Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Afam Osigwe has been elected as the new president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) following the 2024 NBA election held online. Osigwe, a former Secretary-General of the NBA, garnered the highest number of votes, with 20,395, surpassing his closest rival, Tobenna Erojikwe, who received 10,970 votes, and Chukwuka Ikwuazom (SAN), who got 9,007 votes. Osigwe will succeed the outgoing president, Yakubu Maikyau (SAN). In other election results: 1st Vice-President: Sabastine Anyia with 12,114 votes, defeating Bartholomew Aguegbodo, who received 6,864 votes. 151 38 50   170 43 57 2nd Vice-President: Mrs. Bolatumi Animashaun with 26,534 votes, defeating Pius Oiwoh, who scored 11,121 votes. 3rd Vice-President: Mrs. Zainab Garba with 23,550 votes, defeating Michael Olorunmola, who received 13,897 votes. General Secretary: Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara with 25,713 votes, defeating Abdulwasiu Alfa, who received 11,730 votes. Assistant General Secretary: Henry Ehi with 28,552 votes, defeating Oluwaseun Aka, who received 8,317 votes. Treasurer: Mrs. Blessing Udofa-Poromon with 17,998 votes, defeating Mbamala Chukwuemeka, who garnered 9,825 votes. Welfare Secretary: Nyada Auta with 18,369 votes, defeating Oaikhena Osagie, who scored 12,855 votes. Publicity Secretary: Mrs. Bridget Edokwe with 19,542 votes, defeating Charles Ajiboye, who scored 10,989 votes. Assistant Publicity Secretary: Miss Ebiere Ekpese with 26,955 votes, defeating Lawrence Ayewa, who scored 9,690 votes.

  Sunday 21 July 2024 Scandalous: Poor Nigerians multiply as Nigeria spends trillions fighting poverty Our diesel not inferior to imported ones, Dangote replies critics SIT- AT- HOME: Mbah hits Simon Ekpa hard, asks Finnish govt to repatriate him Insecurity: Over 5,000 Nigerians killed in 6 months — Adamu NiMet predicts 3-day thundery, rainy, weather conditions from Sunday Anti-govt protest: LP denies involvement as Presidency fingers Obi, alleges treason Fuel import: FG working against local refineries, operators cry out My Obi, Saraki support not for personal gain, says Okupe No more funding for unviable projects, Umahi insists ’18 killed’ as gunmen attack Benue community Cyber outage affected 8.5m Windows devices, says Microsoft Philip Shaibu finally dumps PDP Gunmen Kill Monarch, Son In Taraba CBN Targets $1tn Economy By 2030 Fubara Directs Immediate Promotion Of Senior Secondary School Teachers Ugandan President Says Anti-Corruption Protesters ‘Playing With Fire’ Minimum wage: Joint unions to shutdown states that fail to pay —Arapasopo Minimum Wage: N70,000 Can Only Buy A Bag Of Rice – Ndume Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  Gunmen suspected to be bandits on Friday night invaded the Mbacher community in Mbacher council ward, Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State and killed 18 people. Sources from the local government told our correspondent that the bandits who defied the curfew imposed by the state government invaded the community at about 11 pm on Friday and killed the villagers. Benue State Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia had imposed a curfew from 6 pm to 6 am in Sankera axis following a violent protest that rocked Ukum LGA two weeks ago. The Sankera axis comprises of Katsina-Ala, Ukum and Logo, which has remained a flashpoint of criminality in the state. The source further told our correspondent that the bandits assembled the people pretending to be addressing them when they opened fire on some of them. 18 bodies were reportedly recovered Saturday morning by the military. Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Katsina-Ala LGA, Justine Shaku, said the bandits had concluded their operations before the military got to the village. Shaku said, “At about 11 pm yesterday (Friday), we received a distress call from the villagers that some group of terrorists mobilise themselves and were moving from house to house, forcing people to follow them. “I quickly mobilised the military officers that were in Tor Doonga, and being a remote area, before they could reach there, the people had been killed.”   Shaku added that some people were wounded during the attack. “Yesterday night, I was told it was 17, but today 18 people have been confirmed dead. All of them were assembled in one place and killed. “This morning, I, the assembly member and adviser on legislative matters, held a meeting, and we communicated the development to the Commissioner of Police,” he added. The council chairman described the activities of bandits in the area as a ‘gorilla type of war’ describing the gunmen as “local terrorists.” “I no longer call them bandits because I’m seeing hands/elements of terrorism in their activities. So to me, I classify them as terrorists now. “But they are terrorists within though they have external forces, those who are sponsoring and helping them to perpetrate the acts. The locals are the major people that are doing it. Efforts to get the Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, to confirm the incident were not successful, as her phone rang out. Meanwhile, the Special Adviser on Security and Internal Affairs to Governor Hyacinth Alia, Joseph Har, confirmed the incident.

  The UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday declared that Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory “is unlawful”, and that “all States are under an obligation not to recognize” the decades-long occupation. The Court was responding to a request for an advisory opinion by the General Assembly on the legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. The advisory from the ICJ is a legal opinion provided by the Court on questions of international law. Unlike judgments in contentious cases between States, advisory opinions are non-binding and are sought by United Nations bodies such as the General Assembly or the Security Council. While not legally binding, advisory opinions can shape international policies, increase moral pressure, and unilateral measures adopted by individual States such as sanctions. In its advisory opinion, the ICJ concluded that Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful and that it is under an obligation to bring to an end its unlawful presence “as rapidly as possible”. Israel is also “under an obligation to cease immediately all new settlement activities and to evacuate all settlers from the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” the opinion continued, as well as “reparation for the damage caused to all natural or legal persons concerned”. It further stated that “all States are under an obligation not to recognise as legal the situation arising from the unlawful presence” of Israel. States are also under the obligation to “not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by the continued presence of the State of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”. For international organisations, including the UN, the Court noted the “obligation not to recognise as legal the situation arising from the unlawful presence” of Israel. The ICJ further noted that the UN, and especially the General Assembly and the Security Council, “should consider the precise modalities and further action required to bring to an end as rapidly as possible the unlawful presence of the State of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.” Following the issuance of the opinion, UN Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated his call for the parties to re-engage on the “long-delayed political path” towards ending the occupation. He also called for a resolution of the conflict in line with international law, relevant UN resolutions and bilateral agreements. “The only viable path is the vision of two States – Israel and a fully independent, democratic, contiguous, viable and sovereign Palestinian State – living side by side in peace and security within secure and recognised borders, on the basis of the pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States,” his spokesperson said in a statement. The statement also noted that the UN chief would promptly transmit the advisory opinion to the General Assembly, which had requested the Court’s advice. “It is for the General Assembly to decide how to proceed in this matter,” the statement added. According to media reports, Israel’s Foreign Ministry rejected the ICJ’s opinion as “fundamentally wrong” and “blatantly one-sided”. It also repeated its stance that a political settlement in the region can only be reached through “direct negotiations”. The General Assembly adopted a resolution in December 2022, which among other points, requested the ICJ to provide its opinion under Article 96 of the UN Charter and Article 65 of the Court’s Statute. The opinion lays out the legal consequences of Israel’s “ongoing violation” of the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination, from its prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of territories occupied since 1967 It also laid out legal consequences for the discriminatory measures, including those affecting Jerusalem’s demographic composition and status. (NAN)

  Stella Anukam, former director of special programmes at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, has been re-elected as judge of the African court on human and peoples’ rights. The court is a continental tribunal established by African states to ensure protection of human and peoples’ rights. The African court is composed of 11 judges nominated by member states of the AU and elected by the AU assembly of heads of state and government. Anukam was re-elected at the African Union (AU) mid-year coordination meeting executive council in Accra, the capital of Ghana, on Friday, for another term of six years.   In a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, his spokesperson, Tinubu commended Anukam for her contributions to the development of the laws behind human rights on the continent. “President Tinubu commends Justice Anukam for her contributions to the development of human rights jurisprudence on the continent and enjoins her to continue to bring her invaluable knowledge and insights to the African Court,” the statement reads. “The President states that his administration will continue to support the candidature of competent and qualified Nigerians for international positions, noting the country’s strategic importance in the global community.”   Anukam, who was first elected judge in 2018, obtained her law degree from the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, in 1984. She was called to the Nigerian bar in August 1985. The African court judge is also a chartered secretary, chartered arbitrator, and seasoned administrator.

  The Central Bank of Nigeria has directed all banks and other financial institutions to transfer all dormant accounts, unclaimed balances and other financial assets to its dedicated account. A circular released on Friday and signed by its acting Director of the Financial Policy and Banking Regulation Department, John Onojah, said all dormant accounts and unclaimed balances with banks for at least 10 years, will be warehoused in a dedicated account known as the Unclaimed Balances Trust Fund Pool Account. The apex bank added that the funds from dormant accounts, and unclaimed balances may be invested in Nigerian Treasury Bills and other government securities. The CBN, however, said the new guidelines which is a review of the guidelines issued in October 2015, exempted dormant accounts, and unclaimed balances under litigation and investigation. The guideline reads, “CBN shall treat unclaimed balances (dormant accounts and financial assets) as follows: “Open and maintain the ‘UBTF Pool Account’, maintain records of the beneficiaries of the unclaimed balances warehoused in the UBTF Pool Account. “Invest the funds in Nigerian treasury bills (NTBs) and other securities as may be approved by the ‘Unclaimed Balances Management Committee. “Refund the principal and interest (if any) on the invested funds to the beneficiaries not later than 10 working days from the date of receipt of the request and where it is imperative to extend the timeline, a notice of extension shall be communicated to the requesting FI stating reasons for the extension.”

  Gunmen, on Friday, ambushed and killed the Gara of Chanchanji, HRH Tanimu Kunbiya, and his son, Yusuf, along the Takum-Chanchanji road in Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State. PUNCH Online learnt that the sad incident happened when the traditional ruler and his son were returning from a funeral event in Takum. Governor Agbu Kefas, who confirmed the incident, has since directed law enforcement agencies to bring the perpetrators to justice swiftly. In a press statement issued by his media aide, Emmanuel Bello, the governor expressed his condolences to the bereaved family, the Chanchanji community, and the entire people of Takum.   “The death of the Gara of Chanchaji, HRH Alhaji Tanimu Kumbiya, and his son is a tragic loss. The manner in which they were brutally attacked is deeply saddening. “I have ordered security agents to immediately investigate the circumstances and apprehend those responsible for this heinous crime.” The governor urged the residents of Takum to remain calm, assuring them that the state government would leave no stone unturned in its efforts to bring the criminals to justice. Also reacting to the sad development, the President General of Tiv Cultural and Social Association, Taraba State, Chief James Baka, in a statement, condemned the killing and called on the government and security agencies to diligently investigate the murder and bring the perpetrators to justice. While expressing shock over the murder, the President said, “As a people, we are deeply saddened and concerned by this event. We urge everyone to remain calm and allow the security agencies to carry out their responsibilities effectively. “We unequivocally condemn any act of criminality and will never associate with criminal elements. We appeal to His Excellency, Dr. Agbu Kefas, the Governor of Taraba state, to deploy security forces to calm the rising tensions in the area. The Tiv people of Takum have long coexisted peacefully with the Chamba and Jukun communities in the area. Never before have we witnessed such a grievous incident. We are committed to maintaining this harmonious relationship and stand united against any acts of violence that threaten our collective peace,” the statement reads.