By Shu’aibu Leman

Last Wednesday, October 21,2026, I wrote about Dele Giwa, the legendary Nigerian journalist murdered by a parcel bomb in October 1986. I had hoped that, nearly four decades later, Nigeria had moved beyond the era when journalists were threatened for daring to speak truth to power. Sadly, the reported ordeal of a young journalist in Kaduna suggests that the struggle for freedom of expression remains far from over.

On Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the reported ordeal of 23-year-old Farida Isiak, a reporter with Nagarta Radio in Kaduna, brought this concern into sharp focus.

According to reports, the matter began with a dispute involving ₦100 change from a charcoal sale between her mother and a neighbour. Her mother was reportedly arrested, and when her father went to secure her bail, he too was detained. Their reported detention allegedly compelled Farida to present herself at the police station.

She was subsequently accused of defaming the police in a Facebook post criticising the reported treatment of her parents. Although she reportedly deleted the post and apologised, she remained in detention. She was later taken before a court in Kawo and reportedly sentenced to four years’ imprisonment or a fine of ₦1.75 million for defamation.

The development raised troubling questions about the circumstances surrounding her arrest, the handling of the complaint and the fairness of the judicial process.

Fortunately, the intervention of some lawyers following the summary trial prevented Farida from being taken to a correctional centre to begin serving the reported sentence. She was subsequently granted bail, and the case is scheduled for retrial on November 3.

Her release on bail is a welcome development. However, it does not bring the matter to a close. The forthcoming retrial presents an opportunity for the issues surrounding the initial proceedings to receive proper judicial scrutiny, including the court’s jurisdiction, the fairness of the process and the legal basis for the reported sentence.

The intervention of the lawyers deserves recognition. Yet, we must ask ourselves why a young journalist should have to depend on such intervention to avoid being taken to a correctional centre following a summary trial.

Access to justice should never depend on the availability of a last-minute intervention.

If the reports surrounding Farida’s ordeal are accurate, they raise serious questions about the protection of fundamental rights and the proper exercise of public authority.

Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, guarantees freedom of expression, including the freedom to hold opinions and receive and impart ideas and information without interference, subject to the Constitution.

Section 35 protects personal liberty, while Section 36 guarantees the right to a fair hearing. These protections are fundamental to the administration of justice and the relationship between citizens and public institutions.

The Nigeria Police Act 2020 also contains provisions restricting the arrest of one person in place of another. The precise statutory provision should be considered alongside the facts established in Farida’s case.

These constitutional and legal safeguards are not privileges reserved for journalists, influential individuals or those who can afford expensive legal representation. They exist to protect every Nigerian.

The concerns reportedly raised by Amnesty International about Farida’s case also deserve serious attention.

The late American broadcaster Larry King once observed: “The First Amendment is not for the press; it is for the people.”

That statement captures an important democratic principle. Freedom of expression is not the exclusive privilege of journalists. It belongs to every citizen, the market trader who complains about misconduct, the student who questions wrongdoing, the worker who challenges an injustice and the mother who demands justice for her child.

Journalists do not own this freedom. They help defend it and amplify the voices of those who might otherwise go unheard.

If a young journalist can reportedly face imprisonment after criticising the treatment of her parents, what protection does an ordinary citizen have when confronted with similar circumstances?

This is the question that makes Farida’s case a matter of wider public interest.

Journalists are not above the law. Freedom of expression does not confer immunity from lawful consequences, and allegations of defamation must be addressed through appropriate legal procedures.

However, there is a fundamental distinction between holding someone accountable under the law and using the machinery of law enforcement in a manner that could intimidate citizens or discourage legitimate criticism.

Public institutions must be open to scrutiny. Police officers, like other public officials, exercise authority on behalf of the people and must be prepared to answer legitimate questions about their conduct.

Criticism of public institutions should not automatically be treated as an attack that warrants punitive action. Equally, any allegation of wrongdoing must be investigated fairly, with due regard for the rights of everyone involved.

The authorities must therefore ensure that the circumstances surrounding Farida’s arrest and the reported detention of her parents receive an impartial examination.

I appeal to the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police to ensure that any outstanding questions about the police’s conduct in this matter are investigated fairly and transparently.

I also urge the Chief Judge of Kaduna State to ensure that the judicial process receives appropriate scrutiny within the law, particularly regarding the court’s jurisdiction, the fairness of the initial proceedings and the legal basis for the reported sentence.

The retrial scheduled for November 3 must be approached with the seriousness it deserves. Farida must have a fair opportunity to present her defence, and the proceedings must be conducted impartially, without intimidation or prejudice.

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), both at the national level and in Kaduna State, must equally provide Farida with the legal assistance and institutional support she needs throughout the proceedings.

As a former National Secretary of the NUJ, I believe strongly that no young journalist should be left to face such a challenge alone.

The union’s responsibility extends beyond issuing statements whenever journalists are threatened or detained. It must also help ensure that affected members have access to legal representation, institutional support and appropriate professional solidarity.

The legal community, civil society organisations and human rights advocates also have an important role to play. Their intervention in cases such as Farida’s can help ensure that questions of fundamental rights receive the attention they deserve.

Nevertheless, the responsibility to defend freedom of expression does not rest with journalists and lawyers alone. Every Nigerian who believes in justice and accountability has a stake in protecting this fundamental freedom.

Dele Giwa paid the ultimate price in 1986. His murder remains a painful reminder of the dangers journalists can face when their work challenges powerful interests.

Farida’s circumstances are different, and the two cases should not be equated. Yet, both compel us to reflect on the conditions under which journalists can perform their duties without fear and on society’s responsibility to protect the freedom to speak.

Nearly four decades after Giwa’s death, we must ask ourselves: have we learnt enough to protect those who dare to speak out?

We cannot rewrite history, but we can determine what lessons we draw from it.

We must build a society where public institutions welcome accountability, the courts uphold justice, and citizens can express their concerns without fear of unlawful punishment.

Farida’s release on bail is encouraging, but it must not mark the end of public attention to her case. The forthcoming retrial deserves careful scrutiny, and she must be allowed to pursue her defence in accordance with the law.

Protecting Farida is about more than protecting one journalist. It is about defending every Nigerian’s right to question authority, demand accountability and seek justice without fear.

History will judge us not only by the injustices we condemn, but also by the people we choose to defend when their rights are threatened.

If we fail to protect the young journalist today, who will be left to speak for us tomorrow?

Leman is a former National Secretary of Nigeria Union of Journalists- NUJ

–Mexican cartels turning Nigeria into meth hub – US

By Nick Ibe, Abuja

Mexican drug cartels now under pressure from the United States in the Western Hemisphere are turning to Africa for alternative routes for trafficking synthetic drugs, the American government has warned.

Michael Gonzales, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs for Africa and the Middle East, has said the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s, NDLEA, operations with four meth labs dismantled in Nigeria this year, demonstrated the importance of Nigeria’s counter-narcotics campaign. He said this is important to both countries, as Washington intensifies pressure on cartels operating in the Western Hemisphere.

Gonzales spoke on Tuesday during a visit to the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja, where he commended the agency for its operational successes, saying he chose Nigeria as his first visit after assuming office because of the country’s strategic importance and the NDLEA’s record. In his words:

“I became the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement just four months ago, covering all countries of Africa and the Middle East. And when I was thinking where it makes the most sense to visit first, Nigeria was a clear answer.

“Because as a leader, as an economic powerhouse on the continent, but also particularly NDLEA for the leadership and the impressive wins that you and your team and your interagency counterparts have delivered time and again.

“In addition to the very robust partnership between INL and NDLEA, I wanted to see firsthand where the magic happens, as we say in the United States.”

Gonzales specifically cited the four methamphetamine laboratory busts recorded by the NDLEA this year as evidence of the agency’s use of intelligence-led investigations, inter-agency cooperation, operational coordination and prosecution.

“The four meth lab busts just this year alone are a testament to the deployment of some of the best practices in our tradecraft, the intelligence-based knowledge collection, the coordination across national lines and agency lines, the operational excellence that goes into the actual bust, and then the interrogations, the investigations and prosecutions.

“They’re all so critical because ultimately counter-narcotics work, the work that each of us does day in and day out, truly delivers for the people,” he said.

The US official said the significance of the operations extended beyond Nigeria, arguing that the international nature of the narcotics trade meant that successful interdiction in Nigeria could have consequences for drug markets in other parts of the world.

“When I am talking to American audiences in the United States, I tell them there’s virtually no other issue of foreign policy that so tangibly affects the lives of every community, virtually every family across our country, than narcotics.

“And the reality of the narcotics trade is international. It knows no boundaries, very few constraints. And so, the work that INL does in the United States and globally and the work that NDLEA does fundamentally delivers for the Nigerian people, for the American people,” Gonzales said.

He added that the United States had more than four decades of experience supporting counter-narcotics operations around the world, including through training and equipment, and warned that changes in trafficking patterns required countries to work together against criminal networks.

He said intense US pressure on cartels in the Western Hemisphere was effectively “squeezing a balloon,” forcing traffickers to seek alternative routes through Africa to reach markets in Europe and beyond.

The official also pointed to the growing shift from plant-based narcotics to synthetic drugs, which he described as harder to detect and potentially deadlier, saying the response must target criminal organisations as interconnected networks, including their financial flows.

Marwa, in his response, said the NDLEA’s recent operations had uncovered what he described as a deliberate attempt by Mexican cartels to establish Nigeria as a manufacturing base for methamphetamine.

“Crime has no borders, and neither does the threat. The drugs we seize, the arms we intercept and the terrorist financing we trace are not separate problems.

“When we seize narcotics and illicit weapons in the same operations and along the same routes, we are looking at the convergence of crime. Drug money buys guns, guns sustain armed groups, and armed groups sustain terrorism.

“Terrorism has no borders. What festers in the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin does not stay there, and what is trafficked through West Africa does not stop at our coastline,” the NDLEA chairman said.

Marwa then detailed the operations against the laboratories, beginning with the largest clandestine methamphetamine laboratory ever discovered by the agency in Nigeria.

“The Mexican cartel threat is real, and we are confronting it.

“In recent months, NDLEA operatives dismantled the largest clandestine methamphetamine laboratory ever discovered in Nigeria, in a forest in Ijebu East, Ogun State, where we arrested three Mexican meth experts and their Nigerian collaborators right in the forest where illicit substances worth over $360 million US dollars were recovered.

“Barely four weeks later, we raided another industrial-scale laboratory at Tapa Village in neighbouring Oyo State and arrested a Mexican methamphetamine expert, brought in for large-scale synthesis, together with four Nigerian collaborators.

“We have since dismantled a similar facility in Enugu State and another in Ebonyi State, South-East Nigeria, all linked to the Mexican cartels. These were not isolated incidents. They show a deliberate attempt to turn Nigeria into a manufacturing hub,” he said.

Marwa said the implications of the laboratories went beyond the Nigerian market, arguing that the cartels were seeking routes through West Africa to move methamphetamine to international markets.

“Let me be plain about why this matters to Washington. These cartels are not setting up in our forests to supply Nigerian consumers alone. They want a West African corridor to ship industrial quantities of methamphetamine to Europe, to Asia, and to American cities.

“Especially taking into consideration the President Trump hammer that is smashing cartel traffic en route to America. These cartels are now seeking alternative routes to get to the same America,” he said, adding that:

“Every meth-producing laboratory that we shut down is a supply line that never reaches an American street, and every cartel operative we arrest is one fewer in the pipeline.

“Our forensic chemists, our investigators and our tactical teams are, in effect, forward defence for communities in the United States.”

Marwa said the US partnership had strengthened the NDLEA’s capabilities in forensic and chemical analysis, professional training, investigations, financial-crime detection and equipment maintenance.

He said the support had contributed to the agency’s recent operational results, including the arrest of 96,157 drug offenders, among them 250 drug barons, and the seizure of more than 15.8 million kilogrammes of assorted illicit drugs in the last five years.

He added that 16,691 drug traffickers, including kingpins, had been convicted during the period.

Marwa, however, warned that withdrawing US support could create a gap that criminal and terrorist networks would exploit, and appealed to Gonzales to convey to Washington the need to sustain or increase its assistance.

“This great partnership has fueled our offensives that yielded the arrest of 96,157 drug offenders including 250 drug barons, the seizure of over 15.8 million kilograms of assorted illicit drugs and conviction of 16,691 drug traffickers including the kingpins, in the last five years,” he said.

He urged the US to maintain its support “as it is, if not increased,” arguing that criminal networks already operated across national boundaries.

“Traffickers, arms dealers and terrorists cooperate across borders every day, and governments confronting them must do the same,” Marwa said.

By Felix Umande

The push for state police in Nigeria has gained fresh momentum as Benue, Ogun, Delta, Plateau, Kwara, Cross River, Enugu and Nasarawa State Houses of Assembly have approved the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, providing for the establishment of State Police Services.

They join Edo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers and Zamfara which had earlier endorsed the constitutional amendment required to institute state policing.

The proposed alteration bill amends Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution to replace the single Nigeria Police Force with a Federal Police Service and State Police Services as part of efforts to address the country’s security challenges.

The bill was transmitted to the 36 State Houses of Assembly on September 16, 2026, by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, for consideration. Under Section 9 of the Constitution, an amendment requires approval of at least two-thirds of the state assemblies, representing 24 states.

In Benue, the House adopted the bill during Tuesday’s plenary presided over by Speaker Rt. Hon. Berger Alfred Emberga. The executive bill was presented by Majority Leader Hon. Peter Bemdoo Ipusu, who urged accelerated consideration.

Ipusu said state policing would improve grassroots intelligence gathering, quicker response to emergencies, address peculiar threats such as rural banditry, farmer-herder conflicts and urban crime, and allow the federal police to focus on national security. He also cited employment generation and stronger accountability.

Speaker Emberga directed the Clerk to transmit the decision to the National Assembly.

In Ogun, the Assembly passed resolution H.R. No. 194/OG/2025-2026 on Tuesday following a report by the Ad-hoc Committee on Constitutional Review chaired by former Speaker Olakunle Oluomo. Members voted in favour of all 26 clauses. Speaker Daisi Elemide described the decision as historic and said a clean copy would be transmitted to the National Assembly.

In Delta, all 23 members present at plenary on Tuesday unanimously approved the bill. Majority Leader Emeka Nwaobi said the dual policing system would guarantee security of lives and property and address insecurity at local levels.

Speaker Emomotimi Guwor, who is also Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures, said it was a significant step towards responsive community policing.

Meanwhile, the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill said it has submitted the draft National Policing Bill, 2026, and 29 consequential amendment bills to the Ministry of Justice for legislative drafting review and validation.

In a statement Tuesday, Chairman of the Working Group and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the submission was made on October 19, 2026, to the Attorney-General of the Federation.

He said the ministry’s review will ensure conformity with legislative drafting standards and avoid conflict with existing laws, and is expected to return validated drafts on or before October 30, 2026, for final consideration before presentation to President Bola Tinubu.

Gbajabiamila said the bill seeks to establish the constitutional and legislative framework for a dual policing structure. President Tinubu had inaugurated the seven-member Working Group on July 7 to produce a technically robust, implementation-ready draft.