NIGERIA: Residents Advise To Resolve Civil Matters Using Alternative Dispute Resolution

By Longtong Ibrahim

Kaduna (Nigeria) – Residents of Kaduna state have been advised not to be in a hurry to ‎take any civil matter to court or Police but try to resolve it among them using an alternative dispute resolution.

Director – General Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, Joy Bob-Manuel gave the advised during a Press briefing on the activities to wind down the program, ‘access to justice for the poor’ project inaugurated in 2012 in the state.

She explained that, the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria has established 19 Offices in the three senatorial Zones of the state to mediate on behalf of the poor and vulnerable people – and has treated over one thousand, eight hundred and ‎eight five (1,885) cases‎ in its three years project.

Bob-Manuel also called on the public to always take advantage of the free legal services offer by the Council to settle minor cases; cautioning that, the council only entertain civil matters such as matters of land, matrimonial, financial, inheritance among many, not criminal matters.

She further assured that activities of the Council is never a threat to the natural responsibility of Religious and traditional rulers whose main vocation is settling people.

Legal Aid Council Nigeria provides free and quality legal services and advice to those that earn less than the National minimum wage or cannot afford the services of a Legal practitioner.

NIGERIA: Police Assures Nigerians Of Implementing Violence Against Persons Act

By Longtong Ibrahim

Kaduna (Nigeria) – The Nigeria Police Force has assured Nigerians of full implementation of the “violence against persons act” passed by the National Assembly.

Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase gave the assurance, Wednesday at the force headquarters in Abuja when he hosted representatives of the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Director-General of NAPTIP, Director Women & Gender Affairs, Chief Magistrate of the Federal Capital Territory Judiciary, Deputy Country Representative – UN Women and other stake holders in the fight against gender-based violence and violence against persons.

He said the Nigeria Police Force would ensure that those who violate the act are prosecuted.

“A technical team is already in place to look into all cultural inhibitions against proper prosecution of offenders in this regard. The Nigeria Police Force has commenced the training of officers billed for Gender-based violence desks on diverse courses, with an e-library to be launched in December, 2015 to equip lawyers for a proper discharge of their functions,” he added.

In their response, the group unanimously agreed to collaborate with the Nigeria Police Force on a common front to fight the offence of gender-based violence and violence against persons; and also to ensure that the public as well as security agencies appreciate the rights of persons.

7,436 Nigerians Crossed Into Europe Illegally In 2015 – EU Official

Abuja – 7,436 Nigerians have crossed into Europe illegally from Nigeria in the second quarter of 2015 says official of the European Union (EU).

EU Deputy Head of Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Richard Young, made this known in a news briefing on migration issues in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

He explained that the figure was the number of irregular migrants that were officially recorded by the EU Border Agency, Frontex.

According to him, out of the 7,463 immigrants, 7124 illegally crossed through the sea borders while a total of 170,155 illegal migrants crossed the borders into Europe from various countries within that period.

He said investigations are ongoing to ascertain if they have a right of asylum or they are irregular migrants who crossed the borders illegally; noting that the EU has earmarked 1.8 billion pounds to set up an emergency trust fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa. “The fund is set up to address the crises in the regions of the Sahel and Lake Chad, the Horn of Africa and North Africa.”

Also, a senior EU official added that the fund was made available by member states aimed at fostering stability and contributing to better migration management in Africa. He noted that, the forthcoming 2015 Valletta Summit on Migration would bring EU and African countries together to enhance partnership and find common solutions to illegal migration; “the meeting would build on existing frameworks of cooperation to address the root causes of migration, establish and organize legal migration channels.

“It would also focus on ways to enhance the protection of migrants and asylum seekers as well as tackle exploitation and trafficking of migrants; and also improve on policies on the return and re-admission of illegal migrants.”

The official also confirmed that 34 African countries are invited to participate in the summit; 22 members of the 28 EU members would be represented by head of states and governments while the African Union, ECOWAS, and other regional economic communities across Africa would also be represented.

“We have invited African countries which we have agreements with on migration; half of them would be represented at the levels of Heads of State and Government while the others would be represented at the ministerial levels.

The official reiterated the commitment of EU to assisting African countries in building stronger migration policies and addressing root causes of migration.

State Of Emergency Declared At Lake Chad Amid Rising Militant Attacks

N’Djamena – Chad’s government on Monday declared state of emergency in the Lake Chad region on the ground that the area has become a gathering point for Boko Haram militants.

The Minister of Communications Hassan Sylla Bakari, said the state of emergency would empower the governor of the region to prohibit the movement of people and vehicles and order searches of homes during the day and night.

“Boko Haram only remains a threat to the civilian population with suicide bombings which is difficult to prevent,” Bakari said.

He said that members of the sect enjoyed the complicity of some inhabitants of the Lake Chad region, which borders Nigeria, where Boko Haram is based.

The Chadian government had deployed more than 5,000 soldiers to islands and lakeside villages in the region.

In one of the most recent attacks by Boko Haram in the country, at least 41 people died in October when suicide bombers attacked a weekly market in Baga Sola.

Boko Haram, which seeks to establish a state with strict interpretation of Islamic law, had killed thousands of people in Northern Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad.

 

Culled from www.vanguardngr.com

Somalia To Deport Illegal Migrants From Kenya

A Somali court has ordered the deportation of 27 Kenyans found to be in the country illegally.

This is the first time in 25 years that Somalia is to expel foreigners for overstaying their visas.

The men have also been fined $10 (£6.50) for each day they were in the country illegally.

The BBC’s Mohammud Ali says job opportunities for foreigners have opened up as peace has gradually returned to Somalia.

Judge Hashi Elmi Noor said that the case was a warning to others who are found to be in the country illegally.

It is not clear how long the deportees had stayed in Somalia.

Our correspondent says that a growing number of foreigners are taking up jobs in the construction and hotel industries, while others are getting teaching jobs in colleges and schools.

According to a recent Somali law, work permits are now mandatory for all foreigners and employers are urged to give first priority to Somali nationals.

The government is trying to create job opportunities for young people but the damage to the education system caused by the civil war has left many without crucial skills.

Years of anarchy in Somalia followed the downfall of President Mohammed Siad Barre in 1991 and more than a million Somalis fled the country as a result, with nearly half a million ending up in Kenya.

The current government, backed by the African Union, is slowly gaining control of Somalia as it battles with the Islamist militant group Al-Shabab.

For its part, the Kenyan government has accused some Somali refugees of links to Al-Shabab, which has staged several attacks in Kenya.

About 400 Somalis were rounded up and sent to Mogadishu from the Nairobi district of Eastleigh, which is home to many ethnic Somalis.

It also threatened to start mass deportations from the refugee camps but later drew back under intense pressure.

Kenya has also started building a barrier along its long border with Somalia but progress has been slow so far.

 

Culled from www.bbc.com

Nigeria: New Customs Boss Seeks Police Partnership In Tackling Border Crimes

By Longtong Ibrahim

Kaduna (Nigeria) – In an effort to curbing border crimes and advancing the capacity of the Nigerian Custom service, the new Custom boss has sought for a renewed partnership with the Nigerian Police Force in tackling border crimes and information sharing.

The partnership was sought when the Comptroller general of Nigerian Custom Service paid a courtesy call to the Nigeria Police leadership at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

Statement by the Police Force Spokesperson, Olabisi Kolawole explained that, “The partnership is aimed at synergizing with the Nigerian Customs Service in tackling border crimes and advancing the capacity of Nigerian Customs Service in realizing their core mandate.”

The Customs boss, Hameed Ibrahim Ali who was accompanied by other senior officers sought for partnership in the areas of information sharing, tackling border-related crimes, smuggling and also on ways to improve on the revenue capacity drive of Customs.

The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase in his remarks promised to improve on the existing level of intelligence sharing, and also, extends training opportunities to personnel of the Nigerian Customs Service to further enhance their capacities.

South Sudan Plane Crash: 14 Months Old Baby Regain Consciousness

A 14 month old baby, survivor of the Wednesday South Sudan plane crash in the country’s capital, Juba has regained consciousness, Doctor said.

According to a journalist, Philip Mabior in a report, the baby girl is being treated at the city’s teaching hospital and is able to recognize relatives.

At least 36 people died after the plane crashed on take-off near Juba airport.

The cause of the crash remains unclear but the manufacturer said the cargo plane was not airworthy.

The UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan has sent divers to search the nearby White Nile for bodies, and also for the black box recorders.

The Antonov An-12 plane, operated by local company Allied Services Limited was heading to Paloch, Upper Nile State, and came down 800m (half a mile) from the runway.

It crashed into a farming community on an island on the White Nile, but it is not clear how many of the victims and survivors were passengers and how many were on the ground.

It is not clear if the 14-month old girl is the only survivor.

She was one of two people taken alive from the wreckage on Wednesday, the other is reported to have died later.

However, Philip Mabior said another person who survived the crash was also being treated in hospital.

The cargo plane was not authorized to take passengers, Stephen Warikozi, the head of South Sudan’s Civil Aviation Authority told journalists, but there were thought to have been dozens on board. They were all from South Sudan.

Five of the six crew members were Armenian, while the sixth was Russian. They were all killed.

Culled from bbc.com

Khulekani Mpanza shooting: CCTV video shows South African police ‘executing’ unarmed man in Krugersdorp – An independent murder investigation has been launched against one officer

By Adam Withnall

A video has emerged in South African which appears to show police officers executing a robbery suspect as he lies wounded and unarmed on the ground.

In CCTV footage obtained by South Africa’s Sunday Times newspaper, police can be seen kicking and fatally shooting the suspect after he has already been disarmed.

South African media have identified the suspect as Khulekani Mpanza, and said he had earlier fired at police while attempting an armed robbery. Officers chased him from the scene to the point where he was killed on the pavement in Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg.

A murder investigation has been launched against a police constable accused of shooting Mpanza multiple times as he lies wounded. In the video, the gun Mpanza used in the attempted robbery can be seen lying out of reach on the ground.

A police Sergeant who appears to kick the suspect after he has been shot, as well as other members of the unit, could also face action from the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) for failing to stop the shooting or assist the dying man.

According to the Sunday Times, 32-year-old Mpanza attempted to rob a hardware store in the Krugerdorp suburb of Lewisham on the afternoon of 19 October.

Police, reportedly acting on a tip-off, were waiting in a van a short distance away. A witness told the newspaper Mpanza loitered for a short time near the door of the shop then walked out and fired around eight shots at the van before fleeing.

None of the officers involved in the shooting have been suspended, and Krugersdorp police told reporters they would await “word from Ipid” before taking any action.

The African News Agency quoted police Lt Gen Lesetja Mothiba as saying any police officers who acted unlawfully would be prosecuted.

A spokesperson for Ipid, Robbie Raburabu, told the Times that Mpanza’s postmortem showed he sustained three gunshot wounds, to his arm, head, and chest. “It’s very difficult to get witnesses in such cases. We were very lucky to get this footage,” he said.

 

culled from www.independent.co.uk

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