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NHRC calls for stringent measures against obnoxious widowhood practices in Nigeria
The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu OFR, SAN has frowned at the increasing rate of maltreatment of widows and women in various communities across the country, saying the act is alien to human nature.
Dr. Ojukwu who was reacting to recent developments of untold inhuman and degrading treatments meted on widows over matters relating to property and inheritance, noted that such act grossly violates the fundamental human rights and dignity of the victims and as such, must be condemned in all ramifications.
A statement weekend, issued by Obinna Nwakonye, Director Corporate Affairs and External Linkages, quoted Dr. Ojukwu to have said the perpetrators of the dastardly act who are mostly family members, in-laws or close associates must be brought to book to serve as deterrent to any person nursing the idea of dealing unjustly with women after the death of their husbands.
Ojukwu made reference to a video which showed a young man at Umuwada Mbaise, Imo State meting out untold inhuman and degrading treatment to his late uncle’s widow over issues involving properties of the late uncle.
According to the Executive Secretary the Nigeria Police Force has made an intervention on the matter and has ensured that the perpetrators are brought to book.
He said the case is presently before the court while the culprits are remanded in custodial centre while undergoing trial, adding that the Commission’s lawyers will continue to follow the proceedings until justice is served.
The learned Senior Advocate called on stakeholders, particularly traditional rulers who are heads of communities where some of these violations against widows and women abound, tasked the village heads to ensure that their subjects do not indulge in practices that may lead to torture, inhuman and degrading treatment of widows and women or the deprivation of their late husband’s properties.
Dr. Ojukwu further affirmed the Commission’s tireless efforts in the fight against all forms of human right violations and assured Nigerian women and widows that the Commission will continue to come up with rights-based policies geared towards eradicating or reducing to the barest minimum all forms of discrimination and violations against them, including orthodox widowhood practices meant to denigrate their dignity.
He said- “With our presence in all the thirty-six states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, we shall continue to improve our access in the entire country and communities to the best of our ability, we shall also do all that is within our powers to ensure that we stem the tide of all kinds of human rights violation as they are inimical to modern civilization. We use this medium to call on all stakeholders to join us in this fight.”
The legal team of suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, say they are ready with factil evidence to defend her in court.
The team received a formal summons in the case filed against her by the Federal Government at the Federal Capital Territory High Court last week.
On Friday, May 16, 2025, the Federal Government filed the suit, marked CR/297/25, over alleged defamatory remarks made during a live appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on April 3, 2025.
The government accused the senator of “making imputation knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person”, citing Section 391 of the Penal Code, cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990.
Among the witnesses listed to testify during the trial were Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and a former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.
Others include Asuquo Ekpenyong, a senator; Sandra Duru; Maya Iliya, investigating police officers; and Abdulhafiz Garba, investigating police officers.
However, in a statement issued Friday night by Dr. Ehiogie West-Idahosa (SAN) on behalf of the legal team, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyers confirmed receipt of the formal summons and pledged to prepare all “factual and statutory defences” available to the lawmaker during trial.
“At about 2:30pm on Friday, May 23, 2025, within the premises of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, we received the information filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, containing three counts alleging that our client, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central, made imputations she had reason to believe would harm the reputation of Senator Godswill Akpabio, President of the 10th Senate,” the statement read.
“We received the said information on her behalf through a letter of authority duly issued and filed in the court’s registry.
“The legal team will fully prepare and present all factual and statutory defences available to our client during the trial.”
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) will on Tuesday next week begin the take over of 4,794 properties in Abuja, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) headquarters, due to unpaid ground rent.
The PDP headquarters, currently under construction in Abuja’s Central Business District, is among the affected properties, having been revoked in March for several years of unpaid ground rent. The FCTA disclosed that 4,794 titles had been revoked for failure to pay ground rent, with some defaults dating back 43 years.
The affected properties are located in various districts, including Central Area, Garki I and II, Wuse I and II, Asokoro, Maitama, and Guzape.
The defaulters owe over N6.96 billion in ground rent. The FCTA had given a 21-day grace period for owners with debts under 10 years, which has now expired.
The FCTA officials announced that the takeover would begin on Monday, May 26, 2025, with the sealing off and restriction of access to the affected properties.
The Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze emphasized that the revocations were carried out under Section 28(5)(a)(b) of the Land Use Act, which empowers the government to reclaim land when the terms of occupancy are violated.
Two people sustained serious injuries when a training aircraft crash-landed at the Ilorin International Airport on Friday.
Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, NSIB, Mrs Bimbo Oladeji, who disclosed this in a statement, said the incident occurred at 17:28 local time on May 23, 2025, during a simulated instrument approach on Runway 05 at Ilorin International Airport.
Oladeji said the aircraft veered off the runway and came to a stop on the grass verge, leaving the two occupants on board injured.
She stated: “Both sustained serious injuries and were swiftly evacuated to a medical facility, coordinated by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA.
“In response, the NSIB Go-Team is currently preparing to depart from Abuja to Ilorin to conduct on-site investigations. The team will secure the site, collect physical evidence, interview witnesses, and retrieve operational data to establish the cause and contributing factors of the incident.”
Quoting the Director General of the NSIB, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., she said “Our thoughts are with the injured, and we commend the swift medical and emergency response. Now, our focus is on understanding exactly what went wrong. Every investigation is an opportunity to improve safety. We are deploying our team to Ilorin to ensure that no detail is overlooked.”
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