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Court Disbands Ebubeagu Security Outfit In Ebonyi

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A Federal High Court in Abakaliki has disbanded Ebubeagu Security Network in Ebonyi State, South-East Nigeria.
The security outfit was created through legislation by the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, following the April 2021 resolution of the South-East Governors’ to set up the outfit in the five states of the region to complement the effort of the security agencies in the fight against the upsurge in crimes.
The Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, inaugurated the Ebubeagu in December 2021.
The judge, Riman Fatun, in his ruling, declared Ebubeagu’s activities illegal and ordered the State Security Service and the Nigeria Police to collect all the weapons in possession of the security outfit.
Fatun explained that the disbandment was due to the human rights abuses, extortions, illegal arrests and use of firearms allegedly perpetuated by the outfit.
“I hereby declare the Ebubeagu outfit illegal and therefore, it ceases to exist as Ebonyi State House of Assembly has no powers to approve their existence,” he stated.
The court judgement followed a suit filed by a former Commissioner for Information in the state, Abia Onyike, alleging that he was abducted and tortured by Ebubeagu operatives in November 2022 in Abakaliki.
The Commander of the security outfit in the state, Friday Nnanna,  who later explained that the former commissioner was arrested by Ebubeagu operatives in error, said however, that he was released immediately after he was identified.
The court, as part of its judgement, ordered the Ebonyi State Government to pay N50 million to Mr Onyike as damages for his abduction and torture by the Ebubeagu.
Counsel to Onyike, Michael Odo, told newsmen that his client approached the court to seek a determination on, “whether the Ebonyi State House of Assembly has the constitutional powers to enact” a law establishing such a security outfit.
“I am happy over the judgement and today, justice has been done to my client”, Mr Odo said.
The counsel to the State Government was not available to speak with reporters after the judgment.
An Abuja-based legal practitioner, Bulus Atsen, told Newsmen that the court ruling was in line with the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended which confers on the federal government the exclusive powers of policing.
“I am inclined to agree with that position to the extent that policing falls under the exclusive legislative list in which case only the Federal Government or the national assembly can legislate on it”, he said.
Atsen, who is also a former chairperson of the Nigerian Bar Association, Abuja Branch,  said although there have been calls for a constitutional amendment to allow state governments to have their police in the states, the calls have not been heeded yet.
“So, until then, state legislations cannot establish a security outfit in a state or region”, the lawyer stated, citing item 45 in part one of Schedule two of the constitution.
Meanwhile, in a swift reaction,  the Ebonyi State Government said it would appeal the court ruling.
The State Commissioner for Information, Uchenna Orji, during a press conference in Abakaliki, described the judgement as “a clear case of miscarriage of justice brought about by sheer misapplication and misinterpretation of the law and abuse of court process”.

“The duties of Ebubeagu Security Outfit are that of community policing protected by the laws which are in line with Section 14 of the Constitution that empowers the government of every state to ensure that they take all necessary steps to ensure that the welfare and the security of that state are guaranteed. And they have done that perfectly well,” Mr Orji, a lawyer, said.

“The Government of Ebonyi State will not hesitate to take the matter up to the Supreme Court to know who is right in this circumstance”, he concluded.

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Nasarawa Varsity Student Commits Suicide

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A 23-year-old student of Nasarawa State University identified as Jatau Rilokwah, has been reportedly found dead in the university’s senior staff quarters.
A counter-insurgency expert, focused on the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed this on his X handle on Tuesday.
According to him, the discovery was made on April 27, 2025, by a security officer at the university, Emmanuel Gyawo.
He stated that Gwayo was directed by Prof. Shedrack Jatau to check on his son upon arriving at the residence, and he found Rilokwah hanging from the ceiling.
“Professor Jatau, who was reportedly out of the State at the time, was informed of the incident. A team of police detectives, led by the Divisional Crime Officer of Angwan Lambu, was dispatched to the scene.
“The body showed no signs of violence, and no suicide note was found. Rilokwah was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre in Keffi, where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor,” he further stated.
He added that the student’s corpse had been deposited in the hospital morgue.
He also quoted police sources as saying that investigations were ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

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Ogun, Nike Art Gallery Set To Transform Olumo Rock

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The Ogun State Government has partnered with Nike Art Gallery to establish a new exhibition space at the Olumo Rock Tourist Centre in Abeokuta, a move Governor Dapo Abiodun says is aimed at boosting annual tourist visits from 20,000 to over 100,000.
Abiodun disclosed the plan on Wednesday while receiving the founder of the Nike Art Gallery, Chief (Mrs) Nike Davies-Okundaye, at his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
“I went to Olumo Rock about a month ago and I decided that we needed to do something about restoring Olumo Rock to its old glory. From statistics, Olumo Rock hosts about 20,000 people a year in its current state, and I felt that we could increase that to at least ten times,” the governor said.
As part of the plan, an events hall within the tourist centre will be repurposed as a permanent gallery operated by Nike Art Gallery.
“I told them to shut it down. Practically, we want to bring it down and turn it into a gallery for you to use as an exhibition gallery,” he told Davies-Okundaye.
He added that the gallery will be ready before the National Sports Festival in May, when the State will host about 15,000 visitors.
“I want them to be able to see our tourist sites,” he said, listing attractions such as the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, the Ransome-Kuti family home, and the Adire market among key heritage spots to be showcased.
Highlighting Ogun’s improved infrastructure, the governor said, “Now that we’ve succeeded in having the intra and inter-state roads in place, you can come to Ogun State by rail; you can come by air. We’ve constructed one of the best airports in Nigeria, and very soon, you will be able to come by sea.”
Davies-Okundaye, in her remarks, praised the state’s efforts to promote tourism and pledged to use the new gallery to attract global attention.
“This gallery will bring many Heads of State. The one I opened in Abuja already has more than 10 Heads of State, including those from South Korea and the Czech Republic. The same will happen here,” she said.
She also applauded the Governor for his commitment to the Adire fabric industry.
“Adire is all over Nigeria, but Ogun has been promoting Adire for over 50 years. Today, the only cloth we can call our own is called Adire. This is what we can sell to the Europeans,” she said.
Abiodun reaffirmed his administration’s backing of the Adire industry, citing policies such as the Adire Ogun Digital Marketplace, compulsory wearing of Adire in the state, and provision of solar-powered production equipment to support artisans.
He also revealed plans to open a creative arts and entertainment village in partnership with Bolanle Austen-Peters, expected to be completed within two months.

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CBEX Resumes Operations Despite SEC Ban, N1.2trn EFCC Probe

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Despite the alleged N1.2 trillion digital trading fraud that reportedly affected over 600,000 Nigerians, the embattled Crypto Bridge Exchange trading platform, accused of these acts, has resumed operations, announcing fresh withdrawal options in a move to restore investor confidence.
Two traders on the CBEX platform confirmed to The Tide’s source that the digital trading firm has quietly resumed operations, allowing new users to register, trade, and withdraw profits, despite ongoing investigations by regulatory agencies.
According to the sources, an insurance verification process and an external audit of the company’s financial records are currently underway to ascertain the actual amount lost in the scheme, which collapsed in April.
They added that existing investors, many of whom have been unable to access their funds for weeks, will be able to take out their funds starting from June 25, 2025, when the audit is expected to be concluded by an insurance firm based in the United Kingdom.
This development comes barely weeks after the Securities and Exchange Commission declared the platform illegal, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission confirmed an ongoing investigation into the firm’s operations.
CBEX, a digital investment platform, offered investors 100 per cent profit after 30 days of purported AI trading. The trading platform started operations in 2024 after receiving registration approval from the Corporate Affairs Commission on September 25, 2024, and the EFCC’s Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering on January 16, 2025.
No fewer than 600,000 Nigerians reportedly invested in the scheme and lost N1.2tn after it collapsed on April 14, 2025.
Miffed by the development, the EFCC declared eight persons wanted for promoting the programme. They include Johnson Oteno, Israel Mbaluka, Joseph Michiro, Serah Michiro, Adefowora Olanipekun, Adefowora Oluwanisola, Emmanuel Uko, and Seyi Oloyede.

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