Author: damazah@gmail.com

Alex Enumah in Abuja  The Chief Judge of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has stressed the input of legal practitioners towards the success of the various reforms being effected in the nation’s judiciary. According to the CJN, the success of judicial reforms depends on the continued partnership between the Bench and the Bar.  Kekere-Ekun in addition observed that the legal profession and the judiciary share a common responsibility in promoting the efficient administration of justice and the rule of law.  The CJN made the observation when she received a delegation of the outgoing leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA),…

The sudden demise of longtime United States Senator Lindsey Graham could impact the country’s politics and upend the US Congress’s balance of power ahead of midterm elections scheduled later this year.The 71-year old Republican Party politician was a close ally of President Donald Trump in the Senate, both on domestic and international matters, including the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listSo how will his death impact Trump’s agenda? And what effect will it have on the Senate?Here’s what we know:What did Trump say on Graham’s death?On Saturday evening, shortly after returning from a business…

NINAuth and NITDA’s incoming digital public infrastructure standards answer a real problem: an identity system citizens cannot control is one they will not trust. But trust only gets people enrolled. Whether the system ever pays for itself depends on something else, and the evidence from 210 countries suggests Nigeria should be paying closer attention to it. The argument made on these pages last week, that consent has become the new security perimeter of Nigeria’s digital identity system, is correct and overdue. NINAuth, the National Identity Management Commission’s app that lets citizens grant or revoke permission each time their National Identification…

Waze is getting an AI makeover. Google is integrating its flagship AI assistant, Gemini, into the driving app with the goal of letting users personalize their trips a little more.Of the four new updates, only two are being described as involving Gemini. Waze says its updating its conversation reporting feature, first introduced in 2024, to allow drivers to use conversational voice commands to report traffic incidents and suggest map updates, like a road closure or outdated house number. In addition, Waze introduced Destination Search, enabling drivers to use (again) use conversation voice commands (e.g., “Find me a coffee shop that’s…

The bill for the creation of State Police has been passed by the National Assembly, and with the assurance of its passage by the State Assemblies, it only indicates that State Police is an idea whose time has come. However, the desire to ensure that a new problem is not created in the process of solving an old one was the focus of the ARISE News Town Hall Meeting held recently in Abuja. Alex Enumah reports. The ARISE News Town Hall Meeting, held last Thursday in the nation’s capital, Abuja had in attendance critical stakeholders in the Nigerian project, with…

Is a River Alive? Robert Macfarlane Penguin (2026)Switch off your headlamp in Ecuador’s Los Cedros cloud forest and the darkness begins to glow. The fallen branches and tree stumps shine a soft yellow-silver, lit by webs of fungus beneath the forest floor. It’s an arresting opening to writer Robert Macfarlane’s Is a River Alive? — a slim, lyrical book that revisits an old question with fresh urgency. His answer is a clear, resounding yes.Macfarlane follows three threatened rivers: the Río Los Cedros in Ecuador’s cloud forest, under pressure from gold mining; the creeks of Chennai, India, where waters, alive with…

England crashed to a second heavy defeat at Lord’s in a little over a week with India needing just over 90 minutes on the final day of the historic first women’s Test at the ground to wrap up a 270-run victory.Eight days on from their seven-wicket loss to Australia in the Women’s T20 World Cup final, England were bundled out for 186 in their second innings after being set a record 457. Sophie Ecclestone (50), who was dropped on eight and 16 and successfully overturned an lbw dismissal on 44 by dint of an edge, offered up resilience and some…

The Peaky Blinders team has paid tribute to Sam Neill after his unexpected death. In a post on the show’s official Instagram page, producers said they were “devastated” by the actor’s passing at the age of 78. Neil starred in the first two seasons of Peaky Blinders as Chester Campbell, an irascible and ruthless inspector charged with rooting out organized crime in Birmingham. “We are devastated to hear that Sam Neill has died,” Peaky Blinders wrote to its 7M followers. “Sam’s portrayal of Chester Campbell is one for the ages. A villain who is despicable, petty, manipulative, but also charismatic,…

Chiemelie Ezeobi  The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Adebayo Abdulrahman Babalola, has charged troops deployed at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Imeko in Ogun State to remain vigilant, disciplined and professional in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities. Babalola gave the charge during an operational visit to the base, where he interacted with troops and assessed their welfare and operational readiness.  He explained that the visit formed part of his familiarisation tour of formations and units within the 81 Division Area of Responsibility (AOR), aimed at gaining firsthand knowledge of operational challenges and the welfare…

By Ayobami Okerinde The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has welcomed the Federal Government’s suspension of the proposed increase in examination registration fees for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination, describing the decision as “a victory for the Nigerian people”. Obi, in a post on his X handle on Monday, commended the government for responding to widespread public opposition to the proposed fee hike but argued that the policy should never have been introduced in the first place given the country’s economic…