Television Nigerian

The appointment of Professor Dakas C.J. Dakas as Chairman of the Nigerian Law Reform Commission and Dr. Uchenna Eugene Okolocha as Commissioner representing the South-South was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday.
According to reports, the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters, chaired by Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire (Ondo Central), presented and adopted a report at plenary following the confirmation.
The Nigerian Law Reform Commission Act, 2022, Sections 2 (1) and (2), which give the President the authority to name a Chairman and three Commissioners, subject to Senate confirmation, was used to make the appointments.

Only Professor Dakas and Dr. Okolocha, two of the three nominees, showed up for the June 25, 2025 screening, according to the committee report.
Professor Fatima Alkali, the third nominee and a native of the Northeast, reportedly informed the Presidency of her decision to withdraw the candidacy.

“Both nominees have shown competence, fulfilled all professional and constitutional requirements, and are free of petitions or negative security reports,” the committee said.

The panel suggested that in order to preserve gender and geographical balance, a fresh nominee from the Northeast—ideally a woman—be taken into consideration.

Members of the Senate alternately praised the nominees’ qualifications, especially that of Professor Dakas, a well-known constitutional law specialist and former attorney general of Plateau State.

Lawmaker Adams Oshiomhole, who also took part in the discussion and represented Edo North, called Dakas’ legal and intellectual credentials “intimidating,” adding that “many of us in this chamber were his classmates and can attest to his brilliance and character.”

Osun Central Senator Adebiade expressed similar views, calling on the appointees to fulfill the Commission’s responsibility to promote prompt legal reforms in Nigeria.

Dr. Okolocha (South-South) was appointed Commissioner and Professor Dakas (North-Central) was appointed Chairman after the Senate overwhelmingly approved their nominations.

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Senate President Godswill Akpabio expressed his gratitude to the Judiciary Committee for their hard work and to the candidates for their achievements.

“We wish Dr. Okolocha and Professor Dakas a prosperous career serving the country in good health and sound mind, and we congratulate them on their confirmation,” Akpabio said.

Additionally, he expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for what he called “considerate and merit-based nominations that reflect the administration’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s legal mechanisms.”

AbdulRasheed Bawa, a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, has called Nigeria’s now-defunct fuel subsidy system a national swindle that was created via institutional collusion, regulatory compromise, and ingrained corruption.
Bawa said in an interview with Arise News on Monday that influential groups, including as security services, public officials, and oil marketers, purposefully abused the long-standing subsidy program.
While talking about his latest book, “The Shadow of Loot and Losses: Uncovering Nigeria’s Fuel Subsidy Fraud,” which outlines EFCC investigations conducted between 2006 and 2011, the former anti-graft czar, who served from 2021 to 2023, made the remarks.

“Everyone, including law enforcement, was benefiting from the scale and the scam,” said Bawa. It is possible to compromise someone to the point where they will ignore it. It’s a broad issue.

He claimed that the EFCC’s examination showed how Nigeria’s subsidy payouts increased dramatically from ₦200 billion in 2006 to ₦2.1 trillion by 2011, a spike that sparked several investigations and raised concerns.

“The scope of the fraud that was discovered during my tenure at the EFCC was unprecedented,” Bawa said.

“Even at that time at the EFCC, we saw that this was something that had never happened before,” Bawa added. I made the effort to write it down.

Even while not all subsidy payments were fraudulent, he pointed out that the system had grown so weak that it allowed powerful actors to take advantage of legal gaps, with political cover protecting many of the offenders from punishment.

“With human touch, nothing is impossible, regardless of how robust a system is,” Bawa continued.

Bawa noted that the EFCC had prosecuted and convicted a number of people and businesses engaged in subsidy fraud, with some cases ending as recently as 2025.

“First, people were charged to court,” he stated. An additional set was charged. The government then realized it didn’t have to go that route. They created a window for healing.

The petroleum subsidy landscape was clearly affected by the EFCC’s intervention, according to Bawa. He disclosed that annual subsidy payments decreased from ₦2 trillion to ₦1 trillion, and the number of oil merchants fell from 118 to 49.

Bawa Discusses Tinubu’s Fuel Subsidy Elimination
In response to President Bola Tinubu’s 2023 decision to completely phase off fuel subsidies, Bawa stated that the action was long overdue and advantageous for Nigeria’s anti-corruption initiatives and financial stability.

“We’re glad we have to let it go. “At least that opportunity that the regime offered is no longer there,” he stated.

He expressed confidence that significant sums had been diverted to other areas of governance, despite the fact that he was unable to objectively confirm how the money saved from the withdrawal of subsidies was being used.

Bawa emphasized that governance is an ongoing process, but he rejected to draw parallels between his time there and the present leadership at the EFCC.

“There is always room for improvement,” he said. The nation has a very promising future. We need to be hopeful.

Regarding the trend of EFCC chairmen resigning under contentious circumstances, Bawa rejected ideas of political persecution while acknowledging the position’s perceptional difficulties.

“It’s only a stage that must pass. Humans are always talking. People will say something whether or not you’re talking the truth,” he stated.

Despite his own suspension in 2023, Bawa insisted that the work he oversaw was extensive and successful, especially when it came to combating subsidy fraud.

“There is a real impact.” “Those who were involved in the scheme were dealt a very good blow by the frauds that were discovered,” he said.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has declared that 7,000 of the 11,000 hectares of land that were once owned by the University of Abuja (Uniabuja) have been seized.
Without the required paperwork, Wike claimed, the University walled up and annexed vast tracts of property in the Giri region for itself.
During the completion of recently built access roads in the region on Monday, the FCT Minister stated that the university’s administration may eventually decide to sell the land.

By alone, the university seized 11,000 hectares. I stated that wouldn’t occur. No paperwork, nothing. Without warning, they would have gone to sell our land, as you can see from the fencing they have everywhere,” Wike said.
The Minister instructed the Director of Lands and other pertinent authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to provide the institution just 4,000 hectares, with the remaining land being reassigned for other district development projects.

He also mentioned that access roads would be built throughout the district to speed up the area’s infrastructure development and improve its livability.

After constructing this access road, we instructed the FCDA Executive Secretary and other pertinent organizations to begin drafting the specifics of how we plan to construct the district’s roads. Rest confident, then, that things might change in the upcoming year,” Wike warned.

In order to expedite the process, the Minister also offered FCTA’s cooperation for land availability, hinting at plans to collaborate with the National Assembly to build other institutions in the district.

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Following the completion of the new access road, the district’s EFCC Academy is anticipated to open for business right away.

Since they can now transport their equipment and develop this thanks to access roads, they will begin the academy right away. Other individuals will also move in and build their own region when this happens,” he said.

In order to entice investors, Wike pledged that the FCTA would supply electricity, water, and roads.

The main issue we’re seeing is that when land is allotted, there are occasionally no infrastructure or amenities and people aren’t encouraged. We shall thus do every effort to ensure the provision of essential infrastructure,” he declared.