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Urhobo, Isoko Ex-agitators Team Up, Inaugurate Exco

Published

4 years ago

September 28, 2021

With the aim of enlarging the frontier of members and the betterment of the Niger Delta region, ex-Agitators of Urhobo and Isoko extractions in Delta State have united to form a common front in the interest of all members of Phase 1, 2, and 3 under the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, of the Federal Government.

The group, who gathered in Ughelli, the traditional headquarters of Urhobo nation for a brainstorming session over the weekend among other far-reaching decisions, sued for peace among members.

They noted that only a united body like they have formed can achieve goals of attracting development and human growth to the Delta region.

Members were drawn from among what the organisers described as dogged ex-agitators who had remained tenacious in their onerous desire for a better region and people.

The group inaugurated new executive members to steer its affairs in their drive for freedom and emancipation of the region and also to bring pressure to bear on both the PAP and members to activate the phase 3 ex-agitators to make members more formidably vibrant in the system of things.

Pointedly, the group decried what it called neglect of the phase 3 group in both the politics and administration of the Amnesty Programme and called for unity of purpose and togetherness by closing ranks to work and achieve glory together as a family.

During the parley, different speakers had raised issues touching on the neglect and undercurrent boardering on rumour-mongering, backbiting, and morbid gossip which it noted had impeded progress among phase 3 ex-warriors.

They, however, all all agreed to work together to change the trend of things for the best interest of members.

Recognition for ex-agitators, the Urhobo and Isoko group has been lopsided as it vowed to reinforce cohesiveness among former warriors of both extractions across divides to balance and whittle down ethnic dominance of those who see Amnesty Programme as their exclusive preserve adding the programme is for all and recognition should even across divides.

The keynote speaker at the event, Eshanekpe Israel, a.ka. Akpodoro, who was appointed the Chairman to the Board of Trustee, BoT of the group emphasised the need by Phase 3 ex-agitators to keep and maintain peaceful disposition at all times.

He vowed to double his efforts at repositioning and setting the group on the path of progress capable of thrusting it to the limelight and ensure that members are developed into imbibing better understanding of who they are and thereby cut down on mis-demeanours of errant members across phases particularly phase 3.

Headline

Trump Birthright Citizenship Order Halted In Class-action Suit

Published

1 day ago

July 10, 2025

Editor

A federal judge on Thursday halted President Donald Trump’s order restricting birthright citizenship, as opponents of the policy pursue a new legal avenue following the US Supreme Court’s overturning of a previous block.

The high court’s conservative majority delivered a landmark decision in late June that limits the ability of individual judges to issue nationwide injunctions against presidents’ policies.

Several such judges had in fact blocked Trump’s attempt to end the longstanding rule, guaranteed in the US Constitution, that anyone born on US soil is automatically an American citizen.

However, the Supreme Court left open the possibility that orders could be blocked via broad class-action suits against the government.

Trump’s opponents quickly filed new class-action suits seeking to block again the executive order.

On Thursday, Judge Joseph Laplante of the US District of New Hampshire granted class-action status to any child who would potentially be denied citizenship under Trump’s order. The judge ordered a preliminary halt to it as legal proceedings carry on.

The judge delayed his ruling for seven days to permit the Trump administration to appeal.

Cody Wofsy, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) who argued the case, called the ruling a “huge victory” that “will help protect the citizenship of all children born in the United States, as the Constitution intended.”

Trump’s executive order decrees that children born to parents in the United States illegally or on temporary visas would not automatically become citizens — a radical reinterpretation of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution.

His administration has argued that the 14th Amendment, passed in the wake of the Civil War, addresses the rights of former slaves and not the children of undocumented migrants or temporary US visitors.

The Supreme Court rejected such a narrow definition in a landmark 1898 case.

The current high court, with a 6-3 conservative majority, avoided ruling last month on the constitutionality of Trump’s executive order and only addressed the issue of nationwide injunctions.

It nonetheless permitted the order to go ahead but delayed its ruling from taking effect until late July to allow for new court challenges.

Several lower courts, in issuing their previous injunctions, had ruled that the executive order violated the Constitution.

Headline

PICTORIAL: Two Undocumented Nigerians Arrested For Drug Trafficking In Libya

Published

1 day ago

July 10, 2025

Editor

Libya’s Counter-Terrorism Forces have arrested two undocumented Nigerians over alleged involvement in drug trafficking.

According to a statement shared by Migrant Rescue Watch on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, the suspects were caught with quantities of hashish and hallucinogenic pills, including Tramadol and Lyrica.

Authorities also recovered a large sum of cash suspected to be proceeds from drug sales during the operation.

Following their arrest, the two Nigerians have been handed over to the appropriate legal authorities for further investigation and possible prosecution.

The statement said, “Counter-Terrorism Forces arrested 2 undocumented #migrants of Nigerian nationality for drug trafficking. The individuals were found in possession of hashish, hallucinogenic pills “Tramadol” & “Lyrica” as well as cash from proceeds.

“Both individuals were referred to competent authorities for legal action.”

Headline

31 Workers Escape Death As Tunnel Collapses In Los Angeles

Published

1 day ago

July 10, 2025

Editor

All 31 workers escaped without injuries from a collapsed industrial tunnel in Los Angeles’ Wilmington area, after scrambling over a tall pile of loose underground soil, city officials said late on Wednesday.

The trapped workers were shuttled back to the tunnel’s entry point, more than 5 miles (8 km) away from the affected area, after they escaped the collapsed section and met several coworkers in the unaffected part of the tunnel, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a statement.

The tunnel, which had a diameter of 18 ft (5.5 m), trapped 27 individuals, while four workers entered the damaged section to assist with rescue, LA Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva told reporters in a media briefing.

“The workers had to climb through debris. They had to make themselves out through,” before they were assisted out, Villanueva said.

Robert Ferrante, chief engineer and general manager of Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, told the briefing that a section of the already built part of the tunnel experienced squeezing ground conditions and partially collapsed.

“LAFD has just reported that all workers who were trapped in the tunnel in Wilmington are now out and accounted for. I just spoke with many of the workers who were trapped. Thank you to all of our brave first responders who acted immediately,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a post on X.

The collapsed section was a part of the Los Angeles County’s Clearwater Project, where the new 7-mile tunnel is being built to upgrade the region’s sewer system, officials added.

(Reuters)