NEWS
S’Court Grants FG Full Control Over Inland Waterways
The Supreme Court has awarded the Federal Government complete jurisdiction over all national waterways, granting it the authority to impose levies and issue licenses to operators within this sector.
In a significant ruling last Friday on the appeal SC/CV/17/2018, the court emphasized that States do not possess the constitutional authority to enforce levies on enterprises operating within the nation’s inland waterways.
This appeal was presented by the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), the Nigerian Maritime Standard and Safety Agency (NMSSA), the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, and the Minister of Transport.
The respondents in the case included Lagos State Waterways, the state’s Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, the state’s Attorney-General, the Governor of Lagos State, the Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transportation of Nigeria (ATBOWTN), and the Incorporated Trustees of the Dredgers Association of Nigeria (DAN).
The Supreme Court concluded that it was incorrect, unlawful, and illegitimate for states to attempt to regulate the sector and impose levies.
The appeal, initiated in 2018, was advocated for by a legal team headed by the current Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN. In the pivotal judgment, authored by Justice Inyang Okoro and presented by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the Supreme Court affirmed that the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) is the sole entity tasked with imposing levies and charges for utilization along designated waters.
Furthermore, the Court underscored that NIWA is the rightful and lawful Federal Government agency vested with the exclusive mandate to oversee, regulate, and manage all operations within the navigable waters and their corridors nationwide for inland navigation. These powers are delineated in Sections 8 and 9 of the NIWA Act.
In its ruling, the Supreme Court affirmed that NIWA holds the exclusive authority, as per Sections 8 and 9 of the NIWA Act, to manage and control all operations on navigable waters and their passages nationwide for inland navigation.
Moreover, the apex court supported Fagbemi, SAN, stating that the actions taken by the Lagos government and its entities were a clear violation and unlawful interference with NIWA’s statutory responsibilities.
This assertion was grounded in the understanding that the waterways of Lagos State, like those in other parts of Nigeria, are within the Exclusive Legislative List detailed in Part 1 of the Second Schedule to the 1999 Constitution.
The Supreme Court emphasized that only the Federal Government, via the National Assembly, possesses the legislative authority over Maritime Shipping and Navigation. This highlighted that the Lagos State Government lacked the jurisdiction to legislate on matters listed exclusively under the National Assembly.
Additionally, the court pointed out that the current laws did not support the arguments presented by the Lagos government regarding resource control.
It suggested that political stakeholders, including the Legislature, could explore avenues to amend the laws to address the concerns raised by Lagos and other entities regarding this issue.
The Supreme Court reinstated the March 28, 2014, judgment made by Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court in Lagos and overturned the July 18, 2017, decision of the Court of Appeal (Lagos Division) that had set aside the Federal High Court’s ruling.
The Appellants contended that the creation of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) by the enactment of LASWA Law No. 14 of 2008 (LASWA 2008) by the state’s House of Assembly to oversee all aspects of the waterways in Lagos State was unconstitutional.
They argued that the inland waterways in Lagos State, not covered by the National Inland Waterways Act, fall under the legislative authority of the state’s Legislature.
In light of facing a system involving various fees imposed by both Federal Government and Lagos State agencies, the Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transportation of Nigeria (ATBOWTN) and the Dredgers Association of Nigeria (DAN) pursued a case marked: FHC/L/CS/543/2012 in the Federal High Court in Lagos.
Their objective was to ascertain, based on existing laws, which level of government possessed the authority to license and impose charges on business operators within the country’s inland waterways.
In his ruling on the case dated March 28, 2014, Justice Tsoho stated that among other points, NIWA and NMSSA were the legitimate and rightful agencies with jurisdiction over the commercial endeavors of ATBOWTN and DAN. These organizations engage in water tourism, water transportation, and sand dredging activities within the national inland waterways.
Furthermore, Justice Tsoho prohibited the Lagos State Waterways Authority and the state’s Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructural Development from continuing their attempts to regulate the commercial operations of the plaintiffs – ATBOWTN and DAN.
The decision made by Justice Tsoho was overturned on July 18, 2017, through an appeal (marked: CA/L/886/2014) filed by the Governor of Lagos State and three others.
In response to this reversal, NIWA and the three other appellants pursued the case further, bringing it before the Supreme Court. In the recent ruling delivered last Friday, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the initial judgment handed down by the high court.
NEWS
‘Dem Dey Use Stick Dey Flog Women’ — Nigerians in India Camp Cry Out
Nigerian women allegedly being held at a deportation facility in India have cried out over their treatment, with a video circulating online showing some of them displaying injuries and alleging that security personnel flogged detainees.
The video began circulating online on Wednesday and shows a group of Nigerian women inside and around what they described as a deportation camp.
Several of the women pointed to marks, bruises and apparent injuries on their legs, feet and bodies while alleging that they were beaten with sticks or canes.
SEE ALSO: Rufai Oseni Row: NiDCOM Breaks Silence on Nigerians Detained in India, Addresses Ekene’s Case
“See my video, see my leg,” one of the women could be heard saying in the footage.
Another woman said, “Mona see wetin dem dey do for deportation camp.”
“Deportation camp, na dem flog person, see,” another woman said while showing what appeared to be an injury.
The women further alleged that female detainees were beaten with sticks.
“Dem dey use stick dey flog women, mona dey see am,” one of them said.
Another woman, while pointing at an injured detainee, said, “Dem carry cane flog o… see her body, dem flog am.”
The women also alleged that police officers carried sticks inside the facility.
“Police carry stick like say dem dey cut firewood,” one of the women said.
The footage shows the women appearing distressed as they moved through the facility and gathered in an outdoor area.
They repeatedly appealed to Nigerians to share the video and draw attention to their situation.
“Make una see… make this video trend/go,” one woman said.
“Make una share am,” another added.
One of the women also expressed frustration over their alleged experience at the facility, saying, “We don suffer, every time, every time.”
The footage comes amid ongoing concerns over Nigerians detained at the Lampur detention centre, also known as Sewa Sadan, in New Delhi.
Recall that in September, reports emerged that more than 200 Nigerians were being held at the facility, with some detainees alleging poor food, inadequate medical care and prolonged detention.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) subsequently defended its handling of the situation and said the Nigerian High Commission in India was seeking another amnesty period to facilitate the departure of Nigerians without proper immigration documentation.
No official response from the Indian authorities or the Nigerian government specifically addressing the allegations in the latest video had been made available at the time of publication.
NEWS
‘Military Gets Huge Budgets, Yet Air Crashes Persist’ — Shehu Muhammad
Rights activist, public affairs analyst and Chief Executive Officer of The Dialogue, Shehu Muhammad, has questioned the continued occurrence of military aircraft crashes despite the huge budgetary allocations to the country’s defence and security sector.
Muhammad spoke while reacting to the recent Nigerian Navy aircraft crash in Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
Describing the incident as “one incident too many,” he recalled that Nigeria had recorded several military aircraft crashes involving the Nigerian Air Force and Nigerian Army over the years.
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He said the recurring incidents had raised concerns among members of the public about the condition of military aircraft and the process through which military hardware is procured.
“People have begun to cast aspersions as to the honesty, sincerity, and openness in the purchase of military hardware, including airplanes,” Muhammad said.
According to him, the concerns are heightened by the substantial funds allocated to the military and other security agencies over the years.
“There are insinuations by the public that, after all, the military receive the highest amount of money from the budget year in, year out,” he said.
Muhammad also questioned the transparency of defence procurement, particularly the process of selecting contractors for the supply of military equipment.
He argued that the repeated crashes should prompt authorities to examine military aviation operations, aircraft procurement and the management of defence resources.
The latest crash occurred in Irele, Ondo State, with recovery efforts reportedly complicated by the difficult terrain around the crash site.
Muhammad said the latest incident should not be treated in isolation, but should lead to broader questions about military aviation safety and the management of resources allocated to the defence sector.
He called for greater transparency and accountability in the procurement and management of military hardware to restore public confidence.
NEWS
‘NYSC Has Outlived Its Usefulness, Should Be Scrapped’ — Shehu Muhammad
Rights activist and public affairs analyst, Shehu Mohammed, has called for the scrapping of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), saying the scheme has outlived its usefulness amid growing security concerns across the country.
Shehu made the call on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, while reacting to the kidnapping of prospective corps members travelling to orientation camps in Akwa Ibom and Anambra states.
He described the incident as “one incident too many,” noting that kidnapping, maiming and the detention of victims in kidnappers’ camps had become frequent in several parts of the country.
SEE ALSO: 2027: North Should Back South-West To Complete 8 Years In Power — Shehu Sani
“I think it is just a case of one incident too many. There are more unreported cases of kidnapping and maiming and detention in kidnappers’ den, almost all over the country, especially in the northern part of the country: the Middle North West, North East, and North Central. It’s a daily, daily happening,” Sani said.
He said the security situation had made him question the continued relevance of the NYSC scheme, which was established to promote national unity.
“When Bukola was saying that she objects to the scrapping of NYSC, I tend to take a different view. My view is that the entire NYSC was meant to unite Nigeria, but if in uniting Nigeria you lose your daughter, you lose your son, you lose your uncle, you lose your sister, you lose your neighbour, then it’s not worth the trouble,” he said.
Shehu argued that corps members should instead be allowed to serve in their respective states, eliminating the need for young Nigerians to travel long distances to orientation camps.
“This NYSC issue should be scrapped, removed from the constitution, allow each and every corps member to serve in his own state, traveling with all the dangers, with all the costs,” he said.
He also highlighted the financial burden placed on families when corps members are posted far from their home states.
“If a child is going from Katsina to Anambra State to report to the camp, minimum that you give him is three hundred thousand naira for transfer cost, three hundred. How many parents have three hundred thousand naira to give their wards?” Sani asked.
He said the financial burden was only one aspect of the problem, with corps members also facing security risks and possible trauma during interstate travel.
“Minus all the dangers, the consequences, the uncertainties, the traumas involved. If your child has to go through a trauma, through uncertainty, through pain, through kidnapping, through raping, eventually through killing, why do you have to go for NYSC?” he said.
“As far as I’m concerned, the NYSC project has outlived its usefulness. It should be scrapped.”
Shehu also warned that kidnapping in Nigeria was taking a new dimension, with criminal groups increasingly targeting vulnerable groups.
“Corps members are vulnerable groups. Travelers for commercial purposes all over the country are vulnerable groups. Therefore they are now going for soft targets,” he said.
According to him, kidnappers also use abductions to blackmail victims’ families and government authorities into paying ransom.
“The next one is blackmailing either the parents or blackmailing government to collect money,” he said.
Sani alleged that ransom payments were subsequently used to finance criminal activities.
“So they can finance their arm purchase. They can finance their purchase of hard drugs to enable them operate without pity and compassion, and to send permanent fear into the community,” he said.
He added that the kidnappers were using their activities to create fear within communities, despite being relatively few in number.





