News
How Justice Odili Saved My Political Career — Wike

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike says he owes his rising political career to Justice Mary Odili whose timely intervention saved him from being displaced in his 2004 second term bid as Chairman of Obio – Akpor Local Government, Rivers state.
Wike, at Sunday’s thanksgiving in Port Harcourt to mark Justice Odili’s 70th birthday and retirement as Justice of the Supreme Court, narrated his cry to the former Rivers First Lady when he was not listed among aspirants cleared to contest local government chairmanship at the time.
Speaking during the event held at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Chaplaincy, Catholic Institute of West Africa, (CIWA) in Port Harcourt, the governor noted that the manner Justice Mary Odili presented the matter got her husband, then Governor Peter Odili, to act on it immediately.
He said, first, Dr Peter Odili invited the then Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party chairman, Uche Secondus to confirm the observation and thereafter put a call across to then National Secretary of the PDP, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor.
He relived that, “That time in 2004, the husband was the governor, so she was going to Bori Camp for women empowerment scheme. I was to run for second tenure as chairman of my local government (Obio-Akpor).
“Now, they were having lunch with her husband and the state party chairman then, Prince Uche Secondus. And, I was told that my name had been removed in the list. So, I ran down to Government House.
“She had finished her own lunch, left her husband and was entering the vehicle. I said mummy I’m finished. She asked what happened, I said they’ve removed my name.
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“She ran back straight to her husband and informed him. Her husband asked ‘who removed his name.’ At that time, Secondus had left. The husband then called the security at the gate, they stopped Secondus and ask him to come back.”
He further added: “That was how I went back as second term chairman. For me, I can’t talk about my growth without mentioning her. If she was not around that day, to see the governor, you know is not an easy thing.
“Her being around that particular day saved my career in politics. And so that was how I grew from there to become what I am today.”
On the retirement after 44 years of public service, Wike pointed that a vital lesson of life he has learnt from Justice Odili is the determination to build capacity to be successful in one’s career while not ignoring giving requisite attention to the family.
He added, “I have never seen somebody so compassionate, very caring. The moment you’re around her husband, she takes care of you. She sees you as her husband’s person and will always relate with you. Some of us are direct beneficiaries of her care through our relationship with the husband.”
Justice Odili, in turn, expressed joy in the privilege to have Wike as a sitting governor, doing a vote of thanks in her honour.
“The good Lord knows that Peter and I don’t know how to properly thank God. Our journey in life has been such that the good Lord has always been there. There has been challenges no doubt, but the good Lord did not promise us that we will not have challenges, tribulations or difficulties. But the Lord has always stood by us and made us prevail in all those trials and tribulations.”
News
VIDEO: Why I’ve Never Tried Convincing My Christian Wife To Convert To Islam — Tinubu

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has explained why he has never attempted to convince his wife, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, to convert to Islam, stressing his belief in love, religious freedom, and mutual respect among people of different faiths.
Speaking on Saturday at the funeral service of Nana Lydia Yilwatda, mother of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwada, Tinubu said his marriage to a Christian pastor has never created any conflict in their home.
The president, who arrived in Jos, Plateau State around 2 p.m. for the ceremony at the COCIN headquarters church, said he inherited Islam from his family and has always upheld the principle of freedom of religion.
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He noted that both he and the First Lady serve the same God and would ultimately be answerable to Him, adding that what matters most are people’s deeds, character, and love for others.
Tinubu urged Nigerians to embrace tolerance and peaceful coexistence, emphasising that hate should never have a place in the country.
He also prayed for the repose of the soul of the late Lydia Yilwada and asked God to grant comfort and blessings to those she left behind.
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He said, “Hate is not an option for us. Love is what you preach, that we should love one another.
“Nobody, nobody determines what God has ordained. God’s ordained action and his promises are what matter. I inherited Islam from my family. I didn’t change. But my wife is a pastor. She prays for me.
“No conflict. And I never did at any single time try to convince her or convert her. I believe in the freedom of religion.
“We are praying to the same God. We are answerable to the same almighty God. We will answer to him. We will account to him. Our deeds, our character, our love for our fellow beings are what are important.
“May the almighty accept the soul of Lydia and give all that she left behind blessings and glory, so we say, may her soul rest in peace.”
News
UK Police Quiz Six After Fatal Synagogue Attack

Six people arrested on suspicion of “terrorism”-linked offences after a fatal car-ramming and knife attack on a UK synagogue remained in police custody on Saturday, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged people not to take part in pro-Palestinian protests.
Two people were killed and three others seriously wounded in Thursday’s attack in northwestern Manchester on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.
Police shot dead the assailant, Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old UK citizen of Syrian descent, within minutes of the alarm being raised.
Three men and three women are in custody.
The attack has heightened fear among Britain’s Jewish community.
Police said they were patrolling places of worship across the city “with a particular focus on providing a high-visibility presence within our Jewish communities”.
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The attack on Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in north Manchester was one of the worst antisemitic incidents in Europe since the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel led by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
The Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive on the Gaza Strip has killed at least 66,288 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to health ministry figures in the occupied territory that the United Nations considers reliable.
The Gaza conflict has inflamed passions in Britain, with frequent pro-Palestinian rallies in cities that some critics allege have stoked antisemitism.
A “global movement for Gaza UK” protest went ahead in London late on Thursday, with police making 40 arrests.
London’s Metropolitan Police asked organisers delay another planned demonstration backing the banned Palestine Action group later on Saturday.
However, organisers Defend Our Juries rejected the calls.
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A spokesman said the group “stood in solidarity” with the Jewish community over the attack.
– Accidental shooting –
Starmer urged protesters not to join the pro-Palestinian rally.
“I urge anyone thinking about protesting this weekend to recognise and respect the grief of British Jews. This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain,” he said on X.
During the attack, Shamie was seen “with a big knife, banging his knife into the glass, trying to get through”, synagogue chairman of trustees Alan Levy, who helped barricade the doors, told ITV News.
“The heroes of the congregation who saw what was happening then came to the doors because he was trying to break the doors down to get in,” he added.
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A UK police watchdog, meanwhile, said it would look at the police shooting of Shamie.
The probe would also look at the shooting of a second victim who suffered a fatal gunshot and a third person who was shot but survived.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said there was no evidence anyone other than police used firearms at the scene.
“Our independent investigation will look at the circumstances surrounding the fatal police shooting of Jihad Al-Shamie,” it said in a statement.
“A post mortem has today (Friday) concluded another man who died at the scene suffered a fatal gunshot wound.”
IOPC investigations are standard practice in situations where the use of force by police may have resulted in the death of a member of the public.
News
Edo Inaugurates Committee On Drug Abuse, Healthy Living

Edo State Government has inaugurated Drug Control Committee for the state and local governments, aimed at curbing the menace of drug abuse in the state.
Inaugurating the committee, Governor Monday Okpehbolo said the committee was not only saddled with the responsibility of curbing the menace of illicit substances, but to promote healthier living across communities in the state.
Represented by his deputy, Hon. Dennis Idahosa, Okpebholo described the initiative as “a vital step in our unwavering commitment to stopping the menace of drug trafficking and substance use among youths.”
The governor, who bemoaned the rising tide of drug dependency and its impact on society, pointed out that the committee’s creation aligns with the national drug master plan and represents a bold stride toward protecting Edo future generations.
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On his part, Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, represented by ACGN, Fidelis Cocodia, Zonal Commander, Zone 13, emphasised grassroots interventions, awareness campaigns, and support systems as the backbone of the fight against drug abuse.
Edo State commander of the NDLEA, Mitchell Ofoyeju disclosed that while national drug use prevalence stands at 14.4 percent, Edo state surpasses the average at 15 percent.
He noted that the state is one of the hardest-hit states in the country, warning that the trend has fueled crime and heightened youth vulnerability.
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The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Cyril Oshiomhole pledged to make Edo a model in drug control through rehabilitation, youth enlightenment, and second-chance opportunities for recovering addicts.
Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Edo State, Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo Anani, described drug abuse as a pandemic, noting that “you hardly see a crime without drugs being involved.”
She added that women’s empathy and influence must be harnessed in the campaign against drug abuse.
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