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Opu-Nembe: Bayelsa Govt Faults Security Agents Operations, Slams Alleged Human Rights Abuses

Published

2 years ago

August 14, 2023

The Bayelsa State Government has condemned the alleged cases of human rights violations in Nembe-Basambiri, Nembe Local Government Area, following the deployment of a crack team from the police force headquarters in Abuja.

Governor Douye Diri made the condemnation at Basambiri shortly after an unscheduled visit to assess the security situation in the community on Monday.

His visit came on the heels of the outbreak of fresh attacks by suspected gunmen in the sister communities of Basambiri and Ogbolomabiri respectively on Saturday and in the early hours of Monday.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, claimed that the modus operandi supposedly adopted by the crack team to mop up arms in the area was faulty.

He noted that true professional operation requires them to go after the real criminals rather than harass and arbitrarily arrest peaceful and law-abiding citizens of the Nembe Kingdom.

A statement issued on Monday night by the deputy governor’s media aide, Mr Doubara Atasi, said the governor, called on the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to immediately pull out his men from Nembe Basambiri to de-escalate the growing tensions in the area.

He ordered the immediate evacuation of one of the alleged victims of the recent shootings, Mrs Ifiemi Eminah, noting that she should be taken from the Ogbolomabiri General Hospital to Yenagoa for improved medical attention.

He urged the police and the military personnel on the ground in Nembe to exhibit a high level of professionalism in carrying out their mandate.

He said, “On the impression we have, clearly most of our fears have been justified. That the deployment of the police from Abuja into Opu-Nembe is not actually for the purpose of mopping up arms.

“What we’ve seen is that there is a very high level of human rights abuse here. As you can see, I’m at the General Hospital here in Nembe to visit a woman who was shot by somebody in a police uniform. And I’m evacuating her to Yenagoa.

“We also have the report that a distress call was sent from a police station when even the DPO had not raised an alarm. I don’t know how somebody in Abuja will know that there is a security threat (to a) police station and sent people to come and start shooting aimlessly.

“So our appeal to the Inspector General is that he should please pull out his men from Opu-Nembe. We have a case of three youths that were killed since the 15th of February this year.”

He added, “Some people were alleged to be involved in that crime and their names have been made available to the police but nothing serious is seen to have been done to arrest and prosecute them up till now.

“We also appeal for the community particularly our youths to be calm no matter the level of provocation. The Government of Bayelsa is a responsible government and we are following up. That is why the Governor has asked us to come.

“We are not going to allow anyone to be intimidated. We will ensure that their rights are protected. Our youths should not respond in any form because the government is on top of the situation. And we believe justice will be done.”

The governor was accompanied on the visit by service commanders including the state Commissioner of Police, CP Alausa, some members of the Bayelsa State Executive Council, and other top functionaries of government.
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Why I Picked Amupitan As INEC Chair – Tinubu

Published

1 hour ago

October 9, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday explained that his choice of Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission was based on his apolitical stance, integrity and impeccable record of service.

“President Tinubu told the council that Amupitan is the first person from Kogi, North-Central state, nominated to occupy the position and is apolitical,” a statement by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, quoted him as saying.

The President spoke at the State House, Abuja, during the meeting of the National Council of State, which unanimously endorsed the nomination of Amupitan to succeed Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose decade-long tenure as INEC Chairman ended on Tuesday.

Tinubu told council members that Amupitan, a professor of law from Kogi State, North-Central Nigeria, is the first person from the state to be nominated for the top electoral job.

Council members, including serving and former leaders, backed the nomination, describing the professor as a man of proven integrity.

Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, said Amupitan’s track record “reflects a deep commitment to justice, knowledge, and national service.”

Following the council’s approval, the President is expected to transmit Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation in line with constitutional provisions.

Aged 58, Amupitan hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State.

A professor of law at the University of Jos, Plateau State, he is currently the institution’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) and also serves as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State.

He obtained his Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate degrees in law from the University of Jos, after earlier studies at the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin.

Called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988, Amupitan has built an extensive academic and administrative career spanning over three decades.

He became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2014 and has written extensively on company law, corporate governance, and evidence law.

His published works include Corporate Governance: Models and Principles (2008), Documentary Evidence in Nigeria (2008), Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria (2013), and Principles of Company Law (2013).

Beyond academia, Amupitan has served on several boards, including Integrated Dairies Limited in Vom, the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, and the Council of Legal Education.

He was also a board member of Riss Oil Limited, Abuja, between 1996 and 2004.

The Kogi-born scholar, described by colleagues as “a jurist of quiet influence,” is married with four children.

When confirmed by the Senate, Amupitan will become Nigeria’s 15th INEC chairman.

News

Meet New INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan

Published

2 hours ago

October 9, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has nominated Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The appointment, which was confirmed by the National Council of State on Thursday, follows the exit of Professor Mahmood Yakubu from the electoral body.

According to a statement issued by Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga, Amupitan’s nomination marks the first time a native of Kogi State will head Nigeria’s election management agency.

The law professor hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi state.

Amupitan, who currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos, has spent more than three decades in academia and legal practice.

He joined the institution in 1989 as an Assistant Lecturer and rose through the ranks to become a Reader in 2003 and a Professor of Law in 2008.

Details from the University of Jos website show that the new INEC boss obtained all his degrees, including Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate, in Law from the same university.

He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988 after completing his programme at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos.

Amupitan’s areas of academic and professional interest include Law of Evidence, Corporate Law, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law.

He was conferred with the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2014 in recognition of his contributions to the legal profession.

Beyond academics, Amupitan has held several administrative and national positions.

He has served as Dean of the Faculty of Law, Head of the Department of Public Law, and Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors at the University of Jos.

He has also represented the institution on several boards, including the Council of Legal Education and the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, where he served as a member of the Governing Council.

He was, until his nomination, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.

The legal scholar has authored and co-authored over 50 academic publications, with research spanning corporate governance, electoral law reform, and petroleum industry legislation.

He has supervised more than a dozen doctoral and master’s students in law.

Professor Amupitan is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Nigerian Institute of Management, and the National Association of Law Teachers.

Outside academics, he has served on several boards, including Integrated Dairies Limited, Riss Oil Limited, and the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Governing Council.

He is married to Dr. (Mrs.) Yemisi Amupitan, and they have four children.

News

Elder Statesman Christopher Kolade Dies

Published

2 hours ago

October 9, 2025

Editor

Veteran broadcaster and former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr Christopher Kolade, has died at the age of 92.

The family announced the elder statesman’s death in a statement on Thursday.

The statement said the late former Chairman of Cadbury Nigeria died peacefully on Wednesday, October 8, 2025.

“We are thankful for his incredible life of faith and service, and are grateful for God’s abundant blessings,” the statement read in part.

Kolade had a distinguished career as a diplomat, academic, advocate for integrity and corporate governance, among other things.

Born on December 28, 1932, in Erin-Oke, Osun State, Kolade was the son of an Anglican missionary. He attended Government College, Ibadan, before proceeding to Fourah Bay College in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where he completed his higher education.

Kolade began his career in broadcasting, eventually rising to the position of Director General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation.

He later became Chief Executive and Chairman of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, where he was widely recognised for his ethical leadership and corporate reforms.

The deceased also served Nigeria as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, leaving behind a legacy of diplomacy, integrity, and professionalism.

Kolade taught Corporate Governance and Human Resources Management at the Lagos Business School and Leadership & Conflict Management at the School of Media & Communication, both part of Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos.

Kolade, a former member of the university’s Governing Council, also served as its Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, and was later Chancellor of McPherson University, Ogun State.

Deeply committed to promoting ethical standards in business, Kolade chaired several integrity-driven organisations, including Integrity Organisation Ltd GTE and The Convention on Business Integrity Ltd GTE.