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Niger Delta

Land Disputes: C’River, Ebonyi Youths Hold Peace Summit

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6 years ago

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The warring communities in Cross River and Ebonyi States held a second peace summit in Calabar on the heels of incessant communal attacks that have claimed lives, displaced residents and destruction of property worth millions of naira over portions of land in the boundary communities.
Facilitated by the Catholic Diocese of Ogoja and Abakaliki, it drew communities from Adadama in Abi, Osokom in Obubra, Ukelle in Yala Local Government Areas of Cross River and Igbeagu in Izzi, Abakaliki and Ikwo Local Government Areas of Ebonyi States as they converged on Calabar last week to consolidate on the resolutions achieved during the first peace initiative held in Abakaliki recently.
Crusader of the Peace Summit, Rev. Fr. John Ezeh, highlighted key points of the peace efforts featuring the breaking of kolanut as a symbol of acceptance of peace that will usher in a return to mutual coexistence which has eluded these communities since two decades of hostilities amongst themselves.
The Cross River state Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, represented by the Permanent Secretary in charge of Security, Dr Alfred Mboto, urged youths in the warring communities to be law abiding and embrace peace to foster nation building.
“You cannot build a nation when you are not law abiding and being your brother’s keeper. Can you build a nation when you are insensitive to your neigbour whom you are supposed to see after his well-being?” He asked.
According to the permanent secretary, the governor expects the summit to bring lasting peace with a joint committee to discuss freely with youths from other areas while averring that those who flout the peace initiative should be treated as individuals not as a community.
“We expect that at the end of this summit, we should not have problems in these areas again. We would have a joint committee that would move freely to discuss things together and make sure that an individual crime is not generalized to become a community crime.”
On his part, the Special Adviser to the Governor in Northern Senatorial District, Mr. Leo Iyambe stressed that disarmament and security are a collective business hinting of Cross River government’s resolve in taking concerted efforts to fix security posts, flash points in Obubra, Abi and Yala Local Government.
“Security is not a one man thing, disarmament is another thing we need to discuss as youths to have relative peace. we are fixing security posts to ensure proactive movement to wade off any possible breach of peace”
Decrying the level of destruction, a youth leader from Obubra, King Omenge, enjoined youths from the warring communities who are at the receiving end as key actors of the incessant crisis to ensure peace is attained at all cost so as to return to the good old days as neighbours.
“Peace has eluded us in our area and we have concluded that this war has really destroyed and killed a lot of people. We cannot continue to kill ourselves, let us do everything possible to see how we can return to the good old days we used to live in peace”
Heaving a sigh of relief with news of disarmament from youths in Ebonyi and Cross River, Omenge said; “so far after our meeting in Abakaliki early this month, we went home with resolutions to disarm our youths in the bush and that has been achieved.”
The summit which did not touch on areas like; remote causes of the crisis, sponsors and blame game attracted top security Chiefs in Cross River, clergy, political leaders in the three local governments in Ebonyi as well as community leaders who resolved to work in harmony to ensure that peace is achieved at all cost.

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Niger Delta

Otu Orders Sanitation Operations Review In Calabar

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6 days ago

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March 16, 2026

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Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu,  has ordered an immediate review of environmental sanitation operations in Calabar metropolis.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Linus Obogo, on Friday, the Governor said the sanitary situation of the city had become a cause for concern.
He said the review became necessary because Calabar should continue to maintain its status as the cleanest city in the country.
“The city is now littered with wastes, the cleanliness status of Calabar is almost gone, we cannot just fold our arms and watch,” he said.
The Governor continued that every resident of the city had roles to play towards restoring the sanitary status of the city.
“Every resident should live up to their responsibilities. Our reputation in sanitation was not earned overnight, we worked for it.
“It is the product of discipline, policy consistency, and civic responsibility. We cannot allow negligence to take away this reputation,” he said.
He further directed that henceforth, sanitation exercise should be supervised by the office of his Special Adviser on General Duties.
“This intervention is intended to ensure stricter coordination among contractors and government agencies that are responsible for waste management,
“Environmental sanitation is not a peripheral concern of government. It is central to public health, urban dignity, and the overall quality of life of the citizens”, he said.
Otu expressed displeasure at lapses arising from the attitude of some refuse contractors in the state.
He said breakdown of mechanical tools could not be a reasonable excuse for non-evacuation of refuse.
“Operational setbacks should never translate into visible environmental neglect. Preparedness, contingency planning and prompt response are the hallmarks of responsible service providers.” he said.
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Niger Delta

Lawyer X-rays  Consequences Of Court Injuction Suspending INC Polls … As Diri Intervenes

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6 days ago

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March 16, 2026

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A Bayelsa-based lawyer, and candidate for the position of National Assistant Secretary in the suspended National Executive Council (NEC) elections of the apex Ijaw socio-cultural organization, the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Barr. Abraham Marshall, has said the court order, which restrained the conduct of the March 7th, 2026 polls, was a setback to stakeholders of the INC.
He expressed his worries about the plights of delegates who travelled from various parts of Ijaw land to come for the elections in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, only to be disappointed by the court order.
While thanking other candidates for maintaining orderliness and brotherliness all through the campaign processes, Marshall said the court injunction has devasted candidates vying for various positions.
He described the cost of what has already been spent on campaigns and sundry arrangements for the elections as huge.
Marshall noted that already he was a leading candidate for the position of National Assistant Secretary as he was optimistic of victory.
“First of all I’ve great confidence in the ability of the Electoral Committee headed by a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, HRM, Justice F.F Tabai, which was eager to conduct a seamless election.
“Some of us have campaigned through the three zones and clans of the INC. Some of us went to the Western Zone, Eastern and Central Zones to meet delegates.
“That is how it happenes atimes when there are contest, some persons who are aggrieved, rather than take laws into their hands, go to court to seek judicial redress. So, I want to commend all candidates for maintaining decorum throughout the entire process.
“I like to also call on stakeholders to quickly seek for ways through internal mechanisms of the INC to end this problem so that the elections can be conducted because as candidates we’ve incured lots of expenses leading to the process”, he stated.
Meanwhile, in a bid to proffer solutions to the issues bedeviling the smooth conduct of polls, Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, on Friday met with stakeholders of the INC and its six Presidential candidates, as well as other major stakeholders of the Niger Delta region in Government House, Yenagoa.
In his remarks, the Governor  commended individuals and institutions, including the presidential candidates and the Conference of Ijaw Traditional Rulers and Elders (CITRE), for their efforts towards actualising a peaceful and seamless transition of leadership in the Ijaw National Congress (INC).
The Tide gathered that at the meeting, the presidential candidates agreed to withdraw all subsisting litigations concerning the election.
Represented by his Deputy, Dr. Peter Akpe, Diri also expressed gratitude to the Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Ambassador Godknows Bolade Igali, the Chairman and members of the INC National Electoral Committee, and other stakeholders who contributed to the resolution reached at the meeting.
Drawing an analogy from the scriptures, particularly 1 Kings Chapter 3, he likened the unanimous agreement of the candidates to withdraw all pending court cases to the decision of the true mother of the disputed baby who pleaded with King Solomon not to cut the child into two.
According to the Bayelsa helmsman, the resolution reflects the enthusiasm, love and patriotic fervour in all the presidential candidates to move Ijaw nation forward.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the meeting, the candidates, including High Chief MacDonald Igbadiwe, who secured the injunction from a Port Harcourt High Court stopping the INC Elections billed for last weekend, confirmed the agreement and pledged commitment towards the peaceful emergence of the next President of the apex Ijaw socio-cultural organization.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
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Police Rescue 7 Trafficked Victims In A’Ibom

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6 days ago

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March 16, 2026

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The Police Command in Akwa Ibom State has rescued seven victims and detained four suspects linked to human trafficking along Ikot Ekpene–Aba Road.
The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, disclosed this in a statement issued to journalists in Uyo on Saturday.
John said police operatives dismantled a human trafficking syndicate operating within the state, rescuing seven victims and arresting four suspects involved in the network.
She said acting on credible intelligence, operatives swiftly mobilised a patrol team for a coordinated stop-and-search operation along Ikot Ekpene–Aba Road on Friday.
The operation, conducted at about 8 a.m. on Friday, targeted vehicles suspected of transporting victims of human trafficking.
“During the operation, the suspected vehicle was intercepted and four victims were immediately rescued, while the suspect conveying them was arrested and taken into custody.
“Following reports that a vehicle was conveying young persons suspected to be victims of human trafficking, our operatives quickly moved to intercept it,” John said.
She said interrogation of the suspect led to the expansion of the operation to Itam and Ibaka in Oron Local Government Area.
John said three additional victims were rescued and three more suspects apprehended during the follow-up operation.
This brought the total number of rescued victims to seven and suspects arrested to four.
According to her, preliminary investigations revealed that the trafficking syndicate specialised in recruiting and transporting young persons across borders for exploitation.
“Intelligence gathered further disclosed that one of the ringleaders earlier escaped through waterways from Ibaka in Oron to Cameroon and Gabon with some victims”, she said.
John said investigations were ongoing and the suspects would be charged in court upon completion of the probe.
The police spokesperson reiterated the Command’s commitment to combating human trafficking and other organised crimes in the state.
She assured the public that efforts were ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate.
John urged residents to remain vigilant and provide timely information to the police to help protect vulnerable persons and strengthen community safety.
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