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PDP Carpets Buhari On Comment In Morocco …Says Image-Laundering, A Mockery …As APC. PDP Reps Disagree On Obasanjo’s Frame-Up Alarm

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described a comment in Morocco in praise of Nigerian youth by President Muhammadu Buhari as a poorly packaged “deception.”
Mr Buhari made the statement last Monday when he was hosted by Moroccan Prime Minister, Saadeddine Othman, during his two-day visit to the North-African country.
In a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP said Mr Buhari only uttered the praise “to sugarcoat his deep-seated disdain for Nigerian youth.”
It said the sudden praise-singing was not borne out of genuine regard for the youth but was “only a desperate afterthought aimed to reverse the public opprobrium he earned himself for his ‘lazy youths and lovers of freebies’ comment.”
Mr Buhari earlier this year at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London said some Nigerian youth are lazy.
The comment provoked a backlash as many Nigerian youth trolled the president for days, with some going as far as sharing pictures and videos showing several efforts being made by youth in the country to earn decent living.
Reacting to the latest comment in Morocco in which he portrayed the youth in a positive light, PDP said the Nigerian youth now know better and can no longer fall for Mr Buhari’s tricks.
“Every Nigerian is aware of President Buhari’s disdain for our citizens and sees his reported comments in Morocco as inconsistent with his known beliefs and dispositions,” the party said.
It also recalled the president’s light-hearted comment after signing the Not Too Young To Run bill when he told the youth to feel free to contest for any position but should not run for president in 2019.
“Perhaps, the president’s handlers in an effort to get the president the support of the youth, they heavily edited his statement on the Morocco visit,” PDP said.
It urged Mr Buhari to note that the comment in Morocco “cannot wash away the disgraceful invectives he openly poured on the energetic and vivacious Nigerian youths. He would need another CHOGM in London to remove his lazy and lover of freebies stamp on our youths.
“President Buhari should therefore end his gimmicks and let go of straws.”
The party said the president should realise the only expectation Nigerians require of him is to tender a direct apology for his “abysmal” performance and be prepared to leave for “a more innovative, and people-oriented president which Nigerians will elect on the platform of the PDP in 2019.”
Meanwhile, members of the All Progressives Congress and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in the House of Representatives have disagreed over the alarm raised by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration planned to frame him up.
While the APC lawmakers dismissed Obasanjo’s allegation, their PDP counterparts said it should be taken seriously.
Doguwa, in an interview with newsmen, alleged that the former President was guilty, hence his fears.
He stated, “Indeed, the guilty are always afraid. Obasanjo’s claims are no more than a mere expression of guilt. Nigerians must not forget the huge financial scandals perpetrated under Obasanjo’s administration.
“The $16bn claimed to have been spent on power, the misappropriation involved in the so-called privatisation of government assets and the unprecedented abuse of our foreign reserves in his tenure to mention but a few, cannot be swept under the carpet.”
Speaking further, Ado-Doguwa, an APC member from Kano State, added, “It is only my hope that the Buhari anti-graft crusade will not be distracted by such a baseless outcry by Chief Obasanjo, trying to divert public attention.
“It’s my candid opinion that nobody is above the law. The government must, therefore, be ready to bring Obasanjo to book by compelling him to provide answers to some of the weighty allegations against him and his government.”
But a member of the PDP from Kogi State, Mr Karimi Sunday, asked the Buhari administration to come clean of fears being expressed by persons with opposition views that it planned to frame them up over crimes they did not commit.
He noted that Obasanjo, a former President, had access to privileged information and was not likely to be flippant.
Sunday spoke further, “The thing is that, could it be a coincidence that people with opposing views to the government’s are expressing these concerns?
“Recall that the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, raised a similar alarm shortly before the police linked him with the Offa robbery suspects.
“Now, it is Obasanjo, a former President, whom we can’t say is given to frivolity or can be presumed to speak without facts.
“It is even showing in the pattern the government is executing its anti-corruption war. All the major persons so far arraigned are the PDP members.
“Are we saying that there is no corrupt person in the APC? It is a serious issue that the government and especially, the President must address as we approach the 2019 polls.
Another member of the PDP from Ebonyi State, Mr Igariwey Iduma-Enwo, described the disagreement between Buhari and Obasanjo as “tragic”, considering that Obasanjo was instrumental to Buhari’s second return to power as a civilian President in 2015.
Iduma-Enwo, a lawyer, observed, “The face-off between the two generals is a tragic irony.
“Tragic in the sense that Chief Obasanjo and a good number of other prominent Nigerians who left the PDP and helped bring about this administration, are now being hounded by the same administration.”
But, an All Progressives Congress member from Lagos State, Mr James Faleke, dismissed Obasanjo’s fears, saying that he did not believe that Buhari would arrest him over trumped-up charges.
He argued that Buhari was a “due process” President, who would not abuse his powers to arrest Obasanjo simply because the former President had become his critic.
“Besides, Obasanjo has said that he is not one of the corrupt leaders.
“If he has no skeletons in his cupboard, it means that he has nothing to fear because he is clean.
“I do know that when Obasanjo was still in power, no one would have written him the letters he wrote Buhari and he would let him be. Yet, Buhari has not replied his letters,” Faleke added.
When contacted, the spokesman for the House, Mr Abdulrazak Namdas, told our correspondent that the House had “no comments” on the matter.
The Majority Leader of the House, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, did not respond to inquiries by our correspondent.
On its part, the Senate said that it was watching the frame-up allegation by the ex-President. It, however, noted that the clampdown on dissenting voices could become a trend in the present administration.
Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, who stated this in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents, recalled that the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, had earlier raised the alarm over an alleged plot to implicate him by the police in their investigations into the bank robberies in Offa, Kwara State.
Saraki had raised the alarm that the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, was plotting to frame him in the investigation of the crime.
Murray-Bruce said, “The Senate President, at an open session claimed that he was to be framed (by the Nigeria Police) and that is exactly what Obasanjo has come out to say, that he was going to be framed. We are waiting to see what happens. If it happens, it is going to be a trend but if it does not, it is not a trend. Let us see what happens. Obasanjo, who was my boss and whom I love unconditionally, has said it. Let us see what happens.”
Also, the Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha (PDP, Taraba-South), described Obasanjo’s allegation as weighty. He charged the Federal Government to ensure adequate protection of the former president.
Bwacha said, “It is like a wake-up call. He said that it (the alleged plot) is to frame him up and possibly kill him. It is for the security agencies and all the arms of the government to keep watch and follow up on the event. It is not coming from just an ordinary Nigerian; it is coming from a former president.”
Asked if the alarm raised by Obasanjo was political as his critics had dismissed it, the lawmaker said, “Which politics? You don’t play politics with your life. Somebody said his life is in danger and you say it is politics, how would that be politics?”
He added, “I don’t think it is politics, the idea is for the appropriate agencies to sit up. We will also watch the events as they unfold, whether this allegation will be confirmed. And it not for us only, the international community is also watching. It is quite a weighty allegation.”

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Rivers DPOs Receive Awards For Outstanding Performance In Crime Prevention …As Students, Media Group Honour CSP Worgu, CSP Yusuf

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Two Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in Rivers State have been honoured by separate groups for their contributions to security, crime prevention and improved community-police relations in their respective areas of responsibility.

The beneficiaries are the DPO of Afam Police Division, CSP  Endurance Worgu and his counterpart at Oyigbo Police Division, CSP Bello Yusuf.

CSP Worgu was honoured by a group of students under the aegis of Rivers State Graduate Students Associations for what they described as his commitment and outstanding performance in the discharge of his duties.

The students, led by  Chidi John Enyie, Esq. said CSP Worgu was selected based on his track record and status as one of the longest-serving young DPOs of Rivers State origin.

According to the group, CSP Worgu has made significant contributions to the protection of lives and property in the area since assuming office following the #EndSARS period.

The students said they were particularly impressed by the improvement in community-police relations under his leadership, noting that professionalism had remained a key feature of his service.

Enyie represented by Comrade Briggs Soku, said the students community was pleased to identify with a Rivers indigene who had distinguished himself in the police force.

He said the students considered it necessary to encourage and celebrate CSP Worgu because of his achievements as a young Rivers man excelling in a profession that many people from the state were often reluctant to join.

Receiving the award at his office in Afam, CSP Worgu expressed gratitude to God and the students for finding him worthy of the honour.

The DPO said the recognition had boosted his morale and encouraged him to sustain his efforts towards maintaining peace and security in the area.

He said he least expected the honour, particularly because it came from the students, adding that the recognition would further motivate him to serve the people better.

CSP Worgu assured residents of Afam that the police would sustain the existing peace in the area.

He appealed to members of the public to support the police by providing credible and timely information, stressing that useful information from residents would make the job of security personnel easier.

Meanwhile, the Ikwerre/Etche Media Association has also honoured the DPO of Oyigbo Police Division, CSP Bello Yusuf, for his efforts in tackling criminal activities in the area.

The media group presented the award following the swift tracking and arrest of five suspected kidnappers who had allegedly terrorised residents of the Kom-Kom axis and other parts of Oyigbo.

The group commended CSP Bello for what it described as his determined efforts to restore confidence and security in the affected communities, particularly Kom-Kom and Obeama.

According to the group, the arrest of the suspects demonstrated the DPO’s commitment to tackling criminality and safeguarding residents.

The media association said residents had received the development with relief, noting that the police action had sent a strong message to criminal elements operating in the area.

Responding, CSP Yusuf appreciated the group for the recognition and reaffirmed that there would be no room for criminality in Oyigbo.

He also commended the media for its role in disseminating credible information to the public, saying the media had remained supportive of the police in the fight against crime.

CSP Yusuf warned criminal elements operating in Oyigbo to leave the area or be prepared to face the full weight of the law.

He assured residents that the police would continue to pursue criminals and work to dismantle their hideouts, regardless of where they might be operating.

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College Of Bishops Endorses Tinubu, APC Candidates  For 2027 Polls

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The 5000 Achievers Christian Forum and Colleges of Bishops, Archbishops and Apostles, a Christian interdenominational organisation, has endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State for the 2027 general elections.

International President of the forum, Archbishop Lucky Aroh, disclosed this during the ordination and consecration of three new Bishops, as well as an award ceremony held in Port Harcourt.

Aroh said the performance of the APC-led Federal Government had endeared the party to the organisation, prompting the forum to declare its support for President Tinubu and other APC candidates in Rivers State.

He said the forum would support all APC candidates in the state during the 2027 elections and urged Nigerians to vote for the party.

Aroh, who is also the General Overseer of Caring Peoples Church, Port Harcourt, charged the newly consecrated Bishops to see their new positions as a great responsibility and dedicate themselves to the advancement of the kingdom of God.

He cautioned them against conduct capable of bringing their offices into disrepute, stressing that their activities would be closely watched by members of the public.

“As Bishops, the eyes of the public are on your activities. You must therefore conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of your calling,” he said.

Also speaking, the International Coordinator of the forum, Bishop Saint Robinson, urged the newly consecrated Bishops to work diligently towards winning souls for the kingdom of God.

Robinson, who was the guest speaker at the event, stressed that the activities of Bishops must at all times be guided by godly principles.

He also called on members of the church to support and cooperate with the newly consecrated Bishops in the discharge of their responsibilities.

The Secretary of the College, Apostle Elizabeth Ayadi Abaye, said the organisation was established to advance the kingdom of God and promote spiritual development.

According to her, the forum has organised several crusades, conferences, prayer meetings, ordinations, consecrations, enthronements, empowerment programmes and other spiritual development activities across the country as part of efforts to win souls for Christ.

Abaye said the organisation has members across the world and disclosed that more programmes had been scheduled to promote the spiritual development and wellbeing of humanity.

The three Bishops consecrated at the ceremony were Prince Alban Chike, Testimony Omenihu Shedrach and Prince Ifemena.

Among those honoured at the event were the Chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC), Abali Community, Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, Manuchimso Prince Lemmy Wopara, and Clifford Oko Jaja, Coordinator of the 5,000 House-to-House for President Tinubu.

By: John Bibor

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Police Arrest Fake Soldier, Others For Armed Robbery, Kidnapping

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The Rivers State Police Command has arrested a 49-year-old suspected fake soldier, Andrew Atausi, and several other suspects in connection with various criminal activities, including kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, one-chance robbery and the alleged murder of police officers.

The State Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, disclosed this in Port Harcourt, recently during a press briefing at the Command Headquarters, where he said the arrests formed part of the operational achievements recorded by the Command between June and August 2026.

Adepoju said Atausi was arrested on August 10 by police operatives along Ada George, Port Harcourt, while dressed in military uniform and driving a Toyota Hilux painted in Army colours.

The Commissioner said investigation revealed that Atausi was not a member of the Armed Forces, adding that he was suspected to be a serial car snatcher, with three suspected stolen vehicles recovered from him.

He said the recovered vehicles included three Toyota Hilux vehicles without registration numbers and a Toyota Corona Premio with registration number BNY 380 ES, noting that the chassis and engine numbers of the vehicles had allegedly been tampered with.

Adepoju added that an axe and military accoutrements were also recovered from Atausi, as investigation continued into the circumstances surrounding the vehicles and other items recovered from him.

On the June 29 attack on police officers at Aluu Division, the Commissioner said three members of the gang allegedly responsible for the incident had been arrested by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, VCRU-AKU.

The suspects, identified as Maduabuchi Emeka, 34, alleged gang leader; Doctor Chinedu Owhor, 42, and Kamachi Joe, 28, alleged armourer, reportedly led operatives to their hideout at Omagwa where two AK-47 rifles stolen during the attack were recovered.

Adepoju recalled that two police officers were killed during the Aluu attack, while others were wounded and one officer had his leg amputated, stressing that efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fourth suspect.

On kidnapping, the Commissioner said five members of a suspected kidnapping syndicate were arrested in Oyigbo Local Government Area, adding that they allegedly confessed to operations in Kom-Kom, Railway, Obeama and Afam communities.

He said two other suspects from the same network, Anele Ogbogu, 35, alleged to be the gang’s armourer, and Kenneth Eke, 38, were arrested on July 27, with one AK-47 rifle and one SMG rifle recovered.

The Commissioner further disclosed the arrest of suspects in connection with alleged firearm offences, armed robbery, cultism and one-chance robbery, with firearms, ammunition and other exhibits recovered during the operations.

Adepoju assured residents that the Command would sustain intelligence-led, proactive and community-oriented policing in collaboration with other security agencies, while urging members of the public to continue providing credible information that would assist the police in combating crime across Rivers State.

By; King Onunwor

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