• FG recruits Lawyers to defend Ekweremadu
• Lagos state releases policy document on Abortions
• Niger State declares public holiday to collect PVC
• Disciplinary cases against 130 Senior Police Officers to be reviewed by FDC
• Senate confirms all seven Ministerial nominees

Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the five top Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss:

FG recruits Lawyers to defend Ekweremadu

The Federal Government through the Nigerian High Commission to the United Kingdom has recruited lawyers to defend former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, over allegations of organ harvesting.

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, disclosed this after a closed-door session of the chamber on Wednesday adding that a delegation of the Chamber would visit the Ekweremadus in London on or before Friday this week.

Ekweremadu, alongside his wife, were arrested by the UK Metropolitan Police last Tuesday and arraigned at Oxbridge Magistrates Court in London for conspiracy to harvest the organs of a minor. The Court ruled that the former Deputy Senate President and his wife be remanded in custody till July 7, 2022, which is the next adjournment date.

The Senate President stated that the decision to intervene in Ekweremadu’s arrest and detention was based on a briefing received by the Nigerian High Commissioner to London. He further disclosed that the Senate would engage the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Nigerian High Commission in London on the recent arrest of Senator Ike Ekweremadu by the London Metropolitan Police in the United Kingdom.

Lagos state releases policy document on Abortions

The Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Health has released a policy document for the development of safe and lawful abortion services within the ambit of the state’s criminal law.

The 40-page policy document, titled “Lagos State Guidelines on Safe Termination of Pregnancy for Legal Indications”, sets out guidelines for safe termination of pregnancy within the confines of Lagos state’s criminal law.

Dr Olusegun Ogboye, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, noted that the document was to provide evidence-based data and information for health workers in public and private sectors with requisite skills to provide safe termination of pregnancy in order to reduce preventable deaths.

Ogboye explained that the process to develop the guidelines commenced in 2018 with the ‘Safe Engage project’ led by the Lagos Ministry of Health and hosted by the Society for Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Nigeria, with support from the Population Reference Bureau.

He pointed out that the advocacy messages on the Safe Engage project focused on two immediate outcomes including ensuring that safe abortion services were available within legal indications in Lagos and domesticating the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, supporting women to terminate a pregnancy caused by rape or incest.

He went on to say that the process for National guidelines adaptation included technical meetings to discuss sections of the law supporting safe abortion and conditions permitted within the legal framework to save the lives and the physical health of mothers; and validation meetings with the broader stakeholders to review the document.

Niger State declares public holiday to collect PVC

The Niger state government has declared Thursday and Friday public holidays, to enable eligible persons in the state to obtain their Permanent Voters Cards(PVC).

In a statement issued by Secretary to the state government, Alhaji Ahmed Matane, the Governor, Abubaker Sani Bello called on all Nigerlites of 18 years and above to seize the opportunity to come out and obtain their Permanent Voters Cards.

The Governor also directed all commissioners, permanent secretaries and heads of government agencies to return to their local government areas of origin to monitor the collection of the PVCs before the closing date announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The statement not only called on all residents of the state to collect their Permanent Voters Cards but to come out in their numbers and vote for candidates of their choice in the 2023 general elections.

Disciplinary cases against 130 Senior Police Officers to be reviewed by FDC

The Force Disciplinary Committee (FDC) has convened at the Inspector-General of Police Conference Hall, Force Headquarters, Abuja, to review disciplinary cases instituted against senior police officers of the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police and above in order to determine their culpability or otherwise.

A total of 130 senior police officers from all over the country with pending disciplinary matters (PDM) will appear before the committee within this period.

The officers comprise two Commissioners of Police (CPs), three Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs), 11 Chief Superintendents of Police (CSPs), 19 Superintendents of Police (SPs), 18 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), and 77 Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASPs).

The Inspector-General of Police has expressed confidence in the Deputy Inspectors-General of Police overseeing the Force Disciplinary Committee to ensure dispensation of justice in all cases before them. The IGP equally assured that the Force is deliberately committed to cleaning up its house for a more professional and citizens-focused policing system.

The FDC, which comprises the seven deputy inspectors-general of police as arbiters and the assistant inspector-general of police force secretary as its secretary, began its session on Tuesday, June 28, 2022 and will hold till Friday, July 1, 2022.

Senate confirms all seven Ministerial nominees

The Senate has successfully screened and confirmed the seven new ministers nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The screening exercise was carried out by Senate President Ahmad Lawan. The screening exercise which started at about 12 noon lasted till 4:37 p.m.

The confirmed nominees are Henry Ikechukwu – Abia State; Umana Umana – Akwa Ibom State; Ekumankama Nkama- Ebonyi State; Goodluck Opiah – Imo State; Umar El-Yakub – Kano State; Ademola Adegoroye – Ondo State; and Odum Udi – Rivers State.

They were named following the resignation of some cabinet members who quit their positions to seek elective posts in the just-concluded primary elections of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Some of the ministers who resigned are Rotimi Amaechi, Godswill Akpabio, Ogbonnaya Onu and Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba who contested for the presidential primary.

The president is expected to swear in the ministers in the coming days and announce the ministries they will head.