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NHRC Ready to Fight for Rights of Drug Offenders

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NHRC Ready to Fight for Rights of Drug Offenders

NHRC Ready to Fight for Rights of Drug Offenders

By: Michael Mike

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed willingness to fight for the rights of victims of drug related offences.

The NHRC on Thursday harped on the need to assist victims of drug related offences to have access to justice so as not to violate their human rights while trying to prosecute or execute them.

The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Tony Ojukwu who stated this at the online, side event of the on-going 65th Session of the UN Commission on Narcotic drugs, highlighted the dangers of not following the due process of the law in combating drug related offences by foreign nationals.

Ojukwu observed that where a foreigner is involved in drug related offences, there is every possibility that he might not be availed the needed consular assistance and legal services aside from language barrier which could be a disadvantage in defending the allegations against him.

According to the Ojukwu, death penalty has remained a gross violation of the right life, which is why the advocacy for moratorium on death sentence has remained a better option pending the possibility of reviewing extant legislations in some countries that support the practice of death sentence.

He argued that by all standards, the Commission is not in support of drug abuse or trafficking in narcotic substances, pointing out that while it is expected that authorities should nip in the bud the abuse of these harmful substances, care should be taken not to violate the rights of drug users.

Also Read: Obiano spends first night as Anambra ex-gov in EFCC custody

“Therefore steps should be taken to ensure that those who come in conflict with the law, including alleged drug offenders should enjoy the protection of the relevant local, regional and international laws”, the Executive Secretary stated.

In view of the foregoing, the NHRC Boss opined that monitoring and intervention by the relevant stakeholders will not only ensure that there is adequate record or information to know the trend of drug issues locally and globally, but should also ensure justice for the alleged drug offenders. 

The Executive Secretary emphasized the need for national advocacy, most especially for migrants, they need to be informed and educated on the dangers of drugs trafficking in their host country.

In her remarks, the representative of Harm Reduction International (organisers of the online side event), Giada Girelli stated that execution as a result of drug related offences has been verified in 131 countries, adding that in Iran alone, drug related execution has increased to 424 percent.

The drug monitoring expert observed that there has not been any case of drug related execution in Saudi Arabia for the first time in over 15 years, and this according to her could be as a result of moratorium in execution of drug offenders.

She also recalled that there has not been any execution in Singapore despite four notices of execution in the last four months even as she recalled that 35 countries had retained death penalty for drug related offences.

She noted that most of the people who face penalty for drug related offences include; foreign nationals, ethnic minorities, people with mental issues and women.

In her contribution, the representative of Justice Project Pakistan (Civil Society Organisation), Sana Farrukh stated that her organisation has been working with other stakeholders to change the narrative and perception about death penalty through advocacy and communication in Pakistan and around the globe.

She used the opportunity to place on record that Gulf countries are the largest jailers of Pakistans even when the alleged culprits are arrested for non-lethal crimes such as drug trafficking theft and violation of immigration laws.

Specifically, she said that Saudi Arabia remains the largest executioner of Pakistanis for non-fatal crimes, adding that one out of every ten persons executed in Saudi Arabia between 2016 and 2019 were convicted for carrying narcotics in the Kingdom.

In the same vein, Consular of Australian Embassy, Katie Mead,in her closing remarks, stated that this event has raised the profile of death penalty and condemned in its entirety the practice of death penalty, while urging every country to consider abolishing the same, emphasizing that death penalty should be abolished absolutely.

NHRC Ready to Fight for Rights of Drug Offenders

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VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

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VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

By: Michael Mike

Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed deep grief over the passing of prominent Nigerian businessman and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, saying the nation has lost an irreplaceable institution.

The late Dantata, an uncle of Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, passed away at the age of 94 in Abu Dhabi in the early hours of Saturday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to Mustapha Abdullahi Junaid, his Personal Private Secretary (PPS), who confirmed the death.

In a condolence message, Vice President Shettima praised the late businessman for his lifetime of service, describing him as “a living bridge that connected us to our past.

“We have not just lost a leader; we have lost an irreplaceable institution,” Senator Shettima said, describing Dantata as “one of the greatest titans in Nigeria’s philosophical history” whose departure marks the end of a vital chapter in the country’s economic and democratic evolution.

“In African tradition, when such an elderly person transitions, a vital chapter of our history departs with them. He was indeed among the great titans, a living bridge that connected us to our past,” VP Shettima added.

The Vice President extended heartfelt condolences to the Dantata family, expressing hopes that they would “find the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” even as he prayed that Almighty Allah would grant the deceased Jannatul Firdaus.

Born into the legendary Dantata family of Kano, Alhaji Aminu built on his father’s commercial legacy to become one of Nigeria’s most influential business figures. His empire spans construction, manufacturing, banking, agriculture, and the oil and gas sectors.

Beyond business, Dantata was renowned for his extensive philanthropic work, funding schools, mosques, health centres, and supporting widows and the underprivileged across Nigeria.

VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

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Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

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Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

By: Michael Mike

The Senior Officials Meeting between Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd July 2025 in Abuja to prepare for the upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting and to explore areas of cooperation.

A statement on Saturday by the Press Officer, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Modestus Chukwulaka, read: “The Delegation of European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS wishes to inform that the Senior Officials Meeting between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd July 2025 in Abuja.

“The agenda of the very important meeting is to prepare for the upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting and to explore areas of cooperation.”

According to the statement, the Senior Officials Meeting will be co-chaired by the Regions, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria, Ambassador Janet Olisa, Director, and the Deputy Managing Director for Africa Department, European External Action Service, European Union, Mr Mathieu Briens.

The statement revealed that the agenda of the meeting is expected to entail wide-ranging discussions that would focus on various aspects of the Nigeria – EU partnership, such as: Cooperation on multilateral and regional issues; Peace, Security and Governance; Humanitarian situation; Trade and Investment; Human Development: Health, Education, Social Protection; Science, technology, innovation and digital transition; Migration; Energy, climate change and green economy transition among others.

Nigeria and the European Union share a deep, long-standing partnership inspired by mutual values and interests as well as support for multilateralism and rule-based international order, the statement said.

Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

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Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People

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Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People


…. Donates relief materials to displaced persons in Yelwata, IDP camp

By: Michael Mike

Former Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri has charged former governors, legislators, traditional rulers and other stakeholders in Benue state to set aside rivalry, unite and act with urgency to save their people from incessant attacks and killings.

Waziri, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police and Principal Partner, Brookfield Chambers Abuja stated this on Saturday 28th June 2025 while donating relief materials to victims of the recent gunmen attacks in Yelwata community and displaced persons at the internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Makurdi, the Benue state capital.

Some of the items donated under the banner of Women, Youth, Children and Crime Organisation (WYCCO), a non-governmental organization founded by her, include: bags of rice, sugar, tubers of yam and other household items.

She said: “This is no time for division. It is no time for political squabbling or ego-driven manoeuvring. Among us are men and women who have led this state — former governors, legislators, traditional rulers — individuals with influence and authority. The time has come to set aside our differences and stand united, for the sake of the ordinary Benue man, woman, and child.

“That is why I stand here today to make this urgent and heartfelt appeal to our leaders: cast aside rivalry, unite, and act. Act with urgency. Act with purpose. Because what we face now increasingly resembles a deliberate, coordinated effort to erase our people and our heritage.

“We must take heed of the words of Sir Winston Churchill, who once said:
‘Our difficulties and dangers will not be removed by closing our eyes to them.’
Another of Churchill’s warnings is just as relevant to our present predicament:
‘If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without bloodshed… you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival.”

Waziri, while stating that her call was a build up to the earlier proposal by President Bola Tinubu during his recent visit Beforehand Benue, noted that meetings alone would not solve the problem, urging that: “But let us be sincere: peace will not come from meetings alone. To end the cycle of violence, we must confront its roots. Before the Yelwata massacre, communities in Gwer West, Apa, and Guma had already endured weeks of killings, kidnappings, and raids. These horrors did not emerge in a vacuum; they are symptoms of deeper issues.

“We must therefore confront the real causes — ethnic and religious tensions, unchecked banditry, and the rise of cultism as well as the abuse of illicit drugs. These forces must be tackled, along with the herder-farmer conflict, with honesty and courage. We cannot afford to keep going in circles. And there is no room for blame games. Our leaders — and indeed, all of us — must be pragmatic. So today, let us commit, as one people, to healing our wounds, reclaiming our land, and ensuring that never again will a child in Benue grow up in a camp instead of a home”

She said the development in Benue must be of “concern to all sons and daughters of Benue regardless of whether we live within its borders or far away in the diaspora to find out the root cause of these attacks with a view to proferring solutions that will bring an end to these barbaric acts”

Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People

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