Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo, and Justice Mary Peter Odili of the Supreme Court has called for stiffer punishment against those perpetrating violence on innocent children and vulnerable citizens of the country.

They also advocated for strong laws that will give adequate protection to the child and vulnerable witnesses working towards eradication of crimes in the nation.

In their separate papers at a Conference organized by the National Association of Women Judges, a Hybrid Conference on the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Witnesses in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. They canvassed for a policy that will ensure justice delivery without sacrificing the well-being of vulnerable witnesses in the process.

Professor Osinbajo, represented by Professor Bilkisu Saidu suggested that all hands must be on deck by stakeholders to end attack on child and the vulnerable.

The Vice President assured that the Nigerian government will do its best to eradicate violence against the child and vulnerable in the country.

He also said that discussion at the Conference must not only address the overwhelming cultural and social norms and barriers to exposing criminals but must also assess and address the problems that the witnesses may face before trial, during trial and after trial.

According to him, “the protection of their privacy and their identities should be paramount.”

“It is not enough to pass laws for the protection of the child and other vulnerable witnesses, there is the need to have in place clear implementation and enforcement mechanisms aimed at actualising the intendment of the law,” he stressed.

Professor Osinbajo also stressed the need for appropriate protective measures for children, adding that the prevalence of sexual and gender-based offences against children has further brought to the fore the imperative of designing appropriate protective measures for these children, who are sometimes the only witnesses to the offences.

Justice of the Supreme Court and the President of the National Association of Women Judges in Nigeria (NAWJN), Justice Mary Peter Odili explained the essence of the Conference on Child and Vulnerable witnesses’ protection.

She said that the conference was meant to create awareness, cross fertilize ideas and congregate experiences that would chart a new course for Child and vulnerable witnesses in the country.

“It has been shown that Nigeria is behind in the protection of child and vulnerable witnesses compared to her Common Wealth counterparts”, she said.

According to her, ”no single legislation in Nigeria provides for the protection of Child and vulnerable witnesses in the country. The situation is further compounded by the challenge of defining who is a child under the Nigerian Law”

Justice Odili added that though the Child Rights Act has been passed by the Nigerian government, some states of the federation are yet to domesticate the legislation.

She also urged the audience to drive discussion in the conference that would provoke law makers, legal practitioners, and judges towards having a deliberate legal frame work for child and vulnerable witness protection in Nigeria.

Participants drawn from Nigeria, Australia, England and Wales exchanged perspectives on what is obtained in their countries and the way forward for Nigeria.

Defence Headquarters said it is a fallacy for Boko haram to say that military killed one of their members, so, they have to kill rice farmers as regards to the trending video on social media.
The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche stated this at a news briefing in Abuja, said that this was an act of wickedness by the terrorists.

Major General Enenche called on the public not to be discouraged; as the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies are on top of the situation to restore lasting peace in the country through various operations.
Major General Enenche also at the briefing said that between 26th November to 2nd of December 2020, in continuation of intensive kinetic operations against armed bandits and other criminals in the North Central zone, troops of Operations SAFE HAVEN, WHIRL STROKE and other subsidiary operations conducted raids at identified criminals’ hideouts.

He said notably, within this period, “troops of Operation NUTCRACKER II in conjunction with local vigilante members while on clearance operations engaged armed bandits at Dutse Magaji in Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State”.
He noted that during the Operation, 3 bandits were neutralized while one AK47 rifle and 38 rustled cattle were recovered.

According to him, in the South-South Zone of the country, troops of Operation DELTA SAFE have sustained the fight against economic sabotage to secure critical oil infrastructure in the zone.
Similarly, on 26 November 2020, gunboats of Forward Operating Base IBAKA while on routine patrol around Mbo river, intercepted and arrested one large wooden boat laden with 229 drums of 300 litres of product suspected to be PMS with 2 suspects, outboard engines and pumping machines.

Additionally, within the period under review, troops of 146 Battalion discovered and immobilized 2 reactivated illegal refining sites containing 4 boilers, 6 storage tanks and one wooden boat laden with illegally refined oil products around Oputumbi in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Furthermore, troops of Operation DELTA SAFE immobilized 2 reactivated illegal refining sites containing 3 boilers and 5 storage tanks laden with crude oil around Orutoru in same Local Government Area.
According to him, in the South West zone, troops of Operation AWATSE have continued to intensify the fight against pipeline vandals, economic saboteurs and other criminal elements in the zone. Within the period under review, troops of Operation AWATSE while on routine patrol intercepted 6 trucks fully loaded with stolen petroleum products at Areppo.

Major General Enenche said the operation was conducted after an intensified surveillance was carried out by troops within the general area.
Accordingly, troops moved swiftly to the area and met vandals loading their trucks with the fuel.

He said “troops arrested 10 of the vandals and 6 trucks loaded products”.

The Coordinator noted that in the North-East zone, several land and air operations were conducted by the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies.
He added that the troops adopted sustained vigilance and offensive postures through comprehensive ground and air operations. Within the period in focus, troops of Army Super Camp II Gamboru-Ngala conducted clearance operations at some suspected BHT/ISWAP criminals hideout at Garal village and Bulankesa village.
He said “the troops made contact with the terrorists and effectively engaged and dominated them with rapid fire power”.

Enenche noted that during the encounter, 2 BHT/ISWAP criminals were neutralized.
Relatedly, on 27 November 2020 troops of Strong Response Area Pulka conducted a robust clearance patrol at Ashigashiya area.
According to him, during the operation, troops made contact with the criminals at their logistics base.
He added that in the ensuing gun battle 2 terrorists were neutralized while others escaped with gunshot wounds. Several bags of assorted grains and other food items were recovered.
Thereafter the logistics warehouse was destroyed.

Meanwhile, the Military High Command has reassured the general public of its dedication towards securing the country as members of the general public are enjoined to continue providing timely information on the activities of criminals in their various localities to the military and other security agencies for prompt and effective action.

The National Human Rights Commission in Nigeria says all forms of discrimination and inequalities against Persons with disabilities must be prevented in order to build an inclusive society.

Executive Secretary of the Commission, Mr. Tony Ojukwu, stated this at the a Media Parley in Abuja, Nigeria’s Capital on the occasion of the 2020 International Day of Persons with Disability.

” I therefore call on governments and stakeholders at all levels to include Persons with disabilities in their Covid-19 recovery plan” he said.

Mr Ojukwu said; “Covid-19 lockdown had greater impact on the work, income and livelihood of persons with disability.” 

He was represented by the Director, Women, Children and other Vulnerable Group, Mr. Harry Obe at the event.

The President, Initiative for Disabilities, Inclusion and Diversity, a nongovernmental Organisation, Mrs Bilkisu Zango noted that Persons with disabilities face environmental and social barriers despite their huge numbers in the society.

She added that government, religious institutions, the media and others had a role to play in the advocacy.

Mercy Chukwudiebere

As part of effort to strengthen the peace and unity that brought Nigeria as one country, the Presidential Support Committee (PSC) has concluded plan to hold a National Conference this Month with a view to showcasing the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari’s led Administration.

The Chairman of the committee Rt. Hon Gideon Sammani disclosed this to journalists shortly after a closed door meeting with the members of the inauguration committee in Abuja.

He said the conference with the theme ’’Justice, Peace and Unity’’ is aimed at bringing Nigerians together and presenting the achievement of President Buhari’s led administration and youth awareness on Social Investment programmes initiated by the government for the benefit of youth, women and most vulnerable Nigerians.

Mr Sammani added that the conference will also examine the current security situation and other important national issues and suggest ways of finding lasting solution to the challenges facing the country.

The Coordinator of the conference, Engr. Kailani Mohammed said that the conference would give the details expenditures by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari within six years on social investment programmes, agricultural scheme and security.

He added that, plans were underway organised programmes that would advise the President on the need to create more jobs for youths and ways of curving the security challenges in the country.

On his part, the Chairman of the inauguration committee, Dr Yakubu Ogolawo hinted that, they were preparing for a National Conference as panacea for Justice, Peace and Unity of the country, so as to bring Nigerians together, to see how much the PSC had worked to realize the aim and objectives of All Progressive Congress (APC) via the motto of the party.
The strategic and planning committee of the group, who double as the youth leader, Mr Felix Kowa, urged the youths to be law abiding and use the opportunity of the upcoming conference to preach the message of peace and unity in the country.
The National conference is scheduled to hold in the second week of December, 2020.

By Eme Offiong, Calabar

A special task force designed to tackle insecurity as the festive season approaches has been launched in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, south-south Nigeria.

The task force, code named ‘Operation Akpakwu’, draws personnel from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Civil Defence.

AKPAKWU in the Bete dialect of the Obudu people of northern Cross River refers to a spiky-stinging plant commonly known as velvet beans or the devil’s beans or like the Yoruba people of western Nigeria would call it, Werepe.

Governor Ben Ayade, who was accompanied by service chiefs in the state, handed over more than one hundred patrol vehicles fitted with cutting edge communication gadgets, drones and ten BMW power bikes to the task force.

Returning the peace

Ayade condemned the rising spate of kidnappings and crimes across the state and urged the joint task force to return Cross River to the paradise it once was.

“Cross River State statistically remains the safest state in Nigeria. However, as a state we are used to the culture of zero kidnapping, zero cultism and zero robbery,” Ayade stated.

According to the governor, “in recent past, there has been an increase in the number of crimes within the Niger Delta and the country as a whole arising from the difficulty orchestrated by the ENDSARS protest as well as Covid19, which brought general poverty and hardship on the world”.

The governor warned perpetrators of crimes in the state to relocate immediately as Cross River would no longer be a haven for their kind.

He charged the task force: “The instruction is very clear from Abuja, ‘you must deal decisively with any form of criminality, you must deal decisively with any form of banditry, cultism, kidnapping of any form’. Let this, therefore, be a strong message to everyone that as far as you are resident in Cross River State, today is the end of that criminality”.

“This is the end of armed robbery; banditry must end today. We have received very clear instructions from the Nigerian government. I have supported and stand strong with all our military men and the police that they must comply with the obligations – that Cross River State must be made safe,” the governor said.

To further strengthen security, the governor urged every landlord in the state to account for all tenants as part of the regulations, which was signed into law under the Homeland security.

He said that the task force has been mandated to demolish any property occupied or belonging to kidnappers and robbers.

Extend amnesty
Ayade reiterated the need for the Nigerian government to extend the Niger Delta amnesty programme to members of the Bakassi Strike Force since the group voluntarily surrendering their arms.

“We want to ask the federal government to tell us why the Bakassi Strike Force has not been given proper restitution, rehabilitation and reintegration as they have done in other states,” he lamented.

 “I plead in the name of God that the Bakassi strike force should be admitted into amnesty so that they can have their due and be properly trained,  so they can add value to society”.

Speaking on behalf of the service commanders, the Cross River Police Commissioner, Abdulkadir Jimoh commended Ayade for his proactive steps in crime fighting and pledged the commitment of security agencies to rid the state off criminals.

Confidence Okwuchi