By George Mgbeleke

Senate on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to urgently tackle erosion in Obogoro community, Bayelsa State, through shoreline protection.

The resolution followed a motion titled “Urgent need to save Obogoro community from extinction” sponsored by Senator Benson Kombowei (APC Bayelsa Central).

Presenting the motion, Kombowei said possession of land is essential for any community to preserve identity, livelihood, culture and communal life.

He warned that Obogoro people “are in serious danger of losing their ancestral land and their communal life as a result of an aggressive erosion that has persisted for decades.”

According to him, the erosion has caused loss of lives, property and livelihoods over the years.

He listed recent losses to include about 300 people rendered homeless, public primary school buildings and field washed away, youth corps lodge and community playground destroyed, and several persons drowned.

Kombowei said the community has persistently sought help from government, including petitions to the National Assembly and oil companies operating in the area, without solution.

“The people of Obogoro community feel neglected and abandoned, and left to confront their life-threatening challenge,” he said.

He noted that erosion worsens during annual floods when river levels rise and flow faster, eating up land and shrinking the homeland.

Adopting the motion, the Senate called on the Federal Government to urgently provide shoreline protection to save Obogoro from extinction.

It also urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief materials to victims of flooding and erosion in the community while asking the leadership of the Red Chamber to ensure compliance with the resolution by the government.

By our correspondent

The Department of State Services (DSS) on tuesday, october, 20, 2026, arraigned five suspects who allegedly kidnapped the 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members along the Owerri-Onitsha road Imo state

According to the charge sheet, the three primary suspects, were Usman Aliyu, Babangida Aliyu, and Mohammed Alli

These prime suspects, however pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge of abduction and hostage-taking, collection of a N48 million ransom and dollars, and illegal possession of firearms.

The other two suspects, Aminu Haliru and Ibrahim Jiji, were charged with conspiracy and hostage-taking, as well as illegal possession of firearms.

The charge sheet also said that these suspects were accused of abducting Winner Ogidi, Opara Timothy, Ogechi Henrietta, and one other person on October 4, 2026. They also pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The prosecution counsel, Ekezie Nwauzo, filed a motion seeking to keep the suspects in DSS custody, which was granted by Hon. Justice Emeka Orafu, who presided over the court.

Nnaemeka Adipuo represented the first and second defendants in the corps members’ abduction case, while Paschal Ofoma appeared for the third defendant.

The cases were adjourned to Thursday, October 22, and Tuesday through Thursday, October 27–29, for hearing.

Recall that about 20 corps members were reportedly abducted on October 1 along the Owerri-Onitsha road while traveling to NYSC orientation camps in Akwa Ibom and Abia States. They were released after about six days in captivity and subsequently reunited with their families.

Speaking to journalists after the court session, defence counsel Nnamdi Adipuo and Paschal Ofoma noted that the suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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By George Mgbeleke

The North Central Zonal Coordinator of Nigeria Mining Cadastral (NMC) Engr. Henry Temidayo Bolawale has said that the Mining Marshal of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has been banned from enforcing and arresting Miners from any Mining site across the country by the Minister of Solid Mineral Mr Dele Alake stating that they still defied the ban.

Engr. Henry Bolawale made the disclosure while testifying before Justice Mohammed Mohammed nine member Commission of Inquiry when he appeared as a witness in the Commission.

He stated that in his position as the North Central State Co-ordinator of the Federal Mining Cadastral residing in the state, on his arrival in Niger state,he paid a courtesy visit to all security agencies in the state,including the Niger State Commandant of the NSCDC to solicit for their support toward sanitizing the activities of illegal miners in the state.

He alleged that the suspended Commandant,and the head of Mining Marshal in the Command,declined to give him the needed cooperation but” they carry out their operations without informing my office.

He also disclosed that during his arrival in the state he paid similar courtesy visit to the Commissioner of Mineral Resources in Niger State Mallam Mohammed Qasim Danjuma requesting for his Ministry support and cooperation on the need for sanitizing the mining sites in the state

Also,he alleged that the Commissioner of Mineral Resources in the State and the Mining Marshal of the NSCDC also carryout their operations to Mining Site arresting and confiscating gold and other minerals resource to themselves without giving account of the items seized from the miners.

“ The Commissioner arrested a Chinese National that has his licence to mine in the state. He seized all the minerals he mined to his personal confer.

“ I was called from the office of the Minister of Mineral resources in Abuja,over the arrest of the Chinese. I met the Commissioner to inform him that the arrest of the Chinese is illegal he refused to listen” he stated

Engr. Henry alleged that the Commissioner knowing fully well that his Ministry “ has no any business to arrest Miners without informing my office still partner with the already baned Mining Marshal to carry out their illegal operation across mining sites in M.I Wushishi and Lukoto mining site”

The North Central Zonal Coordinator of Federal Mining Cadastral told the Commission his office is a regulatory body of all mineral resources which he explained and the state Ministry is aware of our duty in the state “the Commissioner refused to recognize my responsibility describing the trend as disturbing.

He disclosed that despite the ban, the Mining Marshall of the NSCDC still went after the miners, arresting them and confiscating their gold and other minerals mined to themselves without making it available to the North
Central office.

According to the North Central Coordinator, his office has received a series of complaints on the operational activities of the NSCDC Mining Marshall in most of the Mining sites,” I told them that their operational activities on mining site is illegal because they have been baned”

He told the Commission further that the Minister of Mineral Resources Mr Dele Alake,has severally directed the Commandant General of NSCDC CG Ahmed Abubakar Audi to withdraw the operational activities of the Mining Marshal across the country, “but they still defied the directive,is only the National headquarters of the Corps that the Mining Marshal under the head of the Marshal ACG Onoja that Mining Marshal is allowed to operate”