General News
Abbas proposes think-tank to advise NASS on economic policies, laws
By Saint Mugaga
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen has proposed a think-tank to be known as the National Assembly and Business Executive Roundtable with the aim of closing gaps between legislative interventions and current economic realities.
Speaker Abbas noted that the proposed NABER, which will be composed of the lawmakers and stakeholders in the organised private sector, is to feel the pulse and understand the impact of laws on the country’s economy.
Speaker Abbas made the proposal on Thursday in his ‘Legislative Response and Commitments’ at a session tagged Legislative Business Breakfast Meeting with the private sector and the diplomatic corps as part of the NASS Open Week 2026, held at the National Assembly Library Trust Fund building, Abuja.
The event had the theme, ‘The Business of Growth—Legislative Priorities for Investment, Competitiveness, and Economic Transformation.’
The Speaker made reference to South Africa, where no significant economic or labour law reaches the parliament without first passing through the National Economic Development and Labour Council, a standing council where government, business, and labour reason together until they find common ground.
He also cited the example of Kenya, where the Private Sector Alliance meets the parliament in regular roundtables to clear the specific bottlenecks that hold back investment.
Also in the United Kingdom, Speaker Abbas noted that the Industry and Parliament Trust places legislators inside real businesses so that lawmakers understand the enterprises their laws affect.
Similarly, in India, he said the national budget is not finalised before the chambers of industry have been consulted.
The Speaker said, “The lesson is the same everywhere: that an economy grows faster when those who legislate and those who invest remain in continuous conversation, and Nigeria will learn it too.
“So, let me move us from lesson to action. I propose, here and now, that we institutionalise this gathering. Let us establish a standing National Assembly and Business Executive Roundtable (NABER), convened twice every year, that brings the leadership of both chambers and our economic committees together with the organised private sector, the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, organised labour and our development partners.
“Its mission would be simple and serious: to keep the conversation between Parliament and the productive economy continuous, structured, and grounded in evidence, rather than occasional and reactive.
“Its purpose would be fourfold: to review, each half-year, the true state of our business environment; to track the implementation of our reforms and the fate of the commitments we make to one another; to shape a shared, pro-growth legislative calendar for the year ahead; and to surface the obstacles to investment early enough for us to remove them by law.
He added, “The Roundtable should have a permanent home here at the National Assembly Library, so that it endures as an institution and does not depend on the goodwill of any single session.”
Speaker Abbas emphasised that the National Assembly should not make laws concerning the economy “from a distance,” stating that, “If we are to get this right, we need you as partners, and not merely as petitioners.”
He said, “So, I ask four things of you. Do not allow this communiqué to gather dust. Bring it to our relevant committees, on commerce, trade and investment, industry, finance, and banking as a living working document.
“Come to our public hearings, and come with data, because sound law is built on evidence and not on anecdote. Tell us honestly when a law we have made is not working as intended, so that we can move quickly to amend it.
“And let us, from today, institutionalise this engagement, so that the conversation between Nigerian business and its Parliament no longer waits for an annual breakfast, but becomes a permanent and structured partnership.
The Speaker noted that the reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, were not undertaken for the benefit of the government; “they were undertaken for you.”
He further noted that the President has made it plain that his agenda is private-sector-led. This, he said, “places you not at the margins of the Renewed Hope Agenda, but at its very centre.”
Speaker Abbas also stated that the Parliament has not been a bystander to reform, saying, “We have been its legislative engine, and our record is one of concrete action.”
He went on to highlight some landmark legislation considered and passed by the National Assembly, in line with the economic policies of the current administration.
Addressing some issues, the Speaker said, “First, on regulatory clarity and legislative predictability, we commit that laws affecting business will be stable, transparent, and made with your input so that no investor is ever ambushed by a rule they could not foresee.
“Second, on the cost of doing business, we will build on the tax reforms to harmonise levies across all tiers of government, so that one enterprise is not taxed to exhaustion by federal, state, and local authorities at the same time.
“Third, on access to finance, we will strengthen, through law and through oversight, the institutions that lend to the real economy and press for financing that actually reaches the small and medium enterprises that employ most of our people.
“Fourth, on competitiveness, we will repeal the obsolete laws that frustrate enterprise, and legislate to support local manufacturing, agriculture, and our readiness for the continental market. And fifth, on delivery, we will use our oversight not to harass the private sector, but to hold public agencies to account for implementing these reforms faithfully and courteously.”
Earlier, the Majority Leader, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, in his welcome address, expressed admiration for the array of stakeholders at the roundtable, expressing the need for the House to host more of such engagements. “It is more of listening,” the Leader said, adding that “we are willing to service your interests.”
Also, Chairman of the House Committee on Commerce, Hon. Ahmed Muhammed Munir, equally reeled out the legislative interventions and economic reforms under the 10th House and the Tinubu administration.
In her remarks, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, commended the leadership of the National Assembly and the National Assembly Library Trust Fund for convening the “important gathering.” She noted that quality of legislation is fundamental to productive economic reforms, stressing that the National Assembly is a critical government body in the national transformation process.
The European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, His Excellency, Amb. Gautier Mignot, noted that Nigeria is a major business and investment hub. He also noted that ease of doing business and macroeconomics have improved in the last few years.
Also, a former Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning and Board Chairman of the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), Usman Shamsudeen Ahmad, noted that the National Assembly passes laws and approves budget, therefore a necessary and important stakeholder in economic development. He emphasised that foundations laid by the parliament are what the government builds the economy on.
In his submission, a former minister of information and national orientation, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated that the National Assembly creates the legislative frameworks that inspire confidence in investors, noting, “I’m confident that today’s discussion with the business community will strengthen practical solutions.”
The Executive Director, Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Dr. Clement Nwankwo, criticised a development where “almost every agency of government considers themselves a revenue-generating agency.” He called for more reforms, especially harmonisation of taxes and standardisation of revenue collection.
Similarly, the Executive Secretary of the NALTF, Hon. Henry Nwawuba, noted that good laws cannot be made without the necessary data and research. He therefore urged the stakeholders to use the library.
General News
Mother Subjects Daughter to Abuse, Admits: “I made $300 from my 8-yr-old daughter’s pornographic video’
By Nick Ibe
The viral video on the social media involving an 8-year old girl whose ordeal was caused by her money loving mother has been arrested.
The arrest was facilitated by vigilante police operatives in the area, as well as bloggers and residents who provided information that assisted the investigation leading to the arrest of her 36-year-old mother, Anulika Onyeanusia, Onitsha, Anambra state.
According to the police, the Anambra State Police Command arrested her over alleged child pornography in Onitsha, by uploading a video involving her eight-year-old daughter on a pornographic platform to make money.
Onyeanusia, after the arrest, reportedly, told investigators that the highest amount she had made from uploading such content was $300.
The suspect also disclosed that the eight-year-old girl seen in the video is her second child, while preliminary investigation by the police allegedly revealed that she had also subjected her first daughter to similar acts and uploaded the content on a pornographic platform.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly blamed the act on the devil, telling police: “It is the devil, please forgive me” while adding that her husband was unaware of what she had allegedly been doing to their two daughters.
The arrest followed the circulation of a video showing the woman allegedly using sex toys on the eight-year-old girl. The video prompted police operatives to act on what the command described as open-source intelligence and traced the suspect.
In the disturbing footage, the girl could be heard crying and pleading with her mother to stop as the alleged abuse continued. The police said the video showed the suspect allegedly engaging in the act while apparently producing the content for an online audience.
During the operation, which was carried out on Thursday evening, the command said four children, aged two, three, six and nine years, were rescued.
The Police also disclosed that sex toys and other items believed to be relevant to the investigation were recovered from the suspect.
The command said investigation was ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged abuse and determine whether other persons were involved.
Spokesman for the command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who confirmed the arrest of the suspect and rescue of the children, said, ” The suspect is currently in police custody as the Command intensifies its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the alleged offence and the possible involvement of other persons. The husband of the suspect is also undergoing interrogation to determine whether he has any connection with the alleged offence.
“The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Oji, who is deeply disturbed by the alleged act, described it as unacceptable, particularly because it involves the exploitation and abuse of children who are incapable of protecting themselves. He has therefore directed a thorough and professional investigation while ensuring that the rescued children receive appropriate care and protection.
“To this end, the Command notes that beyond the investigation and prosecution, its priority is the safety, dignity and wellbeing of the rescued children.
“The Command will work with the appropriate child-protection and relevant support agencies to ensure that the victims receive the necessary care, protection, counselling and other support required for their recovery. Their identities and privacy will be protected throughout the process, and they will be treated with compassion and sensitivity.
“The Command also commends the vigilante operatives in the area, as well as bloggers and residents who provided information that assisted the investigation and led to the arrest of the suspect”, he stated.
General News
Lawyer Assaulted by Police: NBA Gboko Branch Secures N500 Million General and Exemplary Damages in Makurdi Court
By Our Reporter
In the pursuit of justice for a colleague, B. B. Iliamkondo, Esq., who was recently assaulted and battered by personnel of the Nigeria Police Force in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Gboko Branch, under the leadership of Felix Uwar, Esq., on Friday, 11th September, 2026 obtained judgement in favour of its member.
The facts which impregnated the suit that delivered the sweet victory are that, sometime in May, 2026, a client retained the legal services of B. B. Iliamkondo, Esq. to secure his bail at Koti-Mbaduku, Shangev-Ya, Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.
On arrival at the police outpost, the officer in-charge, one Inspector Terngu Ikyuur, demanded for money as a condition for the bail of the said client. Confused, the learned Iliamkondo, Esq. requested to know why he had to pay for bail when it was statutorily free of charge whereupon the police officer got infuriated and ordered him to vacate the police outpost immediately or face being implicated in his client’s cause. Mr. Iliamkondo then made to deliver his written application for the bail of his client but the officer instead seized him by the shirt, stalked him to the ground and cramped him into detention alongside his client and other inmates.
The following day, Inspector Terngu Ikyuur brought Mr. Iliamkondo out of the detention facility and forced him to carry on his head a bucket of faeces and urine passed over night by inmates. The officer compelled him to sing that he was a-charge- and-bail lawyer as he marched Mr. Iliamkondo around the community with a loaded gun pointed at his head all the while, threatening to kill him if he stopped marching.
Upon the intervention of his learned friends, Iliamkondo was later released after being brutalized and stripped half-naked by the police Inspector. Aggrieved, the NBA Gboko Chairman, Uwar, Esq., quickly empanelled a team of lawyers to secure the enforcement of fundamental rights of their learned friend. The team had: I. S. Gese, Esq. ; F. M. Z. Uwar, Esq.; Bem-Ephraim Orlunan Ayati, Esq. ; T. I. Tur, Esq.; S.L.Puusu, Esq. ; B. I. Aker,Esq.; G. M. Jimin, Esq. ; S. S. Gbileve, Esq. ; C. M. T. Uwar, Esq. ; F. Tyoyima, Esq. ; B. E. Atser, Esq. ; and M. I. Tagher, Esq.
The team instituted SUIT NO: MHC/4110M / 2026 before the Benue State High Court of Justice, sitting at Makurdi with B. B. Iliamkondo, Esq. as the Applicant against Inspector Terngu Ikyuur; CSP Banfa U. Nanzing; Commissioner of Police, Benue State; Inspector General of Police; Police Service Commission; and Nigeria Police Force as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Respondents, respectively.
In his judgement delivered on September 11, 2026, Hon. Justice M. M. Ikwulono, upheld the application and entered judgement in favour of the Applicant, Agugu Iliamkondo Benson Bemsen, Esq.
The Court awarded general and exemplary damages in his favour and against the Respondents in the sum of Five Hundred Million Naira (₦500, 000,000.00) only for the violation of his fundamental rights by the police.
The Court also Ordered the police to author and publish an apology to the Applicant in national newspapers with nation-wide circulation, a copy of which shall be furnished to the Applicant.
But besides the court ruling, the NBA has reportedly caused a formal petition to be written against Inspector Terngu Ikyuur and his DPO, CSP Banfa U. Nanzing, for discreet disciplinary action against them.
In their response to the outcome of the matter, the legal team said: “On our part as the legal team, we salute this judgement as sound in law, compensatory to our learned friend and deterrent against the police.
“We equally thank the Chairman of the Gboko Branch of the NBA, Uwar, Esq., under whose watch he ensured that our learned colleague’s humiliation got the justice that he deserves.”
At the time of filing this report, the NPF had yet to react to the judgment.
By Felix Umande
Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has strongly condemned the deadly attack on Ayilamo Community in Logo Local Government Area, describing it as a “despicable act” and a grave threat to peace and security in the state.
The attack, which occurred on Wednesday night, claimed the lives of four police officers and seven civilians, while thousands were displaced.
In a statement on Thursday signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Tersoo Kula, the Governor said the killing of law enforcement officers “is particularly painful and underscores the enormous sacrifices being made by security personnel in the line of duty.”
“This despicable act is an attack on the peace-loving people of Ayilamo and a grave threat to the security and stability of Benue State,” Governor Alia stated.
He described the incident as “a disturbing reminder of the persistent insecurity and repeated attacks on vulnerable communities and law-enforcement officers in the area.”
Governor Alia extended heartfelt condolences to the people of Ayilamo, the families of all victims, and the entire Logo LGA community.
He also commiserated with the Inspector-General of Police and the Benue State Commissioner of Police over the loss of the four officers.
“We honour their courage and sacrifice and pray that God grants their families, colleagues, and loved ones the strength to bear this irreparable loss,” the Governor added.
The Governor commended the Department of State Services for the “prompt and professional operation” that led to the arrest of three suspects allegedly connected to the Ayilamo attack in Benue and Nasarawa States.
He described the arrests as “a significant step towards uncovering the full circumstances of the incident and bringing those responsible to justice.”
“We urge the DSS to intensify its investigation and make the best use of the information obtained from the suspects in its custody,” Governor Alia said.
Governor Alia assured that his administration will continue to collaborate with security agencies to strengthen security in Ayilamo, Logo, and other vulnerable communities across the state.
He appealed to residents of Ayilamo and surrounding areas to “remain calm, vigilant, and law-abiding,” and to provide credible information to security agencies.
“We remain resolute in our determination to protect lives and property, uphold justice, and restore lasting peace across Benue State,” the Governor assured.
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