Salem University Holds First PhD Defence In Law College

Salem University, Lokoja, has recorded a major academic milestone with the successful defence of its first Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) dissertation in the College of Law.

The pioneer candidate, Mr Sunday Jossy Adejemiluwa, a lecturer in the College of Law, defended his dissertation titled, “Human Rights Protection in Armed Conflicts: An Assessment of Contemporary Legal Issues in Modern Warfare.”

The external examiner, Professor Obaji Enemaku, Dean, Faculty of Law, Federal University Lokoja, and former Dean, Faculty of Law, Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba, described the exercise as historic, noting that it marked the first time a doctoral degree in law was being produced by the institution.

Enemaku said obtaining a PhD in law required years of rigorous coursework, research, supervision and examinations, commending Adejemiluwa for his resilience throughout the programme. He also said the dissertation addressed emerging challenges posed by modern technology to the traditional legal framework governing armed conflicts.

According to him, warfare has moved beyond conventional combat involving soldiers, aircraft, naval vessels and conventional weapons, with drones, robotics and other technologies now capable of causing significant damage remotely.

He said the development had created gaps in existing international laws, stressing the need for legal frameworks capable of regulating emerging technologies and protecting civilians and other vulnerable persons during armed conflicts.

Another professor of the College of Law, Professor Igono Joshua, who served as the first indigenous Dean of the college, described the defence as “breathing a new air” into the institution, saying the successful completion of the pioneer PhD would encourage other postgraduate students to pursue their programmes.

Joshua said the institution’s postgraduate programmes had attracted professionals, including judges, magistrates, permanent secretaries and commissioners, adding that the university was committed to ensuring that students completed their programmes within stipulated periods.

The internal examiner and coordinator of the postgraduate programme, Professor Daniel Atidoga, corrected the impression that the candidate spent five years on the programme, explaining that the PhD programme was completed within three years.

He described the dissertation as a “very good work” that introduced a new dimension to the study of warfare and human rights protection.

Atidoga said Adejemiluwa examined the limitations of existing legal frameworks in addressing warfare conducted through emerging technologies, including drones and autonomous systems, while using Nigeria’s security challenges, including Boko Haram insurgency and the activities of non-state actors, as case studies.

Speaking after his defence, Adejemiluwa expressed appreciation to the university management, particularly the Vice Chancellor, as well as his supervisors and examiners, for their support and rigorous academic guidance.

He said the originality of his research lay in the application of doctrinal and empirical methods to analyse human rights protection within armed conflicts.

According to him, the study identified gaps in international law relating to emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, drones and autonomous weapon systems, particularly in conflicts involving non-state actors.

Adejemiluwa recommended the development of multilateral international laws to regulate emerging technologies in armed conflicts, stressing that while such technologies could help prevent abuses and improve security operations, their use must be properly regulated to protect human rights.