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Obi To Rivers Leaders: Learn From Emergency Rule, Prioritize Peace

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Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has urged political “gladiators” in Rivers State to learn from the six-month emergency rule.

 

Obi, who described the intervention as a constitutional breach that harmed Nigeria’s democracy, called on Governor Siminalayi Fubara, state lawmakers, and other leaders to acknowledge mistakes, embrace peace and work toward reconciliation.

 

Recall that President Bola Tinubu had, on the 18th of March 2025, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Fubara, Deputy, Ngozi Odu, for six months in the first instance, and appointing Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Bias (retd.) as the state’s Sole Administrator

 

Tinubu invoked his powers as granted by Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution.

 

He, however, announced the suspension of the rule on Wednesday, stating that from available intelligence, there was “a groundswell of a new spirit of understanding.”

 

Reacting on his X handle on Thursday, Obi argued that the suspension breached Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, which permits such extraordinary powers only in the face of grave threats to public safety or national security.

 

The former Anambra Governor further said the issue poses lessons for political gladiators in Rivers State.

 

He said, “I just hope that some lessons were learned by all the gladiators in the Rivers State impasse. Great minds remind us that the only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.

 

“A true leader is the one who admits his/her mistakes, is smart enough to learn from them, and is strong enough to correct them.”

 

Obi congratulated “the good people of Rivers State for their endurance in the face of provocations.”

 

He appealed to Governor Similaya Fubara, the members of the state House of Assembly and all the political leaders in the state to embrace peace and forge ahead.

 

“The real mistake is the one where we end up learning nothing. Be assured that a new Nigeria is possible and inevitable,” he added.

 

The controversy in Rivers State traces back to a bitter power struggle between incumbent Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who now serves as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

 

The feud escalated into a governance paralysis, with lawmakers defecting en masse and the state assembly dissolving amid allegations of corruption and political sabotage.

 

 

 

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How 2018 Federal Legal Advice Exonerated Saraki In Offa Robbery Case

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In light of the Kwara State Government’s fresh prosecution of Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and his successor over the Offa robbery, fresh facts have emerged on why the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mr. E. U. (Etsu Umar) Mohammed gave the duo a clean bill of health.

The Federal Director of Public Prosecutions cleared former Senate President Bukola Saraki of involvement in the Offa bank robbery in 2018, citing no evidence of a connection.

It was gathered that the DPP reviewed a 16-page police report prepared and signed by Abba Kyari, a Deputy Commissioner of Police and then head of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IGP-IRT) at Force Headquarters, Abuja. The report detailed investigations into the April 5, 2018, multiple bank robbery attack in Offa, Kwara State.

The DPP in his first report dated June 22, 2018 and signed on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, prepared a five page legal advice in which he noted in paragraph 5 (f) that “for the Senate President (Saraki) and the Kwara State Governor (Ahmed), his office is unable to establish from the evidence in the interim report a nexus between the alleged offence and the suspects. Hence, it is our advice that further and thorough investigation in this regard be carried out”.

Following the submission of a second report by the police investigating team to his office on July 27, 2018, the DPP prepared a second legal advice, which was dated August 23, 2018. The three-page legal advice also has only three paragraphs.

In paragraph 3 (vi), he noted that “with regards to the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, since there is no departure from the earlier findings in the interim report, this office is still unable to establish any prima facie case against him for any offences of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, and culpable homicide punishable with death”.

Both legal advices had recommended six people for prosecution. They are: Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Ibrahim, Salawudeen Azeez, Niyi Ogundiran, and Michael Adiukwu.

One of the suspects, Michael Adiukwu, later died in police custody, while the other five had since been tried at the High Court in Ilorin.

During the trial, the suspects revealed how they were coerced into incriminating Senator Bukola Saraki.

They mentioned several inducements dangled before them, including money and the promise of a visa to travel out of the country.

The suspects have since been convicted and their convictions confirmed by the Court of Appeal. The matter is now pending before the apex court, the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

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₦400m Ransom Demanded As Gunmen Abduct Another Kwara Ruler

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Terrorists have abducted a traditional ruler in Olayinka community, located in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Oba Salman Olátúnjí Aweda and are demanding a ₦400 million ransom for his release.

The abduction occurred on April 18, 2026, when armed men, suspected to be militia herdsmen, invaded the community and took the monarch, his wife, and another resident into the forest.

According to JomogNews, residents who witnessed the incident said the terrorists, numbering over 10, invaded the monarch’s residence around Saturday midnight, forced the door open, and abducted him alongside another person in the house.

The assailants reportedly led both victims into the bush.

Chairman of Ifelodun Local Government Area, Mr Abdulrasheed Femi Yusuf, visited the community on Saturday on a sympathy visit and assured residents that efforts were underway to secure the monarch’s release.

“We are deeply concerned about this incident, and we are taking swift and decisive action in collaboration with security agencies,” he said.

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Living Faith Church Founder Declares Week Of Vengeance Against Insecurity Sponsors

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Bishop David Oyedepo, General Overseer of Living Faith Church Worldwide, has declared that bandits and their sponsors will face divine judgment and retribution within seven days.

Speaking on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during a service themed “Covenant Day of Vengeance” at the church’s headquarters in Ota, Ogun State, the cleric stated that those responsible for killings and kidnappings would face imminent consequences.

“I declare judgement on those who caused these tragedies and their supporters in the name of Jesus,” he said.

The cleric further asserted that divine retribution would occur within a short timeframe.

“Unless I am not sent, this will happen in the next seven days,” he added.

Oyedepo also expressed confidence that Nigerians would soon witness outcomes of what he described as divine intervention, noting that the coming days would bring “testimonies of vengeance.”

 

 

 

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