Niger Delta

Navy Arrests Suspected C’River Rice Smugglers

Published

4 years ago

September 22, 2021

Personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship, Victory, while patrolling the waterways in Cross River State on Saturday arrested three suspects with 1,209 bags of smuggled rice.
The suspects were identified as Humble Edet, Christian Adebayo and Balle Philip.
The NNS Victory Commander, Commodore Chiedozie Okehie, while speaking with journalists at the NNS Victory jetty on Monday in Calabar, said the suspects were arrested for conveying smuggled items into the country.
Okehie, who was represented by the Base Operations Officer, Lt Commander Clement Ayogu, said, “These suspects were arrested with a wooden boat laden with 1,209 bags of foreign parboiled rice at two nautical miles, South-East of the Calabar fairway buoy.
“The suspects were arrested on Saturday, September 11, 2021. We are handing over the suspects and the rice to officials of the Nigeria Customs Service.
“From our interrogation, the suspects were smuggling the items from Cameroon to Nigeria.”
Receiving the items, the Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Cross River/Akwa Ibom Area Command, Mr Mustapha Kaliel, commended the Navy for doing a thorough job along the waterways and promised to prosecute the suspects.
In a related development, the Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘C’ of the Nigeria Customs Service, says it intercepted fake and contraband goods worth over N120.4million in July and August 2021.
The NCS Zonal Public Relations Officer, Mr Jerry Attah, in a statement on Monday, said the FOU Comptroller, Yusuf Lawal, listed the contraband goods to include 130 bags of 50 kilograms of foreign parboiled rice valued at N5,460,000, and 161 jumbo bales of used clothing valued at N22.5 million.
The fake goods were said to be 2,181 cartons of foreign cosmetic products worth N76,335,000; 440 cartons of Artesunate Zensunate injection, worth N8,580,000 and foreign sweets worth N7,485,000.
Lawal said the cosmetic products, Artesunate injection and sweets did not have registration numbers from the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control.
He added that the cosmetic products included 457 cartons of Simple Sensitive Skin Expert; 790 cartons of Facial Wash; 232 cartons of Carotone Cream; 574 cartons of various brands of cosmetics; and 128 cartons of Revlon Almay Godess gloss.
“The cosmetic products, sweets and injection were intercepted along the Okada -Benin Expressway, while the bales of used clothing were intercepted along the Enugu-Aba-Port-Harcourt Expressway,” he said.
The Customs boss advised Nigerians to be wary of fake and smuggled products, adding that they were not only hazardous to health, but also to the economy of the country.
He said, “Our men and officers are fully prepared to face smugglers head-on especially during the ember months in line with our mandate; we will leave no stone unturned.”

Niger Delta

Okpebholo Assures Corps Members Of Improved Welfare

Published

2 days ago

January 28, 2026

The Tide

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has assured corps members deployed to the state of improved welfare and a supportive service year.

Okpebholo gave the assurance at the swearing-in ceremony of the 2026 Batch ‘A’ Stream I corps members last Friday at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Permanent Orientation Camp in Okada.

The Governor also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to youth empowerment, safety and entrepreneurship.

Represented by the Commissioner for Youth Affairs, Mrs. Charity Amayaenvbo, the Governor urged corps members to embrace innovation, community service and self-reliance rather than wait for white-collar jobs.

“Edo is committed to supporting youth empowerment, entrepreneurship and incentives that turn ideas into enterprises.

“Do not wait for jobs, create value. Wherever you are posted, serve your host community with humility, dedication and compassion.

“Have a positive footprint and let your service contribute to unity, productivity and progress,” he said.

Okpebholo assured the corps members that the state government was attentive to their welfare and had started addressing key concerns raised by the NYSC leadership.

“On behalf of the state government, I assure you of our support in terms of safety, an enabling environment and a rewarding service year.

“I listened carefully to the requests highlighted by the state coordinator, and I am glad to inform you that some of them have already been captured in the 2026 budget, which has been approved and signed into law,” he said.

The Governor noted that provisions for accommodation, meal subsidies, logistics and the construction of a multipurpose hall at the camp were included in the budget.

Earlier in her address, the Edo State Coordinator of the NYSC, Dr. Frances Ben-Ushie, described the ceremony as a reflection of the state government’s commitment to youth development and national integration.

Ben-Ushie said as of midnight on Thursday, a total of 1,235 prospective corps members, comprising 531 males and over 700 females, had been duly registered.

She congratulated the corps members on their enlistment into what she described as a “noble scheme,” urging them to embrace discipline, learning and active participation throughout the orientation course.

“The NYSC platform provides a unique avenue to meet people from diverse backgrounds, build lifelong friendships and create networks that can open doors to greater opportunities,” she said.

Ben-Ushie also highlighted the contributions of the NYSC to the state’s development, noting that the scheme had consistently provided skilled manpower, promoted labour mobility and strengthened national unity.

She cited initiatives such as the Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers and the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme as key interventions benefiting communities across the state.

The NYSC coordinator commended the state government for its support, including the provision of buses for corps members, and appealed for further intervention to address lingering operational challenges at the orientation camp.

She expressed confidence that resolving the issues would enhance the effectiveness of NYSC programmes in the state and thanked the Governor for prioritising the welfare, security and growth of corps members.

Niger Delta

PDP Declares Edo Airline’s Plan As Misplaced Priority

Published

2 days ago

January 28, 2026

The Tide

The Edo chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday condemned the state government’s reported plan to establish a state-owned airline.

The party, in a statement by its Edo State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Dan Osa-Ogbegie, described the proposal as a misplaced priority and evidence of poor, disconnected governance.

The Tide’s source reports that the State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, unveiled the airline plan during a meeting with Aviation Minister, Mr. Festus Keyamo, in Abuja.

Osa-Ogbegie said the proposal showed a government out of touch with the pressing challenges confronting Edo State residents.

“At a time of decaying infrastructure and stalled projects, establishing an airline is unrealistic and profoundly insensitive”, he said.

He argued that airlines were capital-intensive and technically demanding, noting that similar state-owned ventures in Nigeria had largely failed.

According to him, Benin has become a shadow of what a modern state capital should be.

He decried poor roads, collapsed urban planning, neglected drainage systems and weak municipal services across the state capital.

“This is a crying shame for a city of Benin’s history, heritage and enormous potential”, he said.

Osa-Ogbegie said several inherited projects had stalled or deteriorated, eroding investor confidence and undermining economic growth.

He accused the governor of pursuing “white elephant projects that offer optics without substance.”

He also cited ongoing flyover projects in parts of Benin as examples of poor prioritisation.

Against this background, he described the airline proposal as diversionary and lacking economic sense.

“When roads are barely motorable and services overstretched, proposing an airline betrays an absence of judgment,” he said.

He urged the government to abandon the plan and focus on people-centred priorities that would improve living conditions and spur growth.

“Edo does not need an airline to fly above its problems. It needs a government ready to confront them on the ground,” he said.

He warned that failure to refocus would deepen perceptions of an administration lacking direction, competence and a coherent development agenda.

Niger Delta

Students Protest Non-indigene Appointment As Rector in C’River

Published

2 days ago

January 28, 2026

The Tide

Students of Federal Polytechnic, Ugep, Cross River State, have protested to the Governor’s Office in Calabar over an alleged plan to appoint a non-indigene as Rector for the institution.

Carrying placards with various inscriptions, the students demanded respect for catchment area policy, local content, and the appointment of an indigene of the state as Rector of the institution.

Speaking on behalf of the students in Calabar, Stephen Etem said the protest sought to alert the Federal and Cross River State Governments to an alleged deviation from the established rectorial selection process.

Etem said a Governing Council, chaired by Sen. Florence Ita-Giwa, was constituted by the Federal Government to conduct the Rector selection exercise.

“The screening, which began last year, reportedly produced a Cross River State indigene as highest scorer and recommended candidate.

“Information available to us suggests that the alleged recommended candidate’s name might be substituted at the Federal Ministry of Education.

“We urge the Federal Government to uphold the council’s recommendation because altering the process could threaten peace in the institution,” he noted.

Responding at the Government House, Mr. Goddie Akpama, the Special Adviser on Intelligence to the State Governor, Bassey Otu, appealed for calm, saying the Governor was away but would be briefed.

Akpama advised the students to submit written petitions through appropriate channels, avoid inflammatory language, and engage authorities to ensure stability and uninterrupted academic activities.