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Barely hours before the governorship election in Bayelsa State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the abduction of its Supervisory Presiding Officer (SPO) deployed in Ossioma in Sagbama Local Government Area of the state.

The official’s abduction was announced late Friday by Wilfred Ifogah, INEC’s HOD of Voter Education and Publicity in Bayelsa.

The SPO, an ad-hoc staff member of INEC, was reportedly abducted while waiting to board a boat at Amassoma Jetty in Sagbama LGA.

The electoral umpire said security agencies have been alerted, and efforts are underway to secure the safe release of the official.

Meanwhile, comes as a boat conveying election personnel and materials capsized on its way to Koluama Registration Area-17 in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.

According to Ifogah, “..result sheets, power banks and luggage containing personal effects of staff” were lost in the boat mishap.

Ifogah, however, noted that no life was lost as all the election personnel numbering 12 and the boat operator were rescued.

The affected Registration Area, Koluama-17, has a total of 5,368 registered voters, with 5,311 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collected. INEC said it is actively working to ensure that the election in this area proceeds as planned, despite the setback caused by the boat mishap.

Earlier, the INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, said all sensitive and non-sensitive materials for the off-cycle elections in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo State had been delivered.

The INEC boss, who stated this on Thursday in Abuja, said 5,169,692 Nigerians who collected their PVCs are expected to vote in the governorship elections in the three states.

Speaking in Yanagoa, the Bayelsa capital on Wednesday, Yakubu said “I want to let you know that our BIVAS have been customized for INEC, so INEC details and the name of the parties are on the BIVAS, so any BIVAS you see without INEC details cannot be from INEC.

“Another thing, we have the list of the serial number of the BIVAS we are going to use, the result sheets will be signed at the polling units.

“Where there is violence, it will be zero, we will not return to that polling unit to conduct the election.

“We have recruited and carefully trained all categories of ad-hoc staff to be deployed to the field, all non-sensitive materials have been distributed to all the eight local government area offices of the state, voter education and sensitization is ongoing,” he said at a stakeholders meeting, represented by the INEC National Commissioner supervising Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa and Rivers, Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu.

Yakubu added, “We have made arrangements for the transportation of personnel and materials to ensure that the polling unit opens on schedule on election day.

“For more effective supervision of the process, we are deploying two National Commissioners, and eight resident electoral Commissioners to support our office in Bayelsa, I wish to assure you of our commitment to a free, fair and credible election come Saturday.”

Protesting women in Yenagoa the Bayelsa State capital calling for the removal of the Commissioner of Police, CP Tolani Alausa on Friday, were teargased by the police.

The women all clad in black outfits trooped out to counter an earlier protest by a group, styled ‘Concerned Bayelsans’ who took to the street in support of the CP.

The ‘Concerned Bayelsans’ protest led by Preye Agama, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in the state were armed with placards some of which read “IG thank You for Returning Bayelsa Commissioner of Police,” ” With You we are safe, thank you”.

Speaking with newsmen, Agama said they were in support of the Inspector General of Police for bringing back the Police Commissioner, Tolani Alausa who was rumoured to have been redeployed to the force headquarters.

He said: “The government of the day is angry with the CP because he is giving Bayelsans a level playing field to go into a free and fair election.”

But in a counter move, hundreds of women decked in black attire marched to the state police command, demanding the removal of the CP. 

The protesters mainly women, also called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to ensure a peaceful poll in the state.

However, police operatives opened fire on the placards and leaf-carrying women chanting ‘we need peace, CP must go,” “Bayelsa, we need peace, no to corruption.”

Hundreds of youths and women from the Muslim community in Plateau State have joined the protests over Court of Appeal judgements which nullified the election of two senators and four other members of the House of Representatives elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The protest came on the heels of the massive protests which brought together youths from the 17 local government areas of the state, who barricaded major streets like the Old Airport Junction and Mararaba Jama‘a, demanding the review of the judgements by the Appeal Court.

The youths unanimously described the development as an act of injustice and an attempt to rob the state of the mandate the people gave to the PDP.

The secretary of Hausa/Fulani PDP Forum, Abdulkarim Yaro, called on the National Judicial Council, NJC, to review the Appeal Court judgements which were hinged on a pre-election matter that the Appeal Tribunal does not have the jurisdiction to entertain.

According to Yaro, “We got up to express our displeasure with the recent judgements by the Appeal Court because we know we have been robbed of our mandate. In other states, this issue has been taken as a pre-election matter, but why is the case of Plateau different?

“We from the Muslim community, align our voice with all the groups from Plateau who came out to speak against this injustice, we were to protest but the police said no, so as law-abiding citizens, we have no other option than to obey but we demand that the whole nation should look at Plateau. Why are we treated differently?” he lamented

Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has said his predecessor and FCT minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike remains his oga (principal).

Fubara stated this in Port Harcourt at the rededication service of the 2023/2024 Legal Year of the Rivers State Judiciary that was equally attended by Wike on Thursday.

The moment Governor Fubara and Wike met at the rededication service of the 2023/2024 Legal Year at the Saint Cyprian’s Anglican Church in Port Harcourt.

It was the first time both politicians would be meeting in public since the political crisis that rocked Rivers State recently.

Fubara described the recent political crisis in the state as a thing of the past, calling again for peace in the oil-rich state.

“My oga remains my oga. Whatever that has happened is in the past. I have not sent anybody to malign anybody,” Fubara declared boldly.

He said that although it has been a trying time for the state, the current phase of political misunderstanding will pass and the promises his administration made to the people will be delivered.

Fubara also warned those pledging support for him to stop using abusive words on perceived opponents, saying that he did not authorise them to malign anybody.

According to him, “in trying to attain development, the devil will always attack, but that what is most important is to “identify the devil and push it out”.

Wike who is the FCT Minister arrived at the church service almost at the end and had a handshake with his successor before sitting on the same row with him while the service lasted.

The Nigerian government has deployed a contingent of soldiers, police personnel, and operatives from other security agencies to disperse Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) members at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

The NLC and TUC members had assembled at the Abuja airport to enforce their directive to aviation workers, urging them to halt all flights to Owerri, Imo State.

The action was prompted by the reported assault on NLC President Joe Ajaero by police personnel allegedly affiliated with Governor Hope Uzodimma’s administration.

Ajaero was reportedly subjected to physical assault and blindfolded following his arrest by security operatives, according to a statement released by the NLC last week.

The union also highlighted that Ajaero’s confiscated belongings, including his phone, had not been returned.

At the protest scene, union members sang and chanted, displaying banners with messages like ‘We Stand With Oppressed Imo State Workers – An Injury To One Is An Injury To All.’

One of the protesters informed Sahara Reporters that security forces comprising the Department of State Security, Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps were at the airport with instructions to disperse the gathering by force. However, no confrontation had commenced at the time of reporting.

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Thursday presented a N273 billion budget for 2024 to the State House of Assembly.

The budget, christened “Budget of Reconstruction and Recovery,” has an estimate of Two Hundred and Seventy- Three Billion, Nine Hundred and Eight Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety -Seven Thousand, Four Hundred and Ten Naira (N273,908,997,410).

Speaking to lawmakers at the assembly, Adeleke said the figure is made up of recurrent expenditure of One Hundred and Sixty–Five Billion, Six Hundred and Fifty–Four Million, Nine Hundred and Seventy – Six Thousand, Seven Hundred Naira (N165,654,976,700) and capital expenditure of One Hundred and Eight Billion, Two Hundred and Fifty – Four Million, Twenty Thousand, Seven Hundred and Ten Naira (N108,254,020,710).

“The tag for this budget reflects our current focus of rebuilding the battered state we inherited,” Adeleke said. “It is a sign that we are targeting recovery after successfully revamping all sectors of Osun society,” he said.

Adeleke assured lawmakers that the executive arm has the will and determination to ensure the achievement of budgetary goals once the proposal is passed into law.

“Today, I am reassured of our collective partnership for a new Osun of our dream,” he said. “You have in me a governor with firm belief in executive-legislative collaboration for development.”

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Southwest Zone D extends its heartfelt congratulations to Asefon Sunday Dayo, the former NANS National President, on his recent appointment as the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Students’ Affairs to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This appointment stands as a testament to Asefon Sunday Dayo’s dedication, leadership, and unwavering commitment to the welfare of Nigerian students.

NANS Southwest Zone D applauds the decision of the President of Nigeria in recognizing Asefon Sunday Dayo’s exemplary service and entrusting him with this significant role. We believe that his wealth of experience and deep understanding of students’ issues will contribute immensely to the formulation of student-friendly policies and initiatives at the national level.

Asefon Sunday Dayo, hailing from the Southwest, has always been a staunch advocate for the rights and well-being of Nigerian students. His appointment brings pride not only to our region but to the entire student community across the nation. We are confident that he will continue to champion the cause of students and work tirelessly to improve the educational sector in Nigeria.

NANS Southwest Zone D pledges its support to Asefon Sunday Dayo in his new role and expresses optimism that under his guidance, students’ concerns will be effectively addressed, leading to a brighter future for education in our country. We look forward to collaborating closely with him to ensure that the voice of the students is heard and their needs are met on a national level.

Once again, we congratulate Asefon Sunday Dayo on this well-deserved appointment and wish him success in his endeavors as the SSA Students to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The nationwide industrial strike called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday has left passengers stranded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja,

Passengers who arrived at the airport on Thursday morning, some unaware of the impending strike, found themselves stranded as the NLC shut down both the entrance and exit gates of the airport, thereby disrupting flight operations.

An eyewitness captured the scene in a video shared with Leading Reporters, revealing the plight of passengers who were forced to trek on the road leading to the airport.

Some even resorted to using a path through the bush in order to access the airport.

The eyewitness, who gave his name simply as Alex, said: “When I came this morning, I saw that the road leading to the airport was blocked. Initially, I thought it was the typical traffic jam that passengers sometimes experience at the airport. However, about 10 minutes later, more than 30 vehicles had queued behind me.

“I had come to pick up someone from the private jet wing of the airport. When I eventually managed to exit the traffic congestion, I and some other people had to follow a path through the bush to access the airport,” the eyewitness added.

Leading Reporters had earlier reported that the leaderships of the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) declared a total nationwide strike over the brutalisation of NLC National President, Joe Ajaero, by the police in Imo State last week.

Consequently, the NLC handed the Federal Government a five-day ultimatum to replace the Imo State police commissioner as well as the arrest and prosecution of some of the aides of Governor Hope Uzodimma said to be linked with the alleged assault on Ajaero.

The unions also demanded the arrest and prosecution of the Special Adviser to the Imo State governor on Special Duties.

While the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, had ordered the redeployment of the Imo police commissioner, the unions said their other demands have yet to be met, hence the strike action.

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has approves the posting and redeployment of 40 Senior Police Officers comprising 14 Assistant Inspectors General of Police and 26 Commissioners of Police to various Commands and Formations in the country with immediate effect.

A statement by the force says it is in line with the IGPs mandate to have a professionally competent, service driven, rule of law compliant, and people friendly Police Force, and to reflect the new status of senior officers who were recently elevated to their next ranks.

i AIG Ogundele Joshua Ayodeji
– Zone 7 Abuja

ii. AIG Patrick Ogon Edung
Zone 11 Osogbo –

iii. AIG Badru Banji Lawal,
Border Patrol FHQ –

Are Amongst the fourteen AIGs posted to zones, while

CP Disu Olatunji Rilwan- Rivers State,

CP George Chijioke Chuku -Benue State

and CP Ahmed Abdullahi Tijani- Jigawa State are among the 26 CPs posted to commands and formations

The Inspector General of Police enjoins the newly posted/redeployed officers to work in tandem with the Force policy and support the agenda of government for economic recovery and growth the socio-political development of the country.

While stressing the importance of entrenching professionalism and diligent policing services to all officers and men in their commands, the IGP calls on them to partner with all relevant stakeholders to bring policing closer to the people.