Crime Facts

‘We want G5 governors to return’ — Diri, Obaseki visit Okowa in Delta

  Duoye Diri, governor of Bayelsa, says the unity of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is of priority as the 2023 elections draw close. Diri spoke to journalists after a visit to Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta. Godwin Obaseki, Edo governor, was also present. He said the party hopes to discuss with the G5 governors to convince them to support the PDP and work for the victory of its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. “We want a united PDP and each time we meet, we focus and discuss the unity,” he said. “We are not ruling out speaking to our brothers. Even today, we have also discussed the possibility of speaking to them to return to our party. “We are calling on our brother-governors to be part of their own party and work in unity with every other person. We still want our brother governors back so we can visit them the way we visited our brother, Governor Okowa, who by God’s grace will be the vice-president of Nigeria.” Also speaking on the meeting in Delta, Obaseki said it was to congratulate Okowa and to wish him well in the election. “It is a new year. We go round felicitating as a family to wish each other well and pray the new year brings good tidings to the party,” he said. “We are here today to visit our brother, senator Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta state and vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 presidential election. “We wish him well in this election year and by the grace of God, he will be the next vice-president of Nigeria. “We pray God Almighty will make our dreams come true this 2023.”

Obi of Onitsha counters presidency, says ‘no altercation with Obasanjo’ over Second Niger Bridge

  Nnaemeka Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha, says he did not have any disagreement with former President Olusegun Obasanjo over the Second Niger Bridge. The monarch’s position was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by Chinyelugo Anionwu, chief of staff to the Onitsha traditional council. In a statement on Monday, Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, had criticised Obasanjo over the latter’s recent remarks criticising the present administration under President Muhammadu Buhari. Shehu had also said Obasanjo deceived the south-east during the flag-off for the construction of the Second Niger Bridge, adding that the Obi of Onitsha had some altercation with the former president. “Obasanjo laid the sod for the bridge in his first term as elected President and work never started,” Shehu had said. “When he sought re-election for his second term in office, he returned to the site to turn the sod for the bridge the second time. When the Obi of Onitsha, forthright and scholarly, reminded him that he had done this in the past, Obasanjo told the foremost Southeast traditional ruler that he was a liar, in the full presence of the Chiefs and Oracles in his palace.” However, in the statement on Tuesday, the Obi of Onitsha said he wasn’t involved in any sod-turning ceremony for the bridge during Obasanjo’s first tenure. “His Majesty, Nnaemeka Achebe, CFR, mni, Obi of Onitsha, by his position as traditional and natural ruler, should normally not engage publicly in high level discourse on affairs of State between two of our highly respected national leaders, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR,” the statement reads. “However, the Palace deems it absolutely necessary to ensure that public statements relating to our monarch are factually correct. “Accordingly, the Palace would like to state categorically that His Majesty was never involved in any sod turning ceremony for the second River Niger Bridge during the first tenure of President Obasanjo as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and, therefore, could not have engaged in any altercation with the then President as stated in the above press release. “The only involvement of His Majesty with President Obasanjo regarding the Second River Niger Bridge was at the very tail end of his second term as President during a low-keyed flag-off of the project when His Majesty prayed that the succeeding administration would construct the bridge expeditiously. “Onitsha people will continue to express their utmost gratitude to President Buhari and his Government for successfully constructing the magnificent bridge.” The current Obi of Onitsha celebrated his 20-year reign in October 2022, while Obasanjo served two terms as president, from 1999 to 2007.

South-East Security: Buhari Meets Uzodinma, Approves Deployment Of Technology

  President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met with Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma at the State House in Abuja. The meeting with Uzodinma may not be unconnected with the security challenges in the South-East region where gunmen have continued to unleash violence. Addressing journalists after the meeting, the Imo governor revealed that President Buhari approved the deployment of technology to combat insecurity in the South-East.   He stated that the approved technology expected to be deployed immediately consists of surveillance equipment among other things to potentially control crime and insecurity, with minimal collateral damage.   Uzodinma maintained that he is not responsible for the insecurity in Imo, saying the challenge is not peculiar to the state. According to the governor, those fighting him simply instigate an atmosphere of insecurity out of desperation and not because of underdevelopment or corruption.

Brazil Says Final Farewell To ‘King’ Pele

  President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva led the tributes Tuesday as Brazil said its final farewell to football legend Pele, widely regarded as the greatest player of all time. After holding three days of national mourning, Brazil has been paying its last respects to the player known as “The King,” who died Thursday at age 82 after a battle with cancer. Lula, who took office Sunday in a ceremony that started with a minute’s silence for Pele, will travel to the southeastern city of Santos to “pay his respects and tribute” as the 24-hour wake for the late icon draws to a close at 9:00 am (1200 GMT), his office said. Thousands of fans and football dignitaries, including FIFA president Gianni Infantino, have already filed past Pele’s black coffin at the stadium where he first dazzled the world, the Vila Belmiro, home to his longtime club, Santos FC. “Pele is eternal. He’s a global icon of football,” Infantino told journalists on Monday, saying football’s governing body would ask all member countries to name a stadium in the player’s honor. Antonio Carlos Pereira da Silva, a 36-year-old artist, said he had arrived at midnight to be among the first inside when the wake began Monday morning. “If I said I didn’t cry when he died, I’d be lying,” he told AFP. “Pele taught us so much. Not just Brazil, but the whole world.” Neymar, Real Madrid Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele exploded onto the scene at age 15, when he made his professional debut with Santos. He went on to win the World Cup three times with Brazil, in 1958, 1962 and 1970 — the only player in history to achieve the feat. Tributes have poured in from around the world since his death, with a Who’s Who of current and former football greats hailing his genius for the “beautiful game.” A stream of athletes, politicians, dignitaries and fans have traveled to Santos for the ceremony, though turnout may be dented somewhat by the New Year’s holiday weekend. Pele’s coffin was carried into the stadium Monday morning by pallbearers dressed in black, led by his son Edinho. The late icon’s widow, Marcia Cibele Aoki, his third wife, whom he married in 2016, cried before his open casket as she reached out to touch his head. She also placed a rosary in his coffin. The casket was draped in the flags of Santos and Brazil and was surrounded by white flowers, including bouquets from the likes of Real Madrid or current Brazil star Neymar, whose father was in attendance. Last parade Other tributes have come in from around Brazil. At the headquarters of the Brazilian Football Confederation in Rio, a giant poster with Pele’s image bears the word “eternal.” Pele had been in fragile health, suffering from kidney problems and then colon cancer. But he remained active on social media, cheering on Brazil from his hospital bed in Sao Paulo during the World Cup in Qatar and consoling the pre-tournament favorites when they were eliminated in the quarter-finals, three weeks before his death. The funeral procession through Santos will go past the house of Pele’s mother, 100-year-old Celeste Arantes, who is still alive. It will end at Santos’s Memorial Cemetery, where a Catholic funeral service will be held before Pele is interred in a special mausoleum.

Obi, man whose idea has come – Labour Party

  The Labour Party has said that its Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Gregory Obi is phenomenal, an idea being directed by the divine phenomenon and propelled by people’s organic reaction and movement. The party said that in the midst of the present cacophony of Obi’s endorsements, it is telling whoever cares that it’s no longer going to be the dictator’s world or a narrow exclusive circle or group dictating who becomes president in Nigeria. It particularly advised Chief Arthur Eze, Governor Chukwuma Soludo, and whoever wants to play God against Obi’s divine mandate to rethink. Labour Party National Vice Chairman, South East, Innocent Okeke said that the party respects the personal opinions of every individual including Arthur Eze and any other person with different opinions, but that it can not accept unfriendly outbursts and intimidations. It said that the new Nigeria is never going to be business as usual, advising that the moment people begin to adapt, the better since it has been a country between the far rich few and the extremely poor masses, where they destroyed the middle class and make the poor masses ordinary slaves. “If our highly respected Chief Arthur Eze should go by his adopted name ‘Ozoigbondu,’ I would have expected him to feel pain when his people are feeling it. The pain in present Nigeria is a general one and everyone is crying for a genuine change. “We can understand his personal business interests and effort to remain big, but he has been big from youth till this age, it’s time to feel the pain of others and sacrifice luxury for a better future. “Peter Gregory Obi is an Anambrarian just like some of you, what matters is the general opinion of the people of Anambra on Peter Obi’s presidential ambition and not the opinion of two or three persons. In this recent times, all the presidential opinion pools conducted have put Obi well above other contenders and this is the opinion of Nigerians. “If not the old thinking of many of you with deep pockets who have amassed wealth to seek the option of rigging elections, the voice and opinions of the masses will reign supreme. “I advise for no insult, keep your opinion to yourself, don’t destabilise the system. Allow a new Nigeria to emerge it will benefit your kindred, community, your state, and all Nigerians,” Okeke advised.

2023: Atiku will change Nigeria’s political fortune – Tambuwal

  Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State says the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is the only falgbearer that can change Nigeria’s political fortune positively. Tambuwal, the Director-General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, made the assertion at the party’s campaign rally in Binji and Tangaza Local Government Areas of the state on Tuesday. According to him, Abubakar has designed workable strategies to end banditry, fight corruption, unemployment, address infrastructural decay and boost the socioeconomic life of Nigerians, among other issues. “Therefore, we should all give our votes for PDP candidates from the President to the State House of Assembly in order to benefit the best Nigeria of our dreams. “We should safeguard our Permanent Voter Cards and avoid any person who would use money to buy our votes for the best of our country’s future,” he said. The governor further urged the gathering to maintain their dignity, adding that they should not, in any way, allow themselves to be used to compromise peaceful coexistence at the expense of violence and chaos. Tambuwal warned youths against thuggery, saying: “You should ask any politician who invite you into political thuggery to align you with his sons and daughters.” The state PDP Chairman, Alhaji Bello Goronyo, thanked the people of the areas for their sustained support to the party. Bello received some prominent members of other political parties who, according to them, saw reason to defect to the PDP alongside their followers. The chairman appreciated the wise decision of the new entrants, describing them as partners in progress. On his part, the PDP Gubernatorial Candidate, Malam Sa’idu Umar, pledged to maintain the legacy and dynamic style of Tambuwal, if elected. The Director-General of the campaign council in the state and former minister, Alhaji Yusuf Sulaiman, assured that the door of PDP is open for all new entrants. Sulaiman urged PDP supporters to put more effort in convincing the people of the state toward the success of the party and sustain door-to- door campaign in their respective areas.

Peter Obi’s Endorsement: It’ll be 11th wonder if Tinubu fails to win – Keyamo

  The spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has said it would be an eleventh wonder if Asiwaju Bola Tinubu fails to win the forthcoming Presidential elections. Keyamo who said the APC is excited about the Labour Party Presidential candidate Mr. Peter Obi’s endorsement by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Afenifere leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Edwin Clark. He noted that Obi’s endorsement has no effect on the presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Speaking on Channels Television, ‘Politics Today’ Keyamo said the worst things were said by Obasanjo, Adebanjo and Chief Edwin Clark to disparage the APC in 2019, but 15 million voters ignored them. “We are excited by their endorsement but I can assure you the Labour Party will not win. Also anywhere the G-5 consensus governors go is a win-win for the APC. PDP is hoping for the betrayal of Asiwaju in the North. “Obasanjo, Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Edwin Clerk said the worst things about APC and Buhari’s re-election in 2019 and 15 million Nigerians did not listen to them. “They should not be sanctimonious before us. The Emilokan slogan was what Tinubu told APC delegates in Ogun State justifying that he has served the party. The opposition used it as propaganda a thousand times”. Asked about the chances of APC winning the presidential election, he said: “Based on projections, it would be an 11th wonder if we don’t win the election”.

Delta doctor killed by cultists, not patient’s relatives – Police

  DELTA State police command said yesterday that the killing of Uyi Iluobe, a medical doctor in the state, was carried out by suspected cultists, and not a patient’s family members as alleged. Iluobe was said to have been killed on Saturday by aggrieved relatives of a patient who died from a gunshot wound at Olive Clinic, Oghara. Bright Edafe, the state police command spokesman, confirmed the killing of the doctor but said the crime was committed by suspected cultists and not the patient’s relatives. “A doctor was actually killed but the story making the rounds is not correct. What happened is, suspected cultists went to the hospital disguised as patients who came for treatment. ”According to nurses, a lady came pretending to be sick and the doctor took her to his office. While the doctor was attending to the lady, she made a call to some people asking where they were. ”Then two guys came in a Camry and asked one of the nurses where the doctor was while bringing out a gun. The nurses took them to the doctor’s office, and it was at his office that he was shot and killed. “We suspect that the incident is connected to the cult crisis in Oghara. The reports that he was killed by the relatives of the patients are not true. “The Delta state command has not received any complaint from anyone that they are suspecting relatives of a patient and there was no time that anyone was rushed to the hospital that day and died.” The Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, had condemned the killing and called on security agencies to arrest the perpetrators within five days, failing which the association would not be able to guarantee the rendering of normal medical services in the South-South. It said a one-week total shutdown of hospitals in Delta State would commence after a press conference today. “If the law enforcement agencies do not fish out the murderers of our colleague at the expiration of one week, the whole states in South-South zone of NMA will down tools,” the association had said.

Native doctor slump, dies during sex romp with Pastor’s wife

  Tragedy struck in Ikere-Ekiti, on Monday morning when a middle aged man simply identified as Kehinde slumped and died during an alleged sex romp with a lover at a hotel somewhere in the community. Multiple sources in Ikere-Ekiti revealed that the deceased, a popular native doctor in the community had lodged in the hotel with his lover, whose identity could not be immediately ascertained. Vanguard gathered that the said lover was a wife of a cleric in one of the fast growing churches in the town. According to one of the sources “What I can say is that the man died in the hotel room after having sex with the woman said to be spiritually laced with thunderbolt(Magun) ” The woman raised the alarm after realizing that the man collapsed, the manager of the hotel and some residents raced to the scene and immediately rushed the man to a nearby hospital where he was confirmed dead.” When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Ekiti state, ASP Sunday Abutu confirmed the incident, adding that investigations had commenced on the circumstances surrounding the death of the man. Abutu, however added that the woman has been arrested by the police. In his words, ” Yes, we can confirm the death of the man in one of the hotels at Ikere-Ekiti on Monday. His corpse has been retrieved and deposited at the morgue. ” Let me quickly tell you that the woman in question is with us already as we commence investigations to unravel the cause or otherwise of the man’s death, ” the PPRO said.

Nobody can drive G-5 out of PDP, Wike boasts

  The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leaders thinking of punishing the G-5 governors should perish the idea, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike warned yesterday. The governor said nobody in the party could drive members of the G-5 governors, who are members of the Integrity Group out the house they, according to him, spent many years to build. Wike further warned that insulting members of the Integrity Group by PDP leaders would only escalate the lingering crisis rocking the party to its foundation. The PDP plunged into crisis after its national convention in May produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate. Some members of the party asked the party’s Natuional Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, to step down. They argued that the president candidate and the national chairman cannot come from the same zone. They are demanding Ayu’s replacement with a southerner to correct “regional imbalance” in the main opposition party. Apart from Wike, other governors who are members of the G-5 are: Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Seyi Makinde (Oyo). The aggrieved governors, who were appointed into the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, withdrew their membership and boycotted its inauguration. Wike spoke at the Mgbuodohia Community Primary School premises where he kicked off the construction of Mgbuodohia Road in Rumuolumene Town of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area. He said: “Nobody can drive us from this house we have built. All of us will fight here. So, if anybody thinks that you can just sit in your house and dish out orders, it will not work. The house will collapse on you. So, you better think twice.” The governor clarified that his comment on the endorsement of Peter Obi by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, instead of his former deputy (Atiku) was motivated by his concern for the PDP. He said Obasanjo had served as President on the platform of the PDP with Abubakar as his vice president for eight years and was in a better position to solicit support from Nigerians on his behalf with confidence. Wike said that if Obasanjo could not endorse his former deputy, it only showed that something was fundamentally wrong that should elicit concern by PDP members. He said: “I meant no harm. I’m only worried as a prominent PDP member. A man who loves PDP should be worried. I was not mocking anybody. I was merely worried. My prayer was, look, let Obasanjo remain quiet and not say anything. That was all my prayer, but my prayer didn’t work. “My prayer was that if this man makes any statement, it will indict us because he was president under the PDP for eight years, and he worked with our presidential candidate. And the campaign of our presidential council is that our presidential candidate during the eight years did very well, with experience.” Wike lamented that instead of people in the party to look at the issues critically and ponder on what could be done, they were busy abusing him. He said: “What did I do? I didn’t do anything. All I did was to express concern. If you care for this party, it is for you to go back and ask, what is fundamentally wrong? “Me that is worried that we should do something and I have expressed it, you’re abusing me for telling the party that we should do something.” Wike said only those who truly love the PDP would be worried about the development, describing those abusing him, including a spokesman of the party as jobbers and political flirts jumping from one party to another. He said: “They are not bothered, but those of us who since 1998 joined this party, contributed to the survival of this party until now, we keep shouting always when we see danger coming. “Abuses upon abuses, it will not change anything, rather it will spoil more things. What you don’t know, ask people, seek advice, people will help you to solve the problem.” Wike flayed former PDP National Chairman Prince Uche Secondus, alleging that the companies that bided and got the contract awards for projects sited in Andoni were introduced by him. According to the governor, the companies were paid but those projects were never executed and Secondus could not extricate himself from the firms that got those jobs. Wike also argued that the soul and strength of the Rivers chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) had departed, leaving the carcass, adding that it could not get any electoral support from the Rivers electorate. The governor urged the Rivers State PDP governorship candidate, Sir Siminalayi Fubara to consider constructing a bridge to link Rumuolumeni to Eagle Island in Port Harcourt when he eventually assumes office. Providing a description of the project, Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Dr. George-Kelly Dakorinima Alabo said the 5.1-kilometre Mgbuodohia Road will be 7.3- metre wide with offshoot drain of 6.5- kilometre long.