By Our Correspondent

Sequel to indications that the Federal Government is set to release the Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB)leader,Nnamdi Kanu from Sokoto Prison,the Directorate of State of the Indigenous People of Biafra, has announced the indefinite suspension of the Office of the Leader of IPOB and the position of Director of Radio Biafra, both previously occupied by Nnamdi Kanu, pending further directives.

The decision was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by the Head of the Directorate of State, Mazi Chikadibia Edoziem, who said the action was taken in what the group described as the broader interest of the movement and its members worldwide.

This comes hours after Kanu had announced the dissolution of the 3rd Administration of the Directorate of State, DOS, of the organisation.

Pursuant to his declared authority, Kanu reportedly inaugurated a 4th Administration of the DOS and appointed US-based Mazi Chris Nwaọgụ as the new Head of the Directorate of State.

According to a statement from spokesperson Emma Powerful, Nwaọgụ was tasked with assuming immediate responsibility for the administration, coordination, and day-to-day management of IPOB affairs under Kanu’s direct authority.

However, in what appears to be a counter move, Edoziem said Kanu’s suspension was aimed at protecting IPOB’s operations, safeguarding members in Biafraland and the Diaspora, and preventing possible security threats or emergencies within the region.

“Considering the enormous responsibility placed upon the leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra to safeguard our operations and mission, protect IPOB family members worldwide, especially those in Biafraland, and prevent any security breach or emergency in Biafraland, the Directorate of State of IPOB has suspended indefinitely and with immediate effect the Office of the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra and the position of Director of Radio Biafra previously held by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu until further notice,” the statement read in part.

The Directorate explained that the move was intended to prevent unauthorised persons or groups from allegedly using the suspended office as a basis to engage in criminal activities or actions inconsistent with the objectives of the movement.

The group stated that the measure was also aimed at curbing what it described as reckless conduct, unauthorised assumptions of authority and statements capable of endangering members of the organisation.

According to the DOS, IPOB would no longer take responsibility for actions carried out by individuals or groups not officially authorised to act on behalf of the organisation.

The statement added that the decision followed resolutions reached during a full meeting of the Directorate held on June 17, 2026, where members agreed that the suspension was necessary to strengthen and reposition the movement.

The Directorate maintained that IPOB remains a self-determination movement founded and sustained collectively by Biafrans in the Diaspora and not by any single individual.

It further insisted that no individual possesses the authority to dissolve the Directorate of State, which it described as the highest decision-making body overseeing the affairs of the movement.

The group therefore declared that any attempt to dissolve the Directorate of State was “ab initio null and void” and should be disregarded by members and the public.

The DOS cited several factors behind the decision, including intelligence reports alleging meetings involving security agencies and Kanu, concerns over communications said to have exposed members to arrests and fatalities, and fears surrounding alleged plans to create another armed group in the region.

The statement alleged that intelligence reports from the IPOB M-Branch indicated that meetings were held between operatives of the Department of State Services, officials of the Nigerian Intelligence Agency and Kanu at Sokoto Prison.

It further claimed that certain communications linked to the detained IPOB leader had allegedly contributed to the arrest and deaths of some members in Biafraland.

The Directorate also expressed concern over alleged plans by unnamed individuals to establish a new militia that could trigger renewed violence in the South-East.

Despite the development, the group reaffirmed its commitment to a peaceful and non-violent struggle for self-determination.

“We affirm that the pursuit of our inalienable right to self-determination is peaceful and non-violent and must never become a basis for causing harm, hardship or death to the very people we seek to liberate,” the statement added.

The Directorate concluded that the indefinite suspension of the Office of the Leader was taken as part of efforts to preserve the integrity and objectives of the movement pending further review

By Our Correspondent

In a bid to rid the state criminality,Anambra State Police Command has rescued a 15-year-old heavily pregnant girl believed to have been subjected to repeated sexual exploitation by multiple adult males,

The arrest came on the heels of a coordinated raid targeting suspected users of crystal methamphetamine, also known as Mkpụrụ Mmiri, in Achalla, Awka North Local Government Area of the state.

A statement by the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Tochukwu Ikenga made available to journalists on Friday said that during the operation, one suspect was arrested for alleged defilement and child exploitation.

He revealed that the raid was carried out by operatives attached to the Achalla Divisional Police Headquarters after intelligence gathered over time concerning the activities of some youths allegedly involved in the abuse of crystal methamphetamine around St. Paul’s Secondary School in Achalla.

The statement partly read, “The operation was conducted on the evening of June 17,2026 during which officers rescued the underage girl, who was discovered to be heavily pregnant, and arrested one Tochukwu Nwora over allegations bordering on defilement and child exploitation.

“At the height of the operation, the police team reportedly observed a middle-aged man in a compromising situation with the minor, prompting the operatives to immediately intervene and take the victim into protective custody.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the teenager had allegedly been repeatedly defiled by several adult males at different times across the communities of Nando, Nteje and Achalla

“The suspects allegedly exploited the girl’s vulnerable condition by giving her small amounts of money, a practice investigators believe was used to manipulate and repeatedly subject her to abuse.

“Following her rescue, the victim was immediately taken to the Police Hospital in Awka, where medical examinations and other necessary procedures commenced to ensure her welfare and aid the ongoing investigation.”

According to the Police spokesman, the Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu has directed that the matter be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for a thorough and comprehensive investigation.

He said, “The CP, specifically ordered investigators to widen the scope of the inquiry to establish whether the victim’s parent or guardian may have been negligent or otherwise culpable in circumstances that allegedly exposed the minor to prolonged exploitation.

“The police commissioner also directed that every individual found to have participated in the alleged defilement and exploitation of the girl should be identified, apprehended and prosecuted in accordance with the law.”

The Command further disclosed that the suspect currently in custody is assisting investigators with useful information that could lead to the arrest of other persons allegedly connected with the crime.

While condemning the incident, the Anambra State Police Command reiterated its firm stance against child abuse, sexual exploitation and all forms of violence against minors, stressing that it remains committed to protecting vulnerable persons and ensuring that justice is served.

The Command urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities and cases involving children to the police or other relevant authorities, emphasizing that community partnership remains vital in combating crime.

The latest operation also underscores the growing concerns over the social consequences of hard drug abuse, particularly crystal methamphetamine, which security experts have repeatedly linked to rising incidents of violent crimes, sexual offences and other anti-social behaviours across communities.

The Command further assured the public of diligent prosecution of everyone found culpable, saying that investigations are ongoing.

By David Owei,Bayelsa

The Bayelsa State Government has declared its readiness to partner the judiciary and other critical stakeholders to create more public awareness and acceptance of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) as a means of settling conflicts.

Governor Douye Diri made the declaration at the opening ceremony of the second Bayelsa Multi-Door Courthouse Stakeholders Sensitization Conference, held in Yenagoa, on Thursday, with the theme ” Policy Dialogue On Justice Reform”.

Represented by his deputy, Dr. Peter Akpe, the Governor who described ADR as a viable option for resolving disputes among individuals, groups and corporate organizations, listed some of its benefits including time saving and reduced cost in conflict resolution as well as preservation of peace in communities.

While acknowledging the relevance of the traditional courts in the administration of justice, Governor Diri canvassed for increased use of ADR, stressing that it is not only faster and fairer but also within the reach of the ordinary citizens of any society.

Commenting on the conference theme, he said the policy dialogue on justice reforms along the corridors of ADR was not meant for government and the judiciary alone, but for all stakeholders cutting across the traditional institutions, civil society organizations, and the masses to embrace ADR.

The Bayelsa helmsman, charged the participants to make commitments they could uphold at the end of the conference, noting that the goal of the reforms would only take root if they were embraced by the Nigerian Bar and amplified by the traditional institutions and civil society groups.

His words: ” It is a privilege to stand before this distinguished gathering to declare open the second Stakeholders Sensitization Conference of the Bayelsa Multi-Door Courthouse. That we have returned for a second edition is itself a statement of intent that the conversation about ADR in our State is not a one-off ceremony, but a deliberate, sustained reform.

” Our theme, ‘Policy Dialogue on Justice Reforms,’ and our topic, ‘Re-Imagining Justice in Bayelsa,’ could not be timelier. For too long, our people have understood justice as something distant and slow, a long wait in crowded court rooms, mounting costs, and outcomes that too often leave relationships more broken than before.

“To re-imagine justice is to insist that it can be different: faster, fairer, more humane, and within reach of the ordinary citizen.

“That is the promise of the Multi Door Courthouse. The very name carries the idea that the courtroom is not the only door to justice. Mediation is a door. Arbitration is a door. Conciliation and negotiation are also doors.

“The Multi Door Courthouse opens these alternative pathways so that disputes can be resolved on terms that preserve dignity, save time, reduce cost, and keep our communities at peace. In a State like ours, where harmony among communities is precious, this is not a luxury; it is a necessity.

“This administration, under the leadership of His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, has consistently held that development and the rule of law are inseparable. There can be no lasting prosperity where citizens do not trust that their grievances will be heard and fairly settled. Investors look for it. Communities depend on it. Families are held together or torn apart by it.

“Strengthening alternative dispute resolution is therefore not a matter of lawyers alone; it is a matter of public good, and government remains a committed partner in this work.

“But re-imagining justice cannot be the task of government or the judiciary alone. It is the reason this is a stakeholders’ conference. The reforms that we seek will only take root if the Nigerian Bar embraces them, if our traditional institutions champion them, if civil society amplifies them, and if the ordinary Bayelsan comes to know that there is a faster, fairer door open to them. Each of you in this room is a custodian of that message.”

Also speaking, the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, Justice Matilda Abrakasa-Ayemieye, said against the backdrop of the substantial case backlogs, congestion and delays, the National Judicial Policy now recognizes ADR as a critical tool for improving access to justice and reducing delays in judicial proceedings.

Justice Ayemieye noted that the Bayelsa Multi-Door Courthouse had emerged as a strategic institution within the justice architecture, representing a deliberate shift from a justice system defined solely by litigation to one that prioritizes problem-solving, consensus-building, and timely outcomes.

Describing the theme of the conference as both timely and compelling, she informed that it was conceived as a strategic intervention to deepen public awareness of ADR and demonstrate its relevance to justice delivery, social cohesion and economic development in Bayelsa State.

She said: “Across Nigeria, the challenge of case congestion and delays continues to place significant pressure on the courts. Reports indicate that superior courts across the federation continue to grapple with substantial case backlogs, underscoring the urgent need for innovative approaches to dispute resolution.

“The National Judicial Policy recognizes Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) as a critical tool for improving access to justice and reducing delays in judicial proceedings. The Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal now have Mediation Centres. It is against this backdrop that the Bayelsa Multi-Door Courthouse has emerged as a strategic institution within our justice architecture.

“A defining moment in the evolution of Bayelsa Multi-Door Courthouse was the successful hosting of its maiden public sensitization programme in February 2025. The programme was conceived as a strategic intervention to deepen public awareness of Alternative Dispute Resolution and to demonstrate its relevance to justice delivery, social cohesion, and economic development in Bayelsa State.”

In his welcome remarks, the Chairman of the Conference Planning Committee, King Collins Ebi-Daniel, remarked that the conference provided an invaluable platform for reflection, engagement, and the exchange of ideas on the future of justice administration in Bayelsa and beyond.

According to him, the thrust of the dialogue reflects the collective need to re-examine and strengthen the justice delivery system through effective utilization of the Multi-Door Courthouse as a vehicle for promoting accessible, efficient and citizen-centered justice.

In his goodwill message, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Biriyai Dambo (SAN), described the event as a sustained commitment to strengthen justice reforms and expand the frontiers of ADR in the State, noting that the increase in participation by stakeholders from diverse sectors was an indication of the growing acceptance of ADR in dispute resolution.

Others who delivered goodwill messages at the event included the Chairman Yenagoa Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Clement Kekemeke; the Vice Chancellor of the University of Africa, Toru-Orua, Prof. Solomon Ebobra, the Chairman, Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council, His Royal Majesty King Bubaraye Dakolo and the State Secretary of the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators (NICarB), Ms. Ebiekibo Pagason.