Uch𝕖 M𝕖ri𝕗𝕖

Senior Lawyer || Int’l Commercial Law & ADR || Africa’s Strategic Sovereignty & Geopolitics || Threads that make law make sense

[Uch𝕖 M𝕖ri𝕗𝕖 @UcheMerife]

After years practising Int’l Commercial Law & ADR across borders, I’ve noticed something:

The most important battles for Africa’s future are fought in arbitration tribunals, treaty tables & commercial courts.

Africa needs to start winning them.

[Uch𝕖 M𝕖ri𝕗𝕖 @UcheMerife]

Whereas the Land Use Act vests all lands in the States in the Governor, the Minerals & Mining Act 2007 vests ownership of all minerals in the Federation.

This conflict & federal-state legal schism creates a practical deadlock, meaning that in practice no single authority can say yes to a mine - the FGN says yes to minerals, but the Governor controls access to the land.

States often interfere or ban mining, while the federal government technically holds mineral rights.

The Land Use Act or the Constitution needs to be amended to clarify that the right of access for mining supersedes state land control or establish a Joint Federal-State Mining Commission to administer mineral titles and compensation.

Pending this legislative reform, States could form SPVs to legally obtain mining licenses from the federal government, as is currently encouraged by the Ministry.

This doesn’t imply that SPVs solve the constitutional conflict. They only bypass it operationally.

Go and mine.

[Uch𝕖 M𝕖ri𝕗𝕖 @UcheMerife]

Nigeria has over 44 solid minerals (lithium, gold, zinc, lead, limestone, bitumen, etc).

95% of mining is still artisanal, but the legal framework designed in Abuja assumes large-scale operators.

That mismatch is where exploitation lives.

[Uch𝕖 M𝕖ri𝕗𝕖 @UcheMerife]

Did you know that the ICC’s Rome Statute applies to only individuals (i.e, natural persons). It doesn’t cover corporate entities?

So even if a mining company’s procurement practices demonstrably funds war crimes or terrorism in your country, the company itself cannot be indicted.

Is it not shameful that the international criminal law architecture has no hook for corporate actors?

Article 25(1) of the Rome Statute.

[Uch𝕖 M𝕖ri𝕗𝕖 @UcheMerife]

If you like copy them and tear your own.

Under our laws (MA & MCA) is that tearing your marriage certificate does not affect the validity of your marriage or the ability to dissolve it.

Even if both physical copies are destroyed, the marriage is still valid & subsisting and the court can still entertain a divorce petition.

All the party who is desirous of walking away need do is walk into the marriage registry where it was issued & obtain a CTC.

The key requirement for walking away is proof that a valid marriage exists and has broken down irretrievably; not the physical production of original certificate.

So the idea that “they can never divorce because they tore both parts of their certificate” lacks legal substance.

[Lawry @larrizy]

FACTS ABOUT MILITARY COURT MARTIAL

A court martial is a court instituted by the military to try military personnel. It is recognised by the Constitution and governed by the Armed Forces Act CAP A20 LFN 2004.

A court martial operates a jury system unlike regular courts. There must be at least 2 members and a President with a Judge Advocate who must be a lawyer of 5 years post call.
The President and members of the court must be senior in rank to the accused military person and none of them must be the Commanding Officer of the accused.

A court martial can award any type of punishment awarded by a regular court including a death sentence. It could also award certain military punishments like reduction in rank and forfeiture of seniority. There are two types of court martial: General and Special Court Martial. A General Court Martial can award all types of punishment but a Special Court Martial can only award 1 year imprisonment if it comprises 2 members and President.

A Court Martial is convened by an officer with authority to convene which includes the President, Service Chiefs, GOC and Commanders of the accused. Findings and sentences of a court martial are NOT final immediately. They are subject to confirmation by a confirming authority before they take effect. The confirming authority for officers is the Officer's Service Council while for other ranks, it's the respective Service Chief.

Appeals from Court Martial goes to the Court Appeal.

Despite being a military court, the accused has rights:
• Right to legal representation by a civilian or military lawyer
• Right to call witnesses
• Right to cross-examine
• Right to fair hearing
Military justice is not above the Constitution.

[Uch𝕖 M𝕖ri𝕗𝕖 @UcheMerife]

@pepsi @Iamfemidotun Nothing.

[Uch𝕖 M𝕖ri𝕗𝕖 @UcheMerife]

@EricLDaugh Trump sounds excited 😜

[Uch𝕖 M𝕖ri𝕗𝕖 @UcheMerife]

@jusctice_world @PoojaMedia @Iamfemidotun Abi

[Uch𝕖 M𝕖ri𝕗𝕖 @UcheMerife]

@Raindropsmedia1 Condobirthdaylences

[Uch𝕖 M𝕖ri𝕗𝕖 @UcheMerife]

@Raindropsmedia1 Please, accept my heartfelt condobithdaylences.

Happy Condolencelebration!

[Lawry @larrizy]

As a Nigerian, pick one day of the week to enter into a random courtroom and observe trial proceedings. Gist with your friends who are lawyers and ask them questions about law. Watch good courtroom shows and read novels from authors like Grisham. If you do these things, you would avoid certain mistakes in life and not spend unnecessary time in jail like Blord.

[Uch𝕖 M𝕖ri𝕗𝕖 @UcheMerife]

This is not the correct position of the law in Nigeria.

What was described in the original post is a “mixed-use residential investment,” where the owner occupies part of the building and leases out the rest for income.

As long as the owner has valid title, they’re generally free to lease parts of their property.

The setup/model is perfectly lawful.

Problems would arise in cases where the landlord ignores permits, violate zoning rules (strictly residential, etc) or fail to declare rental income.

Even in such cases, the issue is not the model itself, but non-compliance with other laws/regulations.

[Uch𝕖 M𝕖ri𝕗𝕖 @UcheMerife]

@IAmSteveHarvey EVE

[Uch𝕖 M𝕖ri𝕗𝕖 @UcheMerife]

@IAmSteveHarvey Trying to impress everyone. At some point, I realised most people are so busy with their own lives that they’re not thinking about me.

[Uch𝕖 M𝕖ri𝕗𝕖 @UcheMerife]

@Atilolahafeezah Lol

[Uch𝕖 M𝕖ri𝕗𝕖 @UcheMerife]

@larrizy This will act a force multiplier, yes. But it wouldn’t magically “end” banditry in Zamfara.

My concern is what happens after we hit & neutralise these targets.

How do we hold territory or fix the root causes that allow these groups to exist within our borders?

[Lawry @larrizy]

ZAMFARA JUST GOT A FACELIFT WITH THE ADDITION OF THE T129 ATAK HELICOPTER

The T129 ATAK helicopter recently deployed to Zamfara is capable of changing the tides against bandits in that region.
The T129 can quickly reach remote bandit strongholds (e.g., Turba Hill or Kachalla Dogo Sule camps). Its speed (~269 km/h cruise) and endurance enable swift interdiction of fleeing groups.
The visible presence of this advanced platform creates a strong psychological deterrent, bandits lose freedom of movement as they must now worry about precision strikes from the air at any time.
One trigger pull = 750 bullets per minute
Its nose-mounted 20mm Gatling cannon fires so fast it can turn a group of speeding motorcycles (common in bandit/insurgent convoys) into scrap in under a minute. Imagine a firehose of precision lead — that’s the kind of close support it gives ground troops.

Started as the Italian A129 but got Turkish engines, rotors, avionics, and weapons. Think of it as taking a solid European sports car and adding turbo, better suspension, and local firepower for mountain roads. Perfect for hot & high conditions where heavier helis struggle.
The Turkish CİRİT 70mm missiles are laser-guided for surgical strikes on hideouts or vehicles with minimal collateral. Pair that with UMTAS anti-tank missiles, and it can take out armored threats from standoff range while staying safe.
It can mix 20mm cannon, dozens of rockets, anti-tank missiles, and even Stinger air-to-air missiles on the same flight. Need to escort troops one day and smash a convoy the next? Just reconfigure the wings

Troops on the ground often face hit-and-run attacks with limited visibility into bandit movements. The T129’s advanced Turkish avionics, thermal imagers, night vision, and target-tracking systems enable day and night operations.
It conducts persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), spotting motorcycle convoys, forest camps, or IED sites from a safe distance before troops engage. This reduces “blind” patrols and improves situational awareness for soldiers.

[Lawry @larrizy]

The worst mistake you can make as a young man in Nigeria is cultism

[Lawry @larrizy]

SUPER TUCANO: THE GIFT THAT KEEPS GIVING

The A-29 Super Tucano isn’t built for heavy carpet bombing.

It’s engineered for something far more demanding in modern conflicts: precision, persistence, and intelligence-led strikes in counterinsurgency operations.

In the fight against elusive insurgents, brute force often fails. Smart, controlled firepower wins.

Every mission begins with intelligence.

Surveillance assets whether from drones, ground teams, or the aircraft’s own advanced sensors, locate insurgent camps, convoys, or logistics hubs.

The Super Tucano then moves in to confirm and track the target in real time. No strike is launched without positive identification. This disciplined process protects civilians and ensures legitimacy.

For fixed or semi-static targets like command posts, weapon caches, or high-value leadership nodes, the primary option is *precision-guided munitions.

Laser-guided bombs in the 250 lb and 500 lb class deliver surgical accuracy, maximizing effect while keeping collateral damage to an absolute minimum.

In complex terrain, this level of control is non-negotiable.
When the situation is more fluid, motorbike convoys, light vehicles, or dispersed fighters in open ground 70mm rockets (including guided variants) come into play.
These allow rapid, flexible engagement. A single pass can neutralize multiple threats with devastating efficiency.

Combined with the aircraft’s two internal .50 caliber machine guns, it gives pilots the right tool for every dynamic scenario.

In close air support, the Super Tucano integrates seamlessly with ground forces.

Pilots execute controlled attack runs using rockets or guns to suppress threats, then shift to overwatch providing protection as troops advance.

A typical sequence is textbook: identify → precision strike → follow-up on fleeing elements → sustained overwatch.

This model has been applied extensively by the Nigerian Air Force in the North-East, where difficult terrain makes precision far more valuable than raw payload.

So don’t believe exaggerated claims that a single Super Tucano strike can randomly eliminate 200 persons.
Such high casualty figures in one pass are almost always the result of secondary explosions when the targeted vehicle or building itself contains large quantities of explosives or ammunition that detonate afterward.
The Tucano’s own munitions provide precise, controlled effect. The secondary blasts are what turn a surgical strike into something far more lethal.
This is exactly why intelligence-led targeting and precision matter so much in counterinsurgency.