News
Police Probe Obagi Youth Leader’s Murder
Homicide detectives from Omoku Police Station in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State are now working round the clock to unravel the circumstances surrounding the gruesome murder of the vice-chairman of Obagi Youths Federation, Mr Eddy Dimkpa alias Aso Rock in his bedroom at about 2.0pm last Monday by unknown gunmen.
The Tide investigation revealed that the gunmen, who came on a motor-cycle, invaded the house of the deceased’s first wife, and demanded the whereabouts of her husband.
It was further gathered that when the assassins could not track the deceased in his first wife’s house, they quickly moved to the second wife’s house, where they allegedly met the door open and broke into the bedroom, and shot him severally on the head.
Authoritative sources in Omoku Police Station told The Tide that the police were working on a theory of deliberate murder since the unknown gunmen did not remove any valuable item or demand cash from the deceased.
Our sources also said that the police were looking at possible cult-related or disagreements in the youth body for the murder of the deceased since election of Obagi youths body is due in the next three months.
The sources said that the corpse of the vice-chairman has been deposited in the mortuary in the area.
The Tide also learnt that before the gruesome murder of Eddy Dimkpa on April 1, 2013, the Security Director of Obagi Youths Federation, Mr Lekwort Chinwah was also short on March 3, 2013, while on security patrol of the community at about 10.00pm.
Mr Chinwah was said to be lucky as the assassins only shot him on his two legs, and he is said to be critically ill in an undisclosed hospital in the area.
When contacted on phone, the brother of the deceased, Mr Chituru Dimkpa refused to comment on the issue, saying that it was risky to speak on the murder of his brother on the pages of newspaper.
Reacting on the incident, the traditional ruler of Obagi community, Eze Abella Benson, described the murder of the deceased as barbaric.
He appealed to the police in the state to fish out the perpetrators of the act, and also urged the youth to remain calm and wait for the outcome of police investigation into the alleged murder.
When contacted on phone yesterday on the issue, the Public Relations Officer of Rivers State Police command, DSP Ben Ugwuegbulem, told The Tide that the state police command had not received any report on the incident but promised to reach the reporter after confirmation of the crime by his office.
But as at the time of going to the press, the police PRO was yet to get back to The Tide.
Isaac Nwankwo
News
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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