News

Rivers Staff, Pensioners Audit Sparks Outrage

Published

3 months ago

July 24, 2025

The verification of civil servants and pensions in Rivers State, ordered by the Administrator, Vice Adm Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), has sparked outrage in the state.

A statement by the state acting Head of Service, Dr. Inyingi Brown, on Wednesday, said the first phase of the exercise would begin today (Thursday).

The statement reads, “This is to inform all staff under the payroll of the Rivers State Government that His Excellency, Vice Admiral (retd.) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, the Administrator of Rivers State, has approved the verification of staff and pensioners in the state and local government areas.

“Accordingly, the first phase of the verification exercise will enable all staff of Ministries, Departments and Agencies to present themselves for the verification beginning from Thursday, July 24, 2025, as scheduled.

“Staff are advised to check the released timetable for their scheduled dates.

“Staff are advised to come along with the specified document as indicated on the notice.

“All pensioners should note that they will be informed when their verification will commence.”

Reacting, a former labour leader in the state, Opuebo Lily-West, criticised Ibas, saying the move was not going down well with workers.

Lily-West, a former chairman of the state Civil Service Union, described the action as insensitive.

He said going ahead with such an exercise towards the end of the month was a deliberate attempt to deprive workers of their salaries on time.

He stated, “The situation as we speak is that even with our disagreement with the anti-workers policy of the administrator in Rivers State, he is still going ahead to conduct the verification exercise of civil servants and pensioners in the state.

“And we are asking: What is his interest? Did he employ any of these persons he wants to verify? What are all these in a salary payment week?

“By the time the exercise is over, when is he going to pay salaries to workers? He has destroyed every structure that he met on the ground and has now entered the civil service.”

He called on the Rivers people and workers to rise against the decision.

Lily-West further alleged that the move was an attempt to defraud the state, noting that “We are saying that the entire process is a nullity.”

He said, “Rivers State is bleeding and we are grieving. We cannot continue to fold our arms and watch this injustice happen in this manner,” he said.

Workers and some pensioners who spoke with The PUNCH on condition of anonymity also expressed dissatisfaction with the move.

News

Police Arrest Nollywood Production Manager For Assaulting Crew Member

Published

2 hours ago

October 31, 2025

Editor

The Lagos State Police have arrested a Nollywood production manager, Anierobi Courage, for allegedly assaulting a crew member.

Anierobi Courage, better known as Nwa South, reportedly assaulted the head of makeup, Mary Chizzy Eze, on October 28, 2025, while on the set of the film “Lagos to Opulence.”

A trending video of the physical altercation showed the production manager pressing Mary’s throat after slapping her, an act that has sparked widespread outrage on social media.

Reacting to the public condemnation, the Nigeria Film Crew Community (NFCC), in a statement released on Thursday, described Courage’s actions as “animalistic behaviour.”

Announcing his arrest, NFCC called on Nollywood producers and other stakeholders to blacklist Courage across all productions.

“The production manager violently hit and strangled Mary Chizzy Eze for speaking up against unequal treatment among the crew. While she has received medical care, he has been arrested.

“This level of disregard for human dignity is unacceptable. We stand firmly against all forms of abuse, assault, and crew maltreatment,” the NFCC said.

News

‘EFCC Collected N10m Before They Released Me’ – Oladips Alleges [VIDEO]

Published

3 hours ago

October 31, 2025

Editor

Popular Nigerian singer, Oladips has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, of collecting N10 million from him.

The rapper made this known nearly a year after he was arrested by EFCC during a midnight raid in his estate.

Oladips was arrested with some of his neighbors for alleged fraud in November 2024.

He was released after spending five days in detention.

Speaking about his experience with the EFCC, Oladips in his latest interview on Trending podcast, stated that nothing was found on him after the EFCC investigations.

While revealing that the EFCC collected N10 million from him before his release, he lamented that “Nigeria just happened to me”.

“It’s just one smelling place like that. They just packed us there like sardines and they gave us nonsense food. Funny enough it was Zlatan that was sending me food. Zlatan is not even a friend, that’s my blood.

“He was sending someone to buy good food for me because the food there is bad. They just packed us there like sardines. I’m not even supposed to be there first of all. Like, why did I spend four to five days there when you people (EFCC) didn’t find anything on me, not even a single thing. And they still collect N10 million from me before they released me.”

When asked “Is it a thing you can take up against the EFCC later, or you will just allow the sleeping dog lie?”, the singer responded “Who is my father?”

“Who is my father now? At the end of the day, who is my father? It’s just me and my truth. It’s not something I will want to. I don’t just know how the system works. I for dey their page now if to say I dey do Yahoo. They didn’t find anything on me. If they are watching this, they know that I’m saying the truth.

“They collected money from me before they released me. They didn’t find anything on me. So, what was the money for? What was all that stress and suffering for? It’s just Nigeria. Nigeria just happened to me,” he said.

https://x.com/i/status/1983504280972615813

News

Bank MD Jailed Five Years For N32m Fraud

Published

4 hours ago

October 31, 2025

Editor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has secured a five-year conviction of a former Managing Director of Bonghe Micro Finance Bank, Grace Karka, for her role in a N32m fraud, with an option of fine.

The PUNCH learnt in a statement by the EFCC on Thursday that the agency received a petition from the bank alleging that the defendant transferred N32m while she was the bank’s MD to an unknown account.

The statement noted that the petitioner said the fraudulent act was discovered during an audit of the bank’s account domiciled with a commercial bank.

She was subsequently arraigned before Justice Benjamin Lawan Manji of the Adamawa State High Court on counts of criminal conspiracy and cheating.

One of the charges read: “That you, Grace Andreas Karka and Prince Moses Batalu, between August 2020 and March 2021 in Yola, Adamawa State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did agree amongst yourselves to do an illegal act, to wit theft of N66,792,960.00 from Bonghe Micro Finance Bank Nigeria Limited (account number 2013668857 domiciled with First Bank Nigeria Limited) by dishonestly moving the said sum without necessary approval, contrary to Section 61(2) of the Adamawa State Penal Code Law 2018.”

According to the statement, the defendant was arraigned in November 2024, but she pleaded not guilty, which led to a full trial.

The EFCC said during the trial, the prosecutor presented witnesses and tendered several documents, while the defendant presented three witnesses.

Following the trial, the judge found the defendant guilty and sentenced her to five years’ imprisonment.

“Justice Manji, on October 17, 2025, while delivering judgment, said the prosecution proved the case beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted the defendant accordingly on counts one and two.

“The judge also sentenced Karka to five years’ imprisonment with an option of N3m each on counts one and two. The sentence is to run concurrently.

“In addition, the court ordered the convict to restitute the balance of N29,877,040 to the petitioner,” the statement added.

This is not the first time a former bank MD has been jailed for fraud.