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2nd Term: We’ll Rely On Leaders Within System -Wike …Deal Decisively With Cultist, Kidnappers -Dokubo
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has stated that his second term administration would feature leaders from within the state structure, with a few new officials drawn from outside the system.
Speaking during a Special State Luncheon for members of the Rivers State Second Term Inauguration Committee at the Government House, Port Harcourt, last Wednesday, Wike assured that he would always involve those who worked hard for the success of the administration, especially those who served in the committee.
Wike said: “Most of you or some of you must still be part of the government, the cabinet and other parts of the administration.
“Those of you who are prayer warriors should continue to pray. Generally, it cannot be outside this area. It cannot be. It will be people within the system and some from outside.
“Don’t feel that we have abandoned you. Not at all! Government House is still open to you”, he enjoined members of the committee.
He commended members of the Second Term Inauguration Committee for delivering a world-class transition from first to second term for his administration.
Wike expressed happiness that the committee worked tirelessly and religiously to deliver quality programmes that shaped the commencement of his second term.
“After the successful second term inauguration, the deputy governor and I decided to host the committee for the wonderful inauguration.
“We were filled with happiness, particularly on the day of the second term inauguration. The only day we had a challenge was the day of the Thanksgiving Service. But the committee made amends”, he said.
Responding, the Chairman of the Second Term Inauguration Committee and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Austin Opara, thanked the Rivers State governor for the opportunity given them to serve the state.
He formally recommended all members of the Second Term Inauguration Committee for different responsibilities in the forthcoming administration, saying that they lived up expectations.
Opara thanked the Rivers State governor for monitoring the preparations and activities of the committee, which ensured that the members delivered.
Also speaking on behalf of other committee members, Prof Ngozi Ordu, expressed gratitude to Governor Nyesom Wike for the opportunity to serve.
She said that members of the committee went the extra mile to ensure the transition into the second term was successful.
It would be recalled that members of Governor Wike’s Second Term Inauguration Committee were drawn from the former Rivers State Executive Council, former Special Advisers, former and re-elected State and National Assembly members, the academia, top class professionals, members of the business community, local government council chairmen, party chieftains, youth groups, women leaders, opposition party leaders and non-indigenes.
Meanwhile, the former militant leader, Alhaji Asari Dokubo says the scourge of cultism and kidnapping ravaging Nigerian society should not be handled with kid gloves but rather, government should deal decisively with those involved.
Dokubo stated this, last Tuesday, in an interview with correspondents in Government House, Port Harcourt.
The activist expressed opposition to the approach of offering amnesty to cultists by government, saying “instead of treating them as criminals”, which they are, “government is encouraging them by rewarding terror merchants through amnesty.
“My advice has always been that cultism and gangsterism have never helped. The root cause of this is the amnesty programme that was introduced.
“How can you pay money to people who are not working? When they brought this amnesty, I rejected it. This amnesty programme is a bad omen.
“Your father’s salary who has been working is N50,000. He has worked for 30 years, his salary is N50,000. Then you, who has refused to go to school, you are a rapist and a common thief, government will now reward you for being a rapist and a common thief, and pay you N65.000, and ask you to stay at home”, he complained.
He stressed that reward for criminality has discouraged people from embracing hard-work and the dignity and reward that go with it since other youths would emulate those who committed these crimes and ironically get sustained reward through amnesty.
Dokubo regretted that the situation has degenerated to the point that before you build house or embark on any project in the communities, you see group of youths asking you to pay them, such that people have abandoned villages as they take refuge in the cities.
“It is so disgraceful that you wake up in the morning, and you see severed head of a fellow human being decorating our streets”, he said, and urged government not to leave any stone unturned to cleanse the society of the evil of cultism and kidnapping.
He advised government to end the present era of entitlement to criminality in the form of amnesty, stressing that those behind the persistent kidnapping, which he called, ‘stealing of human beings’, and cultism were very few in number, and should be decisively dealt with.
“The government should work with the various security agencies concerned with maintaining law and order to make sure that these people who are few are dealt with.
“Once you cage these few people, the society will be very free, and let us not reward terror merchants.
“Our society today is rewarding terror merchants, and people see them as role models, and also follow suit to make money from criminality”, he said.
He noted that until government does the right thing, the scourge would persist, adding that some traditional rulers that attempted advising the cultists and kidnappers against what they do have become victims.
However, the former freedom fighter noted that his community has not faced the effects of criminality because it has a mechanism that checks criminals, and advised other communities to put in place such needed mechanism to check miscreants, instead of the use of entitlement.
“We have told them that this entitlement mentality, forget it, it is not going to work.
“In my community in Oboma, it doesn’t happen. There is no ‘kpo fire’, there is no one stopping you from building house. Government project comes and nobody stops them; everybody is happy, because there is a mechanism to control these people.
Chris Oluoh
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have foiled attempts by drug trafficking syndicates to smuggle illicit substances concealed in carton walls, winter jackets, and body cream containers through Murtala Muhammed International Airport and a Lagos-based courier firm.
The agency said two consignments bound for Italy were intercepted at the Lagos airport, leading to the arrest of suspects linked to the shipments.
In a statement released yesterday, the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said one of the suspects, 37-year-old Friday Ehianuka, was intercepted on Friday, March 20, 2026, while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Rome, Italy.
The statement partly read, “Two of the consignments heading to Italy were to be moved through the Lagos airport where two suspects linked to the shipments were promptly arrested.
“One of them, 37-year-old Friday Ehianuka, was going to Rome, Italy on Friday, March 20, 2026, when he was intercepted while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight with 2,698 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed in containers of skin-lightening body cream, all packed in the suspect’s luggage.
“In his statement, Ehianuka, who is a resident of Milan, confirmed that he was to be paid a negotiated fee in Euros if he had succeeded in trafficking the consignment to Italy.”
In another operation on Wednesday, March 18, Babafemi said NDLEA officers at the departure hall intercepted another passenger, Christian Agbonhese, attempting to board a Lufthansa flight to Milan.
A search of his luggage uncovered 23,150 pills of tramadol 225mg, 4,000 tablets of tapentadol 250mg, and 1,320 pills of tramadol 100mg concealed in two large winter jackets.
“No fewer than 23,150 pills of tramadol 225mg; 4,000 tablets of tapentadol 250mg; and 1,320 pills of tramadol 100mg, all concealed in two large winter jackets, bringing the total number of opioids recovered from him to 28,470 pills. The 38-year-old Agbonhese is also a resident of Milan,” the statement added.
In a separate operation at a courier firm in Lagos, Babafemi said NDLEA officers on Monday, March 16, intercepted two parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 1kg, hidden in a carton shipped from the United States.
“Also thwarted was an attempt to export 158 grams of methamphetamine concealed in the walls of a carton to New Zealand,” he said.
In Kano State, operatives arrested Abdulkadir Mamuda, 35, with 102.5kg of skunk at Dan-Tsalle, while another suspect, Uche Johnson Festus, 47, was nabbed at Naibawa Gabas with 95.5kg of the same substance.
Babafemi said the agency also recovered 21,737 bottles of codeine-based syrup during a raid at Otto, Ijora area of Lagos on Wednesday, March 18, adding that two suspects, Chidiebere Anigbogu and Paul Nwagbara, were arrested the same day on the Third Mainland Bridge while conveying 8,380 bottles of the syrup.
In Edo State, operatives recovered 97.5kg of skunk from the residence of Akeem Idde, 37, in Ojah, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area on March 16.
In the FCT, officers intercepted a commercial bus along the Gwagwalada Expressway on March 18, recovering 91,840 pills of tramadol hidden in body compartments of the vehicle. The driver, Aminu Ali, 27, was arrested.
In Oyo State, a suspect, Bankole Bari, was on Tuesday, March 17, arrested at Oke-Oyan, Ibarapa LGA, with 71.2kg of skunk, which he smuggled into Nigeria from Benin Republic through the Oyan River.
In a similar development, “Not less than 586,000 pills of tramadol and Exol-5 were recovered by NDLEA operatives from Lawal Anas, 28, along Kaduna-Zaria Highway, Kaduna, on Tuesday, March 17, while 7,290 tablets of tramadol 225mg were seized from Musa Shuaibu, 22, at the same location on Friday, March 20,” Babafemi said.
In Taraba State, officers intercepted Aliyu Adamu, 26, along the Takum-Jalingo Highway with 77,660 capsules of tramadol, while in Adamawa State, six suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure of 82.8kg of tramadol in a truck in Yola.
The suspects include Ramatu Aliyu, Jungudo Abdullahi, Najid Abdullahi, Musa Mohammed, Usman Abdulrahim, and Musa Mohammed.
The agency said its commands across the country also intensified War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, and communities during the week.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers of the MMIA, DOGI, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Oyo, FCT, Taraba, and Adamawa commands for the arrests and seizures, urging them to sustain the balanced approach to drug control efforts.
News
RSG Applauds FRSC, NDLEA For Enhancing Security In Rivers …As NDLEA Pushes For Drug Tests In Schools, NYSC Camps
The Rivers State Government has commended the dedication and collaboration of federal government agencies in sustaining security in the State.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the State Commander of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), CN Bature Dawa, in Port Harcourt, last week, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Dagogo Wokoma, said Governor Siminalayi Fubara appreciates the strong synergy between the agencies in promoting his administration’s vision of peace, prosperity and progress in the State.
Wokoma urged residents to remain law-abiding, noting that respect for the law is essential for good governance and sustainable development in all parts of the state.
He stated that the governor has remained committed to initiatives that promote peace and social order, stressing that the administration will continue to support programmes of federal agencies aimed at strengthening security and public safety.
“Our governor is committed to peace, progress and prosperity in Rivers State. I therefore encourage all residents, especially young people who are often targeted by those involved in drug abuse, to stay away from drugs, crime and reckless driving,” he said.
In his remarks, the State NDLEA boss, Dawa, disclosed that the agency has arrested 39 suspects in the state from December 2025 to date, including 16 new cases currently under investigation.
He explained that the NDLEA, through its Drug Demand Reduction and Drug Supply Control Units, has intensified efforts to curb the spread of illicit drugs and ensure offenders are brought to justice.
Dawa also called on parents and guardians to closely monitor their children, while urging hotel owners and managers to remain vigilant and prevent their facilities from being used for drug-related activities.
He further advocated the introduction of drug integrity tests in schools and within the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme as part of measures to discourage drug abuse among young people.
In a related development, Dr Wokoma received the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), CC Inyang Umoh, during a courtesy visit, and urged residents to abide by road safety laws and drive in consideration of other road users.
In his remarks, the FRSC boss expressed appreciation to Governor Fubara for the continuous support to the Corps.
Muslims in Rivers State have commended Governor Siminialayi Fubara for his dedication and commitment to the development of the state.
They also lauded the governor for promoting peaceful co-existence among various religious groups in the state.
Vice President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs ,Alhaji Nasil Awhelegbe Uhor, gave the commendation last Friday during the Eid-el Fitri prayer to mark the end of Ramadan fasting period, at the Port Harcourt Central Mosque, Niger Street, Port Harcourt.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the prayer, Alhaji Uhor said Governor Fubara has shown exemplary leadership in the affairs of the state.
Uhor who is the leader of the South South Muslim Ummah of Nigeria, called on Muslims to remain committed to the ideal of peace and fear of the Almighty Allah.
According to the Rivers State Islamic leader, the message is for Muslims to imbibe and allow the lessons of Ramadan to sink into their lives and shape their ways of doing things.
He urged Muslims to imbibe the culture of love and respect for one another.
“My message is that all Muslims should imbibe and allow the lessons of Ramadan to sink with them,” he advised.
Uhor stressed the need for Muslims and all Nigerians to remain patriotic, while avoiding all forms of anti-social behaviours.
He also called on the political leaders to put the country first, stressing that there is no need for Nigerians to continue to wallow in abject poverty when the country is so rich with natural resources.
Also speaking, the Chief Imam of Rivers State, Alhaji Ibrahim S Yalo, urged Muslims to fear God, and speak the truth always.
According to him, time has come for Nigerians to cultivate the habit of peaceful coexistence, speak the truth and be each others keeper.
“Nigerians own a duty to ensure peace, live together in fear of God and speak the truth always,” he said.
By: John Bibor
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