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Tension in Kogi as thugs seize Lokoja INEC office to prevent election material inspection

Published

3 years ago

November 29, 2023

Advocate News Nigeria

“It is not hard to see that the 1st respondent was acting clever when he sent his Aide De Camp to make a report to the same police that acted in concert with him at the scene of the shooting, after preventing the applicant (Ajaka) from entering Lokoja,” he said. Justice Ekwo added: “It is my opinion that it is in the attempt of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents (the security agencies) to make a case to cover up for the act of the 1st respondent (Bello) and the officers of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents that has caused the obvious inconsistencies in their evidence.” The judge observed that none of the respondents’ affidavit evidence was able to address the incident of June 3, which was the main subject of Ajaka’s case. Justice Ekwo said: “It is my finding that the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th respondents violated the rights of the applicant as enshrined in Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). “The case of the applicant succeeds on the merit against the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th respondents in this case and I so hold. “In awarding damages in this case, I will take into account the trauma of the applicant of being shot at by those whose statutory duty is to protect the citizens, acting under the command of the 1st respondent (Bello) who is statutorily the chief security officer of a state for a cause that is manifestly unlawful but inhuman. “I will also take into consideration the physical and mental anguish of the applicant when he stood in utter helplessness and watched the 1st respondent using his political might through the apparatus of the state for security and law enforcement to shoot and burn down the campaign vehicles of the applicant’s political party. “I will further take into account the near-death experience of the applicant and the mental torture that comes with it, when the vehicle in which he was, was riddled with bullets from the guns that ought to have been used to protect him and other citizens. Advertisement “It must be understood that fundamental rights of all citizens are sacrosanct and unless as authorised by law, any action by which an unlawful breach thereof is successfully proved, will be determined to reflect the depth of condemnation by the court.” The judge struck out the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th respondents from the case in the grounds that he found no evidence linking them to the incident of June 3 or any claim against them. He declared that the unprovoked shooting at Ajaka, his cars and his supporters by armed officers of 2nd to 7th respondents and Bello’s thugs on June 3 was reprehensible and a gross violation of his right to life and dignity of his human person as enshrined under Sections 33 and 34 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Articles 4 and 5 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Cap. A9 Laws of the Federation, 2004.

SDP Gov Candidate, Mr Muritala Yakubu-Ajaka and Governor Yahaya Bello

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Over 500 persons, most of them thugs, have taken over the main gate and premises of INEC office in Lokoja in order to prevent lawyers and forensic experts of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) from examining documents and materials emanating from the Kogi State November 11 Governorship Elections.

The SDP accused the state governor, Mr Yahaya Bello of deploying the thugs wearing SDP T-shirts and carrying posters allegedly procured by the APC, whose candidate, Usman Ododo was declared winner of the governorship election.

In a press statement issued on Wednesday by Faruk Adejoh-Audu, Spokesman, Muri-Sam Governorship Campaign Council of the SDP, the party said the thugs were reportedly detailed “to attack and sack the (INEC) office to ensure the materials needed for our party to prosecute its petition at the tribunal are compromised,” adding, “Right now, they have seized on the entire Marine Street housing the Lokoja INEC office and several other adjourning Streets, threatening the security of INEC and the entire sensitive materials there.”

The SDP campaign council spokesman further said: “They are chanting war slogans claiming they are “SDP members” who are against the movement of Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) Machines to Abuja for security reasons and the forensic examination of electoral documents.

“Bello’s desperate resort to this extreme plan of overrunning INEC through an insurrection of rented thugs was after our campaign raised alarm at the weekend to forestall his earlier plan to burn down the Lokoja INEC office housing the materials.

“Curiously, the INEC office shares proximity with the State Police Headquarters, where Bello’s notorious accomplice, one Bethrand Onuoha, is the Commissioner of Police. Onouha’s police did absolutely nothing as hundreds of thugs arrived in buses to take over INEC from the very early hours of this morning.

“We are shocked that other security agencies particularly the Directorate of State Security (DSS) also did nothing to secure the INEC office and the materials despite our official statements in the past few days raising alarm on the plot to attack INEC office by Mr Yahaya Bello who has never pretended about his preference for violence and extra- legal criminal tactics to gain advantage in his dealings.

“Mr. Yahaya Bello must not be allowed to crudely and brazenly rig the November 11th elections in favor of his puppet cousin and thereafter compromise the judicial process by renting thugs to attack INEC and compromise materials needed for evidence.

“We are told that most of the sensitive materials needed for inspection may have even been already compromised by INEC Staff who are his agents and accomplices and are now waiting for this orchestrated attack to claim the materials were lost to the mob.”

The party, however, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately order the quelling of “this rented insurrection to safeguard our fragile democracy,” warning that if “this extreme criminality” was not quelled then a very dangerous precedent would have been set.

“Our country must demonstrate that no desperate outlaw sitting in an office covered by statutory immunity will be allowed to undermine the very foundation of our constitutional democracy – even if he belongs to the ruling party,” the SDP said.

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EFCC arrests Nigerian-American for alleged $320,000 vehicle import fraud

Published

13 minutes ago

June 19, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

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Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ilorin Zonal Directorate, have arrested a Nigerian-American, Adegoke Oluwatobi Adams, for an alleged cross-border vehicle import fraud involving more than $320,000 (approximately N434.88 million).

According to the agency, Adams, who holds dual citizenship of Nigeria and the United States of America, is being investigated for alleged criminal breach of trust and obtaining money by false pretence.

In the statement shared on its official X handle, the EFCC said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly belongs to a syndicate based in the United States that specialises in defrauding unsuspecting Nigerians under the guise of purchasing and importing vehicles for them.

The investigations, according to the EFCC, further revealed that, while residing in the United States, Adams allegedly advertised and circulated photographs of a 2024 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG to prospective buyers in Nigeria, promising to purchase and ship the luxury vehicle to them.

“Findings revealed that two victims allegedly paid a total sum of $320,000 (over N434.88 million) for the vehicle. One of the victims, Ikechukwu Osita Ifeabunike, reportedly paid $145,000 through an intermediary, while another victim, Godson Azubuike Amans, allegedly paid $175,000 for the same vehicle,” the statement said.

It added said that further investigation also uncovered a prior criminal record involving Adams in the United States, allegedly related to the illegal acquisition of vehicles.

The suspect was eventually arrested by operatives of the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC upon his return to Nigeria.

The statement disclosed that the suspect will be arraigned in court upon conclusion of ongoing investigations.

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950 rights activists, journalists, unionists killed, disappeared in 2025 — UN

Published

36 minutes ago

June 19, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

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United Nations, has said that preliminary data indicates that no fewer than 950 human rights defenders, journalists and trade unionists were killed or forcibly disappeared worldwide in 2025.

The figure was contained in the latest global dataset documenting attacks on rights defenders titled: “Human Rights Count.”

It was published by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, OHCHR.

According to the data, one human rights defender, journalist, or trade unionist is killed or disappeared every 10 hours.

“Every 10 hours, a human rights defender, journalist or trade unionist is killed or disappeared,” the report stated, adding: “Every hour, a child dies in armed conflict.

“One in five people have experienced discrimination in the past year.”

Projected totals for 2025 indicate that at least 743 defenders were killed and 202 disappeared, with no sign of reversal in the upward trend.

At least 37,163 civilians lost their lives in 2025, from a record high of 48,011 in the preceding year.

It said: “Every 14 minutes, a civilian dies in armed conflict. Nearly one in five people worldwide indicate that they have experienced discrimination in the past 12 months.”

OHCHR lamented that violence against human rights defenders has reached record levels, with at least 5,995 killed since 2015.

According to the UN rights agency, violence against human rights defenders has reached record levels, with at least 5,995 killed since 2015.

It said the number of human rights defenders who were murdered or disappeared in 2025 was more than double the number a decade ago.

According to the report, attacks against human right defenders have reached record levels over the past year.

OHCHR regretted a surge in attacks on defenders, civilian deaths in conflicts, patterns of discrimination worldwide and the state of institutions tasked with protecting universal human rights.

According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, behind every data point is a real life lived or lost.

Turk said: “These new global human rights data show that discrimination, violence and exclusion are systemic and continue to affect those already at the margins.”

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IPoB reshuffles leadership as Nnamdi Kanu dissolves DoS

Published

51 minutes ago

June 19, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

NFIU exposes financing channels of IPOB, terror groups

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The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, has announced a major restructuring of its leadership hierarchy, with its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, dissolving the third administration of the group’s Directorate of State, DoS, and inaugurating a new leadership team.

In a statement issued Wednesday from Langerfeld, Germany, IPoB said Kanu approved the dissolution of the outgoing administration and appointed United States-based Mazi Chris Nwaogu as the new Head of the Directorate of State.

According to the statement, Nwaogu is to assume immediate responsibility for the administration, coordination, and day-to-day management of the organisation’s affairs under Kanu’s authority.

The group explained that the Directorate of State, established in 2012, serves as the administrative arm of IPOB.

Previous heads of the body were Dr Justin Akujieze, Mazi Uchenna Asiegbu, and Chika Edoziem, who led the third administration from 2017.

IPOB said the decision followed what it described as a review of the performance of the outgoing leadership during a critical period in the movement’s history.

The statement cited concerns over the welfare of detained members, internal disagreements, organisational cohesion, communication challenges, and the need for renewed strategic direction as factors behind the leadership change.

“The dissolution of the third administration is ultimately not an act of vengeance but an act of organisational renewal,” the statement said.

The group maintained that the new leadership has been mandated to rebuild confidence within the organisation, strengthen internal unity, improve communication structures, and focus on the welfare of members.

As part of the reorganisation, IPOB announced the establishment of an Elders Advisory Council, which it said would function as a strategic advisory body between the group’s leader and the Directorate of State.

The newly constituted Directorate includes Mazi Solomon Egbo as Deputy Head of DOS; Nwada Ogwu Nnennaya Anya I. as Head of Finance and Budget Planning; Mazi Chigozie Okekenta as Coordinator of Coordinators; Dr. Chukwudi Nwogwugwu as Head of Medical and Welfare Planning; and Barrister Ikechukwu Onuoha as Head of Media.

IPOB also retained Comrade Emma Powerful as Spokesperson and Media and Publicity Secretary, while naming representatives for Africa, Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East.

In addition, the organisation announced several national appointments, including coordinators for Germany, Italy, and Switzerland.

The statement further directed all IPOB officers, coordinators, and unit heads worldwide to establish contact with the group’s headquarters in Germany for further directives.

IPOB also announced the reinstatement of previously suspended or expelled officers, stating that affected individuals had been reintegrated into the organisation pending further administrative review.The group urged members and supporters to remain united and committed as the new administration assumes office.“The day-to-day affairs of the Indigenous People of Biafra shall henceforth be piloted by Mazi Chris Nwaogu and his team in accordance with the directives and vision of Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” the statement added.

The leadership changes come amid ongoing efforts by the pro -Biafra group to re-organise its structures and activities both within Nigeria and across its international chapters.