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Black Thursday

Rostrum The ancient narrow pathway had become so bad that they could not find their way to their destination as the three moved in a grey Honda Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) being piloted by Dayo who was very mindful of the steering. It was on a Thursday. The 35-year-old Misters Dayo, Emeka and Okon were old time friends who reunited just a few days ago at Nsukka in Enugu State having lost contacts about eight years back, or thereabouts, after their graduation from one of the reputable higher citadels of learning in Nigeria situated in the Eastern part of the country, precisely University of Nigeria Nsukka popularly known by its acronym ‘U.N.N’. What occasioned the long-awaited reunion was the convention of their alma-mater’s alumni body themed ‘The homecoming of UNN Alumni’, which usually held once in a blue moon. Though they never studied in the same department, they were conspicuously best of friends during their school days that people within bega...

Senate passes Wildlife Protection Bill

Rufus Okoro
The Nigeria’s Senate has passed the Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill, 2024, a legislation aimed at curbing wildlife trafficking and strengthening environmental protection.

The bill, already approved by the House of Representatives in May 2025, now awaits President Bola Tinubu’s assent to become law.

The new law overhauls the 1985 Endangered Species Act, introducing tougher penalties, wider investigative powers, and financial tracking mechanisms to target wildlife traffickers.

It also aligns Nigeria’s laws with global conventions such as CITES, enabling cross-border investigations and extraditions.

The sponsor of the bill and deputy chairman of the House Committee on Environment, Terseer Ugbor, hailed its passage as “a huge win for Nigeria,” saying it would protect the nation’s wildlife and natural heritage.

Nigeria has faced global scrutiny for its role as a transit hub in illegal wildlife trade, with the United Nations reports linking it to the trafficking of over 30 tonnes of ivory and millions of pangolin scales in recent years.

Environmental groups, including the Africa Nature Investors Foundation, EIA UK, and Wild Africa, praised the Senate’s move and urged swift presidential assent ahead of next month’s UN CITES meeting in Uzbekistan.

Once signed into law, the bill would empower enforcement agencies to pursue wildlife crimes more effectively and position Nigeria as a leader in conservation efforts across Africa.