₦airaland Forum

Meet The 57 Year Old Lawyer Zannah Mustapha Who Set 82 Chibok Ladies Free


The story of the release of 82 Chibok schoolgirls will not be complete without mentioning the Nigerian lawyer who negotiated the release of the girls from Boko Haram captivity. Novelist and writer Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani profiles the lawyer, Zannah Mustapha, who brokered the release of 82 women captured by Nigeria’s militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

When 57-year-old Zannah Mustapha arrived for the handover of the 82 Chibok girls freed from Boko Haram after three years in captivity, a militant read out the girls’ names from a list.One by one, the abducted schoolgirls, now women, lined up along the outskirts of a forest near Kumshe town, on the border between Nigeria and Cameroon. Each of them was covered from head to ankle in a dark-coloured hijab.

“I went ahead of the Red Cross. They [the militants] brought the girls to me,” said Mr Mustapha, the lawyer from Borno state in north-east Nigeria.

He has been mediating between the government and militants for the release of the Chibok girls and for an end to the Boko Haram insurgency.

In 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari told the media that his government was willing to negotiate with “credible” leaders of Boko Haram for the release of the girls. More than 200 of them were abducted a year earlier from the north-eastern town of Chibok, sparking global outrage. Previous attempts had failed, with different groups coming forward, each claiming to be the militants in possession of the missing schoolgirls.


It was Mr Mustapha who succeeded in convincing the Nigerian authorities that this particular group should be taken for what they say, presidential spokesman Garba Shehu told me. “He had dealt with them in the past and they keep to their word,” he said. Mr Mustapha’s role as a mediator dates back to his founding the Future Prowess Islamic Foundation School in 2007, to provide free Islamic-based education to orphans and the poor.

When the Boko Haram insurgency erupted in 2009, the school offered admission to the children of soldiers and government officials killed by the militants, as well as those of militants killed by the state. Mr Mustapha then sought the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which began providing free meals to the pupils.

He also encouraged parents to form an association which would reach out to other widows and convince them to send their children to his school. The ICRC soon extended its humanitarian services to the mothers, providing them free food and other items every month. “This was at a time when the wives of Boko Haram militants were being arrested and their houses demolished, so Boko Haram saw me and the ICRC as neutral parties,” Mr Mustapha said.

During the previous government of President Goodluck Jonathan, former President Olusegun Obasanjo visited Maiduguri, the epicentre of the insurgency, to intervene in the escalating crisis.He then set up a group to discuss peace with Boko Haram. Mr Mustapha was included in it because of the relationship he had forged with the families of Boko Haram militants.

After the Swiss ambassador to Nigeria paid a visit to the Future Prowess school in 2012, he arranged for Mr Mustapha to go to Zurich and Geneva to receive formal training as a mediator. “We were already trying to negotiate peace with Boko Haram before the Chibok girls were kidnapped,” Mr Mustapha said.

The initial negotiation was for a batch of 20 Chibok girls to be released. But, as a sign of commitment to their relationship, Boko Haram added an extra woman, whom Mr Mustapha said was their gift to him, hence the number 21. When they were released in October 2016, she was chosen by Boko Haram to read out the names of the other 20 women from a list.

Mr Mustapha said the 21 women were lined up and asked by Boko Haram militants if they had been raped. They all said they were not. When a militant approached a woman who was carrying a baby, she said that she was pregnant at the time of her abduction, having got married a few weeks earlier.

The baby girl in her arms, she said, was her husband’s child. For some reason, Boko Haram, a group that has cultivated a reputation for brutality, wanted it to be known that it was only after the women “agreed” to get married that the militants had sexual relations with them.

“I felt that I have done something that is worth saying to the world that I have done this,” Mr Mustapha said.This process of lining up the women, pointing at each one and asking the same question, was repeated at the beginning of May when 82 more women were released.

One of about seven Boko Haram militants, who accompanied them, went from woman to woman asking: “Throughout the time you were with us, did anyone rape you or touch you?” Mr Mustapha said, adding that each of them replied in the negative.

None of the second batch of 82 captives came with a child. But one had an amputated limb and was walking with crutches, an injury she sustained, according to what Mr Mustapha was told, during Nigerian military air strikes against Boko Haram. “You are free today,” Mr Mustapha announced to the 82 women after all the names were called out.

“They all smiled,” he said.

He believes that their subdued reaction was as a result of the presence of the militants, all armed with guns, some wearing army camouflage uniforms and boots. Mr Mustapha then took some photographs with the women. The militants also had their video camera on hand and recorded the event. ICRC vehicles eventually arrived. “When I told them to go to the cars, they all ran,” Mr Mustapha said. “Immediately they entered the vehicles, they started singing for joy. Some shed tears.”

Mr Mustapha has received a number of accolades for his work with Future Prowess School. He was a finalist for the 2016 Robert Burns humanitarian award, given to those who have “saved, improved or enriched the lives of others or society as a whole, through self-sacrifice, selfless service, hands-on charitable or volunteer work, or other acts”.

He was also given a 2017 Aurora Prize Modern Day Hero award, for those whose “life and actions guarantee the safe existence of others”. However, he described handing over the 82 freed girls to the Nigerian government as “the highest point in my life”.

“I felt that I have done something that is worth saying to the world that I have done this,” he said.

dtnadeyemi1993:
http://punchng.com/wont-force-tinubu-support-akeredolu-abayomi/

ANENEANDASSOC:
Deed of assignment is mere paper not backed by law .But Power of attorney is a legal document transferring ownership of property from one party to another. it is signed,sealed and stamped and entered .It is very essential when processing your certificate of occupancy moreover i hope you have checked with AGIS and FCDA the authenticity of such land that you purchased. ..If you need enlightenment contact me on whatsapp 08024808190. m an estate surveyor and valuer.

platinumtt:
Hello Professionals,

Please help. I just bought an AMAC land. The seller told me to get a power of attorney document for him to sign. When I asked about deed of assignment, he said he has no information as he is not used to that. In Lagos, we do get deed of assignment after buying a plot of land as this is a very important document. Could someone explain power of attorney and deed of assignment issue as it impacts buying of land in Abuja.

http://www.naijalandproperties.com/community/fct-abuja-3/what-is-the-difference-between-power-of-attorney-and-deed-of-assignment/

omaolowo:
Quote :
Justice Morenikeji Ogunwumiju who presided and read the lead judgement......

Then we had Justice Philomena Expedia in her lead judgement,.....

How many "lead judgements" in this case?

samguru:
The legal gurus in the house,

Is it legal for your employer to hack into your personal email not my official email and also went behind you to collect your statement of accounts.

Plz I need your legal advice on this matter.

tplacid:
Bro for the record I stay in Abule Egba and I can tell this project didn't start until Ambode became the governor.

I could remember vividly that I heard about the development of this bridge first in the news and bo next thing I know the project start. Kudos to Ambo for keeping his promise.

However, I believe that Lagos is far behind in terms of development. A state like Lagos with diverse human resources and financial strenghts of some African countries should be a mega city compared places like Tokyo, New York and other major cities of the world .

It's so sad that some politicians continue to deceive and loot when they should have added value and left a lasting legacy.

Fashola, Ambode and Tinubu aren't honest....Lagos state has earned more than a trillion naira in last 8 years, does that reflect on the current infrastructural status of Lagos?

I guess you know the answer to this question.

muzzol:
He is right brother. Agbe Road, Abiodun Onitiri and Relaying Ekoro roads were preconstruction works to ease pressure during period of building the flyover.

efilefun:
Cant remember the name of the areas properly but there is one that links to command and seems one around kola

micklplus:
They obviously don't know what they are talking about especially at the point they quoted 7.5% pension as per the pension reform act.

According to the pension reform act, it is now 18% combined. Employer to pay 10% while employee to pay 8% hence, his reason for the increment. Of course, he did what the act stipulated.


Again, must they reject everything ni?
Hopefully, they won't reject the air they breath and start a protest.

efilefun:
The project started with fashola, he constructed alternative roads to ease traffic when the main construction starts

mrrights:
NOUN VS LAW SCHOOL: Sign of an irresponsible government.
By Abdulrazaq O Hamzat

Last week, Foundation For Peace professionals sent a letter to Minister of justice, urging him to intervene in the ongoing legal dispute between students of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) and Council of Legal Education (CLE) over the none admission of NOUN law graduates into the Nigerian Law School.

After our organization has formally requested the Minister to intervene for a peaceful resolution, i consider it worthy to put before the public, what the organization has put before the minister for consideration.
It is my considered opinion that, the legal dispute between NOUN and CLE is an unnecessary legal dispute that could be easily resolved by the office of the minister, should he be willing to peacefully resolve the matter, which i urge him to do, to save the students the energy, resources and time that would be consumed by this lawsuit, as such resources could be channeled into more positive venture that would be of greater benefits to the nation.
As you are already aware, National Open University of Nigeria is the only Open and Distance Learning Institution in Nigeria, with all its courses duly accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC) including its Law Programme.
It is important to point out here that, at first; Nigerians distanced themselves from NOUN due to fear of discrimination. The situation continued for many years, until former Secretary of National Universities Commission, Prof Julius Okojie publicly assured parents and students of the quality of the institution. Professor Okojie urged students to seek admission into the institution, assuring them that the certificate is not in any way inferior to that of other institutions. Since the public assurance by the former NUC boss, a lot of young Nigerians have enrolled in the University.
However, it is 3 years now since the first sets of graduates emerged from NOUN, but contrary to all assurances given to the students, they are now being openly discriminated by federal establishment such as NYSC and its law graduates out rightly rejected by the Nigerian Law School. This is such an unfortunate situation, which should never have happened.
While it is possible to manage with NYSC exemption letter given to NOUN graduates, this is not possible with a law degree, as a law graduate cannot practice without being called to Bar. This led to the ongoing legal dispute between NOUN law students and graduates and the Council of Legal Education.
In 2015, NOUN students and graduates dragged the CLE to the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, for allegedly refusing them admission into the Nigerian Law School. Also dragged before the court are the NUC, NOUN itself and the office of Attorney General of the Federation. The suit follows a publication by CLE in National Dailies excluding students of law programme in NOUN from being admitted into the Nigerian Law School. Filed in suit No. FHC/PH/CS/UI/2015, the students are praying the court to declare as null and void the publication by the council as well as a declaration that it is infringement on their fundamental rights.
However, one strange thing observed in the course of this legal dispute is the fact that, management of NOUN distanced itself from the lawsuit filed by the students. Rather than compliment efforts of its students and graduates to seek justice for themselves when the University had failed to do so, the University applied to be exempted from the court case. Similarly, the office of Attorney General of the federation which should ordinarily champion the course of justice for these students also applied to be exempted from the case. Also, the NUC, which accredited NOUN law programme and advocated for the University to be patronized also applied to be exempted from the case, leaving the helpless students to their fate, after spending years, scarce resources and energy in acquiring what is now about to amount to a worthless law degree from a federal University.
Although, the applications of the three bodies to be exempted from the case were recently dismissed by the trial judge, Hon. Justice B.O. Quardri, nonetheless, their conduct is far from ideal and satisfactory.
Furthermore, in the course of hearing the matter, one fact has been properly established without any doubt whatsoever, that fact is that, CLE is not in any way interested in justifying its action against the students, as there is no any justification whatsoever. All the Council has been doing, is filing one preliminary objection or the other, seeking to unnecessarily prolong the case to frustrate the students and eventually force them to abandon the case altogether. Should they succeed in doing so, lives of many young Nigerians would have been jeopardized due to government irresponsibility.
I make bold to say that, this deliberate discrimination and outright victimization of NOUN graduates by government establishments, coupled with the ploy of CLE to frustrate their lawsuit is capable of bringing out the worst in any human. Let me quickly add that, the rigid stance of CLE was not founded on any known fact, it rather portrayed the council as being in dark about best practices in 21st century.
Even in United Kingdom, which influenced Nigeria’s current legal system, Distance legal education is accepted by the Law Society of England and Wales as a qualifying law degree and one of the possible ways to become a solicitor or a barrister. In several other countries influenced by the British legal heritage, legal education can be obtained through distance education, including India, Indonesia, Australia etc. It wouldn’t be out of place to conclude that, not recognizing NOUN on the basis of non-existing barrier will further hurt our dear nation and rob it of the gains of 21st century.
In view of this and in line with this administration’s change agenda, this unnecessary legal dispute deserve the authoritative intervention of the minister, through exercise of his powers as contained in Chapter 4 of Legal Education Act, 1979 which states thus, ‘’ Subject to this Act, the Attorney-General of the Federation may give the Council directions of a general character with regard to the exercise by the Council of its functions and it shall be the duty of the Council to comply with such directions’’.
The CLE Act gives the minister’s office unfettered powers to give directives to CLE and I urge the minister to consider the letter of Foundation for Peace Professionals and exercise such power to end an unnecessary legal dispute, consuming time and resources of both the students and government.
Should CLE have any objections about the law programme of NOUN, the conventional and reasonable thing should be to treat the matter as it did earlier over the Evening Law programmes offered by some Universities in the past by liaising with the NUC for review of the accreditation given to NOUN and not to refuse admission to students already in the system, talk less of graduates.
Abdulrazaq O Hamzat is the Founder and CEO of Foundation for Peace Professionals. He writes from Abuja and can be reached on discus4now@gmail.com.

Achorise:
Please most yahoo boys don't even know where they fall in, please where do they fall in ?

Jarus:
Kai Nairaland don spoil me.

eyeview:
Look at the kind of issue Buhari is 'rolling out the drums' for.
Everything in the nation is nosediving and the economy is in serious recession,yet he has no idea on how to manage it. Its to victimize his fellow human being that he knows how to roll out the drums.

paulabdeel:
You know what Austin the American jurispudent wrote? "Equal distribution in law of what is unequal in fact, is injustice"
Implementation of Federal character presupposes that there are qualified candidates. How many Lawyers are ten years and above from the North? How many from Ogun State and Delta State?
Where is the CJN from? Where is the President of the Court of Appeal from? Where is the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court from? Where is the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court from? What about the AJSC? They are all from the north. So no need for Federal character for those appointments? Since Mohammed Bello became the CJN in 1987 all the 8 or 9 CJN after him have come from the North.

Swiftlee:
Sir,
1. He was owing 1 month before the elections, after elections it became two in December. The fact is: he was owing before he was voted out.

2.Why should I be swearing to my fathers of what is obvious? No need flogging a dead horse. He is owning 7 months, In fact more because he was supposed to pay more almost two years of half and 1 quarter salary payments of some civil servants in the state. Please, just in case you ask me he is not Wada that did not pay then ?! It is Wada that applied for the bailout and would have paid all by now if he was the one in office. Besides, all woes should also be inherited if he does not do better.

3. Sir, no body is against the screening sir. What the state is against are the selfish and inhumane motives of the screening. How will a sane person screen out somebody who has served the state for 30 years? How will eject people who where legitimately employed in the last 5 years? Is that fair? What is you have a family and you are the only source of sustenance for 7 months no pay! Fair?

Sir, if you are not a Bello sympathizer when last where you pay? Say the truth! How much did he sell his house beside the government house to the state? How much did he purchase the last SUV? Well if you are not from Kogi state you can check Kogireports for the details.

What if you get a text message tomorrow that a bank account has been opened on your behalf without prior knowledge from any body? You just received the account number. Will you be free yo use it? Brother, ethically it is wrong besides that's privacy violation. Well, there are more happening in the state. These are just ways to loot the state. All banks are on strike except Zenith and Access where the Bailout funds has been fixed. Sir, it takes nothing from me to lie, besides not critical time we are in Kogi. Cheers

Airforce1:
I alighted from vehicle this afternoon and oh well I saw this written on the wall with a black charcoal.


Cc lalasticlala, mynd44

sinkhole:
Which of the June please? lol!
I was paid on June 28, and I know of many others in other ministries that were paid that day.
If my parastatal can pay then I beleive it is a lie that FG is broke.