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Legal Activist, Inibehe, Dissects SC Judgement on State of Emergency Declaration
One of Nigeria’s radical lawyers and Human Rights Activist, Barr. Inibehe Effiong has dissected the recent verdict of the Supreme Court of Nigeria (SCN) on the declaration of state of emergency in Rivers State.
Inibehe averred that his understanding of the verdict is that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu lacked the powers to declare the state of emergency and remove an elected governor, which the judgement captured very well.
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In a treatise in his verified handle on X, Inibehe noted that what tended to bamboozle the public is that “The Apex Court seems to have avoided making a definitive pronouncement on the constitutionality of this particular state of emergency.”
His firm position is that “My understanding, going by the printed summary of the majority decision which was read by My Lord, Mohammed Baba Idris, JSC, is that the emergency rule in Rivers was unlawful having not been endorsed by the National Assembly in line with the prescribed legal procedure.”
In driving home his point that the SCN did not side the president on the matter he pointed out that the irregularities in the House of Representatives approval was well pointed out in the judgement, which ought to have been a strong ground to void it but the matter ended up being struck out because “the Court found that voting in the House of Representatives, for the purpose of emergency proclamation, has to be by ordering a division, with votes recorded by name, constituency, and choice, and published accordingly.
“In the Rivers case, voting in the House of Representatives was done by voice votes in contravention of the Standing Orders of the House; a deviation from the finding made by the Supreme Court.” The final nail on the coffin, however, in Inibeng’s view was locus standi, which the petitioners lacked, neither did they seek nor obtained such from the aggrieved party – the Rivers State government.“
He added that “the Supreme Court found that the States that brought the suit as plaintiffs, did not disclose a reasonable cause of action”, which explains why the SCN struck out the matter.
He wrote, “I have read the 14 pages summary of the judgement of the Supreme Court on the Rivers State emergency case (Attorney General of Adamawa State & 10 Ors. V. Attorney General of the Federation & Anor.).
“Most of the media reports on the decision do not accurately reflect the reasoning of the Apex Court.
“Going by the summary, the Supreme Court did not explicitly endorse the emergency rule in Rivers State as proclaimed by President Bola Tinubu.
“However, the reasoning of the majority of the Learned Justices (6-1), appears to have accommodated the possibility of a state of emergency interfering with the democratic structures of the affected State(s) or parts of the Federation.
“The Apex Court seems to have avoided making a definitive pronouncement on the constitutionality of this particular state of emergency.
“Also, the Court found that voting in the House of Representatives, for the purpose of emergency proclamation, has to be by ordering a division, with votes recorded by name, constituency, and choice, and published accordingly.
“In the Rivers case, voting in the House of Representatives was done by voice votes in contravention of the Standing Orders of the House; a deviation from the finding made by the Supreme Court.
“My understanding, going by the printed summary of the majority decision which was read by My Lord, Mohammed Baba Idris, JSC, is that the emergency rule in Rivers was unlawful having not been endorsed by the National Assembly in line with the prescribed legal procedure.
“The last point that I want to make is that the Supreme Court found that the States that brought the suit as plaintiffs, did not disclose a reasonable cause of action, and that the Court’s original jurisdiction could not be invoked by the 11 States because the emergency rule was not declared in any of those States, and the States did not obtain the consent of Rivers State to file the suit.
“The Court found that there was no dispute between the Federation and those States.
“The Apex Court accordingly struck out the suit.
“By law, once a suit is struck out, pronouncements made therein do not have the binding and effective weight of a decision made by a court that is clothed with the requisite jurisdiction.
“The Apex Court only commented briefly on the merits of the case because of its grave constitutional significance.”
The United Nations has raised the alarm over a dramatic surge in attacks on schools worldwide, reporting a 166% increase between 2021 and 2024.
The rise highlights the escalating dangers faced by children in conflict zones.
United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, revealed the figures during the annual meeting of the UN Human Rights Council on the rights of the child on Monday.
The session, themed “Mainstreaming the Rights of Children in Armed Conflict: Prevention and Protection,” focused on protecting children amid global conflicts.
Al-Nashif noted that the attacks were particularly concentrated in Sudan, Ukraine, the Gaza Strip, Myanmar, and Ethiopia, where children remain among the most vulnerable victims.
“In 2024, armed conflict directly affected nearly one in six children globally—about 470 million children,” she said. “Years of lost education, trauma, and lasting mental scars shape societies for generations. Long after the fighting subsides, children continue to face deadly risks.”
She highlighted Gaza as having the world’s highest number of child amputees per capita, warning that the impact of war goes far beyond immediate violence.
In Lebanon, government figures show that more than 450,000 people were displaced in less than a week, with at least 394 fatalities, including 83 children, during the 2024 conflict with Israel.
Al-Nashif also stressed the disproportionate risks for displaced children, who are more likely to die from disease linked to unsafe water and sanitation than from direct violence.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a 2025 cholera outbreak killed 340 children, underscoring the long-term consequences of conflict.
She called on states to uphold their international obligations to protect children, insisting that protecting children is “both a legal obligation and a humanitarian moral imperative.”
Also speaking at the council, Vanessa Frazier, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, warned that violence against children continued at extreme levels in 2025.
She urged mainstreaming child protection across peace, security, humanitarian, human rights, and development efforts, emphasizing that children should actively participate in shaping policies designed to safeguard them.
Frazier highlighted her office’s global campaign, “Prove It Matters,” aimed at amplifying children’s voices in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
The UN report underscores the urgent need for coordinated international action to protect children and ensure their safety in conflict zones worldwide.
Portugal officially inaugurated its new president, Antonio Jose Seguro, on Monday, pledging to bring stability to a nation shaken by political uncertainty and natural disasters.
Seguro, the centre-left candidate, won last month’s presidential run-off against far-right rival Andre Ventura, following weeks of catastrophic storms that killed at least seven people and caused approximately €4 billion ($4.6 billion) in damage.
Speaking at his swearing-in ceremony in Lisbon’s parliament, Seguro emphasized cooperation with the minority right-wing government and vowed to end the country’s “electoral frenzy.”
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“I will do everything I can to put an end to this electoral frenzy,” he said, pointing to the inability of previous governments to complete their terms.
Amid global crises, including conflicts in the Middle East and a more isolationist US approach under President Donald Trump, Seguro stressed the importance of multilateralism.
“The force of law has been replaced by the power of the strongest,” he remarked.
Seguro succeeds Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, a conservative who leaves office at 77 after serving two five-year terms.
While the Portuguese presidency is largely ceremonial, Seguro’s leadership signals a commitment to political stability and international engagement.
Nigerians are facing yet another economic blow as petrol prices surge again. The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has raised the gantry price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to N1,175 per litre, marking the third increase in just one week.
The latest adjustment, announced to marketers on Monday, follows a temporary suspension of petrol sales at the refinery on Sunday. Diesel, also known as Automotive Gas Oil, has also been revised upwards to N1,620 per litre.
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A senior refinery official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the hike, noting that it reflects “prevailing market fundamentals and the cost environment we are currently operating in.”
Industry checks show that depot pricing systems have already updated the new rates, signaling an inevitable rise at retail stations.
In some cities, petrol is now being sold at over N1,200 per litre, adding pressure on Nigerian motorists and businesses alike.
This repeated surge comes after earlier increases that pushed gantry prices from N774 to N995 per litre earlier this week.
Experts warn that the hikes are likely to drive up transportation, logistics, and production costs, potentially impacting the prices of goods and services nationwide.
While the Federal Government, through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), is working to secure crude supplies for the refinery via international traders, officials cautioned that this may not immediately reduce prices for consumers.
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