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N’Assembly Okays Emergency Rule In Rivers …Proposes National Reconciliation Committee For Rivers Crisis
The two chambers of the National Assembly yesterday approved the state of emergency imposed on Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday.
The Senate took a resolution to support the emergency rule at a closed-door session where legislators deliberated on the declaration and the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and other elected officials in the State.
The session was announced after Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, read a letter from Tinubu at plenary.
Senate leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, subsequently moved a motion for a closed session under Order 135 of the Senate rules.
The motion was seconded by the Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro.
During the session, Akpabio called for a voice vote, and the lawmakers approved the request.
Announcing the outcome, Akpabio stated that the Senate had exercised its powers under Section 305(2) of the Constitution to endorse the president’s proclamation.
“We hope that the President’s declaration will foster peace and resolve the ongoing impasse in Rivers State,” Akpabio remarked.
Additionally, the Senate urged Tinubu to establish an ad hoc committee composed of “eminent” Nigerians to mediate between the warring factions in Rivers State.
The lawmakers also decided that the President should review or terminate the state of emergency at any time, but no later than six months from now.
Furthermore, the Senate agreed to authorise the formation of an ad hoc committee, with members from both chambers of the National Assembly, to oversee the situation in the State.
In the same vein, the House of Representatives also approved the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
The seal of approval for the president’s proclamation came via voice vote during plenary, yesterday.
On Wednesday, the House in plenary failed to form a quorum, making it impossible for it to debate the letter of proclamation sent to it by the President.
However, more lawmakers attended yesterday’s plenary as Speaker Abbas announced that every item on the Order Paper for the day had been stepped down to consider President Tinubu’s request to approve emergency rule in Rivers State.
House Leader, Prof Julius Ihonvbere, who moved the motion for the consideration of the letter, urged his colleagues to stand up to be counted on the side of history.
He said, “We have our own biases, I have mine. But on this issue, let us all step on the precipice and assist Mr President in having a better solution to this issue. Let’s begin to work from the ground up to create the processes, conversations and negotiations necessary to bring about sustainable, credible and inclusive peace in Rivers State.”
According to Section 305(2) of the Constitution, for the emergency rule to take effect, Tinubu’s proclamation must be approved by at least two-thirds of both chambers.
This translates to 240 votes in the House of Representatives and 73 in the Senate.
The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, who presided over the plenary, called on members to make their contribution during the consideration of the general principles of the President’s report.
As the debate was about to begin, the member of the Labour Party representing Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency, Abia State, Hon. Obinna Aguocha, emphasized the need for a quorum, urging the Speaker to verify attendance before proceeding with the exercise.
“For us to continue, Section 305 (6b) requires the House to have two-thirds of members present in the chamber. Let us know our attendance because this will guide whatever we are going to do here,” he said.
Similarly, a representative of Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency, Bayelsa State, and a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, Hon. Frederick Agbedi, urged Speaker Abbas to demonstrate his leadership by sticking with the rules as stipulated in the Constitution.
He said, “The issue we are debating right now in second reading, is a constitutional matter, and the Constitution has prescribed what to do. It is in the integrity and interest of this House that we do the right thing.
“Please, announce the quorum so that Nigerians will know that we are not circumventing the constitution. This is not about supporting or opposing what Mr President has said, but because of your impeccable leadership, we should comply strictly with the Constitution by first transparently announcing the quorum as it is now for us to go into this debate.”
Responding, Speaker Abbas assured the lawmakers that all proceedings would strictly comply with the Constitution.
In his contribution, Deputy Spokesman of the House, Hon. Philip Agbese, urged his colleagues to place the interest of Rivers people first in arriving at a solution to the crisis.
He proposed the formation of a national mediation committee to interface between Gov Fubara and the State Assembly to help bring about peace.
“We saw in the past when this country was at the point of a precipice, national committees were set up. In the past, even when there were no constitutional provisions, the doctrine of necessity was invoked, to give life back to the country.
“I want to recommend that we set up a national committee of eminent Nigerians, comprising members of the executive and the parliament like we had not long ago with Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd) and His Eminence, Bishop Hassan Kuka.
“This committee will mediate to ensure that there is peace in Rivers State, so that within the period of the emergency rule, the parliament, working with executive and other eminent Nigerians, will ensure that we all work together to make sure that the things that led to the emergency rule in Rivers State do not resurface again,” he said.
Also contributing, the Deputy Minority Whip, Hon. Ali Isah, said though the emergency rule was declared for six months; the House should recommend to the President that it can be cut short if the peace moves are successful.
“With strong commitment, the matter in Rivers can be resolved within the shortest period of time. I believe the matter can be resolved by next week. If the President shows commitment, and everyone else, we don’t need to wait for a longer period of time. Within a short time, the matter can be resolved. The President should be able to review the state of emergency at any given time,” he said.
On his part, Delta lawmaker, Hon. Benedict Etanabene, pledged his support for any initiative aimed at restoring peace in Rivers State.
He, however, argued that Section 305 of the Constitution cannot be read in isolation of Section 11 which gives the National Assembly the powers to take over the role of a State Assembly that is unable to function as is the case with Rivers State House of Assembly.
He said, “Section 305 cannot be read in isolation of Section 11 (4) of the same Constitution. If any House of Assembly of a State is unable to perform its function, by reason of the situation prevailing in that State, the National Assembly may make such laws for the peace, order and good government of that State.
“The bottom line here is, I listen to Mr president’s proclamation, where he said that the Sole Administrator will be reporting to the Federal Executive Council. Mr Speaker, I disagree. The position Section 11 (4) of the Constitution should take precedence.”
All three recommendations were approved through a voice vote as Speaker Abbas disclosed that 243 lawmakers signed the attendance register.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) yesterday arrested over 100 suspects at Proxy Night club located at No. 7, Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, where a drug party was going on.
Spokesman of the Agency, Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this yesterday, said the suspects arrested include the owner of the club, Mike EzeNwalieNwogu, alias Pretty Mike, who was taken into custody for screening.
“Cartons of illicit substances, including Loud and laughing gas, were recovered from suspects at the party and the club’s store,” Babafemi said.
The raid followed intelligence about the drug party. NDLEA operatives who were embedded in the party between 11 pm on Saturday, 25th October, however, disrupted the gathering at 3 am on Sunday, 26th October, in line with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Similarly, NDLEA said a total of 70 parcels of cocaine factory packed in walls of cocoa butter formula body cream containers heading to London, United Kingdom, were uncovered at the export shed of the MurtalaMuhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, with three suspects arrested in a series of follow-up operations across Lagos.
According to the statement, “The cocaine consignments weighing 3.60 kilograms were discovered on 14th October 2025 during examination of cargoes packaged as personal effects going to London, UK on an Air Peace flight.
“A cargo agent, Lawal Mustapha Olakunle, who presented the consignment for airfreight, was promptly arrested while investigations stretching into two weeks led to the arrest of two principal suspects linked to the attempt to export the concealed Class A drug to the UK.
“In a follow up operation on 18th October, a female healthcare worker OgunmuyideTaiwo Deborah was arrested following which Mutiu Adebayo Adebiyi, the Chief Executive Officer of a travel agency, MutiuAdebiyi& Co, was arrested at his 23 LadokeAkintola Street, Ikeja GRA Lagos office on Monday 20 th October”.
In a similar development, an attempt by a 35-year-old Lesotho national, Lemena Mark, to export 103.59 grams of methamphetamine concealed in a diabeta herbs coffee tea pack to the Philippines on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from the AkanuIbiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu on Wednesday, 22nd October, was thwarted by NDLEA officers who arrested him and recovered the illicit drug.
No fewer than 21,950 capsules of tramadol 250mg concealed inside a 100-litre water heater were recovered from a suspect, Umar Abubakar, 40, who was arrested by NDLEA operatives at Bode Saadu, Morro local government area of Kwara state, following credible intelligence on Tuesday, 21st October.
In Taraba, the duo of Auwal Musa, 26, and SalihuBala, 22, were arrested on Tuesday, 21st October, with 450,000 pills of tramadol and Exol-5 at Dan-anacha checkpoint while conveying the consignment in a truck loaded with building materials from Onitsha, Anambra state, to Mubi, Adamawa state.
Also, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Okene/Lokoja highway, Kogi state, seized 162.200kg skunk, a strain of cannabis, from a truck on Friday, 24th October. Operatives in Nasarawa state on Wednesday, 22nd October, recovered 128kg of the same psychoactive substance from a suspect, Abubakar Muhammad, 55, in the Keffi area of the state.
A mother of two, Oyonumoh Glory Effiong, who is a major distributor of Canadian and California Loud, both strong strains of cannabis, in Lekki, Ajah, Ikoyi, Victoria Island and VGC areas of Lagos, has been arrested by NDLEA operatives on Friday, 17th October, during a raid at her Lekki home, where 500 grams of the illicit substances were recovered.
In the Ikorodu area of Lagos, NDLEA officers on Thursday, 23rd October, raided the home of a suspect, OgunyaboAdenigbigbe, at Solomade estate, where 275 litres of skuchies, a new psychoactive substance produced with black currant drink, cannabis and opioids, were recovered.
A 75-year-old grandpa, EchenduOnuoka, was arrested on Wednesday, 22nd October, at Ovum village, Obingwa LGA, Abia state, with 4.7kg skunk seized from him, while a 60-year-old grandma, Aukana John, was nabbed with 225 grams of the same substance at Apanta village, in the same LGA.
While a 150kg skunk was recovered during a raid operation at Lot camp, IkunAkoko, Ondo state, two suspects: Bashir Mohammad, 50, and Samini Ahmed Tijjani, 35, were nabbed with 234.5kg of the same substance at Yan aya ,Saminaka in Lere LGA, Kaduna on Friday, 24th October, just as another set of suspects: IsahUsman, 50, and Salvation Okoler, 18, were arrested with 8,600 pills of tramadol 225mg and rohypnol along Abuja/Kaduna highway.
At the Seme border area of Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, 22nd October nabbed Jacob Ojugbele with 55kg skunk at Ashipa area of Badagry, while AmusaOluwabukola was arrested with 121.3 litres of skuchies at ItogaBadagry.
In Zamfara state, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Gummi-Anka road on Monday, 20th October arrested a suspect, Abubakar Ibrahim, 30, in possession of an AK-47 rifle and 1,746 assorted calibres of ammunition, for AK-47 and GPMG rifles while moving them from Sokoto to Bagega forest, Anka LGA, Zamfara. Both the suspect and the exhibits have since been handed over to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.
With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities, among others, in the past week.
These include: WADA sensitization lecture to students and staff of Asabari Grammar School, IluwaIsaleOke, Saki West LGA, Oyo; Government Day Girls Secondary School, BirninKebbi, Kebbi; St. Mark’s College, Nsude, Enugu; Kusaki Secondary School, Gboko North, Benue; Government Day Secondary School, Serti- Baruwa, Gashaka LGA, Taraba; Police Children School 2, Port Harcourt, Rivers and Hajara Ahmad International School, Tudun Wada, Kano state, among others.
While commending the officers and men of MMIA, AIIA, Lagos, Kwara, Abia, Nasarawa, Kogi, Ondo, Anambra, Taraba, Kaduna, Seme and Zamfara Commands for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed BubaMarwa (Rtd) urged them and their colleagues across the country to continue the Agency’s balanced approach to drug control efforts.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), BayoOjulari, to provide a detailed account of oil revenues reportedly flagged by the Auditor-General of the Federation in the 2022 annual report.
The report, published on September 9, 2025, raised questions over the management of multi-billion-naira transactions, including over N22 billion, $49 million, £14 million, and €5 million in oil-related revenue, handled by the national oil company.
In a letter dated October 25, 2025, and signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, KolawoleOluwadare, the organisation called on Ojulari to ensure transparency by identifying those responsible for any unaccounted funds and forwarding the findings to the appropriate anti-corruption agencies.
“These findings raise serious concerns about transparency and accountability in the management of public resources,” SERAP said.
The group urged the NNPCL to recover any unremitted or misapplied funds and return them to the national treasury, stressing that proper management of oil revenues was crucial for national development.
“The allegations, if not promptly and transparently addressed, could undermine public confidence and economic stability,” SERAP stated.
According to the organisation, the Auditor-General’s report drew attention to issues such as irregular payments, uncompleted projects, and documentation lapses relating to oil sector transactions.
SERAP argued that corruption and financial mismanagement in the oil sector had long hindered Nigeria’s ability to channel its vast petroleum wealth into improved public services.
“Despite the country’s enormous oil resources, citizens continue to face hardship due to a lack of accountability and transparency in revenue management,” the statement noted.
The organisation maintained that if the flagged funds were properly accounted for, more resources could be made available for sectors such as education, healthcare, and social welfare.
It added that the NNPCL must take proactive steps to comply with audit recommendations, including closing identified loopholes and enhancing oversight on contract execution.
SERAP also warned that it would take legal action should the NNPCL fail to respond within seven days.
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and publication of this letter.
“If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel compliance in the public interest,” the organisation said.
The group cited Section 15(5) of the Nigerian Constitution, which mandates public institutions to prevent corrupt practices and abuse of power.
The Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Constitution Review has approved the creation of an additional state in the South-East geo-political zone.
According to a statement by the media unit of the committee, the resolution was reached on Saturday at a two-day retreat in Lagos, where it reviewed 55 proposals for state creation across the country.
The session, chaired by the Deputy Senate President, BarauJibrin, and co-chaired by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, resolved that, in the spirit of fairness and equity, the Federal Government should create another state for the region.
Kalu, who joined other lawmakers to champion additional state creation for the region, argued that a new state would give the people a sense of belonging.
When created, the South-East will be at par with the South-South, South-West, North-Central, and North-East zones, each having six states.
The South-East is the only geo-political zone with five states comprising Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo.
The North-West comprises seven states: Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, and Jigawa.
According to the statement, Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) moved a motion for the creation of the new state, which was seconded by Ibrahim Isiaka (Ifo/Ewekoro, Ogun State) at the retreat.
“The motion received the unanimous support of committee members and was adopted,” the statement read in part.
Similarly, the committee also established a sub-committee to consider the creation of additional states and local government areas across all six geo-political zones, noting that a total of 278 proposals were submitted for review.
Speaking at the event, Jibrin urged members to rally support among their colleagues at the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly to ensure the resolutions sail through during voting.
“We need to strengthen what we have started so that all parts of the country will key into this process.
“By the time we get to the actual voting, we should already have the buy-in of all stakeholders—from both chambers and the state Houses of Assembly,” the Deputy Senate President was quoted as saying.