Television Nigerian

Despite the letter of legal luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Prof. Awa Kalu, formally distancing himself from the allegation of forgery and impersonation against Abuja-based lawyer, Victor Giwa, the police have gone ahead to press charges against Giwa.

In the charge, the police accused Giwa of forging the letterhead of Kalu, SAN.

Victor Giwa, human rights lawyer, had been detained by the police, reportedly on the orders of the FCT High Court, for evading arraignment in charge CR/150/25 between himself and Inspector General of Police before the court.

A week ago, he was arrested after meeting with the DCP at Zone 2, where another matter was being investigated.

According to one of the sources, OC Legal allegedly told Giwa that his detention was based on a court order.

But the SAN, in a letter to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, had said his letterhead was never forged and that he had not at anytime lodged any complaint to the police about forgery of his document.

Professor Kalu, in a letter dated May 30, 2025, addressed to the Inspector General of Police, clarified that he neither filed a complaint nor reported Mr. Giwa for allegedly forging his firm’s letterhead.

The letter comes in response to Charge No. CR/150/25 instituted by the police, in which Giwa is accused of forging the official letterhead of “Awa U. Kalu (SAN) & Partners” — formerly “Awa U. Kalu (SAN) & Associates” — to communicate with the Attorney General of the Federation.

Prof. Kalu wrote, “I wish to inform you that the internet is agog with news that a charge is preferred against the above named gentleman, indicating that he forged my official headed paper.

“Please note that I have neither filed a complaint nor have I incidented a report at any Police Station in Nigeria indicating that Mr. Victor Giwa forged my official headed paper.”

The clarification by Prof. Kalu significantly undercuts the foundation of the forgery allegation, which reportedly hinges on the unauthorised use of his firm’s name and letterhead.

His statement meant there was no formal accusation from the primary party whose identity was allegedly misused.

Also, Victor Giwa had in a letter to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, dated 23rd May, 2025, asked the IGP to probe the allegation of financial inducement to charge him to court.

Specifically, Giwa called Mr Egbetokun, to investigate the Commissioner of Police, legal services of the Nigeria Police, Chiozoba Oyakhire Ehiede and Ms Asabe Waziri, over allegation of frivolous xharge filed against him and one other.

He called on the IGP to probe the connection between the CP, Legal Services of the Nigeria Police and Asabe Waziri, a staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Zone 2 Lagos, SP Umma Ayuba, had confirmed his arrest.

“He is at the Zone presently for an interview with the said team,” she had said, when contacted.

A court in Paris has given former French President Nicolas Sarkozy a five-year prison sentence.
According to reports, the court found him guilty of criminal conspiracy on Thursday during his investigation into allegations that the late Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi contributed to the funding of his successful presidential campaign in 2007.

The court mandated that Sarkozy be taken into custody at a later time, and it gave prosecutors a month to let the former president know when he should be sent to prison. Sarkozy may appeal the decision, but this measure will stand.

CNN reports that in addition, the court convicted former ministers Claude Guéant and Brice Hortefeux, two of Sarkozy’s closest colleagues during his presidency, guilty of criminal association but cleared them of others.

Judges were not persuaded that the conservative leader was directly involved in the funding effort or that any Libyan funds were actually used in Sarkozy’s successful campaign, according to the Paris court ruling, which implied that the court thought the men had banded together to seek Libyan funding for his 2007 campaign.

After reading the lengthy ruling four hours, the top judge stated that Sarkozy had let his close allies to contact Libyan authorities “to obtain or try to obtain financial support in Libya for the purpose of securing campaign financing.” As she read the verdict, he stood up.

However, the court added that it was unable to say for sure whether Libyan funds ultimately funded Sarkozy’s campaign. According to the court, a corrupt scheme can still be illegal in France even if no money was exchanged or could not be confirmed.

There are rare leaders like Chief Dr. Philip Agbese whose presence transforms communities, whose leadership uplifts the forgotten and whose actions speak louder than speeches. Okanga’s leadership is a gift that is too precious for us to lose.
Every moment he has stood with the people proves that his leadership is driven not by self-interest but by service. Okanga has shown us that politics can be people-centered, progress can reach the grassroots and every citizen deserves dignity. This is not something we can take for granted.
Losing such leadership would mean losing the steady hand that has guided us through challenges as well as the listening ear that hears the cries of the masses and the working hand that delivers solutions where others offer excuses. Okanga’s leadership is a lifeline for our communities and it must be preserved, protected and strengthened.
Now more than ever, continuity is not just an option but a duty. We must rise as one to defend the progress we have achieved and ensure that the journey we began under Okanga continues without interruption. The road ahead is long but with his vision, compassion and courage, we are sure of a brighter tomorrow.
Okanga’s leadership is too precious to lose and together, we must keep it alive.

Abba Alhaji Mammadi, the state’s new Grand Khadi, has been cautioned by Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni to follow the principles of justice, fairness, and honesty for everyone without resorting to political, religious, or ethnocultural divisions.

Shortly after overseeing the swearing-in of the new Grand Khadi, Special Advisers, and Permanent Secretaries at the Banquet Hall at Government House in Damaturu, Buni issued the warning.

In order to support effective and efficient service delivery in the state, he recommended them to reinforce due process, be proactive, and introduce new ideas. He noted that their selections were made on the basis of merit, dedication, and loyalty.

He promised that the government will keep retraining and reorienting the Public Service to better respond to our present expectations for the prompt and efficient execution of our policies and programs in order to satisfy the desires and ambitions of our citizens.

Before being appointed Grand Khadi, 29-year veteran jurist Abba Alhaji Mammadi had meritoriously served in a number of State Judicial Service appointments.

Kulloma Umara Muhammad, Saleh Budde Sherrif, Hajiya Saratu Sabo, Mohammed Ibrahim Jalo, and Hon. Mohammed Bazam Maidoki were also sworn in as Special Advisers. Alh. Dauda Yahaya was appointed as a Permanent Member of the Yobe State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

Bamai Zanna, Bako Modu Kagu, Salamatu Yahaya Nangere, Abdu Shuaibu, Mai Dala Baleri Bularafa, and Musa Garba were the newly appointed Permanent Secretaries who took the oath of office and loyalty.

Dr. Yusuf Idriss Madaki, Ibrahim Ali, Mohammed Annur, Abbas Isah Bizi, Mohammed Kalli, and Abubakar Usman Kolere are among the others.

With a bold agenda, Nigeria entered the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, speaking on behalf of the nation on Wednesday, listed demands ranging from economic opportunity to global governance.

Before the debate, Nigeria was said to have pushed for reforms to the global finance system, representation in the UN Security Council, and the debate over Palestinian statehood.

By emphasizing how important those reforms were to Africa’s future and the stability of the global order, the vice president campaigned for them.

It outlined the main conclusions from Shetimma’s speech.

SEAT DEMAND FOR THE UN COUNCIL

Shettima began his address by expressing disapproval of the UN’s “slow pace of progress.”

He clarified that the concerning indications had compelled countries to reject the impartiality of the multilateral organization and tasked the international organization with implementing change that would be effective.

Nigeria’s permanent representation at the UN Security Council is one of the developments, Shettima contended.

As a reliable partner in international peacekeeping and a stabilizing force in regional security, our demand for a permanent seat at the Security Council is a call for representation, justice, and change that will restore the legitimacy of the very organization that multilateralism depends on.

Terrorists hate us because we choose tolerance to oppression. He claimed that their goal was to use hateful words to split us apart and contaminate our humanity.

MINERAL MINING FAIRNESS

The vice president bemoaned the unethical mining practices that left African countries in poverty and scowled at them.

While acknowledging that foreign investments can help reverse deterioration, Shettima pointed out that African nations must also gain from the process.

When communities in Nigeria that have access to essential resources are able to reap the benefits of those resources, we know that our country is more stable. We have traveled this way in the Niger Delta’s oil-producing region,” he remarked.

He stated, “I think that when the nations that produce strategic minerals fairly benefit from those minerals — in terms of investment, partnership, local processing, and jobs,” the international order will be strengthened.

EXPLORING THE DIGITAL WORLD

Through the establishment of a “dedicated initiative” that would unite scholars, the corporate sector, governments, and communities, Shettima also argued for Africa’s engagement in technology breakthroughs to close the digital divide.

The influence of the last 20 years’ information and communication revolution is still being felt, he said, as we stand on the precipice of new and significant technological transformation.

“We are more aware of the opportunities that technology presents and the precautions that are necessary to promote development and reduce the risk of corrosion than we were. Some people are concerned about bogus news. We have a lot of that, and it might have terrible real-world effects on both wealthy and impoverished nations.

The Global Finance Court’s establishment

Measures to supervise the transformation of the global finance architecture were the second demand.

Many nations are weighing the costs of the new global order, according to Shettima, as a result of the world’s security situation becoming more challenging.

Nigerians are already accustomed to making tough decisions like whether to upgrade infrastructure or build defense platforms. tanks or schools?

He went on to say, “If we can access reforms to strengthen the international financial architecture, we can take that progress to the next level, a level that presents new opportunities for trade, investment, and profit.”

Climate change is not a problem in a vacuum.

When US President Donald Trump referred to climate change as the “greatest con job” of all time, Shettima took a different stance.

The vice-president requested that the UN address climate change in order to reconsider how best to employ its limited resources.

He stated that it is not a hypothetical matter concerning an uncertain destiny that will be resolved at a later date.

Palestine’s support and Israel’s condition

Palestine has been recognized as a state by Nigeria since 1988. At the UNGA, however, Shettima backed the resounding call for a two-state solution.

He denounced Israel’s war in Gaza, claiming that the tensions have left the region scarred.

The value of human life shouldn’t be confined to the hallways of never-ending discussion, in our opinion. For this reason, we believe unequivocally that a two-state solution is still the most respectable way to bring about enduring peace for the Palestinian people.

“The Palestinian people are not only bystanders in a society that is trying to find order. They are human beings with equal value who should have the same freedoms and dignity as the rest of us,” he said.