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Edo Community Apreciates COAS Over Peaceful Coexistence
The Idumwowina Community in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo has appreciated the Chief of Army Staff (COAS ), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, for providing safety net for the indigenes, especially at the Yuletide.
The Odionwere (most elderly) of the community, Pa Daniel Osunde, made the commendation in a statement issued on Sunday in Benin.
He attributed the conspicuous presence of the military in the area as being responsible for the recent experiences of safety and security of lives and property in the community.
According to him, the activities of Operation Still Water 111 and the recent inauguration of the COAS sponsored Civil Military Cooperation Project, the “Pa Igbinomwanhia Uyigue Multi-Purpose Hall”, in the community are commendable and lofty projects.
The Odionwere, while appreciating the COAS and the son of the community, Maj-Gen. Sunday Igbinomwanhia, who attracted and executed the project, noted that the hall would be a veritable source of revenue generation to the community.
“We look forward to good-spirited people and NGOs interested in conducting skill acquisition training for the youths and the disadvantaged in the society to take advantage of the availability of the Multi-Purpose Hall to carry out skill acquisition training programmes for youths of the community in particular and the LGA in general.
“The hall will also help the government in addressing the unemployment problem and in curbing the security challenges experienced across the state and the country,” he said.
Pa Osunde further extolled the past contributions of the project executor, who is also the Force Commander, Operation Whirl Stroke, for the development of the community.
He particularly recalled, among others, his free medical outreach, renovation of primary school in the community, the provision of educational materials, including books, writing and teaching aids, to the pupils and the school authority, the provision of a lawn mower to the school and palliatives to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lagbaja, had on Dec. 5, inaugurated a 200-capacity Multi-Purpose Hall, fitted with modern accessories as part of the Civil-Military Cooperation project of the Nigerian Army.
Lagbaja was represented by the Chief of Transformation and Innovation in the Nigerian Army, Maj-Gen. Zakari Abubakar.
He had said: “The commissioning of this special intervention civil-military cooperation project represents a significant achievement in the Nigerian Army’s efforts to fulfill its constitutional responsibilities of carrying out crucial activities towards the realisation of our non-kinetic drives.’’
Lagbaja had also extolled Maj-Gen. Igbinomwanhia, describing him as a gallant, responsible and forthright officer who had contributed his quota excellently to the success story of the Nigerian Army over the years.
While thanking the government and the good people of Edo for their support to the Nigerian Army, Lagbaja disclosed that the project was among the 220 COAS sponsored civil-military cooperation projects executed so far nationwide.
According to him, the projects are having a huge impact on the benefiting communities and are a testament to the commitment to building a safer and more prosperous Nigeria.
The Anambra Government has imposed a one-month sanction on Blossom Fount School, Awka, for allegedly selling the position of head prefect during a student election.
This was disclosed in a statement on Saturday by the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh.
According to the commissioner, the school reportedly demanded N5,000 from each pupil aspiring to become head prefect in the primary section.
Chuma-Udeh condemned the act, describing it as an attempt to “sell the psyche of the children to the highest bidder from the cradle.”
According to her, such practices are unacceptable under the administration of Gov. Chukwuma Soludo.
She said that an investigation was ongoing to examine the school’s broader management practices, with the possibility of further actions based on the findings.
Former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the arrest and continued detention of former House of Representatives member, Muhammad Kazaure, describing it as a violation of due process.
In a statement shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday, Atiku said Kazaure’s detention reflects a brazen disregard for the rule of law, accusing the anti-graft agency of operating beyond the limits of the Nigerian Constitution.
Atiku alleged that the EFCC is increasingly becoming a tool for political repression, citing what he called a troubling pattern of lawlessness under the current administration.
He said, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has once again plunged headlong into its well-worn pattern of lawlessness, arresting and detaining citizens with brazen disregard for due process and without offering any justification for its actions.”
Atiku also referenced the recent arrest of social commentator Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, whose release followed intense public pressure. He suggested that Kazaure’s case fits into a broader trend of state institutions being used to silence dissenting voices.
“We witnessed this same abuse in the unlawful arrest and detention of Mr. Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, whose release was only secured after massive public outrage and pressure.
“Now, the EFCC has targeted Hon. Muhammad Kazaure, a former member of the House of Representatives and an unapologetic critic of the gross misgovernance and failings of the Tinubu administration.
“Abducted in Kano and whisked away to Abuja, Kazaure is presently being held incommunicado, with no formal charge or explanation offered to his family, legal team, or the Nigerian people.
“Let it be stated without equivocation: even if there were legitimate grounds for arresting any citizen, such action must adhere strictly to the rule of law. The EFCC is duty-bound to publicly disclose the reasons for any arrest and must not detain individuals indefinitely under the guise of investigation.
“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is unequivocal on this matter—every detainee must be promptly charged to court or released. By once again trampling on the fundamental rights of a Nigerian citizen, the EFCC is entrenching itself deeper into the mire of impunity and constitutional delinquency.
“It’s deafening silence regarding the arrest of Hon. Kazaure, a man who represented the good people of Kazaure, Roni, Gwiwa, and Yankwashi federal constituency, lays bare the agency’s contempt for transparency and justice.
Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has ignited social media buzz after posting a 15-second TikTok video set to the trending song Omo Ologo — a track closely linked with President Bola Tinubu.
The video, shared on her TikTok page on May 8, shows the embattled lawmaker smiling and playfully interacting with the camera. Captioned, “Just for fun, song choked,” the post has drawn mixed reactions online, with some interpreting it as a light-hearted moment, while others suspect a deeper political undertone.
The video comes just days after the song Omo Ologo was performed live by Kano-based singer Dauda Kahutu Rarara during a dinner in Katsina State held in honour of President Tinubu, who was on a two-day working visit to assess security in the region.
The song, which blends Hausa and Yoruba, praises Tinubu as a victorious leader who has outlasted his critics.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s TikTok post follows a series of dramatic exchanges between her and Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The senator was suspended from the upper legislative chamber in March after accusing Akpabio of sexual harassment — an allegation that triggered heated debate in the National Assembly.
In what appeared to be a bold response to her suspension, Akpoti-Uduaghan recently posted a sarcastic apology video to Akpabio on Facebook, in which she claimed she was sorry “for the crime of maintaining dignity and self-respect.”
The post was accompanied by a short video, further fueling controversy.
Akpabio’s legal team has since approached a federal high court in Abuja, seeking an order compelling the senator to delete the post from her social media pages.
In a counter-affidavit filed by her lawyer, Jubril Okutepa (SAN), Akpoti-Uduaghan’s camp described the motion as an attempt to silence and intimidate her.
The court is expected to rule on the matter on May 12.