By David Owei,Bayelsa ‎
‎The organizers of Nigeria’s biggest grassroots football spectacle, the Bayelsa Governor’s Football Tournament has felicitated the Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo on the occasion of his diamond jubilee.
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‎Director General of the tournament, Mr. Ono Akpe in a statement on behalf of the Central Organizing Committee, COC describes the Deputy Governor as an exceptional administrator and a visionary leader who has continued to show commitment towards the stability and development of sports in the state.
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‎According to him, the Deputy Governor is an astute administrator, a dependable ally and deputy to Governor Douye Diri, who has served his people with an outstanding record of performance in governance in the state, even as Commissioner for Works then, maintaining that the competition organizers are pleased to be associated with him, particularly his tremendous qualities and experience in steering the affairs of sports in the state.
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‎The statement notes that the tournament’s success story was incomplete without the supervision of Senator Ewhrudjakpo and has placed the Prosperity Cup as a premium competition in the continent that has continued to give young Bayelsans the platform to showcase their talent.
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‎He expressed gratitude to God for granting the deputy governor the grace and presence of mind to discharge his duties creditably well in the past five years he has been in the saddle as deputy governor of the state.
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‎”From all of us in the Prosperity Cup team, we say a happy blessed, and glorious 60-year birthday to His Excellency, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, Deputy Governor, Bayelsa State”.
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‎“We are proud to identify with your achievements in the past 60 years of your existence. Over the years, you have been a symbol of humility, diligence and discipline.
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‎“You have also devoted your life to service to humanity, especially to sports and the Prosperity Cup that has become Nigeria’s biggest grassroots football tournament. Your exemplary leadership and commitment to the common good of society has endeared you to so many people in Bayelsa State and beyond”, he stated.
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‎“Your Excellency, may the Almighty God bless your new age with good health, sound mind and more wisdom to serve humanity and the state, Mr. Akpe concluded.

 

By Our Correspondent

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has expressed grave concern over the increasing use of law enforcement agencies to harass and intimidate opposition leaders, while criminal violence continues to devastate communities across the country. The party condemned the politically motivated police summons issued to former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, as well as the shocking attack on the former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami’s convoy in Kebbi State, which left many party members injured and terrified.

In a statement signed by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC,on Friday,the party described these developments as an assault not just on individual politicians, but on Nigeria’s democracy itself. It warned that the Nigeria Police Force has seemingly become a willing tool of political suppression for the federal government rather than a national security department, that is truly focused on rooting out bandits and other criminals across the country.

The full statement reads:

“At a time when terrorists and criminal gangs freely operate in large parts of the North, the Nigerian Police appears more interested in silencing opposition leaders than protecting citizens. After the recent attack in Kaduna, where the former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and other ADC leaders were attacked; in Kebbi, the convoy of former Minister for Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) was violently attacked in broad daylight around the GRA area of Birnin Kebbi—barely meters from a police outpost. Despite the seriousness of the attack, no arrests have been made, and the perpetrators remain at large.

“This growing trend is disturbing — and all Nigerians should take note. In Kaduna, the police reportedly looked away as thugs—armed with stones and cutlasses—attacked a peaceful ADC gathering. Instead of arresting those responsible, the police are now targeting the victims with summons.

“Every hour spent harassing El-Rufai and shutting down ADC offices is an hour not spent confronting the terrorists and criminals destroying lives across the North, and the urban bandits destroying the nation.”

“To make matters worse, police authorities in Kaduna sealed off the ADC party offices ahead of a planned meeting of zonal leaders—a deliberate attempt to stifle our constitutional right to assemble and organize.”

Continuing, “The ADC wishes to place this on record: These acts by the police are not isolated. They represent a systematic attempt to criminalize opposition politics, especially in states where the ruling party feels threatened by the growing influence of the ADC.

“In this regard, the ADC calls on the Federal Government and the Inspector General of Police to immediately withdraw the politically motivated summons issued to Nasir El-Rufai and other ADC leaders in Kaduna State. These invitations are not about justice or security, they are about silencing dissent and should therefore be halted without delay.

“We demand that the police authorities unseal the ADC office in Kaduna State, and stop the illegal obstruction of lawful political activity. No democracy can thrive where opposition party structures are routinely shut down under vague pretexts.”

The statement added,”The Nigeria Police must also publish the names of those who filed complaints that triggered these recent investigations and summons. The public deserves to know who is behind these attacks on political freedom, and what interests they serve.

“We further demand that security agencies arrest and prosecute those responsible for the attack on Abubakar Malami’s convoy in Kebbi State, as well as the violent thugs who disrupted our stakeholders’ meeting in Kaduna. The failure to bring these perpetrators to justice only emboldens further violence.

“In addition, we call for an internal disciplinary process within the police to investigate officers who were present during these incidents but failed to act. Those who stood by and allowed political violence to occur should not be wearing the uniform of the Nigerian state.

“Finally, we urge the Federal Government to redirect the focus of the Nigeria Police toward their primary duty—protecting the lives and property of all Nigerians— instead of being used as a tool of political manipulation.

“Our party will stand with our leaders and members. We will not be intimidated.”

 

By David Owei,Bayelsa

A 20-year-old student of Federal University Otuoke, FUO, Blessing Daniel, has narrated how alcohol influenced the maltreatment and almost murder of her friend in a viral video that sparked condemnation recently on the social media.

Our Correspondent , gathered that the suspect with three of her friends lured the victim, Miss Nancy Wilfred, to their apartment, assaulted, stripped her naked, and humiliated her while one of them filmed the attack which was intentionally released on social media.

Speaking during a parade at the Bayelsa State Police Command Headquarters in Yenagoa, the lead suspect who spoke on behalf of her friends said they attacked the victim because she lied about her doing charms to attract men.

She said though her actions were later regretted, the victim (Nancy) was spreading false narrative about her that was why she attacked her.

“We were four, but favour that sparked the attack is on the run. We didn’t it was going to be this bad. If we were in our right selves we won’t have gone this far. She lied to people that I did “Kayamata” so I confronted her and she didn’t say anything, so I slapped her and she pushed me and we started fighting”

We called her that the laundry man who does our washing wanted her to come and get her stuffs, so when she came , we were arguing inside the house before the incident occured. Favour sparked the anger in me that made the attack worst”

Earlier, in a briefing in his office, the Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Command, CP. Alonyenu Francis Idu, commended the state governor, Sen. Douye Diri, the wife of the governor, Mrs Diri, the Gender Right Activist, MBA, FIDA, and other community based organisations for the commitment in ensuring a crime free state.

He stated that criminal investigation into the incident in ensuring the culprits are brought to justice was already on, noting that it’s a case of indecent assault, attempted murder, grievous hurt, cyberbullying, cyberstalking and abduction of the victim.

He said “This is a case of conspiracy to murder, abduction, cyber bullying and others which we will not take likely. There four girls and we have three arrested, we are on the trail of the four person”

We are working to ensure at the end of this investigation into this unwholesome acts, we will present a complete and detailed results and allow the judiciary to take over .