By Alex Enumah
The Supreme Court on Monday conferred the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) on 72 legal practitioners.
The conferment which formed part of activities marking the commencement of the 2020/21 new legal year, was performed by Justice Bode Rhodes-Vuvour, accompanied by 16 other Justices of the Supreme Court.
Rhodes-Vivour, who noted that the new SANs emerged successful from a total of 172 earlier shortlisted urged them to be more committed to their work and the legal profession, an attitude he said earned them the rank in the first place.
The event which held at the main Courtroom of the Supreme Court started at 10am and was in strict compliance with the Covid-19 protocols, as a lot of dignitaries including spouses of awardees were barred from the main courtroom.
Advertisement
Amidst rumours that he had been ill, he was on Monday absent at the swearing-in ceremony of
The 66-year-old chief justice has not been seen in public for weeks.
The special session for the swearing-in of SANs, which was held at the supreme court in Abuja, also marked the beginning of the 2020/2021 legal year of the apex court.
Advertisement
The unavailability of the CJN is unusual as he is mostly known to carry out important functions such as this.
The CJN had inaugurated eight justices of the supreme court on November 6but since then, there are conflicting details on when he was last seen in public.
Supreme Court swears in 72 SANs, begins new legal year today.ng - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from today.ng Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
COVID-19 looters’ll be prosecuted –ICPC
Ade Adesomoju, Abuja
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Prof Bolaji Owasanoye, said on Friday, that those exploiting COVID-19 emergencies would be investigated and prosecuted by the commission.
Owasanoye spoke at an event in Abuja where participants called for more transparency in the management of funds and resources during the pandemic era.
The event with the theme, ‘Fighting money laundering in the COVID-19 era: Challenged and oppprtunities’ was organised by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre in collaboration with the United Nations on Drugs and Crime and the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Friday promised to investigate and prosecute people engaged in mismanaging the COVID-19 funds and palliatives.
ICPC Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, gave this warning during a roundtable discussion on ‘Fighting Money Laundering in the COVID-19 Era.
ICPC who decried the rise in fraud and corruption risk during the coronavirus pandemic also alleged that billions of dollars were missing annually through illicit financial outflows (IFFs) from Nigeria in particular and Africa in general.
Represented by ICPC’s Assistant Commissioner, Mr. Michael Agboro, Owasanoye stated that the Commission must put in place mechanisms to ensure transparency and accountability.