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Russian Duma ratifies annexation of Ukrainian regions as West rallies
The Russian lower house of parliament ratified the incorporation of four occupied Ukrainian regions on Monday and fast-tracked the relevant legislation as the West rallied further to Kiev’s aid.
More than 400 deputies in the Russian Duma, in a move unrecognised by most of the international community, voted unanimously in favour of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya, and Kherson becoming part of the Russian Federation as well as enacting various laws.
“The laws fully strengthen the main social and economic guarantees of people living in the territories and create a system of legal protection for citizens,” Pavel Krasheninnikov, head of the Duma legal committee, said according to the Interfax news agency.
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Russian citizenship is to be granted to all residents of the occupied regions who apply for a passport and take an oath to the country’s constitution, which will prompt pension payments and health care.
The Russian rouble will be introduced as the currency, but until the end of the year residents will still be able to pay with Ukrainian hryvnia.
By June 1, 2023, new administrative bodies will be created.
President Vladimir Putin, whose forces invaded Ukraine in February, signed the treaties of accession on Friday with the Duma having to approve them.
A similar rubber-stamping by the upper house – the Federation Council – is considered a formality.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was a guest at the Duma and accused the United States of moving against Russia just like Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler once did against the Soviet Union.
“The U.S. has subjugated practically the entire collective West and mobilised it to make Ukraine an instrument of war with Russia – just as Hitler gathered the majority of the countries of Europe for an invasion of the Soviet Union,” Lavrov said.
International condemnation in recent days included several European countries – including Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, and Belgium – summoning the Russian ambassador to condemn Moscow’s illegal land grab.
Meanwhile, the European Union on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding on providing Ukraine with another €5 billion ($4.9 billion) in macro-financial aid.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also said her country was well aware Putin’s threat of nuclear war could be real but would not allow itself to be blackmailed by Moscow.
“We take his words very seriously; anything else would be negligent,” she told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung newspaper.
Ukraine has been backed by massive Western arms and Putin has mentioned the possible use of nuclear weapons in the conflict, with his quest to capture the whole country having stalled.
Further nuclear worries have been exacerbated by fighting near the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. On Monday, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi tweeted that he had “received confirmation” that plant director Ihor Murashov had been “returned to his family” after having been abducted.
On the battlefield, Ukrainian troops again recorded successes in their counter-offensive, advancing against Russian invaders in the east and south.
In the Luhansk region, Ukrainian soldiers have already established themselves near the city of Lysychansk, a military spokesperson for the Moscow-controlled Luhansk separatists wrote on Monday on the Telegram news service.
But the Ukrainian units are nevertheless under constant fire from the Russian army.
Previously, President Volodymyr Zelensky had also confirmed an advance of Ukrainian forces in the southern region of Kherson and the recapture of the local towns of Archanhelske and Myrolyubivka
Faced with stiff Ukrainian resolve, Putin has called for a partial mobilization of new Russian troops. But the mobilization is plagued by organizational problems and a lack of enthusiasm among potential conscripts.
The Defense Ministry in Moscow said first recruits called up as part of the mobilization have been transferred to Donetsk and Luhansk.
“Mobilized servicemen are undergoing their combat training in the Donetsk People’s Republic,” the Defence Ministry said on its Telegram channel. It also posted a video showing soldiers conducting live-fire exercises.
But in the Khabarovsk region in Russia’s far east, Governor Mikhail Degtyarev said that half of the “several thousand” conscripts had returned home.
The men in question had been called up for duty even though they did not meet criteria. The governor did not explain how the mistakes could have happened.
The responsible head of the district military office had been dismissed, Degtyarev wrote on Telegram.
Meanwhile Putin loyalist Ramzan Kadyrov said he wants to send three of his underage sons to the war against Ukraine.
Kadyrov, the notorious head of the Russian republic of Chechnya, said that his boys Achmat, Selimchan and Adam – aged 14 to 16 – are ready to put the combat skills they have trained for to the test in Russia’s current “special military operation” in Ukraine.
“And I’m not joking,” he wrote on Telegram. “(…) Soon they will be sent to the front and will be in the most difficult sections of the contact line.” He also published a video showing his sons doing target practice.
At least 300,000 reservists are to be drafted from across Russia to fight in the occupied Ukrainian territories. Hundreds of thousands of Russians have fled abroad to avoid being sent into military service.
The Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Ireti Kingibe, has wept openly that Nigeria has ‘become a nation that turns against its own children’.
The senator was reacting to the “arraignment of over 100 young boys, aged between 10 and 16, who participated in the #EndBadGovernance protest,” in an adult court, against established legal standards.
She took to her verified handle on micro-blogging site, X, on Saturday, to shed tears and register her strong disappointment with all the parties involved in the shameful and illegal act.
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According to Sen Kingibe “How can a government tasked with protecting its citizens justify holding minors in correctional centers, treating their peaceful protest as a criminal offense?”
On the law enforcement agencies breaching the law, Sen Kingibe pointed out that, “According to Nigeria’s Criminal Procedure Act (CPA), minors between the ages of 1 and 17 should never be arraigned in adult criminal courts but instead in juvenile courts, which have exclusive jurisdiction over such cases. Yet, these minors were held in maximum correctional centers for over 85 days before being charged with treason.”
She expressed her firm position that all relevant stakeholders must “urgently unite to secure the immediate and unconditional release of these minors.”
Sen Kingibe wrote, “As the Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, I condemn in the strongest terms the recent arraignment of over 100 young boys, aged between 10 and 16, who participated in the #EndBadGovernance protest. These minors, who bravely voiced their grievances against the unbearable hardship and hunger ravaging our land, are now being charged with treason — an offense that, if found guilty, carries the death penalty.
“When did we become a nation that turns against its own children — our very hope for tomorrow? When did we lose our compassion and humanity to the extent that we humiliate, arrest, and drag young children into court for the “crime” of speaking out? This shameful prosecution of our youth is not only unjust — it is a betrayal of our humanity and an assault on our future. How can we stand idly by as the dreams of our children are crushed under the weight of oppression? This must end.
“This is utterly disgraceful, and everyone involved should feel ashamed. We owe our citizens, particularly our children, not just protection from external threats but also from unjust treatment within. Children deserve quality education, better healthcare, and protection from domestic violence and abuse, not brutal treatment for exercising their constitutional rights. According to Nigeria’s Criminal Procedure Act (CPA), minors between the ages of 1 and 17 should never be arraigned in adult criminal courts but instead in juvenile courts, which have exclusive jurisdiction over such cases. Yet, these minors were held in maximum correctional centers for over 85 days before being charged with treason.
“How have we, as leaders, stooped so low? Instead of addressing the root causes of their protest, we prosecute those who cry out against them. How can a government tasked with protecting its citizens justify holding minors in correctional centers, treating their peaceful protest as a criminal offense? When did peaceful protest — a fundamental right of citizens — become a crime in Nigeria?
“Numerous videos circulating on social media and news platforms show malnourished children with visible collarbones, countable ribs, fainting, crying, hungry, sick, and, most horrifically, being manhandled. This has turned us into an international embarrassment. If we cannot protect our own citizens, how can we expect to safeguard foreign investors whom we are actively trying to attract to our country?
“This is not only condemnable but an absolute disgrace, and it cannot stand. I demand that every relevant authority — the Ministry of Women Affairs, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, and the Chief Justice of the Federation — as well as the Human Rights Commission and all human rights lawyers, urgently unite to secure the immediate and unconditional release of these minors. I also call upon all mothers and women across the nation to rise in protest against this deplorable treatment of our children. This is not the Nigeria we dreamed of; we cannot allow our future to be sacrificed in silence.”
In a significant development aimed at resolving the ongoing strike by non-academic university staff, the Federal Government has released funds to settle the long-overdue salaries owed to members of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Federal Universities (NASU).
The funds will also cover outstanding pension payments for retirees under the Nigerian Union of Pensioners Contributory Pension Scheme.
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Bawa Mokwa, Director of Press and Public Relations in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, confirmed the release in a statement on Saturday.
Mokwa stated that payments to NASU members have commenced, with numerous staff already confirming receipt of the funds.
The move comes after members of NASU and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), operating under a Joint Action Committee, began an indefinite strike last Monday in protest over the withheld salaries.
The strike brought federal universities across the country to a standstill, with various academic and administrative services halted.
Several other unions and universities expressed support for the protest, amplifying calls for the funds’ immediate release.
Tensions between the union leadership and the federal government had escalated in recent days, despite a directive from President Bola Tinubu for payments to be made.
On Wednesday, SSANU leaders expressed frustration, stating that many top university officials, including vice-chancellors, bursars, and registrars, had yet to receive the outstanding salaries, further straining relations.
SSANU leadership vowed to keep university facilities shut until all owed salaries are fully disbursed.
“We will not resume activities in our universities until every last outstanding payment has been made,” SSANU leaders warned in a statement.
In his official statement, Mokwa reassured all concerned parties that the government has fulfilled its commitment to fund these payments, which he called “a priority move to alleviate the financial strain on university staff and retirees.”
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun has alleged that the collapse of six suspects in court was a deliberate act intended to attract negative attention to law enforcement efforts.
The six individuals, part of a group of 76 mostly minor suspects facing charges related to the #EndBadGovernance protest, collapsed in the courtroom on Friday.
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Egbetokun, however, underscored that medical aid was promptly provided, highlighting the police’s commitment to the welfare of individuals in custody.
In a statement dated November 1 and signed by Force Spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi, the IGP affirmed that under Nigerian law, individuals who reach the age of criminal responsibility are held accountable for their actions, irrespective of age.
“Today, an unexpected incident in court saw six of the suspects suddenly rush out and faint, drawing media attention in a deliberate and scripted manner to attract negative attention,” Egbetokun said.
“Medical aid was promptly provided to these individuals, demonstrating the Police Force’s commitment to the welfare of those in its custody, irrespective of the allegations they face.”
Recall that the court granted bail for each minor at N10 million, sparking criticism both domestically and internationally.
The arraigned individuals, many of whom appeared malnourished, are facing a series of grave charges including terrorism, arson, treasonable felony, and other allegations related to the destruction of public property and threats to national security.
The IGP emphasized that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) remains committed to balancing justice with compassion, noting that the Force has adhered to legal procedures to ensure fairness.
“The NPF has rigorously adhered to legal provisions to ensure fairness and accountability under the rule of law,” he said.
“Throughout this process, the Police have worked to balance justice with compassion, ensuring that each suspect’s basic rights and privileges are respected, including access to medical care and other necessary provisions.”
In his statement, Egbetokun urged the public to avoid bias and pledged transparency throughout the legal proceedings.
“The NPF acknowledges public interest in this case and assures the public that our officers will maintain professionalism throughout the legal process.
“The public is encouraged to view this case without undue bias, as the Force remains focused on a transparent pursuit of justice.”
The police chief added that the Force is committed to aligning with international standards in justice, drawing comparisons to legal practices in countries like the United Kingdom, where young individuals facing serious charges are held accountable, though with empathy and respect for human rights.
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