Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

The Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has issued employment letters to 5,000 teachers, including 4,500 teachers who have been on contract employment in the state.

Daily Trust reports that the 4,500 teachers who have been on contract employment for over three years were employed under the EdoStar teachers programme during the administration of former Governor Godwin Obaseki.

Speaking during the event in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo restated his administration’s commitment to standard and quality education in the state.

He said the vital role teachers play in shaping the future of Edo State underscores his administration’s dedication to improving the welfare of educators.

‘You are very important to us. Your reward is no longer in heaven; it is here, under our watch,’ he said.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Education, Dr Paddy Iyamu, lauded the teachers for their perseverance over the past three years despite the challenges of being on contract.

A woman, whose identity is yet to be ascertained, was beaten and partially stripped by a mob for allegedly attempting to steal a child at the Giri Kpasere community in the Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT.

A resident of Giri-Kpasere, Danlami Habila, said the incident happened on Saturday around 5:12 pm.

He said the lady, who was wearing a shirt and jeans trousers, was arrested by the roadside with a crying child, waiting to board a vehicle.

Habila added that some passersby who identified the child became suspicious.

He explained that one of the passersby suddenly stopped after discovering the child was crying. The man called the child’s name, and the child immediately responded.

Habila said that, at that moment, the lady immediately placed the child on her back and covered him with a wrapper/cloth, a situation which prompted the man to begin questioning the lady about how she came to have the child.

‘So, as the man who identified the child now called the child’s name and he answered, the child started crying, which prompted the man to suspect that the lady must have stolen the child, and she was arrested on the spot,’ he said.

He said after the man raised an alarm, the attention of some youth around the area was attracted. They immediately started beating her and almost stripped her completely naked.

‘In fact, there were some people who first saw the lady walking with the child and making frantic phone calls by the roadside, trying to stop a vehicle, but as nemesis would have it, she could not get a vehicle,’ he added.

Habila said that some residents who rushed to the scene also identified the child and immediately alerted the child’s mother, who later arrived at the scene.

According to him, the child was immediately retrieved from the lady, after which the mob continued to beat her.

He added that some elders of the community who got wind of the incident quickly rushed to the scene and rescued the lady.

He said the lady was later handed over to the police in the area.

A police source at the Gwagwalada division, who preferred anonymity, confirmed the arrest of a lady for attempting to steal a child in Giri, saying the suspect will be charged to court after investigation.

Reacting to the incident, the FCT Police Command condemned the act of jungle justice by a mob that assaulted a young lady suspected of stealing a two-year-old child in Giri-Kpasere in the Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT.

In a statement by the command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, it was said that the incident occurred on October 13, 2025, in which the victim was assaulted by the mob.

She said the suspect, who was being severely beaten by the crowd, was promptly rescued by police patrol officers from Tungan Maje Division to prevent further escalation.

She, however, disclosed that the command has commenced a discreet investigation into the alleged child theft and will ensure that justice is served in accordance with the law.

Adeh further warned that the police will not hesitate to arrest and prosecute anyone involved in mob attacks, noting that such actions undermine the rule of law and ongoing efforts to ensure peace and security in the FCT.

The Federal Ministry of Education has dismissed reports circulating in some newspapers and online platforms suggesting that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is no longer required for admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

In a press release issued on Thursday, the Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, described the claim as ‘false, baseless, and did not originate from the Federal Ministry of Education.

‘At no point did the Ministry issue or authorize any statement suggesting that JAMB is no longer mandatory for admission into tertiary institutions,’ Dr. Alausa stated.

He reaffirmed that JAMB remains the statutory and legally empowered body responsible for conducting entrance examinations and coordinating admissions into all tertiary institutions across the country. ‘The established admission processes through JAMB remain fully operational, and any contrary information should be disregarded in its entirety,’ the Minister added.

The Ministry urged the public-particularly prospective students, parents, and tertiary institutions-to rely solely on official communication channels of the Ministry and JAMB for accurate and verified information regarding admission policies.

Alausa also emphasized the Ministry’s continued collaboration with JAMB and other relevant agencies to uphold transparency, fairness, and credibility in Nigeria’s tertiary education admission system.

‘We remain committed to protecting the integrity of the admission process and ensuring that merit and due process guide all admissions into higher institutions,’ he said.

While warning the media outlets, bloggers, and online platforms, the Ministry cautioned against publishing unverified information.

‘Misinformation capable of causing unnecessary confusion within the education sector must be avoided,’ the statement read.

The Ministry reiterated that there has been no change in JAMB’s role, which remains central and indispensable in Nigeria’s tertiary education framework. Any publication or online post claiming otherwise ‘is entirely false and should be treated as such.’

A Bayelsa State High Court (Court 3) sitting in Yenagoa, the state capital, has sentenced a 29-year-old woman, Mariam Omokiri, to seven years in prison over human trafficking, with an additional N1 million fine.

The convict, who is from Delta State, was charged by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Other Related Offences (NAPTIP).

Delivering the judgment on Tuesday, Justice Doris Adokeme held that, from the totality of evidence presented by the prosecution, she was satisfied that the prosecution had successfully proved its case.

Justice Adokeme stated that the offence of trafficking in persons is a very serious one which has negatively affected the international image of the country.

She held that the prison terms shall run concurrently and ordered the convict to pay N1 million for trafficking, exporting, and promoting the prostitution of young girls.

Daily Trust recalls that the convict was arraigned in court on January 30, 2025, for organizing and trafficking four girls from Bayelsa to Mali and Senegal for prostitution.

The offences contravene the provisions of sections 13(1)(2)(b), 13(4)(a)(c), 14(b) and 18 of the Trafficking In Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.

The Acting Commander of NAPTIP in Bayelsa State, Mr. Fadewara Timiebiowei, who was represented in court by Barr. Charles Emomotimi, said the judgment will send a signal that Bayelsa is not a safe haven for human trafficking activities.

He encouraged parents and guardians to report all forms of human trafficking to NAPTIP, Bayelsa Command, or other security agencies.

On his part, a representative of the victims’ family and one-time Commissioner for Works in Bayelsa State, Chief Charles Ambaowei, commended NAPTIP for the good work.

A Kaduna State High Court has ruled that a bid by the Commissioner of Police to suspend all political meetings and rallies across the state was unlawful, unconstitutional, and amounted to a gross abuse of power.

The court further ordered the police to pay N15 million in damages to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for the violation of its fundamental rights.

Delivering the judgement on Wednesday, Justice Murtala J. Zubairu held that the police acted beyond their legal mandate by seeking judicial authority to impose a blanket ban on political activities, warning that such conduct cannot be tolerated in a constitutional democracy.

The case, marked KDH/KAD/NPF/1315/2025, was filed on September 4, 2025, by the Commissioner of Police against the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP). The police sought to halt political gatherings pending investigations into alleged threats of violence.

However, the court dismissed the suit as incompetent and politically motivated and instead upheld a counterclaim by the SDP, which accused the police of acting with bias, breaching their statutory responsibilities, and attempting to suppress opposition voices.

‘The notion that the police can indefinitely suspend the fundamental rights of association and assembly of every political party in a state is an overreach and constitutes an abuse of statutory powers. The duty of the police is to provide security for peaceful assemblies, not to ban them preemptively based on vague fears or speculative intelligence,’ Justice Zubairu declared.

He emphasised that the 1999 Constitution guarantees citizens’ freedom of association and assembly under Section 40, and that the Police Act 2020 does not override those protections.

‘The Applicant’s reliance on the Police Act 2020 cannot override Section 40 of the Constitution. To do otherwise would be an invitation to anarchy and a breach of the social contract,’ he said.

Citing legal precedents, including Inspector-General of Police v. All Nigeria Peoples Party (2007) and All Progressives Congress v. Inspector-General of Police (2014), the court reinforced that the police have no legal grounds to prohibit peaceful political gatherings.

In its counterclaim against the police application, the SDP informed the court that it was not responsible for the August 30 violence referenced by the police but rather a victim of it. The party said it had previously warned the police, via a petition dated August 14, about the recruitment of political thugs by the ruling party. The petition, the party claimed, was ignored.

The party also argued that the meeting scheduled for September 4, the very event the police sought to suspend, was not a political rally but ‘a peaceful commiseration visit’.

Justice Zubairu agreed with the SDP’s account, stating, ‘The evidence before this court shows a clear abdication of duty by the applicant (police). Rather than protect the victims of the August 30 incident, the police sought judicial cover to curtail their rights. This is unacceptable in a constitutional democracy.’

The court found that the police breached their obligations under Sections 4, 83, and 84 of the Police Act 2020, which mandate law enforcement to provide adequate security for assemblies and processions.

Additionally, the court set aside an interim injunction earlier obtained by the police, noting that it was granted without the required undertaking as to damages, violating the Supreme Court’s ruling in Kotoye v CBN (1989).

‘The ex parte order obtained without the required undertaking is irregular, oppressive, and contrary to law. The resulting injury to the respondents must be compensated,’ the judge ruled.

The court awarded the SDP N15 million in damages, broken down as N5 million for the arbitrary suspension of the party’s meeting, N5 million for the wrongful injunction, and N5 million for the police’s failure to investigate the August 30 attack.

Justice Zubairu further directed the police to investigate all pending petitions and submit a comprehensive report to the Attorney-General of Kaduna State within 60 days.

The Kaduna police command is yet to formally react to the judgement as of the time of filing this report. Several efforts to reach the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Mansir Hassan, were unsuccessful, as calls to his phone line did not connect.

Judgement reinforces rule of law – El-Rufai’s ally

But reacting, a chieftain of the ADC and commissioner during the administration of Nasir El-Rufai, Hafsat Baba, described the recent court judgement involving the party as a welcome development, saying it reinforces the principle of justice and the rule of law.

Hafsat Baba expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the case, noting that it signals a positive shift in the judicial process where justice can be attained regardless of political power or influence.

‘So I believe that this is something that everybody will be happy about,’ she said. ‘Because that means once somebody takes you to court, it doesn’t matter whether he’s in power or not; you can get judgement.’

Baba emphasised the importance of adhering to the rule of law to prevent incidents of political interference and abuse of power.

‘It is when we follow the law that a lot of these things can be avoided. But we believe that some people think they can just break the law and get away with it. No. For me, I believe that justice has been served.’

She also called on security agencies to stay within the limits of their responsibilities, urging them to avoid interfering in political matters.

‘This judgement should serve as a deterrent to any of the security agencies. Their main responsibility is to protect life and property. Whether a political party is in power or not, their meetings should follow due process and be adequately protected.’

Hafsat Baba reiterated that the ADC is a party committed to peace and lawful conduct.

‘ADC is the party of law-abiding citizens. We were never there to cause any problem,’ she said.

How the crisis started

The controversy stems from an attack on an ADC meeting allegedly targeted at El-Rufai two months ago by suspected political thugs that invaded the venue of a political gathering at NUT Endwell Hotel in Kaduna metropolis.

The thugs smashed windows, vandalised vehicles, and injured party members, despite the presence of police officers.

El-Rufai, a member of the SDP and one of the leaders in the coalition that adopted the ADC as its party, was at the venue to inaugurate a coalition transition committee. He accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of masterminding the attack.

But the APC denied involvement. Its state secretary, Yahaya Baba-Pate, said, ‘APC is a law-abiding political party. We don’t engage in thuggery, and we don’t support thuggery. We believe in the tenets of democracy. We can never belittle ourselves and engage in such an unlawful act.’

He further argued that there was no opposition in Kaduna because Governor Uba Sani was delivering on his campaign promises in education, health, infrastructure, rural development, security, and inclusiveness.

Police invitation and allegations

A few days after the attack, the Kaduna State Police Command invited El-Rufai and several ADC leaders over allegations of criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance of public peace, mischief, and causing grievous hurt.

The invitation letter with reference number CR:3000/KDS/X/D4/vOL.120/199, signed by Deputy Commissioner of Police, CID, Uzairu Abdullahi, and addressed to the ADC Chairman, directed the party to produce the listed members at the SCID for questioning on September 8.

Those invited include Nasir El-Rufai, Bashir Sa’idu, Jafaru Sani, Ubaidullah Mohammed (a.k.a. 30), Nasiru Maikano, Aminu Abita, and Ahmed Rufa’i Hussaini (a.k.a. Mikiya).

El-Rufai later petitioned the Police Service Commission (PSC) against alleged unprofessional conduct, abuse of office, and violations of the Police Act by some Kaduna police officers.

His media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, said in a statement that El-Rufai had also petitioned the Inspector-General of Police over what he described as ‘egregiously unlawful acts’ since the resumption of the current Kaduna Commissioner of Police on December 30, 2024.

The petition detailed the particulars of the complaint and requested an immediate, impartial, and exhaustive investigation into the unlawful and unconstitutional conduct of the Commissioner of Police and some officers of the Kaduna State Police Command.

But while the petition was pending, the Kaduna police commissioner approached the court to seek prohibitory orders to suspend all political rallies, meetings, and assemblies by the ADC, SDP and all other political parties in Kaduna State, pending the conclusion of police investigations into alleged threats of violence.

The SDP, however, challenged the suit and filed a counterclaim seeking declarations and damages for the breach of their fundamental rights and statutory duties by the police.