The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Faruk Yahaya has said the country must win the war on insurgency especially as the next generation elections approaches.

Yahaya, a Lieutenant General, said this on Monday during the 2022 Nigerian Army Education Corps (NAEC) combined first and second quarter conference held at the Nigerian Army Institute of Science and Technology, Ilorin, Kwara State.

The event was themed: Advancing Education Amidst Nigeria Security Challenges: The Place of NAEC.

He called on the soldiers to remain apolitical when deployed for internal security operations during the period.

According to him, the Nigerian Army shall remain resolute in discharging her constitutional roles and provide support in aid to civil authority while carrying out other statutory responsibilities in defence of Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

“The Nigerian Army is determined more than ever to win the fight against insurgency to secure the Nigerian space for the safety of lives and property.

“This is imperative with the forthcoming 2023 General Elections and it, therefore, becomes pertinent to remind personnel of our commitment as soldiers on the need to remain apolitical and patriotic while discharging our duties when deployed on any internal security operations,” the COAS who was represented by Major General Gold Chibuisi from Ibadan stated.

He said the conference provides a platform for the Education Corps to deliberate on the issue concerning it in line with his vision to have a professional Nigerian Army ready to accomplish assigned missions within a joint environment in defence of Nigeria.

In his remarks, the Corps Commander Education NAEC, Major General Mohammed Augie said the effort to reposition NAEC has been aided by the unflinching support and assistance of the COAS.

He said he will not rest on his oars to have a NAEC that is professionally repositioned to discharge its responsibilities in the support of the Nigerian Army.

Justice Tanko Mohammed has resigned from his position as the Chief Justice of Nigeria on in a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari.

President Buhari swore in Mohammed as the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria in January 2019 following the suspension and later sack of former CJN Walter Onnoghen.

The Special Assistant of the Chief Justice on Media, Isah Ahuraka, also confirmed his resignation to Maidawaarewa on Monday.

Mohammed’s resignation comes amid the corruption allegations leveled against him by some Supreme Court judges.

Fourteen Supreme Court judges in a protest memo accused Mohammed of not giving justices their legitimate entitlements.

The justices said their annual foreign training, meant to enhance capacity building for the country’s judicial process, had been blocked by Muhammad.

The main issues put forward by the justices in their letter through a welfare committee were; non-replacement of poor vehicles; accommodation problem; lack of drugs at the Supreme Court clinic; epileptic electricity supply to the Supreme Court; increase in electricity tariff; no increase in the allowances for diesel; lack of internet services to residences and chambers.

In response, Mohammed told the judges that the Supreme Court was cash-strapped and cannot grant their requests.

CJN noted that the Supreme Court, like any other establishment in the country, has been hit by a devastating economic crunch.

As a result, he said the leadership of the court under him could no longer meet some of its obligations to Justices, especially in the area of welfare.

He, however said that the memo sent to him by the aggrieved Justices, notwithstanding, there is no rift between him and Justices of the apex court.

Buhari Swears In Olukayode Ariwoola As Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria

In the same vain, President Muhammadu Buhari has Swears in Justice Olukayode Ariwoola as the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.

Been the next most senior judge to Justice Mohammed following Justice Mary Odili retirement on May 12 after attaining the retirement age of 70, Ariwoola was sworn in on Monday at the Council Chambers in Abuja.

Justice Ariwoola was born on the 22nd of August 1958 and is currently the most senior Justice of the Supreme Court.

He was formerly a Justice of the Court of Appeal and was elevated to the Supreme Court bench following his transfer from the State High Court of Oyo State.

Ariwoola started his educational career in his home town Iseyin at the Local Authority Demonstration School, Oluwole, in the Iseyin Local government of Oyo State between 1959 and 1967.

Joe Kyari Gadzama, a Senior Advocate Of Nigeria (SAN), has said lawyers have huge roles to play in rescuing Nigeria from sinking

He spoke in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, during the first inaugural lecture organised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Young Lawyers Forum, Ijebu-Ode branch.

The lecture was titled, “The influence of Justice and Order in a developing society.”

Gadzama, who chaired of the lecture, submitted that entrenchment of justice and order would guarantee socio-economic development of the country.

The legal luminary who identified insecurity and poor economy as some of challenges confronting the nation, said lawyers need to come to the aid of Nigeria.

Highlighting lawyers’ role in the society, Gadzama said the lawyer “is the five senses of the visible body of common man – the eye, the mouth, the eardrum, the nose and the receptor of the common man.”

He also expressed worry over feud between the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Muhammad Tanko and the Supreme Court justices, saying it would compound the delayed justice system if the crisis is not urgently resolved.

“The country as a state and as a nation is facing a lot of challenges, from the issue of safety to the issue of whether we should restructure this country or not.”

“The economy is below the ladder and we have been referred to as the poverty capital of the entire world. Some are saying we are gravitating towards becoming a failed state. Some have even opined that we are already a failed state.

“So, it’s the lawyers who can come to aid of this country,” Gadzama said.

Delivering the lecture, Chukwuma Ikwuazom (SAN) also agreed that effective judicial and justice system would help in resolving Nigeria economic challenges.

According to him, one of the questions investors ask is, how effective is the nation’s judiciary in settling commercial dispute.

“And the answer to that question maybe be between, investing in Nigeria, for example, or in Ghana.

“So, if we are serious about driving the development (of Nigeria), we must begin to do the things we need to do to be able to make our judicial sector functional,” Ikwuazom said.

In her welcome address, the branch Chairperson of YLF, Elsie Adepitan-Olaniyi said the lecture was put together in order for young lawyers to gain more knowledge towards attaining success in the legal practice.

Adepitan-Olaniyi maintained that the career growth of young lawyers is determined by the level at which the judicial system functions and the manner with which “our laws are enforced and sanctions strictly observed.”

She expressed concern that lawlessness “is fast becoming the order of the day” due to the privilege of the social media.

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed the candidacy of Bachir Machina for Yobe North Senatorial district for All Progressive Congress (APC).

The Yobe North senatorial ticket has caused confusion after Machina, who won the primary, made it clear he would not step down for Senate President.

Also, no records of Lawan’s participation in the APC senatorial primaries were presented by the APC, although the APC chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, said that Lawan took part in the elections.

However, Lawan, who currently represents Yobe north district, was eventually listed as the APC senatorial candidate for the 2023 general election, leaving Machina who actually won the elections out of the picture.

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan had laid claim to the ticket after participating in APC Presidential Primary Election.

However, the Electoral body in a document confirmed Machina as Senatorial Candidates of APC for Yobe North.