Jimmy Carter, the 100-year-old former US president and Nobel peace laureate who rose from humble beginnings in rural Georgia to lead the nation from 1977 to 1981, has died, his nonprofit foundation said Sunday.

Carter had been in hospice care since mid-February 2023 at his home in Plains, Georgia — the same small town where he was born and once ran a peanut farm before becoming governor of the Peach State and running for the White House.

Carter died “peacefully” at his home in Plains, “surrounded by his family,” The Carter Center said in a statement.

“My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and unselfish love,” Chip Carter, the former president’s son, said in the statement.

Carter was the oldest living ex-US leader and the nation’s longest-lived president — an outcome that seemed unlikely back in 2015 when the Southern Democrat revealed he had brain cancer.

But the US Navy veteran and fervent Christian repeatedly defied the odds to enjoy a long and fruitful post-presidency, after four years in the Oval Office often seen as disappointing.

During his single term, Carter placed a commitment on human rights and social justice, enjoying a strong first two years that included brokering a peace deal between Israel and Egypt dubbed the Camp David Accords.

But his administration hit numerous snags — the most serious being the taking of US hostages in Iran and the disastrous failed attempt to rescue the 52 captive Americans in 1980. He also came in for criticism for his handling of an oil crisis.

In November of that year, Republican challenger Ronald Reagan clobbered Carter at the polls, relegating the Democrat to just one term. Reagan, a former actor and governor of California, swept into office on a wave of staunch conservatism.

– Active post-presidency –

As the years passed, a more nuanced image of Carter emerged — one that took into account his significant post-presidential activities and reassessed his achievements.

He founded the Carter Center in 1982 to pursue his vision of world diplomacy, and he was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his tireless efforts to promote social and economic justice.

He observed numerous elections around the world and emerged as a prominent international mediator, tackling global problems from North Korea to Bosnia.

Carter, known for his toothy smile, said basic Christian tenets such as justice and love served as the bedrock of his presidency. He taught Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist, his church in Plains, well into his 90s.

In recent years, he had received various hospital treatments, including when he revealed in August 2015 that he had brain cancer and was undergoing radiation.

US Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia, who is the pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church where Martin Luther King Jr preached, wished the Carter family comfort as the former president entered hospice last year.

“Across life’s seasons, President Jimmy Carter, a man of great faith, has walked with God,” Warnock wrote on X, then Twitter.

“In this tender time of transitioning, God is surely walking with him.”

In April 2021, President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, met with the Carters at their home in Plains.

The White House later released a photo showing the couples smiling together, although only Rosalynn was seen by the press outside, bidding the Bidens farewell while using a walker.

Rosalynn, Carter’s wife of 77 years, died on November 19, 2023 at age 96.

The former president, who looked frail, poignantly appeared at her memorial service in a wheelchair, with a blanket on his lap bearing their likenesses.

Carter is survived by the couple’s four children, three sons and a daughter.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has said that President Bola Tinubu does not interfere in its operations, or influence movements within it.

NNPCL argued that: “Employment, promotions, appointments, and movements of business leaders at the NNPC are not influenced by ethnicity, tribe, religion, or political affiliation.”

Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, stated these in a statement issued yesterday in response to the article, “Tinubu’s Buharisation of the NNPC” authored by Prof. Farooq Kperogi.

According to him, decisions within the NNPCL “are guided strictly by merit, business requirements, and expertise.”
Kperogi had in his article criticised what he called “Tinubu’s relentless Yorubacentric take-over of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC)” alleging that “Yoruba people now occupy major positions at the NNPC and that a certain (person) is ‘being proposed as GMD after Mele Kyari’s term expires early next year.”

But Soneye in a statement said Kperogi’s article was full of misconceptions about the operations and leadership structure of the company.
He explained that NNPCL focused on efficient and effective service delivery, anchored on the commitment of qualified work team.

He also clarified that that President Tinubu did not interfere in the operations or leadership movements within the NNPC.
“On the contrary, his administration has introduced transformative policies that have added immense value to the oil and gas sector and the broader Nigerian economy.

“President Tinubu’s approach has been to empower institutions like the NNPC to operate independently while fostering a conducive environment for growth and innovation. His reforms have set a benchmark that has significantly improved the sector, surpassing the achievements of many of his predecessors,” he said.

The NNPC spokesman emphasized that the company is a professional organisation with a diverse leadership lineup that includes individuals from various parts of the world, not just Nigeria.
“The presence of qualified foreigners in the employ of the NNPC, who have been bolstering the value chain of production and distribution of allied products, is verifiable.

“It is, thus, sad that a professor of Mr Kperogi’s standing would resort to and play up the issue of ethnic identities in the configuration of the work team in NNPC just to demonise President Tinubu,” he said.
He stated that under the leadership of Mele Kyari, the NNPCL has achieved remarkable milestones and recorded several “firsts” in the industry.

“These milestones were not defined, coloured or contoured by primordial fault-lines of tribe and religion. They were inspired by the collective drive for excellence. These milestones include groundbreaking advancements in exploration, production, and global partnerships that were previously thought unattainable. This success is a testament to the company’s focus on competence and professionalism rather than on parochialism as insinuated in the editorial offerings by Mr. Kperogi,” he said.

The Super Eagles B scored three first-half goals to claim a dominant 3-1 win over the Black Galaxies of Ghana in the second leg of their African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.

The victory ensured a 3-1 aggregate win for the home-based Eagles following a goalless first leg, thus ensuring Nigeria’s qualification for the 2025 CHAN tournament.

The Eagles scored thrice in six minutes through Sodiq Ismail, Nduka Junior, and Isaac Saviour to dump out a shell-shocked Ghanian side tactically naïve and outmaneuvered by their opponents. Stephen Amankuna scored Ghana’s solitary goal.

Ismail put the Eagles in front on 19 minutes when he sprung the offside trap to meet a long punt forward, squeezing his shot under goalkeeper Benjamin Asare for 1-0.

The lead was doubled four minutes later following a poorly cleared corner kick that found its way back into the penalty area, allowing Junior, the team captain, to guide an expert finish into the roof of the net at the near post.

Two minutes later, the Eagles were three-nil up when good pressing by Sikiru Alimi led Saviour to pounce on a loose pass and round the goalkeeper before stroking into an empty net.

Alimi had chances to extend the Eagles’ lead before Amankuna scored the consolation goal for Ghana on 70 minutes.

The final whistle sent the Super Eagles’ bench into jubilation mode as the country qualified for its first CHAN tournament in six years — after missing out on the last two editions.

It is also the first time the home-based Eagles will defeat their Ghanaian counterparts in three attempts.

The 2025 CHAN will be co-hosted by Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda between February 1 to February 28.

The African Nations Championship (CHAN) is a biennial competition reserved exclusively for professional footballers playing in their country’s domestic leagues.

The former governor of Rivers State and one-time presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr Peter Odili, has said Governor Siminalayi Fubara stopped the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Minister, Nyesom Wike, from turning the state to a private estate.

Odili disclosed that Governor Fubara summoned an unusual fortitude to confront the quest by Wike to capture Rivers state through ferocious, but unnecessary political war.

Odili spoke at a Christmas ballad organized by him in honour of Governor Fubara and his family.

He stated that as a family, he, his wife and children, decided to host the Rivers State Governor and his family to a night of varieties of song and other activities in appreciation of “the fortitude and sterling leadership qualities he has demonstrated”.

Dr Odili explained that it is now over 12 months, since the 25th of October 2023, when a fierce existential fight, though unnecessary, was waged against Governor Fubara over the soul of Rivers State.

He said that with assuring fortitude, “Governor Fubara confronted the challenge, prevented the quest by one man to capture the State as a private estate, emancipated Rivers people, steadied governance and made civil servants and Rivers people happier as it used to be until he left office in 2007,” he said.

Fubara speaks

Responding, Governor Fubara said that God has proved Himself worthy as the Ultimate Liberator of the State and its people because He ensured total triumph over the political crisis and those behind it.

Governor Fubara stated that while the political antagonism lasted, God gave him a new perspective to leadership.

He added that with the strength of support from Rivers people, he stopped seeing the crisis as a problem, but as a necessary enabler in governance.

“And not just because I want to accept it, I get stronger in this course every day when I look at the support I am getting from the true Rivers people.

“So, it is not me being strong. My strength is drawn from everyone of you that is here. You gave me the encouragement; you do the work for me; you make the calls for me. So, why won’t I stand up for you.

“But we also believe strongly that the ultimate game changer, the ultimate liberator, and the ultimate fighter still remains God Almighty. And because we have Him on our side, victory is assured.”

Governor Fubara said God is in control of the affairs of the State, adding that as they look forward to a very prosperous 2025, they should be assured that it will be better than what had been experienced.

He assured of the determination of his administration to make every succeeding year in the State better with remarkable records of progress, stressing that the excitement experienced among Rivers people during the Christmas celebrations is indicative of a brighter future ahead.

Governor Fubara vowed to continue to do what is right.

He said it is also delighting to see true leaders of the State and well-meaning Rivers people standing on the right side of history despite the pressures to surrender to tyranny and oppression.

“I want to thank everyone, and I assure you that we will continue to run a government that will uplift the image of the State. We will not be tyrants.

“We will remember that what we are doing here today is a shift job, and that one day, our time will be up, and we’ll leave for another person to take over.

“And what is important is to allow the machine to keep running effectively, so that when the other person comes, he continues with that steam for progress in the State.

“So, I thank everyone of you for your support,” Fubara added.

Speaker

Also speaking, Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Victor Oko-Jumbo recalled how the crisis that erupted in the Assembly swept them off their feet, but quickly added that the encouragement from Governor Fubara emboldened him and a few others to stand up for the truth to liberate the State.

In his speech, Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, said he least expected to have remained a chief judge, just as he didn’t expect the Governor to last in office up until now given the political crisis.

He noted that God has turned the crisis as a liberation fight, and assured that he will continue to be on the right side in defence of the State.

Sekibo

Also speaking, former Minister of Transport, Dr Abiye Sekibo, noted that the gathering was a roll call of the political family of Dr Peter

He said Governor Fubara had sufficiently blended traits of Dr Odili’s leadership style with his, and steered the course of governance successfully, making the people of State proud of him as a worthy son.

In his vote of thanks, the Chairman, of Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, Justice Adolphus Enebeli (rtd), thanked the Odilis for organising the family reunion, and lauded the Governor and his family for showing unassuming humility and honouring the invitation.

He also thanked genuine elders and leaders of the State for joining in the celebration

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has stated that the increasing incidents of vandalism targeting critical power transmission equipment hindered the achievement of the ambitious goal to generate 6,000 megawatts of electricity by December 2024.

He explained that the government had implemented measures to reach the milestone and was on track until multiple incidents of vandalism to electricity towers disrupted the plan.

The Special Adviser on Strategic Communication and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji, revealed this during an exclusive interview with Sunday PUNCH when asked about the reasons behind the failed projections.

Nigeria’s power generation currently ranges between 4,000 MW and 4,900 MW from 19 power generation plants, serving a population of approximately 200 million people.

For instance, the latest operational report showed that the country’s power generation was 4,363.79MW as of 6 am on Saturday.

Earlier this year, Adelabu pledged that power generation in Nigeria would reach 6,000MW by the end of the year, citing improvements in the sector over the past year.

However, the frequent collapse of the nation’s electricity grid and the vandalisation of towers ultimately affected the stability of the electricity supply, hindering efforts to raise the country’s power generation.

The special adviser, who had expressed optimism about reaching the target in a meeting with journalists in November, stated that approximately 1,000 megawatts had been added since the current administration took office.

He said, “If you look at the situation when the current administration took over, the generation was just about 4,000 megawatts. However, within a year, about 1,000 megawatts were added. By November 27, we again reached a target of 5,231 megawatts. Indeed, a promise of 6,000 megawatts was made, and with what we were doing, we felt it was achievable. Unfortunately, the work of vandals set us back a bit. We are not resting on our oars to ensure additional supply to the grid.”

As of November 2024, the Transmission Company of Nigeria stated that it had spent N8.8bn to repair and restore 128 vandalised transmission towers across the country.

He also mentioned another issue facing the sector: cash backing for subsidy payments, noting that only N450bn was budgeted for the current year, while the debt incurred for subsidy payments amounted to N2.3tn.

Bolaji said, “One of the key issues has been the cash backing of the subsidy, which relates to debt owed to generation companies and gas companies. This year’s subsidy will be approximately N2.3tn, but only N450bn was budgeted.

“Another issue has been the fragility of the transmission grid due to the level of vandalism.”

On possible solutions to improve generation in 2025, the media adviser said, “Firstly, the government will make improved provision in the budget for subsidies to ensure payments are made on time. We will continue to push to ensure the market continues to pay for the electricity consumed.

“The committee on revamping ageing equipment is also in place. The Federal Government has increased the budget allocation to the Ministry of Power and its agencies to ensure increased infrastructure investment.

“The minister continues to ensure a conducive environment for private sector participation, as this is the only way to provide the capital required for infrastructure improvements in the power sector,” he concluded.

In the proposed 2025 budget, the power ministry budgeted a sum of N269.74bn for special intervention power projects, N47.35bn for the construction of transformers and substations, and N36.82bn as counterpart funding for earmarked transmission lines and substation projects.

A Jeju Air plane carrying 181 people from Bangkok to South Korea crashed on arrival Sunday, colliding with a barrier and bursting into flames, with only two survivors rescued so far and 96 confirmed dead.

A collision with birds and adverse weather conditions were cited by the authorities as likely causes of the crash that flung passengers out of the plane and left it “almost completely destroyed”, according to fire officials.

Video showed the Jeju Air plane landing on its belly without wheels at Muan International Airport, skidding off the runway as smoke streamed out from the engines, before crashing into a wall and exploding in flames.

“Passengers were ejected from the aircraft after it collided with the barrier, leaving little chance of survival,” a local fire official told families at a briefing, according to a statement released by the fire brigade.

“The plane is almost completely destroyed, and identifying the deceased is proving difficult. The process is taking time as we locate and recover the remains,” he was quoted as saying.

“So far, two people rescued — both are flight attendants — 96 dead,” the fire department said, revising an earlier statement that said one of the survivors was a passenger.

A photo showed the tail section of the plane — a Boeing 737-8AS according to Flight Radar — engulfed in flames on what appeared to be the side of the runway, with firefighters and emergency vehicles nearby.

“The cause of the accident is presumed to be a bird strike combined with adverse weather conditions. However, the exact cause will be announced following a joint investigation,” Lee Jeong-hyun, chief of Muan fire station, said during a briefing.

A response team officer at the local fire department, Lee Hyeon-ji said rescue authorities had evacuated passengers from the rear section of the jet.

The Muan International Airport is in Muan county, which is about 288 kilometres (179 miles) southwest of Seoul.

The fire agency said it had mobilised 32 fire engines and scores of fire fighters to the scene.

The accident took place at 9:03 am (0003 GMT) on Sunday during the landing of Jeju Air Flight 2216, the Ministry of Land said.

“A total of 175 passengers — including two Thai nationals — and six crew members were onboard,” it said.

The initial fire was extinguished and a search and rescue operation was “under way at the crash site”, it said in a statement at around 11:00 am local time.

Low-cost carrier Jeju Air apologised and vowed to do all it could to help.

“We at Jeju Air will do everything in our power in response to this accident. We sincerely apologise for causing concern,” the airline said in a statement posted on its social media channels.

– Engulfed in flames –

Acting President Choi Sang-mok called for the mobilisation of all resources to save the passengers.

“All related agencies… must mobilise all available resources to save the personnel,” he instructed officials in a statement.

Choi convened an emergency meeting with cabinet members to discuss rescue operations and response before heading to Muan, his office said.

“I believe no words of consolation would suffice for the bereaved families who have suffered this tragedy,” said Choi, who took office only on Friday.

“The entire government is working closely together to manage the aftermath of the accident, dedicating all available resources, while making every effort to ensure thorough support for the bereaved families,” he added.

It is the first fatal accident in the history of Jeju Air, one of South Korea’s largest low-cost carriers, which was set up in 2005.

On August 12, 2007, a Bombardier Q400 operated by Jeju Air carrying 74 passengers came off the runway due to strong winds at the southern Busan-Gimhae airport, resulting in a dozen injuries.

South Korea’s aviation industry has a solid track record for safety, experts say.

Last year, a passenger opened an emergency exit on an Asiana Airlines flight as it was preparing to land, with the aircraft landing safely but several people hospitalised.

A number of fatal aviation accidents have occurred globally due to bird strikes, which can cause a loss of power if the animals are sucked into the air intakes.

In 2009, a United States Airways Airbus A320 famously landed in New York’s Hudson River after bird strikes on both of its engines, in an incident widely known as the “Miracle on the Hudson” because there was no loss of life.

AFP/Punch.NG

Two persons have been electrocuted during an attempt to steal solar streetlights at Ogobiri community in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

Speaking with our correspondent on Saturday, a community source said their bodies were discovered in the morning within an area bordering the New Site of the state-owned Niger Delta University and Ogobiri roundabout.

An eyewitness told Punch Metro that the thieves had already loosed four streetlight poles on the ground and were loosening the fifth one before they met their demise.

“They had already loosened five solar poles, and they were loosening the fifth pole when the pole fell on the nearby high-tension wires. Unfortunately, there was power and they got electrocuted,” the eyewitness said.

He said one of the thieves was severely burnt and died instantly, while the other one could not be recognised as he was burnt to ashes.

According to him, the ashes were still at the scene of the incident at about 11:30 am; it had the form of a human being.

The other body was taken away to the mortuary while the fallen streetlight poles were still lined up beside the road.

It was gathered that stealing of streetlights was rampant in the area and that the incident would help reduce the growing crime.

When contacted for comments, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Bayelsa State Police Command, Mr Musa Mohammed, said he was yet to receive the report.

“I have not received the report,” he told our correspondent.

As the world prepares to usher in the New Year, stakeholders across major sectors in Nigeria, including manufacturing academia, security, local government unions, and the Ijaw National Congress, have called on President Bola Tinubu to ensure a better economy in 2025.

They noted that 2024 had been “tough” and “difficult,” but expressed optimism that the coming year would make life better for Nigerians.

Reflecting on the underperformance of the manufacturing sector in 2024, the Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, noted that major changes are needed to stimulate growth.

According to him, the key to these changes is the full implementation of fiscal policy and tax reforms, which he hopes the National Assembly will pass in the coming year.

He also emphasised the need for the Central Bank of Nigeria to stabilise interest rates and redeem the N2.4bn forex forwards owed to manufacturers.

Ajayi-Kadir said, “We also look forward to the expansion of the credit facility of the government. The N75bn that has been disbursed is a start, but we are looking forward to the N1tn promised in the stabilisation plan, which should help cushion the impact of access to credit.”

He urged the government to adopt measures to tackle inflation, particularly by addressing logistics costs, and to ensure better synergy between fiscal and monetary policies to promote sustainable growth.

Additionally, the President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, urged the Federal Government to prioritise the creation of a conducive educational environment in 2025.

According to him, young Nigerians must have access to quality education, free from the burden of loans that are increasingly affecting students in universities.

He stated that while previous generations of leaders enjoyed free education and bursaries, current students are burdened by financial encumbrances.

“We should not close TETFUND, which supports tertiary education, and turn it into a loan scheme. They should cut down on their so-called high cost of governance and expenditures. Travelling abroad six times a year should be stopped.”

The Secretary-General of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Mohammed Abubakar, urged the president to ensure the commencement of local government autonomy in 2025.

“We continue to thank Mr President for approving financial autonomy for local government. The implementation has to commence as soon as possible so that people at the grassroots will continue to feel the impact of the government. When there is money at the grassroots level, the hardship that people are talking about will reduce,” he said.

Also, the National President, Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, Akeem Ambali, said the only way Nigeria can experience true development is when Tinubu’s administration begins the implementation of local government autonomy in 2025.

“The long-awaited local government autonomy should be actualised in 2025, and crediting local government accounts should be implemented without further delay,” he stated.

On his part, security consultant and Chief Executive Officer of Beacon Consulting, Dr Kabir Adamu, called on the President to ensure the security of lives and property of Nigerians, as stated in Section 14, Subsection 2 of the Constitution.

Meanwhile, the National Publicity Secretary, Ezonebi Oyakemeagbegha, painted a bleak picture of Nigeria’s economy in 2024, describing it as a difficult year for Nigerians who had made many sacrifices.

“2024 was a tough year for Nigerians. Nigerians made a lot of sacrifices. It can be said to be a very bad year in terms of the economy,” he stated.

Oyakemeagbegha called on President Tinubu to address the high cost of fuel, urging a reduction in the pump price of petrol to “N416 per litre.”

“We have the crude and the raw materials here; we don’t see any reason for petrol to be this costly. We heard that the people doing bunkering get the crude and sell it at low rates,” he said.

Oyakemeagbegha also addressed the ongoing challenges with the naira’s exchange rate, stressing the need for the currency to be strengthened to compete favourably with the dollar.

He noted that a more stable power supply would benefit small businesses, enabling them to thrive without constant disruptions.

“The international oil companies should move their headquarters to the locations where they are getting their raw materials,” he added.

The Federal Government has spent about N1.4bn for the rehabilitation of repentant terrorists and the establishment of centres for terrorism trials in the last one year and six months, PUNCH reports.

The Federal Government established the National Counter-Terrorism Centre following former President Muhammadu Buhari’s assent to the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill on May 12, 2022.

In December 2022, the government announced its decision to establish two disarmament, deradicalisation, rehabilitation, and reintegration centres for repentant members of Boko Haram and other terrorist groups in the country.

The Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Rear Admiral Yem Musa (retd.), disclosed to the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence that the government would spend N2.4bn on the centres as part of the NCTC’s N3.8bn capital projects for 2023.

However, checks by one of our correspondents using GovSpend, a civic tech platform that tracks and analyses the Federal Government’s spending, revealed that between December 2022 and May 2024, the Ministry of Justice spent a total of N1.4bn on constructing rehabilitation centres for repentant terrorists and renovating an abandoned building for terrorism case trials.

On March 27, 2023, the Federal Ministry of Justice disbursed N612m to three firms for the renovation and furnishing of abandoned structures for terrorism case trials and the construction of dormitories for the rehabilitation of repentant terrorists under Operation Safe Corridor.

The first payment of N286.7m was transferred to a firm, El-haby Concept Limited, for the renovation and furnishing of abandoned building for terrorism case trials at Giwa Barracks, as approved by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on March 21, 2023.

The second payment of N21.5m was made to Interprise Limited as consultancy fees for designing and supervising the building of facilities for repentant terrorists at the OSC. The remaining N303.7m was released to Fosab Global Energy Service Limited as an additional 40% payment for constructing the rehabilitation centre.

In 2024, the ministry paid three firms a total of N179m for similar projects. The first payment of N11.5m was wired to Jayjaysen Integrated Links Ltd on March 22, 2024, for the supply of desktop computers and LaserJet printers/toners to facilitate terrorism case prosecutions, as approved by the SGF on December 1, 2023.

Another N16.4m was transferred to Estergel Ltd on April 8, 2024, for procuring computers and accessories for the same purpose, as approved by the SGF on December 18, 2023. Finally, N151.8m was paid to Fosab Global Energy Service Ltd on May 3, 2024, as part of payment for constructing the rehabilitation centre.

Secret trials of terrorists

Meanwhile, on December 15, the NCTC disclosed in a statement that it had secured the conviction of no fewer than 325 terrorists in its Phase 5 and Phase 6 trials at the Kainji Detention Facility.

The centre noted that the terrorists received various sentences ranging from the death penalty to life imprisonment and terms of 20 to 70 years, depending on the severity of the crimes committed by the suspects.

In the Phase 5 trial, conducted in July 2024, about 143 cases were heard, leading to 125 convictions. In Phase 6, 237 cases were heard, with 200 convictions secured at the same venue. However, the government has since remained silent on when the Phase 7 trials will commence.

When Sunday PUNCH reached out to the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to ascertain why the trials were conducted secretly, our correspondent received no response.

Some security experts and civil society organisations expressed divergent opinions on the secretive nature of the terrorism trials.

A security expert, Lekan Jackson-Ojo, said secret trials lacked authenticity.

“When politicians, armed robbers, or the so-called Yahoo boys commit offences, the press is allowed to report on it, and the entire world knows about it. But why are we trying these enemies of humanity, enemies of God—the Satanists—in secrecy?

“For over 20 years, members of the Boko Haram terrorist group have been in Nigeria, killing thousands of people and rendering millions homeless. How many of these people have been sentenced to life imprisonment?” he queried.

Chidi Omeje, another security expert, also condemned the secret trials, saying, “Why would they conduct secret trials? Does it mean the military, for example, is trying to protect these terrorists who are also killing their personnel?”

“The terrorists have killed a lot of military officers. So, why would the military participate in any action to shield their prosecution? I think it has to do with procedural issues because they are dealing with so many arrested terrorists,” he added.

However, another security expert, Kabir Adamu, argued that the government’s decision to conduct secret trials was justified for security reasons.

He said, “It is very commendable that this administration has prioritised the trial of suspects, especially those facing terrorism-related charges and who have been in detention for a very long time, some for more than a decade. However, these trials must be conducted according to standard procedures to ensure transparency and compliance with the rule of law.”