News
Fakorede’s Sins Rivers Seeks World Leaders’ Intervention

The Rivers State Government has intensified moves towards redeployment or award of appropriate sanctions to the Commander, Rivers State Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Mr. Akin Fokorede for alleged atrocities being committed by the security outfit in the state.
At a press conference, last Monday in Port Harcourt, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Barrister Emma Okah called on President Muhammadu Buhari to save the people and residents of Rivers State from criminal activities of SARS under the leadership of Fakorede.
The commissioner, who also called on well-meaning Nigerians, and world leaders to do the needful, said the call has become imperative in view of the fact that several letters of complaints by the state government to the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris have continued to fall on deaf ears.
Okah said: “Rivers State Government had accused him and his men of organised election rigging, extra judicial killings, armed robbery, kidnapping, extortion, planting of incriminating evidence on innocent people or their property, illegal arrest and detention, inhuman and degrading treatment of innocent people and rape.
“We still stand on those allegations, and with all sense of responsibility; many of them have increased in intensity”.
The commissioner further accused the SARS boss of running the armed wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state to accomplish two tasks.
He listed the tasks to include, “Firstly, is to rig the last rerun elections in favour of the APC, which he has achieved successfully. Secondly, he is to perfect his strategy to rig the 2019 general elections in Rivers State in favour of his party and against the will of the people.
“In preparation for his second assignment, he is to use SARS to disorganise the security architecture of Rivers State and foist an atmosphere of crime infestation and continuously cause security disorder until the 2019 elections when he will do his final assignment and deliver APC at all cost, no matter the number of people who may be killed in the process”, he said.
Describing Fakorede as a deeply biased police officer whose continued stay in the police or Rivers State is a grave source of danger to the nation, the commissioner called on Buhari to prevail on the Police High Command to save the state by removing the SARS commander and bring a new person who would exhibit professionalism in handling the outfit.
The commissioner noted that Fakorede was brought to the state through the influence of a serving minister in Buhari’s government for ulterior motives; hence, the hands of the IGP and Police Service Commission are tied from sanctioning the said SARS commander who had assumed the position of an untouchable.
Okah, who reacted to the challenge from Fakorede in the media for any person with evidences of wrong treatment against SARS operatives to forward same to him, listed the incident of 12th December, when the SARS boss stormed the Rivers East INEC Collation Centre in Port Harcourt and beat up the returning officer and a former commissioner who is still receiving treatment till date.
He also listed alleged kidnap of one Azumana Ifeanyi, who was forced to withdraw N500,000 ransom for them from an ATM Machine, stressing that in the process, a shootout ensued between the Federal SARS invited by a member of the victim’s family and the SARS operatives, which resulted in the killing of one operative, in addition to the killing of one Mr. Ajibade Ademisoye by operatives of SARS alleging that he was a cultist.
“The social media and radio stations are full of complaints by the public. Since his radio appearance, and beyond what we already know, several persons have more startling revelations about the operations of SARS officers in Rivers State”, he said.
He explained that operatives of SARS use different vehicles with no plate numbers or any mark or name tag or rank to identify them, and added that with their frightening looks, victims were scared of approaching them with indicting evidences.
Okah called on Buhari, and world leaders to investigate the allegations against Fakorede and save the state from his mission.
Chris Oluoh
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.
-
Opinion4 days ago
Checking Herdsmen Rampage
-
News4 days ago
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
-
News4 days ago
Tinubu, Govs Forum Congratulate Okpebholo On S’Court Victory …As Obaseki Expresses Disappointment
-
Sports4 days ago
Coach Eager To Transform El Kanemi Warriors
-
News4 days ago
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman
-
Rivers4 days ago
NDDC: Staff Walk Ten Kilometers To Commemorate 25th Anniversary
-
Politics4 days ago
Obey Order On AA In Six Days, Court Directs INEC, Yakubu
-
Niger Delta4 days ago
HYPREP Trains Lab Technicians To Standardise Water Quality In Ogoniland