Credible Information Needed To Sustain War Against Terrorism – COAS

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June 21, 2025

Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyele

By Ayodele Oni

Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Olufemi Oluyede has observed that the Nigerian Army is overrated by the people.

According to him, “Nigeria is a vast country, the army is not as big as many people think, but we try to cover as much ground as we can and I think to that in that regard we are doing quite a lot to cover space and ground when it comes to insecurity.

“But of course there are one or two places where we are not and these people find those gaps and so it’s important to have the message to get the message across and to give us prior knowledge if you have it that this is about to happen so that we can get there faster.

“But we have taken note of some of those challenges particularly in Benue State where these persons, some of them so-called headers have come in.

“The Army cannot be everywhere at once. Nigeria is a vast country, and we are not as large in number as many people believe. We rely heavily on the support and cooperation of the local population to provide timely and credible information.”

Gen Oluyede who was represented by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Nigerian Army’s 2 Division, Major General Obinna Onubogu, spoke on Saturday in Akure, Ondo state, while declaring open a media chat. The theme of the media chat is military – Media Collaboration: Panacea for Enhanced National Security and Development.

The COAS assured that the Nigerian Army will hunt down and bring to justice, all those behind the recent killings and attacks in Benue, Plateau, and other parts of the North-Central region of the country.

On the violence in Benue and Plateau States, he said:

“The Nigerian Army has remained engaged in Plateau, in Benue, in Kwara — in quite a number of states that are experiencing insecurity.

“In Benue particularly, you will see, in the coming weeks, very elaborate security arrangements to ensure that all that is going on there completely stops.”

He noted that while some of the attacks are attributed to herders, there is growing concern that some perpetrators may not even be Nigerians.

“We are mindful that some of these people may be foreign elements. The behavior we are seeing is utterly despicable, the way they go about their work. It does not reflect any kind of national identity or value system.”

Oluyede emphasized that the military has received clear directives from President Bola Tinubu to act decisively.

“The President has given very clear orders for us to go out there. And so we are out — fully deployed — and tackling the menace head-on.”

He appealed to communities and local stakeholders to support military operations by sharing timely intelligence.

On combating misinformation and sensational reporting,the Army Chief called on media personnel to verify facts before publication and help in building national unity.

“The social media space, especially, is flooded with misinformation, disinformation, and outright lies. That is part of why we are here — to clarify issues and appeal to the press to reach out to us before putting out unverified stories.”

“We are satisfied with the support we’ve received from the media so far, and we hope to deepen that synergy to ensure national security is not undermined by sensational reporting.

“The Army performs about 20 to 30 percent of what’s required. The rest involves civil cooperation, intelligence, and addressing the root causes of these conflicts.

“Whatever it takes, we shall ensure that these activities — particularly in North-Central Nigeria — are brought to a stop. We are on ground, and we will continue until peace is fully restored.”

Benue Attack : No. Of Persons In Nasarawa IDP Rise To 4,253

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Ayodele Oni

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June 21, 2025

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By Ayodele Oni

Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency, (NASEMA) has created another camps following influx of displaced persons from the Yelwata killings in Benue state.

NASEMA disclosed that the number of displaced persons taking shelter in Nasarawa state following the Yelwata Killings has also risen to 4, 253.

Director General of the Agency, Benjamin Akwash disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN), in Lafia, the Nasarawa State Capital.

Akwash stated the Nasarawa State Government is presently witnessing an increase in the number of camps and influx of IDPs due to the recent attack in Yelwata, a border town between Benue and Nasarawa states, which resulted in the death of 200 persons.

He, however, said the state government was committed to addressing the plight of the displaced persons currently taking shelter in the state by distributing relief materials to cushion their hardship.

He noted that another camp was created in Obi Local Government Area, which currently shelters 1,020 IDPs in addition to Idadu and Kpata camps in Doma LGA and Agyraragu camp in Lafia LGA respectively.

“The situation is that of an influx of internally displaced persons coming to Nasarawa state, and the number keeps increasing.

”As of Friday, the figure at my disposal was 1800 at St John Agyraragu, but now it is 1,852, Idadu and Kpata camps presently have 672 and 709.

“I got information again from Obi camp that 1020 IDPs have arrived there, most of the people who relocated to the Kadarko camp have moved to other safer places because they feel Kadarko is no longer safe for them.”

Akwash, however, clarified that most of the IDPs presently taking shelter in Nasarawa state were not completely from Yelwata, noting that some nearby communities also left their home because of the fear of attack.

According to him, the agency had assessed the situation in various camps to ascertain the number of displaced persons and to reach out to them with relief materials.

“We have put deliberate and robust measures in place, and we have held a series of meetings with the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Humanitarian Services.

“We are now at the point of procurement, in the coming few days we will be able to purchase food and non-food items to distribute to them to lessen the hardship they are going through.

“So, I’m urging them to remain calm as we make a frantic effort to bring succour to them without further delay.”

President Tinubu’s Visit To Benue Lacks Empathy – Adebayo

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Akinwale Kasali

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June 21, 2025

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Adewole Adebayo - SDP Presidential Candidate

By Akinwale Kasali

Adewole Adebayo, Social Democratic Party, SDP, Presidential Candidate during the 2023 General Election has criticised the President Bola Tinubu for not visiting Yelwata town in Benue State, where hundreds of people were massacred by suspected herdsmen.

Adebayo made the assertion on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme. He said that the visit of President Tinubu would have made meaning if he visited Yelwata Community to empathize with the People, and give them a sense of belonging.

It will be recalled that President Tinubu had visited Benue on Wednesday to sympathise with the people of the State over the killings, but cited rain, flood, and bad roads as reasons for not visiting Yelwata.

According to President Tinubu, “I aborted my visit to Yelwata town because of the rain, flood and bad roads,” Tinubu said during his visit to Makurdi, the state capital.

The former Presidential Candidate lashed the President for giving a flimsy excuse, describing Tinubu’s excuse as untenable.

He said the President should have made sure he visited Yelwata regardless of the challenges.

“He cannot say as commander-in-chief, there is a part of the country that is unreachable by you. People are living there,” Adebayo said.

He further said the visit was politicized and lacked empathy.

Adebayo noted that the President’s demeanor during the visit was not somber enough, likening it to a political rally rather than a visit to a place of mourning.

He emphasised that as the Commander-in-Chief, Tinubu should have been more controlled in his language and actions.

“Going to a place of mourning that even during the Nigerian civil war, it would be newsworthy if there were 200 lives lost at one time.

“So, such a place is a somber occasion and he is in charge of all the people who followed him there.

“But what do you get there? It was like another political rally. That sombreness was not there.

“The President should have gone there as a chief mourner and his language should have been somber and his language should have been better controlled.”

The attack in Yelwata resulted in scores of deaths and over 3,000 displacements, with the Government putting the death toll at 59, while Civil Rights Groups claimed it was around 200.

Kaduna: Joint Security Taskforce Arrests 389 Suspects In Multiple Raids Criminal Hideouts

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Suleiman Anyalewechi

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June 21, 2025

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By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Kaduna State Police Command has announced the arrest of no fewer than 389 suspected banditry and criminal elements in a statewide coordinated operations.

A statement on Friday, June 20 ,2025, from the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Mansir Hassan, informed that during the intelligence-driven multiple raids by the operatives of the Joint Security Taskforce, several dangerous weapons and other incriminating items were also recovered from the suspected criminals.

According to Hassan, the operations carried out jointly by the Police, Military, DSS ,Civil Defence ,Nigeria Immigration ,the Correctional Service, FRSC and others were aimed at ridding Kaduna State of the activities of banditry and other criminal elements.

All the 389 suspects were apprehended within the first nine days of the operations of the Security Team

“Sequel to the establishment of a Special Taskforce by the Kaduna State Government comprising the Nigeria police force as the lead agency ,the military ,DSS ,Civil Defence, Nigeria Immigration ,the Correctional Service ,NDLEA ,Federal Road Safety Corps ,Nigeria Customs, Kadvis and Kastlea, within the first nine days of operations, the combined efforts of the security operatives have led to the arrest of 389 suspects in different parts of the State.

“The swift and targeted raids, based on intelligence, have not led to the arrests ,but have also reportedly forced many criminal elements to flee Kaduna State for fear of being caught.

“Among those apprehended is Mathew Adamu, a notorious criminal and gang leader known for terrorizing communities whom a locally made pistol was recovered from,and Adamu Umar a well known drug dealer whose case will be transferred to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution.

In addition to the arrests, the operations led to the recovery of various dangerous weapons ,illicit drugs ,and 29 stolen mobile phone handsets ,some of which have already been returned to their rightful owners following proper identification and verification” the police statement reads in part

This is just as the Command assured that the raids by the Joint Taskforce will continued to be pursued with vigour until Kaduna State is ridden of all forms of criminal activities.

“In line with the directive of the Commissioner of Police, CP Rabiu Muhammad, all Divisional Police Officers DPOs, Tactical Teams ,and Operatives attached to the Special Task Force remain on high alert ,and committed to restoring peace and order across the State”, Hassan noted.

Embracing Repentant Bandits Is Strategy To Return People Home – Sokoto Govt.

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Ayodele Oni

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June 21, 2025

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By Ayodele Oni

The Sokoto State Government has stated that Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s decision to adopt a multifaceted security strategy which includes dialogue and reconciliation with repentant bandits was not borne out of weakness.

It defended its decision to negotiate with bandits who willingly lay down their arms, describing it as a lasting solution to persistent attacks in the State.

Reacting to comments by a social media commentator, Basharu Altine Guyawa, who criticized the move, the Special Adviser to Governor Ahmed Aliyu on Security, Col Ahmed Usman (Rtd), said the government was not negotiating out of weakness.

“The attention of the Sokoto State Government has been drawn to comments made by Mr. Basharu Altine Giyawa, a social media commentator, criticizing our administration’s efforts to explore non-violent pathways toward ending the cycle of banditry and insecurity affecting parts of our dear state.

“While we respect the right of every citizen to express their opinion, it is important to set the record straight and clarify the rationale behind Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s decision to adopt a multifaceted security strategy that includes dialogue and reconciliation with repentant bandits.

“It is worth noting, with some irony, that Mr. Giyawa himself had at some point expressed willingness to mediate between the state and those who have taken up arms.

“It is therefore surprising that he now criticizes a similar effort by the government he once sought to assist. This inconsistency calls into question the sincerity of his current stance.

“Let it be clear: the government is not negotiating out of weakness, nor are we compromising justice. What we are doing is embracing a pragmatic, human-centered approach — the stick-and-carrot model, consistent with the military’s kinetic and non-kinetic doctrine.

“Our people in Rabah, Goronyo, Isa, Sabon Birni, and other affected LGAs are living with the daily trauma of displacement. Farmers have abandoned their fields, food production has dropped, and economic activities have come to a halt in many communities. This has direct consequences on food security and inflation across the state.

“Our objective is clear: to restore peace, return our people to their homes, and rebuild local economies. We are deploying security forces where needed and force is being applied when necessary.

“But we are also opening the door to those who genuinely wish to surrender and reintegrate into society under strict supervision and rehabilitation programmes.

“This is not appeasement — this is strategic reconciliation for long-term peace and development.

“We urge critics to engage responsibly and constructively. The challenges facing Sokoto State require unity, not division; collaboration, not condemnation.

“The people deserve solutions — and that is exactly what Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s administration is working tirelessly to provide.”

EDITORIAL: Nigeria’s Valley Of Blood Is Open, Benue Is Sacrificial Ground

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The Source

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June 20, 2025

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The valley of blood in Nigeria has reopened its veins, and Benue State is once again its sacrificial ground. In what has become a horrifyingly familiar pattern, over 200 lives were reportedly extinguished in cold blood in the most recent senseless massacre. These are not mere numbers; they are persons and names, they are fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, uncles and aunties, they are elders and children, they are students and workers. They are all citizens of Nigeria, slaughtered in their homeland without war, neither in an earthquake, nor as a result of an epidemic. Regrettably, amid all these repeated carnages, the Nigerian government, save for fleeting headlines and political comments, appears helpless.

Benue, the “Food Basket of the Nation,” now reaps harvests of death. Sadly, the Ministry of Agriculture, in responding to the acute food deficit in the nation, would rather call for prayer and fasting than call attention to the factors that keep farmers away from their farms and their ancestral homelands. Like has happened severally in some other parts of the country, this tragedy is not a sudden outburst, it is the culmination of a long line of unchecked violence, state failure, official silence, and muted outrage.

On February 21, 2016, over 500 people were butchered in Agatu in one of the most savage attacks in recent Nigerian history. On January 1, 2018, 73 persons were murdered in coordinated attacks across Guma and Logo Local Government Areas. Two months later, on March 5, 2018, another 26 mourners were gunned down during a burial ceremony in Mbalom. On April 24, 2018, two Catholic priests, Rev. Fathers Joseph Gor and Felix Tyolaha, were killed alongside 17 parishioners at St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Ayar-Mbalom, all during early morning Mass. In a daring move and an ultimate slap to the sovereignty of this nation, the killers then returned later that day to burn down over 60 houses.

In May 2021, 36 people were again slaughtered in Shikaan, Mbagena-Kpav, in Katsina-Ala LGA, mostly university students. On April 7, 2023, Good Friday, 136 persons were killed in Umogidi, Apa LGA, and in nearby communities. Between June and October 2022, Gbeji, Ukum, and Logo communities saw repeated attacks, leading to over 200 deaths in just four months. In January 2023, fresh killings erupted in Akpuuna and Diom communities of Ukum, with dozens more buried in mass graves. The tragedy of June 2025, where over 200 civilians were murdered, is therefore simply the latest act in a long-running genocide that the Nigerian state continues to tolerate under different excuses. The blood has not dried.

The media and state actors must stop euphemising this horror in the land with narratives such as: “herder-farmer clashes,” “ethno-religious tension,” “communal misunderstandings.” We all know these are not true, but a cowardly whitewash, an insult to the dead, and a license for more killing. The truth is harder to say, but it must be said: this is terrorism. It is systematic, deliberate, and sustained. Yet, the Nigerian government has refused to officially designate the assailants as terrorists, even while the scale and structure of their operations outmatch that of the perpetrators of these crimes in some regions.

The scale of devastation defies reason. Over the last decade, the death toll in Benue State alone is estimated to have exceeded 5,000, with over 1.5 million persons internally displaced, according to reports by Amnesty International and the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). Many towns of Agatu, Guma, Logo, Kwande, Katsina-Ala, and more have been razed, rebuilt, and razed again. Crops are destroyed, schools deserted, places of worship desecrated, and mass graves dug with alarming regularity. By 2021, Benue had recorded at least 14 major mass killings, with no single conviction secured in any court of law against the perpetrators. What does this say about the value of Nigerian lives in Nigeria? What does this say about the government in Nigeria? How truly sovereign is a nation that cannot protect its citizens from internal and external aggressors?

The Nigerian Constitution in Section 14(2)(b) declares that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.” This sacred charge has not only been neglected; it has been profaned. Over the years, the government’s response has consistently wavered between feigned concern and deadly indifference. Condolence visits have replaced decisive actions; press statements have become palliatives and substitutes for justice. The government has failed to provide for the citizens the same protection they give to themselves. The government has failed to protect the sanctity of life in Benue.

The situation is further worsened because some voices that have dared to cry out for justice have been hounded and intimidated. Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi has become a thorn in the conscience of the nation, not because he lies, but because he dares to tell the truth. He has persistently raised the alarm, documented the horror, and exposed the government’s silence. For his courage, he has received threats. But his voice echoes the long-suffering cry of his people. He has declared publicly that the killings are not random but are part of an orchestrated attempt to exterminate the indigenous people of Benue from their ancestral lands. He is not alone.

Pope Leo XIV was prompt in condemning the evil visited on the people, praying for their souls and urging the Nigerian government to act in defence of the people. On their part, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) had issued no less than six communiqués since 2016 condemning the killings in different parts of Nigeria and demanding justice; most notably the communiqués of February 2018, May 2018, and March 2022. Yet, their calls have unfortunately been ignored. The bishops, who do not carry guns but wield moral authority, have repeatedly warned that when the state abandons its constitutional role, the people may be forced to defend themselves. One would really wish that the government and those in positions of authority would harken to this one call, the protection and preservation of life, for the good of the people and the nation.

The question now is not just “who are the killers?” but “why is the government refusing to name them and overcome them?” Is it fear of losing political capital? Is it complicity? Is it ethnic solidarity outweighing constitutional duty? These questions may sound harsh, but they must be asked. When the state fails to defend the defenceless, it is hard not to tag it a co-conspirator in their demise. When voices in power maintain neutrality in the face of evil, they echo Pilate’s complicity, washing their hands while innocent blood cries from the soil. This may be worse than Pilate.

There is a clarion call on all citizens of Nigeria, whether as individuals or groups; the civil organisations, professional bodies, all ethnic groups, religious bodies, young and old. It is a dangerous choice to be quiet. To remain silent is to join the slaughter. To rationalise it is to empower the killers. To minimise it is to betray our shared humanity. If the vampires who perpetrate these crimes are not yet satisfied, they hardly would be, and the land becomes a desolate graveyard, it may one day be your turn or mine, because the boundaries of terrorism are not geographic but moral. A nation that tolerates mass murder in one region lays the foundation for its spread to all others. Let us be wary!

Let the President, the National Assembly, the judiciary, the military, and all security agencies heed the cry of the people of Nigeria, from Benue to Jos, Kaduna to Bornu, from Edo to Enugu: history will remember. Everyone is from one part or the other of this country. If you think your area is not yet under attack, your right action today will save your own people tomorrow. The people of Benue, no part of Nigeria, must not be treated as collateral damage; they are full citizens of Nigeria. They deserve full protection from the State, not political rhetoric, but decisive action to put an end to the unwarranted killings and displacements.

The nation demands accountability, not condolences; decisive action, not diluted speeches. Nigerians demand justice, not a recycling of euphemisms. And they demand it now, not tomorrow, because even the earth is tired of drinking innocent blood.

Rev. Fr. Michael Banjo, Secretary General, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria wrote this Editorial on behalf of the Secretariat on Benue Massacre

Breaking: Finally, Atiku, El- Rufai, Amaechi Form New Party To Fight Tinubu

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James Orji

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June 20, 2025

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Sponsors of a new political party, the All Democratic Alliance, ADA have approached the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for registration.

ADA, is the new party formed by coalition forces in the country, led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Governor Nasir El- Rufai of Kaduna state, amongst others.

The magazine reported that for weeks, the key opposition leaders have been consulting on whether to form a new party or join one of the existing political parties in the country, to achieve their aim of wrestling power from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in 2027.

The coalition leaders had earlier contemplated using the Social Democratic Party, SDP as a vehicle to achieve their aim of sweeping to power in the next presidential election, but were frustrated by the leaders of the party, who feared that the party could be hijacked, sources familiar with the issue said. One of the leaders, former Governor El Rufai, who joined the party, the magazine learnt is now planning to leave should the INEC register ADA.

According to Vanguard newspaper, the proposed party, led by its Protem National Chairman, Chief Akin A. Rickets has applied to the commission to register ADA in an application letter, dated 19th June 19 and , 2025, and was stamped received by INEC on June 20, 2025.

The letter read in part: “Application For Registration As A Political Party.

“We respectfully write to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, requesting the registration of our association, the All Democratic Alliance, ADA, as a political party.

“This is sequel to the decision taken by the Nigerian National Coalition Group to sponsor our association for full registration.

“The name of the party shall be All Democratic Alliance with ADA as our acronym and ‘Justice for All’ as our slogan.

“The National Secretariat of the party is as stated at the bottom of the association’s letterhead used in this application.

“We have also herewith attached our logo describing in details the symbolism of our party colours and the their configuration and the corn (Maize).

“We have further attached our manifesto encompassing details of our party ideology, and our constitution providing the legal framework that defines our identity, structures and organization, regulates our affairs and guides our actions in alignment with Section 40 and 222 of the Constitution, Section 75 of the Electoral Act (2022) and global democratic principles and objectives.

“Please find attached the following documents: our party flag depicting our name, acronym and slogan, manifesto, constitution and minutes of meeting.

“While we eagerly await further action from the commission on the next step forward towards attaining our desired goal, please accept the consideration of our highest respect. Thank you yours most sincerely; Chief Akin A. Rickets, Protem National Chairman.”

President Tinubu Has Treated Rivers People With Contempt, But We Shall Fight – Dr Nwibubasa

By

The Source

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June 20, 2025

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Dr Lelonu Nwibubasa and Bola Ahmed Tinubu

By Gideon Njoku

Dr Lelonu Nwibubasa, a former Rivers State Commissioner for Empowerment and Employment Generation, has said that President Bola Tinubu of treating Rivers State and its people with contempt.

The former Commissioner came to this conclusion after the President submitted the name of an Akwa Ibom State indigene as the Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC to the Senate for clearance.

Nwibubasa who spoke on Arise Television Friday morning, accused President Tinubu of “disrespecting and relegating the people the State to the background.” The limit, he posited, is the unprecedented appointment of a non-Rivers indigene, Dr Michael Ekpai Odey, as RSIEC Chairman. By doing that, Nwibubasa said Tinubu Tinubu has set a terrible precedent. Dr Odey, instructively, is from the same State, Akwa Ibom as the Sole Administrator of the State, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas.

Akwa Ibom State President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio on Thursday, read the communication from Tinubu on seven nominees to be screened to occupy the positions of chairman and members of RSIEC. They are: Dr. Michael Ekpai Odey (Chairman), Mr. Lezaasi Lenee Torbira, Professor (Dr.) Arthur Nwafor, Professor Godfrey Woke Mbudiogha, Professor (Dame) Joyce Akaniwor, Dr. (Mrs.) Olive A. Bruce and Professor Chidi Halliday.

But speaking on Arise Television Friday,

Nwibubasa compared the Chairman’s appointment to adding salt to injury. He accused Tibubu of continual dismantling of government and political structures of Rivers people and putting strangers in their place:

His words: “I am as surprised as you are that the State of Emergency that was declared against all known constitutional provision up to this day, three months after, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, despite wide condemnations, appeals and criticism from well meaning Nigerians, has not considered that he should rescind that very unconstitutional decision.

“Rather, what we see, like you have said, is to add salt to injury by continually depleting all known government and political structures of Rivers people and replacing same with aliens.

“I want to ask, where in Nigeria have we had an Independent Electoral Commission of a State headed by someone from another State? This is a terrible precedent.

“And so Nigerians shall also be asking if we can get Chairman of Electoral commis3sions from other countries like Ghana and those doing well in their democracy to come and head that of Nigeria, since Rivers State has become the space where we will begin to experiment this kind of thing.

“So, to us in Rivers State, it is an embarrassing moment. It is a complete show of disrespect to Rivers people by the President Tinubu administration. He has disregarded River State so badly, pushing us to the background, forgetting our contribution to national growth and development and to the stabilization of the of this country.

“I think this it is a joke taken too far, and as Rivers people, I can tell you that what we see today in the entire jamboree of the National Assembly, seeing clearly that the man nominated is not from Rivers State, yet they went ahead to allow it pass because the President has sanctioned it.

“I can tell you that the National Assembly is laid up because you cannot identify something that you have seen as an aberration, and as Lawmakers, you could not come back to tell the President this cannot fly, that it has to be a Rivers indigene. Yet they went ahead, after noting this aberration, and put it in there that we have this bitter pill to swallow. This is unfortunate, and I can tell you that Rivers, people are not happy. We will fight this thing constitutionally.”

Others allege that the President has achieved his aim by handing the State to Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, with an eye on 2027.

For instance, Chizy Enyi, a Port Harcourt-based political activist, legal pactitioner, and a stalwart of the All Progressives Congress, noted that President Tinubu is concerned with 2027 and nothing else.

His words: “It is now obvious and in the public domain that the reason behind Tinubu’s suspending the executive governor of Rivers State is to take control of the state and to win the election in Rivers State by 2027.

Though this is against the Constitution, Rivers State, or Rivers people, cannot resort to self-help by disrespecting the President to take charge of the state based on the fact that they elected or voted for Fubara, who Tinubu does not have the right to suspend.

“However, having suspended Governor Fubara, we’re all aware that Tinubu said he is saving Rivers State from an impending crisis. Now, the problem between Governor Fubara and Wike has always been his political structure, ‘my structure, my structure.’ He always said the Governor should not tamper with his structure.

“But then what he refers to as a structure is the local government, the party officials, and the cabinet of the governor, appointments and all that.

Now, Tinubu has appointed a Sole Administrator who has resorted to appointing other board members and conducting local government elections in a place where we have military rule.

“Now that we are under military rule, how can we also conduct elections under military rule? Now, conducting elections and giving appointments to all Wike’s supporters, having appointed the Sole Administrators of the various local governments, all as Wike’s supporters, is the evidence of the fact that truly Tinubu has resorted to giving Wike the structure he meant.

“Else, how will Tinubu suspend the sitting governor and then allow the election of local government chairmen to be conducted? Now the Supreme Court said that the Sole Administrators, or any appointee, as a local government chairman, whether caretaker or underany nomenclature, should not head local government. But since the appointment of the Sole Administrator, he has also appointed the Sole Administrators of the various local governments. Tinubu has refused to acknowledge that this is against the provisions of the Constitution and also the judgment of the Supreme Court.

“Assuming it is the people of Fubara who are being appointed as the Sole Administrators of local governments, Wike’s supporters would have resorted to violence.

Everything about violence happening in Rivers State has always been done by Wike’s supporters. So the problem here in Rivers State, everybody knows, is not about the Governor, is not about any other thing, but it’s about President Tinubu giving Wike back the structure to deliver him by 2027.

“We only have to be law-abiding, but in 2027, we are not yet very close to ’27 and yet they decided to do this to reverse people’s mandate. The President has decided to undermine Rivers State. For the past two years now that he was elected, he has not visited the state, yet he wants our votes.

“2027 will determine whether or not President Tinubu is doing well. By June 12, there were also many expectations that Fubara would have been reinstated. He [Tinubu] refused and deliberately turned down the hope, wishes, and aspirations of Rivers’ people. Time will tell, and history will always repeat itself.

“It’s going to be very bad that Rivers will always remember President Tinubu for bad instead of for good.”

Also speaking, a former National Publicity Secretary of the New Peoples Democratic Party, nPDP, and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, told Newspot that the suspension of democracy is the President’s agenda to underdevelop Rivers State.

Eze said that ahead of the 2027 general elections, Tinubu is strategising to ensure that a former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, does not have a solid base politically.

“He is after Amaechi and not Rivers State per se,” he said, adding that Tinubu has captured the state for his 2027 agenda.

“President Tinubu is not being influenced by any external force, but this is his agenda, to underdevelop Rivers State to avoid the state from being developed like Lagos and Akwa Ibom States.

“It is a calculated strategy to ensure that Amaechi does not have a solid base politically. He is after Amaechi and not Rivers State per se.

“He has captured the resources of Rivers State for his 2027 agenda, but it is left to the people of Rivers State to continue to tolerate his evil agenda.

“The emergency rule will only end when he is sure that Sim Fubara is so incapacitated and ready to carry out their evil agenda against Rivers State and her people.

“From the security challenges facing many states where hundreds are being killed, we can now deduce accurately that it wasn’t any security challenge pertaining to Rivers State that brought about the state of emergency, but a selfish drive to destroy Rivers State.

“I am sad because some of the misguided fellows that call themselves leaders from the state are rejoicing and celebrating while Tinubu is destroying their state. May God have mercy upon them all.”

A Port Harcourt resident, Dike Emmanuel, who spoke to a news medium, said: “All the road projects that were started by Governor Fubara have been abandoned. There are no new ones. I wonder what the money from the Federation Account is being channeled to.”

Dismissing the reason for which President Tinubu declared a State of Emergency in the State, he said:

Emmanuel who spoke to Newspot said: “There was peace in Rivers State even before the President suspended the Governor. If you are looking for places where people are being killed on a daily basis, you can go to Benue, Zamfara, Plateau, and all those places. Not Rivers. There was no need to declare a state of emergency here.”

Cultists Invade Polytechnic Town Of Oko, Anambra, Fatalities, Abductions, Recorded

By

Suleiman Anyalewechi

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June 20, 2025

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By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Anambra State Police Command on Friday, June 20, 2025, informed that plans are underway to hunt down perpetrators of a deadly cult related attack on the Oko in Orumba North ,local council of the state.

The Source reports that some suspected rival cultists had launched the attack on Thursday night at Total and Tipper Junctions, resulting in the death of two persons. Two others were abducted.

A statement from the State Police Command’s Spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, SP, said two others, including a middle aged woman, were rescued by operatives of the State’s Joint Security Team, following their swift intervention on the night.

According to Ikenga, the suspected cultists who stormed the area at about 9.00 pm, started shooting indiscriminately, with residents scampering for safety.

The heavily armed suspected cultists, according to the police, operated with a motorcycle, and a black Toyota Lexus SUV without a number Plate.

However, the prompt response from the Joint Security team, led by the Police Area Commander of Aguata, prevented the attack from spreading.

The Command while suing for calm, also, urged the members of the public to volunteer credible information that could lead to the arrest of the fleeing hoodlums.

Gov Otti Justifies State’s Intervention In Local Government Autonomy In Abia State

By

Suleiman Anyalewechi

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June 20, 2025

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Alex Otti - Governor of Abia State — Governor Alex Otti of Abia State

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Abia state Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has rejected claims that the state Government, through its newly promulgated Local Council Law has been undermining the Supreme Court verdict on the autonomy of Local Governments in the State.

The Source reports that the country’s apex court had, in a landmark ruling in July 2024, affirmed the financial autonomy of the Third Tier of Government in the country.

The ruling, particularly, frowned at the continued tempering, by the State Governments,of Local Council finances including the statutory monthly Federal Allocation.

However, many State Governments, since the Supreme Court judgment, have devised some ingenious measures, including the enactment of sometimes nebulous laws to undermine the said council autonomy.

The Abia State Government in March, 2025, enacted one of such laws– the Abia State Local Government Administration Law 2025.

The law which provides for the establishment, structure ,composition, finance, and functions of Local Government Areas in the State and for other related purposes, has been perceived by not a few as a subtle means through which the State Government has continued to exact control over Councils’ funds

Of recent, the opposition has been strident in its condemnation of the Abia State Government propensity to stifle activities at the councils, most of which are alleged to be starved of their Statutory Allocations.

The opposition camp has alleged that the Councils, despite hundreds of millions of Naira, accruing to them monthly from the Federation Account Allocation, go cap in hand to execute projects not up to N10 million.

Some local authorities are said to be soliciting community and voluntary donations from residents to enable them carry out the grading of rural roads and provide essential services.

There are widespread speculations that a significant number of the officials of the State’s 17 local councils cannot meet some of their basic obligations to their people owing to the state Government’s tight control of council funds.

But reacting to the allegations on Thursday night June 19, 2025, during his monthly Media Chat, Governor Otti, maintained that the Abia Local Government law is not in any way in conflict with the ruling of the Supreme Court on Council autonomy.

While noting that the Abia Local Council Law as enacted, is in tandem with the spirit and letters of the Apex Court’s ruling, the Governor, however, insisted that laws must be interpreted ,and implemented in such a manner as to not allow a descent to chaos and erosion of good governance.

Contrary to the belief in some quarters, Governor Otti informed that the State Laws on Local Council Administration aim to enhance, and not hinder service delivery by the Local Government Authorities.

According to him, the State’s Local Council Law was principally meant to ensure the realization of the intentions of the Supreme court ruling, without creating a dysfunctional system.

“The Supreme Court judgment has an intention, and the intention of any law is not to ensure a breakdown of service .

“The Supreme Court actually made a law by that judgment, and whatever we did with the law we passed was to ensure that the intended objective of that law is achieved.

“It would be irresponsible for sub-nationals to fold their hands and watch because Local Governments make up the State, just like States make up the Federation”,Governor Otti stated.

The Abia State Governor emphasized that it would amount to a gross act of irresponsibility on the part of the State Government to leave such critical issues as the payment of teachers’ and primary healthcare workers salaries ,as well as managing local security matters without the state assisting.

“What we have done in the state is to ensure that the Supreme court’s decision is implemented without creating hitches.

In essence, the law aims to improve the efficiency of Governance at the grassroots level ,and effectively meet the needs of Abia residents”, Gov Otti noted.