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MURIC wants to turn ITF to religious organization, Coalition alarms
A conference of Civil Society Groups, known as Coalition for Good Governance and Rule of Law, on Tuesday, raised alarm that, the Muslims Rights Concern (MURIC), was pushing to turn the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) into a religious organization. adsbygoogle || []).push({}); js">
Ishaq Akintola, the leader of MURIC, had reportedly accused the Director-General of ITF, Sir Joseph Ari of recruiting only Christians into the agency, since his assumption of office.
MURIC was reported as saying, out of 487 staff employed at the ITF in 2019, only 90 were Muslims and that this was just 18.48 percent, while Christians were 81.52 percent.
But at a Press Conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Leader of the Coalition, Comrade Isaac Ikpa, said the allegation of nepotism in the ITF was an attempt by MURIC to cause unnecessary distraction in the operations of the agency in an attempt to malign the character of the leadership.
He said Sir Ari was reputed to have entrenched a regime of transparency and accountability in the operations of the ITF since he assumed office.
“The Coalition for Good Governance and Rule in its numerous engagements with Ministries, Departments, and Agencies in the country indeed finds it worrisome that MURIC would elect to turn the truth on its head in a most brazen and despicable manner.
“We are constrained to add our voice to this narrative for the fact that the allegations are unsubstantiated. The allegations are also lacking in merit because it is obvious from all indications that MURIC relied on hearsays before making its position known in the public space”, the Coalition said.
The group also described as “uncharitable”, the allegations by MURIC, saying, it was an indication that the leadership of MURIC was not in tune with reality and the operational structure of the ITF that emphasizes meritocracy due to the sensitivity of its operations.
“It is our considered view that MURIC mistook the ITF for a religious organization where religious considerations should be the yardstick for employment as against experience, qualifications, and suitability for the job” the group added.
The Coalition stressed that it had on several occasions, continuously tasked agencies of government on good governance and the rule of law, “and it is instructive to state that the ITF remains one of the agencies of government that has displayed a high level of compliance to the extant laws guiding its operations, including recruitment at all cadres”.
The group said the ITF Board was known to have carried out its employment in line with the federal character principle and there was no iota of favoritism or nepotism as being speculated.
“We believe that MURIC was misled into its hasty conclusion without carrying out a detailed investigation. We, therefore, implore a respected organization like MURIC to do some research before making public statements on petitions before it and will encourage MURIC to continue to carry out its roles as a respected civil society organization, or at the risk of been labeled as a tool for inciting religious tension in the country” Ikpa added.
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Kogi Ministry Of Justice Partners NGO On Fight Against Gender-Based Violence
From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
The Kogi State Ministry of Justice, in collaboration with the non-governmental organization “Protect the Child Foundation” has launched a strategic partnership aimed at sustaining the fight against all forms of gender-based violence (GBV) in the state.
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This was the focus of a one-day stakeholders’ workshop on “Sustaining the Fight Against Gender-Based Violence,” organized by the Ministry’s Directorate of Gender-Based Violence in collaboration with the Foundation and with the support of the French Embassy.
Stakeholders at the event called for the strengthening of Nigeria’s legal framework to ensure a sustained and coordinated response to gender-based violence across the country.
Delivering the keynote address, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Kogi State, Muizudeen Yunusa Abdullahi, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Falilat Yusuf Musa (Esq.), emphasized that combating GBV is a shared responsibility requiring collective commitment and action.
“The theme of today’s discourse
Justice, Protection, and Zero Tolerance: Sustaining the Fight Against Gender-Based Violence is not just a slogan but a strategic blueprint for action,” Abdullahi said.
“These three pillars Justice, Protection, and Zero Tolerance form the tripod upon which a safe, equitable, and dignified society must stand.”
He highlighted key legal instruments supporting the fight against GBV, including Sections 33, 34, and 42 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law of Kogi State, 2022, and the Child’s Rights Law of Kogi State.
According to him, these laws collectively ensure that every citizen from infancy to adulthood—is shielded from violence, discrimination, and exploitation.
Abdullahi commended Governor Usman Ododo for his administration’s unwavering commitment to curbing the menace of sexual and gender-based violence in the state, noting that the governor’s leadership has provided “decisive action and clear direction” in ensuring justice for survivors.
“Under his leadership, we have a clear mandate to ensure that the full weight of the law is brought to bear on perpetrators without fear or favour,” he said. “In Kogi State, there is zero tolerance for gender-based violence.”
He called on law enforcement agencies to handle GBV cases with urgency and sensitivity, urged civil society partners to continue advocacy and survivor support, and challenged communities to break the culture of silence and stigma.
In her remarks, the Executive Director of “Protect the Child Foundation”, Barr. Elizabeth Achimugu, attributed the persistence of gender-based violence largely to poverty and called for the empowerment of the girl child as a key strategy to address the problem.
She stressed the need for community engagement and public awareness, noting that exposing perpetrators and ending stigmatization are crucial to combating GBV.
“Sexual and gender-based violence constitutes a grave violation of human rights and a public health crisis,” Achimugu said. “In Nigeria, despite the existence of relevant laws, enforcement remains weak, especially in rural communities where awareness is low.”
She cited alarming statistics from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2023, which reports that 31% of women aged 15–49 have experienced physical violence, while 7% have experienced sexual violence, often linked to harmful cultural practices.
Achimugu called for integrated, multi-sectoral approaches involving health, education, justice, and community systems, as well as economic empowerment initiatives for women and girls to reduce vulnerability to abuse.
Earlier, the Deputy Director of the Gender-Based Violence Directorate, Juliana Jonathan-Omale, underscored the need for sustained action, describing the workshop theme as “both a declaration and a challenge.”
“We have moved from breaking the silence to building systems of response,” she said. “Now we must ensure this fight is not a fleeting campaign but a lasting commitment built on strategy, resilience, and collaboration.”
Participants at the workshop, including traditional rulers, religious leaders, and civil society representatives, agreed that sustained progress against gender-based violence demands coordinated action, legal enforcement, and community-driven change to build a safer and more inclusive society.
Ends
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Ajia Mourns General Abdullahi Adangba, Condoles Emir of Ilorin and Ilorin Emirate
By AbdulRahman Obaje
Businessman and philanthropist, Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed Ajia, the Dan Amanar of Fune Emirate, has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Major General Abdullahi Mohammed Adangba (rtd), former Chief of Staff to two Nigerian Presidents, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who died on Tuesday in Abuja at the age of 86.
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Ajia, in a condolence message signed by his Director of Communications, Malam Abdulrahman Aliagan, and made available to journalists in Abuja, Ajia described the late General Adangba as “a rare patriot, seasoned administrator, and a disciplined officer whose life symbolized loyalty, humility, and selfless service to the nation.”
Ajia extended his heartfelt condolences to the Emir of Ilorin and Chairman of the Kwara State Traditional Council, Alhaji (Dr.) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari CFR, and the entire Ilorin Emirate over what he described as “a monumental loss to Ilorin, Kwara State, and Nigeria at large.”
According to him, “The late General Adangba was not only a distinguished military officer and public servant but also a proud son of Ilorin whose contributions to national development and his community will never be forgotten. He served the country with uncommon dedication and left behind a legacy of integrity and honour.”
Ajia noted that the passing of General Adangba at this critical time has created a vacuum that will be difficult to fill, particularly among patriotic Nigerians who value truth, service, and national unity.
He prayed that Almighty Allah grants the departed soul Al-Jannah Firdaus and gives the Emir of Ilorin, the bereaved family, and the people of Ilorin the strength to bear the great loss.
“On behalf of my family and associates, I join the good people of Ilorin Emirate and the entire nation in mourning a statesman who gave his all for the peace and progress of our dear country,” the statement concluded.
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Fair Hearing for Kanu: AVID expressed deep concern over judicial standards
Our Correspondent
The American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID) has condemned what it described as a “continuing judicial travesty” in the ongoing trial of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
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AVID, in a statement issued on Thursday, November 6, 2025 and signed by its President, Chief Dr. Sylvester Onyia, AVID expressed “grave concern and total condemnation” over what it called the erosion of constitutional and judicial standards in Kanu’s case.
The statement alleged that the trial lacked legal foundation and violated both domestic and international principles of fair hearing.
“Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended) is clear under Section 36(12) that no person shall be tried for any criminal offence unless that offence and its penalty are defined in a written law,” the group stated.
“This is a bond editable constitutional safeguard, a cornerstone of due process, and a measure of any civilized nation’s commitment to justice.”
According to AVID, the Nigerian government continues to prosecute Kanu under the repealed Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act, 2013, despite the enactment of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, which replaced it.
“Yet, before the world and under Justice Omotosho’s watch, the Nigerian state persists in trying Mazi Nnamdi Kanu under a dead law — the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act, 2013 — which ceased to exist upon the enactment of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022,” AVID said.
“Justice Omotosho, contrary to the mandatory duty of judicial notice under Section 122(2)(a) of the Evidence Act, has refused to acknowledge this repeal. This is not a mere oversight; it is a judicial dereliction of constitutional duty.”
The group further faulted the judge’s alleged decision to defer ruling on issues of jurisdiction and double jeopardy until final judgment, insisting that such questions strike at the root of any criminal trial.
“Justice Omotosho’s posture of ‘wait till judgment’ on questions of jurisdiction, double jeopardy, and validity of charge is the opposite of established precedents of the Supreme Court of Nigeria,” the statement noted.
“Jurisdictional defects strike at the root of a case and must be determined forthwith, not deferred. No court, no matter how highly placed, can arrogate to itself jurisdiction it does not possess,” the statement emphasised.
AVID cited Section 76(1)(d)(iii) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, which, it said, requires that any alleged terrorism committed abroad must also constitute an offence in the jurisdiction where it occurred — in this case, Kenya, where Kanu was allegedly abducted.
“This double criminality requirement has not been met, yet the judge insists on proceeding, thus nullifying the moral and legal foundation of the entire trial,” the group argued.
The organization also accused Nigeria’s legal and judicial institutions of silence in the face of what it termed “constitutional infidelity.”
“It is appalling that in the face of such manifest constitutional infidelity, Nigeria’s legal institutions — the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the National Judicial Council (NJC), and so-called legal analysts — have chosen cowardly silence,” the group lamented.
“A nation whose lawyers fear to ask, ‘Under what law is this man being tried?’ has surrendered its conscience to tyranny,” the group added.
AVID also expressed concern over what it called “the destruction of every element of fair hearing” guaranteed under Section 36(1) of the Constitution.
“From the denial of access to lawyers and family in DSS custody to the judicial disregard of documentary evidence before the court, every element of fair hearing has been destroyed in Justice Omotosho’s court,” it said.
Citing an incident in open court, the veterans’ group claimed Kanu had asked for a brief recess in the judge’s chambers “to prevent the judiciary’s embarrassment” but was denied.
“When Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, in court, asked for a five-minute recess in the judge’s chambers to prevent the judiciary’s embarrassment, he was rebuffed,” AVID said.
“When he raised the profound constitutional question — ‘Under what law am I being tried?’ — Justice Omotosho retorted, ‘Wait till judgment.’ That a sitting Federal High Court judge can preside over a criminal trial without identifying a subsisting law is the ultimate indictment of Nigeria’s judicial decay,” AVID stressed.
The group called on international bodies, including the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the U.S. Department of State, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the International Criminal Court (ICC), to monitor and document what it described as “ongoing judicial abuses in Nigeria.”
“The trial of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, in its present form, is not just a constitutional aberration but an affront to international human rights standards on fair trial and rule of law,” the statement read.
AVID urged Nigeria to “choose between law and lawlessness,” saying the ongoing proceedings undermine the nation’s claim to democracy.
“Justice Omotosho’s courtroom has become a theatre of constitutional absurdity — a place where a man is asked to defend himself against a non-existent law, where judicial notice is optional, and where constitutional provisions are treated as irritants,” the group said.
“If Nigeria still claims to be a constitutional democracy, it must immediately halt this charade, restore the rule of law, and release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally.”
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NewsNovember 6, 2025Kogi Ministry Of Justice Partners NGO On Fight Against Gender-Based ViolenceNewsNovember 6, 2025Ajia Mourns General Abdullahi Adangba, Condoles Emir of Ilorin and Ilorin EmirateNewsNovember 6, 2025Fair Hearing for Kanu: AVID expressed deep concern over judicial standardsNewsNovember 5, 2025Unknown Gunmen kill 2 In Kogi Community