News
NATASHA VS AKPABIO: Senate Passes Vote of confidence in Akpabio’s Leadership

Amid the controversy rocking the Nigerian Senate, the Red Chamber on Thursday passed a vote of confidence in the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
This comes after Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele under Orders 40 and 51, moved a motion on the recent controversy surrounding the upper chamber, underscoring the need for clarity, adherence to legislative rules and a renewed focus on governance.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan representing Kogi Central was suspended by the Senate following allegation of sexual harassments against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
She tagged her suspension as an injustice, reporting the matter to the United Nation’s Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) on Tuesday.
The Senate, however, responded to her complaint to the IPU on Wednesday, telling the international body that Senator Natasha’s suspension has nothing to do with her sexual abuse allegation against Akpbaio, but for gross misconduct and disobedient to Senate rules.
Speaking on the floor of the Senate , Senator Bamidele acknowledged heightened public interest in the matter due to allegations made by a fellow senator.
However, he maintained that at no point between August 2023 and the present was the Senate informed of any sexual harassment claims, adding that the issue at hand was purely about disciplinary measures related to breaches of Senate rules.
According to him, “I want to make it clear that the matter referred to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges had nothing to do with sexual harassment.
The Senate President did not preside over any case related to such allegations. What was addressed was a flagrant disregard for Senate rules and we followed due process as guided by the Constitution”.
He further defended the Senate’s authority to regulate its proceedings, including the decision to suspend a senator, stating that such actions were necessary to maintain order and uphold legislative integrity.
He refuted claims that the Senate acted beyond its constitutional rights, noting that suspension remains the only alternative to anarchy within the chamber.
“It was never an issue before us that any member of us was sexually harassed and we hold on to that point. We need to put the events of the last two weeks and concentrate.
There is work before us and we have done everything possible, ensuring that the electoral reforms and others have legislative expressions.
”Regarding international reactions, he further clarifies that the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) acted within its own rules, and that any statements made by the Senator in question at the IPU meeting were done in a personal capacity, not as a designated delegate representing Nigeria.
“It was never an issue before us that any senator was sexually harassed. We need to move past the events of the last two weeks and focus on our legislative responsibilities.
There is critical work before us, including electoral reforms, economic recovery, and tax reform bills.
“The 7th schedule of the 1999 Constitution is clear, and we all swore by oath that we will make laws for the good of this country. We swore to that oath and ensured everyone abides by that oath”.
The Senate leader also addressed the Civil Society Organizations, noting that Nigeria is making progress but still faces significant challenges.
He urged the public to be objective in their analysis and to reserve their energy for genuine cases of sexual harassment.
“We have heard you, but we need to concentrate in our work, so if we choose to be silent on this matter going forward, know that it is intentional on our part.
Please be objective in your analysis and save energy for those genuine victims of sexual harassment”.
To conclude, the Senate passed a vote of confidence in the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, commending the way the matter was handled.
The Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, who presided over Thursday’s plenary session, noted that with the budget which has now passed demands that the legislature focus on its oversight functions.
He reiterated that the matter is now before the courts, and as such, the Senate should allow the legal system to take its course.
News
#FreeVDM: Protesters storm GTBank Abuja headquarters, demand VeryDarkMan’s release

Protesters in Abuja have stormed the headquarters of Guaranty Trust Bank to demand the release of social media influencer Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan.
The demonstrators, who gathered in large numbers on Monday, chanted “#FreeVDM” while holding placards with inscriptions such as “Activism is not a sin”, “VDM is the masses’ liberator”, and “VDM has committed no offence”.
Recall that VeryDarkMan was recently arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over allegations of cyberstalking.
The arrest has sparked outrage online and raised questions about the bank’s alleged complicity in what critics describe as a targeted crackdown.
According to his legal representative, activist-lawyer Deji Adeyanju, VeryDarkMan was ambushed by EFCC operatives inside the GTBank premises.
Denying the claim and releasing CCTV footage, the bank stated that the social media influencer was not picked up on its premises, and urged that further investigations be conducted.
In the video, VDM is seen leaving the banking hall and heading towards the car park moments before his arrest.
However, the footage does not capture the actual arrest, most likely because the security cameras did not cover that specific area outside the bank.
Recall that in May 2024, he was arraigned at the Federal High Court in Abuja on five counts of cyberstalking.
The charges stemmed from alleged online harassment of the Nigeria Police Force and Nollywood actresses Iyabo Ojo and Tonto Dikeh.
He pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody until his bail hearing.
Later in November 2024, he faced fresh charges of impersonation before an Abuja Chief Magistrate’s Court.
Prosecutors accused him of unlawfully dressing as a police officer and presenting himself as one.
He again pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of ₦2 million.
News
JAMB: Over 1.5m candidates score less than 200 in 2025 UTME

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has released a comprehensive statistical breakdown of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, results.
The breakdown offers a full picture of the performances by Nigerian candidates in the examination conducted across the country.
According to JAMB, out of 1,955,069 candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, over 1.5 million of them scored less than 200 in the exam.
It, however, announced that 4756 candidates scored above 320, 7658 candidates scored between 300 and 319.
In the statement accompanying the data, the Board said that 40,247 underage candidates were permitted to demonstrate their exceptional abilities.
JAMB further stated that only 467 of these candidates (1.16%) achieved scores that meet the threshold for exceptional ability as defined for the UTME, with their performance in the subsequent three stages still pending.
Crime
JUST IN: Suspected herdsmen hijack fully loaded vehicle, kill driver, abduct passengers in Benue

Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen on Sunday night hijacked a commercial vehicle along the Otukpo-Adoka road in Benue State, killing the driver and abducting all passengers on board.
The incident occurred around 11 p.m. as the vehicle was en route to Otukpo from Abuja.
Eyewitnesses said that the attackers opened fire as soon as they sighted the vehicle, causing the driver to lose control and veer off the road into nearby bushes after being hit by a bullet.

The assailants subsequently abducted all the passengers before abandoning the vehicle at the scene.
The body of the slain driver, identified as a native of Adoka, has been recovered and taken to his hometown.
Meanwhile, military personnel have arrived at the scene and launched a manhunt for the attackers.
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