News
One dead, hundreds injured as riots sweep New Caledonia
By Francesca Hangeior
One person was killed, hundreds more were injured, shops were looted and public buildings torched during a second night of rioting in New Caledonia, authorities said Wednesday, as anger over constitutional reforms from Paris boiled over.
What began as pro-independence demonstrations have spiralled into three days of the worst violence seen on the French Pacific archipelago since the 1980s.
Despite heavily armed security forces fanning out across the capital Noumea and the ordering of a nighttime curfew, rioting continued overnight Tuesday virtually unabated.
Hundreds of people including “around 100” police and gendarmes have been injured in the unrest, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Wednesday in Paris.
One person had been shot dead overnight but authorities were yet to establish the circumstances that led to the incident, Darmanin said, adding that dozens of homes and businesses had been torched.
In Noumea and the commune of Paita there were reports of several exchanges of fire between civil defence groups and rioters.
On Wednesday, streets in the capital were pocked by the shells of burned-out cars and buildings, including a sports store and a large concrete climbing wall.
“Numerous arsons and pillaging of shops, infrastructure and public buildings — including primary and secondary schools — were carried out,” said the High Commission, which represents Paris in the islands.
Security forces had managed to regain control of Noumea’s penitentiary, which holds about 50 inmates, after an uprising and escape attempt by prisoners, it said in a statement.
Police have arrested more than 130 people since the riots broke out Monday night, with dozens placed in detention to face court hearings, the commission said.
The territory’s La Tontouta International Airport remained closed to commercial flights and people were urged to restrict any travel during the day, the high commission said.
As rioters took to the streets, France’s lower house of parliament 17,000 kilometres (10,600 miles) awayvoted in favour of a constitutional change bitterly opposed by indigenous Kanaks.
The reform — which must still be approved by a joint sitting of both houses of the French parliament — would give a vote to people who have lived in New Caledonia for 10 years.
Pro-independence forces say it would dilute the share of the vote held by Kanaks, the Indigenous group that makes up about 41 percent of the population and the major force in the pro-independence movement.
French President Emmanuel Macron urged calm in a letter to the territory’s representatives, calling on them to “unambiguously condemn” the “disgraceful and unacceptable” violence.
Macron said French lawmakers would vote to definitively adopt the constitutional change by the end of June unless New Caledonia’s opposing sides agree on a new text that “takes into account the progress made and everyone’s aspirations”.
The French leader has been seeking to reassert his country’s importance in the Pacific region, where China and the United States are vying for influence.
Lying between Australia and Fiji, New Caledonia is one of several French territories spanning the globe from the Caribbean and Indian Ocean to the Pacific in the post-colonial era.
In the Noumea Accord of 1998, France vowed to gradually give more political power to the Pacific island territory of nearly 300,000 people.
As part of the agreement, New Caledonia has held three referendums over its ties with France, all rejecting independence.
But the independence movement retains support, particularly among the Indigenous Kanak people.
The Noumea Accord has also meant that New Caledonia’s voter lists have not been updated since 1998 — depriving island residents who arrived from mainland France or elsewhere since then of a vote in provincial polls.
The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe (SAN), has voiced his concerns regarding the worsening security conditions in the South-East. He pointed out the prevalence of unlawful detentions, extrajudicial killings, and violations of human rights.
Osigwe condemned these troubling developments, highlighting their role in the erosion of law and order in the region. “The security challenges facing the South-East should be treated with the utmost seriousness and the attention they merit.”
“There has been a breakdown in law and order in many parts of the South-East, many communities no longer have a presence of local government, police stations have been destroyed, people are being kidnapped and ransomed, and people are beginning to take it as the order of the day,” he said.
He condemned the practice of some magistrates without jurisdiction, granting remand orders, leading to prolonged and unjust detentions.
He noted that over 68 per cent of prison inmates in the country were awaiting trial, adding that many had spent more time in detention than they would have if convicted.
“We condemn a situation where people are being held in remand, and we have also sent out an appeal to all Chief Judges to ensure that no magistrates’ court gives an order of remand without providing a return date for a review of the remand order.
“No person should be remanded without having his day in court – without being charged to court.
“And courts that have no jurisdiction should end the practice of granting indefinite remand.”
Osigwe called on the CJs to direct magistrates not to remand any suspect without charging them to court.
He also urged victims of unjust remand to seek redress in court, adding that NBA lawyers would be willing to offer pro bono services to support them.
“Naturally, they should be able to sue the state for detaining them without trial,” Osigwe advised.
“And it is for their lawyers to make a decision; we can’t go out because it is against our rules of the profession to instigate people to go to court, but where people feel aggrieved and want to approach lawyers, many NBA lawyers are willing to offer pro bono services,” he said.
Osigwe further stated that the NBA was working to promote peace and security in the south-east, through constructive engagement with relevant agencies, and advocacy.
The Nigerian judiciary has designated 48 justices across various divisions of the Federal High Court to handle cases brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
This decision, contained in a press statement dated February 13, 2025 and signed by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John T. Tsoho, is aimed to fast-track the prosecution of financial crimes, money laundering, and corruption cases that have long plagued Nigeria’s judicial system.
“The following Judges are hereby designated to handle Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) cases in their respective Divisions,” the statement reads.
The judges assigned to oversee these cases include Justices I. E. Ekwo, J. O. Abdulmalik, J. K. Omotosho, Emeka Nwite, M. S. Liman, and H. J. Yilwa in the Abuja Division.
In Lagos, Justices C. J. Aneke, Y. S. Bogoro, D. E. Osiagor, and O. A. Oluseyi have been designated.
Port Harcourt will have Justices P. M. Ayua and A. T. Mohammed handling EFCC cases, while in Calabar, Justice I. L. Ojukwu is assigned.
In Asaba, Justices F. A. Olubanjo and O. A. Agbaje will preside over corruption cases, while Justice H. A. Nganjiwa is designated for Warri. Yenagoa has Justice N. Ayo-Emmanuel assigned, while Uyo will have Justice C. S. Onah.
In Kano, Justice S. M. Shuaibu will handle cases, while Bauchi has Justice Aminu Garba. Jos will have Justices D. V. Agishi and S. I. Tanko.
Lafia will see Justices M. O. Olajuwon and A. Onoja-Alapa overseeing EFCC trials. In Makurdi, Justices M. S. Abubakar and E. R. Joshua have been designated, while in Ilorin, Justice M. O. Awogboro will handle cases.
Justice B. K. Usman is assigned to Yola, Justice J. K. Dagat to Maiduguri, and Justice F. M. Aminu to Damaturu. Kaduna will have Justice R. M. Aikawa handling EFCC cases, while in Katsina, Justices A. B. Aliyu and H. Dadan-Garba are assigned. Sokoto will have Justice A. G. Mahmud overseeing financial crime trials.
In Umuahia, Justices S. B. Onu and K. O. Ogundare will preside, while Awka has Justice E. N. Anyadike.
Justice H. I. O. Oshomah is designated for Abakaliki, while in Enugu, Justices M. G. Umar and F. O. G. Ogunbanjo are assigned. Owerri will have Justices I. N. Oweibo and C. J. Wigwe-Oreh handling EFCC cases.
Justice C. A. Obiozor is assigned to Benin, Justice B. O. Kuewunmi to Ado-Ekiti, and Justice A. J. Adeyemi to Abeokuta.
In Akure, Justice T. B. Adegoke will handle EFCC corruption cases, while Osogbo has Justice A. A. Demi-Ajayi. The Ibadan Division will see Justice U. N. Agomoh overseeing EFCC matters.
The latest development comes amid public outcry over delayed trials, prolonged adjournments, and allegations of judicial interference in cases involving politically exposed persons and corrupt government officials.
Despite the EFCC securing convictions in some cases, critics argue that the judicial process has been weaponised to either stall or fast-track cases depending on political interests.
SaharaReporters has previously reported on how influential politicians, former governors, and top government officials use legal loopholes and judicial delays to evade justice.
Many corruption cases have dragged on for years, with some abruptly dismissed due to technicalities.
A bill to abolish the dichotomy and discrimination between Bachelor’s Degree holders and Higher National Diploma (HND) holders has scaled second reading in the House of Representatives.
According to the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, the bill sought to replace HND with Bachelor of Tech so that graduates of polytechnic would be able to compete favourably with other university graduates.
The bill, which was sponsored by a member, Fuad Laguda from Lagos State, also emphasised the importance of technical education.
Speaker Abbas said the position taken by all boards of polytechnics in Nigeria is “the abolition of HND and in place of it to have Bachelor of Technology so that at least graduates of polytechnics will be able to compete with those from universities”.
“At the same time, they are calling for hybrid supervision where the degree component of the polytechnic education will be handled by the NUC (National Universities Commission) while the national diploma will continue to be handled by the NBTE (National Board for Technical Education).
“Because of the degree component of this amendment, they felt that the qualification for being rector should also be upgraded to a Ph.D holder at the minimum since you will now be talking about degree programmes, it is only proper for such kind of establishment to have a Ph.D holder as the head of the institution,” he said.
Abbas subjected the bill to a voice vote and the lawmakers approved it to scale second reading.
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