Metro

Edo Election Tribunal: 4 PDP Witnesses Allege Over-voting In Polling Units

Published

5 months ago

January 23, 2025

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate in the September 21 governorship election, Asue Ighodalo on Thursday called four additional witnesses to bring to ten the total witnesses they have called to continue their attempts to prove their allegation of irregularities in the election.

This number is the largest the party and the candidate have presented since the case started.

Recall that the PDP and its candidate in the election are challenging the INEC’s declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner.

The four witnesses challenged the outcome of the result in some polling units in Esan North East, Oredo, Esan South East and Esan Central Local Government Areas in the state.

Giving his testimony at the resumed hearing of the Petition marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, the petitioners’ witness and PDP Esan North East Local Government Area Collation Agent, Mr. Igbarase Matthias, prayed the tribunal to admit his statement on oath which he deposed to on October 11, 2024, in support of the petitioners’ case

He claimed in his statement that there was overvoting in nine polling units relating to exhibits PCB 40- PCB 48 of Form EC25B series in his Local Government Area.

Matthias told the court that in arriving at his statement on oath, he relied on certified true copies of INEC’s Voters Register, Forms EC25B’s, EC8A’s, INEC election manual booklet, screenshots of IREV copies of Form EC8A, BIVAS accreditation Report and BiVAS Extract being CTC’s of Form EC8C, after personally examined them

He tendered IREV-certified true copies of results sheets obtained from INEC and duplicate Copies of Polling Unit Results Sheets of Form EC8A given by INEC to polling unit agents and his party agent card as documentary evidence.

Upon cross-examination by lead counsel to the 1st Respondent (INEC), Kanu Agabi, the witness said he made his deposition on October 11, 2024, while the screenshots of INEC’s BIVAS Report he relied on his statement were certified by INEC on January 8, 2025.

He admitted that PDP Unit and Ward Agents signed the election result sheets, adding that he did not function as a unit agent or Ward agent for his party in the election.

On his part, the PDP agent for Oredo Local Government Area, Aigbe Ighodaro Lucky, told the court that there was overvoting in 66 polling units in the local government area and incorrect scores were entered by INEC for his party in favour of the APC during the election.

He said he relied on INEC documents to arrive at his statement on Oath and adopted the same as evidence in the petition.

Ighodaro also told the Tribunal that there was no prior recording of serial numbers of sensitive materials deployed for the election locally in INEC’s form EC25B.

When cross-examined by counsel to the respondents, the witness claimed to have relied on INEC documents made available to him in the formation of his deposition, despite never participating in the signing of the documents except Form EC25C

“My Lord, I did not examine any BiVAS Machine used for the election all through the process during my work as PDP Local Government Area Collation Agent in Oredo. But I examined the documents given to me by my party”, the witness submitted.

For Adekunle Oboh, PDP Local Government Area Collation Agent in Esan Central, there were irregularities in 23 polling units in the area during the election.

He specifically told the court in his testimonies that there was no prior recording of serial numbers of sensitive materials deployed to the polling units in the area in Form EC25B.

Oboh said the polling unit results sheets were signed by his party agents up to the ward level before he signed Form EC8C.

According to Wilson Ibhawa, the petitioners’ Esan South East Local Government Area Collation Agent, there was no prior recording of serial numbers and sensitive materials used in the election in Form EC25B in five polling units in his area.

Justice Wilfred Kpochi, Chairman of the Tribunal, however, admitted the documents in evidence provisionally, pending the arguments of the respondent’s counsel.

He, therefore adjourned sitting to Friday, January 24, 2025 for the continuation of the hearing.

Related Topics:#Edo election Tribunal PDP Tribunal

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Metro

NDLEA Intercepts IIlicit Drug Consignment Packaged As Green Tea At Lagos Airport

Published

10 hours ago

June 8, 2025

Editor

….arrests 2 young ladies with over 108kg Skunk, Loud, Colorado, Meth in Edo

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted not less than 66 parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis and other illicit drugs packaged as green tea at the import shed of the Lagos International Airport.

The seizure made on Thursday was based on credible intelligence received ahead of the arrival of the consignment at the cargo wing of the airport on 11th May.

NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi said in a statement on Sunday that the Agency had watch-listed the illicit drug shipment and sustained surveillance around it for over three weeks before inviting other stakeholders for a joint examination last Thursday.

The Loud consignment weighing 62.20kg was concealed inside wraps of green tea that came from Thailand via UAE on an Emirate Airlines flight.

In another operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on 2nd June intercepted a consignment of 1,665kg skunk, a strain of cannabis, along Lekki-Ajah expressway. Two suspects, Gidado Abdulrasaq Ayinde and Obanla Oluwafemi, were promptly arrested in connection with the seizure.

In Kaduna state, the statement said, operatives of the state command of NDLEA on patrol along Abuja-Kaduna expressway on 3rd June arrested 29-year-old Goodluck Nnaemeka with 612 bottles of codeine-based syrup and 2,970 pills of flunitrazepam.

In another operation same day, a 52-year-old wanted drug dealer Kabiru Musa (a.k.a KB) was arrested at Kurmin Mashi. A total of 25.7kg skunk was earlier recovered from his base.

While a total of 9kg Loud was recovered from the spare tyre compartment of an Audi station wagon car marked AAA 975 XU driven by Atari Israel along Auchi road, Edo state, two young ladies: Favour Joy and Joy Igwe were, on 3rd June nabbed at Ikpoba hill area of Benin city. Recovered from them include: 106.57kg skunk; 1kg Loud; 800 grams Colorado and 302 grams of methamphetamine.

Babafemi said the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week.

While commending the officers and men of Lagos International Airport, Kaduna and Edo Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of thry NDLEA, Brig-Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd) also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

Metro

Court Jails Nine Chinese Nationals For Economic Sabotage, Orders Repatriation

Published

14 hours ago

June 8, 2025

Editor

A Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced nine Chinese nationals, including two women, to one year’s imprisonment each for offences bordering on economic sabotage and financial terrorism.

Justice Daniel Osiagor delivered the judgment on Wednesday, following the defendants’ guilty plea under a plea bargain agreement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The convicts — Zhao Xiang Hui, Liu Hai Rong, Liu Gang, Du Ji Geng, Li Dong, Huang Bo, Xhiong Zhen, Lai Rui Feng, and Deng Wei Qiang — were each fined N1 million in addition to their custodial sentences.

The court further ordered their repatriation to China upon completion of their prison terms.

The EFCC had arrested the convicts on December 10, 2024, during a massive raid on a building on Oyin Jolayemi Street, Lagos.

Over 700 suspects were apprehended during the operation, which targeted a suspected cybercrime and economic sabotage syndicate.

During proceedings, counsel for the EFCC, Nnemeka Omewa, informed the court that the defendants had opted for a plea bargain, which the commission found acceptable.

Counsel for the defence, Folarin Damela, also confirmed the arrangement and urged the court to adopt it.

Justice Osiagor thereafter read the amended one-count charge to the defendants, to which they all pleaded guilty

The charge accused them of accessing computer systems in December 2024 with the intent to destabilise Nigeria’s economic and social structure.

It further stated that they employed Nigerian youths to commit identity theft and impersonation for financial gain.

The court ruled that their prison terms should commence from December 10, 2024, the day of their arrest.

Additionally, the judge ordered the forfeiture of all items recovered from the convicts — including furniture, laptops, and other computer gadgets — to the Federal Government.

Justice Osiagor also mandated the Nigerian Immigration Service to deport the convicts after they serve their sentences.

Metro

Man On Hard Drugs Dies After Jumping Into Well

Published

1 day ago

June 7, 2025

Editor

The Kwara State Fire Service on Saturday recovered the lifeless body of a 43-year-old man who jumped into a well in the Edun area of Ilorin West Local Government Area, following Sallah celebrations.

The deceased, identified simply as Kareem, was said to be under the influence of a hard drug, Synthetic Cannabinoids locally known as ‘Colorado’.

Kareem jumped into the well at Ile Alapo, Edun, shortly after returning from the Eid-el-Kabir prayers on Friday.

In a statement issued on Saturday, by Head of Media and Publicity for the state fire service, Hassan Adekunle, confirmed the recovery of the body.

According to the statement, “The distress call was received by the Fire Service control room at about 10:29 hours, reporting that a man had fallen into a well,” adding that firefighters were swiftly deployed to the scene, where they successfully retrieved the body.

“The victim, identified as Kazeem, reportedly jumped into the well under the influence of a hard substance known as Colo (Colorado) shortly after returning from Eid prayers.

“The body was handed over to Inspector Babatunde Amos of the C Division Police Station, Ilorin.

“The Ministry awaits formal identification and claim of the body by the victim’s family.”

Efforts to contact the spokesperson of Kwara Police Command, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi was proved abortive unsuccessful, as she did not respond to calls or messages sent to her WhatsApp number as at the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, the Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Falade Olumuyiwa, expressed sadness over the tragic incident.

He seized the moment to urge residents of the state to steer clear of drug abuse, warning that such habits often lead to devastating consequences.