A district court in Finland has sentenced a kingpin of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Simon Ekpa, to six years in prison for terrorism.
Ekpa was arrested by Finnish authorities on 21 November 2024, following an investigation by the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation into allegations of inciting terrorism and promoting violence through social media, an activity that was believed to have contributed to unrest in southeastern Nigeria.
Following his arrest, Ekpa was remanded in custody by the Päijät-Häme District Court, which determined that the charge was based on “public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent”, dating from August 2021 to November 2024.
During the trial, the NBI froze Ekpa’s financial assets, as well as those of his associates and related companies.
Back home in Nigeria, another leader and founder of the proscribed IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, is detained in the custody of the State Security Service over terrorism charges brought against him by the Nigerian government.
Recall that the Chief of General Staff, Gen Christopher Musa had recently stated that the arrest of Ekpa has brought peace to south east Nigeria.
The federal government has dismissed the allegation to the effect that it’s inducing bandits by paying them money and supplying in them food.
According to the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, which debunked the claim by a former governor of Kaduna state, said the allegation was not in tandem with what is actually happening in the country.
The former governor had on Sunday accused the Tinubu administration of inducing bandits with money, and supplying them with food, in order to keep them calm from attacking communities in the country.
He said the action is part of the kinetic measures by the administration, which he added will backfire, because that is not the language that the bandits understand.
El rufai state, Kaduna has been one of the epicentres of banditry and terrorism in the country.
In its reaction, ONSA said in a statement said the federal government has never engaged in ransom payment to the criminals, stressing that it has indeed adopted non-kinematic measures to ensure that peace reigns, adding that the results of the steps taken so far by the government is very evident to see.
ONSA: “At no time has the ONSA, or any arm of government under this administration, engaged in ransom payments or inducements to criminals.
“On the contrary, we have consistently warned Nigerians against paying ransom. El-Rufai’s allegations are not only false but also contradict verifiable facts on ground.
“The result is evident in areas such as Igabi, Birnin Gwari, Giwa, and other parts of Kaduna that once suffered untold terror in Kaduna state but are now experiencing relative peace.”
El rufai had claimed that the federal government is empowering the bandits by inducing them with money and food.
“What I will not do is to pay bandits, give them a monthly allowance, or send food to them in the name of non-kinetic. It’s nonsense; we’re empowering bandits,” the former governor said.
He argued that such measures only embolden the criminals and worsen insecurity.
“You don’t empower your enemy; you don’t give him money to go and buy sophisticated weapons. That is why the insecurity problem has not gone away and will not go away as long as this policy continues,” El-Rufai added.
The former governor insisted that no serious government must negotiate with bandits, they must be crushed , he said.
“My position has always been that the only repentant bandit is a dead one. Let’s kill them all. Let’s bomb them until they are reduced to nothing, and then the five per cent that still want to be rehabilitated can be rehabilitated,” he stated.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on the opposition political parties in Rivers state to reject the local government election conducted in the state last weekend.
The former number two citizen also called on the people of the state to reject the election, describing it as an “absurdity and travesty.”
Abubakar made the remark on his verified X handle on Sunday, saying the election was conducted by an illegal administration, which has no power to do so.
Last Saturday, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC conducted the LG election, after which the All Progressives Congress, APC was declared winner in 20 LGAs while the PDP won three LGAs. The election has been widely described to be very controversial.
According to Abubakar, the ruling APC decided to conduct the election in order to gain “inordinate political advantage” calling well meaning Nigerians and ‘international community” to stop the ruling party from leading the country on dangerous curve of political crisis.
Abubakar said, “I will also call on all opposition parties in Rivers State to reject the local government election on the premise that the occupation government that conducted the exercise is extraneous to our laws, with absolutely no legitimacy to undertake such a crucial and sensitive assignment.
“In the same breath, I wish to share my unflinching solidarity with the good people of Rivers State, who are currently victims of political brigandry to a power cabal which is bent on overturning their democratic rights at all cost.”
Meanwhile, the magazine reported that a former governor of the state Nyesom Wike said last week that the Emergency Rule imposed by President bola Ahmed Tinubu six month ago will be lifted this month.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) branch, has directed its members to withdraw their services from all academic activities, effective Monday, September 1, following unresolved issues over unpaid salaries and arrears.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Branch Chairperson, Boluwaji Oshodi, and Secretary, Olusegun Taiwo, the Union said the decision was reached at its congress held on Thursday, August 21, 2025.
According to the communique, the strike became inevitable after repeated appeals to the university authorities and Ondo State government to offset the backlog of salaries and arrears failed to yield results.
“By this memo, our members have been directed to withdraw their services from all academic activities in the University until all our outstanding salaries and arrears are paid,” the statement read.
The union assured stakeholders of its commitment to the overall development of the institution.
It, however, maintained that the welfare of its members could no longer be neglected.
Earlier in June, the union, under the Joint Action Committee of Ondo State owned tertiary Institutions(ODSTI) announced a 14-day warning strike to protest poor funding and unfair living conditions of workers of the institutions.
The warning strike came after it said it had made several efforts to call the attention of the state government especially the Visitor of the institutions to the plights and poor living conditions of the workers.
JAC had said the poor living conditions of the workers had resulted from several reasons including “poor and inadequate funding of the various institutions; failure to implement the National Minimum Wage, failure to pay accumulated arrears of the previous National Minimum Wages, failure to pay the last tranche of our Wage Award, failure to pay gratuities to our retired members and failure to pay 6 months outstanding salary arrears to the workers of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.”
Although the institutions has suffered low funding over the years, the state government insisted it was doing its best to ensure adequate funding of the substitutions.
The state Commissioner for Information, Idowu Ajanaku, said on Sunday, that the issues would be resolved permanently with the increase in subvention to the universities and other tertiary institutions in the state.
He said, “A committee was set up to resolve the issue. It has met and recommendations have been made.
“For the salary arrears, the governor has given a directive to the University for the payment of the outstanding salaries. I know that within the next few days the issues will be resolved.”
On the increase in the subvention, Mr Ajanaku noted that the recommendations of the committee would be incorporated in the process of budgeting for next year to ensure the tertiary institutions in the state get adequate funding.
Voters shunned the polls in Fubara’s Opobo LGA. At one unidentified venue, a group of young men were busy thump-printing result sheets
The All Progressives Congress, (APC) has, for the first time since its founding, secured a dominant victory in the Rivers State Chairmanship and Councillorship elections. It is also the first time the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, would lose such a Poll in the State. This is, not a few people allege, thanks to the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, the APC won 20 out of the 23 Local Council Areas declared by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, leaving the PDP with a beggarly three Local Councils. For the records, Wike is the unofficial but effective Leader of both the APC (factional) and the PDP (factional) in the State. Instructively, one of the LGAs won by the PDP, is Wike’s Obio/Akpor.
The PDP is supposedly, the ruling party in the State. The State’s suspended Governor, Siminalayi Fubara and the suspended members of the House of Assembly, are PDP, and so is Wike who is serving under the APC Federal Government and rooting for it.
The outcome of the polls, saw Fubara losing his home base of Opobo-Nkoro to the main opposition. However Fubara not take part in the election, did not go home and, is reportedly, out of the country.
It was, also, reported that his Opobo people mainly shunned the polls and so did all his loyalists.
The results were announced on Sunday by the RSIEC Chairman, Dr Michael Odey, at the commission’s headquarters along Aba Road in Port Harcourt, where final collation confirmed APC’s overwhelming lead.
APC also won the councillorship election in 20 LGAs, while the PDP claimed only three councils.
No other political party, aside APC and PDP, featured in both the chairmanship or councillorship contests.
Mixed turnout was recorded across the State. While rural communities witnessed high participation, several urban centres, including Port Harcourt City, Obio/Akpor, and Akukutoro witnessed low turnout and voter apathy.
One of two viral videos showed that in Opobo, Fubara’s LGA, voters shunned the polls, as narrated by the NTA, while at another venue, young men were seen, thump-printing result sheets.
The list of winners released by RSIEC shows that some of the elected chairmen are returning for a second term, having previously served under the administration of then Governor Wike.
The Akwa Ibom State Government has vehemently rejected claims that about 15% of workers’ monthly salaries are deducted as tithe.
It, also, reaffirmed its earlier claims that no Governor’s personal Assistants and Aides receive less than one million Naira as monthly emolument.
A statement on Sunday, August 31, 2026, from the State’s Commissioner for Information, Hon Aniekan Umanna, described as ” a reckless fabrication, deliberate falsehood, and a failed attempt to smear Government’s image, a publication by an online media outfit–Sahara Reporters alleging deductions from workers wages for the purpose of payment of “tithes”.
According to the Commissioner, the Online media outfit had accused the State Governor, Dr Umo Eno, of approving the deduction of 15 per cent of workers monthly salaries as tithe.
However, Umanna expressed serious disappointment with the Sahara Reporters’ publication, further describing it as a ” baseless claim, totally unbecoming, and which also raises serious questions about the standard of journalism being practiced by a section of the media.
“The Publication mischievously displayed a screenshot of a remittance from alongside a shaded copy of a letter purportedly from the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, SSG .
“Upon verification, it is clear that the document relates, strictly, to the remuneration of certain categories of Personal Aides to the Governor who are political appointees.
“For the avoidance of doubt, there are various categories of Aides to the Governor whose monthly gross salary structure ranges from N200,000 to N1,432 000.
“These include: Honorary Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants, Special Assistants ( SA I &SA 2) Personal Assistants ( PA PA I ,PA 2/Ward PAs PA 3 ,PA,4 ) and Project Supervisors .
“However ,in line with the Governor’s statement at a recent Town square meeting in Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency, a full Personal Assistant to the Governor does not receive less than one million Naira in salary and allowances per month.
“It must be emphasized that the deduction reflected in the purported credit alert is statutory tax . Every worker in Akwa Ibom state, whether an appointee or a civil servant, pays taxes.
“Similarly, private sector workers also remit their PAYE taxes to the State Internal Revenue Service ( AKIRS ).
“One wonders why the routine payment of tax, which is a constitutional responsibility of every citizen, and is deducted at source from employees or appointees, is now being mischievously twisted to mean “tithes”.
“Tithes to who,and for what?,if we may ask. We challenge anyone to provide even a single piece of evidence of remittance of funds from Government for such a purpose at anytime since the administration of Governor Umo Eno came on board” Umanna stated .
While viewing the said publication as mischievous, irresponsible ,and ill-motivated, the State Government urged members of the public to disregard the story.
However, while the statement noted that the matter is already under investigation, it also assured that appropriate steps will be taken to bring to book those behind the malicious falsehood.
“We, therefore, urge the public to disregard this baseless story in its entirety. The Akwa Ibom State Government remains unwavering in its commitment to transparency, accountability, and the welfare of all workers, and will not be distracted by desperate attempts to distort the truth”, the Commissioner added.
“The angry Honourables allege that Speaker Abbas and others short-changed Members of the House in the sharing of privileges”
The Leadership of the House of Representatives has denied any rancour amongst its membership in the face of reported complaints from some aggrieved members over the sharing of privileges.
A report had indicated that members were spoiling for a showdown, with the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen and his team of officers ahead of their September 23 resumption.
It noted that some angry members have started compiling what they described as the ‘iniquities’ of the Speaker and the House leadership.
They alleged that Abbas and others short-changed members of the House in the sharing of privileges.
However, the house leadership said on Sunday that the report did not represent the true situation at the lower chambers.
A statement by House Spokesman, Akin Rotimi, said the report merely elevated isolated remarks and informal conversations from House WhatsApp groups as if they represented the official position of any House caucus or the House itself.
The statement stated that “Contrary to insinuations of an impending ‘showdown,’ the House remains united under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Dr. Abbas Tajudeen, PhD, GCON, Speaker of the House.
“With 360 members from every part of Nigeria, across diverse political, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, the House reflects the nation’s full heterogeneity.
“Honourable Members are free to express opinions in both formal and informal settings on matters affecting their constituencies and privileges.
“However, such expressions when reported, especially when not balanced by differing viewpoints, do not constitute resolutions or positions of any caucus.
“The House operates according to established parliamentary procedures, through which caucus leaders, committees, or individual Members may formally table issues for the leadership or, where necessary, for debate and resolution by the entire chamber.
“Informal conversations are normal in a vibrant democracy but cannot represent official positions.
“It is to the Speaker’s credit that, despite this diversity, the 10th Assembly has remained united, reaching common positions on national issues through consensus building and allowing every Member a voice.
“The House remains focused on preparing for resumption on September 23, 2025, with renewed commitment to national priorities.
“Some issues referenced in the report conflate genuine concerns with sensationalism. Delayed contractor payments are a national challenge and not peculiar to the constituency projects nominated by Honourable Members.
“For many weeks, the House Leadership, through the Appropriations Committees, has engaged the Honourable Minister of Finance. Payments have commenced and the Leadership is committed to ensuring all outstanding 2024 obligations are settled expeditiously.
“Honourable Members face pressure from constituents expecting nominated projects to be implemented in line with participatory development.
“The Leadership stresses that, in accordance with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, constituency projects are essential for extending government presence nationwide.
“While these agitations are valid, they must be understood within current fiscal realities and not misrepresented.”
Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, and Chairman of Ethiope East Local Government Council, Augustine Ogedegbe, have promised to ensure justice for a pregnant woman allegedly killed by a stray bullet fired by a Security Officer attached to the Operation Delta Sweep security outfit in Abraka,
Both assured that justice would be served in the killing of a yet-to-be-identified lady in Abraka by operatives of Operation Delta Sweep.
The Governor condoled with the bereaved family and urged security operatives to demonstrate maximum restraint by operating by the set standards to avoid unnecessary harm to members of the public.
The tragic incident occurred when the security operatives, reportedly in pursuit of suspected internet fraudsters popularly called “Yahoo Boys,” allegedly fired a shot that struck the victim, who was believed to be pregnant at the time of the incident.
She was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
Oborevwori, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, on Sunday, described the killing as “very unfortunate,” stressing that the tragedy could have been avoided had the operatives adhered strictly to standard operational procedures.
The Governor commiserated with the family of the deceased and the university community.
He charged security agencies operating in the state to exercise restraint and professionalism in the discharge of their duties to avoid needless loss of innocent lives.
Governor Oborevwori reiterated his government’s commitment to protecting the lives and property of all residents of the state, while urging the people of Abraka to remain calm as investigations continue into the incident.
Reacting to the incident in a statement, Ogedegbe, appealed to residents to remain calm and allow due process to take its course, while extending condolences to the victim’s family.
He emphasised the importance of accountability and preventing similar incidents in the future, describing the woman’s death as tragic.
“While we acknowledge the challenging work our security personnel face in maintaining law and order, it is deeply concerning to see incidents like this, which diverge from their intended duties of combating crime and ensuring public safety.
“We will pursue this issue with the seriousness it deserves and ensure that justice is served while taking the necessary steps to prevent such occurrences in the future,” the statement read in part.
The incident, which occurred on Saturday, has sparked outrage in the community, with residents demanding justice for the victim, who was yet to be identified as of press time.
“Adeyanju’s rhetoric is not commentary; it is character assassination masquerading as critique. Peter Obi’s lawsuit is not an attempt to criminalise uncomfortable facts. It is a challenge to the malicious and unsupported conclusions that Deji Adeyanju has grafted onto those facts”
Farooq Kperogi is rightly acclaimed as a versatile academic and a titan of Nigerian media commentary. But, a closer examination of his record reveals significant flaws and ethical breaches that complicate his stature. For instance, during a period of grief, he publicly alluded to Aisha Buhari as being “divorced” from her recently deceased husband. In another instance, he diagnosed former President Muhammadu Buhari with “dementia” without medical authority.
These are not mere differences of opinion but rather demonstrative examples of a troubling propensity to cross the lines of public decency and responsible commentary in pursuit of provocation. Our discernment of his work must account for moments where his analysis appears to veer into ethically questionable territory.
It was in this context that I encountered his latest post: a curiously defensive and, I would argue, recreant polemic aimed squarely at undermining the legal merit of Peter Obi’s suit against Adeyanju.
While Professor Farooq Kperogi’s column presents itself as an “unemotional perspective,” it is, in fact, a masterclass in constructing a narrative that selectively weaponises facts to defend defamation under the guise of robust public discourse. Its central flaw is the conflation of verifiable facts with malicious insinuation, and its argument, while intellectually stylish, is fundamentally unsound both legally and ethically.
The core of Kperogi’s defense rests on two pillars: the legal doctrines of “truth” and “fair comment.” But, his application of these doctrines is dangerously expansive. It’s one thing to state that Peter Obi, as governor, invested state funds in a company linked to his former business interests, a matter of public record. It is entirely another to label that action “fraud” and its perpetrator a “fraud” and a “scum.” The first is a fact that can be contextualised; the latter is a defamatory conclusion that imputes criminal intent without proof. The law recognises truth as a defense only if the defamatory imputation itself is true. Proving an underlying fact (the investment) does not automatically prove the truth of the malicious label (fraud) slapped onto it. Adeyanju’s rhetoric is not commentary; it is character assassination masquerading as critique.
Similarly, the “fair comment” doctrine protects honest expressions of opinion based on true facts. Kperogi points to the leaked audio as grounds for Adeyanju calling Obi a “religious bigot.” But again, Adeyanju’s language transcends fair comment. A fair comment would be, “Obi’s appeal to religious solidarity was divisive and cynical.” Branding him a “bigot” is a definitive, pejorative judgment of character that the factual record does not incontrovertibly support. The doctrine is not a license to leap from a single data point to a damning and absolute personal indictment.
Kperogi’s argument commits a critical error by excising Adeyanju’s most egregious and unsupported claims into a narrow, dismissible sidebar. He admits that claims like Obi “pays all influencers online” are baseless and that calling him “always a scum” is a reckless personal insult. Yet, he bizarrely argues that Obi should only sue on these “narrow grounds,” as if a defamation suit is a surgical strike rather than a response to the entire, toxic ecosystem of falsehoods that Adeyanju has cultivated. A defendant cannot poison the well with outright lies and then claim protection for the entire contaminated body of his speech because a few droplets within it contain mineral traces of truth.
The most pernicious part of Kperogi’s thesis is the assertion that public figures like Obi are “cowards” for suing and that such lawsuits are inherently “SLAPPs” (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation). This is a grave misunderstanding of power dynamics. While SLAPPs are a real tool of the powerful, the premise that a private citizen activist is inherently the “weaker target” is naive. In the court of public opinion, amplified by social media, an activist like Adeyanju can wield immense power to shape narratives and destroy reputations with near-impunity. To suggest that a public figure must silently endure a relentless campaign of defamation, which includes both verifiable facts and outright lies woven together, is to demand they relinquish their right to a legal defense entirely. The right to “counter in the marketplace of ideas” is nullified when the marketplace is being flooded with sewage. Litigation is not always intimidation; sometimes, it is the only tool left to demand accountability for outright falsehoods.
Kperogi’s column operates on a dangerous slippery slope. By arguing that because some allegations have a basis in fact, Obi therefore forfeits his right to challenge any of them, he creates a charter for defamers everywhere. All one must do is mix a teaspoon of truth into a barrel of lies to gain immunity. The health of Nigerian democracy is not served by allowing activists to be “uncouth” and “defamatory.” It is served by fostering a culture of rigorous, responsible criticism that respects the line between holding power to account and engaging in wanton character annihilation.
Peter Obi’s lawsuit is not an attempt to criminalise uncomfortable facts. It is a challenge to the malicious and unsupported conclusions that Deji Adeyanju has grafted onto those facts. A truly “unemotional perspective” would recognise that the law exists precisely to adjudicate this difference, and that no one, regardless of their stature or profession, should be expected to accept being called a “fraud” and a “scum” as simply the price of a public life.
Governor Otu orders arrest of Police Personnel involved
Mrs Victoria Jolly Mba whose 23 year old first son, Onyekachi Moses Mba, was allegedly tortured and shot to death, by some police personnel attached to Government House, Calabar, has cried out for justice.
Mrs Mba is appealing to Police authorities to intervene and bring the killer(s) of her son to book. This is as the Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, has condemned the killing of the 23 year old, and ordered the arrest of the Police personnel involved.
According to Mrs Mba, late Onyekachi was killed when he went to the Government House to preach and deliver a vision he claimed he had for the State.
Reactig to the incident, the Governor strongly condemned what he described as a “brazen act of lawlessness and abuse of authority” following the tragic death of 23-year-old Onyekachi Moses in Calabar.
In a statement issued by the State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Erasmus Ekpang, the Governor lamented that the young man, who sustained grievous injuries from the reckless actions of a Police Officer, died after several days of battling for his life in hospital. Governor Otu, the statement disclosed, has directed the immediate arrest and investigation of the Officer involved.
Governor Otu: Orders arrest of culprits.
“His Excellency, Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, has mandated the Commissioner of Police to effect the immediate arrest of the implicated officer and ensure a thorough investigation into this grievous misconduct,” the statement read. “Impunity has no sanctuary under this administration.”
The Governor described the incident as a violation not only of human dignity but also of the core principles of justice and security that form the bedrock of civil order. “Those entrusted with protecting lives cannot become purveyors of fear and tragedy,” the release stressed.
Governor Otu, according to the statement, warned that any officer who betrays the sacred duty of protection and public trust would face the full weight of the law.
“Let it be known unequivocally: this Government will not shield any agent of the State who undermines justice,” he affirmed.
To the bereaved family, the Government extended deep condolences, assuring them of justice. “Our hearts are with the family of late Onyekachi in this painful hour. The Cross River State Government stands firmly with you and assures that justice will not be delayed nor denied,” the statement conveyed.
The release further called on citizens to remain calm and law-abiding, emphasizing that the Government is determined to pursue accountability with transparency.
“We urge our people to remain peaceful and confident in our collective resolve to seek truth and enforce justice,” it added.
It pledged that the administration would not rest until the memory of the deceased was honoured with firm and transparent accountability. “This Government shall not relent until the assurance is clear that such impunity will never again be tolerated on our soil,” the statement declared.
The Governor reaffirmed his Government’s commitment to the sanctity of life, the rule of law, and the people-first philosophy that underpins his administration.
According to the grief- stricken mother, on the 1st of August 2025, her son was brutally beaten and shot dead by aides and security operatives attached to the Cross River State Governor after he went to the Governor’s residence to preach the gospel and share a vision he claimed he had for the State.
“They beat him mercilessly and shot him, an unarmed civilian for that matter. After shooting him, they abandoned him there to die. He was shot around 11 a.m., and it was not until 7 p.m. that the Red Cross came to carry him to the hospital,” she narrated in tears.
Mrs. Mba further revealed that the family had written a petition to Zone 6 Police Command, but three weeks after, nothing has been done.
“The AIG (Zone 6) sent a notice to them to produce those involved in my son’s murder, but till today, nothing has been done. They said since the Governor’s name is mentioned, nothing will be done. Please help me, I need justice. My son was not a criminal, neither was he armed. They killed him and abandoned me after all my sweat,” she cried.
The devastated family insists they have proof of the incident and are appealing to Nigerians, human rights organizations, and relevant authorities to intervene and ensure justice is served.
