Why the Distinction Matters in Law THE concepts of human rights and fundamental rights are central to modern legal systems, yet they are frequently misunderstood or conflated. While both aim to protect human dignity and freedom, constitutional development has drawn a clear legal distinction between the two. This distinction affects how rights are recognised, who […]
Introduction: Identity Beyond Administrative Lines IGBANKE, also known as Igbokiri, is a cluster of communities located within Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State. Administratively, the people fall under Edo State governance structures. Culturally and linguistically, however, Igbanke has long occupied a contested but persistent place within Nigeria’s broader Igbo cultural world. The debate over […]
Digital Breakups and an Emerging Legal Risk IN the age of social media, romantic relationships increasingly leave behind a permanent digital footprint. Photographs once shared affectionately on Instagram, Facebook, or WhatsApp often remain long after relationships dissolve. What many users fail to realise, however, is that these lingering images can expose them to significant legal […]
Origins Rooted in Regional Economic Philosophy THE establishment of the Bank of the North in 1959 was not an accident of history but a deliberate response to structural economic imbalance within colonial and early post-colonial Nigeria. On the eve of independence, formal banking activity was heavily concentrated in the Southern regions, leaving Northern Nigeria largely […]
A Federation on the Brink BY early January 1967, Nigeria was facing an existential crisis. Barely seven years after gaining independence from Britain, the country had been pushed to the edge by political rivalry, ethnic distrust and violent military interventions. The coups of 1966 had not only dismantled the First Republic but also shattered confidence […]
Maintaining the Status Quo in Pending Cases IN Nigerian courts, the Latin legal maxim Lites Pendente Nihil Innovetur, meaning “During the pendency of a suit, nothing should be changed,” remains a cornerstone of procedural law. Grounded in the doctrine of lis pendens, this principle dictates that once a legal dispute is filed before a competent […]
A Renewed Debate Over Identity and Statehood THE re-emergence of calls for the creation of Anioma State has reignited a long-running debate about identity, history and political representation in Nigeria’s federal structure. While critics often frame the demand as expansionist or politically motivated, proponents argue that it reflects a deeper historical and cultural reality shaped […]
By GODWIN KELECHI A Lingering Question in Nigeria’s Historical Memory MORE than six decades after Nigeria’s first military coup of 15 January 1966, one question continues to resonate strongly within Igbo political and historical consciousness: why were the Igbo people collectively punished for the actions of officers whose motivations and identities were neither exclusively Igbo nor […]
By STELLA JUSTICE NNENNAYA THE LEGAL MEANING OF STATE OF ORIGIN IN MARRIAGE Clarifying a Common Misconception ACROSS Nigeria, confusion persists over whether a woman’s state of origin changes after marriage. In official forms, employment processes, political appointments, and public service documentation, married women are often pressured to claim their husband’s state as theirs. However, under […]
THE AMALGAMATION AS A COLONIAL ECONOMIC PROJECT A Union Proclaimed from Afar ON 1st January 1914, a single administrative decision taken in Britain altered the political trajectory of West Africa. Through a formal colonial proclamation, the British government merged the Northern Nigeria Protectorate, the Southern Nigeria Protectorate, and the Colony of Lagos into one entity—the […]