Niger Delta

IGP Lauds Diri For Honouring Police Officer, SP Sentome Obi

Published

7 months ago

August 4, 2025

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has commended the Executive Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, for hosting a high-level state banquet in honour of Superintendent of Police (SP) Sentome Obi, recipient of the Police Officer of the Year 2024 and IGP Integrity Award.

The event, which took place on Tuesday, 23rd July 2025 in Yenagoa, symbolises a significant recognition of honour, courage, and ethical excellence in law enforcement.

Recall that SP Sentome Obi, a native of the state and Head of the Financial and Cybercrime Unit at Zone 16 Command, Yenagoa, earned national acclaim following his refusal of a $17,000 bribe aimed at derailing a sensitive investigation.

A statement from the Force Public Relations Officer, Force headquarters, Abuja, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, quoted the IGP describing SP Obi’s principled stance which, he said, was executed under operational pressure as exemplifying the highest standards of ethical policing.

The Statement added that in acknowledgment of this uncommon integrity, the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri presented SP Obi with a brand-new Toyota Corolla and a fully furnished three-bedroom bungalow, an unprecedented reward for ethical conduct in public service.

The IGP lauded the gesture as a watershed moment in the effort to institutionalize integrity within Nigeria’s security architecture, noting that public recognition of exemplary officers is a powerful tool not only for reinforcing professional values within the Force, but also for restoring public confidence in policing as a noble and honourable profession.

“This is more than a commendation, it is a cultural statement. It tells every officer that integrity is not just expected but rewarded”, the IGP said.

According to the statement, in line with this philosophy, the Force Management Team, under the leadership of the IGP, had earlier on, at its meeting held on Monday, 23rd June 2025, resolved to recommend SP Obi, Police Officer of the year, 2024 and CSP Aliyu Shaba, the recipient of the Police Officer of the Year award 2023 for accelerated promotion by the Police Service Commission.

The Team also approved that SP Obi’s portrait and that of CSP Aliyu Shaba be displayed prominently at the entrances of all State and Zonal Command Headquarters, the main entrance of Louis Edet House (Force Headquarters, Abuja), and the Nigeria Police Hall of Fame on the 7th Floor of the Force Headquarters.

Further decisions reached include the adoption of a merit-driven framework for promotion, under which any officer who has won the police award or received the IGP Recognition Award or other national commendation at least twice in the last two consecutive award cycles will be considered for accelerated promotion.

This policy direction, the statement explained, theis intended to embed reward-for-performance as a sustainable feature of the Force’s personnel development strategy.

These initiatives are part of a broader leadership commitment by the IGP to reposition the Nigeria Police Force as a modern, accountable, and ethically grounded institution.

The statement continued that “by celebrating integrity, rewarding professionalism, and elevating officers who embody the core values of the Force – discipline, transparency, service, and excellence – the IGP continues to lay the foundation for a new culture of policing in Nigeria”.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

Stakeholders In Delta Seek Stronger GBV Action, Women’s Leadership

Published

4 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

Stakeholders in Delta State convened in Asaba for a leadership workshop organised by Otdel Health Heritage and Environmental Initiative (OHHEI), focusing on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and women’s participation in decision-making processes.

OHHEI Project Director, Mr. Peter Olayinka, represented by a consultant, Juliet Obiajulu, urged participants to contribute meaningfully toward advancing women’s leadership and combating GBV across communities in the state.

He said the workshop aimed to strengthen participants’ capacity to influence policies, challenge harmful cultural norms, and reinforce initiatives designed to prevent and respond to GBV.

Olayinka said women often faced bias even when they occupied leadership positions, and stressed that gender diversity improved the quality of decision-making and promoted innovation and accountability in governance structures.

Speaking, the Chairperson of the Association Against Child Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Mr Eris Jewo-Ibi, identified cultural norms, domestic responsibilities, political resistance, and grassroots barriers as constraints to women’s participation.

Delta State GBV Desk Officer, Mrs. Rosemary Okpuno, emphasised that effective decision-making required women’s perspectives, adding that inclusion remained critical to addressing persistent gender-based challenges.

Voke Angbagh of the Delta State Ministry of Justice outlined penalties for rape and called for the establishment of special courts to handle sexual offences cases.

Angbagh said frequent adjournments delayed justice for survivors, stressing that dedicated sexual offences courts would ensure timely trials and stronger protection for victims in Delta State.

The Tide’s source reports that facilitators identified cultural acceptance of violence, unequal power relations, discrimination, poverty, limited education, and low self-esteem as major drivers of GBV.

They emphasised that violence and exclusion resulted in social, physical and emotional harm, imposed economic costs, reinforced harmful stereotypes, and widened existing gender inequalities.

The source also reports that OHHEI, a local non-profit organisation, focuses on education, health, environment, and social justice, promoting sustainable development initiatives with gender equality at the centre of its interventions.

Niger Delta

C’River Suspends Taskforce Activities Over Drivers’ Protest

Published

4 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Cross River State Government has suspended all taskforce activities connected to commercial transportation and ticketing across the state.

The State Governor, Bassey Otu, announced the suspension at an emergency stakeholders meeting on Friday in Calabar.

It would be recalled that commercial drivers in Calabar metropolis took to streets on Thursday to protest alleged multiple taxation and extortion by government agencies.

During the protest, the drivers alleged that taskforce groups claiming to represent the state government openly harassed and extorted them.

Represented at the meeting by Ekpenyong Akiba, his Special Adviser on General Duties, Otu said the suspension would subsist pending further review of the situation.

The Governor stated that the state government did not commission anyone to extort drivers in the name of task force.

He urged commercial drivers and other road users to remain law-abiding while government worked out a lasting solution.

On his part, the Chairman, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Calabar Metropolis, Mr. Sunday Dennis, expressed optimism that the dialogue would yield positive results.

He said the meeting had provided an opportunity for the aggrieved commercial drivers to present their concerns directly to the state government.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Unified Drivers Association, Mr. Nta Henshaw, described the harassment on drivers as worrisome, and urged the state government to be decisive in resolving the matter.

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Assembly Urges More Private Investments In Agriculture

Published

4 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Nutrition and Food Security has called for more private sector investments in agriculture.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Moses Essien, made the call when the committee visited Aviclaire Farms, a private establishment in Usung Idem, Uruk Usoh in Abak Local Government Area.

Essien, who represents Ibiono Ibom in the Assembly, commended the Management of the farm for partnering an NGO, ECEWS, to promote private investment in agriculture.

He commended the partners for adopting climate-smart agriculture initiatives in their operations, adding that such move would promote food security.

“Your interest in using transformative intervention to promote food security is a veritable way of complementing the efforts of the state government,” he said.

The lawmaker continued that adopting practical climate-smart agriculture model would help to generate employment, improve nutrition outcomes, and strengthen food sufficiency.

He further said he was impressed with the strides recorded by the partners, saying, “your investment has created jobs for no fewer than 2,000 youths.

”You are an example of an environment-friendly investor. I urge Akwa Ibom residents to embrace environment-friendly and technology-driven agriculture models,” he said.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer, ECEWS, Dr. Andy Eyo, who conducted the committee round the farm, said the collaboration was conceived to demonstrate the viability of climate-smart farming in ensuring food sufficiency.

Eyo said the farm, which commenced operations with four greenhouses, had expanded to 14 within two years, and currently supplying high-quality produce to major markets in Uyo and neighbouring communities.

He said ECEWS was exploring cooperative frameworks to enable rural farmers and women’s groups to adopt greenhouse technology for sustainable livelihoods.

In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Aviclaire Farms, Mrs. Victoria Eyo, said the controlled-environment ensured precision cultivation and consistent yields.

She further said the farm served as a capacity-building centre for students, interns, and agri-business trainees.