Newspaper review: Nigeria’s 1200 legislators to enjoy immunity for 4 years?
The newspaper headlines on Wednesday, December 7, have focused on the on-going war of words between the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party ahead of the Rivers rerun, a proposed bill by the government seeking the establishment of a special anti-corruption court to try serious crimes and corruption cases, Senate alleged plan to tweak law for immunity, amongst other top stories.
According to a report on The Punch, indication emerged on Tuesday, December 7 that the federal government had sent to the National Assembly a bill seeking the establishment of a special anti-corruption court to try serious crimes, including corruption cases.
The Special Crimes Bill 2016 was drafted by the Prof. Itse Sagay-led Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption.
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The proposed court will exclusively handle corruption cases and other cases including narcotic, human trafficking, kidnapping, cyber-crime, money laundering and other related offences.
Still on the corruption war, Guardian reports that Nigeria’s 1200 legislators may escape criminal, civil prosecution for four years.
This follows a move by the Senate to amend the 1999 Constitution to protect lawmakers from all criminal and civil cases.
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Civil society organisations yesterday warned that the proposal could erode confidence in the law, especially in the eyes of the global community that sees Nigeria’s political class as being ‘fantastically corrupt.’
They expressed the concern that with such immunity for all lawmakers at national and state levels, legislators will now be able to blatantly ask for bribes with impunity.
Immunity for Nigeria’s more than 1200 lawmakers at federal and state levels of government means they will escape criminal and civil prosecution for at least four years if the Senate succeeds in altering any part of the constitution for this purpose.
Moving away from corruption matters, a report on The Sun indicates that two policemen, three army personnel, one prison official, one Air Force personnel, a staff of Borno Ministry for Agriculture and two members of the Civilian JTF have been arrested, days after Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused Nigerian security officials of raping and sexually molesting women and girls in an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Borno state.
This was disclosed by the Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Ibrahim Idris, in Abuja.
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Speaking at the Inspector-General of Police Conference, Idris said police will work with the army and Air Force for investigation of their personnel and added that, on conclusion of investigation, any suspect found guilty of the offence would be dismissed and then, “taken to court.”
In an October 31 report, HRW alleged “government officials and other authorities in Nigeria have raped and sexually exploited women and girls displaced by the conflict with Boko Haram.”
The group further added that, in July, it documented sexual abuse, including rape and exploitation of 43 women and girls living in seven IDP camps in Maiduguri, capital of Borno state.
Meanwhile, ahead of Saturday’s parliamentary rerun elections in Rivers state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) were, yesterday, locked in a war of words over alleged plans to unleash violence, Vanguard reports.
In the face of the claims and counter-claims, including allegation that Governor Nyesom Wike had been targeted for assassination, it was gathered that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) pleaded with frightened Corps members, who earlier volunteered to supervise the elections, not to back out.
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The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris in a retort to Governor Nyesom Wike’s claims of an assassination plot against him, dismissed the allegation which he said was not worth responding to.
This came even as the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Elder Aniedi Ikoiwak, said that allegations of a plot to rig the elections were unfounded, even as the Commission, last night, released details of the constituencies where the rerun elections would hold.
In the world of sports, Super Eagles forward Alex Iwobi scored his first ever UEFA Champions League goal and his first goal of the season as Arsenal thrashed Basel 4-1 away in a Group A matchday 6 clash on Tuesday, December 7, Complete Sports reports.
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Summer signing Lucas Perez grabbed a hat-trick in his first Champions League start for Arsenal.
Iwobi scored in the 53rd minute to make it 4-0 in favour of Arsenal.
Cote d’Ivoire’s forward Seydou Doumbia scored Basel’s only goal.
The win means Arsenal finished top of the Group on 14 points ahead of Paris Saint-Germain who surprisingly played 2-2 at home to Ludogorets. It was the first time the Gunners qualified top of their group since 2011/2012 season.
At the Etihad, Kelechi Iheanacho got Manchester City’s only goal in their 1-1 home draw against Celtic in Group C.
City had already qualified for the second round of the Champions League, finishing second behind Barcelona.
Catch these stories and many more on the pages of your favourite newspapers today, December 7.