By David Owei,Bayelsa

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has empathised with victims of a fire incident that occurred on Friday in the state capital, Yenagoa.

Governor Diri who was represented by his Deputy, Dr Peter Akpe, undertook an inspection visit to the scene of the fire outbreak to ascertain the level of destruction caused by the incident at Baybridge, Kpansia.

The Governor, who led a high-profile delegation of officials of relevant government agencies including the Comptroller of Federal Fire Service, Mr. Diton Amos and the Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Command, CP Daniel Iyamah, spoke to newsmen after taking an on-the- spot assessment of the affected structures.

Describing the incident as unfortunate, he however, expressed gratitude to God that no life was lost.

Governor Diri commended the fire service, the police and neighbours who responded to the incident, stressing that but for their swift intervention, the situation could have been worse.

The Governor assured that all relevant agencies would take the necessary steps to unravel the cause of the inferno to decipher whether it was an electrical fault or man-made.

The Bayelsa governor however added that all electrical sources to the affected would remain shut down during the period of the investigation.

His words: “We are here on behalf of His Excellency, the Governor to show concern over what has happened. This is an emergency. However, we give glory to God that no life was lost and that the level of damage did not get beyond what we are seeing.

“Let me commend the efforts of the fire service agency and other relevant agencies and even the neighbours for their swift intervention, if not it would have been worse.

“We will take the necessary action to follow up. The Police, SDS, Comptroller of Fire Services will undertake an investigation to ascertain whether the incident was man-made or it was an electrical fault. Meanwhile, electrical sources to this environment will be shut down for now.”

In his remarks, the Commissioner of Police, CP Daniel Iyamah, explained that as soon as the Command was contacted, he deployed his officers to secure the area, stating that “investigation was ongoing in order to come up with the exact cause of the fire outbreak.”

Director-General, Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency, (BYSEMA), Hon. Walamam Igrubia, expressed sadness over the sudden incident and assured that his agency would take steps to alleviate the plight of the affected persons.

Hon. Igrubia said: l have deployed my officials to get a list of the victims affected and get information about what has been destroyed. We thank God that no life was lost because that is the most important thing. Whatever that is lost here, we hope that it would be recovered.”

In their separate accounts, a victim of the fire outbreak, Douye Josephine Yallah, who sustained injuries from the fire, said the incident happened at about 9 ‘O clock in the morning and that property worth millions of naira were destroyed.

Also another victim, Miss Blessing Sobotie, and an eyewitness, Pastor Ezekiel Oteigbanyon, narrated that they heard a loud sound and saw smoke billowing from the rooftop and raised an alarm to call the attention of the neighbourhood to the incident.

Miss Sobotie, who described the destruction as massive and devastating, called on the government and other charitable organisations for assistance.

The Deputy Governor, Dr. Peter Akpe was accompanied on the visit by his wife, Dr. Favour Akpe, Commissioner for Health, Prof. Seiyefa Brisibe, his Lands and Survey counterpart, Mr Perepuighe Biewari, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Fred Kemedei and the Permanent Secretary of Women Affairs, Mrs Agnes Oloye, among others.

By David Owei, Bayelsa

The Ijaw Publishers’ Forum (IPF) has called on the governors of Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta states to urgently revive and adequately fund the BRACED Commission as part of a coordinated regional strategy to tackle the growing wave of insecurity across the country.

The forum said recent developments indicate that kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes are no longer restricted to their traditional hotspots, warning that the South-South region must not wait until criminal elements become deeply entrenched before taking proactive measures.

In a statement signed by its Secretary, Mr. Tare Magbei, the IPF noted that recent reports have shown a disturbing spread of kidnapping-for-ransom activities to the southern parts of the country, including incidents involving school abductions in Oyo State, while ongoing efforts by the National Assembly to advance state police reforms underscore the severity of the nation’s worsening security challenges.

According to the forum, the South-South governors must regard these developments as a clear warning signal, stressing that no responsible leadership should fold its arms while bandits, kidnappers, terrorists and criminal syndicates gain footholds across the region.

The group expressed concern that Delta State and other parts of the South-South are already experiencing security pressures from neighbouring states, even as the Niger Delta continues to grapple with kidnapping, cult-related violence, oil theft and other forms of organised crime.

IPF warned that criminal networks do not recognise state boundaries, noting that a threat that emerges in Edo State today could easily spread to Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa or Cross River states in the absence of a robust regional security framework anchored on intelligence sharing, maritime surveillance and joint emergency response mechanisms.

The forum lamented that the BRACED Commission, established to promote regional integration, security collaboration and socio-economic development among the South-South states, has remained largely dormant at a time when the region requires a unified approach to confront emerging threats.

It therefore urged the governors to immediately convene a South-South Security and Development Summit aimed at revitalising the BRACED Commission, establishing a regional security coordination centre, strengthening intelligence gathering and fostering a collective response to terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, sea piracy and economic sabotage.

“The South-South remains the economic backbone of Nigeria. Its waterways, roads, schools, markets, oil installations and communities must not be left vulnerable because of political indifference or delayed action,” the statement said.

The forum further cautioned that the time for action is now, warning that any delay could have grave consequences.

“Delay will be dangerous. Silence will be costly. History will not be kind to any leadership that ignored the warning signs and failed to act,” the statement added.

‎
By David Owei

‎The Chairman of Bayelsa State Independent Electoral Commission, BYSIEC, Dr. Peter Singabele has attributed the last seventy years of his life to God’s faithfulness towards him, his family and career.
‎
‎Speaking ahead of his 70th birthday coming up on Monday, 15th June, 2026, Dr. Singabele said God has showered him and his family with favour, and even in his career as a public servant, describing age 70 as a significant milestone.
‎
‎He noted that the celebration was significant not just for the fanfare, as he expressed gratitude to God with the theme “Celebration of God’s Faithfulness”, pointing out that he never wanted to mark the day but his children convinced him to observe it, owing to the importance accorded to the celebration.
‎
‎The former NFF Board member asserted that attaining 70 years is not an easy feat; that some of his age-mates and friends are no longer in existence while some are struggling to survive, adding that celebrating the milestone means a lot to him.
‎
‎He recalled his one year experience in Mogadishu, Somalia with the United Nations (UN) when they were traveling with Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) for humanitarian services and on two occasions, they were confronted with rough and deadly situations, explaining that he narrowly escaped in one of the attacks by a militant group in Somalia.
‎
‎While acknowledging God’s factor in his life, Dr. Singabele noted that proper nutrition and moderate exercise play a crucial role in healthy living, maintaining that one of the reasons that has made him strong even at age 70 is his continuous involvement in sports.
‎
‎According to him, he has learned a lot as a public servant in the State, that the service has impacted positively in his life just as it has impacted the lives of many individuals in the State, particularly in the sports sector.
‎
‎He explained that his foray into sports administration in Bayelsa State started before the civilian administration in the State, around 1998/1999, when he was appointed as the sole administrator of Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area, pointing out that his passion for sports led him to form a team called Adaka FC as a way of curbing youth restiveness.
‎
‎Dr Singabele further explained that some of the players in the team later became players of Bayelsa United in the year 2000 when the team was formed, pointing out that he played a crucial role by initiating the process of forming Bayelsa United under the late DSP Alamieyeseigha administration, thereafter becoming a board member of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF.
‎
‎He opined that beyond being a sports administrator, his team, Krusaders FC has become a breeding ground for many coaches in Bayelsa which include; Moses Aduku, Ada Gwegwe and Meremu Okara, adding that Gabriel Biriduba is a product of his team, having won the Prosperity Cup in 2018, then called Restoration Cup.
By David Owei
‎The Chairman of Bayelsa State Independent Electoral Commission, BYSIEC, Dr. Peter Singabele has attributed the last seventy years of his life to God’s faithfulness towards him, his family and career.
‎
‎Speaking ahead of his 70th birthday coming up on Monday, 15th June, 2026, Dr. Singabele said God has showered him and his family with favour, and even in his career as a public servant, describing age 70 as a significant milestone.
‎
‎He noted that the celebration was significant not just for the fanfare, as he expressed gratitude to God with the theme “Celebration of God’s Faithfulness”, pointing out that he never wanted to mark the day but his children convinced him to observe it, owing to the importance accorded to the celebration.
‎
‎The former NFF Board member asserted that attaining 70 years is not an easy feat; that some of his age-mates and friends are no longer in existence while some are struggling to survive, adding that celebrating the milestone means a lot to him.
‎
‎He recalled his one year experience in Mogadishu, Somalia with the United Nations (UN) when they were traveling with Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) for humanitarian services and on two occasions, they were confronted with rough and deadly situations, explaining that he narrowly escaped in one of the attacks by a militant group in Somalia.
‎
‎While acknowledging God’s factor in his life, Dr. Singabele noted that proper nutrition and moderate exercise play a crucial role in healthy living, maintaining that one of the reasons that has made him strong even at age 70 is his continuous involvement in sports.
‎
‎According to him, he has learned a lot as a public servant in the State, that the service has impacted positively in his life just as it has impacted the lives of many individuals in the State, particularly in the sports sector.
‎
‎He explained that his foray into sports administration in Bayelsa State started before the civilian administration in the State, around 1998/1999, when he was appointed as the sole administrator of Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area, pointing out that his passion for sports led him to form a team called Adaka FC as a way of curbing youth restiveness.
‎
‎Dr Singabele further explained that some of the players in the team later became players of Bayelsa United in the year 2000 when the team was formed, pointing out that he played a crucial role by initiating the process of forming Bayelsa United under the late DSP Alamieyeseigha administration, thereafter becoming a board member of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF.
‎
‎He opined that beyond being a sports administrator, his team, Krusaders FC has become a breeding ground for many coaches in Bayelsa which include; Moses Aduku, Ada Gwegwe and Meremu Okara, adding that Gabriel Biriduba is a product of his team, having won the Prosperity Cup in 2018, then called Restoration Cup.