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Fubara to new Rivers LG bosses: Avoid violence, emulate me

Published

4 weeks ago

October 6, 2024

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Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, has urged the newly elected LGA chairpersons in the state to emulate his approach to governance.

Fubara swore in the chairpersons on Sunday at the government house in Port Harcourt, the Rivers capital.

The Action Peoples Party (APP) won 22 LGAs in Saturday’s election while the Action Alliance (AA) was victorious in one LGA.

Fubara had recently directed his loyalists to defect to the APP to contest the election.

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony, Fubara said there are plans to perpetrate violence against the elected officials when they resume their duties on Monday.

The Rivers governor urged the officials to be “patient and calculative”.

He admonished them to see their election as an opportunity to work for the people at the grassroots level.

“I’m aware that they are mobilising 20 people per unit to go and confront you tomorrow when you resume in your local government headquarters,” Fubara said.

READ Five pro-Wike commissioners quit Fubara's cabinet

“Please if they are coming with violence, avoid them.

“The peace of this state is too important to us. Everybody knows what they are planning but please I want to beg everyone to follow my approach.

“At the right time, you will always win if you are patient and calculative. We have made our promises to our people. We are going to lead them to the promised land.”

The Rivers governor said the controversy surrounding the Rivers LGA elections is effectively over.

CONTROVERSIAL LG POLLS

The build-up to the Rivers LGA elections was trailed by controversy which was exacerbated by conflicting court orders and pushback from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

On September 4, a high court in Rivers state held that RSIEC could conduct the LGA elections using the 2023 voter register.

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

READ PDP govs to meet Wike over impeachment saga

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

Despite the federal high court ruling and the withdrawal of security personnel, Fubara said the election would proceed as planned.

Related Topics:NEW RIVERS LG BOSSES Siminalayi Fubara

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Police detain VeryDarkMan after honouring invitation

Published

22 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 Fubara reveals real reason bomber wanted to blow up Presidential Hotel

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

30 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 PDP govs to meet Wike over impeachment saga

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 Rivers guber race: Wike, Amaechi fight dirty over 'Igbo votes'

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…