International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights(ISSJHR)

02/12/2025

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND HUMAN RIGHTS (ISSJHR)
Press Release
1st December 2025
Port Harcourt, Nigeria
🇳🇬 Rivers State Public Primary Schools in Decay: A Shame on an Oil-Rich State and a Moral Tragedy of Leadership Failure
The International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights (ISSJHR) expresses deep concern, disappointment, and moral outrage at the deplorable state of public primary schools across Rivers State. This shameful decay occurring in one of Nigeria’s wealthiest oil-producing states is a direct consequence of failed governance, institutional irresponsibility, and total disregard for the rights of the child.
15% LGA Primary Education Deduction: Where Are the Billions?
ISSJHR draws the attention of the public to a critical financial question:
What has happened to the 15% statutory monthly deductions from the allocations of all 23 Local Government Councils earmarked for primary education?
These funds run into billions of naira monthly, yet our children sit on bare floors, learn under leaking roofs, attend schools without toilets, and suffer from acute shortages of instructional materials.
This question is neither political nor speculative. It is a matter of public accountability and moral responsibility.
We call on the Rivers State Government to publish the inflow, utilisation, and status of these funds without delay.
RSUBEB Must Submit to Scrutiny
The Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBEB), which directly manages primary education funds and projects, must immediately:

Submit its financial records for forensic audit,

Explain the condition of schools despite steady funding,

Justify its management of UBEC counterpart funds,

And appear before the appropriate legislative committees for questioning.

The current opacity surrounding the Board’s operations is unacceptable.
A Board entrusted with shaping the future of millions of children cannot continue to operate like a financial vault beyond public interrogation.
A Governance Culture of Indifference
ISSJHR condemns the lackadaisical attitude of the Executive arm toward children’s basic education in Rivers State. A state with a revenue profile among the highest in Nigeria has no justification whatsoever for abandoned school projects, collapsed infrastructure, unpaid teachers, and overcrowded classes.
The right to basic education is guaranteed under:

Section 18(1) & (3)(a) of the 1999 Constitution,

Section 1 of the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act (2004),

And reinforced under Article 17 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Failure to uphold these obligations is a constitutional breach and a grave violation of human rights.
We Align With the Speaker’s Well-Founded Alarm
ISSJHR fully aligns with the courageous and well-considered warning issued by the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly regarding the deplorable condition of public primary schools.
His revelation is not politics—it is a wake-up call to rescue a sinking system.
We urge the legislature to go beyond lamentation and activate all instruments of oversight to hold duty-bearers accountable.
Demands of the International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights
To restore dignity to primary education in Rivers State, ISSJHR calls for:
1. A Comprehensive Forensic Audit
Of the 15% LGA education deduction, UBEB accounts, project ex*****on records, and financial inflows from UBEC.
2. Public Hearing
Where parents, teachers, community leaders, and civil society groups can testify on the true state of schools.
3. Legislative Enforcement
The House of Assembly should:

Summon the Chairman and Board of RSUBEB,

Enforce transparency in education financing,

Mandate annual State of Education Reports,

And pass legislation preventing diversion of education funds.

4. Emergency Declaration on Primary Education
The Executive must initiate a Statewide Basic Education Emergency Programme (SBEEP) to:

Rebuild schools,

Recruit and train teachers,

Restore structured monitoring,

And ensure full compliance with child-protection standards.

5. Publication of All Contracts and Expenditures
Including contractors, amounts, project timelines, completion status, and total payments made.
A State That Abandons Its Children Abandons Its Future
It is a moral abomination for a state so richly endowed to fail its youngest citizens. When children are denied foundational education, the state is manufacturing future instability, poverty, and illiteracy.
Rivers State must not continue on this shameful trajectory.
ISSJHR stands firmly with the people and will continue to champion transparency, justice, and the protection of the Nigerian child.

Signed:
Dr. Omenazu Jackson
Chancellor,
International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights (ISSJHR)

20/11/2025

PRESS RELEASE
*Nigeria’s Judiciary at a Crossroads: A Call for Genuine Independence and the Restoration of Public Confidence*
17th Nov 2025

The International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights (ISSJHR) expresses deep concern over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent admission at the All Nigeria Judges Conference that there is a pervasive public perception that the Nigerian judiciary is corrupt and that justice is for sale.
While this acknowledgment is commendable, it reflects a longstanding national dilemma: the Nigerian judiciary is suffering a credibility collapse unmatched in the Fourth Republic. Millions of citizens no longer regard the courts as the last hope of the common man. Instead, public perception increasingly suggests that political actors easily compromise judicial processes, and that electoral victories are secured in courtrooms rather than at polling units.

CONSTITUTIONAL BREACHES: THE ROOT OF THE JUDICIAL DECLINE
The 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides a robust foundation for judicial independence. Tragically, these guarantees have been repeatedly violated or ignored.
1. Section 17(1) & (2) – Justice must be delivered impartially
Executive interference — direct or indirect — erodes the constitutional requirement that justice must be founded on equality and impartiality.
2. Section 36(1) – Right to fair hearing before an independent tribunal
This provision is compromised when judges depend on the Executive for vehicles, residences, allowances, and operational support. Dependency weakens impartiality.
3. Sections 81(3), 121(3), and 162(9) – Judiciary funding must be a first-line charge
Despite constitutional clarity, the Executive routinely delays, withholds, or controls judiciary funds. This is one of the most persistent and damaging violations of judicial autonomy.
4. Section 153 & Paragraph 21 of Part I of the Third Schedule – NJC independence in appointments and discipline
Political influence continues to weigh heavily on judicial appointments, undermining merit, neutrality, and professionalism.
These breaches weaken the judiciary, erode due process, and foster an environment where justice becomes vulnerable to political manipulation.

EXECUTIVE OVERREACH AND THE DECLINE OF JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE
President Tinubu’s remark invites deeper national reflection:
How can the judiciary be independent when its essential welfare is provided by the Executive whose actions it may later adjudicate?
A judge who depends on an elected politician for housing, mobility, or yearly budget clearance is structurally compromised. This dependency empowers the Executive far beyond constitutional limits and undermines separation of powers.

THE JUDICIARY MUST ALSO DEFEND ITS MANDATE
The judiciary has equally contributed to the crisis by:

Failing to assert the full force of constitutional financial autonomy

Remaining silent as Executives repeatedly violate first-line charges

Issuing judgments perceived to lack consistency and judicial courage

Allowing political actors to influence or attempt to influence court outcomes

A judiciary that does not defend its autonomy cannot command public trust.

PATHWAYS TO CLEAN, INDEPENDENT, AND CREDIBLE JUSTICE
ISSJHR recommends urgent implementation of the following:
1. Immediate enforcement of Sections 81(3), 121(3), and 162(9)
Financial autonomy must not be optional or negotiable.
2. Strengthening of NJC independence
Selection and discipline of judges must be strictly shielded from political interests.
3. Transparent disciplinary measures
Corrupt judges must face public consequences, not quiet retirements.
4. Ban on Executive patronage
Judges should no longer accept houses, cars, or “support packages” from the Executive.
5. Digitalization of court processes nationwide
Automation reduces corruption opportunities and protects judicial integrity.
6. Criminalization of attempts to influence judges
Political inducement or interference must attract severe statutory penalties.

CONCLUSION
Nigeria’s democracy stands or falls on the credibility of its courts. A compromised judiciary is more dangerous to the nation than insecurity or economic stagnation.
As an institution committed to justice, ISSJHR affirms:

“When a court of law fails to dispense justice to all concerned, it ceases to be a court of justice and becomes a bakery of iniquity.”

We call on the Executive to respect the Constitution, on the Judiciary to reclaim its independence, and on all Nigerians to insist on the restoration of judicial integrity.

Signed:
Dr. Omenazu Jackson
Chancellor, International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights (ISSJHR)
Email: [email protected]

05/11/2025

🇳🇬 *Nigeria: The Complicity of Leadership, the Questionable Compromise in Securing the Nation, the Miserable Elites, and the Jihadists*
*How We Lost Our Humanity with the Killings of Christians in North Central Nigeria and the* *Trump Challenge. The Official Denial. What a Diplomatic Blunder. What a Shame of a Nation.*
2nd Nov 2025

By Dr. Omenazu Jackson
Chancellor, International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights (ISSJHR)
Motto: “Social justice for all humanity. The web of humanity is an inseparable basket bonded in mutual destiny. Only love can sustain it. Absence of love makes the earth a broken space that renders the world hopelessly uninhibitable through inequality and unjust behavior.”

*The Bleeding Heart of a Nation*
Nigeria stands today at a moral crossroads. The once-proud giant of Africa has become a land where life is cheap, blood flows freely, and the silence of leadership has become an accomplice to terror. From Benue to Plateau, Nasarawa to Southern Kaduna, the cries of men, women, and children echo through burnt villages and abandoned farmlands.

What we face is not mere insecurity — it is a humanitarian tragedy, a religious persecution, and a national disgrace sustained by official complicity and the cowardice of the political class. The killings of Christians across the North-Central region of Nigeria have reached genocidal proportions. Yet, the government hides behind euphemisms like “banditry” and “farmer-herder clashes,” as though human life were a policy inconvenience.

*Leadership Complicity and the Collapse of Conscience*
Every leader who swore to protect this nation but failed to act against this slaughter carries moral blood on his hands. The complicity is not only in silence but in the deliberate distortion of truth. When Benue villages were razed and more than forty people killed in one weekend, the state blamed “unknown gunmen.” When hundreds were massacred in Plateau, the official response was “communal conflict.”

This denial has become state policy. It is cowardice masquerading as diplomacy. Nigeria’s refusal to acknowledge the religious dimension of these killings betrays a deeper rot — a leadership more interested in protecting image than protecting lives.

*"Any government that fails to protect her citizens and her territorial integrity has lost the right of legitimacy. Sustaining such government through vicious propaganda and diplomatic ground-standing is an act of official criminal boldness"*

According to Intersociety (August 2025), over 7,000 Christians have been killed in the first 220 days of 2025 — an average of 32 deaths per day. Since 2009, more than 185,000 Nigerians, including about 125,000 Christians, have lost their lives to jihadist-linked or communal attacks.

The dead are not numbers. They are farmers, teachers, mothers, and children — erased while the state watches. Leadership complicity is the gravest betrayal of a nation’s soul.

*The Humanitarian and Religious Crisis*
This is more than communal violence; it is a systematic assault on Christian identity and faith. Data from the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa shows that between 2019 and 2023, 16,769 Christian civilians were killed compared to 6,235 Muslims in jihadist or communal attacks. In the North-Central alone, the disparity is even worse — Christians are nearly three times more likely to be victims.

The destruction of over 19,000 churches in the past decade — an average of 100 churches attacked each month — reveals a pattern that cannot be ignored. These are not random killings. They are orchestrated terror campaigns aimed at erasing a people’s faith, farms, and future.

The Nigerian government’s response? Official denial, misdirection, and statistics designed to protect the guilty. By refusing to call these acts what they are — genocide and religious persecution — Nigeria insults the memory of the dead and mocks the conscience of humanity.

*The Military Budget That Fights No War*
Nigeria’s military budget tells its own story of misplaced priorities and compromised intent. Despite a defence allocation of ₦3.1 trillion in 2025, representing just 5.6% of the national budget, insecurity has worsened across every region.

The Defence Minister himself admitted that the ₦50 billion budgeted for defence operations was “grossly inadequate,” while barracks across the country received zero allocations for renovation. Meanwhile, the ₦595 billion allocated to intelligence operations — the very sector that could track and prevent attacks — is a drop in the ocean compared to the scale of the crisis.

Billions have been spent, yet the terror persists. Our soldiers are brave, but they are poorly equipped, often unpaid, and sometimes deployed under political constraints that forbid decisive engagement. The elites are secure behind bulletproof walls and foreign escorts, while the poor in Guma, Bokkos, Mangu, and Kaura are slaughtered with impunity.

This is not failure by accident; it is failure by design — a system that thrives on insecurity because chaos sustains corruption.

*The Trump Challenge and the Diplomatic Shame*
The world has now taken notice. The U.S. President Donald Trump recently warned that America “might go in guns blazing” if the Nigerian government fails to stop the massacre of Christians. His statement, though blunt, exposed what Nigerian diplomacy has tried desperately to hide: that the world now views Nigeria as a nation complicit in its own humanitarian collapse.

Instead of introspection, the government responded with denial — calling it “foreign interference.” What a blunder! When a state loses its moral legitimacy before the world, it loses the very essence of sovereignty. Diplomacy cannot be built on denial when humanity is burning.

The international press — The Guardian, New York Post, AP News, among others — have all documented the killings in Benue, Plateau, and other flashpoints. Nigeria’s image as a responsible state is collapsing before the eyes of the world.

*Why the International Community Must Intervene*
The crisis in Nigeria has reached a tipping point that demands urgent global action.

Humanity is on trial: With over 7,000 Christians killed this year alone and villages wiped out daily, silence has become complicity.

Regional stability is threatened: Nigeria’s disintegration through faith-based conflict will destabilize all of West Africa. Refugees, famine, and jihadist expansion will follow.

A moral responsibility: When a state refuses to protect its own citizens, the world has a duty to protect. The doctrine of “Responsibility to Protect” (R2P) was created for moments like this.

*Economic consequence:*
Insecurity in Nigeria threatens Africa’s largest economy and global energy supply. The destruction of rural farming communities — especially in the Middle Belt, Nigeria’s food basket — poses a continental hunger risk.

*Justice and accountability:*
The United Nations, African Union, and International Criminal Court must investigate state complicity, hold perpetrators accountable, and establish protection corridors for threatened communities.

The international community must not wait until Nigeria becomes another Rwanda. Silence today will echo in the graves of tomorrow.

A Nation at the Edge of Its Soul
Our nation’s tragedy is not just in the blood that flows, but in the humanity we have lost. Nigeria has become a paradox — rich in religion, poor in righteousness; loud in prayer, silent in justice.

Our elites live in luxury while our villages burn. Our leaders seek foreign applause while our people cry for local protection. Our military salutes at ceremonies but bleeds in the field without purpose.

The time has come for Nigerians to rise above ethnic and religious walls and demand a leadership that values life over politics. The world must stand with us now — not tomorrow — to save humanity within Nigeria’s borders before the soil becomes a graveyard of conscience.

*Conclusion: The Shame of a Nation*
When history recalls this era, it will not remember how many bridges we built or how many elections we conducted — it will remember how we watched our people slaughtered and did nothing.

Nigeria’s leadership has become a tragedy of convenience; its elites, prisoners of wealth; its diplomats, architects of denial. The jihadists are not just killing bodies — they are killing the soul of a nation.

We must restore that soul through truth, justice, and love — for the web of humanity is indeed one inseparable basket. If Nigeria burns, humanity will feel the heat.

*Dr. Omenazu Jackson*
Chancellor, International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights (ISSJHR) [email protected]
“Social justice for all humanity.”

22/07/2025

*From Courageous Titans to a Compromised Silence — The Case of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu vs FGN*
By Dr. Omenazu Jackson
*Chancellor, International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights (ISSJHR)*
Date: June 21, 2025

Introduction
Nigeria is at a critical juncture. The rule of law — once a sacred pillar of our democracy — is under siege from an increasingly bullying executive, a fearful judiciary, and a silent bar. The detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, despite clear court orders directing his release, is emblematic of what has become a systemic erosion of judicial authority.

I. Recalled Titans of the Bench: Their Landmark Judgments and Legal Standing
⚖️ Justice Kayode Eso (JSC)
Landmark Case: Military Governor of Lagos State v. Ojukwu [1986] SC.13/85

Date: February 14, 1986

Legal Holding: The Executive must not resort to self-help when a court is seized of a matter; courts alone should decide disputes addressed to them
anyimpiusanyim.com
+1
thisdaylive.com
+1
reddit.com
chlp.law
+5
thenationonlineng.net
+5
nigerialii.org
+5

Famous Quote:

*“The essence of the rule of law is that it should never operate under the rule of force or fear … It must never be.”*
thenationonlineng.net

*Legal Principle:* Affirmed supremacy of Section 6 (judicial power), Section 4 (legislative) and Section 5 (executive) of the 1979 Constitution, emphasizing that no organ may usurp the function of another
nigerialii.org

⚖️ *Justice Chukwudifu Oputa (JSC)*
Landmark Cases:

Adegoke Motors Ltd v Adesanya [1989] 13 NWLR (Pt.109) 250

Legal Holding: Supreme Court may overturn its own rulings “per incuriam”; its finality is rooted in institutional authority, not infallibility
en.wikipedia.org
+12
newsdotafrica.com
+12
thisdaylive.com
+12

*Quote:*

“We are final not because we are infallible; rather we are infallible because we are final. … Far better to admit an error than to persevere in error.”
guardian.ng
+3
newsdotafrica.com
+3
thenigerianvoice.com
+3

Aliu Bello v AG Ono State [1986] 2 NSCC 1257

*Legal Holding:* Substantial justice outweighs technicality — the spirit of justice must govern
hbriefs.com
+6
vanguardngr.com
+6
thenationonlineng.net
+6

*Quote:*

“The spirit of justice does not reside in forms and formalities … mere form … should work a wrong…”
vanguardngr.com
+1
guardian.ng
+1

⚖️ *Justice Akinola Aguda*
Notable Position: Former CJ of Botswana; Nigerian jurist who fiercely championed human rights under military rule .

*Legal Philosophy:* Advocated that omnipotent leaders must be placed under the law, not above it; decried poverty-induced lack of access to justice (e.g., Agbaje v Western Nigerian Government, 1968)
en.wikipedia.org
+1
de.wikipedia.org
+1

⚖️ *Justice Niki Tobi (JSC)*
Landmark Focus: Electoral jurisprudence and democratic integrity — insisted courts deliver justice on substance, not form, especially in electoral matters.

*Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi (CJN 2007–2009)*
Institutional Achievement: Reinforced the independence of judiciary via an empowered National Judicial Council; championed constitutional reform during Nigeria’s 2014 National Conference.

⚖️ *Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar (CJN 2012–2014)*
Legal Stand: Asserted judicial accountability by recommending sanctions against corrupt judges; famously stated judges must remain “loyal to the Constitution, not politicians.”

II. *From Legal Warriors to Silent Enablers:* The Decline of the Bar
Once home to legal luminaries like Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Femi Falana, Olisa Agbakoba, Bamidele Aturu, and Chidi Odinkalu, the Nigerian Bar has sadly slipped into passivity.

Today, some Senior Advocates of Nigeria advise and facilitate the Executive’s defiance of court orders — yet they face no disciplinary action from the NBA or LPDC. Their silence is not neutrality — it is complicity in the demolition of judicial oversight.

III. *Nigeria’s Judicial Journey:* From Colonial Subordination to Democratic Decline
Era Character
Colonial (Pre-1960) Judiciary served colonial interests, with no autonomy.
First Republic (1960–1966) Gradual emergence of judicial independence.
Military Rule (1966–1999) Courts undermined by decrees; yet judges like Eso and Oputa resisted.
Fourth Republic (1999–Present) Democracy revived hopes — now extinguished as the Executive routinely defies court orders *(e.g., Dasuki, El‑Zakzaky, Kanu).*
IV. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu— A Symbol of Judicial Scorn
Despite multiple court orders for release, Kanu remains detained, a living testament to the Executive’s utter disregard for judicial authority and the erosion of constitutional rule. This is a full-blown judicial crisis, not merely a political dispute.

V. *Declaration:* We Condemn This Executive Lawlessness
We strongly condemn the Executive’s actions:

Disregarding court orders

Detaining citizens arbitrarily

Undermining judicial independence

Instilling fear through legal weaponisation

This is not governance — it is tyranny under democratic disguise.

VI. Our Demands
Immediate, unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, per valid court rulings.

Public apology + ₦2 billion compensation for wrongful detention.

South-East regional referendum to determine popular will.

Sovereign National Conference to revise Nigeria’s structure.

Withdrawal of military checkpoints + probe into extrajudicial killings.

Release of all prisoners of conscience nationwide.

Disciplinary measures against judges and lawyers undermining the rule of law.

*Conclusion: Reclaiming Nigeria’s Judicial Integrity*
To the Executive: Obey the Constitution.
To the Judiciary: Remember Eso, Oputa, and Aguda — rise.
To the Bar: Silence is betrayal — defend the rule of law.
To the Nigerian People: Demand justice — or watch your rights vanish.

The rule of law must rise again. The time to act is now.

Signed:
*Dr. Omenazu Jackson*
Chancellor, ISSJHR
Date: June 21, 2025

Senator Anyim Pius Anyim is acknowledged by his numerous political associates as an exceptional consensus builder and a firm believer in one united Nigeria.

22/07/2025

https://tbnewsonline.com/2025/06/30/nigeria-the-high-cost-of-international-flights-the-economic-conspiracy-of-foreign-airlines-and-the-urgent-need-for-government-intervention/

Dr Omenazu Jackson As the heartbeat of Africa, Nigeria is not only rich in culture and population, but also in its global diaspora spread across continents. Millions of Nigerians live…

22/07/2025

*Nigeria: The Imperative for the Creation of Evo Local Government Area from Existing Obio/Akpor Local Government Area*
By the International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights (ISSJHR)

As Nigeria seeks to deepen democratic values, promote balanced development, and correct structural injustices in its federal design, the call for the creation of Evo Local Government Area (LGA) from the current Obio/Akpor LGA of Rivers State becomes a constitutional, moral, and national imperative. Evo Kingdom is not merely a collection of communities—it is a historically unified, economically vibrant, and culturally advanced civilization.

1. *Historic Identity of Evo Grand Kingdom*
The Evo Grand Kingdom has existed for over 2,700 years, tracing its lineage through time as one of the most sophisticated traditional institutions in the Niger Delta. With a system built on kinship, justice, and communal cooperation, Evo stands today as a beacon of ancestral pride, led by His Royal Majesty Eze Oha Evo III, Eze Dr. Leslie N. Eke PhD a custodian of peace and progress.

2. *Population and INEC Compliance*
Evo land is home to an estimated population of over 4 million people, making it one of the most densely populated socio-cultural blocs in Southern Nigeria. With a voting strength of over 400,000 registered electorates, Evo surpasses the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) requirements for a local government area.

Its demographic mass, political relevance, and administrative capacity far exceed those of many existing LGAs in the country, thereby meeting and exceeding constitutional benchmarks for LGA creation.

3. *Economic Viability and Land Mass*
Evo accounts for approximately 60% of Rivers State’s industrial and economic canopy. From Rumuomasi, Rumuobiakani, Rumuokwurusi, Woji, Rumuogba, to Oginigba, the kingdom hosts major industrial estates, residential hubs, oil and gas infrastructure, hospitality businesses, and logistics corridors.

With an estimated landmass of over 610,000 square kilometers, Evo has ample physical space for the autonomous operation of a local government system, coupled with solid economic infrastructure and internal revenue prospects.

4. *Security and Moral Stability*
Evo has maintained one of the lowest crime rates in Rivers State, a feat attributed to the moral rectitude, community values, and traditional security architecture of its indigenous people. Their cultural norms emphasize honesty, discipline, and social responsibility, making Evo one of the safest and most orderly communities in the Nigeria.

5. *A Model of Civility and Global Hospitality*
For decades, Evo has served as a sanctuary of hospitality, accommodating millions of Nigerians and foreign nationals in an atmosphere of peace and dignity. Its cosmopolitan culture is matched by its people’s warmth, making it a true hospitality heaven within Nigeria.

Evo is not just a homeland—it is a global village, a space where diversity thrives, and where the world feels welcome. A constitutional recognition of this model of civility through the creation of Evo LGA will allow the people to showcase their heritage as Nigeria’s ambassador of peace, commerce, and social harmony.

6. Contributions to National Development,
Public Service & Leadership.
Evo has produced numerous leaders, civil servants, technocrats, and professionals across Nigeria.

*National Revenue:* Through oil and gas assets, industrial operations, and taxation, Evo significantly contributes to Nigeria’s GDP.

*Urbanization & Infrastructure:* It supports a network of roads, schools, housing estates, hospitals, and urban renewal efforts.

7. *A Constitutional Call to Action*
We, the International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights, urge the National Assembly, the Rivers State Government, and all relevant constitutional stakeholders to give urgent attention to the creation of Evo Local Government Area.

This action will:

Correct an enduring administrative imbalance,

Empower the Evo people to drive development directly,

Bring government closer to the grassroots,

And inspire justice-based governance across the nation.

*Conclusion:* *Unbond Evo, Empower Nigeria*
Evo has earned the right to self-administration through population, economy, history, and peacekeeping. Let Nigeria unbond the Evo people from the shadows of administrative neglect and elevate them into a structure where they can better contribute more to the federation. History will remember this moment as a turning point in Nigeria’s march towards justice, inclusion, and progress.

Signed

*Dr Omenazu Jackson. FL; IIMCA*
Chancellor, International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights (ISSJHR).

25/06/2025

From Courageous Titans to a Compromised Silence — The Case of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu vs FGN
By Dr. Omenazu Jackson
Chancellor, International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights (ISSJHR)
Date: June 21, 2025

Introduction
Nigeria is at a critical juncture. The rule of law — once a sacred pillar of our democracy — is under siege from an increasingly bullying executive, a fearful judiciary, and a silent bar. The detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, despite clear court orders directing his release, is emblematic of what has become a systemic erosion of judicial authority.

I. Recalled Titans of the Bench: Their Landmark Judgments and Legal Standing
⚖️ Justice Kayode Eso (JSC)
Landmark Case: Military Governor of Lagos State v. Ojukwu [1986] SC.13/85

Date: February 14, 1986

Legal Holding: The Executive must not resort to self-help when a court is seized of a matter; courts alone should decide disputes addressed to them
anyimpiusanyim.com
+1
thisdaylive.com
+1
reddit.com
chlp.law
+5
thenationonlineng.net
+5
nigerialii.org
+5

Famous Quote:

“The essence of the rule of law is that it should never operate under the rule of force or fear … It must never be.”
thenationonlineng.net

Legal Principle: Affirmed supremacy of Section 6 (judicial power), Section 4 (legislative) and Section 5 (executive) of the 1979 Constitution, emphasizing that no organ may usurp the function of another
nigerialii.org

⚖️ Justice Chukwudifu Oputa (JSC)
Landmark Cases:

Adegoke Motors Ltd v Adesanya [1989] 13 NWLR (Pt.109) 250

Legal Holding: Supreme Court may overturn its own rulings “per incuriam”; its finality is rooted in institutional authority, not infallibility
en.wikipedia.org
+12
newsdotafrica.com
+12
thisdaylive.com
+12

Quote:

“We are final not because we are infallible; rather we are infallible because we are final. … Far better to admit an error than to persevere in error.”
guardian.ng
+3
newsdotafrica.com
+3
thenigerianvoice.com
+3

Aliu Bello v AG Ono State [1986] 2 NSCC 1257

Legal Holding: Substantial justice outweighs technicality — the spirit of justice must govern
hbriefs.com
+6
vanguardngr.com
+6
thenationonlineng.net
+6

Quote:

“The spirit of justice does not reside in forms and formalities … mere form … should work a wrong…”
vanguardngr.com
+1
guardian.ng
+1

⚖️ Justice Akinola Aguda
Notable Position: Former CJ of Botswana; Nigerian jurist who fiercely championed human rights under military rule .

Legal Philosophy: Advocated that omnipotent leaders must be placed under the law, not above it; decried poverty-induced lack of access to justice (e.g., Agbaje v Western Nigerian Government, 1968)
en.wikipedia.org
+1
de.wikipedia.org
+1

⚖️ Justice Niki Tobi (JSC)
Landmark Focus: Electoral jurisprudence and democratic integrity — insisted courts deliver justice on substance, not form, especially in electoral matters.

Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi (CJN 2007–2009)
Institutional Achievement: Reinforced the independence of judiciary via an empowered National Judicial Council; championed constitutional reform during Nigeria’s 2014 National Conference.

⚖️ Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar (CJN 2012–2014)
Legal Stand: Asserted judicial accountability by recommending sanctions against corrupt judges; famously stated judges must remain “loyal to the Constitution, not politicians.”

II. From Legal Warriors to Silent Enablers: The Decline of the Bar
Once home to legal luminaries like Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Femi Falana, Olisa Agbakoba, Bamidele Aturu, and Chidi Odinkalu, the Nigerian Bar has sadly slipped into passivity.

Today, some Senior Advocates of Nigeria advise and facilitate the Executive’s defiance of court orders — yet they face no disciplinary action from the NBA or LPDC. Their silence is not neutrality — it is complicity in the demolition of judicial oversight.

III. Nigeria’s Judicial Journey: From Colonial Subordination to Democratic Decline
Era Character
Colonial (Pre-1960) Judiciary served colonial interests, with no autonomy.
First Republic (1960–1966) Gradual emergence of judicial independence.
Military Rule (1966–1999) Courts undermined by decrees; yet judges like Eso and Oputa resisted.
Fourth Republic (1999–Present) Democracy revived hopes — now extinguished as the Executive routinely defies court orders (e.g., Dasuki, El‑Zakzaky, Kanu).
IV. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu— A Symbol of Judicial Scorn
Despite multiple court orders for release, Kanu remains detained, a living testament to the Executive’s utter disregard for judicial authority and the erosion of constitutional rule. This is a full-blown judicial crisis, not merely a political dispute.

V. *Declaration:* We Condemn This Executive Lawlessness
We strongly condemn the Executive’s actions:

Disregarding court orders

Detaining citizens arbitrarily

Undermining judicial independence

Instilling fear through legal weaponisation

This is not governance — it is tyranny under democratic disguise.

VI. Our Demands
Immediate, unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, per valid court rulings.

Public apology + ₦2 billion compensation for wrongful detention.

South-East regional referendum to determine popular will.

Sovereign National Conference to revise Nigeria’s structure.

Withdrawal of military checkpoints + probe into extrajudicial killings.

Release of all prisoners of conscience nationwide.

Disciplinary measures against judges and lawyers undermining the rule of law.

Integrity
Conclusion: Reclaiming Nigeria’s Judicial Integrity
To the Executive: Obey the Constitution.
To the Judiciary: Remember Eso, Oputa, and Aguda — rise.
To the Bar: Silence is betrayal — defend the rule of law.
To the Nigerian People: Demand justice — or watch your rights vanish.

The rule of law must rise again. The time to act is now.

Signed:
*Dr. Omenazu Jackson*
Chancellor, ISSJHR
Date: June 21, 2025

Senator Anyim Pius Anyim is acknowledged by his numerous political associates as an exceptional consensus builder and a firm believer in one united Nigeria.