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NRC boss apologises to assaulted NTA journalist Ladi Bala

Ehime ALEX
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NRC boss apologises to assaulted NTA journalist Ladi Bala

THE Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Kayode Opeifa, has apologised to Ladi Bala, a journalist with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), whom he assaulted while covering a recent incident of a train derailment along the Abuja-Kaduna rail corridor.

Opeifa tendered the public apology at a press conference on Sunday, August 31, at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council Secretariat, Abuja.

The NRC boss while admitting to the assaults on the journalist, explained that his remarks were made under intense pressure as he tried to manage the crisis.

He claimed his assaults were misunderstood as hostility towards the press.

“I wish to sincerely apologise for the regrettable remarks I made, which were directed at a seasoned journalist and reflected poorly on both the NUJ FCT and NAWOJ.

“Acting under pressure and in the heat of the moment while trying to ensure safety, I uttered some unkind words for which I take full responsibility,” Opeifa said.

The ICIR reported that the incident occurred on August 27 and that Bala, a former president of the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists, was covering the aftermath of the derailed train when she was verbally abused by the NRC boss.

In a swift reaction, the NUJ FCT Council condemned the harassment and intimidation of the journalist and demanded a public apology from the NRC boss.

Apologising to the journalist, Opeifa, said, “To her, I offer my fullest apology. I also extend the same to the NTA, NAWOJ, and the wider journalism community.”

He hinted that 618 passengers were onboard the train at the time of derailment, and that about 20 passengers sustained injuries, and seven were critical.

He said further that seven coaches and their locomotive were damaged, but that two coaches and one locomotive have been cleared from the crash site, with two more coaches expected to be removed before Monday.

As part of his honour for the assaulted journalist, Opeifa bestowed an honorary title of “Ambassador for Media Advocacy,” on her.

Edo governor, Okpebholo, confirms former IG Arase’s death

Bankole ABE
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Edo governor, Okpebholo, confirms former IG Arase’s death

EDO State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has confirmed the death of former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase.

He described him as a patriotic Nigerian and an illustrious son of the state.

Arase died on Sunday, August  31, at Cedarcrest Hospital in Abuja after battling an undisclosed ailment. He was 69.

In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, Okpebholo said the late police chief was a man of integrity who served Nigeria with distinction.

“We have lost a great mind, a dedicated public servant, and an exceptional leader. Dr. Arase was a man of integrity and honour who served our nation with distinction, rising to the pinnacle of his career through sheer hard work and dedication,” the governor said.

Okpebholo recalled that Arase’s tenure as the 18th Inspector-General of Police was marked by reforms in intelligence-led policing and efforts to strengthen community security.

He described him as a source of inspiration to young officers and a figure whose contributions to the nation’s security architecture would be remembered for generations.

The governor also extended his condolences to the Arase family and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), praying for the repose of the deceased’s soul.

Meanwhile, when The ICIR visited the Cedarcrest Hospital in Abuja on Sunday to confirm Arase’s passing, staff members on duty declined to confirm his death and insisted on a formal letter before releasing any information.

The ICIR reporter’s pleas that the staff should allow him to see the managing director of the hospital or the facility’s spokesperson because he did not come with any letter fell on deaf ears.

Meanwhile, the reporter eventually confirmed from sources at the hospital that Arase died at the facility Sunday morning.

Born in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State on June 21, 1956, Arase joined the Nigeria Police Force on December 1, 1981, after earning a degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University.

He later obtained a Law degree from the University of Benin and a Master’s in Law from the University of Lagos.

During his career, he headed the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, served as Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, and later rose to the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police. He also took part in a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Namibia and was a Fellow of the Nigerian Defence Academy.

Arase retired as IGP on June 21, 2016. In January 2023, he was appointed Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) by the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, but was removed from the post by President Bola Tinubu in June 2024.

As of the time of filing this report, the police and the late IGP’s family have yet to issue an official statement on his passing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

APC wins 20 out of 23 LGAs in Rivers local government poll

Bankole ABE
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APC wins 20 out of 23 LGAs in Rivers local government poll

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has won 20 out of the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the Rivers State local government elections held on Saturday, August 30.

The ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state was victorious in only three LGAs, namely Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni.

The APC also secured the majority of councillorship seats, winning in 20 LGAs, while the PDP clinched councillorship positions in the three LGAs where it won the chairmanship.

This is the first time since 1999 that an opposition party has recorded a sweeping victory in Rivers State.

Announcing the results at the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) headquarters in Port Harcourt on Sunday, the RSIEC Chairman, Michael Odey, said certificates of return would be presented to all winners on Monday, September 1.

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The elections are viewed as a step toward lifting the state of emergency imposed on the state in March this year by President Bola Tinubu, following a protracted feud between the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

Wike, who voted during the polls, hinted that with the polls concluded, the suspension of Fubara and the state House of Assembly would be lifted by September 18.

He described the exercise as crucial for stabilising governance at the grassroots level and commended Tinubu for ensuring that the elections were held, noting that without them, local governments would not have access to federal allocations.

The ICIR reported on Saturday that there was a heavy presence of security across the state, as residents trooped out to participate in the local government elections.

2027: PDP risks having no candidate if it fields Jonathan

Ehime ALEX
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2027: PDP risks having no candidate if it fields Jonathan

MINISTER of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has argued that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) risks having no candidate in the 2027 general elections if it gives its presidential ticket to former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Keyamo, a senior advocate, argued this in a post on his X handle on Sunday, August 31, citing Section 137 (3) of the 1999 Constitution (Fourth Amendment).

He said the PDP has tipped Jonathan as one of its targets for presidential candidate because of the ex-president’s purported eligibility to run for only one term.

“But, if he is fielded, the party runs the risk of not having a candidate at all by virtue of Section 137 (3) of the 1999 Constitution (Fourth Amendment).

“The constitutional amendment was made AFTER the court judgment which cleared him to run in 2015, so nothing is decided yet on that new amendment, hence I use the word ‘RISK’ advisedly,” Keyamo argued.

He stressed that all the arguments about whether the section could be interpreted to affect the former president would not be decided on social media, but at the Supreme Court.

“If he is barred from running after nominations have closed and the PDP is declared as having no candidate, nobody should scream ‘judiciary is corrupt’ because such a large party saw the judicial danger ahead and deliberately ignored it,” Keyamo, maintained.

He knocked the PDP for its decision to zone its presidential candidate ticket to the South.

He said, “In 2023, PDP lacked the balls to deliberately zone its presidential ticket to the South, so it woefully lost its decades-long stranglehold on the S/South and S/East, the two of its most loyal regions since 1999.”

Kayemo believes that the party has retraced its step and has deliberately zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the South to win back the southern regions into its fold.

He opines, however, that if the PDP decided to field its most attractive south-west candidate, no other region of the country will vote for a fresh Yoruba candidate who would be eligible for a fresh two terms in office, stressing that the candidate will battle with the well-oiled APC structures in the region.

“You need a majority of at least three to four regions in Nigeria to win the Presidency,” Keyamo told the PDP.

The senior advocate further argued that if the PDP wooed back former governor Peter Obi, the notion of a fresh candidate from the South would work against the party despite Obi’s shout to serve for one term.

“In addition, the principled ones amongst the ‘Obidients’ will see him as going back to his vomit of ‘structure of criminality’ and may not be too vociferous in their support anymore.

“This is happening to PDP because it committed an original sin in 2023 by lacking the balls to zone its presidential ticket to the South,” Keyamo claimed.

He added, “Young social media warriors” may lampoon anyone talking about these zoning sentiments, but that is the reality of “our politics” and it is not about to end.

“Except something extraordinary happens, the party may have to wait till 2031.”

Cedacrest Hospital mum as former IGP Solomon Arase dies in facility

Marcus FATUNMOLE
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Cedacrest Hospital mum as former IGP Solomon Arase dies in facility

FORMER Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, is dead.

He reportedly died at the Cedacrest Hospital, Abuja, on Sunday after suffering from an undisclosed ailment.

Born in 1956, Arase served as the 18th Inspector General of Nigeria Police Force between April 2015 and 21 June 2016.

Before his appointment as the IGP, he had served in different capacities, including working as the Head of the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau; Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, Assistant Inspector-General of Police, and in Namibia during the United Nations Peacekeeping Operation.

The late Arase joined the Nigeria Police on December 1, 1981. Among others, he had bachelor and master’s degrees in Law from University of Benin and University of Lagos, respectively.

The late President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him as the chairman of Police Service Commission in January 2023, and President Bola Tinubu relieved him of the post on June 23, 2024.

As of the time of filing this report, there was no information yet from his family and the Nigeria Police Force.

All efforts to confirm his passing from the hospital where he reportedly died failed as an official contacted on the phone at the facility refused to speak with our reporter on the issue.

The reporter also drove to the facility to confirm if the former police chief truly died at the hospital.

Our reporter met two staff at the hospital’s reception. They demanded an official letter from the reporter before they could speak on the issue.

The reporter’s pleas that the staff should allow him to see the managing director of the hospital or the facility’s spokesperson because he did not come with any letter fell on deaf ears.

Meanwhile, the reporter eventually confirmed from sources at the hospital that Arase died at the facility this morning.

 

 

Nearly 24,000 people missing in Nigeria – Red Cross

Bankole ABE
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Nearly 24,000 people missing in Nigeria – Red Cross

THE International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said about 24,000 people were missing in Nigeria.

The organisation stated this on Saturday, August 30, in Yola, Adamawa State, at an event commemorating the International Day of the Disappeared.

Addressing participants at the event, the Family Links Officer at the ICRC, Benson Lee, said children and teenagers made up the majority with 59 per cent of the missing persons.

The ICRC said more worrying was that 67 per cent of the disappearances occurred in Borno State, a region battling insurgency and insecurity.

The group said in 2024 alone, families worldwide reported over 94,000 new cases of missing persons to its global Family Links Network.

The group said this brought the total number of registered missing persons globally to an estimated 284,400.

“Though we believe the actual figure is significantly higher,” Lee stated.

He said these disappearances not only caused emotional tragedies but also compounded economic hardship and social displacement for families.

“Many families face psychological distress, legal and administrative nightmares, and the loss of breadwinners. The suffering is multilayered,” Lee said.

At the event, the Chairman of the Family Association of Missing Persons, Luka Wada, lauded the ICRC for its commitment to reconnecting families.

He estimated that around 80 per cent of missing person cases were directly linked to armed conflict.

He appealed to the government and humanitarian organisations to do more for families left behind.

Also speaking at the event, Chairperson of the Adamawa Peace Commission, Jamila Suleiman offered words of comfort. “As difficult as it is, we must place our hope in God. The commission is doing all it can to prevent future violence that could cause more people to go missing,” she assured.

Cases of missing persons have been rampant in Nigeria. The ICIR reported in 2023 that over 23,000 persons disappeared in the country under various circumstances, including insurgency and kidnapping, in less than a decade.

The Federal Government said the figure represented half of those missing in Africa within the same period.

The former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, states this while speaking at an event to mark the International Day of the Disappeared at the National Human Rights Commission on August 30, 2023.

She noted that a more efficient mechanism was needed to improve the reporting and forensically trace cases of missing persons in the country.

IPC condemns attack on FIJ reporter by police officers in Lagos

Ehime ALEX
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IPC condemns attack on FIJ reporter by police officers in Lagos

THE International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos, through its Safety and Protection of Journalists (SPJ) Hub, has condemned the attack on a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), Daniel Ojukwu, by officers of the Ikeja Police Command in Lagos State.

It frowned at the attack in a statement on Saturday, August 30, by its press freedom officer, Melody Akinjiyan.

The IPC stated that Ojukwu was performing his duty on Friday, August 29, when he was physically and mentally assaulted by police officers.

It alleged that Ojukwu’s glasses were shattered, his wristwatch ripped off, his phone damaged, and that he suffered bodily injuries during the attack.

According to the Centre, information collated by the IPC-SPJ Hub describes the inhumane treatment of Ojukwu by the police officers.

It said Ojukwu was at the police station to meet with the Complaints Response Unit (CRU) to obtain details of policemen who had extorted money from detainees.

“When he approached the Squad 1 office to ask to see the accused officers, three policemen pounced on him, seized his phone and began going through it,” IPC stated.

The Executive Director of the IPC, Lanre Arogundade said, “This incessant action or excessive use of force against Daniel Ojukwu is very dangerous to our democracy and a major threat to press freedom. Such acts of brutality also violate the fundamental human rights of the journalist.

“We urge the men of the Nigerian Police Force to be mindful of events around the world and not continually create an environment where journalists will be afraid to work and discharge their duties effectively and efficiently.”

The Centre urged the police public relations officer (PPRO) in the state, Benjamin Hundeyin, to fulfil his promise of looking into the footage of the CCTV and get to the root of the incident.

The IPC called on the Police to take adequate and swift measures to bring the officers who attacked the journalist to book while putting in place machinery to compensate Ojukwu for the inhumane treatment.

“We also call on the Nigeria Police Force to step up the training of its officers to be more respectful and courteous while discharging their duties. They should be reminded constantly that the primary responsibility of the Police is the protection of citizens, including journalists and every other civilian,” IPC added.

In a related development, the Centre called for better understanding of the role of journalists during emergencies to avoid the kind of incident that occurred between the Managing Director of the Nigeria Railways Corporation, Kayode Opeifa and an editor with Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Ladi Bala, following the disruption of rail services between Abuja and Kaduna due to the train derailment.

It said Bala explained how she was verbally abused and threatened by Opeifa.

“Emergency situations would always occur and public officials must always be willing to accommodate journalists’ thirst for credible information at such moments.

“In such circumstance the public interest dictates that those in authority and security agencies should cooperate with journalists, patiently explain any security concerns and generally refrain from comments or gestures that may be interpreted as threats,” Arogundade added.

The ICIR reported on Friday, August 29, that the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, condemned the harassment, intimidation, and verbal abuse of Bala, a transport reporter with NTA, by the NRC boss, and demanded a public apology.

 

Rivers emergency rule to end on September 18, Wike boasts

Bankole ABE
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Rivers emergency rule to end on September 18, Wike boasts

THE Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, boasted on Saturday, August 30, that the state of emergency declared in Rivers State would expire on September 18.

Wike said he was optimistic that with the conduct of the Rivers State Local Government elections, the end of emergency rule in the coastal state was imminent. 

He spoke on Saturday in Rumepirikom, Ward 9, Unit 007, Obio/Akpo Local Government Area of the state after voting in the local government elections.

He told journalists after casting his vote that with the elections conducted, the coast was clear for the state of emergency to be lifted, since both the local and state governments had elected representatives in place.

“I do know that by September 18, the state of emergency will expire, and that would mean that the state governor and state assembly will come back to their job, and we will have a government at the grassroots level,” Wike stated.

Wike, the immediate past governor of the state, commended the conduct of the elections and described it as peaceful.

He expressed delight that people identified with the elections and noted that there had been no reports of violence or ballot box snatching, adding that electoral materials were available, and voters were casting their ballots, which he said showed that the elections were peaceful.

“Of course, we are concerned [about low turnout], but people are trooping out. Before the elections close, you will see the number of persons [increased]. So, we are very happy that, at the end of the day, these elections have been conducted very peacefully and successfully,” he said.

The ICIR reported that there was a heavy presence of security across the state, as residents trooped out to participate in the elections across the state.

The polls are being conducted in all 23 council areas, covering 319 wards and 6,866 polling units.

The polls are taking place under emergency rule, with Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired naval chief, serving as sole administrator of the state following the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, a professor, in March.

Fubara was suspended amid a political crisis between him and his predecessor, Wike.

The election is coming six months after the Supreme Court voided the October 2024 polls earlier conducted by RSIEC under Fubara’s leadership.

Analysts say today’s elections carry significant political weight, as the results could influence the state’s direction ahead of the 2027 governorship race.

UK bans over 100 occupations for foreigners to cut migration

Ehime ALEX
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UK bans over 100 occupations for foreigners to cut migration

THE United Kingdom (UK) said it had removed more than 100 occupations from being filled by foreign workers as part of its drive to cut net migration.

Its Home Office disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, August 30.

The new policy shift is aimed at opening up opportunities for British workers while reshaping its visa system.

“Cutting net migration means getting the fundamentals right.

“More than 100 occupations are no longer eligible for overseas recruitment – opening up more jobs for British workers. A fairer, skills-focused system is now taking shape,” the Home Office stated.

It, however, did not list the 100 occupations restricted from foreign workers.

The ICIR reports that the development is one of the latest decisions by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who took office on July 5, 2024, following Labour’s landslide victory, replacing Rishi Sunak.

Critics, however, warned that the policy could worsen labour shortages in sectors such as health and social care.

The ICIR reported recently that approximately 52,000 Nigerians migrated to the UK in 2024, placing the country among the leading sources of non-EU+ migration to the UK during the year.

It noted that work and study-related immigration was the primary reason Nigerians move to the UK.

Tight security in Rivers as residents elect local government leaders

Bankole ABE
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Tight security in Rivers as residents elect local government leaders

THERE is currently heavy presence of security across Rivers State, as residents trooped out to participate in the local government elections held today, Saturday, August 30, across the state.

The polls are being conducted in all 23 council areas, covering 319 wards and 6,866 polling units.

Security agencies had earlier staged a show of force in Port Harcourt, the state capital, and other big cities on Friday, August 29.

The convoy was led on Friday by the Nigeria Police Force. It included personnel of the Army, Navy, Civil Defence Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps, and other sister agencies, aimed at reassuring residents of safety.

Commenting on security for the poll, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Olugbenga Adepoju, said there were adequate measures in place to secure lives and property before, during, and after the elections.

“Our deployment of personnel and logistics will ensure a free, safe, and credible process,” he stated.

On his part, the chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), Michael Odey, assured voters of the timely distribution of election materials, including in riverine areas, while urging residents to conduct themselves peacefully.

A restriction of movement order between midnight and 6 a.m. was announced on Friday to prevent disruptions.

The polls are taking place under emergency rule, with Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired naval chief, serving as sole administrator of the state following the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, a professor, in March.

Fubara was suspended amid a political crisis between him and his predecessor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The election is coming six months after the Supreme Court voided the October 2024 polls earlier conducted by RSIEC under Fubara’s leadership.

Analysts say today’s elections carry significant political weight, as the results could influence the state’s direction ahead of the 2027 governorship race.

As of press time, voting was ongoing in several polling stations, with security operatives maintaining visibility in identified flashpoints.

In the last LG election that was cancelled by the Supreme Court, tension intensified when the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) said it would not provide security for local council elections held on October 5, 2024.

The State Police command announced its withdrawal from the exercise in a statement posted on its Facebook page and shared on its X handle on Friday, October 4. 

The state went ahead to conduct the poll, and the African People’s Party (APP) won 22 out of the 23 local government chairmanship seats in the election.

Fubara’s preferred candidates were victorious in the poll marred by controversies and security challenges.

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