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24 things to know about UK PM elect Keir Starmer

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The Labour Party, headed by Keir Starmer, on Friday won an outright majority in the lower house of the British parliament.

The Labour Party swept to power after crossing the 326-seat threshold for a working majority in the House of Commons.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak conceded defeat in the general election minutes before any media outlet declared that the threshold of 326 seats was reached.

Here are 24 things to know about UK PM elect Keir Starmer

1. Sir Keir Rodney Starmer was born in Southwark, London on September 2, 1962.

2. He grew up in the town of Oxted in Surrey.

3. He was the second of the four children of Josephine (née Baker), a nurse, and Rodney Starmer, a toolmaker. His mother had Still’s disease.

4. His parents were Labour Party supporters, and reportedly named him after the party’s first parliamentary leader, Keir Hardie, though Starmer said in 2015 that he did not know whether this is true.

5. He is a British politician and barrister.

6. He has served as Leader of the Labour Party since 2020.

7. He has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015, and previously served as Leader of the Opposition from 2020 to 2024 and as Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2013.

8. Starmer will succeed Rishi Sunak as prime minister following the Labour Party’s victory at the 2024 general election.

9. Starmer attended the selective state Reigate Grammar School which became a private school while he was a student.

10. He was politically active from an early age and joined the Labour Party Young Socialists at the age of 16.

11. He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Leeds in 1985 and gained a postgraduate Bachelor of Civil Law degree at St Edmund Hall at the University of Oxford in 1986.

12. After being called to the bar, Starmer practised predominantly in criminal defence work, specialising in human rights.

13. He served as a human rights adviser to the Northern Ireland Policing Board and was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 2002, later citing his work on policing in Northern Ireland as being a key influence on his decision to pursue a political career.

14. During his time as Director of Public Prosecutions, he dealt with a number of major cases including the Stephen Lawrence murder case.

15. He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to law and criminal justice.

16. Starmer was elected to the House of Commons at the 2015 general election.

17. As a backbencher, he supported the unsuccessful Britain Stronger in Europe campaign in the 2016 European Union membership referendum.

18. He was appointed Shadow Minister for Immigration by Jeremy Corbyn but resigned from this role in June 2016 as part of the wider shadow cabinet resignations in protest of Corbyn’s leadership. Accepting a new post under Corbyn that year as Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, Starmer advocated a proposed second referendum on Brexit. Following Corbyn’s resignation after Labour’s defeat at the 2019 general election, Starmer succeeded him as party leader by winning the 2020 leadership election on a left-wing platform.

19. As the Labour leader, Starmer has repositioned the party away from the left and toward the political centre.

20. He has emphasised the importance of eliminating antisemitism within the party, a controversial issue during Corbyn’s leadership.

21. His supporters have praised him for his antisemitism reforms and for helping to improve Labour’s credibility with the electorate in the aftermath of the previous leadership, while his critics have accused him of unfairly treating leftist Labour members.

22. In 2023, Starmer set out five missions for his government, targeting issues such as economic growth, health, clean energy, crime and education.

23. Starmer led Labour to a landslide victory in the 2024 general election, ending fourteen years of Conservative rule.

24. His landslide victory was similar to the one achieved by Tony Blair at the 1997 general election, the last time a Labour opposition ousted a Conservative government.

[TheNation]

Abductors free Kaduna judge - demand N150m to release her children

AFOLABI

Janet Galadima-Gimba, a customary court judge in Kaduna, who was abducted by bandits, has been released.

The judge and her sons were reportedly abducted at their residence in the Mahuta area of Kaduna on June 23.

The abductors, numbering up to 15, invaded the home of the judge at night when her husband, a medical doctor, was away on duty.

The bandits were said to have demanded N300 million ransom for their release and had threatened to start killing their victims one after the other if payment was delayed.

One of the children, a 14-year-old boy, was, however, killed on Tuesday by the bandits when the N298 ransom demanded could not be delivered at the stipulated time.

However, in a telephone interview on Thursday evening, the judge said she was released by her abductors.

She added that they demanded N150 million for the release of her three children.

“Initially, they demanded N298 million, but they have reduced it to N150 million, and they released me to go and bring the money before my children are released,” she said.

She said the bandits threatened to kill her children in less than three days if she failed to deliver the ransom to them.

TASUED final year student murdered by suspected cultists outside exam hall

AFOLABI

Nnamdi Kanu’s Release Fast Approaching – Charly Boy

AFOLABI

Veteran entertainer, Charles Oputa aka Charly Boy has applauded moves to release, Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

According to him, Kanu's release is fast approaching.

Charly Boy made the remark while dismissing the alleged hatred Northerners have for Igbos.

Posting on X, Charly Boy also cautioned Igbos sabotaging efforts against Kanu’s release.

According to Charly Boy: “I am not a Sowore fan but on Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s right, he got it right.

“Northerners can hate the Igbos all they want but they can Never Stop their Shine.

“To all the Saboteurs in Igbo land, there are people taking note, they see all that you scum bags do.

“For me, I am only waiting for the D day, cos I know it’s fast approaching.

Dia Fathers.”

This comes as the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, accused some Igbo politicians of frustrating efforts to release Kanu.

IPOB warned that politicians trying to sabotage Kanu’s release should quickly retrace their steps.

The spokesman of IPOB, Emma Powerful, said these politicians should be ready to face the consequences of their actions.

This is coming when Southeast governors and senators resolved to meet President Bola Tinubu to explore a political solution regarding Kanu.

NDLEA Proposes Mandatory Drug Test For Prospective Couples

AFOLABI

The NDLEA in Kano has suggested making drug testing mandatory for prospective couples as a step towards curbing drug abuse in the state.

The NDLEA Commander in Kano, Mr Abubakar Idris-Ahmad, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday.

“The agency has introduced the Drug Intergrity Test Initiative, which is anticipated to metamorphose into an anti-drug culture for every Nigerian,” he said.

Idris-Ahmad said the drug test will serve as a tool for the prevention of drug abuse and early detection of individuals and couples status of drug use for appropriate treatment and rehabilitation.

He said the proposed law for the test became necessary to address the high rate of marriage breakdowns and reduce drug abuse among married couples in the state.

“Investigations have shown that one spouse often introduces the other to drugs after marriage and their children, hindering efforts to combat drug abuse.”

He called on the Kano State House of Assembly to enact a law requiring drug tests before marriage.

The commander appealed to women, youths, and the general public to shun drug abuse and work together to move the state and nation forward.

“The test initiative approach seeks to tackle drug abuse at its roots, promoting a healthier and more sustainable society,” Idris-Ahmad said.

'He Bit The Finger That Fed Him' - Sunday Oliseh Narrates How Dosu Fed, Housed Mikel Obi

AFOLABI

A former Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, has said that the ex-goalkeeper Joseph Dosu ‘housed’ John Obi Mikel before he became famous.

Dosu was the only home based player to be included in Nigeria’s 1996 Olympic team, which won gold at the tournament.

However, his career was short-lived as a result of an automobile accident.

In a recent interview with Elegbete TV Sports, Oliseh said Dosu was one of the people who helped Mikel to attain glorious status.

He said: “Before Obi Mikel made it in football, Dosu Joseph housed Obi Mikel and fed him. I bet you all didn’t know this. He helped Obi Mikel become what he is today.

“In spite of all the help he gave Obi Mikel, please let’s ask ourselves: has Obi Mikel ever once gone to say hello to Dosu? And with all the millions you’ve made, help the guy (Dosu).”

Responding to the ex-Chelsea midfielder’s recent criticism of his coaching ability, Oliseh said “I think the kid needs help”.

Mikel had criticized Oliseh’s coaching ability on his podcast, calling him “the worst manager I played under.”

“He was bitter, jealous, and disrespectful to everyone, including the physio”, he added.

Speaking during the interview, Oliseh, who spent eight months as Super Eagles coach, after being appointed in 2015, said: “I think the kid needs help. You cannot achieve what you were not able to achieve on the pitch outside the pitch by talking on a podcast”.

While defending his coaching abilities, he mentioned his award for best coach in the Jupiler Pro League, voted by players and coaches.

He said: “I think the kid(Mikel) needs help, to be honest. There’s something I’ve not really shown much, I won the best coach for the first period of the Jupiler league, which is in the Dutch league.

“That was not voted by the press, that was voted by the players and the coaches of the league.

“I’m the only, and the first coloured man from Sub-Saharan Africa to ever win this title with a club like Fortuna Sittard, who had very average players who were able to qualify from the second division from last position to the first division, where they still are now.”

Last modified on Thursday, 04 July 2024 14:49

My phone detected 277 guns around me - Jimoh Ibrahim says inside senate chamber

AFOLABI

Jimoh Ibrahim, senator representing Ondo south, says he has software on his phone that detects the number of guns around him at a particular time and anywhere he goes.

Ibrahim spoke on the floor of the senate on Wednesday while contributing to a motion sponsored by Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south.

Ndume had dwelt on the recent suicide bombings in Gwoza, an LGA in his senatorial district.

Ibrahim said he was not alarmed by the number of guns around him as he spoke, which he put at 277, because the national assembly is in the three arms zone and an armoury is stationed at Aso Rock.

“For intelligence, the army should get devices on their phones to know where these criminals are,” he said.

“As I am here, I check my phone regularly and I know the number of guns that are very close to me here. There are over 277 guns.”

Ndume had identified the Lake Chad region, Sambisa Forest and Mandara Mountains as areas the security agencies need to focus on.

“That these attacks have raised significant concerns about the security situation in the region, which has been a flash point of terrorist attacks over the years,” Ndume said.

“And this calls for concerted and coordinated efforts of the security agencies to address the state of insecurity in Borno state and other parts of the country experiencing similar situations.”

On Saturday, suspected female suicide bombers detonated explosives in Gwoza LGA of Borno.

A curfew has since been imposed on Gwoza over suspicion of another attack.

Peter Obi backs Dangote, says monetary, fiscal policies slowing Nigeria economic growth

AFOLABI

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, says the current monetary policy is slowing economic growth.

In a post on X on Thursday, Obi said the recent outcry of Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, supports his earlier criticisms of the negative effects of the monetary policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

On July 2, Dangote said the increase of interest rate to almost 30 percent by the CBN will stifle growth.

He added that the country is battling “a very high” interest rate.

The monetary policy committee (MPC) of CBN, on May 21, raised the monetary policy rate (MPR) — on which banks benchmark their interest rate — from 24.75 percent to 26.25 percent.

Obi said the negative impacts of the policy on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which are the engine of economic growth, are significant.

“Africa’s foremost entrepreneur and respected Nigerian businessman, Aliko Dangote’s recent outcry against the current interest rate of 30%, underscores my earlier cry in February on the negative effects of the monetary policy of the present federal government,” Obi said.

“According to Dangote, no jobs will be created with such a high interest rate because there will be no growth in the economy.

“This has been my consistent position over time. In February this year, I argued against the decision of the Monetary Policy Committee on MPR to 22.5% and CRR to 45% increases which, in my opinion, would further worsen the economic situation, as the increases would push interest rates on loans to above 30%, which would be very difficult for manufacturers and MSMES to borrow and repay.

“If Dangote, the richest person in Africa, and foremost industrialist, can complain, then imagine the negative impacts of these policies on MSMEs who are the engine of economic growth.

“To further understand the harsh economic environment that this monetary policy had exacerbated, the recent report from the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN) stated “In 2023, 767 companies were shut down and 335 became distressed.

“The capacity utilisation in the sector has declined to 56%; the interest rate is effectively above 30%; foreign exchange to import raw materials and production machine inventory of unsold finished products has increased to N350 billion and the real growth has dropped to 2.4%.”

The former Anambra governor said these harsh economic policies, both monetary and fiscal, have persistently slowed down economic growth, driven multinationals out of the country, stifled small businesses and discouraged the inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI).

He urged the government to reverse the “ugly trend” causing job losses, discouraging production, and hindering movement from consumption to production.

Obi said the government must reverse course and implement policies that foster growth and the creation of a new Nigeria.

Court voids Edo PDP governorship primary election

AFOLABI

A federal high court in Abuja has invalidated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election that produced Asue Ighodalo as the candidate for the forthcoming gubernatorial poll in Edo.

In the ruling delivered on Thursday, Inyang Ekwo, presiding judge, held that the PDP primary held on February 22 failed to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the party’s constitution.

Ekwo held that from the exhibit tendered in court, the returning officers who prepared the result sheets only sat in one place to falsify the outcome of the poll.

He said the exclusion of the 381 delegates, including the plaintiffs, was against the provisions of the law.

The judge further held that even though the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) filed a memorandum of appearance in the suit, it was unfortunate that the commission did not file any process in the case.

Rather, the electoral umpire had said they would abide by whatever the ruling of the court is.

“I found that the case of the plaintiffs succeeds on merit,” he said.

Three aggrieved ad hoc delegates had filed the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/165/2024 on behalf of the 378 other delegates.

The plaintiffs are Kelvin Mohammed, Gabriel Okoduwa and Ederaho Osagie, on behalf of the 378 others in 12 LGAs and 127 wards.

INEC, the PDP, its national secretary and the vice chairman of the south-south, were joined as 1st to 4th defendants in the suit.

The 381 delegates are those loyal to Philip Shaibu, the impeached deputy governor of the state.

BACKGROUND

On February 4, the PDP conducted a congress to select delegates who would participate in the party’s February 22 governorship primary.

Before the congress, Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, who was appointed as the chairman of the election committee, rejected the appointment.

Makinde said the list of electoral officers for the election contained names from Delta state and those of officials of the Edo state government.

Nine of the 11 PDP governorship aspirants, including Shaibu, former deputy governor of the state, boycotted the exercise.

The aspirants rejected the composition of the committee for the delegates’ election.

Tony Aziegbemi, chairman of the PDP in Edo, asked aggrieved governorship hopefuls to approach the appeal panel.

Ighodalo, a businessman, won the governorship primary conducted on February 22.

Ighodalo was the preferred candidate of Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo.

Shaibu has since been expelled by the Edo state chapter of the PDP.

The Edo governorship election has been slated for September 21, 2024.

My salary as Speaker was N400,000, allowance N25m monthly — Dogara

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Former speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, said yesterday his total allowance in office was N25 million and salary N400,000 monthly.

The clarification Dogara said was necessary, following public misconception that members of the National Assembly earned huge salaries and allowances.

Recall that Yakubu Dogara was the Speaker of the 8th Assembly. Speaking during a Goodwill message at the two days ‘House Open Week 2024’ organised by the House of Representatives as part of the celebration of 25 years of unbroken democracy in the country,

Dogara said it was important Nigerians allowed their representatives to work and limit the financial demands on them .

He said further that the misconception of huge salaries and allowances by Nigerians had given the National Assembly a negative image, to the extent that lawmakers were called thieves at public fora.

The former speaker said he suffered the same fate as a member of the House of Representatives and as speaker because of the belief by Nigerians that lawmakers collect millions as salaries and allowances monthly at the expense of Nigerian workers.

Dogara noted that, his salary was N400,000 while he had the sum of N25 million monthly as the Speaker of the 8th Assembly.

He said: “While I was speaker, my salary was N400and my total allowance was N25 million. I told my accountant to open a separate account for the allowances and I never for once took any money out of that account. Everything that came into that account was used to cater for the needs of constituents.

“My accountant complained of the level of demand on the account and I told him if the money there is finished, borrow, when money comes in, you return to were you had taken money from.

“I am saying this so Nigerians will give their legislators breathing space and know that the narrative is not true about members pay.”

He said as a result of the speculations about the earnings of the members of the 8th House, he ordered that the breakdown of the House budget be made public, including what he was entitled to as the speaker.

He, however, noted that the practice discontinued, which gave room for the continuation of speculations and outright lies about the earnings and entitlements of lawmakers till date.

Dogara further acknowledged the notion that Nigeria’s democracy was expensive, adding that many countries were complaining about the cost that comes with the practice and maintenance of democracy.

He, therefore, challenged the country’s political scientists to help fashion out an alternative, homegrown form that would be less expensive and meet the yearnings and needs of Nigerians.

[Vanguard]

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‘My father disowned me, my siblings’ – Seyi Awolowo

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Big Brother Naija reality show star, Seyi Awolowo has narrated the struggles he encountered growing up.

During an interview with popular media personality, Chude Jideonwo, the reality star said he was disowned by his father several times.

Speaking about his turbulent upbringing in a polygamous environment, the late Obafemi Awolowo’s grandson stated that his father kept detailed files on each child.

He said, “My father disowned me a couple of times. Not just me, a couple of us because my father married three wives.

“My father wrote letters to cut off his children, reducing our identities to mere names on a list. We all have files. ‘As of right now, your name is just Seyi, full stop’”.

[DailyPost]

States can’t pay minimum wage without increased allocation – Oyebanji

AFOLABI

The Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, on Wednesday, said governors, under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, are not against approval of a living wage for Nigerian workers.

Oyebanji said the NGF was only clamouring for fiscal federalism that would culminate in the ability and capability of individual states to pay.

Organised labour is battling the Federal Government over delay tactics in implementing the new minimum wage for workers.

While the tripartite committee set up by the government recommended N62,000 to President Bola Tinubu, the governors insisted that most states could not pay the amount and asked that the new minimum wage be pegged at N57,000.

So This Happened (EP 254) Reviews Tinubu's Order To Civil Servants Abroad To Refund Salary, Others0:00 / 1:01
The recommendations of both the tripartite committee and the NGF were, however, not acceptable to the organised labour who came down to the N250,000 benchmark during the final meeting of the tripartite committee.

As Tinubu opted to dialogue with the NGF and the employers, the labour came hard on the governors, accusing them of being insensitive to the plight of the workers.

Oyebanji, speaking in Ado Ekiti, during the Seventh Quadrennial Delegates’ Conference of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, however, said no state wanted to downsize its workforce, adding that each state was interested in determining what it could afford that would not end up in the eventual retrenchment.

“The NGF is not against the living wage. No governor is against the minimum wage, but what we are saying is that it must reflect fiscal federalism, ability and capacity to pay.

“No governor wants to retrench, if there is a minimum wage today without a concurrent increment in what we are earning, no state can pay.

“That is the conversation we are having – that, look, we want to give you a living wage, but we must look at what comes to the states and whatever is in the best interest of the states and the workers, we will do,” Oyebanji said.

The governor told the workers, “My appeal to civil servants is that those who would like to be part of our agriculture revolution should form themselves into cooperative societies and approach the Ministry of Agriculture for support.

“It may be difficult to support you individually, but when you form yourselves into cooperatives, many opportunities are available now. We are clearing land free of charge, we are giving inputs and we are going to buy from you. As I speak today, we have cleared more than 2,000 hectares across Ekiti State.”

Oyebanji reiterated the pivotal role civil servants played in the growth and development of the state, especially in the realisation of the six pillars of his administration, adding that whatever compliments the administration had received could only be directly attributed to the efficiency and effectiveness of the workers.

He said, “I have come here today to associate and rejoice with you as major stakeholders in our body polity.

“More importantly, I am also here to learn from you and to share in your experience. As you know, the civil service is a reservoir of talents where you can find all professionals of different callings and experiences.

“A conference like this does not benefit the senior civil servants alone, it is an avenue for all of us to learn from one another, cross-fertilise ideas, and share experiences. I am, therefore, not just here as a special guest of honour, I am here as a student of Public Administration,” the governor stated.

JAMB uncovers 3,000 fake graduates

AFOLABI

The Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board has uncovered 3,000 fake graduates who never set foot within the four walls of a classroom.

The board also decried the issue of illegal admissions by some institutions which, it said, had remained a source of embarrassment to the country.

The Registrar, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, made this known in a report published in the board’s bulletin, which was obtained by our correspondent in Abuja.

According to the bulletin, Oloyede disclosed this during a meeting with the leadership of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State Universities.

“Some ‘graduates’ had never entered the four walls of a university owing to the endemic corruption in the system but the board had documented over 3,000 of such cases.

“Illegal admission of candidates into tertiary institutions in the country is an embarrassment and a disservice to the nation,” the bulletin read.

The issue of illegal admissions has over the years been at the forefront of JAMB’s priorities.

The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education, in December 2023, ordered the JAMB to present a list of tertiary institutions that had conducted irregular and illegal admissions.

The examination body had earlier warned candidates to desist from accepting admissions offered by such institutions without full academic participation.

In the statement titled, “Cessation of illegal/irregular admission,” JAMB reiterated that all applications of admissions to first degree, national diploma, national innovation diploma and the Nigeria certificate in education into full-time, distance learning, part-time, outreach, sandwich, etc, must be processed only through JAMB.

Rivers vigilante commander arrested with human parts

AFOLABI

The Rivers State Police Command said its men arrested the commander of a vigilante group identified as Felix Nwaobakata, with two human skulls and other parts at his hideout in Omoku in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of the state.

Also, the police said its operatives in a clampdown on the excesses of vigilante groups operating in the state had arrested seven other members of the local security outfit for sundry crimes including murder.

The spokesperson for the state Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.

Iringe-Koko said Nwaobakata, who is the Commander of the ONELGA Security and Peace Advisory Committee codenamed OSPAC is a principal suspect in the murder of two brothers in Idu in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA of the state on May 1, 2024, on the allegations that they were kidnappers.

The statement noted that the arrest of Nwaobakata and other OSPAC members followed numerous complaints about their operations in different parts of the state, especially in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA, saying the outfit recently attacked a police division in Omoku and clashed with other security agencies.

The statement reads, “The Rivers State Police Command has commenced a clampdown on the excesses of vigilante groups operating within the state.

“This follows numerous complaints about the operations of the ONELGA Security and Peace Advisory Committee (OSPAC) in different parts of the state, predominantly in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA, as well as clashes with other security agencies by this vigilante group.

“On May 9, 2024, Alhaji Usman Seleh, the Chairman of the Hausa Indigenous Group in ONELGA, reported that OSPAC had abducted a member of his group. He proceeded to report the matter to the police. Consequently, the police invited the ONELGA OSPAC commander, Felix Nwaobakata, who refused to honour several invitations.

“Instead, the OSPAC outfit coordinated an attack on the police division in Omoku but the attack was thwarted as the police repelled them.

“Following this development, Tactical Units of the command stormed the ONELGA OSPAC Camp at Omoku and arrested Cheta Benjamin, Joshua Ekwosa, Innocent Ahiakwu, and four others.

“The ONELGA OSPAC Commander, Felix Nwaobakata, was subsequently arrested in his hideout in Omoku on June 17, 2023, where two human skulls and human bones were found in his possession.

“The arrested OSPAC Commander, Felix Nwaobakata, is also a principal suspect in the murder of two brothers, Collins Ugorji (32) and Newman Ugorji (39), of the Idu Community in ONELGA.

“The brothers were killed on May 1, 2024, by the OSPAC on the allegation that they were kidnappers. Their motorcycles were confiscated, and their bodies were taken to the OSPAC secretariat in Omoku and received by Felix Nwaobakata after residents lamented their criminal actions. The bodies of the brothers were not seen, and the investigation is ongoing.”

In another related incident, the state police image maker said, “On May 31, 2024, the youths of Egbeda Community in Emuoha LGA staged a peaceful protest to Lubrik Construction Company at Egbeda, and after being addressed by the police, they dispersed but were ambushed by a group of OSPAC members led by the Egbeda OSPAC Commander, Friday Ogbuji, who shot and killed the youth leader, Innocent Didia.

“The Rivers State Police Command has made further arrests and will continue to investigate these cases and related ones, which will then be charged to a court of competent jurisdiction.

“The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, has advised that any resident who has complaints of assault, extortion, or illegal detention should make a report at the nearest police station.

“The Rivers State Command is committed to carrying out its duty of protecting lives and property. It will not tolerate any act of illegality, excessive use of force, torture, fraudulent conversion of properties, and other varying forms of criminality by the OSPAC or any other vigilante outfit.”

Disu said that while recognising the relevance and importance of these vigilante groups in the Community Policing System, as regards information gathering and visibility, among others, the command would keep engaging and synergising with these groups on what was expected of them and their limitations.

“The rights of all as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) as amended must be respected.

“The Rivers State Command wants to reassure the public and all key stakeholders that it will continue to work within the ambit of the law and issue a stern warning to any individual or group who chooses to operate outside the scope of the law,” the statement added.

Speaking with our correspondent later on Wednesday, Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, said the suspects had already been charged in court.

She stated, “We (the police) have started the prosecution of the matter. The suspects have been charged in court. The CP is not happy over the activities of some of these vigilantes and he has said they must face the wrath of the law.”