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Yoruba Nation agitator, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has filed an appeal at the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the Court of Appeal’s ruling that nullified the N20bn damages awarded to him against the Department of State Services and the Attorney General of the Federation.
Igboho initially sued the AGF, the DSS, and the DSS Director in Oyo State, demanding N5.5bn in damages over the July 2021 raid on his Ibadan residence, during which two people were reportedly killed and 12 others arrested.
In September 2021, an Oyo State High Court ruled in his favor, awarding N20bn in damages against the AGF and the DSS, holding them liable for the invasion.
However, in August 2022, the Court of Appeal in Ibadan overturned the decision.
Presiding judge Justice Muslim Hassan ruled that the lower court misapplied legal principles in awarding the damages, arguing that the trial judge lacked concrete evidence to quantify the losses suffered at Igboho’s residence.
He held that the case did not qualify as a human rights enforcement matter due to national security concerns and stated that no autopsy reports were provided to confirm the alleged killings during the raid.
But disastified with the appellate court judgment, Ighoho, through his lawyer, Yomi Aliyu (SAN), has filed an appeal dated March 11, 2025 at the Supreme Court.
He argued that the Court of Appeal erred in its judgment and asks the Supreme Court to overturn the decision.
Igboho also argues that it was not his duty to produce autopsy reports for those allegedly killed, as the DSS did not deny the killings in court.
He also faulted the Appeal Court for rejecting special damages due to the absence of a valuation report, despite affidavit evidence and expert invoices detailing the losses. He maintained that the aggravated and exemplary damages assessed by the trial judge were neither irrational nor inconsistent with legal principles.
Additionally, he contended that the DSS and AGF’s response at the Court of Appeal was filed outside the stipulated timeframe, raising questions about the validity of their submissions.
The Supreme Court is now expected to rule on the appeal, potentially setting a legal precedent on government accountability and self-determination rights in Nigeria.
The Peoples Democratic Party has alleged that four members of the Edo State House of Assembly received N200m each as inducement to defect to the All Progressives Congress.
The lawmakers— Donald Okugbe (Akoko Edo Constituency II), Bright Iyamu (Orhionmwon South Constituency II), Richard Edosa (Oredo West Constituency), and Sunday Ojezele (Esan South East)—on Wednesday officially joined the APC at the party’s secretariat in Benin.
They were received by the acting Edo State APC Chairman, Jarret Tenebe, and other party leaders.
With this defection, the APC now holds 13 seats in the 24-member Assembly, while the PDP has 11. The Labour Party also lost its only lawmaker to the APC.
The PDP swiftly condemned the defections, accusing Governor Monday Okpebholo of using state funds to bribe lawmakers.
“In confirmation of the alarm raised by our party last week that Governor Monday Okpebholo was planning to buy over PDP lawmakers with N200meach, four members have now defected, pocketing the money in the process,” said Chris Nehikhare, the PDP Caretaker Committee’s Publicity Secretary.
“We frown at this wanton waste of state resources and warn that misappropriation of government funds attracts severe consequences. Okpebholo will eventually account for this reckless expenditure.”
Nehikhare also criticised the governor for prioritizing political realignment over governance, particularly at a time when insecurity is escalating in Edo State.
“While insecurity ravages communities, claiming at least 40 lives in the last two weeks, the governor is focused on political horse-trading for his survival, rather than tackling urgent security concerns,” he added.
Defending their decision to switch allegiance, the defecting lawmakers blamed internal crises within the PDP for their departure.
“A house divided against itself cannot stand,” said Richard Edosa, who spoke on behalf of the group. “We believe in the vision of Governor Monday Okpebholo and have decided to join him in achieving his plans for Edo State. We promise to work with him to build both the party and the state.”
Welcoming the lawmakers, APC acting chairman Jarret Tenebe, described their move as a major boost for the ruling party, assuring them of equal rights and privileges within the party.
“These honourable members, who bring a wealth of experience and diverse perspectives, have recognised that the APC offers the most promising path forward for Edo State and Nigeria,” Tenebe said. “They have seen the clarity of our policies, the integrity of Governor Okpebholo’s leadership, and his unwavering dedication to improving the lives of Edo people.”
Dismissing the PDP’s bribery allegations, Tenebe insisted that the lawmakers defected out of conviction, not financial incentives.
“This is not merely about increasing our numbers but strengthening our collective resolve. We value every member’s contribution and are confident that our new lawmakers will play a vital role in our journey toward success,” he added.
Tenebe then presented the lawmakers with brooms, the official symbol of the APC.
With the APC strengthening its hold on the Edo Assembly, the PDP remains hopeful that the ongoing governorship election tribunal will reverse Okpebholo’s victory.
Nehikhare reaffirmed the party’s belief that its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, won the September 21 election, vowing that the PDP would reclaim its mandate.
“We are confident that the judiciary will correct the injustice of September 21 and return the stolen mandate to the PDP,” he said.
…Imports from Thailand jump 60-fold in one year
…Over 50 small-scale millers shut down in 2024- RIMAN
The gains recorded in the Nigerian rice industry are fast fading as high production costs squeeze local millers, leaving room for foreign varieties to flood the markets across the nation.
Apart from the spiraling production costs, experts also attribute the influx of foreign rice to quality concerns of some local varieties as well as porous borders, especially in northern Nigeria.
Nigeria’s rice imports from Thailand surged 60-fold in one year, hitting 34,855 metric tons (MT) in 2024. This is the highest since 2017, according to data from the Thai Rice Exporters Association.
Data also show that Togo and Benin’s imports into Nigeria surged 175 percent and 105 percent to 144, 552 and 286,649 metric tons (MT) respectively in one year, with much of the rice smuggled into Nigeria through porous borders.
BusinessDay surveyed key rice markets across Lagos and found that more foreign parboiled varieties were on traders’ shelves than local brands.
Paddy rice isn’t enough
Peter Dama, national chairman of Rice Millers Association of Nigeria (RIMAN), said despite efforts by the government to promote domestic production, paddy output remains insufficient to meet the demand of millers.
“Rice millers cannot ramp up production and compete with cheaper imports with the high cost of paddy, energy costs and interest rates,” he said, noting that over 50 small-scale millers shut down operations last year.
He faulted the federal government’s duty-free import policy for rice exporters, noting that it might lead to the collapse of the local industry.
Nigeria needs 11 million MT of paddy to meet current domestic consumption but it produces about 4.8 million metric tons or 2.64 million metric tons of milled rice, according to the Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN).
The association, in a 2023 snapshot report, said most millers had large unutilised capacity and hence huge overheads per unit of capacity utilised owing to macroeconomic challenges and scarcity of paddy that year.
Preference for foreign rice
Bashir Ismail, chief executive officer of Bashir Rice, said several millers, including Bashir Rice, shut down their operations in 2024 owing to paddy scarcity amid surging production costs.
“We have shut down our mill and we are now into the distribution of agro-inputs and commodities,” Ismail said. “Our rice cannot compete favourably with imported varieties and Nigerians still prefer to consume foreign rice than locally produced ones,” he noted.
According to him, the country’s rice production will decline with imported varieties filling the gap as the federal government cancelled the Anchor Borrowers Programme – a subsidy initiative for rice farmers.
“Our rice production has been declining and with the cancellation of the Anchor Borrowers Programme, it will drop further,” he noted.
Data from a new report by the United States Department of Agriculture on Nigeria’s rice production show that the country’s rice production declined by 6.7 percent in the 2024/2025 season to 5.23 million metric tons (MT) from 5.61 million MT in 2023/2024 season.
The data further indicate that the figure is the lowest the country has recorded since 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic obstructed farming activities.
Chukwudi Ojinnaka, group managing director of Stine Rice, said most of the rice tagged as foreign in markets are local varieties rebranded as foreign owing to Nigerians’ high preference for foreign rice.
[BusinessDay]
More groups are voicing out their anger over the alleged plans to use the Rivers State House of Assembly to remove Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The latest group, the Ijaw National Congress (INC), yesterday, asked the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to allow Governor Fubara to concentrate on leading Rivers State to prosperity while at the same time advised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call the former governor to order.
Speaking on Wednesday with News Night on Arise Television, the President of INC, Professor Benjamin Okaba, said something urgent must be done by the federal government to avert disaster.
He spoke in the wake of a stalemate after Governor Fubara was denied access to the Rivers State House of Assembly complex to present the 2025 budget to the lawmakers who are loyal to Wike.
Daily Trust reports that Governor Fubara is of Ijaw ethnic group.
Professor Okaba said: “President Tinubu has the choice of choosing between Wike and Ijaw Nation. Let him be encouraging him (Wike) to mess up himself in public.
“Let him encourage him to be insulting people. But should the otherwise happen, they should not hold the leadership of Ijaw nation responsible. So far he wants as many structures as possible to fall and die with him, we shall help him.
“He is frustrated and becoming so desperate because the political economy of Rivers State is slipping off; he will not win. Wike will not win; government is not about individuals. One person cannot be more powerful than an institution. That is the statement we are making.
“We have not seen any error or crime committed by the governor. And as a true son of Ijaw nation, the INC shall apply every legitimate effort to support and defend our own,” he said.
There are fears in many quarters that the crisis in Rivers State has the potential to obstruct the peace in the oil rich state, the Niger Delta and by extension, Nigeria as a whole.
Also on Wednesday, an elder statesman and member of the Rivers State Elders and Leaders Forum, Anabs Sara-Igbehas, condemned the action of lawmakers of the Rivers Assembly for denying Fubara access to present the state budget to them.
Sara-Igbe, who is the pioneer spokesman for the Pan Niger Delta Forum, described the action of the lawmakers as provocative and an insult to Rivers people.
Speaking in Port Harcourt, Sara-Igbe, who is the National Chairman of South South Elders Forum, said denying the governor access to the Assembly complex was not an insult to Fubara as a person, but to the people of Rivers State.
He said, “The governor was elected by millions of Rivers people. As the chief executive officer of the state, he has unhindered access to all the facilities within the state. Blocking him from entering the complex is a direct insult and embarrassment to the people of Rivers state.
“It is now very clear that the governor is ready for peace. But these people are not ready for peace.
Sara-Igbe further said that Fubara has always wanted peace; hence on the advice of President Bola Tinubu, he withdrew the case he had against the lawmakers last year even when they refused to withdraw theirs.
On the comment by Wike, who during a media chat on Wednesday morning said Fubara can be impeached and “heaven will not fall”, the elder statesman reminded that pouring insults on the Ijaw people will not help the former governor and the current political situation in the state.
“He should remember that during the time of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, the production rate of crude dropped drastically from 2.4million barrels per day to a paltry 700,000bpd until the elders of the Ijaw nation and the Niger Delta pleaded with the various militant groups including the Avengers, movement for the emancipation of the Niger Delta, among others to stay action.
“The nation’s economy today is at a sad point. We don’t want anything to happen to the crude oil production. The minister should be mindful of his utterances. While we plead for all parties in the crisis to follow the path of peace, we all should also mind what we say per time,” he said.
Wike had also dismissed the group, saying it is not a major ethnic entity in the Niger Delta region.
Daily Trust recalled that last week, leaders of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) also warned that they will resist any forceful attempt to remove Fubara from office.
The group said that should those threatening impeachment against Fubara carry out their threat, the youths of Ijaw nation will be left with no other options than to shut down all the flow stations in the Niger Delta.
President of IYC, Theophilus Alaye, in a statement, said those threatening impeachment against Fubara should be careful because any forceful attempt to remove him from office will be resisted.
He also warned that it was the fierce quest of the then National Party of Nigeria (NPN) to take over opposition controlled states that led to the military take-over in 1983.
Alaye urged the Tinubu government not to create situations that would destroy the current democratic experience.
Position of Rivers in Nigeria’s economy
Daily Trust reports that Rivers State is one of Nigeria’s top oil-producing states, playing a crucial role in the country’s petroleum industry. It is home to major oil fields and facilities operated by international and local oil companies, including Shell, TotalEnergies, Agip, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC).
Rivers State consistently ranks among the top oil-producing states in Nigeria. The state hosts the Port Harcourt Refinery, one of Nigeria’s major refineries.
The state also has key export terminals, including the Bonny Oil & Gas Terminal, which is one of Nigeria’s largest crude export hubs. It also hosts the Nigeria LNG (NLNG) plant in Bonny Island, which is crucial for the country’s gas exports.
Also, the oil industry in Rivers State provides jobs and drives economic activities.
“It will be suicidal for the federal government to allow Rivers State to go in flames politically,” said Abdullahi Aliyu, who works with one of the oil majors.
“Any crisis in Rivers will have enormous negative consequences on oil production, and by extension revenue generation. This will have adverse effect on the whole of Nigeria,” he said.
How Assembly shut gate on governor
Daily Trust reports that the political crisis in Rivers State escalated on Wednesday when Fubara was barred from entering the Rivers State House of Assembly complex, where he had gone to present the 2025 appropriation bill.
Recall that the Supreme Court recently reinstated the Martin Amaewhule-led leadership of the Assembly, dismissing Fubara’s appeal challenging the legitimacy of 27 lawmakers. Following the judgment, the Assembly, loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the governor to submit the 2025 budget.
However, when Fubara arrived at the temporary assembly complex on Port Harcourt-Aba Road, he found the gates locked. Assembly sources claimed the governor did not officially inform lawmakers of his visit despite a leaked letter dated March 11 informing the lawmakers of the visit.
Speaking to journalists, Fubara accused Speaker Amaewhule of deliberately avoiding him, stating that calls to the lawmaker went unanswered.
“Before my arrival here, I made several attempts to speak to the speaker. I also sent a letter transmitted for this particular invitation. Unfortunately, at the gate, you can see that the place is completely sealed, and there is no sign that anything is going to happen today,” Fubara said.
The governor insisted his actions were in the public’s interest, adding, “The reason why we are doing this, I have always said, is in the interest of our people, which is the most important thing. I don’t think there is anything to worry about. I expect to hear from them after today.
“I still believe, maybe, they might be instructed later. If they are instructed, I’m still ready to come any day to get this particular issue sorted out,” the governor said.
Amaewhule reconvenes house, calls for EFCC probe of RSIEC boss
Soon after Fubara left the Assembly premises, Speaker Amaewhule reconvened the House, where lawmakers resolved to call on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate Retired Justice Adolphus Enebeli, Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), over the commission’s financial activities.
Speaking on the motion, Amaewhule cited Section 128 of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers the House to investigate any person, ministry, department, or agency within its legislative jurisdiction. The House, thereafter, voted in favour of the motion, adopting all its prayers.
We’ll respond soon, says PDP
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) said yesterday that it was closely monitoring the political crisis in Rivers State as impeachment threats against Governor Siminalayi Fubara intensify.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, told Daily Trust on Wednesday that the party would respond to developments at the appropriate time.
Speaking on the Rivers State House of Assembly’s decision to bar Fubara from entering the complex, Ologunagba said he needed to gather all the facts before commenting.
“I don’t have the whole information about what happened yet. When I have the facts, I will speak with you. As the situation develops, we will get the facts and respond as a party. We will not shy away from that,” he said.
Ologunagba emphasised the PDP’s support for Fubara, describing him as a governor who is “doing a good job.”
“Our party is solidly with the governor because he is doing a good job, and we are one united party,” he added.
Legal expert: Only compromise can resolve deadlock
A legal expert, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, said the governor’s visit to the assembly when the lawmakers were yet to respond to his request to visit could be interpreted as a breach in protocol.
“I don’t think it was a good move for the governor to have visited the Assembly when the lawmakers had not responded to his request. Under our system, a governor does not just walk into the Assembly unless it is for specific constitutional duties like the budget presentation,” Obono-Obla said.
He urged Fubara to prioritise reconciliation and extend an olive branch to his political adversaries.
“The governor, as the chief executive, has a duty to extend an olive branch to his antagonists and work towards peace. In the course of this crisis, he has made some mistakes and even constitutional infractions. He should explore ways to mend fences and find a compromise with the legislature,” he added.
Assembly must balance legal advantage with political wisdom – SAN
Similarly, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Salman Jawondo, cautioned the pro-Wike lawmakers against overplaying their legal advantage, warning that their Supreme Court victory could become a political liability.
“The threat of impeachment against Governor Fubara is not an easy option. They need the endorsement or input of the state attorney general, and they also require cooperation from the judiciary,” Jawondo said.
He argued that Fubara’s strategy of positioning himself as a victim of political persecution is gaining public sympathy.
[DailyTrust]
President Bola Tinubu has resolved the leadership crisis in the Lagos State House of Assembly, backing the return of Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker, despite an earlier recommendation for his resignation.
The resolution came after a meeting between Tinubu and all 40 lawmakers at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, on Wednesday.
The President’s decision contradicts the recommendations of a panel he had set up to mediate the crisis.
The panel, led by former Osun State Governor, Chief Bisi Akande, and former Ogun State Governor, Chief Gbenga Daniel, along with the leadership of the Governance Advisory Council, had advised that Obasa should step down after being reinstated.
The PUNCH reports that the panel initially recommended that Mojisola Meranda resign as Speaker to allow for Obasa’s return, with the understanding that he would also resign shortly after, making way for a new Speaker from Lagos West to balance the state’s political structure.
On March 3, 2025, 49 days after Obasa’s impeachment, Meranda resigned and was re-elected as Deputy Speaker.
Obasa was then reinstated as Speaker in line with the agreement.
However, contrary to the deal, Obasa adjourned the Assembly indefinitely and refused to resign as expected.
Obasa had been removed on January 13, 2025, by 35 lawmakers, who accused him of high-handedness, financial misappropriation, and authoritarian leadership.
Meranda replaced him but later resigned under pressure from party leaders.
On Wednesday, The PUNCH observed that the lawmakers arrived at the Presidential Villa in Abuja in a Coaster bus around 2 pm, after which security officials ushered them into the President’s office complex.
Meranda arrived with her colleagues, while Obasa arrived separately at about 3 pm.
The meeting held behind closed doors. A Presidency official, who spoke anonymously for lack of authourisation, said Tinubu had brokered peace among the warring factions, asking members to work with Obasa to ensure stability in the Assembly and the state.
“Tinubu met the lawmakers behind closed-doors. They spoke on their grievances and the President has resolved the problems.
“With the development, Obasa will stay as Speaker. His position is no longer threatened. All the lawmakers have agreed to work with him.
“They all had a photo session with the President after the meeting. It went well,” the source said.
While some Lagos stakeholders are displeased that the original agreement was not upheld, the source assured that the President would engage all aggrieved parties to maintain unity.
“Some stakeholders are naturally displeased Obasa reneged on the agreement with the Akande panel. I’m sure the President would engage everyone to settle the matter,” the source added.
Another source close to Obasa revealed that Tinubu also directed the Speaker to withdraw his lawsuit challenging his impeachment at the Lagos State High Court.
“The President told the lawmakers to allow Obasa to work, and Obasa should also withdraw the case against Meranda and the lawmakers in court. The lawmakers have agreed to this,” the source said.
On Tuesday, Obasa’s lawyer, Chief Fashanu Afolabi (SAN), had told The PUNCH that the Speaker did not withdraw his suit despite his reinstatement as Speaker.
He said the allegations Obasa by the lawmakers were heavy and needed to be trashed.
“Because there are some issues that are still pending within the context of notice of allegation. The case of allegation contains reasons for the impeachment which include highhandedness, fraudulent malpractices and the rest and we feel that those issues must be trashed out,” he told The PUNCH in a telephone interview on Tuesday.
Justice Yetunde Pinheiro of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja had on Monday adjourned the hearing of a suit filed by Obasa to March 17, 2025.
A lawyer, Kenneth Amadi, has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to commence recall proceedings against the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule.
The development is the latest twist in the protracted political crisis in Rivers State, which ensued after Fubara fell out with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, currently minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Amaewhule’s seat and that of 26 others pro-Wike members of the Assembly were declared vacant by lawmakers loyal to Fubara following their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
As a result of the development, Fubara worked with the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led three-man faction of the Assembly.
Fubara presented the budget to the Oko-Jumbo group, and they also confirmed commissioner nominees and other appointments coming from the governor.
However, Amaewhule and the 26 others later renounced their defection and the Supreme Court, in a judgement on 28th February, 2025, ordered that they should resume sitting immediately.
The apex court also ordered the governor to represent the 2025 budget to the State Assembly, under Amaewhule’s leadership.
Meanwhile, a letter obtained by DAILY POST on Wednesday, 12th March, 2025, showed that proceedings have been initiated to recall Amaewhule from the Assembly.
The letter, dated 7th March, 2025, and addressed to the Resident Electoral Commissioner, INEC, Rivers State, was titled, ‘Pre-Action Notice: Request made pursuant to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, and Freedom of Information Act, 2011, for a certified true copy of the verified voter register for Obio/Akpor Federal/State Constituency, Rivers State as preliminary steps towards the recall of Martins Amaewhule, the legislator representing Obio/Akpor State Constituency at the Rivers State House of Assembly’.
A stamp on the acknowledgement copy of the letter showed that it was received by the INEC office on 11th March, 2025.
The lawyer, Amadi, explained in the letter that he is the lawyer to several indigenes of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Amaewhule’s constituency.
He further explained that the request is in accordance with the FOI Act, 2011, and sections 69 and 110 of the 1999 Constitution, as well as Section 116 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) which empowers INEC to conduct recall proceedings against a member of the National Assembly or State Assembly, or Area Council of the FCT, “upon the receipt of a valid petition alleging a loss of confidence in the member by more than 50% of voters registered to vote in that member’s constituency”.
Parts of the letter read, “I write in my capacity as a lawyer to several indigenes of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State who are desirous of initiating a recall of Martins Amaewhule for the following reasons:
“Defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress in December 2023.
“Failure to provide effective representation for the majority of the public interests of constituents, instead focusing on his own personal interests and the interests of his political godfather.
“Consistent involvement in undemocratic, illegal and violent impeachment activities since the year 2013 when he moved the motion for impeachment of a duly and legally appointed Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“Disobedience to the judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered on 28th February 2025 which directed all parties to await the final determination of the legal status of Amaewhule and 26 other law-makers of the Rivers State House of Assembly who defected in December 2023.
“Illegal usurpation of the duties of His Excellency, Governor of Rivers State by amendment of certain laws of Rivers State to confer upon himself the powers to extend the tenure of Chairmen of the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Rivers State and appointment of Commissioners of the Rivers State House of Assembly Service Commission (just to mention a few).
“Failure to fulfill his campaign promises to build agriculture and aquaculture farms for youths of Obio/Akpor State constituency, just to mention a few.
“Failure to publish and comply with a legislative agenda of the Rivers State House of Assembly as is the legislative practice of the National Assembly.”
The letter warned that if the requested CTC of the voter register is not made available within seven days, the constituents will take legal action to enforce their legal rights.
Speaking further, Amadi said Amaewhule has serially violated court orders since he was restored as the speaker of the Assembly.
The lawyer added that the business of lawmaking had come to a standstill, as the Amaewhule-led Assembly is only interested in fighting the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC.
“In the days immediately after the Supreme Court of Nigeria judgment of 28th February 2025, Amaewhule has issued several ultimatums against the Chairman of RSIEC and more recently a bench warrant for the arrest of the chairman and commissioners of the RSIEC.
“This is in spite of a valid injunction of a High Court of Rivers State that prevents Amaewhule and the Rivers State House of Assembly from doing anything against the said Chairman of the RSIEC pending the hearing of the ongoing lawsuit that the said chairman of the RSIEC filed against Amaewhule and his 26 lawmakers,” he said.
Amadi added that the “uncommon and exuberant zeal that Amaewhule and his 26 lawmakers are expending upon the RISEC alone since their resumption since after 28th February 2025 raises a lot of suspicion and worry”.
“This is because it appears that the entire business of lawmaking of the Rivers State House of Assembly has come to a standstill, there is no mention of any other activities such as Bills that undergo first or second reading, there is no mention of constituency projects or visits to constituencies, and certainly no mention of oversight functions.
“The only activity that we hear and read about as the function of the Rivers State House of Assembly is ultimatums and bench warrant for the arrest of the Chairman and Commissioners of the RISEC,” he further observed.
DAILY POST reports that the political crisis in Rivers State further escalated on Wednesday, 12th March, 2025, with Governor Sim Fubara prevented from gaining access to the Assembly quarters to present the 2025 budget to the lawmakers, as ordered by the Supreme Court.
Despite a letter forwarded by Fubara to the Speaker, Amaewhule, dated 11th March, 2025, which notified the lawmakers of the governor’s intention to present the budget on 12th March, 2025, the gates of the Assembly quarters were locked when Fubara and other government officials arrived for the function.
The governor left without presenting the budget, leading to another impasse in the already protracted political crisis.
Speaking after the incident, Fubara accused Amaewhule of deliberately avoiding him.
He said he called Amaewhule severally but the Speaker refused to answer.
[DailyPost]
• 12-month jail term for failure to have third party insurance
Yesterday passage of the Insurance Bill by the House of Representatives has set the stage for a new capital base for insurance companies.
The newly passed Bill specifies details of insurance business in the country and how the industry will be regulated.
The House concurred with the Senate, which passed the Bill on December 17, last year.
The clean copy of the Bill will now be sent to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for assent, following which the new Insurance will take effect.
Reinsurance attracts a capital base of N35 billion.
For those involved in non-life insurance, the bill puts the capital at N15 billion or risk-based capital to be determined by the National Insurance Commission.
For life insurance, the capital base is N10 billion or a risk-based capital to be determined by the commission.
The bill provides a penalty of N250,000 or an imprisonment of 12 months or both for failure to have third-party motor vehicle insurance.
It imposes a fine of N500,000 on anybody acting as an unlicenced insurance agent.
It recognises two classes of insurance in the country – life and non-life.
The bill, when signed into law, will repeal the Insurance Act 2004, the Marine Insurance Act, 2004, the Motor Vehicle (third party insurance) Act 2004, the National Insurance Corporation of Nigeria Act, 2004 and the Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation Act, 2004
The Senate, which passed the bill on December 17, 2024, recommended raising the paid-up share capital for reinsurance companies to N35 billion, up from the previous N10 billion.
The Senate also proposed increasing the minimum capital for life assurance businesses from N2 billion to N10 billion and non-life insurance firms from N3 billion to N15 billion.
According to the bill passed by the House, operating an unlicensed business will attract a fine of N25 million on conviction or two years imprisonment for an individual and N50 million or imprisonment of two years for a company or both.
It also empowers NAICOM to cancel the license of any insurance company that fails to satisfy the capital or solvency requirements as prescribed by the commission or has ceased to carry on the business of insurance and the primary purpose for which it was registered for at least one year in Nigeria.
The proposed law states that anybody intending to start an insurance business in Nigeria after the commencement of the law shall deposit the equivalent of 50 per cent of the minimum capital requirements with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Failure to deposit the statutory deposit shall constitute a ground for cancellation of the license.
Upon registration as an insurer, 80 per cent of the statutory deposit shall be returned with interest not later than 60 days after registration, while in the case of an existing company, an equivalent of 10 per cent of the minimum capital stipulated in Section 15 shall be deposited with the CBN.
The person risks six months in jail and a fine of N10 million.
The bill provides: “A person shall not construct or cause to be constructed any building of more than one floor without insuring his liability in respect of the construction risks that may be caused by his negligence.
“In relation to a vehicle carrying passengers for hire or reward, every fare-paying passenger in the vehicle shall be insured by the operators of the vehicle against death or bodily harm.”
It provides for a compensation of up to N2 million or such higher sum as the commission may specify in respect of death or permanent disability.
Clause 99 of the bill establishes a Road Accident Victims Compensation Fund into which 0.5 per cent of underwriting profit on motor insurance business shall be paid as well as a committee to oversee the management.
The proposed law also establishes the Insurance Policy Protection Fund into which 0.25 per cent of the gross premium income of every insurer and re-insurer shall be paid.
[TheNation]
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described the N15.6tn Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway project as wasteful and corrupt.
He equally slammed the President Bola Tinubu administration for spending N21bn on a new official residence for Vice President Kashim Shettima, calling it a misplaced priority and conduit designed to embezzle public funds.
The ex-leader disclosed this in chapter six of his new book, ‘Nigeria: Past and Future’ where he painted the portrait and characters of chief executives at both the federal and state levels.
The book was one of the two new books unveiled to mark Obasanjo’s 88th birthday last week.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, had revealed that the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will cost N4.93bn per kilometre, stating that the contract was awarded on a counterpart-funding basis and not a Public-Private Partnership.
About N1.06tn has been released for the pilot phase, or six per cent of the project, which begins at Eko Atlantic and is expected to terminate at the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
Many prominent Nigerians, including the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, have questioned the Federal Government’s decision to award the contract to Gilbert Chagoury’s Hitech Construction Company without competitive bidding.
Chagoury is believed to be Tinubu’s long-time business partner and friend.
Assessing the two years of Tinubu in office, Obasanjo said it appears that the game of short-changing the over 230 million Nigerians would continue because “Everything is said to be transactional and the slogan is ‘It is my turn to chop.’’’
Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, declined to react to Obasanjo’s criticism of his principal when contacted on Wednesday night.
The former President said the majority of those who have been opportune to hold leadership positions in the country as governors, presidents, ministers, commissioners even as local government chairmen are ill-prepared, satanic, self-centred and are all out to corruptly enrich themselves while the nation continues to wallow in abject poverty and condemnable underdevelopment.
Obasanjo said that many clamouring to be governors or lead the country in one form or the other are only interested in using their offices to enrich themselves and their cronies and then leave the country worse than they met it.
The former President pointed out that most office-seekers in the country would go as far as obtaining loans of billions of naira believing that paying back from the public funds after being elected won’t be a problem.
He stated, “How do you explain the situation of a chief executive, a governor, whose business was owing the banks billions of naira and millions of dollars before becoming a governor and within two years of becoming governor, without his company doing any business, he paid all that his businesses owed the banks.
“You are left to guess where the money came from. Having got away with that in the first term, he consigned to himself almost half of the state resources in the second term. He was a typical example of the goings-on at that level almost universally in the country with only a few exceptions.
“State resources are captured and appropriated to themselves with a pittance to staff and associates to close the mouths of those that could blow the whistle or raise alarm against them while in office and when they are out of office.’’
He further noted that “The ones that are criminally ridiculous are the chief executives that deceive, lie and try to cover up on the realities and truth of action and inaction on contract awards, agreements, treaties, borrowings and forward sales of national assets. Such chief executives are unfit for the job they find themselves in.
“Typical examples of waste, corruption and misplaced priority are the murky Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road on which the President had turned deaf ears to protests and the new Vice-President’s official residence built at a cost of N21bn in the time of economic hardship to showcase the administration hitting the ground running and to show the importance of the office of the Vice-President. What small minds!”
To address some of the challenges facing the country, the former President said that there is a need to interrogate the Western liberal democracy being practised and see how it could be reviewed to reflect African peculiarities.
“If the West, from where the liberal democracy started should complain about it not working well for them, we should be wise enough at this stage to interrogate, carry out introspection, internal analysis and realise that Western liberal democracy is not working for us and is not delivering apart from the shortcomings of the operators.
“We should seek democracy within African history, culture, attributes and characteristics, one that will take necessary African factors into consideration. Until we can get a better word or description for it, let us call it Afrodemocracy.
“It is from Afrodemocracy that we will draw up an African people’s constitution for any African that chooses to go the way of Afrodemocracy, which will avoid most, to all, the faults we have found in Western liberal democracy,” he suggested.
[Punch]
Nearly two years after President Bola Tinubu recalled all ambassadors, their replacements are expected to be announced “very soon”.
Citing sources familiar with the development, Reuters reports that the federal government has commenced the vetting of potential candidates.
An intelligence official added that background checks were being conducted on possible appointees, with information garnered from the screening shared with relevant agencies within the presidency and legislature.
Tinubu recalled all career and non-career ambassadors in September 2023, barely six months after the start of his presidency.
The president has since appointed consuls-general and chargés d’affaires, but there has been no mention of when the successors of the recalled ambassadors will assume office.
This was despite the president receiving multiple letters of credence from other foreign ambassadors posted to Nigeria.
Foreign officials and other stakeholders had expressed concern at the void in diplomatic leadership at various foreign missions.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, blamed the delay in appointing ambassadors on a lack of funds.
A government source told Reuters that the issue “is being resolved” and “that means the appointments will be announced very soon”.
The federal government has budgeted N302.4 billion for its foreign missions in 2025.
[Vanguard]
NCoS: Death row prisoners increased by 98 in six months | Some inmates awaiting trial for six years
Admin
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) says the number of prisoners on death row rose from 3,590 in September 2024 to 3,688 in March 2025.
Sylvester Nwakuche, the acting controller-general of NCoS, spoke on Wednesday while being screened by the senate committee on interior.
He said the new data represents a 2.73 percent increase, or 98 prisoners, within six months.
“Inmates on death row are now 3,688, from 3,590 in September 2024. State governors are part of our challenges,” he said.
“They refuse to execute inmates on death row; neither do they commute their death sentence to life imprisonment.
“If they commute death sentences to life imprisonment, it is easier for us to distribute them to rural correctional facilities, which are not as congested as those in urban correctional facilities.
“This is because the issue of congestion is a major urban phenomenon. Our correctional facilities in urban centres are more congested than those in rural areas. If we commute them to life sentencing, we will be able to distribute them equitably”.
He called for collaboration and synergy with security agencies to address the challenge of awaiting trials in all the correctional facilities nationwide.
“This is very important for any establishment to forge ahead. An establishment like correctional centres cannot do anything without collaboration. We are the one at the receiving end of the products of all the prosecuting agencies,” Nwakuche said.
“The Nigeria police, EFCC, DSS, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, and ICPC will bring all these products to our doorpost.
“They expect to turn around and push them into society and be law-abiding citizens. If we must meet this expectation, we need to collaborate more meaningfully.
“When I met with the inspector-general of police, I said some of your inmates are in our facilities. They have stayed up to five or six years. Some of them are not needed to be in our facilities any longer.
“If they have been sentenced, some of them will not spend up to two to three years in prisons.
“But they have stayed in our facilities for six years. For me, such persons should be discharged and acquitted. That is one area we must collaborate to decongest our facilities.
“I also met the director-general of DSS on the need for collaboration. I met the attorney-general of the federation for the same reason. Some of the inmates are waiting for the advice of the director of public prosecution.
“If we do not reach out to these agencies, our people will continue to be in prisons unnecessarily.”
Adams Oshiomhole, chairman of the senate committee on interior, said the panel would submit its report based on the performance of Nwakuche.
[TheCable]
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‘Mohbad’s Death Has Been Turned Into Business, His Father Is Not Keeping Him In Morgue Out Of Grief’ – Omowunmi
AFOLABI
The wife of the late Nigerian singer, Mohbad, Omowunmi Aloba, has expressed frustration that her husband’s corpse is still in the morgue 18 months after his tragic demise.
Recalls that Mohbad died on September 12, 2023, and was buried the following day.
On September 21, 2023, his body was exhumed by police for an autopsy due to the controversy surrounding his demise.
In a lengthy post via Instagram on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, Omowunmi claimed that her husband’s death has become a business, as some people are making profit from it.
She also claimed that her father-in-law, Joseph Aloba’s refusal to bury Mohbad is driven by the financial gains from his death rather than grief or the pursuit of justice.
She further called on Nigerians to appeal to her father-in-law to lay the late singer to rest.
She said, “It has been 18 months since my husband left this world. 18 months of waking up every day to a reality never asked for. 18 months of missing him with every breath I take. 18 months of carrying the weight of being both mother and father to our now 23-month-old child.
“The heavens know how much I miss him. There are no words that can truly describe the depth of this pain, the emptiness he left behind.
“To the general public, I am pleading with you, help me ask my father-in-law to bury my husband.
“There is no reason, no justification for why his body is still lying in the morgue after all this time. No reason why the man I vowed to love forever has been left in cold storage, denied the dignity of a final resting place.
“My father-in-law is not keeping him there out of love or grief. He is holding on because of the attention and money he continues to receive.
“He knows that once my husband is finally laid to rest, the public sympathy, the donations, the sudden fame he has found will disappear.
“He is dragging this on, not because he seeks justice, but because he benefits from my husband’s death.
“And he is not alone in this. There are people on social media who stand with him, who act as his spokespersons.
“These people have turned my husband’s death into a business. They profit from this tragedy. They have built platforms off my pain. They have made careers out of bullying me and my child.
“They make money from telling lies about me, from spreading malicious propaganda to discredit me. And worse, some of them even pay my father-in-law a monthly salary from what they make online.
“Please, I am pleading with you. Hear my cry. Help me. Let my husband rest. Let my child have peace. Let me grieve without this never-ending battle hanging over me. Iam begging. Please.”
Veteran Nigerian entertainer cum activist, Charles Oputa, better known as Charly Boy has slammed the National Assembly members while reacting to the sexual harassment controversy involving Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Charly Boy, in a post via his Instagram page, expressed his frustration over the state of Nigeria’s leadership, criticising the political class, the Supreme Court judges and the law enforcement agencies.
Charly Boy stated that the National Assembly has the highest numbers of anyhow men without value or shame, adding that congregation of crooks, drug peddlers and sex predators are in charge of Nigeria.
He wrote, “From the Presidency, the Supreme court justices, the Law enforcement agencies to the house of rep members and Horny Senators, my people, Nigeria don scarter scarter. Reminds me of my song “1990”
“The National Assembly has the highest numbers of anyhow men without value or shame, if u like, very randdy dogs, deplorables and undistinguished.
“We can all see what’s playing out with the Senate Presidents sex scandal, an act that has followed him around as a politician. Now, we are witnessing how victims are punished and the guilty flexing all over the place. Nonsense.
“My people, globally na for Nigeria wey real criminals are in power. Congregation of crooks, drug peddlers and sex predators are in charge of Nigeria. Dia fathers.”
The Rivers State House of Assembly has refuted claims by Governor Siminalayi Fubara that he was blocked from re-presenting the 2025 Appropriation Bill at the Assembly complex.
Naija News reports that the spokesperson of the House and Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Enemi Alabo George, dismissed Fubara’s allegations, describing them as a “comedy skit” aimed at painting the Assembly in a bad light.
According to The Nation, George stated that the Assembly had formally requested the governor to present his budget following the Supreme Court’s judgment on March 3.
“We were the ones who, immediately after that judgment, appealed to the governor to bring his appropriation bill. We acted immediately because we have the interest of the state at heart and didn’t want Rivers people to suffer any harm,” George said.
Assembly Accuses Fubara Of Ignoring Requests
According to the lawmakers, despite withholding their entitlements for over a year and demolishing their chambers, the House still urged Fubara to hasten the budget presentation for the progress of the state.
“We indicated our intentions in that letter and even gave him a timeframe because of the urgency of the matter. To regularize his appointments, we also urged him during our subsequent sitting to submit the names of his nominees for the positions of commissioners and board members for screening and confirmation,” George added.
He alleged that the governor ignored their pleas and refused to accept official Assembly communications.
“We sent employees of the Assembly to deliver these resolutions to him, but as usual, they were turned back at the gate and even brutalized. We resorted to using a courier service, yet he still ignored our call,” George stated.
Lawmakers Question Fubara’s Intentions
George further questioned the governor’s sincerity, pointing out inconsistencies in his claim of being blocked from the Assembly complex.
“How can he turn around to claim that we blocked him from re-presenting his budget? This is the height of insincerity. We even need the budget to be passed because the governor has been owing us our entitlements for more than a year, and without the budget, we can’t get our entitlements,” he said.
Describing the event as a political ploy, George accused Fubara of orchestrating a media stunt to discredit the Assembly.
“The governor and his team simply and deliberately acted Wednesday’s drama with the singular motive of tarnishing the image of the Assembly. He is playing to the gallery to whip up unnecessary sentiments, but it has backfired because the truth has come out,” he added.
Lawmakers Say Fubara’s Letter Never Reached Them
The Assembly also refuted Fubara’s claim that he sent a letter to the Speaker requesting to present the budget, saying the lawmakers only saw the letter circulating on social media after Wednesday’s proceedings.
“But even the letter trending on social media was dated March 11. Does it mean that the governor purportedly sent a letter on Tuesday, God knows when, and immediately mobilized to the Assembly quarters on Wednesday morning claiming he came to present his budget?” George queried.
He insisted that legislative procedures require the governor to wait for an official acknowledgment of his letter before appearing before the Assembly.
“It is procedurally trite that after writing to the Assembly, the governor ought to wait for the letter to be acknowledged by the lawmakers, who will then invite him to appear before them and make his presentation. Governor Fubara ought to know this if he is sincere,” he said.
‘Fubara Must Follow Due Process’
The Assembly reiterated its commitment to upholding the rule of law and urged Fubara to act in the best interest of Rivers people.
“This Assembly will continue to uphold the rule of law and will remain committed to promoting the interest of Rivers State. We urge him to do the needful so that Rivers people can breathe. He is toying with the lives and livelihood of Rivers people,” George concluded.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has accused Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, of betrayal.
In a chat with journalists on Wednesday in Abuja, Wike specifically accused Governor Mohammed of betraying the ‘G5 Governors’ prior to the 2023 elections.
The defunct ‘G5’ governors, who are all members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), include Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and former governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, Ifeanyi Ugwuwanyi of Enugu and Samuel Ortom of Benue State.
Daily Trust reports that the group is believed to have contributed to Bola Tinubu’s victory in the presidential election.
Narrating what played out, Wike said: “Bala Mohammed was having a problem with Atiku and Co. That day, I was going to commission a lounge at the airport. When he landed, I said there was no need to come to town when I was coming to the airport. He called me. Ibrahim Adoke, the former Attorney-General, was there.
“He said Atiku would kill him if Atiku wins and that we must support Asiwaju. We organised G5 to pay Bala a visit in Bauchi, not knowing that he was using us to settle with Atiku. When we got there, he was happy. The next day, Tambuwal led a team to go and see Bala, and Bala abandoned us.
“That’s why I say before you hold some position, you must be a man of character. That’s why I always talk about character.”
[DailyTrust]