to permit French military aircraft to land, refuel, and operate from Nigerien soil.
At first, both Badié and Djibo rejected the idea of allowing a French military base in Niger. However, what they didn’t know was that General Salou Souleymane had already made promises to France behind their backs. Weeks before this meeting, General Souleymane had personally assured the French Chief of Defense Staff, Admiral Édouard Guillaud, that Niger would approve France’s request to deploy its military forces.
This secret arrangement was not debated in public, nor was it disclosed to the Nigerien people. Instead, the decision was made in total secrecy, away from the eyes of the nation. With General Djibo about to leave for New York, the situation escalated. Prime Minister Mahamadou Danda and Defense Minister General Mamadou Ousseini were pressured into granting France full permission to deploy its forces in Niger. The final approval was given on the night of September 18, 2010.
Colonel Badié was personally tasked with informing French Ambassador Alain Holleville that Niger had given France the green light. The same night, General Salou Souleymane personally called the French Military Attaché in Niamey, Hervé Pilette, to confirm the authorization.
Within hours, the French military had already begun its deployment: Two Breguet Atlantic reconnaissance aircraft with five full crews. One Falcon 50 aircraft with two crews. A total of 115 French soldiers, including special forces and intelligence officers. By September 19, 2010, French forces were officially operating in Niger, under the justification that they were there to search for hostages kidnapped in Arlit a region rich in uranium, heavily exploited by French company Areva (now Orano).
The Junta’s Internal Crisis: How The Truth Was Buried
Upon returning from New York on September 26, 2010, General Salou Djibo found a top-secret report on his desk from his special staff. The report was alarming:
It said “The positioning of French troops on Nigerien territory seriously harms the image of Niger and the credibility of the Armed Forces (FAN). It creates the perception that our military is weak and unable to defend the country from threats like AQIM without French intervention.”
The report further warned that the French presence was no longer necessary, since it had become clear that the kidnapped hostages were already in Mali, not Niger. In other words, the original justification for allowing French troops into Niger was no longer valid.
However, by this point, the junta was trapped. The French military was already in Niger, and any attempt to remove them would have led to a diplomatic crisis. The truth was buried, and the Nigerien people were never informed of the secret deal that had been made.
This one decision set off a chain reaction that led to years of escalating foreign military presence: 2013: The United States established a drone base in Niamey to conduct operations across the Sahel. 2017: The U.S. expanded its presence by constructing Air Base 201 in Agadez, one of the largest drone bases in Africa. 2014-2019: France launched Operation Barkhane, stationing thousands of troops in the region, including in Niger. 2022: Following France’s expulsion from Mali, French troops redeployed to Niger, solidifying their military footprint.
By the time President Mohamed Bazoum took office in 2021, the foreign military presence was already deeply entrenched, making it nearly impossible to reverse.
The Hypocrisy of the Current Junta
Fast forward to 2023: General Abderrahmane Tiani overthrows President Bazoum, claiming that his government was too dependent on foreign powers. However, the same military elite that now calls itself “patriotic” was directly involved in the original plans to bring in foreign partners starting from 2010-2011.
It the military is so opposed to foreign troops, why did they allow French forces into Niger in 2010? Why has the military remained silent about its role in secretly authorizing foreign military deployment? Why did it take a coup d’état for them to suddenly oppose a policy that they themselves initiated?
A Nation Deceived for 13 Years
For over a decade, Nigeriens have been misled into believing that foreign military forces were imposed on them by civilian governments.
The truth is far more sinister: Niger’s own military leaders were responsible for inviting foreign troops in the first place. Today, General Tiani and his junta claim to be “restoring sovereignty.” But their own predecessors men they once served under were the original enablers of foreign intervention.
Foreign military forces never left instead, they expanded their presence under different pretexts. The so called betrayal of Niger’s sovereignty did not start with Bazoum or Issoufou it started in 2010, under military rule.
Nigeriens must ask themselves: If this was covered up for 13 years, what else has been hidden from them? If military rule brought foreign troops, why should you trust them to remove them now? If sovereignty is truly the goal, why has no one been held accountable for the original betrayal?
The Hidden Truth: How Niger’s Sovereignty Was Secretly Sold to Foreign Powers
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