Niger Delta
Foundation Leads Campaign Against Genetically Modified Foods In Edo
Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) on Friday led a campaign rally in Edo State to raise awareness about the dangers of introducing Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) into Nigeria’s food system.
The campaign took place in collaboration with the GMO-Free Nigeria Alliance and members of the Edo Civil Society Organisations (EDOCSO).
The rally, which started from the National Museum at Ring Road, Benin, made its way to the Edo House of Assembly, state office of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and to the Government House.
At the Government House, the Chief Security Officer to the Governor, Solomon Oseghale, received a petition against the introduction of GMOs on behalf of the state government.
The petition called on the government to reconsider its decision to approve GMOs and to prioritise the health and well-being of Nigerians.
The Executive Director of HOMEF, Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, said the rally took place simultaneously in Rivers, Katsina, Plateau, Oyo, Lagos, Cross Rivers, Enugu, Jigawa States and the FCT.
According to him, Nigeria does not need GMOs to address food insecurity.
He asserted that the design of the genetically modified crops does not support local economic growth but promote dependency on corporate seed supply.
“In September 2024, the National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN) was reported to have recorded no significant increase in yields when compared to the local seed varieties.
“Instead, the introduction of GM cotton seeds over four years ago, yield per hectare has remained about the same.
“Also, the farmers noted that no other plant has been able to germinate on the farmlands where the GM seeds were planted, even after four years.
“This confirms the concerns regarding loss of biodiversity and soil degradation due to release of genetic material (proteins) into the soil which would not ordinarily occur”, he said.
Bassey decried that farmers were not able to replant the GM seeds after harvest due to declining yields.
He said farmers were encouraged to continuously purchase the seeds every new season from corporate entities.
He said this reflected neo-colonialism and corporate capture of our food system -something we shouldn’t take lightly.
On his part, Ifeanyi Nwankwere, National Co-coordinator of the GMO-Free Nigeria Alliance, noted that GMOs approved in Nigeria, so far were not currently being labelled.
Heb said Nigeria’s socio-economic context would not allow labelling to be effective considering how food was sold in cups and basins in open markets where majority of our people shop from.
Nwankwere noted that the biosafety regulatory system in Nigeria was not designed in a way that assures safety with regard to GMOs.
Similarly, Mr Agho Omobude, Coordinator of the Edo Civil Society Organisations (EDOCSO), said the rally aimed to educate the public about the risks associated with GMOs.
Omobude stressed that genetically modified foods are poisonous and pose a significant threat to the health and well-being of Nigerians.
He dismissed the claim that GMOs could ensure food sufficiency, describing it as a lie and a ploy to colonise Nigeria’s food system.
He bemoaned the approval of 14 genetically modified foods in Nigeria, which had been a staple in all households over the years.
Mr Cadmus Atake-Enade of the HOMEF advocated legislation that would outlaw the sale of genetically modified foods in Edo and Nigeria at large.
He expressed concerns that some super markets in the state were reportedly selling the products without providing the customers with information about them.
The source reports that the rally featured distribution of leaflets containing anti-GMO information.
The campaigners also displayed placards with various inscriptions such as, “Nigerians reject GMOs”, “#FoodnotPoison”, “Food Should Not Be Grown In A Lab”, “Support Small Scale Farmers”, “What We Eat Must Not Eat Us”, among others.
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Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has ordered an immediate review of environmental sanitation operations in Calabar metropolis.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Linus Obogo, on Friday, the Governor said the sanitary situation of the city had become a cause for concern.
He said the review became necessary because Calabar should continue to maintain its status as the cleanest city in the country.
“The city is now littered with wastes, the cleanliness status of Calabar is almost gone, we cannot just fold our arms and watch,” he said.
The Governor continued that every resident of the city had roles to play towards restoring the sanitary status of the city.
“Every resident should live up to their responsibilities. Our reputation in sanitation was not earned overnight, we worked for it.
“It is the product of discipline, policy consistency, and civic responsibility. We cannot allow negligence to take away this reputation,” he said.
He further directed that henceforth, sanitation exercise should be supervised by the office of his Special Adviser on General Duties.
“This intervention is intended to ensure stricter coordination among contractors and government agencies that are responsible for waste management,
“Environmental sanitation is not a peripheral concern of government. It is central to public health, urban dignity, and the overall quality of life of the citizens”, he said.
Otu expressed displeasure at lapses arising from the attitude of some refuse contractors in the state.
He said breakdown of mechanical tools could not be a reasonable excuse for non-evacuation of refuse.
“Operational setbacks should never translate into visible environmental neglect. Preparedness, contingency planning and prompt response are the hallmarks of responsible service providers.” he said.
A Bayelsa-based lawyer, and candidate for the position of National Assistant Secretary in the suspended National Executive Council (NEC) elections of the apex Ijaw socio-cultural organization, the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Barr. Abraham Marshall, has said the court order, which restrained the conduct of the March 7th, 2026 polls, was a setback to stakeholders of the INC.
He expressed his worries about the plights of delegates who travelled from various parts of Ijaw land to come for the elections in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, only to be disappointed by the court order.
While thanking other candidates for maintaining orderliness and brotherliness all through the campaign processes, Marshall said the court injunction has devasted candidates vying for various positions.
He described the cost of what has already been spent on campaigns and sundry arrangements for the elections as huge.
Marshall noted that already he was a leading candidate for the position of National Assistant Secretary as he was optimistic of victory.
“First of all I’ve great confidence in the ability of the Electoral Committee headed by a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, HRM, Justice F.F Tabai, which was eager to conduct a seamless election.
“Some of us have campaigned through the three zones and clans of the INC. Some of us went to the Western Zone, Eastern and Central Zones to meet delegates.
“That is how it happenes atimes when there are contest, some persons who are aggrieved, rather than take laws into their hands, go to court to seek judicial redress. So, I want to commend all candidates for maintaining decorum throughout the entire process.
“I like to also call on stakeholders to quickly seek for ways through internal mechanisms of the INC to end this problem so that the elections can be conducted because as candidates we’ve incured lots of expenses leading to the process”, he stated.
Meanwhile, in a bid to proffer solutions to the issues bedeviling the smooth conduct of polls, Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, on Friday met with stakeholders of the INC and its six Presidential candidates, as well as other major stakeholders of the Niger Delta region in Government House, Yenagoa.
In his remarks, the Governor commended individuals and institutions, including the presidential candidates and the Conference of Ijaw Traditional Rulers and Elders (CITRE), for their efforts towards actualising a peaceful and seamless transition of leadership in the Ijaw National Congress (INC).
The Tide gathered that at the meeting, the presidential candidates agreed to withdraw all subsisting litigations concerning the election.
Represented by his Deputy, Dr. Peter Akpe, Diri also expressed gratitude to the Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Ambassador Godknows Bolade Igali, the Chairman and members of the INC National Electoral Committee, and other stakeholders who contributed to the resolution reached at the meeting.
Drawing an analogy from the scriptures, particularly 1 Kings Chapter 3, he likened the unanimous agreement of the candidates to withdraw all pending court cases to the decision of the true mother of the disputed baby who pleaded with King Solomon not to cut the child into two.
According to the Bayelsa helmsman, the resolution reflects the enthusiasm, love and patriotic fervour in all the presidential candidates to move Ijaw nation forward.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the meeting, the candidates, including High Chief MacDonald Igbadiwe, who secured the injunction from a Port Harcourt High Court stopping the INC Elections billed for last weekend, confirmed the agreement and pledged commitment towards the peaceful emergence of the next President of the apex Ijaw socio-cultural organization.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
The Police Command in Akwa Ibom State has rescued seven victims and detained four suspects linked to human trafficking along Ikot Ekpene–Aba Road.
The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, disclosed this in a statement issued to journalists in Uyo on Saturday.
John said police operatives dismantled a human trafficking syndicate operating within the state, rescuing seven victims and arresting four suspects involved in the network.
She said acting on credible intelligence, operatives swiftly mobilised a patrol team for a coordinated stop-and-search operation along Ikot Ekpene–Aba Road on Friday.
The operation, conducted at about 8 a.m. on Friday, targeted vehicles suspected of transporting victims of human trafficking.
“During the operation, the suspected vehicle was intercepted and four victims were immediately rescued, while the suspect conveying them was arrested and taken into custody.
“Following reports that a vehicle was conveying young persons suspected to be victims of human trafficking, our operatives quickly moved to intercept it,” John said.
She said interrogation of the suspect led to the expansion of the operation to Itam and Ibaka in Oron Local Government Area.
John said three additional victims were rescued and three more suspects apprehended during the follow-up operation.
This brought the total number of rescued victims to seven and suspects arrested to four.
According to her, preliminary investigations revealed that the trafficking syndicate specialised in recruiting and transporting young persons across borders for exploitation.
“Intelligence gathered further disclosed that one of the ringleaders earlier escaped through waterways from Ibaka in Oron to Cameroon and Gabon with some victims”, she said.
John said investigations were ongoing and the suspects would be charged in court upon completion of the probe.
The police spokesperson reiterated the Command’s commitment to combating human trafficking and other organised crimes in the state.
She assured the public that efforts were ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate.
John urged residents to remain vigilant and provide timely information to the police to help protect vulnerable persons and strengthen community safety.
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