News
Tragic Stampede Claims Ten Lives at Holy Trinity Church Food Distribution in Abuja

By Nathaniel Irobi
A devastating stampede occurred during a food distribution event at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, Abuja, on Saturday morning, resulting in the loss of ten lives, including four children. The tragic incident unfolded around 6:30 a.m. and also left eight individuals injured.
Among the injured, four have received treatment and been discharged, while the remaining victims continue to receive medical care.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command confirmed the incident through a statement from its spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh. The Command expressed condolences to the families of those who perished and wished a swift recovery to the injured.
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Akpabio Did Not Influence Elisha Abbo’s Removal From Senate, Says Aide

Eseme Eyiboh, special adviser on media and publicity to Godswill Akpabio, has refuted Elisha Abbo’s claims that the senate president orchestrated his removal as the senator representing Adamawa north.
In October 2023, the court of appeal in Abuja annulled the election of Abbo and declared Amos Yohanna, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the rightful winner of the senatorial race.
Speaking on the Arise News programme PrimeTime, Abbo claimed that Akpabio had warned him in advance that five senators would be removed.
“He told me that five senators would be removed. I asked how he knew, and he said, ‘I am the senate president. I know’. True to his words, five of us were removed. I had no idea that I was one of them,” he said.
However, in a statement released Thursday, Eyiboh criticised Abbo’s allegations, calling them an attempt to deflect responsibility for his legal troubles.
Eyiboh pointed out that Abbo had retracted a similar accusation in 2023, acknowledging that his previous claims were premature and based on faulty information.
He noted that the court of appeal’s ruling, which found Abbo’s election invalid, was made after a “thorough” legal process in line with the constitution.
“It is sad and regrettable that despite publicly retracting a similar allegation in 2023—after admitting that his earlier accusation was premature and based on the available information at our disposal—Mr. Abbo has once again embarked on a campaign of misinformation and blame transfer,” Eyiboh said.
“Following a discussion with the Senate President last year, Mr. Abbo himself acknowledged that Senator Akpabio had no involvement in the judicial process that led to his removal. It is puzzling that he would now return to the same baseless allegations he once renounced.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Court of Appeal, after a thorough legal process, ruled unequivocally that Mr. Abbo’s presence in the Red Chamber was in error. The court determined that he was not validly elected as the Senator for Adamawa North, and consequently, he was removed.
“The court acted in accordance with the extant laws and the Constitution within its sacred duty to uphold the rule of law. Senator Akpabio, a seasoned lawyer and democrat, holds the independence of the judiciary in the highest regard and would never interfere in its processes.
“It is therefore both illogical and irresponsible for Mr. Abbo to now turn around and allege that the Senate President influenced a court judgment—a judgment which he himself accepted at the time and for which he expressed contrition for his earlier unfounded claims.”
In response to Abbo’s claims about being denied official benefits after his ouster, Eyiboh clarified that Akpabio only approves payments that have been vetted according to senate procedures.
“Mr. Abbo has also sought to create the impression that he was unjustly denied official benefits following his ouster. He claims entitlement to salaries, allowances, and even an official vehicle, despite the court’s declaration that his tenure was null and void ab initio,” he added.
“In matters of financial and administrative processing, it must be stated that the Senate President only approves payments that have been duly vetted and forwarded by the appropriate administrative units, in line with extant laws, Senate procedures, and standard due diligence practices.
“If any of Mr. Abbo’s claims for payment did not reach the desk of the Senate President, it is because they failed to meet these lawful standards—not because of any personal or political vendetta.”
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Illegal Detention: IPOB Lawyer Writes Police Chiefs, Says Officers Ruined Young Marriage

A legal practitioner, Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor is demanding that the police hierarchy should investigate the arrest, brutalisation, torture, and detention of a business woman, Joy-Smart Chinenye by the monitoring unit personnel of the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, based on a petition filed by her husband, George Obinna Smart Unaegbu, over alleged debt to him.
The incident which took place on Sunday (Mothers Day) was said to have elicited a serious drama, wild condemnation and is already causing ripples among the police hierarchy.
Ejiofor, also a lawyer to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), in her petition to the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Retired DIG Hashimu Argungu and Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on behalf of his client, said the action of the officers have succeeded in destroying a young, promising marriage and exposing private marital issues to the public.
The petition reads, “We are Solicitors to Mrs. Joy-Smart Chinenye (hereinafter referred to as “Our client”) and we write under her explicit instruction and mandate, to petition for a thorough investigation into the unprofessional conduct of the officers mentioned above.
FACTS
“Our client is an industrious, hardworking, and responsible mother and wife to Mr. Obinna George Smart Unegbu, residing in Lagos.
“Our client has been married to Mr. Obinna George Smart for over a decade, and their union has been blessed with three intelligent children. The couple faced struggles at the beginning of their marriage but worked hard to establish one of the best private schools in the South-East, achieving excellence and financial success.
“Despite occasional domestic disagreements, our client never imagined that her husband would engage police officers to subject her to inhumane treatment, abuse, bullying, and torture, for no justifiable cause.
“Our client’s ordeal began on March 27, 2025, over a dispute regarding the late remittance of business funds by her husband, for which she had set a deadline, to the knowledge and approval of her husband. On this March 27, 2025, the trio of CSP…, 2/C … and ASP …stormed their matrimonial home in Lagos, demanding to see our client in the presence of her husband and children. Her attention was immediately called to the presence of the strange visitors in their home, and for which she quickly came downstairs to ascertain their mission.
“To our client’s greatest shock, the officers claimed they were from Area H Command Headquarters, Ikeja, and were acting on a petition filed by her husband, for which they will require her explanation regarding issues raised in the petition, which content they equally refused to disclose to our client at the material time in question. Right before our client’s children, her husband instructed the officers to immediately handcuff her and take her away. However, on our client’s insistence, a female member of this team escorted her to her room to change to a casual wear.
“Our client never resisted arrest but was denied the opportunity to contact her lawyer. The officers confiscated her mobile devices immediately and whisked her away in handcuffs, treating her with the greatest disdain as if she was a common criminal.
“Upon arrival at Area H Command Headquarters, Ikeja, our client was shown a petition from her husband regarding a financial transaction. She provided a detailed response, stating that her husband also owed her money. Despite her detailed explanation, the officers subjected our client to slapping, torture, and bullying to force her to pay the alleged debt, which she was told was the only condition that would guarantee her freedom.
“Our client’s husband witnessed all the abuse without intervening, as he was signalling approval for the apparent dehumanizing treatment. Overwhelmed and eager to return to her children, our client agreed to pay N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira Only) out of the alleged debt of N15,000,000.00 (Fifteen Million Naira Only). The officers provided an account number, to which she transferred the funds. An indication that what the officers actually set out to achieve primarily, was to recover the alleged debt our client allegedly owed the husband. A copy of the transaction receipt is attached herewith for your ease of reference, Sir.
“Even after the payment, the officers insisted that our client must commit to settling the balance or remain detained, for which she refused and challenged them to either release or kill her if that was the penalty she would pay for allegedly owing her husband. It was at this juncture that the officers revealed to our client that they were from the IGP Monitoring Unit, Abuja, and would transfer her to Abuja since she refused to make further payment.
“Our client was detained in FCID Unit, Panti, Lagos overnight and on March 28, 2025, was handcuffed, dragged through the Lagos Airport, and flown to Abuja against her will. In Abuja, our client was taken to the IGP Monitoring Unit, for an interface with the officer in charge of the team, where she endured further abuse, threats, bullying and intimidation, as the officer in charge also insisted that our client must settle the alleged indebtedness before she would regain her freedom.
“When our client refused to make additional payments, in settlement of the alleged outstanding sum, she was ordered to be transferred to the Abattoir-SARS detention facility- a centre known for housing criminals, kidnappers, and terrorists. In this facility, our client was made to share a cell with notorious criminals who also attacked and molested her, but for divine intervention, she could have been permanently disabled.
“Throughout our client’s illegal detention in Abuja, she was repeatedly taken to unknown locations at wee hours of the night for further coercion, bullying, threats and intimidation to pay this money. It will be pertinent that an investigation is conducted for further revelation on other malfeasance that was meted to her during this period she was taken outside the detention facility.
“On one occasion, our client was taken outside the facility in the night, her phone was given back to her, and she was forced to call her cousin, to demand help with the payment, an indication that she was principally held on account of her inability to settle this alleged outstanding indebtedness.
“This torment continued until our intervention secured her release in the late night of March 30, 2025, with the obvious assistance of the Police High Command. However, the physical and emotional scars remain.
Findings
“It is crystal clear that from the trajectory of the foregoing accounts, the officers are under no illusion that they were procured by our client’s husband to engage in debt recovery. It is a matter of common knowledge that your good offices had on several occasions issued clear directives, prohibiting police personnel from engaging in debt recovery.
“Our client was arrested in Lagos, subsequently transferred to Abuja, and subjected to torture, bullying, threats and intimidation, despite knowing that the subject matter was a civil matter, particularly between a husband and his wife.
“The officers coerced our client into paying N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira Only) into a strange bank account, not her husband’s account, and insisted she settle the alleged balance before her release, and her failure to settle the balance led to subsequent grave inhuman treatment meted to her.
“The actions of these officers have succeeded in destroying a young, promising marriage and exposing private marital issues to the public, which would have been totally avoidable and unnecessary if the officers had acted with circumspect and utmost professionalism.
Prayers
“Given these serious violations, we respectfully urge the Chairman to:
Launch a comprehensive investigation into these disturbing allegations that bothers on unethical conduct of the trio of CSP …, 2/C …, and ASP ….
“Take appropriate disciplinary action against these officers for their gross abuse of power.
“Recover and return the N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira Only) extorted from our client.
“Restore public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force by ensuring that officers adhere to ethical standards. We trust in your swift intervention, Sir, to deliver justice and uphold the integrity of the Force. Please, accept the assurances of our highest regards, Sir.”
News
Sokoto Governor Bags ANCOPS’s Excellence Award In Education

BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto
In view of his numerous contributions to human capital development especially in the education sector, the Sokoto state chapter of All Nigerian Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPPS) has conferred the award of Best Performing Governor on the state governor Ahmed Aliyu.
Making this known when ANCOPPS delegation paid Salah homage on the governor, the State chairman of the association, Comrade Muhammed Ikililu, said the governor’s outstanding performance in the education sector especially the approval of 200,000 naira monthly maintenance stipend to principal’s of all the schools in the state stood him out amongst his peers hence the resolve to so honour him.
According to Ikililu, some of the tangible achievements which qualified the governor for the award include the renovation of many primary and Secondary and Primary schools across the state in less than two years.
“Prior to the coming of the Ahmed Aliyu-led administration, all Secondary schools in the state were in a state of disrepair, lacking conducive classrooms, staff rooms, toilet facilities for both teachers and students as well as general conducive learning environment.
“This lack of toilet facilities in schools had contributed significantly to the low attendance of female students in schools. This is also in addition to the introduction and sustainance of N200,000 naira monthly cash allocation to all the Principals to enable them undertake minor repairs in their schools”.
The Chairman further thanked the governor for upward the upward review of students’ feeding allowance from N150 to N450 per student, a gesture which according to him has greatly helped in retaining students in schools.
“”These efforts made by governor Ahmed Aliyu had no doubt significantly improved the students’ turn out and retention in schools”, the ANCOPs chairman enthused.
In the same vein, the management management of the State Universal Basic Education Board under its Chairman, Alhaji Ummaru Na Gwari Tambuwal while on a Salah homage also lauded governor Aliyu’s recent renovation of some primary schools in the state, and the payment of N70,000 minimum wage to primary teachers across the state.
“Before you came, many of our teachers were denied their promotions, but that has now become history as all the teachers that are due for promotion have been promoted. And the support of all the teachers is assured at all times” Nagwari Tambuwal noted.
Responding, governor Ahmed Aliyu called on ANCOPSS and SUBEB to reciprocate the gestures done to them by the present administration by being punctual, dedicated and committed to their duty.
“I expect extra hard work, commitment and dedication from all of you so that our students can get the best of education,” Ahmed Aliyu charged
The governor further reassured his administration’s determination to create a more conducive atmosphere that would guarantee effective teaching and learning at both basic and secondary levels.
He also appealed to parents and guardians in the state to cooperate with the state government in its quest to change the old narrative of Sokoto being one of the educationally backward states in the federation.