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News_Naija

From Dream Homes To Nightmares: Nigerians Groan As Agents Impose Illegal Fees On Cities

As agents impose illegal rent hikes, tenants face deepening hardship and growing insecurity in an already strained housing market, Josephine Ogundeji, writes As she welcomed our correspondent into her two-bedroom apartment in the Gbagada axis of Lagos State, the smell of freshly painted walls still lingered faintly in the air. Motola Adegoroye, a fashion designer, moved with a quiet weariness, her tape measure still hanging loosely around her neck, not as a symbol of work done, but of work delayed. “Please, sit,” she said, gesturing toward the only available plastic chair in the sparsely furnished space. Then, without hesitation, she lowered herself onto the bare tiled floor, her back resting gently against a wall. “I haven’t been able to furnish yet,” she added with a faint smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. The rolls of fabric she had brought with her from Ibadan sat neatly stacked in a corner, untouched. They had not been cut, stitched, or measured. Instead, our correspondent observed that the search for a habitable house had stitched her into an entirely different fabric, one woven not with thread and ambition, but with stress, fatigue, and the relentless disillusionment that shadows every first-time renter in the city. “There’s hardly anything more frustrating than what I’ve experienced,” she said, her voice low but firm. The exhaustion in her eyes wasn’t just physical, it was the weight of disappointment, the kind that comes when dreams collide with an unforgiving reality. She gestured lightly around the room, her voice carried the weight of both disbelief and bitterness, “There’s hardly anything more frustrating than what I have gone through since I moved. Imagine, the base rent for this apartment is N3m,” she began, eyes narrowing. “But then, the agent hits you with N500,000 commission, N500,000 agreement fee, and another N500,000 for caution, that is over N4m gone in one breath, a leaking sink and neighbours who blast music till 2 a.m.? For what, exactly?” Her voice cracked slightly, not from weakness, but from a deep, simmering anger that had been brewing since her arrival. “It feels like extortion, and everyone is just expected to accept it. No questions, no regulation, no mercy.” Behind her, the city continued its noisy dance, indifferent to her struggle, just one more dreamer trying to find her footing in a country that never stops charging a high rent and excess added fees. Inflated fees In a similar vein, a freelancer, David Ijasesan, was prepared for high rent. What he wasn’t prepared for was how much more he’d have to pay just to access a place to live. “I knew Lagos was expensive, but nothing prepared me for the amount of money you’d lose before you even get the key to a place,” the freelancer retorted. According to Ijasesan, he first tried his luck on the Island but quickly abandoned that plan when he realised the process was financially punishing, even without rent. He explained, “Before anyone shows you a house, you’re expected to pay a registration fee- N10,000 on the Mainland, and on the Island it can go up to N20,000, N25,000, sometimes even N30,000. Then comes the inspection fee, which is the most ridiculous part. You’re charged between N5,000 to N25,000 per outing, whether you like the apartment or not, whether you take it or not, that money is gone.” “And here’s the worst part, you are the one funding the transportation too, If an agent is taking you to five different places in a day, you’re the one paying the cab fare or fueling their car. I had days where I spent over N6,000 just on transportation, and still didn’t find a place. “Even if you find a place, and you delay in making a decision that day, you lose. The whole cycle begins again, new inspection fee, new transport costs. I tell people that house-hunting in Lagos is like playing a video game where you pay to restart every level, even when you lose,” he said, chuckling dryly. Eventually, he found a mini flat in Yaba at N1.2m in annual rent, however, that figure ballooned quickly. “When they sent the breakdown, it came to N1.8m, they added N600,000 in what they called agency fee, agreement fee, legal, service charge, and a very suspicious ‘others’. I was stunned. How is it that half the rent is going to people who are not giving me light, water, or even furniture?” he recalled. The more he asked around, the clearer the picture became. “I started asking agents’ questions and realised many of these fees were arbitrary, there is no regulation. One agent told me that the ‘agency fee’ includes a commission that the landlord also benefits from. So if I pay N400,000 as an agency, the landlord would be getting a cut. Then there’s the lawyer who drafts the agreement, N100,000 gone. Service charge? That’s another N100,000. But sometimes you ask for what service, and they can’t even tell you, In addition, it varies from location to location.” “What I also learned is that most of these agents are middlemen, so the person you’re speaking to may not know the landlord or even the house. He’s just connected to another guy, who knows another guy, who finally gets you to the apartment, and every person in that chain adds their own cut. By the time it gets to you, you’re paying the price of a small car just to move into a basic apartment.” “For someone without a fixed income, the system felt especially cruel. As a freelancer, I don’t have a monthly salary. I work, I get paid. So every naira matters,” he said. “But in this housing market, agents treat tenants like walking ATMs. And there’s no accountability. Nobody asks why you’re paying four different charges on top of rent. Everybody’s trying to eat, I get that. But it doesn’t mean people should be milked dry. “I had no choice but to ask my uncle in the Ikorodu area of Lagos to let me stay with him, since I couldn’t splurge such an amount on a mini-flat.” Across Nigeria’s major cities, the simple act of renting a home has become an agonising ordeal. For tenants already grappling with inflation, stagnant wages, and a housing shortfall, an emerging trend is compounding their woes, real estate agents imposing illegal fee hikes asides rent, with little to no regulation. A listing seen by our correspondent on a Lagos housing group on Whatsapp platform paints a clear picture. WhatsApp listings It stated, “Fresh letting in Surulere Lagos , all are newly built with modern finishing 1. Two bedroom apartment: rent: N2.5m, agency fee: N400k, commission: N400k, caution fee: N200k, service charge: N250k, total package: N3.750m “2. Mini flat (upstairs) rent: N1.7m, agency fee: N300k, commission: N300k, caution fee: N200k, service charge: N200k, total package: N2.7m. 3. Mini flat (ground floor – option 1) rent: N1.5m, agency fee: N300k, commission: N300k, caution fee: N200k, service charge: N200k, total package: N2.5m. 4. Room self-contain (upstairs) rent: N1.2m, agency fee: N250k, commission: N250k, caution fee: N150k, service charge: N150k, total package: N2m. “5. Mini flat (ground floor – option 2) rent: N1m, agency fee: N250k, commission: N250k, caution fee: N150k, service charge: N150k, total package: N1.8m.” Another house was uploaded with a rent of N1.3m, but the total package shot up to N2m after agents added questionable fees. It stated, “1 unit left, a mini flat duplex with an open kitchen with cabinet , prepaid metre, Off Apata Road Shomolu Lagos, rent N1.3m, service charge N200k, legal N300k, agency N300k, caution N200k, total package N2.3m.” On another agency Whatsapp platform where available properties are being uploaded daily, it stated, “A newly built, well-finished 2-bedroom apartment is available for rent on Isaac John Street, off Morocco Road, Yaba, with an annual rent of N2.5m. Additional fees include ₦400,000 for agency, N400, 000 for legal, and N250,000 for caution, while the security levy and waste management fees are to be discussed during inspection. The apartment is intended for young, working-class Yoruba individuals, with inspections starting at 2 p.m. this afternoon.” Another Whatsapp platform states, “Just out, luxury finished 2bedroom flat upstairs with all rooms ensuite and visitors toilet in a gated compound with security and gated street, just 3 in the compound, modern pop, chandelier, kitchen cabinets, wall drop, personal prepaid meter, personal staircase, personal balcony, car packs, location: Abiodun right Ikata, Surulere, rent 3m, commission: 500k, agreement: 500k, caution 500k, service charge 300k. Note: corporate clients only pls inspections start by 12pm today No video yet but don’t worry your clients will love it.”   Other states plagued A sports writer in Ogun State, Abiodun Ogunowo, explained that he had recently gone through an experience that exposed the level of exploitation and lack of regulation among some rental agents when he wanted to rent a house at Rain Oil axis in Ogun State. “I’ve always been fortunate to secure my apartments directly from landlords, avoiding the usual hassles with agents. However, in this particular instance, I was pressed for time. I had already informed my former landlord of my intention to move and even helped secure a new tenant who had paid and was ready to move in on a fixed date. With the clock ticking and no suitable apartment in sight, I had no choice but to engage an agent to help me find a place quickly. Eventually, the agent found an apartment I liked, one of the better options he presented, especially because it had a reliable electricity supply. The rent was N800,000, and he initially quoted a total cost of N1.2m. When I requested a breakdown, he said the agreement fee was N100,000, agency fee N200,000, and caution fee N100,000. I was surprised at the agency fee, but he justified it by claiming that lawyers sometimes demanded a share from it as well. I later found out that there were at least two other agents involved before him, though the apartment was now in his direct care. Out of curiosity and concern, I managed to meet the lawyer handling the transaction, only to uncover the truth, they had inflated the fees. In reality, all the extra charges were supposed to be 10 per cent each, meaning N80,000 for agreement, agency, and caution respectively. By challenging their claims and clarifying the proper charges, I ended up saving about N160,000. It was a revealing experience that highlighted just how easily unsuspecting tenants can be exploited if they don’t question these inflated costs,” he narrated. An Abuja resident, Adedapo Adewuyi, disclosed that what Abuja agents charge is 20 per cent for agency, adding that sometimes 20 per cent for both agency fee and legal fee. An Ibadan resident, Ore Akinyo-Ojo, said Ibadan’s rental market requires urgent reform, agents must prioritise tenants’ needs, providing honest representations and fair fees. She said, “When searching for a rental home in Ibadan, I encountered a harsh reality, real estate agents’ dishonesty. Pictures sent were often different from the actual property, leaving me with a sense of betrayal. Agents charge outrageous inspection fees, ranging from N5,000 to N10,000, without guaranteeing that the property matches the pictures. This lack of transparency extends to the facilities and road conditions, which are often misrepresented. “The rent itself is often just the beginning. Additional fees include agency fees, caution fees, and agreement fees, which can add hundreds of thousands of Naira to the total cost. For instance, a property advertised at N800,000 per annum, for a 2 bedroom flat, for instance, might come with N500,000 in agency fees, N300,000 in caution fees, and N200,000 in agreement fees, bringing the total to N1.8m. This is not an isolated incident; many tenants face similar challenges. “The cumulative effect of these practices is financial strain and emotional distress. Tenants deserve better. Agents must prioritize transparency and honesty, providing accurate representations of properties and fair fees. It’s time for a more equitable system that puts the needs of tenants first. The current state of Ibadan’s rental market is unsustainable and demands reform. The government should regulate the industry, capping excessive fees and ensuring transparency. Tenants deserve better.” In response to the growing complaints by Enugu State residents over the rising exploitation of tenants and prospective tenants by landlords, the Enugu State House of Assembly recently introduced a bill to checkmate the alleged excesses. Titled, “The Bill to Amend the Landlord and Tenant Law, CAP. 101, Laws of Enugu State, 2024,” the proposed legislation, sponsored by Okey Mbah, representative of Nkanu East State Constituency, recently passed its first reading. Among others, the bill sought to regulate agency and legal fees by setting both fees at a maximum of 10 per cent as well as abolish the agelong practice of caution fees demanded of tenants by landlords, but never refunded at the end of their tenancy. Offence under this bill, when passed into law, attracts a N500,000 fine or a prison term of six months or both. Social media uproar On the social media platform “X,” our correspondent observed an adviser, Ena Realty Abuja, who noted that Agency and Legal fee was pegged at 20 per cent in Abuja. He stated, “Newly Built 1 Bedroom Studio Apartment at Eagle’s Court, behind Trends Hotel and Suites, Airport Road, Lugbe District, Abuja. Rent: N1,500,000 per annum, Service Charge: N48,000, Caution fee: N50,000, Agency and Legal Fee: 20 per cent of rent.” @jimmyOsas responding said, “Enter Abuja, you go see tears, and the funny thing is that landlords don’t care, as long as they have their money and expect increase the following year or move out for a new tenant.” One @biodun_alao, responding to an outcry by @KamiyoJnr on the excess agency fee of N250,000 on a N700, 000 rental, retorted, “The activities of these agents are unregulated and it is very ridiculous. The agency fee is what makes rent more expensive. Arbitrary fixing of charges.” Also responding to Kamiyo, an x handler with the handle @Ishow_leck noted that Lagos agents were the cause of the whole situation in the housing sector. Responding to @Ishow_leck and @KamiyiJnr, another X handler, @PAPPYZEE86 said, “Baba, una never hear of IB (Ibadan) agents? 7 agents on one house of N300k annual rent, total package+ N480k (landlords own na N300k, original agent- N50k, 6 other agents na N130k). This is just an example for a small apartment. In 2021, I met an agent for a house, said rent =N300k, total N420k.” @waleo065 said, “Agent collected over 50 per cent rent for the agency and other fees, at the end of the day, I found out the initial rent was lower than the amount I paid. I am looking for who go help beat that man anytime I see him.” @UncleWilson said, “Those agents are foot soldiers, not estate surveyor and valuers.” @Lemonade said, “I saw a room self-contain. House rent N200k, total package N380k, I swear I wan mad and I’m not even joking.” @Young_Dex said, “Lol a friend got a self-con for N850k at Yaba and the agency and all too the total package to N1.6m.” @EkekweFaith said, “I have been house hunting for months and this is a major issue! Agency fee will be almost half of the rent you want to collect.” Narrating his ordeal, an X handler @Drweloveu noted he and his other house tenants were left in shock after finding out their landlord only receives N500,000, out of N1.3m they had been paying yearly for three years to their caretaker, who also serves as an agent. He narrated, “I and other tenants have been paying 1.3M as rent for the past three years to the caretaker of our house. The landlord visited us recently without the idea of the caretaker, and we decided to plead with him to reduce the house rent to N1m. “Atanda, you won’t believe that the landlord was shocked to hear that we are paying 1.3m, he claims that what the caretaker sends to him is 500k each, and that is what he told him to collect from us. Well, he said we shouldn’t worry that he will handle the situation and our next rent will be 500k. What i want to know now is that, can i take up a case of fraud against the caretaker so that he will refund me my balance of 800k for 3 years, which is 2.4M?? The landlord still looks better than the caretaker despite all the money he has taken from Tenant.” Meanwhile, a Katsina resident with X handle @Almajiri Na Allah said, “Why I love it here in Katsina, agency is simply 10 per cent of rent without the rest of the baggage. Highest I ever paid on rent for a newly built 2 bedroom apartment was N300k, and it came at an even reduced agent fee of just N20k.” In an exclusive interview with a Lagos-based housing agent, Jacob Great, he revealed that the extra/high charges often go directly to the landlord or property developers, who are eager to recoup their return on investment as quickly as possible. He said, “Agency fees often appear inflated, and many clients wonder where all that money goes. The reality is that agency fees aren’t always retained fully by the agent. In some cases, especially in high-demand areas like Lagos Island, a significant portion of the agency fee is shared, or even redirected, towards the landlord or developer. “Let’s say the total agency fee is N200,000. In some arrangements like Lagos mainland where the landlords are greedy, we the agent that did the work may only retain N100,000, while the other N100,000 goes to the landlord or developer. The landlord or developer involved also takes the other fees, which include the agreement fee, caution fee, service charge, amongst others. On the Island, however, only 10 per cent of agency fee is collected, unlike the mainland. “This happens because many landlords or developers view the property not just as a space to rent or sell, but as a strategic investment. They may have poured in significant capital, sometimes without external funding, and now need to recover those funds quickly. As such, they tap into every revenue stream available, including the agency fee.”  Unlicensed agents In an exclusive interview with our correspondent, The Lagos Branch Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, Gbenga Ismail, said the agents charging the excess fees were not the regulated ones. He added, “The agents charging these amounts are clearly not the regulated ones and they are the ones working in unregulated areas and there are different kind of properties, as it is prevalent in room by room lettings. These agents usually charge lump sums, and what needs to be done is bringing in regulation into that sector. “The government needs to put these developments under regulation by creating awareness to make sure these agents do not overcharge. Hence, the government needs to understand what is happening there to be able to properly regulate and know who are the people there, why are they doing this? and what rules are governing them and anybody reported must face sanctions immediately, because these agents are overcharging and unlicensed.  10% agency fee The Lagos State Government recently charged the leadership of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria, and association of Estate Agents in Nigeria to support the drive to reduce rent burden on Lagosians and shun the prevalent illegal fees in real estate business. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Housing, Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, stated that there were existing state laws such as the 2015 Tenancy Law and the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority Law which specify a percentage of chargeable fees of not more than 10 per cent on real estate transactions. In an interview with The PUNCH, a legal practitioner, Shola Adekunle, said renting a house is generally expensive, especially in Lagos State, in terms of the time one commits, the lies by agents, and the unreasonable rents and associated fees. He added, “The extra fees in addition to the rent that one pays to rent a house such as agent fees, legal fees and caution fees are unreasonable. It is purely cheating which has continued for so long. It’s unreasonable that one will rent a house for N2m annual rent for instance and end up paying additional 60 to 100 per cent of the rent as associated fees. Most of the houses are overpriced with outrageous rent which is unreasonable to start with and made even worse with these extra fees which are non-negotiable. I think the most pathetic aspect of the experience, despite the outrageous fees, is being presented with unworthy and inhabitable houses which the crazy agents would describe as ‘hot cake’, ‘sharp’, ‘o make sense gan’ etc. These agents and landlords act in connivance to set outrageous rents and associated fees. It is almost impossible to rent a vacant house when one discovers himself without going through an agent in Lagos. “The government has been complicit in the continued state of affairs by not making any genuine effort to regulate house rents and the associated fees. A responsible government would act proactively, they have pegged the minimum wage at N70,000, which is apparently a stark contrast with our reality, the government should take responsibility. Many people don’t have to be homeless or spend all their annual earnings on rent before the government ought to intervene. I am aware of the lip service effort being made at the Lagos State House of Assembly recently but how many of such actions have been started but not completed? Hopefully, it will be different this time. There should be clear rules and regulations which provide for minimum and maximum ranges of rents for different areas which could be subject to review from time to time as inflation grows or reduces. Agent and legal fees should be capped at 5 to 10 percent through a consideration of the amount of rent payable. Caution fees should also be percentage based and should be refundable subject to reasonable terms and conditions to be provided in the rules and regulations. “The rules and regulations should be strictly enforced and there should be a government agency to handle reports of violations or intended violations. Violations should be criminalised with fines and terms of imprisonment. One critical issue which again shows the complicity of the government, is that, most times, it is not the absence of rules and regulations that matters, but the ineffectiveness of regulatory agencies and lack of willingness to enforce the rules and regulations. Merely putting rules and regulations in place without implementing them serves no useful purpose and the state of affairs will simply continue.” In a similar vein, another legal practitioner, Emmanuel Bassey, said the extortion by agents has become an established practice in the housing sector across the big cities. He asserted, “I feel it is the deliberate act of the property owners to publish vacant apartments that has enabled these charges which sometimes are higher than the actual annual rent of the apartment. None of the fees are backed by law, in most cases the fees are dictated to the potential tenant without negotiation. The regular ones I’m familiar with that potential tenants are made to pay include: Caution, Legal, and Agent fee. I know of others such as Service charge which is a compulsory continuous payment. “In some if not majority of the time, the Legal fee supposedly meant for the agreement to be drafted by a lawyer, is never given to a lawyer nor any agreement given to the tenant. I speak from personal experience. The only justifiable charge if at all is that of agency. Under the common law, an agent is entitled to a commission which is supposed to be mutually agreed to between the agent and principal (tenant). “So if a potential tenant is looking for an apartment, upon engaging a house agent to search for the desired specification, they are supposed to negotiate the agent’s fee upon successfully securing the desired apartment. For legal, the proper procedure ought to be that the landlord or his attorney after receiving the rent, ought to engage the services of a lawyer to prepare a tenancy agreement for which ordinarily the landlord is to pay the cost as agreed between the landlord and the lawyer but based on the practice in Nigeria, the legal fees is imposed on the tenant.” Meanwhile, an estate surveyor, Olorunyomi Alatise, noted that professionals in the housing sector were not oblivious to these antics. He said, “As professionals in the estate industry, we are not blind to the activities of these agents. They act like viruses, damaging the profession. Often, the commission they collect rivals the rent the landlord receives. These agents operate from ignorance, not even knowing what the fees they charge are called. It’s a frustrating and chaotic situation for the industry. “As an institution, with the help of the government, we can regulate their activities. We cannot completely disregard them or take drastic actions, as even we, as professionals, rely on them. They possess information and access to local markets that we may not have, even though they are not professionals and often act erratically. “As professionals, what we can do is integrate them into our system, ensuring their activities are monitored and regulated. By doing so, we can enforce a strict law limiting estate agents to charge no more than 10 per cent on a transaction, as stipulated by law. “In many cases, agents involved in property transactions feel dissatisfied with the commission they receive. For instance, if an apartment is rented for N500,000, a 10 per cent agency commission amounts to N50,000. However, when multiple agents, sometimes up to ten, are involved in the transaction, the commission must be split among them, significantly reducing the amount each agent receives and making the returns seem insufficient.” According to the surveyor, to increase their earnings, some agents attempt to inflate agency fees and commissions, often without any consideration for the prospective tenants. “To increase their earnings, some agents inflate agency fees and commissions, disregarding prospective tenants. Driven by personal gain, these actions ignore professional standards and ethics, revealing a lack of professionalism, especially among those outside the regulatory framework. “As a professional body, the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers has a key role to play. Through collaboration with the government, we can create a regulatory framework to integrate these informal agents, standardise practices, and ensure their activities align with industry ethics for the benefit of both clients and the profession,” he concluded. Govt pledges intervention The Lagos State Commissioner for Housing, Moruf Akinderu- Fatai, said the introduction of illegal fees such as caution fee, inspection fee, and finder’s fee among others is harmful to the practice which affects tenants and puts the integrity of the practitioners and property owners at stake. The commissioner stated this during an exploratory meeting with executives of the Estate, Rent and Commission Agents Association of Nigeria. He said, “Lagos State Government is concerned about the challenges faced by families in securing and retaining rental accommodation in the State, with unpleasant rent increments and illegal estate transaction charges. The State government is aware of the increase in demand as greater than supply, but the government would no longer tolerate and allow the extortion of accommodation seekers with unwholesome practices. “I want to assure you that the State Government under the leadership of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu is compassionate and will leave no stone unturned to ensure sanity in the real estate business in the State.”

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Worldnews

India And Pakistan Near Strategic Standoff After Pahalgam Attack In Kashmir

Tensions have escalated between the two nuclear powers following Tuesday’s attack on tourists by separatists in Indian-administered Kashmir. Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan threatened to suspend its participation in all bilateral agreements with India, including the 1972 Simla Agreement, on Thursday in a retaliatory move after India said it would suspend its own participation in the Indus Water Treaty and close the land border the day before. The Simla Agreement was a peace accord signed by the two countries a few months after Bangladesh became independent from Pakistan. In a communique issued following a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC), Pakistan’s top civil-military decision-making body, Pakistan has warned India that any disruption of its water supply would be considered “an act of war”, adding that it was prepared to respond, “with full force across the complete spectrum of national power”. The NSC meeting, which took place on Thursday in Islamabad, was led by Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, alongside other government officials and chiefs of its military forces. The NSC statement mirrored actions announced by India on Wednesday, and included the closure of the Wagah Border Post with “immediate effect”, the suspension and cancellation of SAARC visas for Indian nationals (excluding Sikh pilgrims), the designation of Indian defence advisors as personae non grata in Pakistan, a reduction in the staff of the Indian High Commission, the closure of Pakistani airspace to Indian airlines, and the suspension of all trade with India. The moves follow India’s response to Tuesday’s attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir, which resulted in the deaths of at least 26 people. Following a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, chaired by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Indian government announced a series of measures, including the suspension of its part in the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty, a pact that allows both countries to irrigate their agricultural lands. In a media conference, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri also announced the closure of the border with Pakistan, slashed the number of Indian diplomatic staff in Pakistan, ordered Pakistani citizens under the SAARC scheme to leave the country within 48 hours, and expelled Pakistani military attaches posted in India. This response has been soundly interpreted as India blaming Pakistan for the attack in Kashmir. The Himalayan territory of Kashmir has been a flashpoint between the two countries since they gained independence from British rule in 1947, with each country controlling parts of Kashmir but claiming it in full. Since independence, the nuclear-armed neighbours have fought four wars, three of them over Kashmir. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who also serves as deputy prime minister, called the Indian steps “immature and hasty” in a television interview on Wednesday night, . “India has not given any evidence [of Pakistani involvement in the attack].” They have not shown any maturity in their response. This is not a serious approach. They started creating hype immediately after the incident,” said Dar, who also serves as deputy prime minister. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also rejected India’s implication of Pakistani involvement in the attack. “India’s allegation against Pakistan for the Pahalgam incident is inappropriate. There should be no ambiguity that we strongly condemn terrorism,” Asif said. Following the Pahalgam attack, commentary in Indian media and talk among the political leadership has leaned towards launching a military strike on Pakistan, drawing parallels with the 2019 Balakot strikes. In February 2019, following an attack in Pulwama, Indian-administered Kashmir, in which more than 40 Indian soldiers were killed, India launched air strikes in Balakot, northern Pakistan, targeting what it called “militant hideouts”. Pakistan said the strikes only hit an uninhabited forest and responded with its own air strikes near Indian military targets, causing no casualties. Both sides also deployed fighter jets and, in an aerial dogfight, an Indian aircraft was shot down. Its pilot, Abhinandan Varthaman, was captured but released two days afterwards. Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also hinted at a “strong response”, reiterating India’s “zero tolerance” policy on terrorism. “We will not only reach out to those who have carried out this incident. We will also reach out to those who, sitting behind the scenes, have conspired to commit such nefarious acts on the soil of India,” he said, at the Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh Memorial Lecture in New Delhi on April 23. Analysts and security officials in Pakistan say they believe that Indian military action could now be possible, but said the country was “ready for any Indian misadventure”. “We are maintaining a high level of alertness and vigilance, but unlike India, we don’t want to create any unnecessary hype by talking about our readiness,” a security source told Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity, as he has not been authorised to speak on the matter. “India is wrong if it thinks there isn’t going to be any tit for tat. However, we are both nuclear-armed countries, and Indian aggression could lead to an irresponsible situation. Both of us should act carefully,” he added. The official further questioned India’s allegation of Pakistani involvement, noting that the attack took place nearly 200km (124 miles) from the Line of Control, the de facto border between the two countries, and highlighted the presence of more than 500,000 Indian security personnel in the Kashmir valley. He also pointed to the recent visit to India by United States Vice President JD Vance, who arrived in the country on Monday with his wife and two children for a four-day visit, taking in a meeting with Prime Minister Modi. “How do you think this attack will serve Pakistan, especially with JD Vance being there?” he asked. “Could this attack lead to the liberation of Indian Kashmir? Why won’t Indian authorities take time to look inward and introspect? Will they ever accept their own security shortcomings?” Past skirmishes have previously raised the spectre of war between the two countries, which together have a population exceeding 1.5 billion. Asfandyar Mir, a security analyst specialising in South Asia, said Pakistan is likely to reserve its military response for a contingency in case of Indian action while monitoring how the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty unfolds. The Indus Basin is a lifeline for the populations of Pakistan and India, who rely on the river water flowing from the Himalayas for irrigation and agriculture. However, Mir added that military action increasingly appears to be a likely option for India, similar to 2019, but “potentially more visible”. Referring to the outrage over Tuesday’s attack and calls for a strong response in the Indian media, he said: “The domestic mood in India is strongly trending toward a response. That said, India faces a more acute China challenge than in 2019, so it has to carefully factor that into its response and how an escalation may play out,” he told Al Jazeera. China, India’s northern neighbour, is also one of Pakistan’s closest allies. China and India engaged in a minor conflict on their border in June 2020. On the other hand, Salman Bashir, former Pakistani envoy to New Delhi, told Al Jazeera he believes the decisions made by India’s Cabinet Committee on Security have been based on a “mistaken assumption” about Pakistan’s weakness. “These connote a fight-to-the-finish syndrome, which is based on naivete and wishful thinking. But I expect a response from Pakistan which is mature and commensurate to the challenge posited by India,” he added. Bashir, who also served as Pakistan’s foreign secretary from 2008 to 2012, said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Indian government may have considered military action, but the scale of such moves, given the history between the two countries, presents a dilemma. “In any case, Pakistan will not assume that this is it. We should be prepared for more to come. Options for diplomacy are rather slim. A back-channel contact may work, but I am not sure there is one,” the former diplomat said. Mir, the Washington DC-based security analyst, said Pakistan is more stable than in previous years and that he believes the country is therefore likely to respond forcefully under army chief Asim Munir, who has accused India of conducting “proxy operations” in Pakistan. Pakistan has blamed India for violence on its soil, most recently accusing it of masterminding the March attack on the Jaffar Express, a passenger train targeted by Baloch separatists. The 36-hour standoff, in which at least 26 passengers were killed, was Pakistan’s first-ever train hijacking. However, Mir said both sides have failed to draw constructive lessons from the 2019 crisis. “The relative calm we saw after 2019 was largely a function of bold conciliation by former Pakistani Army chief General Bajwa and India choosing to focus on its border with China and its ambition to become a global power. But careful observers knew the relationship was only deteriorating,” he said. Bashir, the former envoy, said Pakistan could make a grand gesture if Prime Minister Sharif announces a visit to India. “In Pakistan-India situations, gestures like Shehbaz Sharif announcing a visit to New Delhi are doable. The pendulum has swung too far. We need to do whatever is necessary to bring things under control,” he said. Follow Al Jazeera English:...

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Worldnews

Al-Shabab Battles Somalias Army For Strategic Military Base

The armed group says it seizes control of Wargaadhi town and its military base, but the Somali army denies the claim. Al-Shabab fighters have battled Somali troops and allied forces for control of a strategic army base in southern Somalia, according to the government and a military official. Capturing the base in Wargaadhi town in the Middle Shabelle region, which houses soldiers, special forces and clan fighters, would enable the al Qaeda-linked group to sever a crucial road between the capital, Mogadishu, 200km (124 miles) to the southwest, and the central Galmudug State as it tries to extend recent gains made in the region. Al-Shabab has been fighting the Somali government for more than 16 years and frequently targets government officials and military personnel. It said in a statement that its fighters had captured the base and Wargaadhi town – a claim the government denied. The Ministry of Information said in a statement that government forces had killed more than 40 people after they tried to attack the base on Thursday morning. However, army officer Hussein Ali told the news agency Reuters that the armed group had taken the town of Wargaadhi after “fierce fighting”. “Our forces lost 12 men, mostly [clan fighters]. Around 20 al-Shabab fighters were also killed,” Ali said. “But finally al-Shabab got more reinforcements and managed to capture the town.” He added that Somalia’s military was struggling to send reinforcements because it would need to use routes passing through al-Shabab-held areas. Two soldiers quoted by Reuters said government forces, backed by air strikes, had managed to recapture part of the town by midmorning. It was not possible to independently verify the claims made by either side. Last week, al-Shabab claimed to have seized control of nearby Adan Yabal, a town and logistical hub for government forces about 220km (130 miles) north of Mogadishu. However, Captain Hussein Olow, a military officer in Adan Yabaal, denied the report, telling Reuters government troops had pushed the group back. Both attacks are part of an offensive launched by al-Shabab last month. The group briefly captured villages within 50km (30 miles) of Mogadishu, raising fears among the capital’s residents that the city could be targeted. While Somali forces have since recaptured those villages, al-Shabab has continued to advance in the countryside as the future of international security support to Somalia appears increasingly precarious. A new African Union peacekeeping mission, the AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, replaced a larger force in February, but its funding is uncertain as the United States remains opposed to transitioning to a United Nations financing model. Follow Al Jazeera English:...

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News_Naija

Rivers Emergency Rule: Ibas Isnt A Governor

It was interesting reading through the arguments advanced by my learned brother silk, Chief Joseph Daudu, SAN, in support of the unconstitutional declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu and the subsequent and equally unconstitutional endorsement of the declaration by two-thirds membership of both chambers of the National Assembly. Daudu tried to justify his position by asserting that no court had ever declared any state of emergency unconstitutional. In other words, we must wait for the courts to make pronouncements on otherwise clear, explicit and self-explanatory provisions of the Constitution in a matter touching on the survival of democracy, justice and rule of law before they can be given their full effect. But with due deference, the argument rather than venerate fundamental pillars of just and democratic societies and the rule of law, vitiates the very foundation of justice and freedom while subjecting the system to abuse and discretionary exercise of absolute powers culminating in ultimate lawlessness and degeneration. In his opinion, we have to wait for judicial pronouncements on an impetuous emergency rule with Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), who now wields a monstrous sword of Damocles over our heads here in Rivers State, before the proper things expressly provided for by law can be done. With respect, I do not agree. My learned brother Silk argued that Goodluck Jonathan’s inability to win the 2015 election was because the former President could not crush the Boko Haram insurrection in the Borno, Yobe and Adamawa axis. Really? But the Daura-born man of valour, who boasted that if voted into power, he would, as a military general, defeat Boko Haram in two weeks-yes, two weeks-vacated Aso Rock as the commander-in-chief after eight years with his head bowed in woe! Who is not aware that more deaths were recorded in the North-East during Buhari’s (eight-year) tenure than in Jonathan’s six? Is it not even worse today that generals contribute money to pay ransom to bandits to free fellow generals abducted from their villages by bloody civilians? Bokkos was raided; women are raped daily; villages are burnt and children are butchered every week. The truth is that the Rivers State example is a strange state capture, if I may borrow this expression from NADECO (USA). No valid state of emergency was declared by the President. In sacking all the democratic structures in the state, that is, the governor, deputy governor and all members of the House of Assembly, the President merely and successfully executed a bloodless coup d’etat in Rivers State! This is diarchal and so diabolical! 35 states plus Abuja enjoy democratic governance; Rivers State does not, and all operate under the same Nigerian 1999 Constitution (as amended)! The presence of Admiral Ibas as sole administrator is an insult to our collective psyche, which no one except those who themselves deserve contempt can throw at us. Ibas himself now acts with so much monstrous audacity in pulling down all democratic strongholds in Rivers State and adorning the political and democratic space and even billboards with his face in military uniform. He has dismantled and dissolved all boards of parastatals and agencies, including the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council; Rivers State Judicial Service Commission; Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, and so many others, including the governing councils of tertiary institutions in the state. Most of them have fixed constitutional/statutory tenures. He has even reconstituted the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission. Tinubu’s coup in Rivers is simply a speed bump to democracy comparable to that erected in 1993 by General Sani Abacha in his broadcast dissolving everything democratic and sacking Ernest Shonekan. But then, under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered), the President has no power to dissolve democratic institutions or to remove a governor and in his place appoint a sole administrator. Not even the National Assembly can suspend a sitting governor – see Section 11 (4) of the Constitution. Now, the magical half a dozen months’ timeline has also been illegally posted by Senate President Godswill Akpabio in Natasha’s case. In a matter as sensitive as the declaration of a state of emergency, Section 305 of the Constitution is clear that two-thirds of the members of both chambers of the National Assembly must vote to endorse it or it fails. Not only would the two-thirds be secured to validate the declaration of the state of emergency, but the numbers must also be seen to have been secured. But the two Behemoths superintending the leaderships of the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively, Senator Godswill Akpabio and Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, out of pure mischief and fraud, obtained their respective two thirds majority via voice votes. Can someone please find out from Akpabio and Abbas how many members voted ‘aye’; how many voted ‘nay’ and how many abstained in the endorsement of the declaration of the two-thirds majority in the National Assembly. My learned brother Silk thinks there has been no case where the courts made pronouncements on the unconstitutional and arbitrary abuse of powers. That may not be correct. The reason is three-fold. Firstly, in Ajuwon vs. Gov., Oyo State [infra], the Supreme Court said inter alia: “That an elected person is not an employee of anybody except the electorate that voted him in. It is only the electorate that can fire him. Democratic elections should always be sacrosanct in this country, like in any other country, for democracy to thrive. Local government chairmen and councilors, being persons duly elected by the people cannot just be removed and their councils dissolved whimsically and arbitrarily by any other elected persons in clear abuse of their office and powers. It is not right in law and under the Constitution to do that.” And in A.G Lagos State vs. A/G Federation [2004] 18 NWLR (pt. 904) 1; a suit filed by then Bola Tinubu’s government in Lagos State against the Federal Government of Olusegun Obasanjo over the creation of 57 local government councils; Hon. Justice M. L. Uwais, CJN, had this to say (at pages 91 – 92): “It has been argued that the President by virtue of the oath of office, which he took on assumption of office, . . is bound to protect and defend the Constitution.” In addition, the executive powers of the Federation are vested in the President by Section 5 (1) of the Constitution. Such powers extend to the execution and maintenance of the Constitution. This is certainly so, but the question is, does such power extend to the President committing an illegality?  Certainly, the Constitution does not and could not have intended that.” Therefore, the emergency powers do not extend to the President committing an illegality as Tinubu has done in suspending the governor of Rivers State, his deputy and all members of the House of Assembly because such conduct could breed anarchy and totalitarianism, which are antitheses to democracy. As stated by Charles Dickens in his classic, Oliver Twist: “If the law supposes that” said Mr Bumble, “the law is a ass a – idiot (sic).” Secondly, in 2019, Governor Makinde of Oyo State saw Ajuwon vs. Gov., Oyo State [infra] and his counterpart, Aminu Magari (in 2015) dissolved elected local government councils in their respective states. The Supreme Court wasted no time in declaring such actions as void. My darling friend, Mba Ukweni (now SAN) spoke to the press and, without the clairvoyance of a Hebrew Prophet, said, “Just as the President cannot remove the governors; governors cannot remove democratically elected chairmen and councillors.” President Tinubu scoffed and laughed in derision, having carried out that foreboding. So, it is incorrect that suspension of democratic rule has not come before the court as the learned past president of the bar posited. In fact, in the recent case of A.G. Federation vs. A.G Abia State [2024] 17 NWLR (pt. 1966) 1 @ 119, a suit filed in the Supreme Court by the AGF himself last year, protesting the illegality and unconstitutionality of dissolving local government councils by state governors, the apex court spoke through Emmanuel Agomaye Agim JSC thus: “The federal governance structure in the 1999 Constitution therefore consists of three tiers, namely, Federal Government, State Government and Local Government. The Constitution requires the government of each tier to be democratically elected…. The government of a local government area other than by a democratically elected council is not in accordance with the 1999 Constitution…. Section 1 (2) of the 1999 Constitution provides that no person or group of persons shall take control of the government of any part of Nigeria contrary to the provisions of the Constitution”.  (Underlining added for emphasis that no tier of government can be governed through a sole administrator at the State or local government level). As if to rub more insult to the injury, Ibas is appointing sole administrators to head the 23 local government areas after being encouraged by his own illegal existence in Rivers State. This is in spite of the admonition by the Supreme Court through the wisdom of Ejembi Eko JSC in Ajuwon vs. Gov., Oyo State [2021] 16 NWLR (pt. 1803) 485 @ 535, thusly: The misconception by state authorities (which must now include Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, an aggregate of illegality, invalidity and unconstitutionality) that the Constitution does not intend to grant and guarantee autonomy to the local government is only a brain wave nurtured by sheer aggrandizement and megalomaniac instinct to conquer and make the Local Government mere parastatals of the State”. (Words in parentheses and underlining are mine, please).      Thirdly, just about two months ago, shortly before the inglorious declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and the attendant dismantling of all elected officials of the Executive and the Legislature in Rivers State, the Attorney General of the Federation, my call mate, friend and colleague, Chief Lateef Fagbemi SAN had warned state governors against the removal of elected council officials.  Fagbemi was addressing the NBA State of the Nation Discourse in Abuja on February 19, 2025. He cautioned that “such acts of removing democratically elected local government officials” (same atrocious act carried out by his principal, President Tinubu and which he turned around to salute and to defend on TV) “was not only treasonable but could have consequences despite the immunity enjoyed by governors.” He added, “We must all remember that we owe a duty to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria before our political allegiances.” He further warned lawyers and attorneys-general against allowing their clients to dictate to them. Meanwhile, in the Rivers example, while addressing the press on the unconstitutional state of emergency and the illegal suspension of elected officials, Fagbemi in “a grotesque U-turn” to quote another commentator, suddenly preferred the coup against Fubara to the constitutionally settled means of impeachment of a governor, which according to our revered AGF was done out of the abundance of the love President Tinubu has for Fubara, same as Pontius Pilate (the Roman Potentate) had for Jesus! And I ask, what use are elections in this stunted democracy if a man can, by executive fiat, dismantle all democratic structures in a federating unit? Tinubu suspended a sitting governor who validly won an election, like he, Tinubu did! Tinubu suspended members of the House of Assembly who were properly elected by the people. Such impunity and unconstitutionality are alien to the tenets and pristine principles of power sharing in a democracy. That there are no safeguards against such malevolence executed with such a brazen display of impunity, it is sad!! Already, ominous signs of crises are here with us. In Osun State, All Progressives Congress chairmen have taken over the local governments’ secretariats. Tinubu’s Lagos State was battling with two speakers of the House of Assembly.  Yet, there is no state of emergency in those states. In Ondo State, farmers are on the run while bandits have seized a military base somewhere in the North. In Edo State, extrajudicial killing of travelling hunters by vigilantes has kept Governor Monday Okpebholo extending his fasting this Lenten season. In Anka, Zamfara State, over 10 people were killed by bandits in one week in March alone.  Do I need to say more? Was this not indeed a country (apologies to our late literary icon, Chinua Achebe)? In Plateau State today, there is a Constitutional aversion to peace and a strong disposition to maim, kill and destroy. Banditry and kidnapping have plateaued in the Middle Belt; yet, there is no state of emergency in that part of Nigeria! A simple provision in Section 305 of the Constitution has been misinterpreted with so much finesse and ease by lawyers who dress the harmless section with a stress it ought not possess that I recall Art Buchwald when he vulgarly mused: “It is not the bad lawyers who are screwing up the justice system in this country. It is the good lawyers.” And I join Harry Bender to wonder if so much misinterpretation could come from senior lawyers over Section 305 of the Constitution. “Imagine,” said he, “the appeals and dissents if lawyers had written the Ten Commandments.” Constitutional frameworks do not admit of totalitarianism, authoritarianism and despotism as we are witnessing under President Tinubu in his suspension of elected officials in Rivers. It makes mockery of democracy and free choice. That indeed is the curse of the elective system in this country. Mbok, how did Ibok get sworn in as a sole administrator on borrowed robes and rhyme from the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution? The aberration can be likened to asking a bishop to swear to tell the truth using the Fenibeso Shrine of Okrika or the Amadioha juju of Ndigbo. Is it not tragic? Surely, the dance step of Ibas is not six months! Such impudence. With the swagger of an ultimate undertaker for President Tinubu, his body language in systematically demolishing everything democratically installed, Ete is silently playing an encore on one prayer point; namely, that there should be some strife (since he confirmed there was none when he arrived) so his emergency rule would be extended and justified. But like King Herod waited in vain for the three wise men from the East to return to announce the location of Jesus so he could pounce, I can bet my left arm that Ibas will wait in vain for the justification of his complicity in the “state capture of Rivers State”. By threatening to present his budget to himself, one recalls the story told by Francis Bacon, First and only Viscount of St. Alban, K.C., English lawyer, jurist, philosopher, statesman, scientist, author (1561-1626): when Philip, father of Alexander passed a sentence against a prisoner at a time he was drowsy and seemed to give small attention. The prisoner after hearing of the sentence, screamed, “I appeal.” The King somewhat bemused, asked, “To whom do you appeal?” The prisoner answered: “From Philip when he gave no ear to Philip when he shall give ear.” Ibas intends to present the budget as a governor while adorned in military uniform to himself as speaker and member of the House of Assembly dressed in civilian clothes! The malodorous practices and chicanery in high places put Ibas above everyone, including the now-infamous George Nwaekesque episode last month, where the former head of service of Rivers State displayed his incompetence as an upcoming Nollywood actor. The mediocrity of that episode could not be concealed by the fright on the faces of the movie directors, who were excitedly talking in hushed voices which everyone heard. The movie was so badly scripted that it gave failure a bad name to the point that one would think Nwaeke was reading from a teleprompter through a blindfold. Nwaeke acted with so much odious plasticity in carelessly trying to separate obvious truths from falsehood that you would think his ancestors witnessed the parting of the Red Sea. But as the Jewish saying goes, that show of shame which lasted a few minutes, has left ripples that would last a long time and perhaps, generations, forever – Exodus 20: 5-6. The removal of the governor and his deputy in Rivers, along with members of the state House of Assembly, is clearly senseless and an affront to a civilised setting. The relentless efforts of the retired naval officer show he is enjoying the moment and that he loves power but will not contest any election; he is content to wait at the sidelines for a bloodless coup to frighten Rivers’ indigenes and take over democratic governance! This state of emergency in all circumstances of the case was invalidly declared in Rivers State. To sack all authorities and powers elected in the state since 2023 is taking insolence too far. It is unconstitutional and so null and void. If Ibas desires to live in a government house, he should be bold enough to contest an election in Cross River State. He should not hide behind the façade in Rivers State to enjoy long-throated ease. “Ambition should be made of sterner stuff,” says Shakespeare. A caretaker should work hard to build his own house and not wish the landlord death to enable him to take over the man’s property as  Ibas has done and is still doing here. Ibas is a mere butterfly and so cannot act like a bird. He should be humble enough to appreciate this solemn truth! A man without locus, Ibas is even asking the NBA to return money, a democratically elected governor, who has the mandate of the people, paid out, as if he were with God when the heavens and earth were created. This man suffers from what we call niggling meddlesomeness and which psychologists call status anxiety. In an article now circulating on social media, it was stated that the Yorubas have a saying that the ear that heard “go” must also hear “come”. Ibas whose ear heard “come” to Rivers State, should also hear “go” out from Rivers State. To conclude, let me give kudos to the indefatigable and proactive President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN for being alive to his responsibilities in moving the Annual Bar Conference from Port Harcourt to Enugu, our beautiful coal city, which is under a democratic governance! •Abereton (SAN) of the Pelman Chambers writes from Port Harcourt