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Protests Mar Ogoni Oil Exploration Congress In Rivers

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The efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure oil resumption in Ogoni is under threat as protests disrupted a planned congress in Bori, the traditional headquarters of the Ogoni in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The planned Congress, apparently to sensitize the Ogoni people on the planned oil resumption, was organized by a group set up by the Office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu to facilitate the process.

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An eyewitness reported that the event was shut down by protestors carrying placards with various inscriptions some of which read: “Ledum Mitee and Ribadu, Leave Ogoni Alone”, “On Ogoni Development Authority We Stand”, “Exonerate Ken Saro-Wiwa”.

It will be recalled that a delegation of Ogoni people led by Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara had recently visited President Tinubu to negotiate a possible resumption of oil production in Ogoni.

READ ALSO: CSOs Condemn Planned Resumption Of Oil Extraction In Ogoniland, Demand A Halt

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The President then mandated the National Security Adviser (NSA) to ensure that all Ogoni stakeholders were included in the dialogue process.

According to Vanguard, Prior to the protest on Saturday, the decision was greeted with mixed feelings as various interest groups expressed their displeasure in the way the oil resumption plan has been carried out.

The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) had earlier expressed displeasure over exclusion from the process. MOSOP in a statement by its president, Fegalo Nsuke, accused the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu of bias and for turning its back against MOSOP after an earlier commitment to ensure that the group’s position was considered in the dialogue process.

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Nsuke said the struggle of the Ogoni people had been championed by MOSOP, noting that the Ogoni people are very conscious of the sensitive situation and will rely on the position of MOSOP on the way to go.

READ ALSO: JUST IN: Tinubu Meets Gov Fubara, Ogoni Leaders At State House

He expressed worries that MOSOP, being left out, could create distrust in the hearts of the Ogoni people.

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MOSOP also expressed worries that “the process was being rushed in a way that could generate tension, anxiety and crises in Ogoni”.

A coalition of civil society groups known as the Ken Saro-Wiwa Exoneration Campaign, KSWEC, on Friday, called for “honesty and transparency in the process”.

The group said the approach being adopted was not acceptable to the Ogoni people and called for the exoneration of nine Ogoni activists killed along with Ken Saro-Wiwa by the Nigerian Government on November 10, 1995.

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READ ALSO: Panic As Nine Children Disappear In Ogoni Communities

The coalition also called for a panel of investigation to unravel the immediate and remote causes of the death of four Ogoni leaders killed earlier on May 21, 1994.

Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others had been executed on the orders of General Sani Abacha after a widely condemned trial in Port Harcourt. The convicts were denied the right to appeal their sentences.

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Also, Ogoni in the United States and Canada had earlier condemned the planned resumption of oil production in Ogoni and called for the exoneration of the innocent men including Ken Saro-Wiwa.

The protest on Saturday represents a major setback for President Tinubu’s determination to resolve the Ogoni issues and resume the production of oil in Ogoni.

The President had only last week approved a University of Environmental Technology in Ogoni.

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Law School Student Freed, Five Colleagues Still In Kidnappers’ Custody

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Police Arrest Suspected Stolen Goods Dealer In Akwa Ibom, Recover Items

One of the six Nigerian Law School students abducted in Benue State has regained freedom, it was learnt.

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The students were kidnapped on Saturday while travelling from Onitsha, Anambra State, to the Yola campus of the Nigerian Law School in Adamawa State.

They were en route to resume academic activities after their court externship break, with lectures scheduled to recommence on Monday.

Earlier, the abductors had allegedly threatened to kill the victims if their ransom demand was not met.

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Although it remains unclear whether any ransom was paid for the release, a source familiar with the situation confirmed the development. t

“One of them has been released. There are still five in the kidnappers’ custody,” the source revealed to PUNCH Metro in a telephone interview.

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When contacted on Wednesday, the Students’ Affairs Director, NLS, Yola Campus, Johnson Ogunboyo, confirmed the number of victims still in captivity.

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“They are five (now). We are putting all our efforts into ensuring they are safely released. They demanded ransom yesterday, according to the students.

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“We are doing everything to see what we can do. If it is official, my director general will be in the best position to speak on it. I am not in the position to give you details,” he said during a phone call with The PUNCH.

On whether there was any coordination between the Law School management and security agencies, he stated, “We have seen the security people in Yola and even in Abuja, so we are on it.”

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The Adamawa State Police Command’s spokesperson, Yahaya Suleiman, had also affirmed the collaboration during an earlier interview with The PUNCH.

This latest abduction adds to a growing list of kidnappings targeting Nigerian Law School students.

In 2022, two students from the Nigerian Law School, Agbani Campus, in Enugu State, were abducted while shopping at the Eke Agbani market.

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Two Killed During Domestic Violence

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Three suspects have been arrested by the Adamawa State Police Command, in connection with two domestic violence that led to killings in Madagali and Gombi Local government areas.

Police spokesperson, SP Yahaya Nguroje, explained that the first incident, in Pallam District, Madagali, involved two co-wives, Rhoda Anthony, 55, and Victoria Anthony, 36.

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“During the fight, Victoria’s son Ijai Anthony, 16 years, allegedly hit Rhoda with a piece of wood on the head and she fell on the ground. She was rushed to Cottage Hospital, Madagali, but died while receiving treatment. Victoria and her son have been arrested.” Nguroje revealed.

READ ALSO:Woman Arrested For Killing, Selling Pregnant Nurse’s Body Parts

In the second case, police in Gombi arrested one Idi Buba for allegedly stabbing his father, Buba Jelli, on the neck and the back during a domestic dispute.

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The father was confirmed dead by medical personnel at a nearby health centre.

The spokesperson confirmed the Police were able to recover a Knife, suspected to be the murder weapon from the scene.

Commissioner of Police, CP Dankombo Morris, condemned the killings, particularly the fact that they involved family members, and urged residents to seek peaceful resolutions to conflicts. He assured that investigations are ongoing and the suspects will be charged to court once completed.

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Security Operatives, Youths Arrest Notorious Drug Dealer In Delta Community

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Operatives of the Delta Sweep and youths of Abraka community in Ethiope-East Local Government Area of Delta State have arrested a notorious drug dealer, Benson Izah, with a stash of illicit substances concealed in his motorcycle.

The suspect was arrested at the secretariat of the Abraka Community Youth Wing.

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Izah is suspected of spearheading the drug trade in the university town.

READ ALSO:Police Arrest Suspected Stolen Goods Dealer In Akwa Ibom, Recover Items

His arrest triggered immediate investigations, leading security operatives to four warehouses reportedly linked to him.

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Each site yielded significant quantities of assorted hard drugs, validating long-standing suspicions of Izah’s role in a wider drug distribution network.

Authorities have confirmed that Izah and the confiscated substances will be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and prosecution.

READ ALSO:Reactions As 2Face Idibia Weds New Lover, Natasha Osawaru [VIDEO]

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The arrest has been met with widespread relief and jubilation across the town, according to a local youth leader.

The operation has reignited calls for deeper collaboration between community stakeholders and security agencies in the ongoing war against drug abuse and crime.

Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe is yet to comment on the incident.

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