News
Anger In PH As Gunmen Abduct Wazobia FM Presenter …NUJ, Police React
A broadcaster with Cool/Wazobia FM Station, Port Harcourt, Mr Anthony Akatakpo, was yesterday shot and abducted from his home in Port Harcourt by gunmen, the family said.
The victim’s wife, Mrs Candy Akatakpo, said the kidnappers invaded their house at about 2a.m, captured her husband, shot him in the leg and took him away in his car.
She said the abductors demanded N10 million ransom for his release, adding that they operated for more than 50 minutes before leaving.
Candy said the kidnappers also took away some money and other belongings of members of the family.
She said that the family members were held hostage for sometime after which they left with their victim.
Candy said the family was apprehensive about the safety of Akatakpo because of the gunshot on his leg.
She appealed to the security agencies in Rivers State to do everything possible to secure his release.
The Rivers State Police Command has, however, confirmed the abduction.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr Johnson Tunde Ogunsakin, led a team of officers to visit the house of the broadcaster in Port Harcourt.
Ogunsakin later told newsmen that the command had commenced investigation into the incident.
He said the police would work hard to free Akatakpo and apprehend the suspects.
Ogunsakin reiterated his warning to kidnappers and other criminals to leave the state or face the consequences.
In a statement signed by the Head of Stations, Cool/WAZOBIA FM and Nigeria Info, Port Harcourt, Aduratomi Bolade, yesterday, the management of STEAM & GLOBE BROADCASTING AND COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED, owners of the radio stations, condemned the kidnap of their staff and on-air personality on Wazobia FM Port Harcourt, Anthony Akatakpo, famously called Akas Baba.
According to the statement, ”Akas Baba was beaten and shot in the leg by the kidnappers in the presence of his children and wife, despite cooperating with his attackers. He was thereafter whisked away in his Mitsubishi Endeavor SUV with Registration Number LSD 871 CM. This very violent act still leaves Akas Baba’s family in great trauma.
“We hereby urge security operatives in the state to do everything possible to quicken the release of the ace broadcaster from the kidnappers’ den. We are worried that his health might degenerate if he does not get access to medical care as a result of the gunshot wound he sustained,” it added.
“We also enjoin anyone with vital information that could aid the release of Akas Baba to contact the nearest police station, or call the number: 08099930069 or send a text to 32355.
Similarly, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers State Council has condemned, in strong terms, the abduction of Mr. Anthony Akatakpo, by yet to be indentified gunmen in the early hours of yesterday.
In a statement issued in Port Harcourt and signed Chairman, Opaka Dokubo and Secretary, Stanley Job Stanley, respectively, the union wondered why journalists and other media practitioners in the country have become targets for kidnappers and armed robbers.
While decrying the increasing rate of kidnapping, armed robbery and general insecurity in the state, and the country in general, the NUJ called on security agencies to brace up and confront the menace before it gets out of hand.
The union appealed to the abductors of Akatakpo to release him unconditionally and without delay, so as to enable him seek medical attention over the gun-shot wound.
Reacting further, the Chief Press Secretary to the Rivers State Deputy Governor, Godswill Jumbo, in a statement, condemned, in the strongest terms, the reported shooting and kidnap of Mr. Anthony Akatakpo by some hoodlums from his residence in Rumuekini in Port Harcourt.
“The act is condemnable because it engenders a deplorable watershed in our society where the purveyors of information are made unwieldy targets of crime and criminality.
“Let me, in tandem with all journalists and media personalities, demand the immediate and unconditional release of Akas Baba to his family unhurt”.
The Tide learnt that on-air-personalities from Cool/Wazobia FM and Nigeria Info are set to protest to the Rivers State police command headquarters today to register their demands for the quick release of their colleague and friend, Akas Baba.
Akas Baba is the host of “Make Una Wake Up”, the breakfast show on Wazobia FM, Port Harcourt.
Taneh Beemene
Vice Chancellor, Rivers State University f Science and Technology, Prof Barineme Fakae (left) and General Manager, Rivers State Newspaper Corporation, Mr Celestine Ogolo, during the facility visit of members of the Editorial Board of the corporation to the university, last Wednesday. Photo: Chris Monyanaga
News
Fubara Assures Completion Of Ongoing Projects In Rivers …As Airport Road Bypass Hits 65% Completion
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has reassured the people of Rivers State of his administration’s commitment to the completion of the various ongoing infrastructure projects located in different parts of the state.
The governor, who gave the assurance last Friday while inspecting the level of work on the new Airport Road Bypass in Port Harcourt, said the project had reached 65 per cent completion stage.
According to him, in spite of recent developments on the political scene, he remains in “high spirits,” and is ready to continue with the task of governance, especially the delivery of projects that will impact positively on the lives of the people.
“I want to assure our people that notwithstanding the situation of things, one thing that I can promise everyone, is that every good work that we have started, by the special grace of God, will continue and we will complete them. We’re in high spirits. Like, we always say, Rivers First,” he said.
Fubara said that his administration conceived the idea of constructing a bypass to the Airport Road to create an alternative route for the communities around the airport and avoid a situation where some of their activities could cause obstruction along the main highway leading to the Port Harcourt International Airport.
“We’ve always had these issues where the community may want to express their anger or dissatisfaction over some activities of the airport authorities, in the process they always block the airport road.
” We thought that in this modern society, such actions are not necessary anymore because whenever it happens, it affects the economic activities of the state. So we liaised with the community and created this bypass,” he said.
The governor, who was conducted round the project site by the contractors, expressed delight at the pace of work on the road, disclosing that the total project will be delivered before October 2026.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that the State Secretariat Complex which is undergoing massive reconstruction will be ready for use by the first quarter of 2027.
Fubara stated this on Monday after a tour of the multiple and expansive high rise buildings, located in the Old GRA, Port Harcourt.
The governor, who had undertaken a similar tour of the project earlier this year, said he decided to revisit the site to confirm the extent of the job that has been done so far.
“We just did a tour of the renovation of the Secretariat. I have been seeing the outer part of it wearing a new look, but I wanted to really confirm how much job is going on, most importantly, the inside and that is what I just went to inspect myself.
“I think that with the progress of work here, by the grace of God, I believe that by the first quarter of next year, it will be handed over to the government. Like I did promise, every job that we are handling, we will ensure that we put them to completion,” he said.
The Tide reports that the Rivers State Secretariat was constructed in the 1970s, shortly after Rivers State was created in 1967. It is a massive complex consisting of multiple high-rise buildings, including the 17-storey “Point Block”, the 10-storey “Podium Block” along with three other 7-storey buildings tagged “Blocks A, B and C”.
The ongoing renovation is a comprehensive and transformative upgrade aimed at modernizing the entire complex. It involves structural rehabilitation, improved office layouts, installation of modern facilities, and upgrading of utilities to meet present-day administrative standards.
The project is designed to create a more conducive, efficient, and technology-driven work environment for civil servants.
The 23 For OK & P-BAT Movement, a political pressure group championing the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the governorship ambition of Honourable Ogundu Kingsley Chinda across the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State ahead of the 2027 elections, has congratulated both leaders on their victories at the recently concluded All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries.
In a statement issued by the National Coordinator, Amb. Goodluck Braide, who also doubles as the President of the Renewed Hope Multi-Purpose Co-Operative Limited, President Tinubu’s victory at the APC presidential primaries in Rivers State was described as a reflection of his growing popularity and acceptance among Nigerians. The group noted that since assuming office in 2023, the President has implemented bold economic reforms aimed at repositioning the country for sustainable growth, prosperity, and national development.
According to the group, the outcome of the primaries is an indication of what to expect in the 2027 general elections.
The group also congratulated Honourable Ogundu Kingsley Chinda on his emergence as the APC governorship flag bearer in Rivers State, describing the primary election process as peaceful, transparent, free, and fair. It stated that Chinda’s emergence signals increasing political unity among Rivers people across ethnic and political divides.
According to the movement, the APC made a strategic and wise decision in presenting Chinda as its governorship candidate, citing his leadership experience, competence, charisma, and proven capacity as qualities that position the party for victory in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
Amb. Goodluck Braide, National Coordinator
The statement further acknowledged the role of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, praising his political foresight, resilience, and commitment to maintaining unity within the political structure in Rivers State while ensuring the state remains relevant in national politics.
The group equally commended the leadership of the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentanwe Yilwatda, noting that under his leadership since July 2025, the party has witnessed renewed strength, unity, and political growth ahead of the 2027 elections.
It also congratulated the people of Rivers State and Nigerians generally for their continued support and confidence in the Tinubu administration, which it said has made notable progress in promoting national cohesion, social integration, and economic development.
