Benue Govt. Dismantles Illegal Checkpoints, Arrests Civil Protection Guards

By: Zagazola Makama

The Special Adviser to the Benue State Governor on Security and Internal Affairs has dismantled several illegal checkpoints along the Makurdi–Otukpo Road and ordered the arrest of members of the Benue State Civil Protection Guards (BSCPG) found manning them.

The operation, carried out on Tuesday, was conducted alongside the State Commander and other senior officers of the BSCPG as part of efforts to enforce compliance with security directives and ensure the free flow of traffic across the state.

According to a statement issued by the Media Aide to the Special Adviser, Comrade Mfa A. Igirgi Jr., the operation followed concerns over the increasing number of unauthorized roadblocks mounted by security volunteers along the highway.

The Special Adviser said the exercise was in line with the directive of the Benue State Commissioner of Police that roads should not be obstructed except at officially approved security checkpoints.

During the operation, two illegal checkpoints in Aliade were dismantled, while BSCPG personnel found operating them were disarmed and taken into custody for further administrative action.

The team also visited Howe, where soldiers had mounted a checkpoint near the premises of a Chinese construction company. The soldiers explained that they were providing security for the Chinese Harbor Company and its expatriate staff.

The Special Adviser, however, directed that the roadblock be removed and instructed the soldiers to concentrate on securing the company’s premises rather than occupying the highway.

He noted that unnecessary checkpoints impede the free movement of motorists and could create security vulnerabilities, particularly when left unmanned.

Reiterating the operational mandate of the Benue State Civil Protection Guards, the Special Adviser said members of the outfit are expected to patrol their communities, provide early warning on security threats and serve as first responders, rather than establish checkpoints on public highways.

He stressed that BSCPG personnel are only permitted to participate in checkpoint operations when working jointly with the Nigeria Police Force or other authorized security agencies.

The Special Adviser urged residents to report any BSCPG personnel operating unauthorized checkpoints to the office of the State Commander or his office for prompt disciplinary action.

He reaffirmed the Benue State Government’s commitment to promoting lawful security operations while ensuring that measures put in place to protect lives and property do not inconvenience law-abiding citizens or create opportunities for criminal activities.

Benue Govt. Dismantles Illegal Checkpoints, Arrests Civil Protection Guards

Nigerian Army Boosts Training Capacity as COAS Inaugurates Modern Training Facilities in Plateau

By Zagazola Makama

The Nigerian Army has taken another significant step toward enhancing the professionalism and combat readiness of its personnel with the inauguration of modern training facilities at the 3 Division Training School and Shooting Range in Miango, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The facilities, commissioned on Tuesday by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, form part of the Army’s ongoing efforts to modernise its training infrastructure and provide a more conducive environment for the development of officers and soldiers.

Speaking during the inauguration of newly constructed hostel blocks at the training school, the COAS described training as the bedrock of operational success, stressing that a well-trained force remains indispensable in addressing Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.

He said the provision of modern accommodation and improved training infrastructure would significantly enhance the capacity of the institution to conduct effective and realistic training, thereby producing personnel capable of meeting contemporary operational demands.

Lt. Gen. Shaibu noted that the Nigerian Army has continued to invest in training institutions across the country as part of deliberate efforts to strengthen force readiness, improve operational efficiency, and sustain the momentum in ongoing counter-terrorism, counter-insurgency, and internal security operations.

According to him, creating a conducive learning and training environment is essential to achieving excellence, as quality infrastructure directly contributes to effective knowledge acquisition, skills development, and professional competence among troops.

The Army Chief reiterated that the welfare of personnel remains a central pillar of his command philosophy, explaining that improving accommodation, training facilities, and the overall working environment for soldiers is critical to maintaining morale and enhancing operational effectiveness.

He commended the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division and Commander of Operation Enduring Peace for his foresight, prudent management of resources, and commitment to executing projects that directly improve the Army’s training capacity.

The COAS expressed confidence that the new facilities would not only improve the quality of instruction at the training school but also reinforce the Nigerian Army’s broader transformation agenda aimed at building a highly professional, disciplined, and combat-ready force capable of effectively discharging its constitutional responsibilities.

The commissioning of the facilities illustrates the Nigerian Army’s sustained commitment to investing in human capital development through modern training infrastructure, reflecting its determination to prepare personnel for the complex security environment confronting the nation.

The initiative also aligns with the Army’s strategic objective of developing a technologically driven, professionally competent, and highly motivated force capable of responding swiftly and effectively to both conventional and asymmetric threats across the country.

Nigerian Army Boosts Training Capacity as COAS Inaugurates Modern Training Facilities in Plateau

ECOWAS Court Goes Digital, Targets Faster Justice for 400 Million West Africans

…Regional court launches electronic filing, virtual case management, sets 2030 deadline for fully paperless judiciary

By: Michael Mike

The Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS on Monday formally launched its Electronic Case Management System (ECMS), ushering in what it described as the most significant digital transformation in its history and setting an ambitious target to become a fully paperless regional judicial institution by 2030.

The unveiling of the multilingual digital platform at the Court’s headquarters in Abuja marked the end of decades of largely paper-based judicial administration and the beginning of a technology-driven justice system designed to make litigation faster, cheaper and more accessible to over 400 million citizens across the 15 ECOWAS member states.

Speaking at the historic ceremony, President of the Court, Justice Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves, declared that the launch represented far more than the deployment of new software.

He described it as “the beginning of a new era in which technology strengthens access to justice, enhances efficiency and promotes transparency in the administration of justice,” adding that digital transformation would strengthen rather than diminish the Court’s commitment to judicial independence, fairness and the rule of law.

According to him, while technology would automate court processes and improve efficiency, judicial decisions would continue to be firmly anchored on the law and the principles of justice.

The ceremony, attended by senior ECOWAS officials, diplomats, judges, legal practitioners, civil society organisations, development partners and the media, was held under the theme: “Advancing Digital Justice: Enhancing Access, Efficiency and Transparency through Electronic Case Management.”

The ECMS is a secure, web-based platform operating in English, French and Portuguese that enables litigants and lawyers to file cases electronically, receive court notifications, monitor proceedings in real time, manage documents digitally and participate in virtual hearings from anywhere in the world.

The system also automates Registry operations, creates electronic case files with comprehensive audit trails and eliminates the cumbersome manual processes that have traditionally slowed judicial proceedings.

For lawyers practising before the Court, the implication is significant. Applications can now be filed electronically from cities such as Dakar, Accra, Praia, Banjul or Monrovia without the need to physically deliver documents to the Court’s Registry in Abuja. Litigants can equally monitor the progress of their cases online while judges and Registry staff will manage proceedings through integrated digital workflows.

The Court expects the innovation to reduce administrative bottlenecks, shorten case processing time, lower litigation costs and significantly improve transparency and accountability in the regional justice system.

Providing insight into the origins of the project, Acting Deputy Chief Registrar and ECMS Project Team Manager, Mrs. Marie Saine, said the platform was conceived as part of the Court’s long-term institutional reform agenda under its Justice 2030 Strategic Plan and aligned with the broader ECOWAS Vision 2050, which seeks to build modern, effective and people-centred regional institutions.

She said the Court recognised that its traditional paper-based system had become increasingly inadequate for a regional institution serving citizens across fifteen countries with three official languages and multiple legal systems.

According to her, filing cases required physical submission of documents to the Registry, case tracking depended largely on paper files, while serving judicial documents across the region often proved slow, costly and unpredictable.

“These were not failures of the people working within the system,” she explained. “They were the limitations of a system that had not kept pace with the scale and complexity of the Court’s mandate. The ECMS was conceived to remove those barriers, reduce delays, cut costs and place this Court where it belongs—within reach of every person in our Community who needs it.”

Saine traced the roots of the digital transformation to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when courts worldwide faced unprecedented disruptions.

She said the ECOWAS Court responded by introducing temporary Practice Directions on electronic case management and virtual hearings to ensure that judicial activities continued despite lockdowns and travel restrictions.

What initially appeared to be emergency measures, she noted, soon demonstrated that digital justice was not only possible but capable of improving judicial efficiency by reducing travel costs, removing geographical barriers and ensuring uninterrupted access to justice.

“What the pandemic forced upon us, we chose to embrace as a permanent direction,” she said.

Rather than adopting an off-the-shelf software solution, the Court opted to build a platform specifically tailored to its Rules of Procedure, multilingual environment and unique operational needs.

The development process involved close collaboration among judges, legal officers, Registry personnel, information technology experts and software developers, resulting in a system capable of managing every stage of judicial proceedings—from electronic filing to final judgment and digital archiving.

Beyond developing the technology, the Court embarked on extensive capacity-building programmes across Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone member states to prepare users for the transition.

Legal practitioners underwent intensive regional training sessions in June 2024, followed by refresher programmes held between June 22 and 26 this year ahead of the platform’s official launch.

Saine stressed that technology alone could not deliver justice unless those expected to use it possessed the necessary skills and confidence.

“The principle that guided every aspect of the implementation is simple: technology only delivers value when people are equipped and empowered to use it effectively,” she said.

Welcoming participants to the ceremony earlier, the Court’s Chief Registrar, speaking on behalf of the President and the College of Judges, described the launch as a transformational milestone in the evolution of regional justice.

He said the ECMS would streamline judicial administration by eliminating procedural bottlenecks, enhancing transparency through real-time access to case information and extending the reach of the Court to every corner of the ECOWAS Community.

According to him, the initiative would also strengthen regional integration by harmonising judicial processes across member states while reinforcing the Court’s longstanding reputation for fairness, accountability and respect for the rule of law.

He acknowledged that the project encountered administrative, procurement and technical challenges before reaching implementation but said the determination of the Court’s leadership, project team, consultant and staff ensured its successful completion.

The Court paid tribute to former President of the Court, Edward Amoako Asante, for providing the vision and leadership that drove the project through its formative years, while also commending Justice Gonçalves for sustaining the initiative and bringing it to fruition.

Recognition was equally extended to former ECMS Project Team leader Dr. Athanase Atannon, his successor Mr. Gaye Sowe, consultant Dr. Frederic Drabo and members of the Registry, Legal and Information Technology departments whose contributions helped translate the vision into reality.

Looking ahead, Justice Gonçalves disclosed that the Court expects at least 80 per cent of legal practitioners appearing before it to register on the platform within the next six months, while new cases are expected to be initiated electronically through the ECMS.

By 2030, he said, the Court aims to establish a fully digital judicial institution with complete electronic case archives, reduced case processing times and a justice delivery system recognised as a benchmark for regional courts in Africa.

He, however, emphasised that the success of the initiative would ultimately depend on its adoption by judges, lawyers, litigants, member states and development partners.

“The true success of this system will depend on everyone’s commitment to using it and ensuring its continuous improvement,” he said, urging all stakeholders to embrace the platform.

Formally declaring the Electronic Case Management System operational, the Court’s President described the launch as a defining moment in the institution’s history and a renewed commitment to delivering timely, transparent and technology-enabled justice across West Africa.

For a Court established to uphold human rights, interpret Community law and strengthen regional integration, Monday’s launch signalled more than a technological upgrade. It marked a decisive shift from paper files and physical court processes to a digital justice ecosystem that promises to reshape how regional justice is accessed and delivered across the ECOWAS Community for decades to come.

ECOWAS Court Goes Digital, Targets Faster Justice for 400 Million West Africans