News

Offa Robbery: Saraki Assembles SANs To Battle Police

Published

7 years ago

July 30, 2018

The police have insisted that Senate President Bukola Saraki is needed to make certain clarifications on the statement of the suspects arrested in connection with the robbery despite the legal advice from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, which absolved the Senate President of any complicity in the act.
The Senator representing Kwara South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Rafiu Ibrahim, has said a team of senior legal experts will handle the allegation of complicity in the Offa robbery saga levelled against the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, by the police.
But Ibrahim, who is among the 14 senators, who defected from the All Progressives Congress last Tuesday told our correspondent in a telephone interview that Saraki’s lawyers, who are mainly Senior Advocates of Nigeria, were already brainstorming on the case.
The Senator’s clarification appears to be an indication that the Senate President may not honour the police invitation and would rather ask his lawyers to handle the matter.
His declaration came on the heels of the insistence of the Force PRO, Moshood Jimoh, that Saraki still had a case to answer notwithstanding the fact that a team of investigators grilled the Senate President last week in his office.
Ibrahim said, “The Senate President has a very strong legal team of many Senior Advocates of Nigeria who are already working on the issue. He has a legal issue with the police and he will take the case up legally.”
He explained that the executive arm of government bungled a fresh strategy that was being coordinated by Saraki aimed at reconciling aggrieved federal lawmakers with the APC leadership when the police reportedly barricaded the Senate principal officers’ homes in Abuja.
He said, “As we were strategising on how to convince our members to let us reconsider our stand and shelve our plans to defect, the police brought a letter by 8pm on Monday, asking the Senate President to appear before them by 8am on Tuesday.
“The following day, very early in the morning, the EFCC went to the house of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, blocked his house and successfully ensured that he did not go out.
“Simultaneously, some policemen were also at the home of the Senate President with a specific instruction to prevent him from leaving his house. Those who could carry out such actions could as well kill the principal officers or bomb their houses.
“My concern at the moment is to ensure that the Senate President is alive. The agents of government are getting desperate just to actualise their plans.”
Ibrahim added, “Their plan was to ensure that the two of them were not available for plenary on Tuesday so that some senators could remove Saraki and Ekweremadu as Senate President and Deputy Senate President, respectively.
“However, God, in his infinite mercies and powers, used some people to disorganise their plans by helping Saraki to preside over plenary on Tuesday. It was God, nothing else.
“We adjourned abruptly on Tuesday because the federal authorities deployed armed policemen who laid siege to the residences of our presiding officers.

News

198 UNIBEN Students Bag First Class

Published

15 hours ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

A total of 198 students of the University of Benin (UNIBEN ) Edo State, bagged a First Class degree out of 14,083 students to be awarded first degree at the institution’s 51st Convocation and Founder’s Day ceremony.

Vice Chancellor of UNIBEN, Prof. Edoba Omoregie, disclosed this on Monday in Benin at a pre-convocation press briefing.

He said 4,217 students bagged a Second Class Upper, 7, 928 got a Second Class Lower, while 578 bagged a Third Class degree.

He said 15 new approved programmes by the National Universities Commission (NUC) would commence in the 2025/2026 academic session.

According to him, “The wheel of progress is on course and moving steadily in the University of Benin. This administration is poised to deliver on its mandate of effective, practical teaching, sound learning, result-oriented research and impactful community service.

“We must applaud the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for establishing NELFUND, and by so doing significantly reducing the financial stress of students in the process of acquiring tertiary education. We enjoin students and their parents to take full advantage of the federal government’s benevolence in instituting the fund.”

Prof. Omoregie disclosed that Nigeria’s Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, would deliver the Founders’ Day lecture with the topic, “Reforms for a Shared Prosperity”.

The UNIBEN VC said Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs and Former Vice Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, Professor Eghosa Osaghae, would deliver the Convocation Lecture on the theme, “Making Our Universities Great”.

News

Bayelsa Education Fund, British Council trains tra 1,000 teachers

Published

15 hours ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

The last batch of 400 public school teachers in Bayelsa State on Monday commenced training under the sponsorship of Bayelsa Education Development Trust Fund (EDTF) and the British Council.

This batch will bring to 1000 the number of public school teachers in the state who have benefited in the partnership arrangement.School supplies

The EDTF, British Council and Teachers Training, Registration and Certification Board collaborated in the capacity development programme.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the five day capacity building program, Commissioner for Education Dr Gentle Emelah reiterated the commitment of the Bayelsa government to training and capacity of teachers in the state.

He noted that the improved teaching methodology in the state was responsible for the state producing the best student in the 2025 West African School Certificate Examinations.

Prof Ebimiowei, Executive Secretary at EDTF, noted that the collaboration is aimed at improving learning outcomes for pupils and students of public primary and secondary schools in Bayelsa.

“You will agree with me that until the cutlass is sharpened, it will have no impact on the hands of the farmer and so it is with our teachers., you need to be sharpened very well to give good delivery in your various classes and schools.

“Let me at this juncture appreciate the British Council for accepting to train 1,000 teachers, 50 education managers and 60 trainers for Bayelsa,” he said.

On his part, Chairman of the EDTF board, High Chief Fidelis Agbiki expressed appreciation to the Commissioner for Education Dr Gentle Emelah for his supportive role to the fund.

Agbiki urged the beneficiaries to justify the enormous resources invested by the government of Bayelsa by being dedicated within the five days the exercise would last.

He said; “This board will not operate on business as usual but on business unusual as we will push the frontiers outside the box to ensure that we get value for money,” Agbiki said.

Chairman of Development Partners Committee of the EDTF applauded the commitment of the partners for the successful completion of the programme, urging them to sustain the tempo

Speaking on the programme, Mr Fwanshishak Daniel, Head, English and Schools, British Council noted that the Bayelsa government had shown exemplary commitment to educational development.

He explained that the commitment has enabled the British Council and Bayelsa government to achieve within one year greater milestones that took other states three years to achieve.

He explained that the resources of the British Council have been made available to Bayelsa with the training of 60 resource persons from the state who will in turn train other teachers to improve education.

According to Daniel, the training will lay emphasis on new teaching methods, use of digital tools for self development and access to school amongst others.

Dr Peremoboere Ogola, Acting Chairman of TTRC, which facilitated training, thanked the EDTF for supporting training of teachers in Bayelsa with world class resources of the British Council.

She noted that another batch of newly recruited teachers are currently undergoing training at State government owned University of Africa, Toru Orua, Sagbama LGA in Bayelsa

News

RSG INAUGURATES ARMED FORCES REMEMBRANCE DAY COMMITTEE

Published

15 hours ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

The Rivers State Government has inaugurated a Central Planning Committee to organize the celebration of the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day (AFRD) in the State.

The committee was formally inaugurated by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Benibo Anabraba in Port Harcourt, last Thursday.

Dr Anabraba who also serves as Chairman of the Committee

highlighted the State Government’s deep appreciation for the sacrifices of Nigeria’s fallen heroes who laid down their lives for the nation’s peace and unity.

“These heroes have given their lives for the security and peace of our nation and deserve to be celebrated. The Armed Forces Remembrance Day is an opportunity to show our gratitude for their sacrifice,” he said.

Dr. Anabraba further extended recognition to all Security Agencies in the State, emphasizing the importance of the event in appreciating their contributions to national security and sovereignty.

The annual Armed Forces Remembrance Day, observed on January 15 across the country is dedicated to remember Nigeria’s departed soldiers and honouring the nation’s veterans.