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[INVESTIGATION] The Story Behind The Abandonment, Diversion Of Obajare-Ebijaw NDDC Road Project

Published

5 years ago

December 24, 2020

By Joseph Kanjo

The people of Ebijaw community and its environs in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State may continue to pass through the proverbial hell whenever they travel out of their communities to urban areas if the road linking these communities, which was approved for construction by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) since 2017 remains in its present state of abandonment.

The road, whose Invitation to Tender was published on Vanguard newspaper of March 15, 2017 (page 54) was consequently awarded to EDNAW James Limited on September 22, 2017 in the sum of 199,750, 000 (One hundred and ninety nine million, seven hundred and fifty thousand naira).

Investigation reveals that ENDAW James Ltd actually commenced work April 2019 as expected but stopped after few months. The contractor was said to have commenced work at a wrong site (Asejire) rather than Obajare as awarded by the NDDC, which led to protest and resistance from the concerned communities. Following this outrage, the contractor abandoned the project in August 2019, and has not returned to site even as at the time of filing this report.

Speaking to our reporter on his trip to the area, Chief Amusa Ojo, Bale of Obajare and its environs said their joy knew no bound when one Engineer Alabi came to meet him and his people and told them he has been awarded the contract to construct road and bridges from Obajare to Ebijaw, adding that he (Alabi) thereafter requested to know the Ebijaw ward boundary so as to commence work immediately.

The nonagenarian, further speaking on the circumstances surrounding the abandonment of the project through Fatai Olasehinde, a former supervising councilor of Ebijaw ward, added that after supervising the site, Engineer Alabi left with the promise of getting back to them after eleven days to kick start work but later came to commence work at Asejire, a far distance from Obajare, and a different ward from Ebijaw ward. Chief Ojo noted that when he (Alabi) was confronted on the sudden change, the contractor said a politician directed him to commence work at that location.

The irony, however, is that the signpost bearing the contractor’s names and nature of the contract is mounted at the wrong site (Asejire) and still bears ‘construction of access road from Obajare-Edjaw’, even though the name ‘Ebijaw’ was wrongly spelt on the signpost. It must be noted that Asejire is under another ward, Onisere ward, and not Ebijaw ward.

Oladosa plank-bridge. when it rains the river overflows this bridge and consequently makes the road impassable.

“One day I was traveling to Ore, I discovered they have brought equipment to commence work but from Asejire. And this was after one month when Engineer Alabi came to visit. Meanwhile, when I saw they were starting work from Asejire, I had to come down from the vehicle and enquired what happened that what the contractor told us was meant for Obajare has been changed to Asejire, and he told me some politicians directed him to commence work from there.

“I told him this was meant for us, so he ought to commence work from our place that was awarded to him. I told him it was given to us and reminded him that he was the one that categorically told us that it’s because of the oil deposit that NDDC enlisted Ebijaw ward under its coverage area.

“But not too long, natives of the land (the Ijaw) got very angry and they stopped the contract from progressing. They asked how come that which was meant for them was diverted. They said they were not going to accept that, so they went to stop the work and directed him to go and start work where they awarded the contract, but since then we have not seen the contractor,” he said.

He lamented that due to the oil deposit in the area their cocoa, kolanut and other farm produce are not surviving but dying, just as he added that the only project allocated to them from government has been diverted.

Chief Ojo, a farmer, further lamented: “Our cocoa is dying; our kolanut is dying, all our farm produce is dying, this is the only benefit we want to get from the government and it is being diverted.”

Shedding more light on the abandoned project, Mr. Karinate Odushu, a native of Ebijaw community accused Akinfolarin Mayowa, member representing Ileluji-Okeigbo/Odigbo federal constituency at House of Representatives of diverting the project, stressing that all pleas to him to allow the project commence at the approved site fell on deaf ears.

Tail end of the Eleriko plank-bridge along the Obajare-Ebijaw road.

He added that the lawmaker said ‘if they (Ebijaw people) refuse the project to start at Asejire then they should forget about it.’

He added that several meetings held with Mayowa to plead with him to direct the contractors to move to the approved site were not fruitful; adding that the legislator insisted it should be Asejire or nowhere else.

He said, “No work commenced at proposed site. To our greatest surprise, in 2019, we saw NDDC signpost bearing our community name in a different community (Asejire) along Lagos-Benin expressway, over 100km from project site in Ebijaw. From our investigation, we were told that it was Hon. Mayowa that instructed the diversion of the contract.

“We placed a stop on the work and asked the contractor to move to the approved site but he refused and he demobilized. The contract meant for us the Ijaw speaking people was diverted by Hon. Akinfolarin to his kinsmen,” Odushu lamented.

Efforts made to reach Hon. Akinfolarin were unfruitful, as several calls put across to him were not picked, likewise sms and WhatsApp messages sent to him were not replied.

Our reporter called Akinfolarin three times on November 9, 2020, but he did not pick.He also did not respond to sms and WhatsApps messages sent to him at the time.

Also, November 29, 2020, calls were put across to the lawmaker several times with no response. This made our reporter to send sms and WhatsApp messages to him about the same time but no reply. In the messages, the journalist asked him to clarify allegations against him “of masterminding the abandonment of Ebijaw to Obajare road project of the NDDC.”

Akinfolarin is not reachable neither is he traceable even in the constituency as efforts to reach him through his constituency office proved abortive. Findings in the major towns of Ore, Odigbo, Okeigbo and Ileoluji, all under his constituency show he has no constituency office in any of the major towns under his constituency,

The contractor handling the road project can be likened to ghost because the firm has no traceable office address either online or offline. It has no website, neither could anyone states where the contractor has office or where his office is located.

deplorable condition of the Oladosa bridge along the Ebijaw-Obajare road.

How Obajere-Ebijaw road project was approved by the NDDC

Narrating how the road project got approval of the House of Representatives and its consequent award by the NDDC, Mr. Odushu said the sudden and untimely death of residents occasioned by lack of healthcare facilities and the bad road linking them to where they could get such healthcare made them to approach Mayowa for assistance.

He further narrated a pathetic story of how a young lady bled to death due to lack of healthcare services and their inability to rush her to a nearby hospital in Ore owing to the bad road.

“On January 1st, 2016, a young lady from one of our communities, Gbenewei to be precise, under Ebijaw ward, bled to death with a baby in the course of giving birth to twins. This pathetic incident prompted some of us in the Ijaw-language speaking communities to approach the member representing our constituency (Ileluji-Okeigbo/Odigbo) at the federal House of Representatives, Hon. Akinfolarin Samuel Mayowa in an appeal for an access road to our area. We believe that had there been an access road, the lady would have been rushed to a nearby hospital at Ore and that could have saved her and the remaining unborn baby from untimely death,” Odushu narrated.

He said Mayowa, while sympathising with them on the demise of their loved one, however, said he was not ready to spend his personal fund on grading of any road or putting any road in shape but promised to present their plights before the House committee chairman on NDDC, Nicholas Ebomo Mutu, who happens to be an Ijaw man.

According to Odushu, who also facilitated the visit to Mayowa, he (Mayowa) told them the NDDC Committee does not believe there are Ijaw people in his constituency; hence he gave Ebijaw people Mutu’s contact so as to facilitate approval of the project, and on December 2016, after speaking with the NDDC committee chairman, an engineer from the NDDC visited the place, taking coordinates of the area.

Consequently, March 15, 2017, invitation to tender for the construction of access road/bridges from Obajare to Ebijaw was published in the newspaper. It is worth noting that these two communities and others are under the same ward: Ebijaw ward.

Odushu’s words, “He sympathised with us and promised to present our case before the House committee chairman on NDDC, Nicholas Ebomo Mutu. He also gave us Mutu’s phone number to contact being an Ijaw man, and that they do not believe him when he told them that there are Ijaw in his constituency. We called and spoke with Mutu, in the Ijaw language, and he promised to have further discussion with Akinfolarin. On December 30, 2016, an Engr. from NDDC came to access the said road, taking coordinates.

“It was approved and was published on page 54 Vanguard newspaper of Wednesday, March 15, 2017 for invitation to tender. Hon. Akinfolarin called me that our road has been approved; he advised that we write a letter of appreciation to Hon. Nicholas Ebomo Mutu. We did that and also sent a copy to Hon. Akinfolarin for pursuing our course. Those letters were written on March 27^th, 2017 and dispatched.”

Findings show that, Ebijaw, a riverine community and headquarters of Ebijaw ward 6 with oil deposit (not yet extracted) qualifies Odigbo Local Government to be enlisted in the NDDC franchise area. Ebijaw is an Ijaw community dominated by fishermen and women, peasant farmers and petty traders, while Obajare is dominated by Yoruba from Osun, Oyo and Kwara states who are into peasant farming and petty trading.

The deplorable state of the road

Due to the deplorable condition of the road, it took several efforts and extra charges to convince motorcyclist to convene our reporter to the approved site and other locations. The road, which according to findings, was first opened in 1991, is abandoned by motorcyclists during raining season. Anyone travelling to some of the communities in this area has to follow other routes because of the pitiable state of the road.

For instance, to access Ebijaw and other communities through Ore, the headquarters of Odigbo LGA, one either goes through Irele-Ajagba route under Irele Local Government, very far journey of about 500 km when compared to the Ebijaw-Obajare route, or through waterways by wooden engine boat or canoe, through Edo State.

More so, these people who lack social amenities ranging from drinkable water, electricity, healthcare, schools, etc. have to wake up as early as 1:00am or 2:00am, whenever there is need for them to travel to Ore particularly the Ore market, and join the only waiting Hiace Bus in order to travel.

Oladosa and Eleriko bridges have made Ebijaw and communities under it to be cut off as far as this road is concerned. Any downpour in raining season covers these plank-bridges up making the road impassable.

Speaking to our reporter, Seyi Akinsuyi, a motorcyclist who plies the road said he never ventures that route in rainy season. “There is no amount offered me that will make me to take that road in raining season,” he said after our reporter had already climbed his bike to take off to Ebijaw. When he was told the route to take was Obajare axis, rather than the alternative Irele-Ajagba, at this point, the motorcyclist discontinued the journey, wondering why the reporter would prefer to take such an abandoned route when there was an alternative. However, Irele-Ajagba to Ebijaw is also a bad road barely passable even in raining season and a much longer stressful route to take.

* This report is done with support from The International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) and McArthur Foundation.

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Otuaro: Baseless Allegations, Disregard Them, Group Urges Public

Published

19 hours ago

May 17, 2026

Editor

The Ijaw People’s Development Initiative, IPDI has reacted to a statement circulating online regarding the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), describing it as baseless.

The statement under the disguise ‘Niger Delta Stakeholders Forum and Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities,’ had demanded accountability regarding the management of the Programme and its administrator, Dr Dennis Otuaro.

Reacting to the statement, National President, IPDI, Comrade Austin Ozobo, said: “We consider it necessary to respond point by point to correct misconceptions, reject unsubstantiated claims, and keep the record straight in the interest of PAP beneficiaries, stakeholders, and the general public.

“It is worthy of note that the PAP operates under strict federal financial regulations and is subject to routine audits by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, the Ministry of Finance, and other oversight bodies.

“All disbursements, including stipends, vocational training, education support, and third-party contracts, are processed through the Treasury Single Account, TSA, with verifiable records”, the statement read.

According to the IPDI, the Programme welcomes lawful criticism and scrutiny at any time. However, linking such a call to specific individuals without evidence amounts to trial by the media and undermines due process.

“Dr Dennis Otuaro, administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme has maintained a good record of financial management, hence no formal petition with verifiable evidence has been submitted to any anti-graft agency till date”.

“It may interest you to know that the N65,000 monthly stipend is fixed by the Appropriation Act and can only be reviewed through a budgetary process approved by the National Assembly and the Presidency.

‘The PAP management has consistently conveyed beneficiaries’ concerns on cost of living to relevant authorities”.

“Again, claims that allocations to the Programme have risen significantly while stipends remain unchanged misrepresents the budget structure.

“Note, increased allocations in recent years have been tied to expanded reintegration programs, education sponsorships, skills acquisition, and infrastructure support for training centers, not solely to stipend payments”.

The group reiterated that the allegation that the Amnesty Programme Office “kidnaps and detains delegates” is false, reckless, and defamatory, adding that the PAP has no paramilitary or law enforcement mandate, nor does it operate detention facilities and that any incident involving law enforcement is outside the control and purview of the Programme.

“We challenge the authors to provide verifiable details of time, place, and persons involved so the matter can be addressed through appropriate legal channels,” the group said

On Claims of Selective Empowerment and 500% Payment Increases, the group maintained that payments to contractors, ex-agitator leaders, and service providers were governed by existing contracts and agreements predating the current administration.

“No individual or camp has received unilateral increases without contractual basis or due process. Allegations of 500% increases are unsubstantiated and designed to stoke division among beneficiaries,” it added.

“The current administration has maintained a policy of transparency in engagement with leaders and has expanded inclusion by verifying and capturing previously omitted beneficiaries where due“, IPDI added.

The group further said, “The PAP remains a neutral, peace-building institution established under the 2009 Amnesty Declaration. Its mandate is to coordinate disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration. The Office does not engage in political victimization, intimidation, or exclusion of stakeholders. Engagement with ex-agitator leaders and community structures is conducted based on their role in maintaining peace and facilitating reintegration, not political alignment”.

“The PAP under Chief Denis Otuaro’s leadership remains committed to transparency, fairness, and the original mandate of the Amnesty Programme. Constructive criticism is welcome and has informed policy adjustments in the past. However, campaigns of calumny, unverified allegations, and attempts to drag the Programme into commercial or political disputes do not serve the interest of peace in the Niger Delta”, IPDI said.

“We urge all stakeholders to channel grievances through the established engagement channels of the Programme and to avoid statements that threaten the fragile stability we have worked to sustain”.

Consequently, the IPDI urges members of the public to disregard what its described as “flimsy and unsubstantiated allegations, misconception, and missives by faceless groups above“.

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[OPINION] Olukoyede’s EFCC: Taming The ‘Fantastically-Corrupt’

Published

20 hours ago

May 17, 2026

Editor

Since its creation 23 years ago, by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, as president of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous and influential country, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had apparently not gotten a head, who had piloted the affairs of the commission, like Mr. Olanipekun Olukoyede, its Executive Chairman, a chief-operations-officer of the Commission.

It could be said that Olukoyede, the Czar thief catcher and arrestor of economic saboteurs, has given the EFCC’s enemies such a tough time as he has taking the anti-graft fight to the doorsteps of the high-profile individuals across the country. These range from former state governors, serving and former ministers, retired and serving civil servants, businessmen, clergies, traditional rulers, cyber-influencer, entertainers, professionals and numerous others.

Olukoyede brings years of experience in law, fraud management, and business intelligence to bear on the position. Before him, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu was EFCC’s inaugural chair; succeeded by the first and only female, Mrs. Farida Waziri; Ibrahim Lamorde, Ibrahim Magu, and Abdul Rasheed Bawa.

The anti-graft agency has its hands full with massive financial fraud and money laundering cases. In the clause of “physicians, look at thyself”, EFCC in its resolve is known to have been flushing out officers within the body, who run foul to the law.

In the past, before Olukoyede’s appointment, it was widely believed that it was only the “fries and not the big fishes”, who the Commission could summon the courage to prosecute; and that most culprits were also left from the hook, because of compromise by some corrupt officers of the Commission, and feeble litigation processes.

Mr. Godwin Emefiele, former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), happened to have opened to Olukoyede’s a deluge of “big-men and women”, who have been arrested, investigated and cooling their feet in detention or those bailed, that are facing severe court trials. There is the biggest 19-count charge at the Ikeja Special Offences Court, involving an alleged $4.5 billion fraud.
Immediate-paste governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, faces two massive, but separate legal battles totalling over N190 billion on fraud allegation. EFCC secured from the Court of Appeal, forfeiture of 14 properties and huge money linked to him.

Abubakar Malami (former Attorney-General of the Federation), with his son, Abdulaziz and his wife, is currently charged on a-16-count of money laundering. The court has stayed interim forfeiture of 57 properties valued at over N213 billion.

EFCC had also secured the arrest of Sadiya Umar-Farouq, a female former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, and a former Permanent Secretary, through a Federal High Court, on a 21-point alleged fraud and corruption charge, involving $1.3 million and N746.6m and others amounting to 37.1 billion.

Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, also female and former Minister of Women Affairs, was removed from office by President Bola Tinubu, over alleged misappropriation and diversion of N138.4 million, and had been under EFCC questioning.

A recent discovery, which startled Nigerians and the world, the Commission (EFCC) had reportedly arrested a serving Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, over alleged money laundering involving about ₦500 billion.

Somewhat, this had deflated the claim that those arrested and persecuted are political opponents and not serving officers of the Tinubu’s government.

EFCC is a “Nigerian law enforcement and anti-graft agency that investigates financial crimes, such as advance fee fraud (419 Fraud) and money laundering. It was also set up to fight against corruption and to protect the country from economic saboteurs”.

The Commission, whilst responding to pressures from the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF), that named Nigeria as one of 23 countries not cooperating in the international community’s efforts to fight money laundering, had revved in performance, in a bid to roll back the blights.

And so, it is a strenuous goal for EFCC, as entrenched in the ‘EFCC Establishment Act 2004’, which gives it specialist jurisdiction against severe financial and commercial crime – covering multiple high and lower levels.

Born on 14 October 1969, Olukoyede, a civil servant, has had a clear break from past, where past executive chairmen of the Commission had left the Commission, where all serving officers were drafted from the Nigerian Police Force (NPF). However, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is widely commended for Olukoyede’s appointment to the position, with the Senate also eulogized for screening him.

Whilst briefing the Press in Abuja, on his two-year activities in office, on October 23, 2025, the Commission’s boss certainly made unprecedented progress in the fight against economic and financial crimes. He spoke through the Director of Public Affairs of the Commission, Wilson Uwujaren, as he listed the recovery of N566 billion, alongside other currencies and assets, among the achievements of the Commission.

He further revealed that the Commission received over 19,000 petitions, conducted 29,240 investigations, filed 10,525 cases in court, and secured 7,503 convictions.

Olukoyede asserted that the Commission recovered ₦566,319,820,343.40, $411,566,192.32, £71,306.25, €182,877.10, and other foreign currencies from proceeds of financial and economic crimes. Added to this was the recovery of 1,502 non-monetary assets, comprising 402 properties in 2023, 975 in 2024, and 125 so far in 2025.

“Among these recovered assets are two notable landmarks: the final forfeiture of 753 units of duplexes in Lokogoma, Abuja, and the forfeiture of Nok University, now the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, Kaduna State,” he said.

He listed several high-profile cases prosecuted within the period, including those involving former governors Willie Obiano, Abdulfatah Ahmed, Darius Ishaku, Theodore Orji, and Yahaya Bello. Others are former ministers Olu Agunloye, Mamman Saleh, Hadi Sirika, Charles Ugwu, and former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

EFCC was also said to have reentered and invigorated some longstanding fraud cases, such as ones linking Fred Ajudua, former People Democratic Party, PDP National Chairman Haliru Bello Mohammed, ex-National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki, and former Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF boss, Ngozi Olojeme.

The EFCC said it arrested 792 suspects involved in asset and cryptocurrency frauds in Lagos, among who were 192 foreigners who were prosecuted and deported.

A Task Force on Naira Abuse and Dollarisation of the Economy was established by EFCC, which accordingly, had notable impacts in sanitizing money actions countrywide. “The campaign against naira abuse, racketeering, and speculative currency trading has helped reduce pressure on the naira and complemented the Central Bank’s efforts in stabilizing the economy,” he said.

Olukoyede also spoke on the Commission’s strengthened partnerships with foreign law enforcement agencies, including the Korean Police, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Spanish Police, and German Police.

He also mention benefitting synergy with the FBI, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), INTERPOL, and Japan’s JICA, in subsequent joint investigations and the repatriation of stolen assets to victims from Spain, Canada, and the United States.

Strengthening EFFC’s mandate at the regional level, and in Africa, Olukoyede and the Commission are said to be up and doing. For instance, a thing that had never happened to EFFC, he had been twice elected as President of the Network of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA), which led to the founding of a permanent secretariat in Abuja.

A strong media presence is needed to successfully inform the public of the ideals of EFCC and its update activities. And so, ‘EFCC Radio 97.3FM’, Nigeria’s first anti-corruption radio station, was established Olukoyede. EFCC should count itself very lucky for having in its fold, tested, diligent and veteran journalists who are ostensibly seasoned in the ideals and watchdog principles of the Commission.

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APC Primaries: Johnny Rallies Support For Senator Thomas’ Re-election Bid

Published

21 hours ago

May 17, 2026

Editor

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Delta State, Chief Michael Johnny, has called on Delta South Senatorial District’s party faithful to come out in large tomorrow and vote for Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas (JOT) in the party senatorial primary election.

Johnny, widely regarded as a leader par excellence within the APC, described the primary election as a critical moment that will determine the political stability, unity, and future direction of Delta South.

According to him, Delta South needs a detribalized leader with the capacity to unite people beyond ethnic sentiments and political divisions.

He warned against leaders whose style of politics promotes ethnic division and unnecessary tension within the region.

Chief Johnny stated that Senator Thomas has continued to distinguish himself as a leader who carries everyone along, irrespective of tribe, political background, or local government affiliation.

He noted that JOT’s leadership style has strengthened cooperation, peace, fairness, and political inclusion across Delta South.

Speaking further, Chief Johnny declared that the Ijaw people have resolved to stand firmly behind Thomas because fairness, justice, and political balance must prevail in Delta South.

“As Ijaw people, we have decided to support Senator Joel because this is the turn of the Isoko nation, and Ijaw stands for truth. That is our position,” he stated.

He also appreciated what he described as “genuine Itsekiri sons and daughters” who believe in fairness, equity, and peaceful coexistence, adding that Delta South can only move forward when the various ethnic nationalities work together in unity and mutual respect.

Chief Johnny maintained that the senatorial district must not be dragged backward by divisive politics or ethnic interests capable of weakening the collective strength of the region.

He stressed that all APC members in Delta South must remain united in their support for Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas.

“Delta South is bigger than personal interests. This election is about unity, stability, fairness, and the future of our people. Senator JOT represents continuity, experience, and inclusive leadership for all ethnic groups in Delta South,” Chief Johnny added.