Nation
THE STATES
Benue
The Court of Appeal sitting in Makurdi last Tuesday dismissed the appeal filed by the defeated PDP gubernatorial aspirant, Terver Khaki, against Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State.
Khaki dragged the governor to court claiming that the primaries were not properly conducted and alleged that Suswam was not educationally qualified to contest the election.
He alleged that the governor forged his secondary school certificate and described the conduct of the primaries as “a charade and stage managed’’.
The Federal High Court in Makurdi in 2012 gave judgment in favour of the governor, in which Justice Marcel Awokulehin, held that the case was a pre-election matter and a party’s affair.
Ekiti
The police last Tuesday arraigned a 70-year-old man before an Ado-Ekiti Magistrates’ Court for allegedly defiling a 12-year-old girl.
The police prosecutor, Cpl. Curtis Enabulele, told the court that the accused committed the offence in January, opposite a palm wine outlet on Ilawe Road in Ado-Ekiti.
Enabulele told the court that the accused unlawfully had carnal knowledge of the girl, causing her grievous harm.
He claimed that the latest incident was the third, after two earlier failed efforts by the accused.
The offence, he added, contravened Section 358 and 359 of the Criminal Code Cap. C 16 Vol.1 Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
Gombe
The Gombe State chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), has urged its members to register in the ongoing exercise to enable them to access fertiliser allocation.
The chairman of the association, Alhaji Gambo Sarkin-noma, made the call in an interview with newsmen last Tuesday in Gombe.
Sarkin-noma said that the new method was introduced by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to ensure fairness in the distribution process.
He said that the registration forms would be distributed at the ward level by facilitators in each ward.
Jigawa
The Jigawa Savings and Loans Ltd., a mortgage finance company, last Tuesday said it had concluded plans to construct 150 low cost houses in Dutse.
Its Managing Director, Alhaji Babangida Umar, stated this in an interview with newsmen in Dutse.
Umar said 100 houses would be constructed at the Mobile base quarters while 50 houses would be sited at strategic locations in the city.
He said the houses would be constructed in one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom categories.
Umar said the project would be executed under the National Housing Fund (NHF), adding that the houses would be sold to civil servants and interested persons on owner-occupier basis.
Kaduna
The Kaduna State House of Assembly last Tuesday amended the 1991 District Court Law empowering it to adjudicate in civil cases.
The speaker, Alhaji Muazu Gangara, said that the amendment of sections 13, 14, 15, 25, 31, 32 and 81 of the law, had empowered the courts to entertain cases with material value of up to N500,000 as against N50,000 previously.
He also said that the amendment made had repealed the District Court (Amendment) Edict of 1994.
Gangara said the law now empowers the Chief Judge of the state to regulate the practice and procedure of the district courts where no specific provisions were made by the subsisting law.
Kebbi
The Kebbi State Government has said that work will soon resume at the N50 billion Zauro Folder irrigation project that was abandoned two years ago.
Alhaji Sunusi Ibrahim, the Director of Water Supply in the state Ministry of Water Resources, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Birnin Kebbi.
Ibrahim said that the project would be jointly executed by the federal, state and affected local government areas.
According to him, the state government has so far spent N18 billion since the commencement of the project seven years ago.
Kogi
A socio-cultural group, Nigerian Cultural Development Consultants, has urged the Federal Government to accord Lokoja a prominent position in the celebration of the country’s 100 years of nationhood.
The call is contained in a statement by the Chairman of the group, Dr Hinmikalu Paul and Secretary, Dr Jacob Olorunshola, in Lokoja.
It said the call was necessary due to the prominence of the historical and political roles of Lokoja in the emergence of Nigeria.
It said the anniversary, slated for 2014, was worthy of celebration because it would be a period of national rebirth through “self evaluation of our past and the quest for a better future”.
Kwara
An Ilorin Magistrates’ Court last Tuesday remanded in prison custody a member of a vigilante group, Ibrahim Seko, for allegedly killing two persons.
The accused was alleged to have conspired with eight others now at large to shoot Abubakar Ali and Abdullahi Chumo on February 19 during a rift.
According to the charge sheet, the accused persons shot dead the deceased over the allegation that they were armed robbers.
The prosecutor, Sgt. Yakub Emmanuel, told the court that investigation was on-going in order to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
Lagos
A 25-year-old unemployed man, Amidu Shittu, who allegedly broke into an apartment and stole three mobile phones, including a blackberry, worth N47, 500, was last Tuesday charged before an Ojokoro Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.
Shittu, who is of no fixed address, is facing a two count-charge of burglary and theft.
The prosecutor, Insp. Clara Olagbayi, told the court that the accused committed the offences on November 18, 2012 at No. 1 Olorunda St., Ijaye, Lagos at 3:00 a.m.
“Shittu broke into Miss Blessing Chukwu’s apartment, in her absence, and stole a Blackberry phone, as well as Nokia and Techno phones valued at N47, 500,” she said.
Ondo
An Ore Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ondo State last Tuesday sentenced a motor mechanic apprentice, Sheriff Adegoke, 32, to 6 months imprisonment for stealing a Nokia phone and N2,000.
Magistrate Tope Aladejana sentenced the accused to prison— with hard labour— after he pleaded guilty to the one count charge of stealing.
Earlier, the police prosecutor, Insp. Johnson Agboola said the convict committed the offence on February 16, at about 2:00 .p.m. at Ajelanwa St., Ore.
Agboola told the court that Adegoke allegedly stole one white Nokia Asha handset valued at N15,000 and two thousand naira cash, belonging to one Simeon John.
Oyo
A 32-year-old man, Olawale Badru, was last Tuesday arraigned before an Ibadan Chief Magistrates’ Court on a two-count charge of fraud and assault.
The prosecutor, Mr Oluseye Akinola, told the court that Badru assaulted one Damilola Adelanwa by stabbing him with a broken bottle on the back and causing him bodily harm.
Akinola said Badru also caused a breach of the peace by unlawfully demanding an illegal fee from a tanker driver, Olalekan Oseni, while discharging kerosene to customers, claiming “ son of the soil’’ status.
The alleged crime was said to have been committed on March 3, 2013 at about 9:00am at Idi- Mango area, Soka, Ibadan.
Plateau
Senator Gyang Pwajok (PDP-Plateau) last Tuesday blamed “external groups’’ for the incessant attacks on rural communities in Plateau.
“The modalities and nature of the attacks indicate that these groups of attackers are largely external to Plateau and the sole aim is the decimation of the people in a bid to destabilise the state,’’ Pwajok said in a statement in Jos.
“Clearly, what they want is to stifle our determination to shun violence, embrace and trust one another so as to live as brothers in peace,’’ he said.
He said that the attacks were “a hallmark of organised and specialised terror with no empathy or regard for human dignity,’’ and advised the residents to quickly realise that they must unite “so as to overcome these trying times’’.
The President General of Ogbakor Ikwerre Cultural Organisation Worldwide and the Mgboh XIII of the Mgboh Royal Family of Emohua Kingdom in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, Eze (Barrister) Godspower Onuekwa, penultimate Friday celebrated his 80th birthday with pomp, pageantry and fanfare.
The celebration, which commenced with a symposium organised in his honour at Rivers State University on Thursday, August 21,2025, got to a resounding climax on Friday at Suntai Event Centre in Port Harcourt, where people from all walks of life, including business associates, friends, well-wishers, relatives, community folks, traditional rulers, and admirers, gathered to pay glowing tributes to the celebrant.
Before then, a well attended thanksgiving service was held that same Friday at Emmanuel Anglican Church, Okoro-Nu-Odo, to honour him and return gratitude to God Almighty for the fruitful and eventful life and accomplishments of the Emohua leader and icon.
The service which was officiated by Rt Rev Wisdom Budu Ihunwo, Bishop of Niger Delta North had other renowned and respected clerics like Most Rev(Dr) Blessing Enyindah, Dean, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion); Rt Rev(Dr) Emmanuel Oko-Jaja, Bishop, Diocese of Niger Delta; Rt Rev Innocent Ordu, Bishop, Diocese of Evo; and Ven Solomon Eze Nelson, Archdeacon, Okoro-Nu-Odo; among others lined up as officiating ministers.
The service lived up to its billing, as it featured powerful and soul-lifting praise and worship; point-blank prayers; and beautiful renditions, which electrified the entire atmosphere, essentially packaged to thank God for the life of the celebrant.
However, the crowning moment actually came when the who is who, the crème de la crème of the society, thronged the terraces and fabulously decorated expansive hall of Suntai Event Centre, to celebrate Eze Onuekwa, amid accolades, aplomb and panache, wining and dining, and clinking of glasses with him and all.
The chairman of the colourful ceremony, Chief Evans Woherem, who was represented by Eze(Prof) Christian Akani of the prestigious Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, praised the celebrant for his youthfulness in spite of clocking 80 years, generosity, humility, humaneness and selfless services to the Ikwerre ethnic nationality, the Niger Delta and Nigeria, and called on all and sundry to emulate his good legacies and simple disposition towards life and existence.
Goodwill messages also poured in in torrents to underscore and salute the doggedness, resilience, astuteness and uniqueness of the endearing life of the celebrant, with Prof Emenike Wami, the Ochia Ohna Ikwerre(XIV), taking the lead.
Prof Priye Iyalla, the wife of late renowned writer, novelist and playwright, Dr Elechi Amadi, held the audience spellbound as she masterfully reeled out the profile of the celebrant, amid intermittent applause from the crowd.
The Tiv Community from Benue State, resident in Rivers State, were not left out, as they honoured and decorated Eze Onuekwa in their complete traditional regalia.
Cultural displays from Baptist Church, Rumuowhor; ADNA Wogbuji Dancing Group, Egbeda; Tiv Dancing Group; and Promoter Eze and Rumu-Mgboh Emohua Wrestling Group, equally added colour and grace to the occasion, with the celebrant and his wife, Dame Ann Onuekwa, joining them to wriggle their waists and bodies in ecstasy.
In his response, the highly elated celebrant, Eze Onuekwa thanked all those gathered to celebrate with him, saying, celebrations would never cease in their homes, and attributed everything he represents in life, including his modest accomplishments to God.
Eze Onuekwa, while addressing newsmen, harped on the need for hard work among the youths and members of Ogbakor Ikwerre Cultural Organisation Worldwide, as a way of sustaining and giving meaning to the motto of the organisation, which he noted is anchored on peace, unity and progress.
He specially thanked God for sustaining his life, and for making everything possible for him and his family, saying, he was joyous that he has today become an octogenarian and elder statesman in Rivers State.
His son and medical practitioner, Dr Samuel Chizia Onuekwa expressed delight that people from far and near had come together to celebrate the father, whom he described as a role model and great inspirator.
He said it was a good thing that the children were celebrating their father when he is alive, stressing that the last time Eze Onuekwa was celebrated in such magnitude was 20 years ago, during his 60th birthday celebration, and prayed God to grant him many more years in good health.
Among dignitaries who graced the event were Senator Andrew Uchendu; Chief Sampson Agbaru; Prof Emenike Wami; Dr Peter Didia; Eze(Prof) Samuel Ugo Onyeka; and a host of others. Justice Iche Ndu(rtd); and C O Kattey were among personalities that attended the thanksgiving service, while the Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University, Prof Isaac Zeb-Obipi led the academics who graced the symposium, alongside Eze G A O Omodu.
As the 100 Ogoni youths trained by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) in Creative Arts close out their training on Tuesday at the Theatre Arts Department, University of Port Harcourt, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, has urged the beneficiaries to use the skills acquired to ensure that the Ogoni stories are told and heard in the right way.
The trainees, who had completed a four- month training in script writing, film production and make-up are beneficiaries of the HYPREP sustainable livelihood programme, aimed at providing high demand skills to Ogoni youths in the lucrative creative arts and entertainment industry.
Zabbey described the Creative Arts training as well as other programmes and interventions as HYPREP’s strategic sustained effort to create alternative sources of livelihood.
”Targeted capacity building for Ogoni youths and women remains a central strategy in HYPREP’s livelihood restoration and improvement efforts. Our goal is to reach every part of the Ogoni community and ensure that no group or talent pool is left behind. This training is a deliberate step to empower young people who aspire to make their mark in the creative and entertainment industry”, he said.
While commending the trainees for producing four short films within the training period, one of which was premiered at the ceremony-Dirty Festival, the Project Coordinator noted that the training would serve as a springboard into the industry, and enable them earn a living, become entrepreneurs, and open new doors of opportunities for themselves and their communities. The three other movies are Open Pain, Bomu and Green War.
He enjoined them to utilise their skills and platforms to promote civic responsibility, peace, and environmental sustainability, urging them to ensure that Ogoni is heard in the right way, speak for HYPREP and highlight the progress being made in implementing the recommendations of the UNEP Report.
Other speakers at the event, including the Director of Technical Services of HYPREP, Prof. Damian-Paul Aguiyi; Dr Ovunda Ihunwo, Head of the Theatre Arts Department of the University of Port Harcourt; Chief Douglas Experience, the Project Coordinator of Halibiz Consult Limited; and Mrs Josephine Nzidee, Head, Sustainable Livelihood of HYPREP, all applauded HYPREP for the training, and charged the trainees to maximise the opportunity.
The trainees were later presented certificates of participation.
Visibly elated Ms Lebee Tornwe, one of the beneficiaries, thanked HYPREP and the Project Coordinator for offering the trainees the rare opportunity to acquire skills in the creative arts and entertainment industry, and expressed delight that Dr Ihunwo and Halibiz Consult Limited gave their all in grooming them.
With the wrapping up of the Creative Arts training(100), HYPREP has trained 230 Ogoni youths in high demand skill sets ,viz; seafaring(100); and aviation (30). The Project will this year, commence training in other skill areas, including Mechatronic, Aviation, Full-Stack Development, Commercial Diving, Underwater Welding and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Still in the offing is the training for Ogoni Persons Living with Disabilities in five skill sets- fish farming; basic computer skills; photography; fashion and design; and shoemaking in line with their Needs Assessment and HYPREP’s policy of inclusivity.
The National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP) had called on stakeholders to work collaboratively towards the development and empowerment of Ogoni youths.
NYCOP made the call in a communique issue over the weekend after an emergency Congress in Port Harcourt and signed by its President, Comrade Raymond Nwibani Marcus.
In the communique, NYCOP endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s appointments of the Governing Council and Board of Trustees (BOT) members of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), particularly Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Nwika Deeyah as Chairman of HYPREP’s BOT.
It respectfully appealed to the President to consider appointing a representative from the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) under the leadership of Engr. Olu Andah Wai-Ogosu, being the pioneering social vehicle for Ogoni advocacy since the inception of the Ogoni struggle, adding that it would significantly contribute to the decision-making process.
The body commended the overall management of HYPREP and urges the President to continue funding the HYPREP project.
NYCOP furthermore recommended considering the conversion of HYPREP from a project to a full-fledged agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The communique also stated that NYCOP thanked President Tinubu for establishing the Federal University of Environmental Technology, and for appointing key staff, forming a dialogue committee, and initiating infrastructural projects like the Eleme axis of the East-West Road and the Bonny-Bodo Road, significantly enhancing regional connectivity and economic prospects.
In solidarity with the Renewed Hope Agenda, the endorsed President Tinubu’s second-term bid, saying it believes his leadership embodies the aspirations of the Ogoni people and Nigerians at large.
“After thorough consideration of the Disciplinary Committee’s report, NYCOP resolves:
” To indefinitely suspend Comrade Nade Nade Burale from his position as Secretary General due to misconduct.
“To declare Comrade Saviour Imeabe persona non grata on Ogoni youth issues, given his actions’ potential to instigate crisis in Ogoni and beyond” the communique stated.
NYCOP in his resolution issued a 7-day ultimatum to former HYPREP BOT Chairman Mike Nwialeghi to explain the $100 million HYPREP fund investment, warning of potential litigation.
NYCOP reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding Ogoni youth interests and preventing personal aggrandizement.
According to the communique the resolutions demonstrate NYCOP’s efforts to promote the collective welfare and advancement of Ogoni youth.
“We will no longer tolerate any individual or group using the name or issues of Ogoni youth for personal aggrandizement.
” Our mandate is clear: to promote the collective welfare and advancement of Ogoni youth” the communique said.
NYCOP passes a vote of confidence in Hon. Emmanuel Nwika Deeyah, acknowledging his impeccable credentials and credibility to lead the BOT of HYPREP effectively.
Kiadum Edookor