News

BREAKING: Fubara, others chase police deployment from RISIEC’s office

Published

10 months ago

October 4, 2024

35 Views

Policemen deployed in the office of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RISIEC) have been chased away by crowd of persons around the facility ahead of the controversial local government elections billed for Saturday.

It was not certain who sent the police detachment to the facility around 1am on Friday since the police said they would not participate in the exercise.

The armed policemen were seen in a viral video being booed and called names such as “thieves” as they maneuvered their vehicles out of the place.

They were brought into the office premises on trucks and patrol vans but the crowd compelled them to make a u-turn.

It was gathered Governor Similanya Fubara, some officials of the State Government and some members of the House of Assembly stormed the facility following the incident.

A statement issued by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS) said the Governor foiled an attempt by the Police, led by a Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), to take over RSIEC at 1am on Friday, 4th October, 2024.

The statement said the rogue policemen attempted to scale the gates and strong room of the commission to cart away sensitive electoral materials meant for the conduct of Saturday’s local government election in the state.

Fubara condemned the conduct of the policemen on illegal duty, saying that the IGP was taking his friendship with some Abuja-based politicians too far.

He restated the position that the attempt to surreptitiously withdraw policemen already deployed to protect the facility, and replace them with a detachment from a neighbouring state was unacceptable.

He reminded the IGP that local government election was the internal affairs of states, and advised him to allow the federation unit conduct its affairs without interference.

The statement further said that the Chief of Staff, Rivers Speaker and State and National Assembly members with other stakeholders, were manning the RSIEC office to ensure that the policemen in two trucks and two Hilux vehicles did not return and that elections would go ahead as scheduled on Saturday.

News

ALLEGED CONTEMPT: INEC CHAIRMAN ABSENT, COURT FIXES OCTOBER 8

‎The lawsuit is instituted by Edozie Njoku, Chairman of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), who was accusing the INEC boss of flouting an order of mandamus directing INEC to accept the outcome of an emergency convention that produced him.

Published

12 hours ago

July 18, 2025

OCHEFA

22 Views

The ‎Chairman of Nigeria’s electoral body INEC, Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, failed to show up when a case of contempt against him came up for mention at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday.
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‎The lawsuit is instituted by Edozie Njoku, Chairman of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), who was accusing the INEC boss of flouting an order of mandamus directing INEC to accept the outcome of an emergency convention that produced him.
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‎At the proceedings, Alhassan Umar, counsel for Professor Yakubu informed the Court of a pending application challenging the jurisdiction of the court.

But this was contested by NRM’s lawyer, Oladimeji Ekengba ought to have been present as it is a criminal case.
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‎Justice Obiora Egwuatu subsequently adjourned the case till October 8.
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News

FG Immortalizes Buhari renaming UNIMAID after him

UNIMAID will now be known as Muhammadu Buhari University, Maiduguri.

Published

1 day ago

July 17, 2025

OhiBaba

34 Views

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday announced that the University of Maiduguri would be renamed in honour of the late leader, Muhammadu Buhari.

UNIMAID will now be known as Muhammadu Buhari University, Maiduguri.

Presiding over the FEC session, President Tinubu delivered a stirring tribute, celebrating Buhari’s life as one defined by discipline, moral fortitude, and unwavering patriotism.

He described Buhari not as a perfect man—no leader is—but as a good, decent, and honourable man.

While acknowledging that Buhari’s record, like all legacies, will be subject to debate, Tinubu insisted that the character he brought to public life, the moral force he carried, and the incorruptible standard he represented will not be forgotten.

Crime

JUST IN: Court Frees 24 IPOB Members After Four Years of Detention

Published

1 day ago

July 17, 2025

Charles Flames

40 Views

A high court in Ebonyi State has ordered the release of 24 members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) after they were held in detention for four years.

The ruling on Thursday marks a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings involving the group.

The 24 IPOB members were discharged and acquitted by Justice I. P. Chima of Ebonyi State High Court.

It was gathered that they were among the last batch of the IPOB detainees out of the 36 held since May 4 2020.

Meanwhile, their lawyer and human rights activist, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, confirmed their freedom in a statement titled, “Justice Delayed, But Never Denied.”

According to him, the ruling followed the preliminary objection which highlighted the brazen violation of their fundamental rights: particularly the constitutionally guaranteed protection against double jeopardy, enshrined under Section 36(9) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

Ejiofor said the sacred principle, “autrefois acquit”, stipulates that no person shall be tried again for an offence in respect of which they have previously been acquitted.