News

Court sends Fubara’s loyalists to prison after arraignment on terrorism charges

Published

8 months ago

January 25, 2024

Justice Bolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday ordered that the five Port Harcourt-based men arraigned by the Federal Government on terrorism charges be remanded at Kuje Prison in Abuja.

The suspects are to remain in prison custody till February 2 when their respective bail applications would be determined by the judge.

The five defendants are Chime Eguma Ezebalike, Prince Lukman Oladele, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Osiga Donald and Ochueja Thankgod.

In the 7-count charge, the defendants were accused of committing alleged terrorism offences by invading, vandalizing and burning down the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex in the wake of political crisis that rocked the state in October last year.

The crisis followed the face-off between Governor Sim Fubara and his predecessor, Minister of the Federal Capital Terrritory, FCT, Nyesom Wike.

Beside allegedly burning down the State House of Assembly, the suspects were also accused of killing a Superintendent of Police, (SP) Bako Agbashim and five police informants at Ahoada community of the state.

The police informants alleged to have been killed are Charles Osu, Ogbonna Eja, Idaowuka Felix, Paul Victor Chibuogu and Saturday Edi.

The Federal Government also accused them of using various cult groups, namely – Supreme Viking Confraternity, Degbam, Iceland and Greenland – to unleash mayhem on the people of the state and their commercial activities.

However, when the charges against them, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/25/2024, was read, they all pleaded not guilty to the offences.

Although the immediate past factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon Edison Ehie, was not listed in the 7-count terrorism charge, he was however represented in court by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, Oluwole Aladedoyin, on the ground that his name featured prominently in the alleged offences.

He challenged the allegations that he was at large alongside other suspects.

Justice Olajuwon did not however allow further arguments on the ground that he was not yet a defendant in the trial.

Shortly after the arraignment, the leader of the prosecuting team, Audu Garba, applied for a date for full blown trial of the defendants.

However, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Lukman Fagbemi, who stood for Chime Eguma Ezebalike and Prince Lukman Oladele, who are 1st and 2nd defendants, sought to move applications for their bail on the ground that they have been in the police custody since last year.

The government lawyer, Audu Garba, vehemently opposed the motion, arguing that he had just been served with the bail applications and needed time to study them and file a counter affidavit.

Justice Olajuwon agreed with the prosecution lawyer that the bail applications were not ripe for hearing. He subsequently fixed February 2 for hearing of all bail applications.

Pending hearing and determination of the bail applications, the judge ordered that the five defendants be taken to Kuje Prison until the adjourned date.

News

BREAKING: Edo guber: 90.33% results uploaded on IReV – INEC

Published

3 hours ago

September 21, 2024

ARS NEWS

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has successfully uploaded 90.33 per cent of the results from the Edo governorship election to its Results Viewing Portal, IReV, as of the time of filing of this report.

Accordingly, results from 4,082 out of the 4,519 polling units where elections were held in the state have been successfully transmitted on the portal.

This means that only results from 437 PUs are yet to be uploaded on IReV.

Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Edo, Anugbum Onuoha, reassured the public during an interview on Arise Television that electronic transmission of results would proceed smoothly, barring any network disruptions.

“We have trained the operators for the BVAS. They are set. BVAS is to accredit the voters and to know the total number of voters that will vote at that level and that polling unit.

“After that, the voters will start voting. At the end of the day, they will count the results, and it will be uploaded to our IReV,” he assured.

This comes as the Peoples Democratic Party’s Asue Ighodalo, All Progressives Congress’ Monday Okpebholo, Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party and others compete for votes from 2.2 million voters with permanent vote cards across the 18 local government areas in the state.

DAILY POST earlier reported that INEC uploaded 86.55 per cent of the results on IReV.

CREDIT: DAILY POST

News

We’ve been fair in distribution of FG palliatives – Abia Govt

Published

3 hours ago

September 21, 2024

ARS NEWS

The Abia State Government said that it has been fair and transparent in the distribution of the four tranches of the Federal Government palliatives to Abia citizens.

The Special Adviser to the Abia State Governor on Policies and Intervention, Rev. Fr. Christian Anokwuru, stated this in Umuahia while briefing the press on the distribution of the palliatives across the state.

He said that the state government first received a total of 16,800 bags of 50kg rice and 13,260 bags of 50kg maize. The government sold the bags of maize and bought rice instead and then added 4,800 bags of 50 kg rice. As a result, a total of 30,800 bags of 50 kg rice were distributed across the state in the first batch.

Anokwuru noted that the state government equally took delivery of 24,000 bags of 25 kg rice as the second batch of palliatives. Out of these, 19,524 bags were allocated to Abia civil servants from salary grade levels 01 to 08. The remaining 4,476 bags were distributed to persons with disabilities, Nigeria Correctional Centre in Abia, Amaudo Itumbauzo Centre for mentally ill, destitute, orphanages, and widows through the Ministry of Women Affairs in collaboration with the Office of the Wife of the Governor.

According to him, the state government received the third batch of palliative of 13,260 bags of 50kg maize and 3,196 bags of 25kg garri. Of these, 601 bags of maize and 144 bags of garri were given to each of the 17 LGAs, while faith-based organisations received 156 bags of maize and 38 bags of garri. Boarding schools received 23 bags of maize and six bags of garri.

In June 2024, the state received the fourth batch of palliative consisting of 8,900 bags of urea and NPK fertilisers, which will be distributed across 15 LGAs, excluding Aba North and Aba South LGAs, as well as a few wards in Obingwa and Osisioma LGAs, which are urban areas with minimal farming activities.

CREDIT: DIALY POST

News

Edo Governorship Election: Live results from polling units trickle in

Published

3 hours ago

September 21, 2024

ARS NEWS

Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, have started announcing results from polling units in the ongoing governorship election in Edo State.

Voting has ended in most polling units and results are being counted and announced in the presence of party agents and voters.

DAILY POST reports that the leading contenders for Saturday’s election include Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress and Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata.

Follow this thread for results from Polling Units, PUs.

Location: PU11, Ward 06, Oredo LGA

Results

PDP: 41

APC: 19

LP: 32

Ward 3, Unit 21, Etsako West

Results

APC: 28

PDP: 30

LP: 11

NNPP: 1

PU05, Ward02 GRA/Etete, Oredo LGA
Results
APC: 15
PDP: 58
LP: 12
The following results are from OREDO WARD 1.
UNIT18
APC—25
LB—-23
PDP—-104
VOID VOTE —2
UNIT19
APC—8
LB—10
PDP—-46
VOID VOTE 0
Unit 20
APC—-38
LB—-10
PDP—105
VOID VOTE —4
UNIT21
APC—-19
LB—-4
PDP—41
VOID VOTE—6
PU62, Ward 01, Ogbe, Oredo LGA, Edo state.
APC: 13
PDP: 19
LP: 02
Location: Ward 11 Unit 14 Etsako West LGA
Result
APC: 157
PDP: 35
ADP: 2
LP: 7
Location: PU1, Okada primary school, Ovia north/east
PDP=51
APC=51
LP=4
Location: PU2, Okada primary school, Ovia north/east
PDP=57
APC=36
LP=2
Location: PU3, Okada primary school, Ovia north/east
PDP=45
APC=25
LP=1
Location: PU21, Amufi primary school, ward 3
PDP=136
APC=38
LP=8
PU001, Uwessan 1, Esan Central LGA
APC: 102
PDP: 1
LP: 1
PU2, Afegbua primary school, Etsako East LGA
PDP: 121
APC: 128
NNPP: 1
Ward 11 PU13 Etsako West LGA
APC: 136
PDP: 34
LP: 4
Location: PU21, Amufi primary school, ward 3
PDP=136
APC=38
LP=8
Location: PU1, Okada primary school, Ovia north/east
PDP=51
APC=51
LP=4
Location: PU2, Okada primary school, Ovia north/east
PDP=57
APC=36
LP=2
Location: PU3, Okada primary school, Ovia north/east
PDP=45
APC=25
LP=1
PU3, Ward 1, Ewohimi, Esan south-east, Edo state
APC 45
PDP 200
Oshiomhole’s polling unit
Ward 10 PU 1 Etsako West
APC: 403
PDP: 1
ADC: 1
PU14, Community Hall Idumodin, Orhionmwon LGA, Igbanke West ward 12
PDP: 95
APC: 84
LP: 5
PU1, Orhionmwon LGA, Igbanke west ward 12, Idumodin Primary School, Idumodin III (Community Hall)
APC: 67
PDP: 35
LP: 2
PU4, Egor LGA, Egor ward 4, Egor secondary school, Egor I
APC: 21
PDP: 32
LP: 5
PU10, Orhionawon LGA, Ugboko ward 5, Ugbugo, Ugbugo Town Hall II
APC: 26
PDP: 11
LP: 0
PU7, Agbor/Ogbokpa primary school, Ewatto ward 3, Esan south LGA
APC: 131
PDP: 78
LP: 0
PU6, ward 14, Oluku, Ovia north east LGA
PDP: 84
LP: 21
APC: 11
PU20, Oredo LGA, Unueru/Ogboka ward 10, Ogboka/Unueru III, Urubi Primary School II
APC: 54
PDP: 46
LP: 4
Edo guber election result
PU14, Urora-Akengbuda Primary school VIII, Ikpoba/Okha LGA, Aduwawa/Evbo Modu ward 4
PDP: 90
APC: 23
LP: 3
PU15, Ujoelen-Ugha Square, Emuhi/ Ukpenu/Ujoelenu/Igor ward 7, Esan West LGA
PDP: 96
APC: 100
LP: 4
PU13, Uromi-Amedokhian primary school IV, Amedokhian ward 7, Esan north-east LGA
APC: 130
PDP: 119
LP: 1