Author: Eileen Peters

THE Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has destroyed more than 100 illegal refining sites across the Niger Delta within the last five months, in a major escalation of its crackdown on crude oil theft and environmental degradation. The intensified air operations, executed under Operation DELTA SAFE (OPDS), are part of a coordinated effort to dismantle criminal networks, safeguard vital oil infrastructure and secure Nigeria’s economic backbone. According to a statement issued by Ehimen Ejodame, Director of Public Relations and Information, the operations were carried out by the 115 Special Operations Group (115 SOG), which houses the Air Component of OPDS. The…

THE Federal Ministry of Education has condemned an incident of candidates writing the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) at night using torchlights. The Minister of State for Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, expressed his displeasure in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo. Boriowo quoted the minister as outlining the situation captured in the widely circulated video as “completely unacceptable”, adding that all necessary measures would be taken to prevent a recurrence. He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to ensuring a conducive environment for learning and assessment. Alausa criticised…

THE Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has announced a scheduled maintenance shutdown of the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), set to begin on May 24, 2025. In a statement released on Saturday by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Femi Soneye, the NNPC said the shutdown is part of a planned maintenance and sustainability assessment aimed at ensuring optimal performance of the facility. The statement reads: “The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) wishes to inform the general public that the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) will undergo a planned maintenance shutdown. “This scheduled maintenance and sustainability assessment…

GOVERNOR Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom has directed all commissioners and political appointees to defect with him from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) or resign from their positions. Eno said it was no longer news that he has made up his mind to defect to the APC. “Anybody who claims he is not aware of my intention to leave PDP is still living in 18th century,” Eno stated. Eno reportedly gave the directive during the ongoing state Executive Council Meeting taking place in Uyo on Thursday, according to sources at the meeting. The governor…

THE Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, has issued a stern warning to members of the State Executive Council, threatening to sanction any cabinet member who fails to adhere strictly to official protocols of his engagements. Eno warned that officials found wanting would be immediately relieved of their position. The governor, who gave the marching order during an unscheduled stop at the site of the Judiciary Village in Uyo on Friday, expressed displeasure at the disregard for official procedures by some members of his cabinet. He said, “That’s like four commissioners and I’ve not found them. Starting today, I…

THE Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has described the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, as his political son despite their rift. In an interview with BBC Pidgin published on Saturday, Wike said he cannot fight his son, refuting claims of a feud. He stated the battle was not against Fubara, but those he claimed had been pushing the governor against him. He said, “That one is not a battle. He (Fubara) is my boy, he is my son, why will I fight with him? “I’m only fighting against people who want to steal what they…

THE Court of Appeal has reserved judgments in three appeals and a cross appeal filed in relations to the dispute over the governorship election held in Edo State on September 21, 2024, in which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner. A three-member panel of the court, presided over by Justice M. A. Danjuma, which sat in Abuja on Thursday, told lawyers to the parties, after taking their final arguments, that the judgments are reserved till a date to be communicated to them. The appeals heard included the one…

SOME unidentified gunmen have carried out a series of daring attacks along the waterways in Rivers State, abducting at least 16 people in separate incidents. The first assault was said to have occurred near the Borikiri axis of Port Harcourt, where pirates intercepted a wooden cargo boat en route to Bonny in the Bonny Local Government Area. While there were five passengers aboard, three were forcibly taken away on Tuesday. However, an elderly man and the boat driver were left behind. In a chilling repeat of violence, another boat, piloted by the same captain whose vessel was attacked just weeks…

THE immediate-past Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, has denied returning N500 billion to the state government as part of payment for the ongoing investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. There had been rumours making the rounds that the former governor has discreetly returned over ₦500 billion to the Delta State Government in what appears to be a calculated move to avoid prosecution and reassert political influence. According to rumours, the refund was made under the radar as part of a confidential arrangement aimed at staving off legal consequences and possibly negotiating a soft landing with anti-graft authorities.…

FOUR seminarians have died and nine others have been wounded in an accident at the Obudu Ranch Resort, Cross River State. The incident happened at Ikwette community by Obudu Ranch Resort bottom hill, according to a statement by the Nsa Gill, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Bassey Otu. “The unfortunate incident resulted in the loss of four lives and injuries to nine others. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims during this incredibly difficult time,” the statement read. “The accident involved a vehicle carrying thirteen individuals, and preliminary reports suggest that brake failure…

DESPITE a “walkout” staged by Rivers women at the empowerment scheme for 500 underprivileged women in Rivers State, the State Government said the event still held. A statement by the Senior Special Adviser on Media to the Rivers State Government, Hector Igbikiowubo, said the empowerment event, held at the EUI Event Centre in Port Harcourt on Friday, saw beneficiaries receive deep freezers, gas cookers with ovens, grinding machines, and generators. The statement said the wife of the President, Senator Tinubu, represented by the wife of the Rivers State Administrator, Dr. Theresa Ibas, addressed the women, noting that the initiative is…

THE suspended governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has returned to the state after spending approximately two weeks on vacation overseas. The governor touched down at the international wing of the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, at about 7PM on Friday. A video of the governor’s arrival shows him being received by some aides at the Airport. He was led to a waiting SUV, which sped away at once. In March, President Bola Tinubu suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy Prof. Ngozi Odu, and members of the State House of Assembly following his declaration of a state of emergency in the…

GOVERNOR Monday Okpebholo has raised the minimum wage for workers in Edo State from ₦70,000 to ₦75,000 in a bid to improve their living standard. The governor announced this on Thursday at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City during the celebration of this year’s Workers’ Day. “Today, I am proud to announce that our administration has approved a new minimum wage of N75,000 per month for Edo workers. “It’s our way of saying thank you, Edo workers. We believe this will make a real difference, and in return, we count on your renewed dedication as we build a better…

THE Rivers State Government has expressed concern over what it described as the deliberate misrepresentation of its retrieval of official vehicles from the residence of the suspended Deputy Governor of the State, Professor Ngozi Odu. In a statement signed by his Senior Special Adviser on Media to the sole administrator, Hector Igbikiowubo, the government confirmed the recovery of two Toyota Hilux vehicles and one Hiace bus, describing the move as a routine administrative action aimed at securing state property. It accused unnamed political actors of twisting the event to stoke public tension. The statement read in part, “We question the…

DELTA State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori has voiced hope that former Governor James Ibori may eventually join the All Progressives Congress (APC). The governor made this remark on Tuesday at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Otu-Jeremi, Ughelli South LGA, during a vigil mass held in memory of the late former Deputy Governor, Professor Amos Utuama. Governor Oborevwori used the occasion to emphasise the importance of solidarity among Urhobo political leaders. Paying heartfelt homage to the late Prof. Utuama, he reflected on the depth of his contributions, stating: “I’m glad to be present at this gathering, organised for one man…

EDO State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has suspended the Executive Secretary of Edo Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Caulson Oahimire, over alleged financial infractions. This is contained in a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Ikhilor, on Tuesday in Benin, the state capital. The statement directed the most senior staff of the agency to take over pending the outcome of an investigation by a special committee. “The Executive Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has ordered the immediate suspension of the Executive Secretary, Edo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Caulson Osoikhia Oahimire, over allegations of grave…

MINISTER of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed rumours of his ill health and collapse while laying out conditions for any genuine reconciliation with his political protégé-turned-rival, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara. Speaking on Friday at the platinum jubilee celebration of Honourable Ken Chikere in Port Harcourt, Wike addressed ongoing tensions in Rivers State. He stressed that while he is open to peace, it must involve all key political actors and not serve as a mere façade. “We are men of peace, not of trouble,” he declared. “But it must be peace with sincerity, not peace as…

DELTA State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, and his deputy, Monday Onyeme, have dumped the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress. Oborevwori moved to the APC along with his predecessor and running mate of Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 presidential election, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa. Others who moved to the ruling party with the governor are his commissioners and major stakeholders in the PDP in Delta State. The announcement was made following a closed-door meeting at the Government House in Asaba on Wednesday. The Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, confirmed the development in a phone conversation with News Point…

THERE are indications that suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, is warming up to making concessions to ease the political tension in the state. This followed Fubara’s meeting with President Bola Tinubu in London during the latter’s 18-day retreat in Europe. The meeting, confirmed by The Africa Report, was at the request of Governor Fubara, who first came into office in May 2023. Although this newspaper could not confirm details of the meeting at press time, a senior presidential adviser told the Paris-based publication that, Fubara “pledged to make certain concessions in a bid to ease tensions.” “It is true.…

A POLICE Inspector identified as Maxwell Zabu, who was attached to a former Chairman of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State, Victor Ihunwo, has allegedly taken his own life by blowing his head off in the early hours of Tuesday. The tragic incident occurred at Eagle Island, the Port Harcourt residence of the former local government chairman. Although full details surrounding the circumstances of the death remain unclear as of press time, preliminary reports indicate that the officer died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the head. The incident was first reported at the Eagle Island Police…