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Ajogwu Extols Role of Lawyers in National Development
Prof. Fabian Ajogwu, SAN, Principal, Kenna Partners recently stated that lawyers have a vital role to play in the development of the society through a clear understanding of the importance of professionalism and ethics.
Prof. Ajogwu stated this at a colloquium to mark the 25th anniversary of Kenna Partners, a multi-service law firm based in Lagos.
The event with the theme: “Footprints in Law and society towards a paradigm shift” was held at Oriental Hotel in Victoria Island.
He noted that Law and society are inextricably tied by loosely connected yet solid strings, stressing that a clear understanding and recognition of the importance of this link forms the basis of a good society.
According to him, “Lawyers play a vital role in the development of society through a clear understanding of the importance of professionalism and ethics.
“Having chosen the noble profession, the lawyer should aim to live a life of integrity and dignity, accompanied by a competent and professional approach to the delivery of legal service and discharge of the judicial function.
“The legal practitioner must aim for excellence and to hold his own among his peers anywhere in the world, with high ethical conduct, not of regressive, unorthodox approach to the practice of law but of progressive, technology driven style of legal practice dictated by the finest traditions of the profession and by ‘the good that happens elsewhere’.
He also used the commemoration of the silver jubilee to highlight the landmark cases they have been privileged to work on in the past 25 years.
He added that the achievements recorded in the past 25 years were because of the heavy investment made in human capital development and information technology enhanced platform.
The unveiling of ‘Brief Insights: A Selection of Milestone Cases’
Prof. Ajogwu thanked members of staff of the firm for their dedication, expertise, commitment in carrying out their duties from the early days to date.
“The measure of achievement is based on the dedication, expertise, commitment and strength of the men and women who have helped steer the Firm’s ship from the early days to date.
They have done more than is required and gone much further than is expected. Without such dedication, the Firm would not be where it is today,” he added.
Speaking at the event, Chief ‘Folake Solanke, SAN, The first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria, decried the poor quality of graduates our tertiary institutions are churning out, noting that the problem could be traced to compromise on the part of lecturers in our institutions.
Chief Solanke, who was the chairman of the event called on the government and other public spirited organizations to protect our educational sector from collapse.
She noted that something urgently needs to done to address the hydra headed monster in our tertiary institutions.
She further called on judges to urgently start making use of electronic tools in carrying out their duties, adding that it’s a must for them to familiarize themselves with ICT tools if we want to move forward as a nation.
“Judges and lawyers must just go digital in carrying out their duties,” she added.
Mr. Odein Ajumogobia, SAN, senior partner, Ajumogobia & Okeke delivering a speech at the event stated that we should be equal before the law irrespective of class or status.
He noted that rule of law is fundamental in the development of any society.
He stated that lawyers have a role to play in safeguarding rule of law in the country.
The legal profession, according to him is severely under threat in the country.
He called on the profession to being to work towards lifting the country from the shackles of stagnation.
Cutting of the 25th anniversary cake at the event
Earlier, Mr. Damian Dodo, SAN, principal, D.D. Dodo & co said that if we want to witness a significant paradigm shift as a people, we should look at the quality of people we elect into elective positions especially in our legislative houses.
He also noted that we as a people must review the party supremacy rules to thrive.
Mr. Dodo said that we should have a mechanism in our laws that will be able to fish out those who committed electoral offences and adequate punishment meted out accordingly.
He appealed on lawyers to go back to the standards set by fore fathers of the profession, adding that time has come for a paradigm shift in the country.
He called for dispute resolution mechanism in the country to be intandem with global best practices.
The highlight of the event was the unveiling of a book titled Brief Insights: a Selection of Milestone Cases, which chronicles some notable decisions of the Nigerian Courts.
The book is a careful selection of cases which celebrate matters brought by litigants before the Courts, the persuasive arguments of lawyers and the decisions that have enriched legal practice and modern legal history in recent times.
The milestone cases selected and discussed, touch on the practice and procedure of the Courts, company law, real estate, fundamental human rights, election petition, oil and gas, maritime amongst others.
The book is another contribution to legal knowledge and practice in Nigeria by the law firm of Kenna Partners
China has announced the full implementation of a zero-tariff scheme for 53 African countries, including Nigeria, under the Changsha Declaration, further strengthening economic ties within the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
The announcement, made by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, followed a high-level meeting between Chinese officials and African foreign ministers in Changsha. The initiative stems from commitments made during the 2024 Beijing Summit of FOCAC, which focused on building a stronger China-Africa partnership in a rapidly evolving global landscape.
According to a statement released after the meeting, the representatives of China, 53 African nations, and the African Union Commission affirmed their commitment to creating an “all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.”
The declaration highlighted the rising influence of the Global South and underscored the importance of collaboration in advancing development, multilateralism, and equitable global governance. It also criticized growing unilateralism, protectionism, and economic coercion, calling on countries, particularly the United States, to resolve trade disputes through mutual respect and dialogue.
The ministry stressed that African nations face pressing economic and developmental challenges that demand urgent international attention. It urged for increased development assistance, rather than cuts, to support poverty reduction and infrastructure growth across the continent.
In a significant move, China committed to expanding zero-tariff treatment to 100 percent of tariff lines for all 53 African countries with diplomatic relations with Beijing, excluding Eswatini, which has no official diplomatic ties. This will allow greater access for African goods to the Chinese market.
For Africa’s least developed countries, the plan includes enhanced market access measures, streamlined inspection and customs procedures, and increased technical training and trade facilitation.
Additionally, China pledged support for the African Union’s Agenda 2063, with a focus on modernization and sustainable development.
The Chinese government also announced plans to implement the China-Africa Economic Partnership for Shared Development, deepen cooperation in green industries, e-commerce, science and technology, artificial intelligence, finance, and legal frameworks.
The statement also reaffirmed plans to strengthen people-to-people ties, including initiatives like the “2026 Year of People-to-People Exchanges.”
In September 2024, President Bola Tinubu signed five memoranda of understanding during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Speaking at the Beijing summit, Tinubu described the China-Africa relationship as a “true testament” to the strength of mutual respect and cooperation.
Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar later confirmed that the agreements signed with China are in various stages of implementation.
In a major leadership transition, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc (DSR) has announced the retirement of Aliko Dangote, its founder and chairman, from the Board, effective June 16, 2025.
Aliko Dangote
The announcement was made in a regulatory filing with the Nigerian Exchange Ltd on June 11, highlighting the company’s commitment to sound corporate governance and structured succession planning.
In a statement signed by Mrs. Temitope Hassan (FCIS), company secretary and legal adviser, the Board praised Dangote’s extraordinary leadership and lasting contributions to the company.
“Alhaji Aliko Dangote is one of the founding Directors of the Company and has served with exceptional leadership, integrity, and vision since 2005,” the statement read.
“Under his stewardship, Dangote Sugar Refinery transformed significantly, navigated industry changes, consistently delivered value to shareholders, and upheld strong governance principles.”
Widely regarded as Africa’s most influential industrialist, Dangote led DSR’s evolution into a dominant player in Nigeria’s sugar value chain.
His strategic initiatives, particularly the Backward Integration Projects (BIPs) across Adamawa, Taraba, and Nasarawa States, advanced the company’s self-sufficiency goals and aligned with the federal government’s national sugar master plan.
While stepping down from DSR, Dangote will continue as President of Dangote Industries Limited.
His legacy at DSR is marked by industrial innovation, strategic foresight, and sustained operational excellence.
To ensure a seamless transition, the Board has appointed Mr. Arnold Ekpe, a seasoned independent non-executive director, as the new chairman, effective June 16.
Ekpe is renowned for his tenure as Group CEO of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, where he championed pan-African financial inclusion and institutional growth.
His extensive experience in banking and corporate governance is expected to strengthen DSR’s next phase of development.
The leadership change signals continuity of vision, with DSR reaffirming its focus on operational efficiency and long-term value creation in a dynamic market.
For shareholders and industry observers, Dangote’s exit from the Board marks the end of a transformational era—one defined by bold ambition and strategic execution—while opening a new chapter under Ekpe’s leadership.
Kaspersky Global Research & Analysis Team researchers have discovered a new malicious campaign which is distributing a Trojan through a fake DeepSeek-R1 Large Language Model (LLM) app for PCs.
The previously unknown malware is delivered via a phishing site pretending to be the official DeepSeek homepage that is promoted via Google Ads.
The goal of the attacks is to install BrowserVenom, a malware that configures web browsers on the victim’s device to channel web traffic through the attackers servers, thus allowing to collect user data – credentials and other sensitive information. Multiple infections have been detected in Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, India, Nepal, South Africa and Egypt.
DeepSeek-R1 is one of the most popular LLMs right now, and Kaspersky has previously reported attacks with malware mimicking it to attract victims. DeepSeek can also be run offline on PCs using tools like Ollama or LM Studio, and attackers used this in their campaign.
Users were directed to a phishing site mimicking the address of the original DeepSeek platform via Google Ads, with the link showing up in the ad when a user searched for “deepseek r1”.
Once the user reached the fake DeepSeek site, a check was performed to identify the victim’s operating system. If it was Windows, the user was presented with a button to download the tools for working with the LLM offline. Other operating systems were not targeted at the time of research.
After clicking on the button and passing the CAPTCHA test, a malicious installer file was downloaded and the user was presented with options to download and install Ollama or LM Studio.
If either option was chosen, along with legitimate Ollama or LM Studio installers, malware got installed in the system bypassing Windows Defender’s protection with a special algorithm.
This procedure also required administrator privileges for the user profile on Windows; if the user profile on Windows did not have these privileges, the infection would not take place.
After the malware was installed, it configured all web browsers in the system to forcefully use a proxy controlled by the attackers, enabling them to spy on sensitive browsing data and monitor the victim’s browsing activity.
Because of its enforcing nature and malicious intent, Kaspersky researchers have dubbed this malware BrowserVenom.
“While running large language models offline offers privacy benefits and reduces reliance on cloud services, it can also come with substantial risks if proper precautions aren’t taken.
Cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting the popularity of open-source AI tools by distributing malicious packages and fake installers that can covertly install keyloggers, cryptominers, or infostealers.
These fake tools compromise a user’s sensitive data and pose a threat, particularly when users have downloaded them from unverified sources,” comments Lisandro Ubiedo, Security Researcher with Kaspersky’s Global Research & Analysis Team.
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