Metro

Edo: Residents Protest Slow Pace Of Ekheuan Road Re-construction

Published

4 years ago

September 13, 2021

Residents of Upper-Ekheuan, Uvgbugyoko,Oghede Agenigie, Ekheuan Barracks, Udo, Evbuotubu, Ugbine communities, all along Ekheuan Road axis of Benin on Monday staged a protest on the dilapidated condition of the road which is under re-construction.

The road has been under re-construction for over four years and work on the re-construction has been on a very slow pace.

The protest led to disruption of vehicular movement for hours on the busy Ekheuan Road.

The protesters who came out in their hundreds also complained that the few metres that have been reconstructed were already failing, just as they alleged that the work was substandard.

Speaking to newsmen, a landlord in the area who identified himself as Uche Nwabuzor said: “Why we are protesting is because of the bad road. They said the road was awarded to a construction company but I don’t really know because all these time, they will come and dig the road, and they are busy selling the sand, the old asphalt and the rods which they are excavating and right now, no road for us to pass again.

“In the evening, once it is 6pm, from Ring Road to Uvgbugyokho is N1000. Some of us that have cars, we go to the mechanic’s workshop everyday.

“We went to the site of the construction company, they told us that government has not reimbursed them, and that is why the work is like that. We don’t know who is saying the truth, so we decided to come out into the road to draw the attention of the governor so that the world will hear our cry as common men and maybe that will make them come to do the work, because this was not what the governor promised us.

“When the governor came to campaign in Upper Ekheuan, he said immediately he resumes office the road will be fixed, but this work is up to four years now, and it is even worse now, so the suffering is too much. If nothing is done, we are coming back again to block the road. I am a landlord in the area.”

Another protester who identified himself as Osayi but refused to give his surname said: “I am a civil servant, but I stay in this area. I have stopped driving my car home because I visit the mechanic everyday. I park in a friend’s compound by Erediauwa and then take public transport to the place and then drive my car to the office, when I close for work, I drop it in my friend’s place and take public transport home.

“What is even more embarrassing is that the few metres they have tarred, the asphalted areas are already giving way. Go and look at Agho Junction, Ozigbo Junction, before the UNIBEN gate on both sides. If you are coming from Ring Road, there are already pot holes. We are disappointed in what is happening.”

Metro

Sowore Arraigned Over Alleged Cybercrime

Published

1 hour ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

The Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday arraigned politician and online publisher Omoyele Sowore before the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged cybercrime offences.

Sowore, a former presidential candidate, faced a five-count charge accusing him of defaming President Bola Tinubu by calling him a criminal in posts on X and Facebook. The DSS claims that his actions violate the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, as well as the Criminal Code Act.

At the hearing, Justice Mohammed Umar granted Sowore bail on self-recognition. However, the court imposed strict conditions, barring him from making any statements capable of inciting the public or undermining national security. The judge warned that any violation of these conditions would lead to immediate revocation of his bail.

Justice Umar noted that Sowore, who previously contested for the presidency, was already under bail conditions with his international passport held by the court. He said these factors justified granting him bail without a monetary surety.

The arraignment on Tuesday came after two earlier attempts were unsuccessful. DSS counsel, Akinolu Kehinde (SAN), attributed the delays to legal obstacles introduced by Sowore’s defence team.

Sowore pleaded not guilty to all charges. His lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, also filed a fresh bail application during the proceedings, which the court considered before ruling.

Two other defendants — X Inc. (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) Inc. — are listed in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025. The DSS claims that these companies aided Sowore in publishing the posts allegedly containing defamatory statements against the president.

The case is the latest in a series of legal battles involving Sowore, who has in the past faced arrests and charges over his activism and online publications.

The Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, under which Sowore was charged, criminalises the online publication of false statements that can harm individuals or public institutions. The law also empowers the government to hold social media companies accountable if they facilitate the spread of such content.

Sowore’s arraignment has drawn reactions on social media, with supporters describing the charges as politically motivated, while others argue that public figures must exercise caution in their statements online.

Metro

Alleged Cybercrime: Court Grants Sowore Bail

Published

1 hour ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

Justice Mohammed Umar of the Abuja Federal High Court, on Tuesday, granted former presidential candidate and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, bail on self-recognition, cautioning him to refrain from making any utterances that could incite the public against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Sowore’s bail followed his arraignment by the Department of State Services (DSS) before the court on a five-count charge bordering on alleged cybercrime.

In the five-count charge, Sowore is accused of allegedly making derogatory remarks about President Tinubu on his social media handles.

Sowore, who is the convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, pleaded not guilty to the charges after they were read to him.

Earlier in the proceedings, his counsel, Marshall Abubakar, had raised a motion challenging the competence of the suit, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction.

The prosecution objected, stating they had only just been served with the processes and needed time to respond.

In a short ruling, Justice Umar held that the objection on jurisdiction was not ready for hearing because the prosecution was served that morning, adding that the defendant needed to give them adequate time to file a counter-affidavit.

He then directed that the charges be read to the defendant.

When the charge was read, Sowore pleaded not guilty; his counsel applied for bail on self-recognition. The prosecution, however, opposed the application, arguing that Sowore posed a flight risk.

Justice Umar, in ruling on the bail request, granted Sowore bail on self-recognition and adjourned the matter to January 19, 2026, for trial.

Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in 2019, was accused of contravening the provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024, and the Criminal Code Act by calling President Bola Tinubu a criminal

The two other defendants listed in the charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, are X Incorp (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) Incorp.

Metro

Delta: Suspected Kidnapper Killed In Gun Battle With Police

Published

7 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

A suspected kidnapper has been killed during a gun battle with operatives of the Delta State Police Command in collaboration with Community Volunteers in Obiaruku Forest.

Delta State Police Public Relations Officer,SP Bright Edafe, confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday.

“Operatives of the Command State Anti-Cult Unit (SACU), in collaboration with community volunteers, were on intensive patrol when they received credible intelligence that suspected kidnappers were mobilising within the Obiaruku forest to carry out an attack.

“Acting swiftly on the information, the operatives advanced towards the location to forestall the planned criminal activity,” the statement said.

According to Edafe, on approaching the area, the suspects opened fire from multiple directions in a bid to repel the team.

“The operatives responded with superior firepower, leading to the death of one suspect, while others escaped into the forest with various degrees of injuries.

“One AK-47 rifle with forty-two rounds of live ammunition, nine mobile phones, and charms were recovered,” the statement added.