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NBA, EU to Provide Free Legal Services to Ikorodu Residents
NBA, EU to Provide Free Legal Services to Ikorodu Residents
By: Michael Mike
To ensure that Nigerians have access to legal services regardless of their financial or social status, the European Union (EU), in partnership with the International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IIDEA), is supporting the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in providing free legal advice and services to residents of Ikorodu, Lagos State.
As part of a sensitisation walk to commemorate this year’s Independence Day on October 1st, the NBA Ikorodu branch is partnering with the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria and the Duty Solicitors Network (DSN) to raise awareness about human rights issues, particularly those related to domestic violence, child rights, disability rights, and general human rights provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.
The EU, through its Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme, implemented by IIDEA, is ensuring that volunteer lawyers from both the public and private sectors can provide these free legal aid services. The initiative also aims to protect citizens’ rights while advocating for good governance, accountability, and a corrupt-free government structure.
Speaking about the sensitisation walk, Bayo Akinlade, Convener of the Duty Solicitors Network (DSN), explained that, aside from participating in the walk, volunteer lawyers visited police detention facilities in the Ikorodu community, and spoke with inmates, offering free legal services to those in need.
He said, “Nigeria is 64, and because access to justice remains out of reach for most Nigerians, we as legal practitioners in Ikorodu believe that education and enlightenment are fundamental tools to help people understand how to access justice. In giving back to the community, we sought support from the European Union through IIDEA to deliver this service.”
“We also visited suspects who had been arrested by the police for various reasons. We will be providing them with free legal services to secure their bail or ensure that they are arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction within the constitutional time frames.”
Akinlade described the initiative as a “great opportunity” to provide free legal services, especially to those in the lowest levels of society who cannot afford professional legal advice.
“It is very important that lawyers have support to undertake this kind of walk. I am glad that the EU and IIDEA have stepped in.”
Speaking about the initiative, Ajibola Ijimakinwa, State Project Coordinator, RoLAC, said, “RoLAC is dedicated to making justice accessible to the most vulnerable in society, including women, children, juveniles, persons with disabilities, and victims of sexual and gender-based violence. We strive to ensure that every individual can seek and receive justice without barriers.
“Today, we are partnering with relevant stakeholders to remove legal and institutional barriers that prevent vulnerable groups from accessing justice, ensuring they have equal opportunities to be heard and protected.”
According to Olawumi Adeola, Chairperson of the NBA, Ikorodu branch, “For six years now, we have been involved in promoting the rights of the vulnerable and less privileged in the society. We move from one community to another, and carry out outreaches in market places to ensure that we sensitise the public on their rights, and also lead them on how they can achieve justice, rather than taking justice into their own hands.
“In situations where we feel that their case requires an immediate intervention, we refer them to our committees in the branch. We have the legal aid committee and the committee on domestic violence, child rights, and persons with disabilities. They sit on Tuesdays and Thursdays every week in our High Court. We ensure that we see those matters to a logical conclusion.”
Speaking about the impact that the support from the European Union has on their outreach to residents of Ikorodu, Adeola added, “The partnership with the European Union has helped us to reach out to a broader base. Sometimes, we do what we can with our limited resources. Therefore, partnership with an organisation like the European Union helps us to be able to cover a larger part of the society, and this is what we hope that we will be able to continue to do.”
Iyabo Akingbade, State Coordinator, Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, explained that her organisation, which is an establishment set up by the Federal Government, provides free legal aid services and grants access to justice to the vulnerable people. “This programme is actually important for us to render our services in line with the mandate of the Council to the vulnerable people; to educate them on their rights, to educate them on the dangers of domestic violence, to educate them on the dangers dangers of trafficking in person, to let them know the rights of children, and to help suspects in police custody to gain their freedom.
“That is why we are partnering with this programme today to ensure that the rights of vulnerable people, whether as suspects or victims of domestic violence, are protected, and if they need free legal services for anything, even beyond legal advice, if it is something that involves filing a matter in court or defending them in court, we are ready to provide free legal services,” she said.
A landlord and beneficiary of the initiative, Taiwo Abiola, said, “I am very happy with this initiative because it has enlightened me on how to apply the rule of law to seek and get justice for myself. I currently have an issue with one of my tenants who has refused to leave my property after I have given him a notice of eviction because he has refused to pay his rent for a long period of time.
“Today, a lawyer has advised that I should not take the law into my own hands but report the case to the court to get justice. I also urge other landlords like myself to always follow the line of the law and not take laws into their own hands.”
NBA, EU to Provide Free Legal Services to Ikorodu Residents
Zulum Receives Seven Ambassadors, UN Officials on Humanitarian Visit to Maiduguri
By: Michael Mike
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum has received ambassadors from seven countries alongside senior United Nations and federal government officials during a high-level humanitarian visit to Maiduguri.
The visiting diplomats represented India, Egypt, Indonesia, the Philippines, Turkey, Malaysia and Qatar. They were accompanied by the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Fall, and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bernard Doro.
The visit was organised to give the international partners an opportunity to directly assess the humanitarian situation in Borno State and observe ongoing recovery and development efforts following years of conflict.
During the visit on Tuesday, the delegation was taken on a tour of key projects implemented by the Zulum administration in the areas of education, healthcare and human capital development. The tour was led by the Acting Governor of the state, Umar Usman Kadafur.
Addressing journalists after the tour, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator praised Governor Zulum for what he described as visible and impactful infrastructure development across the state. He noted that the projects showcased a different narrative from the usual focus on security challenges in the region.
According to Fall, initiatives in education, vocational skills training, girl-child education and malnutrition treatment demonstrate deliberate efforts to improve the lives of residents and address the underlying causes of the humanitarian crisis. He stressed that sustained investment in education remains critical to long-term peace and development in the state.
Also speaking, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation expressed satisfaction with the level of progress recorded in Borno despite more than a decade of conflict. He commended the governor’s leadership, describing the facilities visited as practical tools for empowering residents and lifting them out of poverty.
The minister added that the vocational centres, comprehensive schools and other social infrastructure reflect a strong commitment to recovery, resilience and inclusive development in the state.
Zulum Receives Seven Ambassadors, UN Officials on Humanitarian Visit to Maiduguri
Reckless police teargas firing sparks fire outbreak in Katsina cement shop
By: Zagazola Makama
A routine police patrol in Katsina State on Monday degenerated into a fire incident after officers recklessly fired teargas into a cement shop, causing a blaze and injuring a trailer driver in Charanchi Local Government Area.
Zagazola Makama learnt that the incident occurred at about 6:00 p.m. on Feb. 2, when personnel attached to the Malumfashi Division intercepted an unregistered cement trailer while returning from special duty en route from Katsina to Malumfashi.
Witnesses said that instead of handling the traffic offence with restraint, the patrol team fired teargas, which strayed into a nearby cement shop owned by Umar Abdullahi, and ignited a fire.
“The teargas landed inside the shop and immediately started a fire. People ran out in panic. We had to struggle to put it out,” a resident said.
The fire destroyed some goods before it was eventually extinguished by residents and emergency responders.
The trailer driver, Gambo Abdurrahman, of Gidan Dawa, Katsina, also sustained a fracture on his right leg during the incident. He was rushed to General Hospital, Kankia, and later referred to an Orthopaedic Hospital for specialist treatment.
Police sources confirmed that the situation had been brought under control and that the officers involved had been defaulted for disciplinary action.
“The Command has ordered a full investigation into the reckless use of teargas that led to the fire outbreak and injury. Appropriate sanctions will follow,” a senior officer said.
Reckless police teargas firing sparks fire outbreak in Katsina cement shop
Terrorists kill scores in Kwara village attack – lawmaker
By: Zagazola Makama
Scores of persons were killed in a terrorist attack on Woro Village in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, the lawmaker representing Kaiama in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Saidu Baba Ahmed, has confirmed.
Ahmed who disclosed this on Wednesday said that the death toll had risen to 35 as of this morning, while many residents were still missing in the surrounding bush after fleeing the community during the attack.
“I’m on my way to Woro where the mayhem took place yesterday, along with a detachment of soldiers from Ilorin. I have also been informed that other soldiers are following the attackers. I’m glad to say that I spoke with the Emir this morning and he is alive,” he said.
Security sources said the attack occurred on Feb. 3 at about 7:07 p.m., when terrorists suspected to be Boko Haram Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) stormed Woro, setting houses and shops ablaze as residents fled in panic.
The assailants reportedly withdrew after spotting an approaching aircraft, but intelligence indicates they may still be lurking nearby and could attempt to return once security pressure eases.
Meanwhile, security sources warned that terrorist operations are escalating across the North-West and North-Central, with attacks spreading into border communities with the Republic of Benin, particularly in Kwara and Niger States.
The sources noted that terrorists infiltrating from the Sahel axis have merged with local criminal groups. Two major groups – JNIM/AQIM and IS Sahel are said to be competing for territory, using forest corridors and borderlands as launch pads for further attacks.
While parts of the North-West face encroachment from ISIS-linked elements along Niger’s borders with Sokoto and Kebbi, JNIM’s operations reportedly stretch from the W–Arly–Pendjari (WAP) Forest Complex into Benin, diverting into North-Central Nigeria.
Zagazola stressed that containing the threat requires strong regional cooperation, describing the violence as part of a wider Sahelian security crisis rather than an isolated state-level problem.
Terrorists kill scores in Kwara village attack – lawmaker
Zulum Receives Seven Ambassadors, UN Officials on Humanitarian Visit to Maiduguri
Reckless police teargas firing sparks fire outbreak in Katsina cement shop
OPINION: Growing ISWAP–ISIS ties in Sahel after Niamey attack threaten Lake Chad and West African security corridor
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