Metro
Court Grants Prof. Uduk Bail Over Alleged Electoral Fraud In Akwa Ibom

The High Court sitting in Uyo has granted Prof. Ignatius Uduk bail on alleged electoral fraud pending the appeal against his conviction due to his critical health conditions.
Justice Okon Okon, on Thursday in Uyo, in his ruling on the bail application for the applicant while granting him bail, said the applicant is granted bail on the sum of N2million with two sureties.
The Judge added that the applicant should not travel out of the country within the period of bail and should deposit his international passport with the court.
The suit was brought before the Court with charge No: HU/240c/2020 between Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and Prof. Ignatius Uduk.
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The INEC was represented in the Court by Mr Daniel Nwike and Uduk was represented by Chief Kalu Umeh, SAN, Senator Ita Enang OFR, Dr Joe Udoinyang and George Ezegwu.
Speaking to newsmen after the judgement, Senator Ita Enang, said they were happy with the ruling of the court.
Enang, who spoke on behalf of Umeh – SAN, said they will expedite action to meet the bail conditions to ensure that the applicant is released to go and treat himself, pending appeal.
“The Honourable Court has granted bail pending appeal to the applicant Prof. Ignatius Uduk in the sum of N2 million and two sureties in like sum and to be residents within the jurisdiction of the court.
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“The applicant will also deposit his International passport and should not travel out of jurisdiction within the period of the bail.
“We are taking urgent steps to perfect the conditions of the bail, while at the same time working very assiduously to make sure the appeal entered the Court of Appeal soon.
“The records have been completely compiled and are being transmitted to the Court of Appeal for the expeditious prosecution of the Appeal.
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“So, we are very grateful to the Court and we are taking every step to make sure the conditions of bail are perfected and the applicant is released from custody pending appeal.
“We are very grateful to every person who worked with us, especially our lead counsel, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Chief Kalu Umeh,” Enang said.
It would be recalled that Uduk was sentenced to three years in prison for electoral fraud related to his role as Collation/Returning Officer for the Essien Udim State Constituency seat during the 2019 general elections.
Metro
Residents Flee Kogi Community Over Fear Of Bandit Attacks

Hundreds of residents of Okunran village in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State have deserted their homes following persistent attacks by armed bandits.
A viral video circulating on social media showed the once-bubbling community completely deserted, with houses abandoned and streets empty.
“Okunran, once a bubbling town, is now a ghost town,” a resident said.
The villagers said they fled to escape incessant kidnappings, killings, and ransom demands that have plagued the community.
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“The government has failed us, security agencies have failed us. If we remain here, we will be consumed by bandits. We are tired of paying ransom and contributing money for bandits,” said Akin Samuel, a fleeing resident.
The Guardian learnt that neighbouring communities, including Okoloke and Egbe, are also considering leaving if the attacks persist.
The abduction of the first-class traditional ruler of Okoloke, 90-year-old Pa. Dada James Ogunyanda, in May 2025, deepened the climate of fear in the area. Although he was released after a ransom was paid, the monarch has refused to return to his palace.
A native of Okunran, Auwal Maroof, who now lives in Lokoja, said the decision to flee became inevitable.
READ ALSO:One Dead, Five Injured In Kogi Road Crash
“We have been praying for God’s intervention, but the insecurity persists to the point that fleeing was the only option to stay alive,” he said.
Egbe, the commercial hub of Yagba, is feared to be vulnerable due to its close connection with neighbouring Kwara State, where the bandits are suspected to be coming from.
Local sources report that at least 10 people, including seven police officers and three civilians, were killed by bandits in Yagba within one week this month.
The Chairman of Yagba East Local Government recently imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in a bid to contain the crisis, while the Kogi State government and the senator representing the district have pledged to rid the area of bandits.
Metro
18 Dead, Dozens Missing In Zamfara Mine Collapse

Rescuers in Nigeria are searching for dozens of people missing after a boulder crashed onto an illegal mine during heavy rains, killing at least 18 people, local sources told AFP on Saturday.
The rock came crashing down on Thursday on the mine in the northern Zamfara state outside the Kadauri village in the Maru district, they said.
“We have managed to pull out 18 dead bodies from the pit and five other survivors who sustained various degrees of injuries,” Sani Lawwali, a miner who works in unauthorised pits, said from Kadauri.
A dozen other miners were still trapped inside and their fate remained unknown, said Lawwali, who took part in the rescue effort.
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“The process is slow and laborious as we use our bare hands to chisel the end of the boulder to make holes for limited access into the pit,” he said.
Rescuers have asked for a bulldozer being used at a nearby road construction site to be brought in to help, but had not yet received a response from the company using it, Lawwali added.
Abubakar Nabube, a local community leader, confirmed the death toll of 18. He said that 15 of those killed came from the nearby Maikwanugga and Damaga villages.
“If no help comes from emergency agencies soon, none of those trapped would come out alive,” he said.
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Zayyanu Ibrahim, a resident of Kadauri village said the collapse occurred at one of several newly dug sites in the recently established mining site.
“Dozens of miners were working in the pit while it heavily rained outside. A huge boulder at the mouth of the pit collapsed and buried miners inside,” said Ibrahim, who also confirmed the toll.
Sani Abdullahi, a councillor in the area, said it was difficult to say how many people there were in the pit at the time of the accident.
READ ALSO:Zamfara Gov Disburses ₦322m To Support 8,225 Schoolgirls
Officials from the Nigerian emergency agency NEMA did not respond to an AFP enquiry about the accident.
Zamfara, a poor agrarian state, is rich in gold deposits where illegal artisanal mining thrives in the countryside, despite several attempts by authorities to stop the practice.
The authorities have blamed illegal mining for the worsening of bandit violence, with criminal gangs getting money from protection fees they extort from miners.
Metro
Police Confirm Abduction Of 17 Passengers Along Calabar Waterway

The Police Command in Cross River has confirmed the abduction of 17 passengers by sea pirates along the Calabar Waterways.
The command’s Deputy Public Relations Officer, DSP Igri Ewa, who made the confirmation on Saturday in Calabar, said that the passengers were abducted on Thursday.
Ewa said that the command had already swung into action to ensure the ‘immediate and prompt’ rescue of the abductees.
According to the police spokesperson, a serving police officer in Akwa Ibom and a popular politician in Cross River who were on board the boat narrowly escaped abduction.
READ ALSO:Six Arrested For Alleged Killing Of Police Constable In Bayelsa
A passenger who preferred anonymity told newsmen that the boat was attacked a few minutes after take-off from Oron en route Calabar.
“They stopped our boat, transferred some passengers to their boat, and when their boat was full, they took off.
“When we arrived at the Inland Waterways Jetty, we were thoroughly quizzed by the police. Our statements were later taken before we were allowed to go home.”
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