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Nigerian govt reaffirms commitment to human rights protection, commissions NHRC office in Lagos
The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to the promotion, protection and enforcement of human rights in Nigeria by providing the enabling environment for the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to effectively realize its mandate.
The Government also promised to support the NHRC to own its offices nationwide to further entrench its independence and strengthen its strive to protect the rights of citizens.
The Honorable Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi, SAN who made this statement on the occasion of the commissioning of the Lagos State office of the NHRC noted that the operational independence of the Commission has been future strengthened with the construction of it own offices.
“Under the Paris Principles, such national human rights institutions are to be independent in the execution of their mandate, structure and operations” .
Section 6(3) of the NHRC Act 1995 as amended, stipulates that the Commission in carrying out it’s mandate and operations shall not be subject to the control of any authority or person, he added.
“Accordingly, the ownership of their place of operations (office) constitutes an important aspect of their independence. I am happy to say that since this administration, the government has not interfered with the independence of the Commission”, the AGF said.
The Chief Law Officer of the Federation noted that in fact, during the last dissolution of Boards of all parastatals, the government exempted the Governing Council of the Commission from the general dissolution of Federal Government Boards due to its independence under the enabling Act and the Paris Principles.
In her opening remarks, the Chairperson of the Governing Council of the NHRC, Dr. Salamatu Suleiman, FICMC, thanked the Honorable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and other highly distinguished guests for gracing the occasion of the completion and commissioning of the Lagos State office of the National Human Rights Commission in Alausa, Ikeja Lagos.
According to the senior lawyer, the history of the realization of this project needs to be told as a testimony of the determination of the Commission to strengthen its operations and independence.
She recalled that the Commission was established through the National Human Rights Commission Act 1995 as amended and that in its determination to entrench its independence from the beginning, the Commission commenced its daily operations from its own independently owned buildings in the six geo-political zonal headquarters of Lagos, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Kano, Jos and Maiduguri between 1996 and 2002.
“Over time however, the acquired Lagos office building was no longer befitting and structurally fit to meet the challenges and demands of a modern office suitable for the operations of a national human rights institution like the Commission.
The need for inclusivity and diversity in the working environment of the Commission necessitated a new office structure after 23 years of the acquisition of the Lagos office building and the other zonal headquarters”, the Chairperson narrated.
She observed that things like ramps, lifts, mediation rooms and conference rooms have become key components of any structure for conducting business by a national human rights institution like ours.
The project, she stated, was fully funded by the Federal Government of Nigeria with no donor support.
“The Commission is indeed grateful to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Budget office of the Federation, the National Assembly for appropriating funds for the execution of this laudable project. It is our fervent hope that the dream of realizing the construction of the remaining State offices of the Commission will soon be a reality”, she added.
In his speech at the occasion, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu OFR, SAN said the Commission had identified the ownership of its offices as one of the indices of its independence under the Paris principles from inception, but due to inadequate financial resources in the Commission, it could not continue on the trajectory of owning all its offices, the way it had started at inception from 1996 to 2002.
The Chief Human Rights Officer of Nigeria recollected that the Lagos office being commissioned today was the first to be awarded in 2019 while the others were awarded in 2020.
“It is hoped that by the end of this year, the Commission will be completing at least 8 of the 9 projects while the 9th project will hopefully be completed before the end of 2025. The delivery period has been 4 to 5 years. This is due to the lean financial resources available to the Commission”, the Executive Secretary stated.
He used the opportunity to appeal to the National Assembly and the Budget office to appropriate more funds to help the Commission further realize its mandate to provide adequate protection to Nigerians when their rights are violated.
Finally, he thanked the Chief Judge of Lagos state, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, the Hon Attorney General of Lagos state, the Commissioner of Police for Lagos state, civil society organizations, human rights defenders like Chief Femi Falana SAN, and the Media who work with us daily to resolve complaints on human rights violations.
Other dignitaries and stakeholders who also graced the occasion were, Chairman House Committee on Human Rights and Legal Matters, Hon. Abiola Peter Makinde, representative of the Speaker Lagos State House of Assembly, representative of the Commission of Police, Lagos State, Chairman Nigerian Bar Association, Ikrodu, Bayo Akinlade, representative of the Director General Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, representative of International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Victor Lutenco (Senior Programme Coordinator), representative of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Mr. Frederick Uche Oko, and the Vice Chairman NBA Lagos State, Esther Jimo, etc.
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Ex Air Peace staff praises Allen Onyena’s exceptional leadership, benevolence
A former employee of Air Peace, who simply identified herself as Tade, has made a social media post on her recent encounter with the Chairman/CEO of the airline, Dr. Allen Onyena and praised him for his exceptional goodwill, benevolence and kind word of encouragement.
Tade who said she resined from Air Peace last year to set up a fashion outfit, after receiving blessings from Allen Onyena, quoted the airline’s CEO to have commended her for establishing her own business, said the encounter took place on Wednesday when the Air Peace boss paid a visit to her business premises
The obviously excited lady said- “It was such a beautiful moment having my boss visit my factory. And honestly, I still struggle to call him my former boss. Some people may be former bosses by designation, but the place they occupy in your life does not change simply because you no longer work in the same organisation.
“Two days ago, when he told me he wanted to come see the factory, I honestly wondered if he would be able to make it. I had seen how incredibly busy his schedule was, meetings, guests, engagements, one thing after another, and some of those meetings stretched well into yesterday evening.
“But around 7pm, after what I can only imagine was an incredibly long and stressful day, he still came.
“And he didn’t just come in, take a quick look around and leave. The entire house came alive.
“We received him warmly, and his presence brought such a beautiful energy into the building. He took time to speak with the staff, interacted with my friend, Mr. Jire, and his wife about their business, and then came into my office and sat with me.
“And for a while, it was just my boss being my boss.
“We talked about entrepreneurship, people management, business management, governance, leadership, and the challenges that come with growing a business, including some of the challenges I cannot even see yet. He reminded me, in his own way, that growth does not mean the challenges stop. They simply change.
“And then came that moment:
“You are now an employer of labour yourself, Tadé.”
She continued – “I don’t think he knows what those words meant to me. October will make it a year since I resigned from Air Peace and left with his blessing.
“And here I was yesterday, almost a year later, standing in my own factory, surrounded by people who now work for the fashion company I am building, while the man I once reported to was standing there looking at what has grown from that decision.
“There was something deeply emotional about it. Because when I met this man in 2023, I could not have known all that the years ahead would hold.
“Meeting you, sir, and working with you was never a coincidence. It was a necessary chapter in my life. A needed season. A significant part of the journey that brought me here. And I will always cherish it.
“Thank you, sir, for your leadership. Thank you for the opportunities, the lessons, the corrections, the wisdom, and most especially, for your consistent belief in me.
“Thank you for showing up. And thank you for coming to see what that little girl who once worked with you is building today. It meant more to me than I can properly put into words.
“And on behalf of the entire TADÉ house, thank you for the generous gift. We are deeply grateful.
“Some moments are bigger than the moment itself. Yesterday was one of them.,” she concluded.
All pictures were taken in the moment
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Benue NDC chairman killed in Makurdi
Chairman of the Nigeria Democratic in Congress (NDC), Fiidi Council Ward in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State, Igbu Terhemen, has reportedly been killed by unknown assailants.
Terhemen was said to have been attacked and left unconscious in a bush near his residence around the NNPC Depot, along the Makurdi-Otukpo Road, on the outskirts of Makurdi, the state capital.
A friend of the deceased, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Terhemen left his residence on Tuesday evening to watch a local football match in the Kanshio axis of the town but did not return home.
According to him, family members and friends became worried after the deceased failed to return and subsequently began searching for him.
He said, “He left home to watch the match Tuesday evening and he was expected back home, but nobody saw him. It was while people were looking around for him that he was discovered around 2am Wednesday in a bush near his residence unconscious.
“Unfortunately, he died before he could get medical attention. Strangely, his attackers did not take his phone, which was discovered on him when he was taken to the morgue.
“There was also a needle-like injury on his body, indicating that he could have been injected with a substance by his attackers, dumped in the bush and left to die.
“All that is left for the police to uncover in the course of their investigation because this is a sad development in the state.”
The incident has sparked concern among members of the NDC, with the state chapter condemning the alleged killing and calling on security agencies to investigate the circumstances surrounding Terhemen’s death.
In a statement issued by the party’s State Publicity Secretary, Agile Bem, the NDC described the deceased as a committed member who contributed significantly to the growth of the party in the state.
The statement said, “The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Benue State Chapter, has condemned the gruesome murder of Hon. Igbu Terhemen, who, until his death, was the NDC Chairman of Fiidi Council Ward in Makurdi Local Government Area.
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Tinubu Signs Appropriation Amendment Bill, Extends Implementation to December 31, 2026
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed into law the Appropriation (Amendment) (No.4) Bill, 2025, extending the implementation period of the 2025 budget from September 30, 2026 to December 31, 2026.
Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga stated this in a press release on Wednesday, saying the president’s assent followed the amendment’s swift passage by both the Senate and the House of Representatives on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.
According to Onanuga, the extension gives Ministries, Departments and Agencies more time to complete ongoing capital projects. It ensures that funds already appropriated are fully put to work for Nigerians, without disrupting critical programmes.
“The President commended the leadership and members of the National Assembly for their prompt consideration of the bill, a further sign of the cooperation between the Executive and the Legislature in the service of the nation,” Onanuga said.
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