FG CALLS FOR TRANSPARENT ELECTION OF JUDGES, PROSECUTOR FOR ICC – DAILY TRUST PG.11, NATION PG.6

The Federal Government on Monday said it was committed to supporting an inclusive and transparent process in selecting the best and most qualified candidates for the coveted positions of prosecutor and judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) made this known while speaking at the 19th session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, at The Hague, Netherlands.

KATSINA SCHOOL ATTACK: WE’RE NEGOTIATING WITH ABDUCTORS – MASARI TELLS BUHARI – DAILY TRUST PG.5, PUNCH PG.2&7

The Katsina State government is discussing with the abductors of hundreds of students kidnapped from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, on Friday. Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on the matter, saying they were discussing with the kidnappers. It is, however, not clear if the discussion revolves around ransom or the abductors made a different demand.

APPEAL COURT RULES ON METUH’S CONVICTION, DASUKI’S INDICTMENT – WEDNESDAY PUNCH PG.9

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has fixed Wednesday for judgment in three consolidated appeals challenging the February 25, 2020 verdict of the Federal High Court in Abuja which convicted an ex-national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh, on money laundering charges. Our correspondent confirmed from court officials that the hearing notice for the judgment was served on the lead lawyers involved in the case through phone messages on Monday.

POLICE TORTURED ME, COLLECTED N100,000, ALLEGED I WAS GAY – VICTIM – PUNCH PG.11

A Benin-based tailor in his mid-30s, Johnson Eze, on Monday told the Edo State Judicial Panel of Inquiry for victims of SARS and related abuses of how the police arrested him over an allegation that he was gay, tortured and forcefully extorted N100, 000 from him. Eze, who said he was detained at the Iyekogba Police Station in Benin on the orders of the Area Commander for three days, alleged that he was abused and coerced to sign a statement already prepared by the police.

CJN SEEKS BETTER PAY FOR JUDGES – NATION PG.1&36

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, on Monday called for an increased salary structure for judges to enable the Judiciary effectively discharge its constitutional responsibilities. He said: “The welfare of judicial officers is another critical issue that we can’t afford to sweep under the carpet. The paltry sum of money being collected as monthly salaries is an issue that needs urgent redress.

PANEL SUMMONS ABBA KYARI, OTHERS OVER UNLAWFUL DETENTION – NATION PG.4, THISDAY PG.36

The Independent Investigative Panel (IPP) probing rights violation by operatives of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other units of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has ordered the police to produce the Commander of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Abba Kyari, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), and Inspector Vincent Makinde. The 11-man panel, led by Justice Suleiman Galadima (retd.), ordered that both police officers appear before over a case of alleged arbitrary arrest, detention and inhuman treatment of Raphael Tersoo and Moses Mfe.

COURT ORDERS RELEASE OF EZE’S NEPHEWS FROM EFCC CUSTODY – NATION PG.5

An Abuja High Court presided over by Justice S.B Belgore, has ordered the release of Prince Olisa Eze and Onyeka Eze, who have been detained since November 11 at EFCC custody. Giving the Enrolment Order “In the matter of application for redress by the applicants for infringement of their fundamental human rights”, between Prince Olisa Eze and Onyeka Eze (the applicants) and  EFCC and Price Arthur Eze, referred to as Respondents in the application, the Judge also ordered immediate unfreezing of all the applicants’ bank accounts.

‘HOW TO AVERT ANOTHER #ENDSARS PROTEST’ – NATION PG.18&20

GABRIEL Ofoma smiled when the panel chairman directed that the original copy of the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) for a plot of land he bought some years ago in Lugbe, Abuja, be handed to him by the lawyer to the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). It was on December 3, this year, at the sitting of the Independent Investigative Panel (IIP) set up by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to probe complaints of rights abuses by men of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other units of the NPF.

SEVERE SANCTIONS AWAIT UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT BY LAWYERS-CJN – SUN PG.3, THISDAY PG.38

Justice Tanko Mohammad, the chief justice of Nigeria (CJN) has declared that lawyers who engaged in unprofessional conduct during proceedings would be sanctioned. The CJN was represented by Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, while marking the 2020/2021 legal year and swearing-in-the 72 newly conferred 72 senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN).

BOKO HARAM KILLS DOZENS OF NIGERIAN REFUGEES IN NIGER – SUN PG.5, DAILYTRUST PG.37

Dozens of Nigerian refugees in neighbouring Niger Republic have been killed following Boko Haram attack on their shelters. The attack occurred weekend but details did not get Borno, the epicentre of over a decade insurgency, until late Monday.

DIGITAL COURTS TO BE ESTABLISHED SOON – APPEAL COURT PRESIDENT – DAILYTRUST PG.26

For the past six months, our court has been highly depleted. Instead of 90, we have had a little over 70 justices, and just last week, eight other justices left us. Then with the COVID-19 lockdown, many cases were not going on so we felt we should come to Lagos and decongest the Court of Appeal. That is why we came to Lagos. We normally have the annual meeting in Abuja but I thought we should come to Lagos and work and also meet. Unfortunately, we were going to hear 385 appeals but some of the appeals in the panels were not ripe for hearing because there were many applications and applications take a lot of time. So, we were only able to take 156 which I think is not too bad. We were a little bit disappointed but I am glad that 156 appeals and several motions were taken. So, by that, we have prepared over 200 appeals for hearing by taking the motions, it is not too bad.

BALA-USMAN: NPA LOST OVER A BILLION NAIRA TO #ENDSARS PROTESTS – THISDAY PG.38

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, and yesterday in Abuja disclosed that the revenue generating agency incurred more than a billion naira loss to vandalism during the recent #EndSARS protests in the country. This came as the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) declared its readiness to partner the NPA on goods’ evacuation from the ports as a way of solving the problem of trucks causing gridlock on the roads leading to various ports.

#ENDSARS LEKKI SHOOTING: CNN OBJECTS TO LAGOS JUDICIAL PANEL’S JURISDICTION TO SUMMON IT AS WITNESS – THISDAY PG. /5

On 28 November, 2020, the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution of Victims of SARS Related Abuses, issued a Witness Summons on the Cable News Network Inc. (CNN) and its Team of Reporters to appear before it on Saturday, 12 December, 2020, to give evidence on their reportage of the #EndSARS Lekki shooting. Upon service of the summons on CNN’s Lawyers, Messrs. Olumide Babalola LP, the international news outfit instructed their Lawyers to file an objection, on the ground that the Panel lacks jurisdiction to summon them since they are not in Nigeria. From the objection dated 4th December, 2020 but filed on 9th December, 2020 at the Tribunal on behalf of CNN, Olumide Babalola submitted