A five-man panel of the Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal filed by former Minister of Finance Etubom Anthony Ani against Etubom Ekpo Okon over the traditional stool of the Obong of Calabar and the traditional ruler of the Efik kingdom. The judgement delivered by Justice Amina Augie was dismissed on the grounds that the appeal lacked merit. Ani had approached a lower court challenging Etubom Okon Abasi and others in their capacity as members of Etubom’s Traditional council for allegedly distorting the screening process of the western Calabar when Abasi Otu was the chairman of the council. Justice Obojor Ogah of the High Court of Cross River State removed Abasi Otu who was the chairman of the committee for selection of candidates for the stool of Obong of Calabar, as candidate elect, on the grounds that it is contrary to natural justice, equity and good conscience, thereby upholding Etubom Anthony’s emergence as Obong of Calabar elect. Not satisfied with the decision, Abasi Otu appealed the decision of the lower court at the Calabar division of the Court of Appeal. While delivering judgement in the appeal in June 2013, the then Justice Garba Lawal, now a justice of the Supreme Court, set aside the selection process that produced Ani on the grounds that he was not traditionally eligible to vote and be voted for at the time. The judge held that Etubom Abasi Otu was traditionally qualified at the time of the selection process, but also set aside his proclamation as Obong. The judge therefore ordered that the Etuboms conclave of the palace of the Obong of Calabar conduct another selection process in a strict compliance with the rules of natural justice. Etubom Anthony Ani approached the Supreme Court, challenging the decision of the Calabar division of the Court of Appeal. In a unanimous decision, the apex court upheld the decision of the lower court and dismissed the suit for lacking in merit.

  The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Seme Police Division in Lagos State, SP Mojeed Salami, slumped and died in his office on Tuesday. Though the actual cause of death was not known, a police source who spoke to our correspondent Friday said the DPO had earlier complained of a minor headache and had gone to a hospital. Powered By VDO.AI Video Player is loading. PauseUnmute Fullscreen He said the DPO returned to his office a few hours later and resumed work, but that hours later he called his orderly and complained that he was feeling somehow. The source said, “He asked his orderly to call the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO). I think he wanted to hand over to the DCO. The orderly met him on the floor gasping for breath. He was rushed to the Badagry General Hospital where he was confirmed dead.” The Lagos police spokesman, Benjamin Hundeyin, said, “He died on Tuesday. It was shocking to everybody because there was nothing serious about his health. They said he just complained about a minor headache, went to the hospital, came back, commenced work and died shortly afterward.”

  The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo have disagreed over Gov. Hope Uzodimma’s scorecard within three years in office. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. Uzodimma assumed office on Jan. 14, 2020, following a judgment of the Supreme Court which affirmed his victory at the 2019 governorship election in the state. While the PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr Collins Opurozor, said Uzodimma’s three years were enmeshed in economic stagnation, mass penury, insecurity and infrastructural decay, the APC Publicity Secretary, Mr Cajetan Duke, dismissed the statement. In a statement signed by the PDP publicity secretary and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Owerri, Opurozor argued that the greatest casualties of Gov. Uzodimma’s emergence are the Imo people. He alleged that Uzodimma had, in the past three years, worked so hard to ensure that all the institutions of democracy in the state are dismantled and full-blown dictatorship firmly established. Opurozor further claimed that bloodshed, poor healthcare, collapse of education, dearth of agricultural productivity, conscription of the political space and violation of human rights have become the order of the day. “For instance, the local government system, which is a mechanism put in place to expand and sustain the democratic space and spread democratic values, has been destroyed in Imo State. “This is a huge tragedy! Imo is a state that has over 70 per cent of her entire population living in the rural areas. “Yet, the only channel through which governance can be delivered to the people has been completely run aground,” he contended. Opurozor also claimed that in last 36 months, Uzodinma had received from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) a total of N180.6 billion meant for the Local Governments in the state. “Today, there is nothing on ground that shows that even a kobo has gotten to the Local Government Areas. “Sen. Hope Uzodimma must, without any further delay, tell Imo people where he kept the N180.6 billion belonging to the Local Governments,” he said. He argued that Uzodimma had made incessant borrowings a state policy which had plunged the state into irredeemable debt slavery. According to him, Imo is currently the most indebted Igbo state, with a debt profile which stands at N220 billion. “That means that the regime of Sen. Uzodinma has doubled the debt profile in less than three years and the fundamental question is: What has the regime done with over N100 billion it has borrowed so far?” He said in spite of the borrowings, Uzodimma had made no effort at re-jigging investments in the hugely vital agro-industrial sector where Imo has major comparative advantage. “What Senator Uzodinma really needs to explain to Imo people is how he diverted a whopping sum of N56 billion on the pretence of constructing the 36-kilometer Owerri-Orlu road. “Does the administration in Imo want the people to believe that a kilometer of road was done at the rate of N1.5 billion? “This same Craneburg Construction Company, which works for Uzodinma, has also done the Lekki-Epe Road in Lagos State and the Ibadan Circular Road in Oyo State. “In both instances, even drainages and terrains rougher than Imo, the cost never exceeded N450 million per kilometer, but in Uzodinma’s Imo, the cost of a single kilometer of road by the same company suddenly became N1.5 billion,” he said. Opurozor estimated that the 2023 budget revenue of the state would be sourced from FAAC, 13 per cent derivation, internally generated revenue, intervention grants would amount to N120.6 billion. He maintained that Gov. Uzodimma is already planning to spend N475 billion within the year with the deficit of N354 billion which would be raised through borrowings. “The loans would be solely dedicated to expanding Uzodimma’s political war chest and financing sundry other electoral malpractices, including massive vote buying. “Already, agents of Imo APC have started distributing forms, requesting for bank accounts and PVC details of Imo voters so as to commence the first phase of this brazen electoral fraud,” he alleged. He claimed that the party had intercepted credible intelligence about the planned role which the Uzodinma-backed Ebubeagu Militia would play in this process of derailing democracy in the state. He therefore urged the Inspector-General of Police to immediately disband Ebubeagu Militia, claiming that since Ebubeagu began its operations in the state, insecurity, killings, abductions and arson have risen astronomically. But dismissing the claims however, the APC Publicity Secretary, Mr Cajetan Duke, said the PDP should rather praise Uzodimma for the giant strides of development in the past three years. Duke said: “We are glad today that the opposition PDP has confirmed by the contents of their press conference of the reconstruction of the Owerri-Orlu road. “Their argument on the cost of the project is neither here nor there! “PDP should stop reminding Imolites of their seven months illegal occupation of Douglas House and the unimaginable looting of our common patrimony. “When they talk about the January 14th, 2020, landmark judgment of the Supreme Court, Imo PDP validates our position that the insecurity in the state is politically contrived,” he added. Duke contended that the PDP’s argument on borrowing had reduced opposition politics to a roadside gossip as borrowing to fund investment in the critical sector of the economy was not a crime. “Almost three years in office, nobody, including the opposition PDP, has accused Gov. Hope Uzodimma of converting public wealth to personal and private uses. “No one has accused the governor of building a new house or renovating his old house in the village. “Nobody has accused Uzodimma of appropriating any public land or asset to himself or any member of his family since inception of this administration,” he argued. The APC publicity secretary further described PDP’s accusation of borrowing money to compromise the forthcoming general elections as an “acknowledgement of defeat”. He said Imo PDP was only intimidated by the popularity of the APC-led shared prosperity administration of Gov. Hope Uzodimma. “Their strategy is

  Another witness who pleaded anonymity said the Venza car was among the group that invaded the community road and NDDC road that night, to rob residents. “It may be that while the hoodlums were escaping from the robbery, they met the vigilante and attacked them,” he said As at the time of filing this report, vehicular movement around Amukpe has stopped as youths continued blocking the road in protest. When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Bright Edafe, confirmed the killing, adding that it was an armed robbery incident. “Yes, it was armed robbery incident, the two vigilante was killed by robbers and investigation is ongoing with a view to arrest the perpetrators,” he said Also, the Sapele LGA Chairman, Eugene Inoaghan, said the culprits would definitely be brought to book and assured residents that the police would soon restore order in the troubled areas.

  Founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo has expressed dismay on how quickly Nigerians forget all his warnings prior to the emergency of the current administration, saying that those who criticized him are currently breathing hard while some are dead. Speaking during the 21 Days of prayer and fasting of the church, Oyedepo said that if Nigerians can’t learn from the past up until now, that shows that Nigerians have a very short memory. “Some fellows were talking chaff in those days when I was talking to them about how the government we are voting into power is going to torment your life.” Being in church doesn’t make you a prophet. God tells me things, details about this nation, and I know something is happening right now, but when it’s time, I’ll talk to you. “Those that said, ‘What do you mean?’ the other time, they’re breathing hard now, some are dead.” Just be in love, that’s all. You’ll become dead to what they’re saying, you’re just open only to what God is saying. Did you see pepper or not in the last 8 years? You know pepper is in grades, different levels of pepper. Nigerians, short memory, very short memory. “If you can’t learn from the past up until now, I don’t know what you want to learn.” They made all balloon promises, nothing came to pass, not one. You wrote them down, newspaper wrote them down, you can’t see anything there. They’re saying, “come again, come again, fools come”. As the Lord lives, the devil will not have his way again in Nigeria for the sake of the destiny of innocent people. Security down to zero, you’re traveling, you’re looking at the back, everyday, on the street, in the town, in the villages, what? “Somebody came to me during the primaries or something and said, he just wanted to ask for my prayer. I said, ‘good. Call me later please, I can’t talk to you people now’. They said, ‘we have brought an offering’. I said, “no no, they don’t use offering to hear from God’. He called me, I said, ‘don’t try it, it will be futile”, (he said), “ah, but I have so much promises’. (I said), “don’t try it, goodnight”, maybe he’s hearing me now.”

  Peruvian President, Dina Boluarte, has insisted she will not step down, after another day of protests and roadblocks across the country saw calls for her resignation and the arrest of a trade union leader with alleged links to Maoist rebels. Supporters of ousted president Pedro Castillo have marched and barricaded streets throughout the South American country since December, demanding new elections and the removal of Boluarte. “Some voices that have come from the violent and radical factions are asking for my resignation, provoking the population into chaos, disorder and destruction,” Boluarte said in an address on state TV Friday night. “I will not resign. My commitment is with Peru,” she added. Boluarte lamented that the protests have at times turned violent, as at least 42 people have been killed in clashes with security forces, including a police officer burned alive in a vehicle. Hundreds more have been injured. “I cannot stop reiterating my regret for the deaths of Peruvians in these protests. I apologise for this situation,” she said. But she rejected the possibility of calling a constitutional assembly as demanded by protestors, pointing to the difficulties Peru’s neighbor Chile has had in drafting and approving a new constitution. “That cannot happen overnight,” Boluarte added. Earlier on Friday – the tenth consecutive day of unrest, after a new-year lull – police announced the arrest of Rocio Leandro, a union leader from the Ayacucho region. Leandro, who has alleged links to Maoist rebels, is accused of financing protests and recruiting demonstrators. Police spokesman Oscar Arriola claimed his arrest proved that remnants of the Shining Path Maoist rebels were involved in the protests. He said Leandro was a former Shining Path member known as “Comrade Cusi.” AFP

  Gunmen on Saturday attacked the country home of the spokesperson of the Coalition of United Political Parties, Ugochinyere Imo, OkeomaNews reports. In the attack, the invaders killed an uncle to Imo, who is the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for Ideato South and Ideato North federal constituency of the state and three others. Our correspondent gathered that no fewer than 30 campaign vehicles of the PDP candidate were burnt during the attack in his country home at Akokwa community. Imo who confirmed the attack to our correspondent in a WhatsApp message disclosed that his uncle was killed in the attack. He called for help as his home was under siege. Imo wrote” Emergency.We need help to akokwa.. We are under attack.. My house in akokwa.. They have surrendered it and opened fire. We are under attack. Help help. “We néed help… My uncle have been killed now.. They are setting everything on fire. Pz help.” In a statement, the PDP in the state confirmed the attack on the country home of its candidate. The statement which was issued by its spokesperson in the state, Collins Opuruozor read ” Imo PDP Alerts Security Agencies, Nigerians, International Community To Sponsored Killings, Arson Going On At the Akokwa Residence of Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, PDP Candidate For Ideato Federal Constituency “The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State alerts that, at the moment, there is a well-coordinated armed attack going on at the Akokwa residence of Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the candidate of our Party for Ideato North/South Federal Constituency. “This has resulted in the killing of undisclosed number of persons. Also, buildings are reported to have been set ablaze. “Our efforts to get back to our candidate, Ikenga Ugochinyere, who was present at his residence when this attack began and who had personally alerted us to the attack, has proven abortive. However, a torrent of messages, a while ago, from Ikenga’s close aides bore some deeply pathetic lines like: “Everywhere is on fire! They are killing us! We are going going!” “Imo PDP calls on security agencies to immediately intervene and quell the attack on our candidate and our Party members at his residence in Akokwa. “Nigerians and international community are to recall that on December 23, 2022, there was an attack on the convoy of our candidate by clearly-identified agents of the Imo State Government. It is shocking that despite our demand for the arrest and prosecute of those involved in that onslaught, nothing has been done by the security till this moment. “Today represents a dark day for us in Imo PDP and Imo State at large.” Our correspondent saw a video footage with dead bodies and burnt houses and campaign materials at Imo’s country home. The spokesperson for the in the state, Michael Abattam had yet to respond to an enquiry concerning the incident. Credit: OkeomaNews

  Saturday 14 January 2023 Buhari’s assurance on free, fair 2023 polls must not end like 2015 promises — CSOs, activists, clerics S-Court declines to stop fresh probe of Abacha’s family assets Hitches, complaints as millions of PVCs await collection in states Iran executes accused British spy, Alireza Akbari by hanging You’ve failed us, Nigerians tell outgoing lawmakers Edo Train Attack: Igueben monarch opens up as night falls on town Polls: I’ll invoke curses on perpetrators, sponsors of violence  — Ondo monarch Elections: Place APC leaders on watch list, PDP tells Security agencies Kyari: NNPC will spud first oil well in Nassarawa in March  Imo West: We’ll  study the Supreme Court judgement – PDP Did you see pepper in the last 8 years, Oyedepo asks Nigerians Police rescue US female citizen from yahoo boy I won’t resign, Peru president insists amid protest DPO Slumps, Dies In Office ‘He’s not an Igbo candidate’ — south-east traditional rulers make case for Obi presidency Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…