FEAR has gripped the hitherto peaceful town of Eket, headquarters of Eket local government area of Akwa Ibom State, following the return of insecurity and breach of peace by armed hoodlums in the oil community at the weekend. It was gathered that the criminals stormed the oil city, trailed and kidnapped a prominent businessman, Samuel Ekerenam, owner of Hephzibah Mall. After shooting sporadically to scare the passers-by away, this newspaper gathered that the body of the driver of the abducted Ekerenam was discovered lifeless in the pool of his blood, while his Police Orderly was severely wounded in the gun…
Author: Eileen Peters
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A FORMER police officer in Edo State, Inspector Edith Uduma, has threatened to kill herself and her children following her dismissal from the police force after she exposed an alleged rape incident involving a colleague. She accused the state police command of unjustly dismissing her, saying the public had not also heard her side of the story. Uduma’s dismissal came after a viral video that she captured in October showed one Sergeant Abraham, another officer, in a compromising position with a 17-year-old girl at the police station in the South Ibie area of Edo State. The officer was seen hurriedly…
A LONG list of oil industry leaders, ministers of the federal republic, national assembly members, as well as oil and gas stakeholders are confirmed to attend the 2024 edition of thePractical Nigerian Content Conference and Exhibition slated for the first week of December at the magnificent Nigerian Content Tower, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. The theme of the event is “Deepening the Next Frontier for Nigerian Content Implementation” and it will be the 13th edition of the annual conference and exhibition, a signature event hosted by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in partnership with DMG Events. According to the…
EDO State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has approved the formation of a 14-member State Assets Verification Committee to investigate the administration of his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki. The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Fred Itua, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday. He said the committee, which will be inaugurated on Tuesday, 26 November 2024, at Government House in Benin City, will be chaired by Dr Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe. “In furtherance of the governor’s initiative to set the state on the path of development and accountable leadership, the establishment of a State Assets Verification Committee has become imperative,” the statement…
A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Lagos has granted an interlocutory injunction seeking to commence the process of winding down the operations of Prime Exploration and Production Limited. The order is sequel to a petition brought by Well Fluids Limited over issues believed to be related to a long outstanding unpaid debts. In a positive response to the prayers of the petitioner, Justice A. Lewis-Allagoa ordered, amongst other things that the respondent, Prime Exploration and Production Limited) and 19 other institutions, including 16 commercial banks, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System (NISS), as well as…
THE Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation says it will adhere to court orders regarding the disbursement of federal allocations to Rivers State, following recent legal controversies surrounding the state’s financial entitlements. Speaking to this newspaper Saturday morning, the Director of Press and Public Relations at the OAGF, Bawa Mokwa, said, “We are going to obey court order and released the money now. “Since there is a notice of appeal, the notice of appeal has overridden the earlier court judgment. So far, it is a court order that we will obey; if there is a notice of appeal, Rivers…
SOME Nigerians in Finland and other foreign countries are in panic following the arrest and detention of separatist leader, Simon Ekpa. Ekpa is one of the leaders of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra. According to sources, Nigerians in the European country are afraid of commenting on the arrest of the suspect over fear of being attacked. A Nigerian community leader, who spoke to one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, noted that the Igbo community was “gravely affected” by the violent acts of the secessionist group. He said, “Everyone is afraid to speak about…
A NEW militant group which tagged itself the Niger Delta Liberation Movement otherwise known as Movement, has claimed responsibility for bursting several pipelines along the Olero-Dibi-Abiteye Fields/Flow stations at about 2am on Friday. The group described the damage as “the launch of ‘Operation Chevron Dragnet”. This was contained in a press statement signed by the Secretary of NDLM, Mr. Emmanuel Tagbanaraewumi, which was made available to journalists in Warri on Friday. The statement partly reads, “Movement begins ‘Chevron Dragnet’: bursts pipelines along Olero-Dibi-Abiteye Fields in Delta. “The blast pipelines, which are six inches, eight inches, and 10 inches in diameter,…
THE Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says its Ahoada-Yenagoa 132kV line, which is currently under repair due to previous vandalism, was again targeted by vandals on Tuesday. In a statement released by its spokesperson, Ndidi Mbah, on Friday, the TCN said the attack, which affected towers 29 to 31, resulted in the theft of approximately one-third of the conductor. The statement said that a team of TCN engineers, led by Engr. Emmanuel Akpa, General Manager of the Port Harcourt Region, has conducted an inspection of the site. “Preliminary findings indicate that the incident occurred at night. In an attempt to…
THE Court of Appeal Abuja has nullified the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voters’ register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission for the conduct of the state local government polls which has now been conducted. Delivering judgement, the special panel led by Justice Onyekachi Otisi, held that the lower court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter as Section 28 of the Electoral Act does not cover elections conducted by states, only federal elections, governorship and area council elections in the Federal Capital Territory. The…
FOLLOWING his recent invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the former governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, says he is not afraid of being investigated by the anti-graft agency. He said that he is equally not afraid of what he called media trial which he claims is politically motivated by those who were against his support for the current governor of Delta State State, Sheriff Oborevwori. Okowa spoke when leaders of Delta North led by deputy Governor Monday Onyeme visited him at his residence in Asaba, the Delta State capital. The former governor stated that he has…
THE Defence Headquarters has dismissed as laughable allegations made by the Chief Executive Officer of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo, that Nigerian Navy personnel were aiding oil theft. Tompolo had specifically accused the Navy of frustrating the war against crude oil theft in the Niger Delta. Speaking on Monday night while receiving the national leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association, led by its National President, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), in Delta State, Tompolo lamented that the Navy was working at cross purposes with other state actors and private security outfits tasked with surveillance over…
A FINNISH court has sent separatist agitator, Simon Ekpa, to prison for spreading terrorist propaganda on social media. A district court of Päijät-Häme remanded him after the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested him alongside four other men over alleged terrorist offences. The self-declared Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government In-Exile was said to have committed the crime in 2021 in Lahti municipality. Also, according to a local report, the Central Criminal Police in Finland confirmed the arrest in a statement on its website on Thursday. The police said the main suspect was arrested “on suspicion of public incitement…
A SENIOR officer of the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and his orderly have been abducted by gunmen near the agency’s head office along the Isah-Ogwashi-Uku Road in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State. The incident reportedly occurred around 8:00 pm on Friday as the officer was heading home after work. Eyewitnesses stated that the assailants ambushed their victims, forcing them into an unmarked vehicle before fleeing the scene. Speaking on the incident, a source close to the agency said, “It seems like the kidnappers had prior knowledge of the officer’s movements. The ambush was well-coordinated, suggesting…
THE Rivers State Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) said it has uncovered a new method adopted by crude oil thieves to transport illegally refined petroleum products to neighbouring states. NSCDC Commandant in Rivers State, Joachim Okafor while addressing journalists at the Command Head Office in Port Harcourt, revealed that oil thieves now convey illegal petroleum products with Sport Utility Vehicles, SUVs to beat the vigilant eyes of men of the Corps. He said men of the Command’s Anti-Vandal Unit on patrol intercepted three SUVs laden with unquantified adulterated gasoline oil, AGO popularly known as diesel…
FORMER Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, says he knows the people behind his probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), saying he is not afraid of the agency’s investigation. Okowa stated this during a solidarity visit by the Delta State Traditional Rulers Council, led by Maj.-Gen. Felix Mujakperuo (retd.), the Orodje of Okpe, to his residence in Asaba on Thursday. The EFCC is probing Okowa, who was a two-term governor, over an alleged diversion of the sum of N1.3 trillion. The ex-governor and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) vice presidential candidate during the 2023 general elections, described the…
A FORMER member of the House of Representatives, Hon Chidi Nwogu has commended the resolute efforts of Prof Bond ANYAEHIE, Provost of College of Medicine, University of Nigeria,Nsukka,in working assiduously towards facilitating the accreditation of the Federal University of Technology Owerri Medical School by the Medical & Dental Council of Nigeria(MDCN). The achievement came to fruition through the unwavering belief in the capacity of Prof Bond Anyaehie by the governor of Imo state, His Excellency Senator Hope Uzodinma,who insisted on inviting and incorporating Prof Anyaehie into the facilitation team as Team Head. The MDCN delegation led by its Registrar, Dr…
THE Special Court of Appeal Panel set up to adjudicate on the political cases in Rivers State, has reserved judgment in the consolidated appeals contesting the judgment of Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja. The three-member panel of justices led by Justice Onyekachi Otisi announced that judgment in the appeals would be reserved after counsel to parties in the appeals adopted their briefs and final processes for and against the appeals. In one of the appeals bordering on the Rivers local government election, Justice Lifu in the judgment, barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from…
GOVERNOR Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has narrated how he discovered a dead bat on his bed before being declared the winner of the September 21 governorship election. Speaking during a post-swearing-in thanksgiving service held on Wednesday night at the Dr Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, Okpebholo said God led the battle for him. He said while his opponents were deploying different strategies, he depended on God who showed him the way. “I want to thank God. In this last election, while I was praising God, they (traducers) were busy operating from Arise. They were busy operating from Facebook.…
ENGINEER Simbi Kesiye Wabote, immediate past Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has debunked newsreports of his arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). A false news report on Wednesday claimed that Wabote was arrested over NCDMB’s investments in a modular refinery conceptualized by Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited for Brass Island in Bayelsa State. In a telephone conversation with select journalists on Wednesday, Wabote denied that he was ever arrestedby EFCC, insisting that he made a routine visit to the agency, just like they would invite any other person. He stated…