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SENATE: Natasha not suspended over sexual harassment petition, IPU can’t dictate to us

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The complaint laid by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan at the United Nations Inter parliamentary conference in New York on Tuesday has continued to attract reactions.

The Kogi Lawmaker had taken her case before the global institution for them to prevail over what she says is an injustice meted on her.

After listening to her complaint, the IPU told Senator Natasha that it will take necessary steps to address the complaints she brought to the union after listening to the other side.

The Nigerian Senate has however replied to Senator Natasha’s complaint to the IPU through a letter by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele.

The letter was read by the Chairperson of the House of Representatives committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Honorable Kafilat Ogbara, who is attending the event in an official capacity representing Nigeria.

The Senate letter read in part, “Senator Natasha-Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended for gross misconduct and unruly behaviour and not as a result of allegation of sexual harassment or assault.

The authority of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria firmly refutes the deliberate misinformation and false narrative being circulated by certain media organisations regarding the sixth months suspension of Senator Natsaha-Akpoti-Uduaghan.

“Let it be unequivocally stated that Uduaghan was suspended solely for her persistent act of misconduct and disregard for the Senate Standing Orders.”

Honourable Ogbara, however, called for a thorough investigation into the allegation by Senator Natasha against the Senator President, Godswill Akpabio.

She maintained that procedures and necessary actions under the Senate rules were observed before Senator Natasha’s suspension.

Last week, the Senate suspended the lawmaker in a move that has continued to generate debates across the country.

She had initially submitted a petition to the Senate accusing Akpabio of sexual harassment. But the lawmakers threw it out before suspending her even after submitting another petition.

Senator Natasha vowed to continue the fight against “injustice”.

But in the wake of the suspension, Akpabio denied the accusations and maintained he has never assaulted women.

Her altercation with the Senate president started on February 20, 2025, after her seat was changed during plenary.

That is not the first time both individuals had issues. In July 2024, Akpabio had while trying to correct her for misconduct told her to follow the rules and that the Senate is not a nightclub where anybody can talk anyhow.

The Akwa Ibom lawmaker, however, later apologised to her for the remark.

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#FreeVDM: Protesters storm GTBank Abuja headquarters, demand VeryDarkMan’s release

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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.

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JAMB: Over 1.5m candidates score less than 200 in 2025 UTME

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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.

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JUST IN: Suspected herdsmen hijack fully loaded vehicle, kill driver, abduct passengers in Benue

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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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