Rivers
Council Partners Navy Over Insecurity On Waterways
The Chairman of Andoni Local Government Council, Bar. Erastus Charles Awortu, has stated his administration’s readiness to support the Nigerian Navy to address the menace of insecurity along waterways of the area.
The council boss made this known when he briefly stopped over at a Navy patrol boat along the waterway while on security official visit to Oyorokoto fishing settlement in the area.
Oyorokoto Community is located at the Coast of Atlantic Ocean in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, It is the largest fishing hub in West Africa. Before the presence of council administration, the area was plagued by issues of insecurity due to brazen attacks by sea pirates and other criminal gangs.
Awortu said his decision to support the personnel of the Nigerian Navy was borne out of the need to stem the tide of insecurity along Andoni waterways.
“We are very much ready to support the Nigerian Navy to help us to achieve peace within the Andoni waterways. We also need your support to address insecurity along our waterways. We have already established a good relationship with the men of Nigerian Navy deployed to Andoni coastal areas, I’m hopeful that this relationship would be beneficial to our effort towards addressing insecurity. We will also encourage the Navy in any way we can”, the chairman said.
Addressing the people of Oyorokoto Community, the council boss expressed his administration’s determination to bring lasting peace, stability and security in Andoni including fishing settlements and coastal areas.
He said the effort is geared toward economic development as well as to attract investors to the area.
According to him, more security men would be deployed to Oyorokoto community and its environs to improve security in the area.
Awortu assured the people of even development that would improve economic activities in all fishing settlements as well as sustain the existing peace in the area.
He said no amount of money spent in safeguarding the lives of people and properties to achieve an enduring peace in the area is a waste.
“We are very passionate about the issue of security. It was sad and unfortunate that when you tune to the radio, you don’t hear any good thing about Andoni, what you hear are kidnapping, sea piracy, cult killing, armed robbery and chieftaincy crisis”.
When I came into office only two security men were deployed to secure the whole of Oyorokoto and its environs which was grossly inadequate. I felt this wasn’t the right way to address the security challenges in the area.
“However the story is different today as we have been able to secure and facilitate increased deployment of security personnel to Oyorokoto and its environs to provide adequate security in the area. We are spending much to sustain the increased deployment of security personnel in Oyorokoto and other parts of Andoni”. Awortu said.
The Council Chairman while urging the people to maintain good relationship with security operatives deployed to the area, hinted that his administration has taken measures to curb the spate of attacks by Sea pirates and other criminal gangs.
He assured the people that the council will played more priority to ensured that activities of the criminals do not impact negatively on the businesses of the Small-Scale Fishermen and women at the Coastal Communities.
Awortu also promised to intervene in the area of Education in Oyorokoto Fishing Settlement and pledged to draw the attention of the relevant authorities in the Education Sector of Rivers State to public schools in the area.
Coastal Communities also visited by the Council Chairman Erastus Awortu includes AmaNsan, IbotokponMbaba, and Oyorokotoetc.
By: Enoch Epelle
Badejo-Okusanya emerged winner of the association’s Presidential election conducted through electronic voting, polling 12,317 votes to defeat her two male challengers and become the 33rd President of the NBA.
According to the final results released by the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA), the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) secured 47.18 per cent of the 26,106 valid votes cast in the election.
Her closest rival, Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe (SAN), garnered 7,934 votes, representing 30.39 per cent, while Olumu Akinboro (SAN) polled 5,855 votes, or 22.43 per cent.
Her election is historic, as she becomes only the second woman to lead the NBA in its 66-year history, following Priscilla Kuye, who served as the association’s first female president between 1991 and 1992.
The inauguration of Badejo-Okusanya and other newly elected national officers will be one of the major highlights of this year’s Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, which is expected to attract thousands of lawyers, judges, legal scholars and policymakers from across Nigeria and beyond.
Called to the Nigerian Bar in 2002, Badejo-Okusanya studied Law at the University of Lagos after earning a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in English from the same institution.
She began her legal career at Olaniwun Ajayi LP and, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to legal practice, was elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria on September 29, 2025.
Her career has combined legal practice with public service. In 2007, she was appointed Senior Special Assistant on Justice Sector Reform to the then Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, working in the office of the then Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Olasupo Shasore.
She is a respected arbitration and dispute resolution expert and belongs to several prestigious professional bodies, including the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA), African Arbitration Association, ArbitralWomen, International Bar Association (IBA), Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA), International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), and the African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA). She also serves on the Board of the Lagos Court of Arbitration.
Within the NBA, Badejo-Okusanya has held several strategic leadership positions, including Assistant Secretary of the NBA Lagos Branch, member of the Future of the Legal Profession Committee, Conference Investigation Committee, and the NBA Lagos Branch Building Committee.
She also served as Alternate Chair of the 2023 NBA Annual General Conference Planning Committee before chairing the committee for the 2024 conference.
In 2022, she was co-opted into the NBA National Executive Council and, in August 2024, received the NBA Presidential Medal of Service in recognition of her contributions to the association.
A founding partner of Africa Law Practice NG & Company since 2017, Badejo-Okusanya currently co-heads the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice. The firm is regarded as one of Nigeria’s leading commercial law firms, with affiliations across Africa.
Her emergence has raised expectations that her administration will prioritise lawyers’ welfare, institutional reforms and a more inclusive Bar, in line with her campaign promise to build “a bolder Bar that works for everyone” where lawyers can earn better, live better and practise better.
Raji made the remarks when he received the NYSC Rivers State Coordinator, Moses Oleghe, on a courtesy visit to his office at the Naval Shipyard in Port Harcourt.
The naval chief praised the 56-year-old NYSC scheme for its strategic role in nation-building, saying it has remained a “bedrock of national unity and sustainable development” since its establishment.
He also commended the cordial relationship between the NYSC and the Nigerian Naval Shipyard, describing the synergy between both institutions as “very healthy and mutually beneficial.”
According to him, the partnership has continued to yield positive results, particularly in service delivery by corps members posted to the Shipyard.
Raji assured the NYSC management in the state of his readiness to support the successful implementation of the scheme’s programmes and activities, noting that closer collaboration between the two institutions would further strengthen their bond.
“My administration remains available and committed to supporting the NYSC in the successful implementation of its programmes and activities in the state”, he said.
He appreciated the quality of service rendered by corps members serving at the Shipyard and pledged that their welfare would remain a top priority under his leadership.
“We will continue to prioritise the welfare of corps members in order to encourage and motivate them for optimum performance”, he Commander added.
Earlier, Oleghe said the visit was aimed at formally interfacing with the Commander, familiarising with him and welcoming him to Rivers State following his recent appointment.
He noted that the relationship between the NYSC and the Nigerian Naval Shipyard had remained strong over the years and called for its sustenance.
The State Coordinator thanked the Commander for his assurances of support and stressed the importance of strategic stakeholders such as the Nigerian Navy in ensuring the security and welfare of corps members.
Oleghe added that the support of the Navy would provide corps members with the enabling environment required to serve the nation effectively and without hindrance.
The visit, both officials agreed, underscored the shared commitment of the NYSC and the Nigerian Navy to national integration, youth development and the continued strengthening of institutional collaboration in Rivers State.
The coronation, which forms the highlight of a week-long programme of activities scheduled to hold from September 18 to 27, 2026, is expected to attract traditional rulers, government officials, captains of industry, members of the diplomatic community, sons and daughters of Opobo Kingdom, and guests from across Nigeria and beyond.
In a statement issued by the Chief of Protocol and Public Relations of the Opobo Council of Alapu, Alabo Godwin Omoni Nengia Bupo, Abayebupo Duke Norfolk III, the Council described the event as a defining moment in the history of the kingdom.
Founded in 1870 by the legendary merchant prince, King Jaja of Opobo, and his compatriots, Opobo Kingdom has remained one of the Niger Delta’s most celebrated traditional institutions, renowned for its rich cultural heritage, maritime trading history, diplomatic influence and resilience.
According to the Council, the ascension of King Charles Douglas MacPepple Jaja, Jeki VI, as the sixth monarch in the Jeki lineage signals the dawn of a new chapter that will build on the kingdom’s enduring legacy while promoting unity, cultural preservation and sustainable socio-economic development.
The statement noted that the coronation would be “more than the crowning of a king,” describing it as a celebration of the kingdom’s resilience, identity, ancestry and enduring traditions.
“This historic coronation is not merely the crowning of a king, but a celebration of our resilience, our identity, our ancestry and our enduring heritage”, the statement said.
The Council added that a comprehensive programme of cultural, spiritual and ceremonial activities have been lined up across the kingdom to commemorate the historic occasion, culminating in the official coronation on September 26.
It called on friends of Opobo Kingdom, cultural enthusiasts and well-wishers from around the world to join in celebrating what it described as a landmark event in the history of one of Nigeria’s oldest and most respected traditional kingdoms.
By: Theresa Frederick & Charity Amiso
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