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Rivers: Why our haters hired youths to bomb P’Harcourt hotel — Fubara

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2 years ago

June 26, 2024

Fubara suspends Rivers LGA caretaker committee boss

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Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has clarified that he is not fighting anybody but rather defending the state against predators.

He asserted that the failed attempt to detonate an explosive device at the Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt, owned by the state, was a deliberate ploy to strengthen the call for a state of emergency by haters who want to undermine the state to achieve their evil plans.

Fubara made the assertion when he received, on a courtesy visit, a delegation of the Senate Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation, led by its Chairman, Senator Orji Kalu, to the Government House in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.

This was contained in a statement issued in Port Harcourt by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Nelson Chukwudi.

The governor explained that some youths were hired to engage in a protest to demand for extension of tenure of former local government chairmen who have served out their statutory three-year tenure.

Fubara said the protesters and their sponsors were aware that some members of the National Assembly were guests at the Hotel Presidential, which is why they attempted to detonate an explosive device near the facility to give reason to support the call for a state of emergency when the matter is raised at plenary but they failed.

He said, “As a matter of fact, let me tell you, I know of everything that is happening. Yesterday (Tuesday), they (protesters) were aware that you are in the state. So, there was an attempt to create a serious problem.

“In fact, there was a plan to detonate dynamite at the Hotel Presidential because you people were there. But this God that we serve, it happened that the man who was trying to do it detonated it but just few seconds after, it blew his hands off.

“The idea was that as you were hearing state of emergency, it will be so that by the time they finish, when you return to have your sitting tomorrow (Thursday), the debate will be from somebody from this state who called you people to tell you not to come.

“He will now raise the issue of state of emergency, and say after all, distinguished colleagues saw it happen while you were in Rivers State, that you saw what happened.

“But you see, when you are with God, even your own child who is planning evil, will go and tell somebody that, God is with this man because he is clean, this is what my father is planning. That is what is keeping us in this state.”

The Rivers State Governor wondered why it seems that the law is silent or inactive to take its course over offenders because somebody appears to be bigger than the law on the agitation because there is nowhere in the country where tenure elongation for former local government chairmen has been an issue.

He pointed out that there is no governor in Nigeria who can take 10 per cent of the abuse railed at him by former local government council chairmen.

He said, “Where on earth can the tenure of local government chairmen be elongated? You were a former governor; was it tried during your time? Even those of you who are Senators here, even in your own states, have anyone tried this before?

“Is it that the Constitution that governs Nigeria is different from the one that operates in Rivers State? These are the very pertinent questions we should ask.

“Why should it be that when it comes to the case of Rivers State, the law is always silent? Is it that there is somebody bigger than Nigeria? That is the question I want you to go back with.”

Governor Fubara insisted, “I tell you, we know everything that is happening, and you know it, everybody knows it. We should be bold enough to look at the faces of people and tell them the truth.

“I am not fighting anybody. If I am fighting, people will know that I am fighting: My pattern will change. What we are doing is to defend ourselves. We can’t just fold our hands. Only a tree will be standing, and somebody will come and cut it off.

“It doesn’t happen as a human being. If you know that danger is coming, you shift. What we are doing is just to protect ourselves. So, Distinguished Senators, I am not fighting anybody.”

Fubara said, “Somebody thinks or some people feel they own life. I don’t own life. The person who owns life is God. What we are doing here is to serve the people of Rivers State because God has given us this opportunity.

“It doesn’t matter the channel the opportunity came from. But the most important thing is God, and nobody takes the place of God in anything.”

The governor told committee members to factor in the interest of Rivers State as they recommend the privatisation and commercialisation of public companies.

“I will also appeal to you that in this process of privatisation, anything that has to do with our own State here that needs to be privatised, the Rivers State Government will be interested.

“Because you can’t come here and own our property when we have the resources to have shares or to acquire some portion of it.

“So, as a committee, if there is anywhere you can support us; if they is anyone that is still available, let us know, and let us get the details so that we can own it.

“It is only when we own it that those assets can be protected. It is only when we own it, that is when those assets become viable to the State, and also become viable to the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he noted.

In his address, Chairman, Senate Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation, Kalu, said they were in the state to carry out oversight duties on some projects under their purview.

Kalu, who is the Senator representing Abia North , commended Fubara for his love for peace and determination to offer quality governance and keep pace with providing the right climate to engender economic growth to all residents in the State.

The Senate committee chairman also urged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to sheath the sword and caution his supporters as a commitment to fostering peace and putting the interest of the state above all considerations.

He said, “I want to admire Your Excellency, your Deputy and your team for the good things you are doing in the state, but it is good to have peace.

“I want to thank you because you look like a very peaceful man. Your face shows a peaceful man. Your laugh shows a peaceful man. So, I want you to continue in that manner of peace. There is nothing like peace. Let people who are eating with this problem stop eating from it.

“We know that politics has taken its shape. We commend you for what you are doing for the people of your state. I will continue to ask you to focus on the job.

“Leadership is a very big burden. It is not a sweet potato. It is not anywhere where you can see rice and beans. On the street of Rivers, everyone is saying that the governor and the former governor are quarreling.

“We want to plead with you, continue to be holding your people back because if your people demonstrate like the other people, we will have a state of anarchy, and it is not good to have anarchy.

“I want to plead with you to abide by the rules of the land. I plead with you to abide by what the Constitution says. I plead with you to also abide by the decisions of the Judiciary. Wait for every judicial interpretation and act on judicial interpretation.”

He pledged the readiness of the committee to work with the state government to achieve mutually beneficial goals that will advance the interest of all Nigerians, adding that the hardship in the land was already enough burden that leaders need to concentrate efforts to address to promote growth and prosperity for all.

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Kidnappers torture 20 corps members, demand N5m each NYSC

Published

3 hours ago

October 4, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

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Oyo adopts Oriire abduction template, engages Imo, security agencies

The 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted by gunmen in Imo State have allegedly been subjected to physical assault by their captors, including the female victims, as the kidnappers reduced their ransom demand to N5 million per victim.

The development came as the deadline reportedly given by the abductors for payment of the ransom approached, heightening anxiety among the victims’ families.

One of the affected relatives, Alhaja Alimot Akande, whose 25-year-old sister, Kehinde Akande, is among the abducted graduates, said the victims had allegedly been beaten since Saturday.

She described the situation as “horrible, scary and overwhelming,” while appealing to the government to intensify efforts to secure the victims’ release.

Akande said the kidnappers had reduced their initial demand from N50 million per victim to N5 million each.

“They are still demanding N5 million. They have come down to N5 million each,” she said.

Asked whether the N5 million was being demanded for each of the 20 victims, she replied: “Yes.”

She said she could not confirm how much had been raised towards the ransom, explaining that she was not privy to arrangements between the abductors and other families.

“I cannot say because I do not know how much they have told those people that they have,” she said.

According to Akande, her sister told her that the abductors had started beating the victims.

“Sir, we appeal to the government to please assist us in getting them rescued out of that place. When I spoke to my sister, they started beating them since yesterday,” she said.

Asked whether the female victims were also being assaulted, she said: “They are not sparing anybody. They are beating all of them.”

Akande also said one of the abducted corps members had been allowed to communicate with his father, alleging that the kidnappers monitored the calls as part of their efforts to assess the family’s ability to raise the ransom.

She said the abductors would alert the victim whenever his father called and allow him to speak to him.

She added that the families had been relying on assurances from the police while efforts continued to raise the ransom.

“The police are telling us to still be buying time. We are still looking for the money. Depending, they will see them rescued,” she said.

Akande confirmed that her family was directly affected by the incident, identifying her abducted sister as Kehinde, 25.

Oyo engages Imo, security agencies

Meanwhile, the Oyo State Government said it was maintaining contact with the Imo State Government and security agencies as efforts intensified to secure the release of the abducted graduates.

The state Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, said the government was actively involved in efforts to rescue the victims despite the abduction occurring outside Oyo State.

Oyelade said the government was drawing on its experience from the recent abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area in its engagement with the Imo authorities.

“We are in close contacts at government-to-government level and actively with the security apparatus in Oyo and Imo states,” he said.

“We are volunteering our template and experiences garnered during the Oriire kidnapping, and the report of the Judicial Inquiry just submitted last week by the Hon. Justice (Professor) Mojeed Owoade Panel is coming in handy in our bilateral discussions on the matter.”

He explained that the government would not disclose all aspects of its strategy because of the sensitive nature of the operation.

“Governments all over the world are not in the habit of disclosing all they are planning in delicate situations like this,” Oyelade said.

The commissioner, however, said the Federal Government and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces should provide answers on the broader national security response to the incident.

“The pushback should be on the Federal Government and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, who are in charge of national security, on what they have done in 72 hours,” he said.

Oyelade also referred to Governor Seyi Makinde’s recent intervention over the abduction of students in Borno State, noting that the Borno incident occurred on the same day as the Oriire abduction.

He said Makinde had appealed to the Federal Government to expedite action on the rescue of the abducted Borno students.

Reaffirming the state’s commitment to the victims, Oyelade said the fact that the graduates were abducted in Imo did not absolve the Oyo Government of its responsibility to its citizens.

“Oyo State Government had not and will not abandon its citizens. We will continue to work endlessly and desperately to secure the release of our children,” he said.

How the graduates were abducted

The 20 prospective corps members were abducted on Thursday while travelling from Ibadan to their respective NYSC orientation camps in two buses.

The vehicles were reportedly attacked by gunmen along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State, while the graduates were travelling to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.

The incident triggered concern among the affected families, particularly after the parents said the kidnappers initially demanded N50 million for each victim — N1 billion in total — and gave them a 24-hour ultimatum to raise the money.

The parents subsequently sought the intervention of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, during a visit to his private residence in Bodija, Ibadan.

They were accompanied by the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, and the Aseyin of Iseyinland, Oba Sefiu Adeyeri.

The parents appealed to the monarch to intervene, saying they could not raise the N1 billion ransom demanded.

“They have been calling us since yesterday (Friday) with a demand for N50 million ransom each. They are threatening that anything untoward will happen to our children if we fail to heed to their request,” the parents had said.

“There is no way we can raise such an amount at this period. Baba, kindly assist us. Don’t let them kill our children.”

Responding, Ladoja assured the families that efforts were being made to secure the victims’ release.

“I want to assure that your children would be rescued unharmed. We will relate whatever information we gather to you,” he said.

“The police are working round the clock to secure their rescue. Don’t worry yourself, police are up to the task, and nothing would happen to your children.”

The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Abimbola, also said he had remained in contact with his Imo counterpart since the incident.

“I had already contacted Imo State CP. We have been talking since the day of incident, and he assured me that the victims would be rescued unhurt,” Abimbola said.z

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Eight Zamfara lawmakers dump APC over insecurity, unpaid salaries

Published

4 hours ago

October 4, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

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Eight members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly have resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing insecurity, injustice and other issues affecting the wellbeing of the people.

The lawmakers, including an ally of former Governor Abdul’aziz Yari, said they could no longer remain in a political party which they said had failed to provide adequate security for citizens.

In a statement announcing their decision, the lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with what they described as the party’s inability to address challenges confronting the state, particularly the worsening security situation.

The lawmakers who resigned are Hon. Aliyu Ango Kagara (Talata Mafara South), Hon. Ibrahim Tukur Bakura (Bakura), Hon. Faruk Musa Dosara (Maradun I), Hon. Barrister Bashir Abubakar Masama (Bukkuyum North), Hon. Muktaru Nasiru Kaura (Kaura North), Hon. Nasiru Abdullahi (Maru North), Hon. Bashar Bello (Bungudu West), and Hon. Bashar Aliyu (Gummi I).

Their resignation adds to the growing political developments within Zamfara APC, where internal disagreements and realignments have continued to shape the political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The lawmakers did not immediately disclose their next political destination.

When contacted, the state APC Publicity Secretary, Hon. Ibrahim Danmadamin Birnin Magaji, said the party was yet to be officially notified.

“We are still waiting for their correspondence from their respective political wards after reaching their local government executives, which would later be forwarded to us,” Danmadamin said.

He added that the party had only seen the resignation letters on social media.“We all saw it on social media platforms, but whenever we receive the copies officially, we would communicate with you on our stand,” he said.

Responding to whether the development was linked to internal crisis, Danmadamin said the APC was not aware of any grievances until it saw the letters online.

On their part, the resigned lawmakers accused Governor Dauda Lawal’s administration of failing to give adequate attention to insecurity affecting rural communities.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Kagara said they decided to leave the APC because the party had failed to properly address insecurity and had allegedly reneged on earlier agreements.

“What we are challenging Governor Lawal’s administration about is even worse now compared to previous times, so we have seen no reason to continue remaining in the APC. Our constituents in rural areas who voted us into power to address their security concerns were not being given any attention,” Kagara said.

He also alleged that the lawmakers had gone for 32 months without receiving salaries, allowances and other entitlements.

“This is our 32 months without salary, allowances and other entitlements as honourable members, and the people of Zamfara; the ball is in their court,” he said.

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Parents of abducted corps members beg Olubadan: We can’t raise N1bn ransom

Published

10 hours ago

October 4, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

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Parents of the 20 abducted prospective National Youth Service Corps members, PCMs, were thrown into profound sadness, yesterday, leading them to appeal to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, to assist in rescuing their children from the kidnappers’ den.

The distraught parents, who visited Ladoja at his private residence in Bodija, Ibadan, along with the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Olugbenga Abimbola, and the Aseyin of Iseyinland, Oba Sefiu Adeyeri, said the kidnappers threatened to kill the victims if they did not pay the N1 billion ransom within 24 hours.

This came on a day when the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Olatunji Disu, deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, DIG Shehu Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the rescue of the PCMs and other abducted passengers.

Last Thursday, gunmen attacked the 20 PCMs, who had travelled from Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State, while on their way to NYSC orientation camps in different vehicles.

Accusation

Some of their parents accused the transport company that conveyed them from Ibadan of allegedly withholding vital passenger information when they approached its office for assistance.

The parents alleged that when they visited Eduak King Transport Company in Samonda, Ibadan, in a desperate search for information that could help them contact other affected families, the company refused to provide the list of next of kin of passengers aboard the ill-fated vehicle.

One of the affected mothers, Mrs Iyabo Akande, whose daughter, Kehinde Akande, was among the abducted graduates, called on the Inspector-General of Police and the government to investigate the transport operator and ensure that those found culpable were held accountable.

She said: “Please, our government and the Inspector-General of Police should help us investigate the transport company, Eduak King, located at Samonda, and put fear into them. Call them to order. “Yesterday morning at their office, we were asking for the next-of-kin list so we could contact other parents, but they refused to present it or assist us. They must be held accountable.”

Another parent, Olawale Olaleye, whose daughter was also among the victims, expressed concern over what he described as the company’s continued transport operations despite the abduction and the distress the incident had caused the affected families.

According to him, the parents were surprised to find the company loading another vehicle when they visited its premises to seek information and assistance.

He said: “We went to Samonda, to Eduak King. Surprisingly, they were already loading another vehicle. People are complaining. The company should be held liable.”

Plea to Olubadan

But speaking at the Olubadan’s residence, yesterday, Alhaja Akande and Oyebola Akande, who spoke on behalf of the families, said the kidnappers had been calling since Friday, demanding N50 million for each victim.

“There is no way we can raise such an amount at this time. Baba, kindly assist us. Don’t let them kill our children.”

They appealed to the Olubadan and the police commissioner to intervene urgently, expressing fears that the lives of their children could be in danger if the abductors carried out their threats.

Responding to the appeal, Oba Ladoja assured the families that concerted efforts were being made by security agencies to rescue the abducted graduates alive and unhurt.

He said: “I want to assure you that your children will be rescued unharmed. We will relay whatever information we gather to you. The police are working round the clock to secure their rescue. Don’t worry yourself; the police are up to the task, and nothing will happen to your children.”

Also speaking, the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, disclosed that he had been in constant communication with his counterpart in Imo State since the incident occurred, expressing confidence that the victims would be rescued safely.

“I had already contacted the Imo State CP. We have been talking since the day of the incident, and he assured me that the victims would be rescued unhurt,” he said.

However, the police commissioner did not disclose whether any ransom had been paid by the families or provide specific details of the ongoing rescue operations.

Deployment

Meanwhile, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, in a statement, yesterday, said IGP Disu had deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, DIG Shehu Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the rescue operation.

Iniedu said the DIG arrived in Imo State with two Commissioners of Police and conducted an on-the-spot assessment of the situation and the ongoing search-and-rescue efforts.

He said the DIG also reviewed the operational strategies, deployment of personnel and operational assets, and provided further directives to strengthen the coordinated response.

Iniedu added: “The police are working in close coordination with sister security agencies to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted persons and the apprehension of the perpetrators. The DIG Operations, DIG Shehu Umar Nadada, assured members of the public that the Nigeria Police Force is committed to securing the safe rescue of the 20 abducted persons and will sustain the operation until the mission is successfully concluded.

“He urged members of the public and the media to remain calm and vigilant and encouraged anyone with credible information that could assist the operation to promptly contact the police or the nearest security formation. All information received will be treated with strict confidentiality. Further updates will be issued as the operation progresses.”