Headlines

The Deputy Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon. Maria Oligbi-Edeko, has resigned from her position.

Oligbi-Edeko, who represents Esan North-East II, announced her resignation during plenary on Monday in Benin City, the state capital.

Her decision follows the recent shift in the Assembly’s political balance, after several members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including the Speaker, defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), rendering the PDP a minority in the House.

Oligbi-Edeko was elected Deputy Speaker on June 16, 2023. Following her resignation, lawmakers unanimously elected Hon. Osamwonyi Atu, who represents Orhionmwon East under the APC, as the new Deputy Speaker.

During the session, Majority Leader Hon. Jonathan Aigbokhan moved a motion requesting that all entitlements due to the office of the Deputy Speaker be accorded to Oligbi-Edeko. The motion was seconded by Minority Leader Hon. Charity Airobarueghian and was unanimously adopted.

In her resignation letter, Oligbi-Edeko cited the need to uphold justice, fairness, and equity across all constituencies. She also expressed appreciation to PDP leaders and members for the opportunity to serve her constituency in the House.

Fellow lawmakers commended her commitment and dedication to public service.

Finnish prosecutors on Friday announced that Nigerian separatist leader Simon Ekpa has been charged with inciting terrorism through online platforms.

In a statement, Finland’s National Prosecution Authority confirmed it had charged “a Finnish individual in a case involving suspected public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent and participation in the activities of a terrorist group.”

The alleged offences were committed in the city of Lahti between 2021 and 2024, and are linked to efforts aimed at securing the independence of Nigeria’s Biafra region.

While the prosecution authority did not name the individual, Finnish public broadcaster YLE identified the suspect as Simon Ekpa, who claims to head the Biafra Republic Government in Exile.

Ekpa was detained in November and, according to authorities, remains in custody. He has denied all charges.

President Bola Tinubu on Friday received the newly crowned Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The visit marked the monarch’s first official audience with the President since his coronation on April 12, 2025.

Oba Owoade arrived at the Villa shortly after Jumaat prayers and was received following Tinubu’s closed-door meeting with service chiefs and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

During the monarch’s coronation ceremony in Oyo town, Tinubu—represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima—had charged the new Alaafin to promote unity among the Yoruba people and contribute to national cohesion.

Details later

Troops of 6 Brigade Nigerian Army and Sector 3 of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), in collaboration with personnel of Operation Safe Haven, have neutralized two suspected bandits and recovered approximately 1,000 stolen cattle during a joint operation in Taraba and Plateau States.

The successful operation followed actionable intelligence that armed bandits, riding in a convoy of about 30 motorcycles, had crossed from Plateau into Taraba State to carry out a cattle rustling attack on a Fulani settlement near Jebjeb Village in Karim Lamido Local Government Area.

According to a statement issued by the Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 6 Brigade, Captain Olubodunde Oni, the operation was part of the ongoing security initiative code-named Operation Lafiya Jama’a, aimed at bolstering efforts to combat criminal activity across Taraba and its surrounding states.

Responding swiftly, troops of 6 Brigade in Taraba coordinated with their counterparts from Operation Safe Haven in the Kampani axis of Wase Local Government Area, Plateau State. The combined forces pursued the fleeing assailants into Komodoro village, where they were intercepted in Daji Madam Forest.

A fierce exchange of gunfire ensued during which two bandits were neutralized, and the troops succeeded in recovering roughly 1,000 rustled cattle.

The recovered animals were safely returned to the Jebjeb community in Karim Lamido LGA, where local authorities have taken custody.

The Nigerian Army reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining the fight against banditry and ensuring peace and security in the region.

The South-East Zonal Executive Committee (ZEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned it may review its relationship with the party if its recommendation of Sunday Udeh-Okoye as National Secretary is not honoured.

The threat was issued in a communique released on Wednesday at the end of the committee’s meeting held at the Government House in Enugu, the Enugu State capital.

Reading the communique, ZEC Chairman, Ali Odefa, emphasized the South-East’s unwavering loyalty to the PDP since its formation, noting that the zone has remained steadfast even as members in other regions continue to defect from the party.

The zonal leadership called on the National Working Committee (NWC) to respect its earlier decision, urging that the Deputy National Secretary immediately assume the role of Acting National Secretary pending the formal ratification of a substantive secretary by the National Executive Committee (NEC), in line with recommendations from the PDP Governors’ Forum as adopted by the NWC.

“The South East ZEC exhaustively deliberated on the directive of the NWC and came to the conclusion that it offered a sure pathway to peace, unity, stability, and progress of our party,” the statement read. “Consequently, the ZEC unanimously recommended Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the candidate to complete the term of office of the National Secretary.”

The South-East PDP warned that further delay in honouring its position could force it to reconsider its place within the party.

“The South East has consistently served as a stronghold of the PDP from inception. In PDP’s near three-decade existence, we have given our loyalty and all to the party,” the caucus stated.

It noted that, while the PDP continues to lose members following the 2023 general elections, the South-East has remained proactive in strengthening the party, citing recent high-profile defections into the PDP from the Labour Party in Enugu.

The zonal leadership appealed to the national leadership to act swiftly on the matter, saying that prompt resolution would put an end to the “needless lingering dispute.”