Author: Gloria Lamar Johnson

THE collation of governorship and house of assembly election results in Ahoada East Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State has been disrupted. Trouble reportedly started when two party agents got into a disagreement within the LGA premises of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), resulting in a fracas. An eyewitness told our correspondent that gunshots were heard, and tear gas canisters were shot as the university professors serving as collation officers scampered to safety. Even the INEC officials took their heels leaving the hall empty. At the time of filing this report on Saturday evening, some of the collation…

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Saturday paraded 20 persons arrested for alleged vote-buying in Kwara state. The commission said that the suspects were arrested in Irepodun, Ilorin West and Ilorin South local government areas of the state during the governorship and House of Assembly elections. Parading the suspects, Acting Commander, Ilorin Zonal office of the commission, Michael Nzekwe, said the commission acted on credible intelligence to carry out the operation. “Majority of the people arrested were directly involved in vote-buying. We got credible intelligence and we acted on it. Some of the arrests were made in Omu-Aran,…

THERE was pandemonium at units 11 and 17 in Eresoyen Primary School Uhogua- Iguoshodin community, Ovia South East Local Government Area of Edo State, when gunmen stormed the centres. It was learnt that INEC officials arrived at the polling units with election materials at about 7:30am and commenced accreditation at 8:30 am. It was gathered that gunmen numbering three stormed the area shooting sporadically. They reportedly snatched the BVAS machine, ballot boxes and papers in the process. A voter who spoke to Daily Trust said the scenario like a war zone. “As people gathered to vote, gunmen stormed the camp…

THE Governorship and State House of Assembly elections are not holding in Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State following the insistence of voters to sight electoral officers and Collation officers. It was gathered that there was a heated disagreement at the RAC Center in Buguma, Headquarters of Asari-Toru Local Government over the non-presence of INEC EOs and Result Sheets. It took the efforts of security agents to calm the voters as they insisted on sighting INEC EOs and Result Sheets before materials could leave the RAC Centre. When News Point Nigeria visited the INEC Office in Buguma, INEC Adhoc…

THERE was violence in Mosogar, Ethiope West Local Government Area, Delta State as three persons were reportedly shot dead and the house of a former Chairman of local government council, Dr. Wilson Omene was set ablaze during Governorship and House of Assembly elections in the area. Though the circumstances surrounding the voilence could not be ascertained at press time, sources said the deceased died after exchange of gunfire between security operatives and irate youths. Violence also reportedly erupted in Evwreni, Ughelli North LGA, as thugs reportedly attacked INEC officials, destroying about three BVAS machines and other electoral materials in the…

THERE is heavy shooting at Bori, the headquarters of Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, and two people are feared killed in the development. This was coming as voters in the area trooped out en masse to protest alleged irregularities in the process. The protest was as a result of alleged moves by a particular party in collation with the police to thwart the process. The voters who are in deep regrets and fear say the material were transferred to homes of top politicians in the LGA, while material meant for Ikwerre LGA, home LGA of the former Transportation…

THE National Judicial Council has recommended the compulsory retirement of the Chief Judge of Taraba State High Court, Justice F. B. Andetur, with immediate effect. The NJC’s Director, Information, Soji Oye, in a statement on Friday, noted that the recommendation came after its 101st Meeting of March 16, 2023 held under the Chairmanship of Justice Kayode Ariwoola. Justice Andetur was said to have been recommended for compulsory retirement, following the findings of an investigation committee to a petition written against him by Senator Muhammed Sanusi Dagash. The chief judge was accused of suppressing judgement by failing to deliver judgement in…

RIVERS State Governor, Nyesom Wike on Thursday, alleged that his predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi; and the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tonye Cole worked against the ambition of their party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu. “Rotimi Amaechi and his protégé, Tonye Cole, actively opposed the demand for power shift to the South and worked against their party’s presidential candidate in Rivers State,” Wike alleged during a state broadcast. “When the President-Elect emerged as the winner, Tonye Cole rushed to congratulate him on his Instagram handle but deleted the post when he was criticised…” Back in June 2022, Tinubu trounced…

THE Imo State Police Command has summoned the Former Governor of the state, Emeka Ihedioha; his deputy, Gerald Irona, and spokesman for Coalition of United Political Parties and House of Reps-elect for Ideato North and South Federal Constituency, Ikenga Ugochinyere-Imo for alleged murder, kidnapping and arson. The invitation letter obtained by News Point Nigeria, dated March 13th, 2023, with the heading “Re: Case of murder, kidnapping and arson” was signed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Administration, Ukachi Opara, and addressed to the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Imo State, Charles Ugwu, asking the PDP…

GUNMEN have kidnapped a stalwart of the All Progressives Congress and party secretary in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, Mr. Amadi Osaronu. Osaronu was reportedly abducted by gunmen dressed in police uniforms from his residence in Aluu, Ikwerre LGA on Wednesday. The State APC Publicity Secretary, Darlington Nwauju, confirmed the incident on Thursday. “No amount of intimidation and arm-twisting will change the outcome of the March 18 which would be a resounding defeat for the Peoples Democratic Party,” he said. More details in a while…

THE International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said that foreign airlines’ blocked funds in Nigeria have risen to over 743.7 million dollars. IATA disclosed this in a letter written to the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika in Abuja and obtained by News Point Nigeria on Wednesday. The letter dated March 14, 2023, and signed by the Area Manager, West, and Central Africa, Dr. Samson Fatokun showed that the airline blocked funds rose from $549 million in December 2022 and $662 million in January to $743.7 million. IATA noted that for over a year, Nigeria has been the country with the…

MRS Beatrice Ekweremadu testified on Tuesday in her and her husband Senator Ike Ekweremadu’s organ harvesting trial at the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, also known as Old Bailey, London. The couple is accused of plotting alongside one Dr Obinna Obeta to arrange an illegal kidney transplant for their sick daughter Sonia, 25, who is also named as a defendant. They allegedly conspired to transport a 21-year-old street trader from Lagos to London to harvest his organ. With the trial entering its seventh week, a teary Mrs Ekweremadu took the stand in the former Deputy Senate President’s defence,…

GUNMEN have kidnapped the Accord Party candidate for the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area Constituency 2 in the Rivers State House of Assembly for the March 18 election, Chukwudi Ogbonna. News Point Nigeria reports that, Mr Ogbonna was reportedly kidnaped while driving in his car at Rumuigbo, near Port Harcourt on Monday night when the gunmen forced him to stop and whisked him away with his car. The candidate’s cousin’s brother, Ifeaka Nwakiri confirmed the incident to our correspondent on Tuesday morning, saying “They took him with his Mercedes car. We have reported the matter at the Kala Police station.” More…

A FORMER prosecutor with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nkereuwen Mark Anana, has dragged the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, before the Federal High Court, Lagos, seeking to know how the 13 percent oil derivation refunds aid received from the Federal Government was utilised. Apart from the governor, the state’s Accountant General and the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) are also listed as first to third defendants. Anana, a citizen of Akwa lbom State, in his 35-paragragh affidavit in support of the motion, stated that sometime in November 2022, at the venue of the inauguration…

THE legal and expert team of the Labour Party is in a meeting with officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja. The meeting with INEC officials which is being held at the Commission’s national headquarters is to start the process of inspection of electoral materials used for the February 25 presidential election. The head of the legal team, Dr Livy Uzoukwu, led 60 lawyers and are expected to brief journalist after the meeting.

THE National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says 10.6 million people, representing 10.8 per cent of the population, used cannabis in the past year. A statement from NAFDAC on Sunday said the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this during the launch and dissemination of the 2022 Annual Report of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) and Precursors Report 2022. She said the report revealed that cannabis is the most commonly used drug, with the average age of initiation of cannabis use among the general population put at 19 years. She said: ‘’Cannabis use was…

RIVERS State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has described the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, as the hero of the 2023 presidential election, saying the former governor is the reason power has now shifted to the South. Governor Wike stressed that the decision of Mr Peter Obi to contest the presidential election under the platform of the Labour Party, primarily prevented the north from retaining power after the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure. The Rivers State governor made the commendation during interactive meeting with Technical Dealers Association of Nigeria, Computer Dealers Association, Garrison Phone Dealers Association and…

THE Delta State Police command has confirmed the assault on a police officer by officers of the Nigerian Navy in a trending video on the social media. In the one-minute, 30 seconds clip, an assaulted officer was seen moving about restlessly inside the premises of the police station, with angry colleagues appealing to him to stay calm. The incident happened at Enerhen police station, near Warri. The unidentified officer’s face was bloodied and his police uniform was partially torn. A voice could be heard from the background shouting, “Kingsley, relax. Don’t take laws into your hands.” In his response, the…

ABOUT 10 lifeless bodies have been recovered three hours after unknown gunmen attacked Unguwar Wakili in Zango Kataf LGA of Kaduna State. In a statement, the authorities said a 24-hour curfew has been imposed on Ungwan Juju, Mabuhu, Ungwan Wakili and Zangon Urban with immediate effect. “This is to allow men of the Nigerian Army to restore peace on that axis,”Yabo Chris Ephraim,Special Assistant (Media) to the Executive Chairman, Zangon Kataf Local Government Council of Kaduna State has said. The police in Kaduna was yet to react to the incident.

LABOUR Party (LP) has threatened to protest at the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nationwide over the Commission’s failure to allow it to inspect materials used for the presidential election of February 25th, 2023. The party’s presidential candidate Peter Obi had sought an order from the Court of Appeal to prevent INEC from reconfiguring the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). But the court gave the Commission permission to reconfigure it and asked that Obi be given access to inspect the materials. Days after the ruling, the LP Presidential Campaign Council (LP-PCC) spokesman Dr Yunusa Tanko accused the…