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Rivers: Pro-Wike Women In Street, Protest, Say No More Fubara

April 14, 2025

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Apparently not wanting to be outdone or outwitted by opposing forces, the camp of the Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, on Monday, April 14, hauled hundreds of women to the streets of Port Harcourt in a solidarity march for emergency rule, and the Federal Government- appointed Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok- Ete Ibas.

Earlier, last week, hundreds of women had stormed major streets in PH,

to register their displeasure both with the declaration of state of emergency ,and the conducts of the Sole Administrator .

The women who were dressed in black attire demanded for an immediate end to the emergency rule, insisting that ,there were no justifiable grounds to take such an anti-people and anti-democratic step.

They maintained that if anything, the conducts and policies of the Sole Administrator since coming on board have exposed the real intentions of the progenitors of emergency rule which they noted was simply for power grabbing

Instructively, the complaints of the protesting women, were somewhat given credence by the decision of the House of Representatives to institute a Committee to monitor the activities of Admiral Ibas.

In a statement issued on Sunday, April 13, the House of Representatives approved the an Ad-hoc committee of 19 members to be headed by the Majority Leader, Prof Julius Ihonvbere to supervise the emergency Rule.

The Committee, according to the statement issued by the House spokesperson, Hon Akintunde Rotimi, is primarily charged with the responsibility of ensuring that the emergency rule in Rivers State is implemented strictly in line with the resolution of the House during the approval of the emergency proclamation by the President.

Before this, the House, through the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Information, had warned Admiral Ibas against the temptation of over-stepping his approved roles.

Specifically, the Federal Lawmakers had cautioned him against the plan to prepare a fresh 2025 appropriation bill for the State, noting that his mandate does not cover such.

Perhaps, sensing that the earlier protest by the anti-emergency women may have had a direct impact on the decision of the House to put in place a monitoring team, pro-Wike forces on Monday decided to equally announce their presence with their women taking over major streets in protest against the return of suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The protesting women, who were dressed in an all white attire, insisted on the legality and necessity of the emergency rule as declared by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on March 18, 2025.

With different anti-Fubara and pro-emergency placards, the women marched from the Isaac Boro Park to adjourning streets expressing their total support for emergency rule, and the actions so far taken by the Sole Administrator.

Some of the placards read: “State of emergency is constitutional, we don’t want Fubara”, etc

Led by a known loyalist of the FCT Minister, and former Commissioner for Social Welfare in the State, Ifeyinwa Aguma, the women also insisted on the constitutionality of emergency proclamation.

While applauding President Tinubu for his timely intervention in the Rivers State crisis, the women commended Admiral Ibas for a job well done.

They urged him not to succumb to the “distracting antics of some forces” who they alleged want to plunge Rivers into chaos and anarchy.

“What we are doing here today is a solidarity march in support of the State of Emergency in Rivers state.

“Since the declaration, there has been peace. We no longer hear about killings and cult related activities”, Hon Gladys Nweke ,a former Vice chairman of Etche Local Council noted.

NBA Conference: Rivers Demands Refund Of Hosting Rights Fee

Ayodele Oni

April 14, 2025

By Ayodele Oni

For relocating its Annual General Conference from Rivers State, the State Government has asked the Nigerian Bar Association, (NBA), to refund the N300 million allegedly paid for the hosting rights of the legal body’s 2025 annual conference.

The Government, under the leadership of the Sole Administrator, said if the NBA is truly anchored on principles, it should demonstrate it by returning the sum.

Last Friday, the NBA moved its 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC) from Port Harcourt in Rivers to Enugu.

The Association premised its decision on “constitutional violations” in Rivers following the emergency rule in the oil-rich state.

According to the NBA, “Currently, Rivers State is being governed by a retired military officer, appointed as a Sole Administrator, who operates with a command-style approach that disregards constitutional provisions, court decisions, and pending litigation.”

The decision came weeks after President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers, citing a protracted political crisis.

In a statement on Monday, the government said the NBA’s position “overlooks the constitutional basis for the current administration in Rivers state”.

The statement signed by Hector Igbikiowubo, senior special assistant on media to the Rivers state government, said the declaration of the emergency rule in the state was a “necessary response to a breakdown of public order and democratic processes.

“Contrary to the NBA’s assertions, the sole administrator has consistently reaffirmed his commitment to restoring democratic institutions as soon as practicable.

“Upholding the constitutional rights of all residents, including freedom of movement, speech, and association. Respecting judicial pronouncements, including those of the Supreme Court, which have guided the administration’s actions.

“The NBA, as a body of legal minds, should know better than to reduce a complex constitutional matter to political sensationalism.”

Ekiti: Two Ex Convicts To Die By Hanging For Kidnapping, Armed Robbery

Ayodele Oni

April 14, 2025

By Ayodele Oni

An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has sentenced two to life imprisonment and death by hanging, for conspiracy, armed robbery and kidnapping.

The defendants, Onileowo Rotimi (42) and Adetola Ayodele (42) were arraigned before Justice Bamidele Omotosho on 30th of June, 2017 on three count charges bordering on conspiracy, armed robbery and kidnapping.

The charge reads: “that the convicts on 7th October, 2016 at Abuta Omuo-Ekiti within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did conspire to commit armed robbery, when they rob one Mrs Ajibola Oyelola, on same date and place, they also conspired to kidnap the victim.”

According to the charge, the offences are contrary to Sections 516, 402 and 403 (A) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012, also Section 3 (a) (b) of the Ekiti State Kidnapping and Terrorism (prohibition) Laws, 2015.

The victim in her testimony before the court said, “I was cooking in the kitchen around 8:30p.m, suddenly I saw five gunmen in the living room, they asked of my husband, they said he offended their boss and that they are here to kill him and since he was not at home, they collected my car key and a sum of #78,000 I have at home.

“They blindfolded me and also tied my hands, I was ordered to lay face down at the back seat. Before I entered the car, I saw my gateman where his hands and legs were tied with rope.

“I was taken to an unknown place inside bush. I was with them for eight days, they called my husband on the fourth day and demanded for a ransom of N40M but my husband was able to raise and pay #600,000 gathered from friends and families before I was released.

“They were not masked throughout our staying together in the bush, I saw their faces clearly”. She concluded.

To prove his case, the prosecutor, Akinola Abon called four witnesses and tendered statements of defendants as exhibits, while the defendants spoke in their own defence through their lawyer.

They confessed of meeting and becoming friends in the prison before they committed the current offence, they called no witness.

In his judgment, Justice Bamidele Omotoso said, “I am not in the slightest doubt that the prosecution has fruitfully proved the case of conspiracy, kidnapping and armed robbery against the defendants.

“Consequently, the defendants are found guilty of all the offences as charged.

For kidnapping , the defendants are hereby sentenced to life imprisonment and for armed robbery, the defendants are to be hanged by the neck until they are dead. May God have mercy on your souls.”

Idris Abdulkareem Song Ban: Prof Soyinka Calls For Reversal; Tinubu’s Govt Sliding To Abyss

Tosin Olatokunbo

April 14, 2025

Professor Wole Soyinka has knocked the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, over its recent ban on the viral song by singer Idris Abudulkareem.

The recently released song ‘Tell Your Papa’ had been banned by the federal government amidst criticisms by not a few Nigerians, who described the action as one of the efforts of the administration to silent dissent in the country.

The Bola Tinubu’s administration has been under fire for clamping down on those who speak against the government.

Soyinka, a Nobel Laureate agrees, expressing his objection to the ban of Abdulkareem song.

The literary icon made his position known in a statement he issued from Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates at the weekend.

He said repressive regimes don’t usually last because “we have been through this before” and knows “ where it ends”.

According to him, freedom of expression is not a localized issue but an international one which should be toyed with by any government in power, adding that any government which only listen to praise singers is headed for the abyss.

Soyinka: “We have been through this before, over and over again, ad nauseam. We know where it all ends. It is boring, time-wasting, diversionary, but most essential of all, subversive of all seizure of the fundamental right of free expression.

“Oh, bear in mind also theocratic “authorities” that continue to arrogate to themselves the right to arrest and imprison artists and thinkers for their expression of opinion and vision of human existence.

“The fundamental right of free expression, as already touched upon, is not a closet affair; it is never hidden but echoes as loudly on international fora as in the most obscure hamlet.

“Any government that is tolerant only of yes-men and women, which accommodates only praise-singers and dancers to the official beat, has already commenced a downhill slide into the abyss.

“Whatever regulating body is responsible for this petulant irrationality should be compelled to reverse its misstep.”

until now, Soyinka has been under serious criticism from not a few Nigerians who accused him of remaining silent on critical national issues.

He had told his critics to give him more time to be able to assess the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

A Disturbing Spectacle in a Season of Celebration: A Call for Moral Clarity

The Source

April 14, 2025

By Abraham Amah

The recent display orchestrated by socialite Pretty Mike at the 50th birthday celebration of Obi Cubana is not just disturbing—it is deeply troubling and a stark reflection of the moral confusion that now pervades our social spaces.

What should have been a moment of joy, gratitude, and celebration for a life well-lived was hijacked by an entrance laced with dark symbolism, occultic semblance, and an eerie glorification of tragedy. Dressing individuals to portray gruesome accident victims, wrapped in bloodied bandages and contorted in theatrical pain, in the name of art or attention-seeking, is not only insensitive—it is spiritually distasteful and morally offensive.

As a society, we must resist the creeping normalization of such disturbing theatrics. This is not creativity; it is a blatant flirtation with forces and imagery that are antithetical to light, life, and righteousness. When grotesque scenes resembling rituals or death parades are allowed to take center stage in a dignified gathering, it sends a dangerous message—that anything goes, as long as it garners attention.

Let us be clear: the line between entertainment and spiritual manipulation is thin, and we must be discerning. Public figures must recognize the influence they wield. Their actions are not done in a vacuum; they shape perceptions, inspire imitation, and set standards, especially for the younger generation.

We cannot claim to honor God or uphold traditional values while applauding what looks like a modern-day masquerade of morbidity. It is high time we re-evaluated what we celebrate and who we elevate. Our culture, our children, and our collective spiritual sanity are at stake.

I call on our entertainers, event organizers, and influencers to uphold decorum, respect, and moral clarity in their public expressions. Let our celebrations be filled with life-giving inspiration, not macabre exhibitions disguised as performance art. There is still a place for reverence, for dignity, and for light in our gatherings—if only we choose it.

Elder Amah is a Public Commentator, Cultural & Ethical Advocate

Plateau Killings: Obi Visits Community, Donates N7.5m To Victims

Tosin Olatokunbo

April 14, 2025

The 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Petr Obi has donated N7.5 million to the victims of the recent deadly attack in Bokkos Local Government of Plateau state.

The donation will be used to cater for the feeding, education and immediate needs of the children, women according to the former presidential candidate.

Obi made the remark after paying a condolence visit to the victims of the attack on Sunday.

The opposition leader made the announcement on his verified X handle on Monday, saying such attacks are unacceptable and senseless, adding that the security of lives and property should be paramount to any serious government.

The magazine reported that no fewer than 50 persons and dozens of houses razed after suspected fulani herdsmen attacked the community, a fortnight ago, leaving in their trail hundreds of displaced persons.

Obi said it is unthinkable that people are being killed and other forced to flee their homes when the country is not at war, adding that Nigerians should not be made to live in fear wherever they chose to live.

The lamented the fate that has now befallen displaced children, women, and their entire community following the attack., hoping that the people will get their lives back as they try to rebuild their communities which have been destroyed by the fleeing criminals.

He said, “What has happened in these communities is very saddening and utterly unacceptable. Nigerians should not be killed or forced to flee their homes when we are not at war. Every life is precious, and no Nigerian, regardless of where they live, should have to live in fear or uncertainty.

“My deepest condolences go to the families and communities who have suffered tragic losses. No words can truly capture the pain and devastation that such senseless violence brings.

“Earlier, the Obidient Movement had built a borehole to provide clean water for the IDP camp and the community, and we continued the support yesterday with the sum of 7.5 million naira to help in providing facilities for the displaced children, provide continuous education and on going needs of those affected.

“My heart is with the people of Bokkos, the displaced children, women, and entire communities during this difficult time,” Obi stated.

During his visit to the state on April 6, the National security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu had sued for peace among the residents in the state, describing the attacks to be too many, saying ‘enough is enough’ as the government is trying to ensure the security of lives and property.

The NSA who spoke during a visit to the headquarters of Operation Safe Haven urged the people to live together in peace, saying too many lives have been lost already to the attacks.

Ribadu said, “We are going through tough times, difficult times, but it’s not going to be forever. The issue of security is for all of us. We all have to come together. Everyone has a role to play.”

“Communities—those who have been living together for years and decades—it’s time for us to say enough is enough. We have lost many people. But it’s not exactly like the figures you see out there. But even one soul lost is a lot.”

“Don’t Spray Perfume On Arm Pit, Private Part” – Shehu Sani

Adesina Soyooye

April 14, 2025

By Adesina Soyooye

Shehu Sani, a former Senator, activist, and an active commentator on current issues, is neither a Medical Doctor nor does he work at the National Agency For Food And Drug Administration Control, NAFDAC but he has a serious health warning for those in the habit of spraying perfume on their armpit or private parts.

A number of people, in order to avoid any embarrassing odour/smell, are in the habit of spraying perfumes on those parts. But Senator Sani advises: Don’t do it. Stop it. The habit causes cancer.

In a post, Sunday, on his Facebook page, Senator Sani revealed that a young man he knew, and identified as Salisu, who regularly sprayed perfume in those areas developed Cancer and died.

Sani: “Don’t spray perfume in your armpit or private parts. If you are in the habit of doing that, learn from this. A young man called Salisu used to do so, and suddenly it triggered a strange form of cancer in those areas. The spots got rotten and his health deteriorated. He is now dead”.

Senator Sani did not, however, say if Salisu’s doctors said his type of Cancer was caused by the constant spraying of perfume in those areas. He, also, admitted to having no scientific proof, but said he shared Salisu’s story as a warning. He added: “Just a piece of advice.”

“Within Two Years, Natasha Has Performed Better than Ndume’s 22 Years In NASS” – Presidency

Adesina Soyooye

April 14, 2025

Daniel Bwala and Ali Nndume and Akpoti Natasha

By Adesina Soyooye

Daniel Bwala, President Bola Tinubu’s Adviser on Policy Communications, has rated suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan better than Senator Ali Ndume in terms of performance.

Speaking on a Channels Television’s interview programme, Sunday, Bwala rated Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s performance in less than two years at the Senate, better than Senator Ali Ndume’s 16 years in the Senate, and before then, four years at the House of Representatives.

Note, however that Ndume and the Presidency have been at each other’s neck over the Senator’s strong criticisms of President Bola Tinubu’s Government, especially, in recent times.

In response to some of the criticisms against Tinubu by Ndume, Bwala literally dismissed Ndume’s 22 years stay at the National Assembly as a waste. He said that Ndume has never sponsored a successful bill, and even questioned how he always managed to go to the Senate because, according to Bwala, the Senator has never won in the Party’s Senatorial Primaries. “He has never won any Primaries. It is usually handed over to him”, Bwala said.

Bwala dismissed as a lie, Ndume’s claims to sponsorship of the bill which established the North East Development Commission, NEDC.

Bwala: “This is a Senator who has been a Lawmaker for the past 22 years; four years as a House of Representatives Member and about 16 years as a Senator. Yet, 120,000 of his Constituents are still in Cameroon as Internally Displaced Persons.

“If you like, I can give you the figures of the money allocated to Southern Borno for Constituency projects, but there is no single project to show for it.

“He has never had a bill passed. 90% of his Bills don’t even make it past second reading. They are dismissed outright, not even brought up for debate.

“He goes about parading himself as the sponsor of the bill that established the North East Development Commission. It’s a lie. It was Senator (Murtala) Nyako who sponsored the bill.

“He has never won a primary. It is always handed to him. He hides behind the Governor during visits. In fact, he was stoned in his village in 2023.

“He should be using the Media to call on the President to help bring his people back from Cameroon.

“This Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has spent less than two years in office, yet, she has done far more for her Constituency than Ndume has in 22 years. I challenge him to come out and tell us what he has done. Even the House of Representatives Members from his Constituency have done better than him.”

For the records, Tinubu and Ndume are of the same Political Party, APC. Ndume was, months ago, stripped of his position as the Majority Chief Whip of the Senate after one of his stinging criticisms of President Tinubu.

“Abia 2027: Rotimi Amaechi Writes Off Other Parties, Says “Otti’s Second Term, A Walkover”

The Source

April 14, 2025

By Charles Igbo

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Rotimi Amaechi, is not giving his party any chance in the 2027 Governorship election in Abia State.

Amaechi, a two-term Governor of Rivers State, and the immediate past Minister of Transportation, gave his party and other parties a zero-chance in the 2027 Governorship race. He said the election will be a walk-over for the incumbent State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti.

He spoke in Umuahia when he led a delegation of Otti’s University matesat the University of Port Harcourt to Umuahia to see some of Otti’s accomplishments as Governor since May 29, 2023, when he was sworn-in.

Overwhelmed by how much the State has changed since Otti, Amaechi wondered where the Governor was getting the money to embark on the challenging but solid and laudable projects. The question to ask Otti is from where he is getting funds to embark on the projects, Amaechi wondered.

Amaechi: “We are a delegation of Governor Alex Otti’s year mates from the University of Port Harcourt; those of us who graduated between 1980 and 1989.

“Seeing is believing. This is incredible, especially, Port Harcourt road. The last time I was here, it was littered with refuse and riddled with gullies not potholes. To see the transformation in commendable.

“The question to ask is: where is he getting the money to fund all this? Many Governors complain – genuinely – that there’s no money. So, Alex must tell us how he’s doing it.

“What I saw at the Omenuko Bridge which was a death trap is commendable. The old bridge was terrifying. It looked like something out of the civil war era. Why was it left in that condition all these years? Did the previous Governors not see it? People even died there in the 70s and 80s.

“If the current pace and quality of work are sustained, Otti’s second term bid will be a walkover.”

Governor Alex Otti is of the Labour Party, LP.

“US Court Order: Why Are Your Lawyers Scrambling?” – Atiku Tackles Tinubu

The Source

April 14, 2025

By Gideon Njoku

President Bola Tinubu has come under an attack by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

The attack stems from a United States of America’s order that the files related to President Tinubu’s alleged involvement in drugs be made public.

These allegations against Tinubu have been public since 1999 when he was the Governor of Lagos State. It intensified in 2023 when he was vying for the seat of the President which he eventually won, those allegations not withstanding.

However, they cropped their heads again a couple of days ago when an order was given by the United States that the details be made public. Since this order which has again brought excitement in some quarters and dismissal in some other quarters, a number of people have weighed in.

On Sunday, the Presidency which had maintained a studied silence spoke.

In a statement which dismissed the current excitement as nothing new, Presidential Spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said that ” there is nothing new to be revealed” about the alleged involvement of President Tinubu in drug dealings while he was a student in the United States.

However, Atiku found a problem with Onanuga’s claims and swiftly responded through one of his Aides, Phrank Shuaibu.

In a response on his X page, Shuaibu wondered why Lawyers to the President were still analyzing the documents related to the case if there is nothing new.

He said: ” If there is truly nothing new, then, what exactly are your Lawyers studying? You can’t claim finality while your legal team is still flipping through pages. Either the matter is settled or you are still scrambling – it can’t be both.”

President Tinubu has consistently claimed innocence in the drug case and other related cases. He was never directly involved in any of them, he said, even though he forfeited money in the alleged drug case.

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