As Adejemiluwa Calls for Stronger Laws to Regulate AI, Drones in Warfare
Sunday Jossy Adejemiluwa, a lecturer at the College of Law, Salem University, Lokoja, has made history as the pioneer candidate to complete the institution’s Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programme in Law.
Adejemiluwa successfully defended his dissertation on Wednesday in Lokoja ,titled “Human Rights Protection in Armed Conflicts: An Assessment of Contemporary Legal Issues in Modern Warfare” before an academic panel comprising internal and external examiners.
His supervisors are Prof. Joshua Igono and Dr. Joel Umoru, while Prof. Daniel F. Atidoga served as the internal examiner and Prof. Enemaku Obaje, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Federal University of Lokoja, served as external examiner.
Speaking during the defence, Prof. Obaje described the occasion as historic, noting that obtaining a PhD in Law requires years of coursework, research, assessment and rigorous examination.
He said Adejemiluwa had demonstrated resilience by completing the programme within the stipulated period.
According to him, the research is particularly relevant because modern warfare has moved beyond conventional combat involving soldiers and traditional weapons.
He noted that technological developments now make it possible for individuals to operate drones and other sophisticated systems remotely, potentially causing significant harm without being physically present on the battlefield.
Obaje said such developments raised important questions about whether existing laws governing armed conflicts were sufficiently equipped to address emerging forms of warfare.
He commended the candidate’s research for examining the challenges posed by modern technology to the traditional legal framework governing armed conflict.
Also speaking, Prof. Joshua Igono described Adejemiluwa as the first doctoral graduate of the College of Law and expressed optimism that his successful completion would encourage more professionals to enrol in the university’s postgraduate programmes.
Prof.Igono, a former dean of the college, said the institution had continued to strengthen its postgraduate programmes through close supervision and sustained engagement between lecturers and students.
He attributed some of the challenges facing postgraduate education in the region to the location of the institution and economic realities, but said increasing awareness of the value of quality postgraduate education was attracting more candidates.
He said the institution was committed to ensuring that postgraduate students received the necessary supervision and support to complete their programmes within the required timeframe.
in a remark, Prof. Daniel F. Atidoga, the internal examiner, described the candidate as a “formidable” scholar and clarified that Adejemiluwa completed the PhD programme in record time of three years.
Atidoga noted that the dissertation introduced an important dimension to the study of warfare by examining the implications of drones, robotics and other modern technologies for existing legal frameworks.
He said the research also examined the Nigerian experience, including the Boko Haram insurgency, counter-insurgency operations and conflicts involving non-state actors.
According to him, the dissertation explored how modern technologies could be deployed while also ensuring accountability and protection against human rights abuses.
Meanwhile, the history making scholar, Adejemiluwa said his research employed both doctrinal and empirical methods to examine human rights protection within armed conflict.
He said the study identified gaps in international law regarding emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, drones, autonomous weapon systems and the activities of non-state actors.
He called for the development of stronger multilateral legal frameworks at the international level to regulate emerging technologies used during armed conflicts.
He stressed that respect for human dignity must remain central even during warfare.
“Even in situations of war, you cannot take humanity out of the equation. You cannot simply deploy drones, kill people or bomb people indiscriminately. You have to recognize that these people are human beings,” he said.
He said Nigeria was used as a case study to illustrate some of the challenges associated with armed conflicts and human rights protection.
The scholar also noted that drones could provide important benefits in conflict situations but could equally be abused if adequate safeguards and regulations were not put in place.
He further examined the role of non-state actors in contemporary conflicts and noted that the anonymity and decentralized nature of some armed groups could make them particularly difficult for conventional security structures to confront.
Adejemiluwa also identified economic hardship and vulnerability to recruitment as issues requiring attention in efforts to address violent conflict.
Reflecting on his academic journey, he said he initially resisted the idea of pursuing a PhD because he was engaged in private legal practice.
He later moved into academia after about a decade in practice and eventually embraced the opportunity to undertake doctoral research.
Adejemiluwa expressed appreciation to the university management, his supervisors and the examiners for their support and rigorous academic guidance.
He said his supervisors consistently challenged him to improve the quality and contemporary relevance of his research.
The new doctorate holder, who previously obtained his MPhil and Master’s degrees from London Metropolitan University, said the experience had demonstrated to him that the academic standards at the institution were comparable with those he had encountered abroad.
He described the successful defence as the culmination of a demanding journey.
“I think tonight will be the first time I will go home and sleep peacefully. I did not sleep throughout last night because I did not know the questions they would ask,” he said.
Adejemiluwa added that his greatest concern was not disappointing the supervisors who had invested significant time and effort in his academic development.
With the successful defence, the candidate has become the pioneer PhD graduate in Law associated with the programme, marking a significant milestone in the development of doctoral legal education at the institution.
