Author: Eileen Peters

THE Rivers State Government has demanded a refund of N300 million from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) following the relocation of its 2025 Annual General Conference from Port Harcourt to Enugu. In a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant on Media, Hector Igbikiowubo, the state government criticized the NBA’s reasons for moving the event, despite having received payment for hosting rights. “While we respect the NBA’s right to choose its conference venues, we find it curious that the association—despite its ‘principled position’— failed to address the refund of the N300 million already paid by the Rivers State Government for…

THE political crisis in Rivers has taken a new turn as a coalition of women groups stormed the streets of Port Harcourt in support of the emergency rule in the oil-rich state. The women who were dressed in white marched from the Garrison Flyover to the Isaac Boro Cark and were seen carrying placards with inscriptions such as “State of Emergency is Constitutional”, “We Don’t Want Fubara,” among others. They were led by a former Commissioner for Social Welfare in Rivers, Ifeyinwa Aguma, who is an ally of the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike. The protesters threw their weight…

A CROWD of women on Friday flooded the Aba road area of Port Harcourt, demanding the reinstatement of the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, and his deputy, Ngozi Odu. The protest, which began along the major road, and advanced to the Rivers State Government House, featured placards with bold inscriptions such as “Bring back Fubara”, “Save our democracy”, “Is the law different for Rivers State?”, and “God of justice, arise for Rivers State.” Chanting songs of solidarity, the women, who described themselves as mothers and wives, appealed directly to President Bola Tinubu to lift the suspension on Governor…

THE Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has relocated its 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC) from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to Enugu, citing constitutional breaches stemming from the appointment of a Sole Administrator to govern the state. The NBA described the move as a principled stand against what it termed the unconstitutional governance of Rivers State by Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.) who was appointed as Sole Administrator following the declaration of a state of emergency on March 18, 2025. In a statement released on Thursday and signed by Afam Osigwe, NBA president, Mobolaji Ojibara, general secretary, and Emeka Obegolu, chair of…

THE Federal Government, in collaboration with the Edo State Government, have set up a fact-finding Committee to look into the circumstances surrounding the recent killings of 16 Kano-bound Travellers in Uromi, the administrative headquarters of Esan North-East Local Government Area. Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, disclosed this on Thursday when he received a high-powered delegation from Kano State, led by the Deputy Governor of the State, Comrade Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo at the Government House in Benin City. Okpebholo said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not happy over what happened in Uromi and he is determined to ensure the State…

THE Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has directed the Rivers State Administrator to appear before it and justify why an interim injunction should not be granted to halt the appointment of Sole Administrators for the state’s 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs). The order, issued by Honourable Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed on Monday, April 7, 2025, followed an ex-parte motion filed by the Pilex Centre for Civic Education Initiative and its Coordinator, Courage Nsirimovu. The applicants sought to restrain the Rivers State Administrator and his agents from proceeding with the controversial appointments, arguing that such actions could undermine democratic processes…

AN Inspector of Police, Stephen Enang, slumped and died shortly after watching Arsenal’s emphatic 3–0 win over Spanish giants Real Madrid on Tuesday night in Calabar. The late Enang, a native of Ekori in Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State, was attached to the Akim Police Division along IBB Way. Known among friends for his soft-spoken nature and deep passion for Arsenal, Enang was said to be in high spirits throughout the game. According to a close friend, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Enang had been elated during the match, celebrating each Arsenal goal with great excitement…

RIVERS State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.) has approved the appointment of administrators for the 23 Local Government Areas of the state. This comes less that 24 hours after a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt reportedly restrained him from appointing administrators to oversea the affairs of the local government councils. The order was issued by Justice Adam Muhammed on Tuesday in suit no. FHC/PH/CS/46/2025 in the case filed by PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative led by Courage Msirimovu against the Sole Administrator in his official capacity. however, Ibas also approved the constitution of some boards…

THE Nigerian Correctional Service, Bayelsa State Command, has denied reports that 15 former domestic staff of ex-First Lady, Patience Jonathan, are being held illegally at the Okaka Custodial Centre. In a statement on Sunday, the Okaka Custodial Centre spokesman, Isari Gbosi Tombara, described the reports as false and aimed at tarnishing the image of the service. “The rumour has been in circulation, purporting that the former first lady detained the said domestic staff since 2019 for theft, and that there was a closed-door meeting between the former first lady and top correctional officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Bayelsa State…

THE Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the state capital, has issued an order restraining the police, the Department of Security Services (DSS), security services and others from arresting Edison Ehie, the suspended Chief of Staff to the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara. The court presided over by Justice IPC Igwe issued the order in a a motion brought before it by Ehie, who is the claimant/applicant. Others included in the suit as defendants/respondents are the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Director-General of the DSS; the state Director, DSS and the Police Service Commission (PSC). The judge said:…

THE Edo State Governorship Tribunal sitting in Abuja, has dismissed the petition instituted by the Action Alliance (AA) and one Adekunle Omoaje, against Governor Monday Okpebholo and the All Progressives Congress (APC), for lacking in merit and being frivolous. The Tribunal held that Adekunle Omoaje, who filed the joint petition, has no locus standi to Institute the case. Among others, the Tribunal held that Omoaje did not participate in the governorship election and as such has no power to question the validity of the election. The Tribunal also held that Omoaje’s grouse against the election was that he was not…

COMMUNITIES around Old Ilushi Road, Opere, and Good Will Junction in Uromi, Edo State, have been deserted by residents for fear of reprisals and arrests by security agents, following the lynching of 16 northern travellers by a mob in the area last Thursday. This came as Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State yesterday in Kano State, assured that justice will prevail for those killed in the mob attack. He also visited the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), where he said the 14 suspects so far arrested in connection with the killings, would soon be moved to…

EDISON Ehie, the Chief of Staff to suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has narrated why he allegedly turned down N5 billion bribe to coordinate the impeachment of his principal. Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Ehie claimed he has evidence of the bribe offer stored on his phone. “I can also open my phone to show you, in the beginning of October 2023, when they approached me with a bribe of N5 billion. It is here in my phone but I turned it down. “It was for impeachment. It’s here. I have it and I have printed it and…

THE Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, has ordered the ban of all illegal vigilante groups operating under whatever guise in the State. The governor also suspended the Commander of the Edo State Security Corps, CP Friday Ibadin (Rtd.). According to a statement signed by the Secretary to the Edo State government, Umar Musa Ikhilor, the action of the governor follows information of the General Public that after a review of the preliminary report of the unfortunate incident at Uromi in Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State on Thursday involving the gruesome killing of 16 northern travellers.…

AN EXPLOSION has rocked the Trans-Niger pipeline in the Bodo community, Gokana Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State. A resident of Bodo, who spoke to Channels Television, said that the blast took place on the onshore pipeline near the starting point of the Bodo-Bonny road. It reportedly occurred on Monday night along the pipeline that transports crude to the Bonny Export Terminal in Rivers State. In viral videos of the explosion spotted by Channels Television, thick black smoke billowed into the sky as the fire surged into the mangrove. Rivers is a map oil-producing state in Nigeria. While the…

THE Rivers State House of Assembly has issued a notice accusing the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, of alleged misconduct. Twenty-six members of the assembly made the misconduct allegation against Fubara in a notice sent to the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, on Monday. According to the lawmakers, their action follows “Section 188 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and other existing laws.” They accused Fubara of several offences including reckless and unconstitutional spending of public funds, ans obstructing the Assembly’s activities among others. See all the allegations filed against Fubara by…

THE Rivers State House of Assembly has served a notice of alleged misconduct against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, marking the process to impeach them. Twenty-six members of the Rivers Assembly raised the allegation in a notice sent to the speaker Martin Amaewhule and obtained by News Point Nigeria. They said the action was “in compliance with Section 188 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and other extant laws”. The lawmakers accused Fubara among other things of reckless and unconstitutional expenditure of public funds, hindering or obstructing the Rivers State…

ANGRY Ijaw women of Kalabari extraction on Saturday vandalised giant billboards bearing the pictures of Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike. The billboards which were erected at the junction leading to Abalama was in honour of Wike who is being hosted to a grand reception by the Ijaw stakeholders under the platform of NEW Associates. The reception comes amid protest from traditional rulers and people of Kalabari over a scheduled IYC Eastern zone meeting at the same venue. Hundreds of women decked in black attire with white scarf had in the early hours of Saturday barricaded the road…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the updated register of voters in Rivers State, along with the list of registered political parties in Nigeria, ahead of the forthcoming Local Government Council elections. In a letter dated March 13, 2025, and signed by the Administrative Secretary, Odor Napoleon Emezuiruke, INEC formally notified the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) of the release. The letter, addressed to the RSIEC Chairman, confirmed that a soft copy of the voters’ register had been provided in response to the commission’s request. READ ALSO: Fubara Writes Rivers Assembly Again, Proposes Wednesday For 2025 Budget…

GOVERNOR Monday Okpebholo of Edo has lifted the suspension of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Samson Osagie, with immediate effect. This newspaper reports that the governor had in February suspended Osagie alongside the chairman of the state Local Government Commission, Damian Lawani over alleged financial infractions. His recall is contained in a letter signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Umar Ikhilor, dated March 12, and made public Wednesday night. The letter reads: “Having considered the report of the Investigative panel set up by the government to investigate financial infractions against you, which has exonerated…