News

Kingship Tussle: Egbema Leaders Of Thought Takes Swipe On Warri North Chairman

Published

3 years ago

November 9, 2022

…Accuses Him Of Bias, Compromise, Imposition Of Candidate

A Group known as Egbema Leaders of Thought (ELOT) has taken a swipe on Warri North Chairman, Hon. Smart Yomi Asekutu, on his alleged bias, compromise and imposition of one Napoleon Egin, as the new Agadagba of Egbema kingdom.

For this, ELOT added that the Chairman cannot be trusted to play any role in the selection process of a new Agadagba of the kingdom that can guarantee an outcome that will earn respect and loyalty of the Egbema people.

ELOT was reacting to the Chairman’s reaction to its earlier publication wherein it accused him the same act of bias but he (chairman) denied the allegation and consequently described it (allegation) as laughable.

A statement made available to INFO DAILY and signed by ELOT’s Chairman, Elder Edmund Tiemo and Secretary, Erepade Mawari, said contrary to the Chairman’s claim that a meeting of the entire Egbema produced the man in question as the new Agadagba of the kingdom, there was nothing of such, but the community/Ruling House concerned was only mandated to nominate 12 persons, adding that Mr. Egin, whom the Chairman is projecting, was screened out.

The statement reads in part: “In the first place, at no time was there a meeting of ‘‘the entire Egbema people assembled for a whole day to come up with one (Napoleon Egin) out of six names’’ purportedly submitted by Ogbudugbudu community as being falsely alleged by the chairman. We challenge him to prove us wrong.

“Following a resolution of the meeting at Ofunama, on September 24, 2022, the Ogbudugbudu Ruling House was mandated to produce a suitable candidate for consideration as Agadagba of Egbema kingdom.

“The Ogbudugbudu Ruling House accordingly convened a meeting of the entire community where twelve (12) prospective candidates, including Barr. Napoleon Egin, were screened.

“After a rigorous and well documented screening process, three of the twelve candidates were adjured to meet the minimum qualification of having a none-Egbema mother. Barr. Napoleon Egin and eight others were screened out by the Ogbudugbudu Ruling House based on the requirements of the gazette.

“The meeting in question was well attended by the Elders and young people, including the Ama-Okosuwei of Ogbudugbudu Community. The screening process was peaceful and transparent and its outcome was generally acceptable to the entire community.

“The Chairman’s reference to the existence of a second list is in fact turning the truth upside down and putting a spin on the process of choosing the Agadagba-Elect. He said that a second list was prepared as a result of the announcement of Saturday, 24 September, 2022, for Ogbudugbudu people to produce a candidate and that his findings showed that the Ama-Okosuwei of Ogbudugbudu community was not willing to sign that document but to allow peace to reign, he allowed the second list to be included. He says, ‘‘I was in that meeting” of Saturday, October 01, 2022.

“In fact there was no second list. The only authentic list was the one submitted by the Ogbudugbudu Community openly on Saturday, October 01, 2022.

“The so called first list being referred to by the WN – LGA Chairman was a fake list clandestinely smuggled in through the back door by the LGA chairman in connivance with his faction of the chiefs. That list was roundly condemned and rejected by the generality of the people present.

“The list was secretly and fraudulently prepared since August 24, 2022. In spite of the loud opposition to this list, the LGA chairman overruled and ordered that the fake list should be accepted, presumably because the list contained the name of his preferred candidate.”

It continued: “This was the main reason the LGA chairman came to attend the October 1 meeting with security gun boats to act as a ramrod for his mischief-making Chiefs to force down the fake list against the people of Egbema Kingdom.

“The meeting of September 24, 2022, rose with a unanimous decision calling on Ogbudugbudu Ruling House to produce a candidate within one week to be considered as the next Agadagba,” it added.

ELOT empathized that it has no preferred candidate neither in against of Mr. Egin being a native of the kingdom, adding: “ELOT has no preferred candidate and at no time during our meeting with the Chairman did we talk about any particular candidate.

“ELOT would want to make it explicitly clear that we do not have anything against the chairman of the WN-LGA or the traditional council of chiefs. We have nothing against Napoleon Egin as a person.

“He is an active member of ELOT who is supposed to uphold truth and justice, but instead, he has readily lend himself to be used as a tool for foisting evil and untruth.

“ELOT, as a body, is committed to ensure that justice and truth is upheld at all times in the Kingdom regardless of who is involved.

“Our position is that the WN-LGA Chairman, Mr. Smart Yomi Asekutu has soiled his hands in this matter. He is deeply entangled. Mr. Smart Yomi Asekutu should tread the path of honour and disentangle himself from this web and allow Egbema Kingdom to follow due process and install their own King,” it added.

Calls put across to the Chairman by INFO DAILY were not picked neither did he reply SMS sent to his cell phone.

News

Film Premiere: Edo In Talks With Embassies To Promote Safe Migration —Agazuma

Published

1 hour ago

November 4, 2025

Editor

The Edo State Government has opened talks with various embassies to establish modalities and strategies aimed at reducing or completely eliminating irregular migration, while promoting safe migration practices.

The Director General (DG) of the Edo State Migration Agency, Lucky Agazuma, disclosed this during the premiere of the film “Cold Dishes” held in Benin City.

He emphasized the need for stakeholders to work together to end the scourge of irregular migration in Nigeria.

Agazuma, who was part of the audience that watched the movie, said the Edo State Government has made remarkable progress in tackling irregular migration.

He noted that the Monday Okpebholo-led administration has continued to deliver good governance to the people of the state.

According to him, the government is creating jobs, regularising teachers’ appointments, improving the educational system, and intensifying public enlightenment campaigns to educate citizens on the dangers of embarking on irregular migration.

He expressed appreciation to the governor for prioritising the issue of irregular migration and for working tirelessly to curb it in the state.

Agazuma described irregular migration as “dangerous and deadly,” and assured that the agency would continue to assist intending travelers on safe and legal travel options.

“We are discussing with embassies in Nigeria to help promote safe migration and ensure Nigeria is a VISA free nation as it will help reduce the process of embarking on illegal migration.

“For the film that has been premiered today, it talks about migration and irregular migration and the dangers surrounding it.
As an agency we are working to check traffickers in the State and we have a government that is accountable to it’s citizens, working to improve their lives”

“The last administration relegated Edo people bringing in consultants to do the job here but the Governor Monday Okpebholo led administration has changed the narrative creating the atmosphere for Edo people to fix Edo themselves,” he said.

Agazuma further revealed that the agency has continued to rescue Edo indigenes from the hands of traffickers, including those who have been held in captivity for years in their search for greener pastures.

He called on citizens to shun irregular migration and ensure that they only travel through legal means to avoid falling prey to traffickers.

“Our work and focus as an agency is bringing the world to Edo. The administration of Monday Okpebholo is bringing good governance to Edo and in the long run eliminating irregular migration.”

A lead actor in the premiered film “Cold Dishes” and an Edo indigene, Osas Ighodalo, also expressed appreciation to Okpebholo for creating an enabling environment for the entertainment industry to thrive.

“Edo State is taking the lead in the fight against irregular migration and the government has continued to support all efforts to eliminate the scourge. I thank the Edo State government and the migration agency for standing with our returnees and rehabilitating them. The film is a call on all Stakeholders to do more,” she said.

News

Forceful Entering Into State-owned Property In Edo Risks Jail

Published

1 hour ago

November 4, 2025

Editor

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has signed law prescribing 10 years Imprisonment for anyone who violently or forcefully enters into state-owned property.

The governor also assented to, law prescribing five years imprisonment for anyone who is involved in an unauthorized sale or transfer of government property without the governor’s consent.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, and made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Benin.

Itua in the statement quoted the governor as emphasizing that the “new legal framework is a clear demonstration of his administration’s zero tolerance for corruption, impunity, and misuse of government property.”

The governor’s CPS said the law also prescribed stringent penalty for professionals who aid or abet illegal land transactions involving state property.

The statement partly reads: “The Edo State Public Property Protection Law, 2025, establishes the Edo State Public Property Protection Committee, a statutory body mandated to oversee, safeguard, and recover all public properties belonging to the State. The law empowers the committee to prevent unauthorized occupation, vandalism, encroachment, alienation, or destruction of public assets.

“Under the new law, the committee shall have the authority to identify, inspect, seal, and recover encroached public properties, investigate disputes, and collaborate with law enforcement agencies to ensure strict compliance. It also empowers the committee to initiate legal actions through the Ministry of Justice against any individual or entity found in contravention of the provisions of the law.

“Public assets belong to the people of Edo State, not individuals. This law ensures that no one, no matter how highly placed, can appropriate public property for private gain,” he said.

“The law prescribes stringent penalties for violations. Unauthorized sale or transfer of government property without the governor’s consent now attracts a five-year prison term, while violent or forceful entry into state-owned property could lead to up to ten years’ imprisonment, depending on the severity of the offence.

“Professionals who aid or abet illegal land transactions involving state property will also face sanctions, including prosecution and referral to their professional bodies for disciplinary action.

“Additionally, false petitions or fraudulent claims relating to government lands will attract severe penalties to deter abuse of process.”

News

Immigration Seizes Senator Natasha’s Passport At Airport

Published

2 hours ago

November 4, 2025

Editor

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP/Kogi Central) has cried out that Nigerian immigration officers seized her passport at an airport, preventing her from travelling abroad.

Over the weekend, Akpoti-Uduaghan celebrated her second anniversary in the Senate by commissioning projects in Kogi Central.

The lawmaker went live on Instagram at the airport as she questioned immigration officials over the alleged confiscation of her passport.

In a video obtained on Tuesday, she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of giving the order for her passport to be seized.

She described the action as an unlawful restriction of her movement and a gross violation of her fundamental rights.

“Hello, fellow Nigerians. I’m Senator Natasha. Having completed my second year in office, I decided to take a week off. I’m at the airport here, and my passport has been withheld again,” she said in the video.

“This same thing happened before when I was stopped from travelling even though I had committed no offence, and there was no court order restricting me. The last time this happened, the officer in charge told me that the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, instructed them to withhold my passport and prevent me from travelling because he claimed that each time I go abroad, I ‘spoil the image of the country’ by granting interviews to international media.”

According to the senator, it was only after the intervention of a certain influential person that her passport was released the last time such an incident occurred.

“Godswill Akpabio has instructed the Controller General of Customs to withhold my passport. This is wrong,” the lawmaker said.

She claimed that President Bola Tinubu had instructed the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, to withdraw all cases in the court filed by the Federal Government against her.

My invitation to Akpabio, other colleagues procedural, not personal, Natasha clarifies
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s passport was later released by the immigration officials.

The Kogi legislator was involved in a high-profile dispute with Akpabio in February over seat reallocation in the Senate, which escalated into her six-month suspension, effective March 6, 2025.

She, however, resumed her duties on September 24, 2025.