THE Rivers State Police Command has declared two senior officials of the Ahoada-East Local Government Area wanted for their alleged involvement in the violent assault on the Administrator of the council, Goodluck Iheanachor. The suspects — Hector Ekeakita, who serves as Chief Security Officer, and Aloni Olodi, the Chief of Staff — are accused of criminal conspiracy, stealing, assault occasioning harm, and attempted murder. According to a statement released by the spokesperson of the Rivers Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, the incident occurred on June 20, 2025, at the council’s secretariat, where the administrator was reportedly beaten by a gang of…
Author: Eileen Peters
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THE Supreme Court has reserved judgment in the legal tussle on Edo State Governorship Election Petition. The apex court adjourned the judgment sine die after taking arguments for and against the election that produced Senator Monday Okpebholo as the duly elected governor. Justice Garba Lawal who presided over hearing of the appeal filed by Asue Ighodalo and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), said that the date for delivery of the judgment would be communicated to parties involved. Ighodalo, whose appeal was argued by Ken Mosia, SAN, prayed the Supreme Court to remove Okpebholo and pronounced him as winner of the…
THE House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on Rivers has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Sole Administration of the state, Vice Admiral Ibok-Eke Ibas (retd.), to submit a breakdown of major items in the 2025 N1.48 trillion Appropriation Bill. Advertisement The Chairman of the committee, Julius Ihonvbere (APC-Edo), issued the ultimatum on Monday at a budget defence session in Abuja. He said that the committee had gone through the budget as presented by the sole administrator and had raised several issues. He said that the administrator should submit the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), which is a legal document…
IN a continued crackdown on oil theft and pipeline vandalism, troops of the Nigerian Army, working in synergy with other security agencies, have arrested 46 suspected oil thieves, deactivated 23 illegal refining sites, and recovered over 30,000 litres of stolen crude and refined products across the Niger Delta region. The operations were disclosed in a statement signed by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 6 Division, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, who described the effort as part of sustained pressure to deny criminal elements freedom of action in the region. In Rivers State, six illegal refining sites were uncovered…
THE Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that there is no sacrifice too big for the peace, stability, and progress of the state. Addressing his supporters in Port Harcourt on Saturday, Governor Fubara reassured them that every step he has taken, including the recent reconciliation with his predecessor and Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, was done with their collective interest in mind. The governor acknowledged the anxiety and disappointment felt by many of his loyalists following the peace deal, but insisted that difficult times call for difficult decisions and concessions. He revealed that the reconciliation process was…
BARELY two days after a fresh round of peace talks at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and the suspended Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Martin Amaewhule, again appeared in public together. The fresh appearance was this time at a funeral service in Rumueprikom, Wike’s hometown in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area. The three key political figures have been locked in a political crisis for nearly two years. Their appearance follows Thursday’s peace meeting brokered by President Bola Tinubu, which sought to…
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF of Vanguard newspaper, Charles Eze Anaba, has been re-elected as the National President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) during the Guild’s Biennial National Convention, currently ongoing at the International Conference Centre, Enugu. Anaba, who was the incumbent, was returned unopposed, a development attributed to his widely acknowledged record of administrative excellence. Also elected at the convention was the Managing Director of The Sun newspaper, Onuoha Ukoh, who clinched the position of General Secretary with 218 votes. He defeated his closest rivals, Wole Sogunle and Qasim Akinreti, who polled 45 and 30 votes respectively. Other elected officers include:…
TENSION gripped Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State late Monday night as gunmen launched a deadly assault on the office of a vigilante outfit, Onelga Security Peace and Advisory Committee (OSPAC) office, killing an operative of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) in the process. The attack, which occurred just behind the Local Government Council Secretariat in Ahoada, sent shockwaves through the community. Residents reported hearing a barrage of gunshots around 9 p.m., prompting panic and forcing many to flee indoors for safety. The victim, identified as Corporal Friday Francis, an operative of the Special Intervention Squad, was said…
THE Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yenagoa Branch, on Monday, embarked on a symbolic court boycott across Bayelsa State to protest the abduction of Justice Ebiyerin Omukoro, a serving judge of the Bayelsa State High Court. The association described the action as a “solemn yet powerful demonstration of solidarity with the abducted jurist” and a clarion call on security agencies to intensify efforts towards securing his safe and immediate release. Justice Omukoro was kidnapped on Saturday evening, 21st June 2025, by masked gunmen at Kilimanjaro Eatery, located opposite the bustling Ekeki Park in Yenagoa. He had reportedly just returned from an…
The Edo State Government on Wednesday said it has placed hospitals across the state on “high alert” over the recent outbreak of diphtheria, a bacterial infection that affects the upper respiratory tract. The government, in a state by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Fred Itua, said that Governor Monday Okpebholo had activated an emergency public health response, deploying all necessary resources and expertise to arrest the situation and safeguard the health of residents. The statement read in part, “Governor Okpebholo, demonstrating decisive leadership, is personally coordinating surveillance and monitoring efforts, working closely with the State Ministry of Health…
THE Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has joined Nigerians in celebrating one of its senior members and Publisher of Vanguard Media Group, Prince Sam Amuka-Pemu, on his remarkable 90th birthday. In a statement signed by its General Secretary, Dr. Iyobosa Uwugiaren, the Guild described Uncle Sam’s birthday as a testament to his enduring wisdom, legacy, and commitment to the journalism profession. The Guild explained that as the Founder of Vanguard Newspapers Group, Prince Amuka-Pemu has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape. According to editors, “Uncle Sam’s commitment to excellence and robust journalism has inspired generations of journalists…
YOUTHS from Ikot Abasi Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State are preparing for a three-day protest against Ibom Power Company, alleging the firm has systematically excluded them from employment opportunities, subcontracts, and other elements of its social contract with the host community. A statement issued by the Forum of Clan Youth Leaders, Ikot Abasi, claims the company has persistently disregarded its social contract obligations with the host community—a situation that has compelled the youths to consider shutting down operations at the power plant as their only recourse. According to the Forum’s Chairman, Ambassador Patrick Udoetoh, who also serves as…
THE University of Port Harcourt (Uniport) has called for a thorough investigation into the killing of one of its students, Godwin Akpakpan, a 300-level Computer Science undergraduate, who was allegedly shot dead by a security operative in an off-campus incident. In an official statement released on Sunday, the institution through its Head, Information, Publications and Public Relations, Dr. Sam Kpenu, expressed deep sorrow over the death of the student. Although the tragic incident occurred outside the university premises, Uniport stressed its concern and commitment to uncovering the full circumstances surrounding the event. “The University is actively engaging with relevant security…
THREE commissioners have resigned from the cabinet of Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State following his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Since the return of democracy to Nigeria in 1999, Akwa Ibom has been governed by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). But two weeks ago, Eno told his cabinet members who were not interested in his new journey to quit. Addressing them at the State Executive Council meeting, he had said, “It’s no more news that I’m moving; if you don’t know that by now, I don’t know what else you know. “So, we want our commissioners…
THE Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress. He made this known during an official announcement on Friday at the Government House in Uyo, the state capital. The governor said the decision followed “three months of wide consultation” with critical stakeholders across the state. Eno expressed his gratitude to the PDP for their support during his tenure, stating that it was time for him to make a progressive move. The governor said he decided to join the APC, citing his admiration for President Bola Tinubu and the…
A MEDIA scholar, Dr Tope Ojeme has appealed to African Artificial Intelligence (AI) developers to create media solution soft wares that detect misinformation and empower citizens to hold leaders accountable. Delivering a keynote paper titled, “Beyond debunking: Building a Culture of Media Integrity in Africa’s Next Century,” at the closing ceremony of the second quarter courses of the West Africa Broadcast Media Academy (WABMA) and the celebration of the hundredth edition of its News Debunker Series, in Abuja on Thursday, Ojeme said that there was the urgent need to tackle misinformation and unethical media practices on the continent. “We…
AS the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno concludes plans to defect to the APC, local government councilors say they will not join the Governor because he has not consulted them as elected representatives from their various wards. A top officer of the Forum of Elected Councilors, who pleaded anonymity, decried what he described as humiliation, saying that they have resolved not to defect with the governor, except he addresses and negotiate with them. According to him, some of them are already favoured by zoning to return for a second term under the platform of PDP, but may have their…
AKWA Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has responded to a trending video allegedly released by a member of his family concerning the death of his wife, affirming that his family remains united. He stated that a multitude of such insinuations and character assassinations by detractors would not distract him from his commitment to implementing the ARISE Agenda and fulfilling his social contract with the people of Akwa Ibom. The governor made this known while answering questions from Government House correspondents regarding the video circulating about his family, upon his arrival at Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort, Uyo, for the 60th…
DECLARATION of emergency rule by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu saved Rivers State from “looming anarchy”, suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara said yesterday. He said the President’s swift intervention shielded the state from the consequences of the festering political crisis. Calling on his supporters, Rivers people and Nigerians to commend Tinubu for acting with wisdom at the right time, Fubara noted that the peace and reconciliation process required to restore all executive and legislative institutions and offices in the state was underway. He assured that democracy and good governance would soon return in the state, with both arms working together for the…
THE Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Thursday upheld the election of Monday Okpebholo as the Governor of Edo State and dismissed the case of Asue Ighodalo, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 21, 2024 governorship election in the South-South state. Delivering judgment, a three-member panel of the appellate court led by Justice Mohammed Danjuma, unanimously held that the appeal by Ighodalo was unmeritorious and dismissed it. The court held that the appellants failed to show that the election tribunal erred in its decision and proceeded to affirm the judgment of the tribunal delivered. However,…