YellowStone Media International

Settlement of rape and sexual abuse cases out of court and offenders getting light penalty for such crime have been identified as factors encouraging widespread rape cases in Nigeria. This observation was made at the Strategic Consultative Meeting on Violence against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act held on Monday in Asaba, the Delta State capital, and organised by KIF in collaboration with the Nigerian Feminist Forum (NFF). The participants at the event were unanimous that the VAPP Act of 2015 "is a comprehensive and robust instrument to promote women’s rights," which have often been undermined by out-of-court settlement and light punishment for penetrators of sexual abuses, including rape. However, they noted that the political will on the part of respective state governors was also required for the domestication of the Act and its effective implementation at the state level. The National Coordinator of the Nigerian Feminist Forum, Mrs. Blessing Duru, while lamenting t

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, on Monday in Abuja disclosed that the revenue generating agency incurred more than a billion naira loss to vandalism during the recent #EndSARS protests in the country. This came as the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) declared its readiness to partner the NPA on goods’ evacuation from the ports as a way of solving the problem of trucks causing gridlock on the roads leading to various ports. The issue on losses suffered by the NPA through the vandalism inflicted on it by irate youths and looters who took advantage of the #EndSARS protests came up during the 2021 budget defence session the NPA had with the Senate Committee on Marine Transport. According to the NPA boss, the sum of N807million had been earmarked for the rehabilitation of the burnt portion of the agency's building. This, she added, was different from the money to be spent on replacement of 27 vehicles set ablaze

...new SAN calls for increase in award of SAN rank The Supreme Court on Monday conferred the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) on 72 legal practitioners. The conferment, which formed part of activities marking the commencement of the 2020/21 new legal year, was performed by Justice Bode Rhodes-Vuvour on behalf of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, and accompanied by 16 other Justices of the Supreme Court. Rhodes-Vivour, who noted that the new SANs emerged successful from a total of 172 earlier shortlisted for the rank, urged them to be more committed to their work and the legal profession, an attitude he said earned them the rank in the first place. The event, which was held at the main courtroom of the Supreme Court, started exactly by 10 a.m. and was in strict compliance with the COVID-19 protocols, as a lot of dignitaries, including spouses of awardees, were barred from the main courtroom. Among the new SANs are the Chairman of the Inde

The Cross River State Police Command has confirmed that only seven suspects escaped from its custody last Sunday, and not 17 as reported on social media. The state Commissioner of Police, Abdulkadir Jimoh, who confirmed the incident on Monday in Calabar, the state capital, said social media reported the incorrect number of the fleeing suspects, who escaped from a police cell at the state police headquarters at Diamond Hill in Calabar. Jimoh alleged also that some policemen suspected to have aided the escape of the detainees, comprising suspected kidnappers and armed robbers, have been arrested, and are being interrogated as part of the investigation of the incident. The commissioner told journalists that three of the fleeing suspects were trailed and gunned down while trying escape through the axis of Calabar River in Calabar South area, as one was apprehend and returned to the police cell. The CP said the remaining three fleeing suspects are still at large, but that they are bei

The burial plans for the late former Chief of Defence Staff, late General Domkat Bali, have stirred serious controversy among his kinsmen, as a socio-economic and cultural development organisation of the Tarok nation, Ngwang Ishi O’Tarok (NIO), warned Tarok elders to desist from the plan to bury the late army general in Abuja against their culture. In a statement signed by the President and Secretary of the group, Chief David Dashe and Nangor Ndam respectively, the group reminded the Tarok elders that Bali, as at the time of his death, was still the Ponzhi Tarok and president of the Langtang Joint Traditional Council as affirmed by the Federal Court of Appeal Jos division on November 11, 2020. Dashe said: “We learnt that some elders have relocated to Bali’s residence in Abuja, and issued funeral arrangements programme for his burial without consultation with the Langtang Joint Traditional Council, which is the proper thing to do considering that the deceased was the Ponzhi Tarok an