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Boko Haram: Rep Urges Co-operation With Security Agents
Member representing Degema/Bonny Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Dr. Sokonte Davies, has called on people living where members of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram are operating, particularly in some Northern parts of the country to co-operate with security agencies to bring the scourge under control.
Davies who made the call in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt said there was the need for people living around where members of the sect were operating to offer useful information to security agencies in order to address the security challenges facing the nation.
He noted that this was imperative because members of Boko Haram were human begins, who were known by the people and living among them, and not spirits, as some people want Nigerians to believe.
To this end, to be able to address the Boko Haram scourge, the lawmaker emphasised that the people around where they operate, should be ready to co-operate with security agencies.
According to him, it would amount to criminal conspiracy of silence if the people where Boko Haram members operate, continue to harbour them, without giving them up for arrest and prosecution.
He said unless people readily co-operate with security agencies to tackle the scourge, Boko Haram members would continue to have a field day, stressing that arrest so far made by security agencies was made possible by persons who offered useful information.
The lawmaker foreclosed the possibility of dialogue with Boko Haram members, because, as he puts it, “you don’t dialogue with somebody you don’t see”.
He, however, called on leaders of the North to borrow a cue from Niger Delta leaders, by taking the initiative to reach out to members of the sect to dialogue and convince them to drop their weapons.
“Why I say so is because at the peak of the Niger Delta issue, many people came out and said, “deal with us, discuss with us”. And we were able to reach some of those our sons to make sure that militancy was brought under control. In the Boko Haram issue, nobody is coming up, nobody is willing to take that responsibility”, he said.
The federal parliamentarian further noted that the fact that the sect had not properly articulated its demands had further made the security challenges which it had posed to the country more complex, saying, “until we determine and decide what they are fighting for, talking of solving the problem will be a little bit presumptuous”.
He expressed disappointment that Boko Haram’s attacks were targeted at Christian places of worship, a development he said had punctured the notion that its struggle was economic, saying, “if they are sponsored, as being said and believed, the people who are sponsoring them want to use religious issues to gain political points.”
According to him, “people who are attributing Boko Haram to lack of jobs are over simplifying a complex issue. Joblessness is not restricted to one section of the country. It is a national issue”.
Davies, however, condemned the reprisal attacks that trialed the recent bombing of churches in Kaduna, saying, “as Christians, we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We show leadership and direction”, and alleged that sympathizers of Christianity who were fed up with the spate of bombings might have committed the act, and not churches.
Donatus Ebi
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has inaugurated a special legal team to handle election petitions arising from last Saturday’s Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory.
This comes as the All Progressives Congress (APC) won in Abaji, Kwali, AMAC, and Bwari Area Councils, while the PDP secured victory only in Gwagwalada.
The Tide reports that the council elections were held on Saturday, February 21, 2026, across all six FCT area councils, including Abaji, AMAC, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali.
Results announced so far by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) show that the All Progressives Congress (APC) won in Abaji, Kwali, AMAC, and Bwari Area Councils, while the PDP secured victory only in Gwagwalada.
In a statement issued yesterday by PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the party congratulated its candidates, who emerged winners in the chairmanship and councilor elections.
The opposition party acknowledged the victories, noting that the number of wins was lower than expected but significant given the alleged irregularities during the polls.
“We specifically congratulate the Chairman-elect of Gwagwalada Area Council, Mohammed Kasim, and the councillors who have been declared successful by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“This victory, though less in number than we anticipated, is particularly gladdening because it is against the background of unprecedented intimidation, high-powered money politics, and brazen executive brigandage,” the statement read.
Ememobong claimed that there are reports and video evidence indicating voter intimidation and unlawful conduct that influenced the outcome of the elections.
“Reports and video evidence abound where armed security personnel were used to cart away result sheets in polling units, intimidate voters, and unduly influence the outcome of the elections.”
To address complaints and litigations arising from the polls, he said the party has set up a legal team headed by its National Legal Adviser, Shafi Bara’u, Esq.
The statement urged candidates with legitimate grievances to contact the Legal Adviser promptly, as delays could jeopardise their chances in election petition cases.
“The incredible voter apathy in these polls is a direct response to the anti-people Electoral Act 2026, where the people have completely lost faith in the electoral outcomes from elections conducted under this Act.
“These Local Council polls may just be a foreshadowing of the forthcoming general elections in 2027 if changes are not urgently made,” the statement added.
The PDP called on the National Assembly and the President to take corrective action to safeguard the integrity of Nigeria’s democracy.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, will on Wednesday swear in Justice Joseph Oyewole as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The ceremony is scheduled to be held at 2pm at Courtroom Two of the Supreme Court complex in Abuja.
The court urged guests to adhere strictly to the court’s protocols and security measures.
This was contained in a statement issued yesterday by the Supreme Court’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Dr Festus Akande.
The court described Oyewole’s appointment as a step towards reinforcing the capacity of the apex court to deliver fair and timely judgments.
Recall that Oyewole was, until his elevation, a Justice of the Court of Appeal and Presiding Justice of the Enugu Division, and joins the apex court bench as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the judiciary.
The National Judicial Council recommended Oyewole for the position alongside 35 others for various judicial offices, following its 110th meeting held on January 13, 2026, and presided over by Justice Kekere-Ekun.
The statement partly read, “The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, GCON, will on Wednesday, 25th February, 2026, preside over the swearing-in ceremony of the newly appointed Justice of the Supreme Court, Hon. Justice Joseph Olubunmi Kayode Oyewole, JCA.”
According to the statement, Oyewole served with distinction at the Court of Appeal and as Presiding Justice of the Enugu Division prior to his elevation.
“His appointment underscores the commitment of the Nigerian judiciary to upholding the rule of law, ensuring justice, and strengthening the bench with experienced and dedicated jurists. He brings a wealth of legal expertise and integrity to the apex court to further enhance its capacity to deliver fair and timely judgments,” the statement added.
The apex court further described the swearing-in as “another significant step in rejuvenating the judiciary and ensuring the continued delivery of justice in line with the highest standards of integrity, competence, and impartiality.”
The Supreme Court reiterated its commitment to justice, fairness and judicial independence for the benefit of Nigerians.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has expressed deep shock and sadness over the sudden passage of Senator Barinada Mpigi, the Senator representing South East Senatorial District of Rivers State.
In a tribute to mourn the deceased, Governor Fubara described Mpigi as a brother, a consummate politician and one of the leading lights in Rivers State.
He said that Mpigi died at a critical time when his services were still needed by the people of Rivers State and prayed God Almighty to grant him eternal rest.
The governor commiserated with his immediate family, the Rivers South East Senatorial District and the Senate at large, asking them to take solace in the fact that the deceased lived a good life and impacted positively on the people.
Senator Mpigi died at the age of 64. Until his death, he was the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works.
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