Police colluding with opposition to disrupt Rivers LG elections, Fubara alleges

Published

4 weeks ago

October 4, 2024

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Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, says the police are colluding with “enemies of the state” to disrupt the Saturday’s local government election.

Earlier today, the Rivers police command said its officers would not provide security for the conduct of the local government election in the state.

In a thread on X, Fubara accused police officers in the state and those from the force headquarters in Abuja of being “in cahoots with forces aligned against our state to create a state of anarchy”.

“This morning, l addressed a press conference alerting the world on the conspiratorial plot by some officers & men of the policeNG from both the State command & the Force HQ, Abuja who are in cahoots with forces aligned against our State to create a state of anarchy,” he said.

“This was sequel to the unwholesome invasion of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission office at the early hours of today, Friday, October 4, 2024.

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“The reason for their invasion was to break into the RSIEC offices and cart away sensitive election materials with the intention of truncating the LGA elections scheduled for tomorrow Saturday, October 5, 2024.

“However, the courage and boldness of Rivers people who joined us to resist the dastardly act, saved the situation. The World press conference afforded us the opportunity of reassuring our people that the election will hold despite the withdrawal of @PoliceNG with the excuse of being in possession of a federal High Court judgment barring its officers from participating in election duties.

“We strongly believe that other security agencies are participating and will provide the necessary security coverage for the voters.”

On September 30, a federal high court in Abuja barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the 2023 voter register to RSIEC.

The court also barred the inspector-general of police and the Department of State Services (DSS) from providing security for the election exercise in the state.

READ Police foil attempt to kidnap Nasarawa PDP leader

On October 2, INEC said it had not released the voter register to RSIEC for the conduct of the election, in deference to the judgment of the federal high court.

Related Topics:FUBARA Police RIVERS LG POLL

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Police detain VeryDarkMan after honouring invitation

Published

24 mins ago

November 1, 2024

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Deji Adeyanju, the Nigerian lawyer, says the police have detained VeryDarkMan, the social media critic.

In a Twitter post on Thursday evening, the lawyer said the activist, born Martins Otse, was detained after honouring the police invitation.

Adeyanju lamented that his client was taken into custody despite cooperating with the police authorities.

“Our client, VDM has been detained after honouring police invitation just like yesterday. VDM who has been consistent in saying the Nigerian Police are our friends even when we all know they are not,” the tweet reads.

The development comes after VeryDarkMan shared a video of himself in a matching suit. In the footage, he said he was heading to the police station in Abuja to respond to the invitation.

Trouble began when VeryDarkMan wore a police uniform and introduced himself as the “chief superintendent of police (CSP) of the online division”.

The police said it would launch an investigation to determine the source of the police gear used and the authority under which the activist acted.

READ Mohbad: Police say ‘credible’ evidence links Naira Marley, Sam Larry with cyberbullying, assault

VeryDarkMan would later apologise to the police while emphasizing that he didn’t intend to impersonate the law enforcement agency.

The fitness expert had also revealed that he returned from the police station where he was interrogated based on the controversial footage.

The police have yet to confirm VeryDarkMan’s detention or provide further details.

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We secured over 3,000 convictions, recovered N248bn, $105m in one year – EFCC

Published

31 mins ago

November 1, 2024

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it recovered over N248 billion, $105 million, and secured 3455 convictions in one year.

Ola Olukoyede, chairman of EFCC, spoke in Abuja on Thursday during a press conference to mark his one year in office.

Represented by Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC’s director of public affairs, Olukoyede said the achievements were recorded between October 18, 2023, and October 18, 2024, when he assumed office.

“The commission within the year recovered N248, 750,049,365.52; $105,423,190.39; £53,133.64; €172,547.10; T1,300.00 Indian rupees and CAD $3,400.00 Canadian dollars,” he said.

“It also recovered ¥74,859:00 Chinese Yuan; AUS $ 740:00 Australian Dollars; 170:00 UAE Dirham; 73,000:00 Korean Won; CFA 7,821,375:00 and R 50:00 South Africa Rands.

“On asset recovery and return, the EFCC on Sept. 6 handed over to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) the sum of $180,300 and 53 vehicles, being assets recovered for Canadian victims of Nigerian fraudsters.”

READ Police arrest four over alleged theft of Dangote truck with 900 bags of cement

The EFCC chairman said $164,000 of the recovered cash assets was from one Elena Bogomas, while $16,300 belonged to another victim, known as Sandra Butler.

He added that about 53 vehicles recovered “were stolen over a period of time in Canada, freighted to Nigeria, and distributed to multiple locations in Nigeria by the criminal elements”.

He said the commission charged four former governors to court over corruption allegations in the past year.

The former governors are Yahaya Bello, Abdulfatah Ahmed, Willie Obiano, and Darius Ishaku.

Olukoyede said the commission also arrested two former ministers of power, Saleh Mamman and Olu Agunloye, who are currently facing prosecution.

“Also, a former minister of aviation, Hadi Sirika, is currently standing trial before two different courts: Justice S.B. Belgore of the FCT high court, Garki, and Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the FCT high court, Maitama,” he said.

He said Sirika is being prosecuted alongside his brother, Ahmad Sirika, and two companies, Enginos Nigeria Limited and Samahah Integrated Investment Limited, on 10 counts bordering on alleged N5.8 billion fraud.

READ Troops raid IPOB/ESN camp in Ebonyi, kill one, recover arms

He added that the former minister is also standing trial for six counts alongside Fatima Sirika, Jalal Hamma, and Al Buraq Global Investment Limited over alleged N2.8 billion fraud.

JUST IN: NSIB locates wreckage of crashed helicopter in Port Harcourt

Published

9 hours ago

October 31, 2024

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The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) says its search and recovery teams have successfully located the wreckage of the ditched Sikorsky SK76 helicopter.

In a statement on Thursday, Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, NSIB’s director of public affairs and family assistance, said the wreckage was identified during recovery dives conducted on Wednesday night.

Details later…