NEWS
Court Orders Foreign Ministry, NIDCOM to Return Nigerians Imprisoned in Ethiopia
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affair and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) to bring back no fewer than 270 Nigerians currently imprisoned or detained in Kaliti Prison, Ethiopia.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgment, gave the order of mandamus compelling the ministry and NIDCOM to receive and return the imprisoned Nigerians consequent upon the decision and declaration of the Ethiopian government that it had no budget to take care of them.
“I find that the applicants have made a credible case for this court to issue Order of Mandamus to compel the 1st and 2nd respondents to perform their statutory functions and I so hold,” Justice Ekwo ruled.
The applicants; Sunday Mmaduagwu, Henry Anyanwu and Leonard Okafor, had filed the originating motion on notice.
They had sued NIDCOM, Foreign Ministry, the Senate, House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) and the Attorney-General of Federation (AGF) as 1st to 6th respondents respectively, on behalf of Nigerians imprisoned in Ethiopia Prison.
The motion was brought pursuant to Order II, Rules 1, 2 & 3 of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009 (hereinafter referred to as FREPR 2009) and Sections 6 (6), 34 (1), 35 (1), (4), and (6), 36 and 46 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Also cited in the suit was Articles 4, 5 and 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Cap. A9, LFN 2004 (hereinafter referred to as ACHPRRE Act 2004) and under the inherent jurisdiction of this court.
They sought “a declaration that the fundamental rights of the applicants as provided by Sections 33, 34, 35 of the 1999 Constitution; Articles 2, 3, 5, 6, CAT — Articles 4 (1) & (15), Article 16 UNUDHR; Articles 3, 5, 6, 25 (1) & (2) BPT — General Assembly Resolution 45/11 of 14 Dec 1990 had been violated by the 1st — 4th respondents.
They sought an order compelling the 1st & 2nd respondents to receive and return back Nigerians imprisoned, detained in Kaliti Ethiopia prisons, consequent upon the decision and declaration of Ethiopian Government that they have no budget for their food, firewood, medicine and any other form of welfare and on the face of their call for Nigeria to take them back to Nigeria.”
In the affidavit in support of the motion, Mmaduagwu deposed that he is the first cousin of Mr. Remigius Anikwe, who was imprisoned at Kaliti Prison in Ethiopia.
He said Henry is a brother to Mr Chinedu Michael Anyanwu, who is also detained or imprisoned in Kaliti prison, while Leonard is a relative of Mr Okafor Livinus Edochie, who also is in detention in the same prison.
Mmaduagwu averred that since he arrived in the prison to see his cousin, he met over 270 Nigerians arrested and being detained.
He said some of the persons in the prison were not even tried as they do not understand the language and neither were they offered the services of an interpreter.
According to him, the treatment being given to Nigerians in detention are shocking as any exchange of words with the indigenes will attract mass beating, and this has led to the collapse and death of some.
“Some young Nigerians who were on transit with visa are reported to have been arrested, dispossessed of their money and valuable properties and false witnesses suborned to testify against them in a foreign language.
“Many are detained and denied the opportunity of proper hearing by any court and till date, they do not know the reason for their arrest.
“They are also denied access to their families, the outside world and even the services of a lawyer, making their family assume they are dead.
“Some of them had to admit offences they did not commit after prolonged torture by the prison officials,” Mmaduagwu said.
He alleged that NiDCOM, in a television interview, even stated that what the detained Nigerians in Kaliti Prison are given as food cannot be fed to rats.
He said the commission attested to the fact that they were not given any drugs for any form of sickness, except paracetamol, despite people suffering from kidney failure with swollen legs.
“A lot of them are dying and they were informed by the prison officials that the Ethiopian government has asked the Nigerian Embassy to come and take their people back having no budget to feed them and provide medical aid.
“Every week, about two or three deaths are recorded. They have not been buried neither have their corpse been brought to Nigeria,” he said.
Mmaduagwu, who said that all the respondents were aware of the citizens’ plights, urged the court to grant their reliefs.
Delivering the judgment on Nov. 14 and the certified true copy of the documents sighted on Tuesday, Justice Ekwo said he observed that the application was brought on behalf of Nigerian citizens detained and imprisoned abroad.
The judge held that the motives of the applicants were not unreasonable as it is rationally expected that a citizen of a country who is abroad and who needs the intervention of his/her country of origin will expect the requisite succour from the home country when occasion arises for such.
“The 1st and 2nd respondents cannot be allowed to argue their way out of their respective statutory functions,” he said.
He further held that the applicants had made a compelling case in the suit that Nigerian citizens who were detained and imprisoned in Kaliti Prison, Ethiopia by the Ethiopian government required the intervention of NODOM and the ministry.
The judge, who ordered the ministry and NIDCOM to receive and return the imprisoned Nigerians home, refused to grant their 1st relief seeking a declaration that the detained Nigerians’ rights had been breached by the respondents.(NAN)
Poland plans to ban mobile phones in all primary schools from next academic year under draft legislation approved by the government on Tuesday.
The proposal, which will now be submitted to parliament, would take effect on September 1, 2026.
In Poland, primary school education runs through the eighth grade.
The planned law would prohibit the use of mobile phones and other devices capable of recording audio or video during lessons and breaks.
The ban would apply to both public and private schools, the Education Ministry said.
Exceptions would be permitted when the use of a phone is required for teaching purposes, educational support, or for health and safety reasons.
Education Minister Barbara Nowacka said the measure is a response to calls from teachers for stricter rules on smartphone use in schools.
She said that more than half of Poland’s schools have already introduced similar restrictions on a voluntary basis.
The government also approved a package of measures aimed at strengthening child protection online, which must likewise be approved by parliament.
The proposals include tighter restrictions on minors’ access to websites containing pornography and measures designed to speed up the removal of illegal online material.
Under the plans, operators of adult-content websites would be required to verify users’ ages anonymously, without collecting browser data or personal information.
By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja
Following the defection of the former minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda, the minority caucus has nominated Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere as their new Leader.
Sixty one out of the 81 minority members of the House on Wednesday, Select Hon.
Ugochinyere as Reps Minority Leader Designate, awaiting the Speaker’s announcement of the Opposition’s Decision.From the documents sighted by our reporter, majority of the lawmakers of the minority parties cutting across the entire minority bloc, namely ADC, NDC, APP, PRP, LP, APGA, APM, ACCORD and SDP, and across tribal, religious and zonal political lines voluntarily settled for Ikenga as their preferred choice.
From available information, the lawmakers today submitted the official nomination of the new Minority Leader designate, Ikenga, to the Speaker in line with the tradition of the parliament, which is stated clearly under the new Rule Book of the House of Representatives, Order 7, Rule 7, which provides that members shall elect among themselves the Minority Leader to lead them.The lawmakers, who spoke anonymously, expressed confidence that the Speaker of the parliament, as an unbiased leader, will swiftly make the announcement so that the minority can have its leadership in the next few days, and the parliament can be fully constituted with the minority fully represented. The lawmakers said they have also settled for nominees to fill the vacant positions of Minority Whip and Deputy Minority Leader, with one of the positions already taken by an NDC member from the North West. After ongoing harmonisation, the remaining list will be sent to the Speaker within the next few days for announcement.
The lawmakers said they settled for Ikenga because of his excellent legislative record, three years out of his four-year term, during which he sponsored and moved over 40 bills, motions and petitions, in addition to his four years as Senior Adviser to the Senate President, all of which have established him as a qualified candidate for the job. They said that the power to choose rests with the majority of the minority members, and that power has now been exercised, adding that any sentimental arguments will not change the decision of the minority lawmakers, who have overwhelmingly settled for one of their own.
They noted that, in the past, Sen. Akpabio was elected Senate Minority Leader after only three weeks in parliament, and that many others have been elected to top parliamentary positions with fewer years of experience. They added that even when the PDP zoned the speakership to the South West for Mulikat, the lawmakers elected Tambuwal and Ihedioha; when the APC zoned the Senate Presidency to the North East, the senators elected Sen. Saraki and Ekweremadu; and Dogara was elected after the position had been tipped for the South West. Parliament, they stressed, is rooted in the principle of majority decision and not sentiment. The lawmakers said their choice of Ikenga, with three years of legislative experience for a four-year job, is more than enough.
From Aliyu Askira, Kano
The Ungogo Local Government Area of Kano State has withdrawn the licences of all private schools within its jurisdiction following allegations that a teacher sexually abused four female pupils.
The decision was announced by the Education Councillor, Abdullahi Wakili, who said it followed a review meeting aimed at strengthening school oversight and addressing safety and moral concerns in the area.
Wakili explained that the council chairman, Tijjani Amiru Bilyaminu, has directed all private school proprietors to appear before a screening committee for fresh assessment before they can resume operations.
The action comes after the closure of Al-Hadeed Private School in the Inusawa area of Ungogo, where a teacher popularly known as Uncle Kamal was accused of abusing four underage pupils reportedly from the same family.
The suspect has been arraigned before a magistrate court in the Nomansland area of Kano on rape charges. The court ordered that he be remanded in custody and adjourned the case to June 9, 2026.
Authorities said the sweeping measure is intended to restore public confidence in private schools and ensure the safety of children across the local government.
“Our schools must be safe havens, not places of fear,” Wakili stated.
Alia Appoints New Acting Head of Service in Benue
ShareFrom Attah Ede, Makurdi Benue State Governor, Rev Fr .Hyacinth Alia has approved the appointment of Dr. Ihu Eunice Ogbenyi as new Acting Head of Service (HoS)...
Oshonaike Hails Steady Progress of Nigerian Table Tennis Players
ShareSeven-time Olympian Olufunke Oshonaike said Nigerian table tennis players are making steady progress in spite of the challenges they face in competing...
Poland Bans Smartphones in Primary Schools
SharePoland plans to ban mobile phones in all primary schools from next academic year under draft legislation approved by the government on Tuesday. The...
Reps Minority Picks Ugochinyere as New Leader
ShareBy Ubong Ukpong, Abuja Following the defection of the former minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda, the minority caucus has nominated Hon. Ikenga...
Kano Revokes Private School Licences over Sexual Abuse
ShareFrom Aliyu Askira, Kano The Ungogo Local Government Area of Kano State has withdrawn the licences of all private schools within its jurisdiction following allegations that...
CBN Approves Regular Commercial Operations for Abbey Mortgage Bank
ShareBy Tony Obiechina, Abuja Abbey Mortgage Bank Plc, one of Nigeria’s longest‑standing primary mortgage banks, has secured regulatory approval from...
Owo Church Massacre: Court Sentences Four to Death for Terrorism
ShareBy David Torough, Abuja More than three years after the gruesome attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo...
Terrorists Abduct Adelabu’s Sister, Twin Sons, kidnap Six Students in Zamfara
ShareBy Eze Okechukwu, Abuja and Ifeanyichukwu Nwannah, Gusau The nation’s worsening insecurity came into sharp focus on Wednesday, as separate incidents of...
Nigeria Customs, World Bank Launch Two-Week Post Clearance Audit to Boost Revenue, Trade Compliance
ShareBy Tambaya Julius, Abuja The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in partnership with the World Bank Group, has commenced a two-week...
Court Suit halted Planned Demolition in Abuja
ShareBy Laide Akinboade, Abuja Residents of Kampala Street, Wuse II, Abuja, have formally notified the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC)...