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Rivers Crisis: Two Policemen Feared Dead As Youths, Police takeover Council headquarters

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IG of Police, Kayode Egbetokun

There is an uneasy calm across the 21 out of 23 local government areas of Rivers State following the expiration of the tenure of the council chairmen in the state.
Eye-witness account revealed that tension is building up across the 21 LGAs of the State as Rivers youths and fully armed policemen have taken over the council secretariat.
The tensed atmosphere and demonstrations by the youths and other Rivers men followed the declaration by the council chairmen that they will not vacate office when their tenure elapse on Monday June 17, 2024.
The situation has sparked fears of possible outbreak of violence among residents of the state.
Our Correspondent gathered that in some local government headquarters in the state shows that Police vans have taken over the entrance gates of Port Harcourt City LGA, Ikwerre LGA and Obio/Akpor Local government councils.
At Degema LGA, Asari Toru LGA, Akuku-Toru LGA, Emohua LGA, Ahoada West LGA, Ogu/Bolo LGA and Eleme LGA, mammoth crowd of youths were seen taking over the council and blocking the secretariat gates, chanting songs in solidarity and demanding the departure of the Chairmen whose tenure has elapsed.
The youths vowed to remain at the gates till Wednesday to stop now ex-elected council officials from gaining access their offices.
They insisted that their three-year tenure ended on June 17 and that they should not be seen around the secretariat after the Sallah holiday.
The youths were heard chanting “Chairman must go”, as others arrived the gate to join them.
At Omuma local government, the youths did not only takeover the secretariat, it was reported that two police officers have been feared killed as violence broke out at the council headquarters.
Meanwhile, in Obio-Akpor local government area, home town of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, some youths were seen destroying a statue of the former Rivers governor, built by the out-gone Chairman, Barr. George Ariolu to honour the minister.
The youths were heard chanting “There is no more Wike, no more no more, for many thousand years.”
Though the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara in a state broadcast this morning, directed Head of Administrations of the local government areas to take over leadership of the council, but there were indications that he (Fubara), had sent a list of caretaker committees to the lawmakers led by factional Speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo.
In the meantime, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Disu has warned residents of the state against taking laws into their own hands, emphasising that anyone found breaking the law would face the full wrath of the law.
CP Disu while addressing newsmen at the State Police Command headquarter assured the public that the Police is committed to maintaining law and order, even as he declared his readiness to protect lives and properties in the face of ongoing tensions.
The Commissioner however, urged parents to caution their children against getting involved in the crisis, warning that they should not be used as “cannon fodder.”
He also vowed to protect all government property and human lives in the community, ensuring a safe and secure environment for all.
He said: “My job as a police policeman protect lives and property. And that is what we have gone out to do since morning.
“We are aware of the crisis that has to do with the tenure of the Local Government Chairmen and we have gotten one court order or the other, and the court of Appeal has given an order for everybody to exercise restraints till the 20th of this month, just three days.
“So we expect everybody to respect it and not take laws into their hands and allow peace to continue as it is.”
Disu further assured that his officers are working round the clock to safeguard the property and lives of residents of the State.
He added: “Sincerely you know our officers have been out for the past three days.
“I just finished addressing them and I thank them for the good job they have done and because they have been out since 4 Am, and they just came back, we are not taking it lightly, we are ready to go, our officers have been on a show of force and we have had additional men given to us from the Headquarters, the equipment has been serviced and we are ready to go.
“This is just to assure members of the public that so far as we are concerned we are ready to do our jobs of protecting lives and property.
“We have warned anybody who would want to take laws into their own hands. I want to use this opportunity to talk to parents to call their children to order and talk to them so that their children will not be used as cannon folds in this crisis.
“Everything that has to do with government property and every human being in this community would be protected.”

Law & Crime

Niger CJ frees 45 awaiting trial inmates of Suleja’s Prison custody 

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By Uthman Baba-Al-Naseer, Minna

A total of Forty Five inmates on awaiting trial and Convicts have breath the air of freedom during the visit of the Chief Judge of Niger State, Justice ♎ Halima Ibrahim Abdulmalik statewide working visit to Correctional Centres

The Chief Judge commenced the four days working visit on the 6th,March 2025 in Suleja Federal Medium Correctional centre where five convicts were pardoned for being remorseful while serving their jail terms.

Justice Halima Ibrahim Abdulmalik,in continuation of the visit to bring relief to the correctional facilities across the state, was at the Minna old Medium Correctional centre between Monday, 10th,and Tuesday,11th,2025 and a total of twelve Convicts were discharged.

Also, the Chief Judge ordered for the summary trial of fourteen others to be given lighter convictions from the date of their arrest and detention in the correctional Custody.

At the Minna new Medium Correctional centre in Tunga, a total of twenty five other inmates standing trial were discharged by the Chief Judge while twelve inmates standing trial on various Offences had their cases reviewed.

Justice Halima Ibrahim Abdulmalik concluded the working visit to Children remand home at Angwan Daji where she released five under aged children two among them were kidnapped.

Equally,the Chief judge granted bail to two siblings Anas Umar,and Mubarak Umar who were arrested at Gauraka in Tafa Local government area of Niger State.

They were alleged to have been in possession of aluminum believed to have been stolen and sold to scrap dealers (Yan gwongwon).

The Chief Judge directed the Ministry of women affairs to take the adoption of the two siblings with the aim of keeping them in their custody for proper upbringings.

Justice Halima Ibrahim Abdulmalik, while expressing her disgust on the increasing rates of crime among juveniles,in the state, she called on parents and guardians to leave up to their responsibility of inculcating proper upbringings to their children.

She noted that the involvement of Anas into crime was initiated by his brother stating that their parents have deviated from their parental responsibilities.

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Law & Crime

Rivers Crisis: State Assembly in another troubled water  ……. Wants DSS to Probe CJ over alleged age forgery 

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By Our Reporter
Barely 24 hours in the fight against the state governor,  Siminalayi Fubara,  Rivers State House of Assembly has called on the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate the State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Amadi for alleged age falsification.
The call for investigation of the State Chief Judge was made following a motion by the leader of the Assembly, Hon. Major Jack during plenary on Thursday.
Recall that the Deputy Speaker of Rivers  Assembly, Dumle Maol, had raised an allegation of age falsification against the Chief Judge of the state, Simeon Amadi a couple of days ago.
He said, “These documents before me simply say that the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Simeon Amadi, falsified his age in service. Mr Speaker, that is a very serious allegation, and I do hope that this House takes legislative notice.”
The House debated on the topic and resolved to write a letter to the Director of the DSS to do its investigation and revert to the House on their findings.
In his remark, Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, called for an investigation into the alleged age falsification against the state chief judge, Justice Chibuzor Amadi.
Amaehwule also accused the state Governor, Siminalayi Fubara of barring all heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies not to appear before the House or assist the lawmakers in the conduct of investigations.
He said, “The documents are only suggesting a case of age falsification by the honourable Chief Judge of the state, Simeon Amadi. What it means is that there has to be an investigation to that effect.
“Though the House is empowered to conduct investigation by the provisions of Section 128 of the Constitution, the Governor of the State has barred all heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies not to appear before the House or assist the House in the conduct of investigation.
“So, the House is calling on the Department of State Service to institute an investigation on the alleged age falsification by the Chief Judge with a view to ascertaining the veracity or otherwise of the allegation, which will be forwarded to the National Judicial Council (NJC).”
After a voice vote, the House eventually agreed to write the DSS to investigate the age falsification allegation against the Chief Judge.
Meanwhile, the Speaker had asked all Committees to endeavour to submit their reports to the House before the House proceeds on recess, particularly, the House Committee on Public Complaints and Petitions.
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Law & Crime

How Kwara’s UBEC N5.78 Billion Funds Was Allegedly Diverted

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CJN of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat kekete -Ekun

 

By Our Reporter

The trial of the immediate past Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, and his Finance Commissioner, Ademola Banu, over alleged misappropriation of N5.78 billion in public funds continued on Wednesday, March 11, 2024, before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin.

At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, the EFCC presented its second witness (PW 2), Dr. Musa Oladimeji Dasuki, a retired Permanent Secretary at the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), who served between 2011 and 2020.

Led in evidence by EFCC counsel Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, Dasuki testified that the Kwara State Government, under the leadership of the first defendant as governor and the second defendant as finance commissioner, requested UBEC funds for the years 2013 and 2014 to pay teachers’ salaries.

According to Dasuki: “The then Commissioner for Finance, Ademola Banu, who is the second defendant in this case, initially made an oral request for the release of the 2013 UBEC Matching Grant to pay teachers’ salaries. However, we insisted that such a request must be made in writing. Subsequently, the commissioner sent a letter conveying His Excellency’s approval for the release of the funds. As a result, the money was deposited into the state government’s account domiciled with Skye Bank Plc.”

Dasuki further explained that SUBEB initially opposed the request because they knew it would affect ongoing projects. However, they eventually approved the release after receiving assurances from Banu that the funds would be repaid once the state received its allocation from Abuja.

“A letter was written to that effect from the office of the Commissioner for Finance, signed on his behalf, and the money was released immediately upon receiving the letter,” he added.

Despite the assurances, Dasuki stated that the money was never repaid.

“According to the 2013 action plan submitted to UBEC, the funds were intended for the construction of 40 standard classroom blocks with offices, 40 VIP toilets, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centers in primary and junior secondary schools across the 16 Local Government Areas of Kwara State. However, many of these projects could not be executed because the funds had been diverted,” he said.

He further testified that many contractors protested due to non-payment for completed projects.

During cross-examination by Jimoh Mumini, SAN, counsel to the first defendant, Dasuki confirmed that neither the former governor nor the finance commissioner was a member of SUBEB. He also clarified that the loans were obtained on behalf of the state government, not in the defendants’ personal capacities.

Further hearing has been adjourned until Thursday, March 13, 2025.

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