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Retired Judge laments, says Nigerian society not fair to widows
The Federal Government should create a “special ministry” or agency to care for the needs of widows in Nigeria,a retired Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Grace Eisape, advised on Saturday.
She also told state governments to pay stipends to widows, while efforts should be made to give women access to lawyers that can advocate for them against unreasonable cultural practices.
One of the practices include forcing women to drink the water used to clean the corpses of their husbands to prove their innocence in their deaths.
Eisape, Visioner of Feeding All Nations Through Jesus Christ, made the recommendations during a one-day prayer walk in the Chika community along the Abuja Airport Road, Abuja and empowerment of over 200 widows.
The programme aims to address the rising hunger crisis in Nigeria and the tell the public about the marginalization of widows.
The event, which also took place in several African nations, South America, and the United States has as its theme “Jesus Christ: Liberating the Vulnerable Globally.”
The retired Judge, a product of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, said she she was led by the Holy Spirit to the ministry.
Justice Eisape, currently an Educator in the United States of America, is also the President of Deborah Generation: The Fire Place, a prayer group in New Jersey. USA.
She said, “Widows are marginalized, they are not well taken care of, their needs are not met adequately, they hardly receive help from family members
“It is therefore important that the Federal Government create a special ministry or even an agency to care for the needs of widows
“We targeted hundreds of widows all over the world. This prayer walk is currently going on in Africa nations, South America and in United States of America
I advise the state governments to pay stipend to widows, it will go a long way to relive their suffering
“We educate women on their rights. For example today, we have legal practitioners in all the locations where this program is holding today to educate women on their rights.
“The government should make provision, give women access to lawyers that can advocate for them against unreasonable cultural practices.”
During the event, Pastor Emmanuel Temitope Williams, the International Coordinator of the organisation, addressed the widows in the Chika community, urging them to remain resilient.
He said, “This program is designed to continuously meet your needs—whether it’s hunger, medical care, or legal rights,” he reassured them.”
Another Coordinator, Ms Mabel Onyia said over 500 widows have benefited from the Feeding All Nations Through Jesus Christ initiative in the FCT.
She said the Prayer Walk Rally was going on in Thirteen states across the country to educate widows on their rights and also provide for their needs.
A legal practitioner Salamatu Yusuf also spoke to the widows, assuring them of their legal protections under Nigerian law.
“There are laws in place to prevent the marginalization of widows, and we are here to ensure those rights are upheld,” Yusuf stated.
The event concluded with the distribution of both cooked meals and raw food items to the widows.
Many of the women left the event with renewed hope, expressing gratitude and requesting that similar initiatives be held regularly.
Gunmen have abducted some female students of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University in Makurdi, Benue state.
The students, reportedly numbering up to four, were abducted on Tuesday evening at the university’s North Core campus.
The students were said to have been headed for “night class”, a practice of late-night studying in Nigerian campuses.
The gunmen were said to have invaded the hotel area of the campus before abducting the four students.
Some moments after the incident, operatives of the Nigerian army arrived at the school.
Sewuese Anene, Benue police spokesperson, told TheCable on Wednesday that a report received by the police indicated that only two students were kidnapped during the incident.
Anene added that the police have launched an investigation into the matter.
The Markurdi incident is the latest in a series of abductions targeted at Nigeria’s tertiary school students in recent years.
In August 2024, at least 20 medical and dental students were kidnapped in Benue State while travelling to a convention in Enugu.
In September 2023, gunmen abducted approximately 20 students from a university in Zamfara state.
At Greenfield University in Kaduna State, at least 20 students and two staff members were kidnapped in April 2021.
Tragically, five students were killed during captivity before the remaining hostages were released after a month.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Jude Okoye, the elder brother and former manager of Paul and Peter Okoye of the defunct music group, P-Square, on charges of laundering ₦1.38billion, $ 1 million and £34,537.59.
Jude was arraigned alongside his company, Northside Music Ltd, before Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on a seven-count charge
One of the counts read: “That you, Jude Okoye Chigozie and Northside Music Ltd sometime in 2022, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did directly acquire a landed property known as No 5, Tony Eromosele Street Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos worth ₦850,000,000.00 (Eight hundred and fifty million naira) only, which money you knew or reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful act and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (2) (d) and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
Another count read: “That you, Jude Okoye Chigozie and Northside Music Ltd sometime in 2022, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did indirectly using bureau de change convert the sum of $1,019,762.87 (One million nineteen thousand, seven hundred and six-two dollars eighty-seven cents), domiciled in Access Bank Plc operated by Northside Music Lid to the naira equivalent and remitted into various bank accounts with the intention of concealing that the said fund form part of the proceeds of an unlawful act and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (2)(a) and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.
In view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, Larry Peters Aso, applied for a date for hearing as well as for the remand of the defendant in the correctional facility pending trial.
The defendant’s counsel, Inibehe Effiong, informed the court of a pending bail application. He asked for a short date for the hearing. Effiong also asked that the defendant be remanded in the EFCC’s custody pending the hearing of the application.
Aso objected to the request for the defendant to be remanded in the EFCC custody. He argued that the EFCC custody was already congested with suspects awaiting arraignment. He urged the court to remand the defendant to the correctional facility since he had taken his plea.
Justice Owoeye adjourned the matter till February 28 for bail hearing and April 14 for trial.
He also ordered that the defendant be remanded in the Ikoyi correctional facility.
The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested Kogi-born political activist and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Austin Okai, in Abuja.
The arrest, which took place on Wednesday morning, was reportedly carried out on the directive of Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
Video footage obtained by Elanza shows heavily armed security operatives storming Okai’s residence in the Federal Capital Territory before taking him away.
While no official reason has been given for his arrest, sources suggest it may be connected to his outspoken criticism of the Kogi State government.
Okai, a well-known opposition figure, has frequently condemned the administration’s policies and governance.
His wife, speaking to reporters, claimed that the DSS operatives did not present an arrest warrant before detaining him.
“They came to arrest him at our home in Abuja without a warrant,” she said.
“They ransacked our house, forced their way inside, and took him away. I asked for a warrant, but they had none.”
She further alleged that Okai’s personal gadgets were confiscated during the operation.
As of the time of this report, the DSS has not issued any official statement regarding Okai’s detention.