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Sexual Assault: Police Set Up Probe Panel

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The Rivers State Police Commissioner, CP Eboka Friday, has ordered a discreet investigation into an alleged sexual abuse case involving a 17-year-old girl and an officer.
The Command’s spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, who disclosed this while reacting to the allegation, said the outcome of the findings will be made public.
She said: “The Commissioner of Rivers State Police Command, has called both parties over the alleged offence for discreet investigation. The outcome will be made known to the public.”
It learnt that a teenager, simply identified as Binla, had alleged that a police officer known as Salihu Kazeem, alongside his boys stripped the teenager and her friend naked, took video of them and abused them sexually after accusing them of stealing his money.
Binla, in a telephone interview, narrated that the incident happened in March.
She said: “It was in March this year, I was discussing with my friend about getting a job. She told me that she was going to visit her friend and that I should come with her, that maybe I could ask the man to get me a job. So when I saw the man I spoke to him, He asked me my age, I told him, I am 17 years old.
“He told me that since I am 17 there are jobs that I cannot do. That he will see what he can do and get back to me.
“After that, he asked if we had eaten, and we said no. He gave us his ATM card that we should go and get anything we want to eat. We went and bought food and came back with the ATM card and gave him the ATM card.
“So he later claimed that he had debit alerts on his phone, we asked him the amount, but he refused to tell us.
“So, he discharged my friend that brought me and kept me with the other girl I met there.
“He called his boys and told them we were thieves. They ordered us to pull our clothes. After pulling our clothes, he recorded our nakedness. He told us that if we didn’t cooperate with him, he was going to spread the nude videos. He took us to a room and poured us teargas and slept with us till the next morning before discharging us.
“Then, like one month after he has been coming, like three times now. Any time he comes, if we refused to go with him, he will threaten to share our nude videos, then I will go with him and he will sleep with me.
“This last time he came, I was not around. He told my friend they should tell me to come, but when they told me, I refused to go. Then on the following Monday when I was going to repair my slippers, he met me on the road and asked if my friend did not tell me to come, I said they told me. He asked why I did not come, I said nothing, then he dragged my phone from my hand that I should come with him.
“That when I am ready to pay him the N500, 000 he lost in his account, I should come and collect the phone.
“Today, I went to Rumupakani (Ada George) Police station to make a complaint. So, the police went with me to the man’s house, but we did not see him.
“After I got home, people told me some boys came to look for me and I do not know the boys.
“My life is under threat. I don’t know if he is the one that sent the boys. I am calling on the public because my life is under threat”.
When contacted, the officer, Salihu Kazeem claimed the girls did not come back the night he gave the ATM card but sent one of their friends to return his ATM card.
He alleged that he has been receiving debit alerts ever since he gave the girls his ATM card even as of Saturday, August 27, 2022.
He denied taking nude videos of the girls, insisting that they stole N500, 000 from his account.
The policeman however agreed that the three times he slept with the girls were with their consent, and he paid for their service.
He admitted seizing the girl’s phone.
Meanwhile, the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign has called for a thorough investigation into the incident.
A lawyer with the rights group, Fetus Bonwin advised the officer to submit himself for investigation.

Bonwin called on police authorities to thoroughly investigate the girl and the officer and if anyone is found culpable, he/she should be charged to court.

 

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Rivers

MCDI Inducts 150 Professionals In PH

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The Mentoring and Career Development Institute of Nigeria (MCDI) has inducted about 150 new members into various categories of membership during a special induction ceremony and dinner in Port Harcourt.
Aimed at expanding the institute’s membership base, the event offered new inductees an opportunity to engage with senior members and integrate fully into the organisation’s professional network.
The induction ceremony was part of the 2025 national conference of the institute.
National President of MCDI, Dr. Collins Edebiri, administered the oath, while the new members promised to carry out their duties faithfully, following the institute’s rules and constitution.
Dr. Edebiri emphasised the institute’s core mandate of instilling values that will shape individuals and institutions.
He emphasised the theme of the conference, “Mentoring for Individual and Corporate Leadership”, noting that last year’s focus centred on national development and value reorientation.
Edebiri explained that the induction ceremony is a key feature of the institute’s annual conference, though inductions also occur quarterly.
On the criteria for membership, he said the most important factor is the desire to be mentored or the readiness to mentor others, and urged the new inductees to become ambassadors of value-driven leadership in their respective workplaces.
Guest Speaker at the ceremony, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, who was a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), shared her experiences from her early days in journalism, attributing much of her professional growth to strong mentorship.
She encouraged members to embrace mentorship as a catalyst for personal and societal advancement.
Seminitari was later presented an award.
New members, including Wisdom Egberi Woniepiriye, and Mrs. Grace Ajinwanyiekwu, expressed their excitement and hope to be mentored well so they can eventually mentor others.
There were a dinner and networking session, marking another success for MCDI in its efforts to build leadership values nationwide.
By: Theresa Frederick & Charity Amiso
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Rivers

Fisherman Gets Thumbs-Up Over Patent Creation 

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The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) has commended a renowned fisherman, Mr. Ricky Brown Owunari, for what it described as a remarkable stride in global engineering content creation.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Association, weekend, the SPE said  the patented “Dewaxer Flow Enhancer and Downhole Tool” had secured official endorsement under U.S. Patent No. 12,448,868 B2.
They said the development has been highlighted as a significant indicator of Rivers State’s growing intellectual and technological capacity, with observers noting that such breakthroughs position the state as a rising hub for innovation.
According to those familiar with the innovation, the achievement serves as proof that Niger Deltans have moved beyond the era of militancy and are now producing world-class content, research outputs, and technical solutions.
The SPE officials described the patented technologies as timely tools designed to tackle wax deposition in crude oil wells, a major challenge that frequently disrupts production and increases maintenance costs.
They further stressed that the milestone underscores the need for Rivers State to invest more in supporting innovators whose works demonstrate global potential.
Industry experts revealed that the tool originated from years of field observation, experimentation, and rigorous research aimed at improving flow assurance in challenging well conditions.
They also urged the Federal Government to show greater appreciation for home-grown innovations, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to formally recognise and encourage technological breakthroughs emerging from the Niger Delta.
Stakeholders at the event warned against piracy, emphasising that unauthorised copying of patented technologies undermines national progress and discourages genuine innovators.
Analysts observed that the breakthrough strengthens the narrative of a new Rivers State built on creativity, content development, and technical excellence rather than conflict.
The session concluded with a call for stronger collaboration between government authorities and industry players to protect intellectual property and position Rivers State as a greenhouse for innovation-driven content.
The content, The Tide gathered, is expected to solve critical challenges in the oil and gas sector, as well as other relevant areas of the national economy.
By; King Onunwor
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Rivers

NBA Seeks End To Mass Abductions, Targeted Killings

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The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has warned against mass abductiond and targeted killings in Nigeria.
President of the NBA, Mazi Afam Osigwe, who gave the warning, noted that Nigeria was faced with a growing wave of violence following fresh attacks in Kebbi and Borno States.
The association issued the warning after terrorists attacked the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga on November 17.
According The Tide’s source, the gunmen killed a teacher and abducted at least twenty-five students during a shootout with security personnel.
The  President said the latest attack shows the country has become unsafe for schoolchildren and civilians.
He further noted that Nigeria also lost Brigadier General M. Uba earlier that day in an ISWAP ambush in Borno State.
According to Osigwe, the nation was  witnessing a rise in terrorism, kidnapping, and lawlessness that has overwhelmed security agencies, adding that rural communities, travellers, farmers, and security officers are all exposed.
The NBA President also warned that Nigeria was facing a dangerous breakdown of public safety.
Quoting recent reports, he said about 145 people went missing in mass abductions across Kebbi, Niger, and Zamfara within four days.
“The country must stop recording deaths while hoping for peace through negotiations with terrorists”, he said.
The NBA further revealed that recent intelligence alerts, including the DSS warning of ISWAP plans to strike in Ondo and Kogi, show a widening threat.
Osigwe questioned why terrorists still control forests and highways without challenge, with criminals levying taxes on communities, displace families, and attack convoys.
The NBA demanded an urgent national security overhaul with transparency and strong political will.
Osigwe, however, praised the teacher who died in Kebbi while protecting students.
By;  King Onunwor
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