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Osinbajo to chair summit on justice, community restoration in Kaduna

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Former Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN, GCON) is billed to chair the 10th House of Justice Summit and Orange Ball Banquet slated for Friday, November 28, 2025, at the Epitome Events Centre, Barnawa, Kaduna.

The annual summit, themed “From Camps to Justice and Communities,” is designed to set an agenda for ending the over two-decade-long insurgency-induced insecurity by ensuring that the government prioritises justice for victims and the resettlement of displaced persons and communities across Nigeria.

The event will also feature the Chairman of the Nigerian Law Reform Commission, Prof. Dakas C.J. Dakas (SAN), as the keynote speaker.

Other dignitaries expected at the event include the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd); the Senator representing Kaduna South Senatorial District, Sen. Sunday Marshall Katung; and the Second Secretary of the British High Commission in Nigeria, Mr. David Snelling.

Speaking ahead of the event during a press conference on Thursday in Kaduna, the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of the House of Justice, Gloria Ballason (Esq.), said the summit’s theme reflects the urgent need for Nigeria to move beyond humanitarian relief towards long-term justice and community restoration.

She said, “This milestone event is particularly significant because it comes at a time when concerns are rising about foreign intervention and sovereignty in resolving Nigeria’s insecurity. Accepting the factual narratives of the various forms of insurgency and prioritising justice and the resettlement of displaced victims are necessary steps toward finding real and lasting solutions.”

Ballason noted that the perennial violent conflicts, particularly in the North-East and North-West regions, have displaced millions of Nigerians, leaving many communities in ruins and survivors in prolonged uncertainty.

She added, “Beyond feeding camps and building shelters, there is a moral and constitutional imperative to restore the dignity of victims through justice. We must ask: who is enforcing justice for those whose lands have become battlegrounds, whose homes were razed, and whose families are still missing? That’s the conversation this year’s summit seeks to ignite. The time for the ruins to be rebuilt and for justice to be served is now.”

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She disclosed that the summit would bring together policymakers, legal scholars, defence and humanitarian experts to examine existing legal and institutional gaps and propose actionable frameworks for victim compensation, transitional justice, and community reintegration.

Ballason further revealed that the event will feature a panel session involving representatives from the National Human Rights Commission, the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, development agencies, and international partners.

A statement from the House of Justice also indicated that the Orange Ball Banquet, which traditionally crowns the summit, will foster collaboration among individuals advancing human rights, social justice, and civic engagement across Africa.

She said, “At a time when our nation is grappling with security challenges and displacement, initiatives like this remind us that justice is not abstract — it is about people, accountability, and rebuilding hope.”

“The participation of Prof. Osinbajo and other dignitaries underscores the growing recognition of justice-centred approaches to peacebuilding in Nigeria’s policy landscape. During his tenure as Vice President, Osinbajo was known for his advocacy on the rule of law, judicial reform, and human rights, particularly through the Presidential Committee on North-East Initiative (PCNI).”

The House of Justice, founded in 2010, has consistently served as a civic hub promoting access to justice, legal literacy, and human rights advocacy. Over the years, its annual summits have drawn top jurists, lawmakers, activists, and international partners who deliberate on critical issues shaping Nigeria’s democratic and social development.

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PFIPC scandal: Gbajabiamila invited, not arrested – ICPC

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has dismissed reports suggesting that the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, was arrested over the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council scandal, insisting that he only honoured an invitation from investigators.

The anti-graft agency clarified this in a statement posted on its Facebook page on Tuesday, following reports that Gbajabiamila visited the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday in connection with the ongoing investigation into the purported PFIPC.

In the statement, the ICPC said the Chief of Staff voluntarily appeared before investigators and was not arrested.

“The Commission confirms that the Chief of Staff’s visit was on the invitation of its investigators and consistent with its ongoing efforts to gather all relevant facts in the matter.

“He was not arrested; he simply willingly honoured an invitation,” the statement read.

The commission said President Bola Tinubu had directed it to investigate how the PFIPC allegedly operated from the Federal Secretariat in Abuja for about two years under Adeniyi Adeyemi, who presented himself as the council’s Director-General.

According to the ICPC, Gbajabiamila arrived at its headquarters on Monday afternoon, responded to investigators’ enquiries and left after giving his statement.

“The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) confirms that the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, was at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday, 20th July, 2026, to give a statement in connection with the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding the purported Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC),” the statement said.

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It added that investigations into the alleged fake agency were ongoing and that further updates would be provided as necessary.

PUNCH Online had earlier reported that Gbajabiamila appeared before the ICPC on Monday after Tinubu directed the commission to investigate the circumstances surrounding the PFIPC, an entity the Presidency has disowned as fraudulent.

The controversy has prompted parallel investigations by the House of Representatives, with several government agencies and officials appearing before lawmakers over how the purported council allegedly secured office space, budgetary allocation and other official documentation.

At a public hearing convened at the National Assembly Complex by the House of Representatives on Monday, the Central Bank of Nigeria admitted that it had opened two foreign-currency domiciliary accounts for the phantom agency.

Speaking before the House’s Ad-hoc Committee investigating the matter, chaired by Yusuf Gagdi and inaugurated by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, the Director of CBN Banking Services Department, Hamisu Ibrahim, said the accounts, one in US dollars, the other in British pounds sterling, were opened following a mandate received from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

“On July 30, 2025, we received a mandate dated July 29, 2025 from the Office of the Accountant-General. We received the mandate to authorise two accounts, one a US dollar domiciliary account, the other a pound domiciliary account, for the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council,” Ibrahim told the committee.

He explained the CBN’s verification process, saying, “The process of opening an account requires a mandate from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

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“Once we receive that mandate, we perform all the necessary verifications to confirm that this mandate is actually coming from that office.

“The department that handles the mandate is different from the department that actually does the account opening,” he said.

He, however, noted that no one came to activate the accounts after they were opened.

Adeyemi was arrested and is facing prosecution over the matter.

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Uzodimma approves N25bn judges’ quarters, N1.9bn CBT centres for Imo

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Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, has approved the construction of judges’ quarters valued at N25bn as part of efforts to improve the welfare of judicial officers in the state.

The governor also approved N1.9bn for the establishment of four computer-based test centres in Orlu Zone and the creation of a smart digital signage system to modernise the state’s infrastructure.

The approvals were announced on Tuesday by the Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, while briefing journalists after the State Executive Council meeting presided over by the governor in Owerri.

Emelumba said the council approved N25bn for the construction of 40 duplexes for judges, alongside recreational facilities.

He said, “The Council approved N25 billion for the construction of 40 duplexes as judges’ quarters, complete with recreational facilities. The project is designed to provide a conducive living environment for judicial officers.”

The commissioner added that the council also approved the establishment of new computer-based test centres and a smart digital signage initiative.

“Also approved are the new computer-based test (CBT) centres and a smart digital signage initiative aimed at modernising infrastructure across the state,” he said.

According to him, the council approved N1.9bn for the establishment of four CBT centres in Orlu Zone to improve access to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examinations and other computer-based tests.

He said N900m would be released immediately to commence work at two pilot centres located at Bishop Shanahan Okoye Secondary School and Community Secondary School, Omuma.

Emelumba further disclosed that the council approved the establishment of Imo Signage Asset Management Limited to regulate and deploy smart digital billboards through a public-private partnership.

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Speaking on the digital initiatives, the Commissioner for Digital Economy and E-Government, Chimezie Amadi, said the projects would be financed by private investors without financial commitment from the state government.

According to him, the initiative would be funded “at no cost to the Imo State Government,” adding that Internet of Things-enabled infrastructure would support a modern, digitally managed signage ecosystem.

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You’re too big for REA chairmanship, Fayose ’s brother tells ex-governor

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Isaac Fayose has told his elder brother, Ayo Fayose, to hand off his newly announced Rural Electrification Agency chairmanship to his son. He said the former Ekiti State governor was too politically significant for such a role.

The younger Fayose made the remark in a video on his Instagram page on Monday, reacting to the Presidency’s announcement that his brother had been appointed chairman of the REA board alongside 25 others named into the leadership of 10 federal agencies and commissions.

According to a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Fayose would chair the board alongside Ahmadu Abubakar and Ilyasu Ibrahim Makinta as non-executive directors, with the agency’s incumbent Director-General, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, and three executive directors retained.

Isaac opened his post by contrasting the chairmanship with more senior positions he believed his brother deserved, saying, “They said they gave my brother a DG, DG, not a minister, not ambassador.”

He argued that the appointment fell short of his brother’s stature, adding, “They said they gave him DG, head of parastatal, chairman of a committee. They no see give him minister, they no give him ambassador.”

Drawing a comparison with a government critic-turned-appointee, he said, “Even Reno Omokri sef, they gave him ambassador. They couldn’t give my brother ambassador,” and later pressed the point further, asking, “So why just chairman of a parastatal?”

Isaac linked the timing of the appointment to a weekend visit by former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

Prince Isaac Fayose. Credit: Facebook
Prince Isaac Fayose. Credit: Facebook

He said, “They gave my brother DG because Obi came on Saturday to visit me. So they said, no, we must enter that family.”

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PUNCH Online had reported that Isaac hailed Obi as Nigeria’s “incoming president” when the NDC candidate visited his home on Saturday, days after threatening to withdraw his backing, with Obi responding that many of those criticising Isaac online were not genuine supporters of the movement.

He said his brother had long maintained that he had no interest in government positions after leaving office, quoting him as having vowed that whenever he left government house, he would not become a minister, a director-general or a senator, and would return instead to face his private business.

He said, “But my brother told me, Ayodele Peter Fayose, told me, ‘Isaac, when I’m leaving this government house, whenever I leave this government house, I will not be a minister, I will not be DG, I will not be senator, I will not be anything. I will face my business.’”

Isaac noted that his brother had been financially independent long before holding public office, stating that he had been a billionaire from “when I was a baby, and had continued to do well in private business.”

He described the appointment as a “Greek gift” and questioned the timing directly, asking, “Why didn’t they give you appointment since? Why did they wait till Obi come?”

Addressing his brother, he said, “I know you will not take this. But if you take it, who am I? Who am I? Omo Oba.”

He then offered congratulations while telling him to pass the position on instead.

He said, “Congrats on your appointment. You better give your son. Please, don’t use that kind of appointment. You are too big for that. Afobaje ni e,” loosely translated as “you are a kingmaker.”

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Beyond the appointment, Isaac used the post to restate his confidence in the opposition’s chances in the 2027 general election.

He said, “I am ready to see it through. And I know what we have on ground in Nigeria today. Election, we have 62 per cent, total vote cast, free and fair, credible.”

He dismissed suggestions that the vote would be manipulated, adding, “I’m not scared… They are scared of what they don’t know.”

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