News

Wike’s Reception: Elders Chide RIVCO, Say INC Authentic Mouth Piece Of Ijaw

Published

1 year ago

September 29, 2024

Ijaw elders have faulted the claim by members of the Rivers Ijaw People’s Congress, RIVCO, who apologized to the minister of the federal capital territory, FCT, Chief Nyesom Wike for alleged “ingratitude” of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, as the authentic Ijaw people.

Members of RIVCO had on Saturday organized a grand civic reception in Honour of Wike in Port Harcourt where they begged the FCT minister for forgiveness over the “humiliation” meted out on him by the state governor.

The Executive Director, Finance and Administration, EDFA, of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Boma Iyaye, who spoke at the event openly apologized to Wike and told him to disregard the misbehaviour of an individual and continue to relate with the Ijaw people.

“I want to apologize to you for what our son is doing to you. We are sorry. It is not in our nature to pay good with evil. Don’t because of this bad behavior and run away from us. Continue to be our brother. It is not because we fail exam we won’t repeat it again. We are not ungrateful people. That is why we are celebrating you”.

Reacting to this development on Sunday, a chieftain of the Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum, PANDEF, Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe said “we have structure and root in Ijaw. Anybody cannot just come up and begins to talk on behalf of the entire Ijaw people”.

Sara-Igbe explained that Ijaw national Congress, INC, was the only authentic voice of Ijaw people.

“If Ijaw people want to do anything, INC will lead and all of us will follow. Ijaw nation has never resolved to honor a man who called the Ijaw people “thunder fire you”. We only know two bodies in Ijaw land: INC and the IYC,” he noted.

The former security adviser said that RIVCO was not an affiliate of the INC or any known Ijaw ethnic group, adding that “those who paraded themselves as Ijaw people should continue to suck the man dry and take his money”.

Also reacting, the spokesperson of the Ijaw Republican Assembly, IRA, Ann-Kio Briggs said there was nothing wrong in anybody belonging to any political group, but “that is not enough to say that anybody can rise up and begin to speak for us as Ijaw people.

“If you look very closely, you will see that those who organized the reception were Wike’s political associates. They are made up of former Commissioners, SAs and all of that. They have the right to support whoever they want to support but clearly, they can’t speak for Ijaw people”.

Briggs wondered what the RIVCO members meant when they said “we are the real Ijaw”, saying that Ijaw people never organized reception for the FCT minister.

“They are Wike’s political associates. Nobody can deny them that right. They are Wike’s associates from Ijaw ethnic extraction. But they can’t speak for the entire Ijaw people.

“We have the INC and the IYC. These are the two major groups that we have in Ijaw land and the decisions of INC bind all the Ijaw people that are cut across Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, Edo, Ondo and Abia states”.

News

Boko Haram Once Nominated Muhammadu Buhari As Negotiator – Jonathan Revealed

Published

4 hours ago

October 3, 2025

Editor

Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday, disclosed that Boko Haram insurgents once nominated the late ex-President Muhammadu Buhari as their negotiator.

Jonathan said Boko Haram chose Buhari to negotiate with the Nigerian government on their behalf.

He made the disclosure while speaking at the public presentation of Scars, a book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (retd.), in Abuja.

Jonathan said the insurgents named Buhari after his then-administration set up several committees to explore dialogue with the group.

Jonathan said: “One of the committees we set up then, the Boko Haram nominated Buhari to lead their team to negotiate with the government.

“So I was feeling that, oh, if they nominated Buhari to represent them and had a discussion with the government committee, then when Buhari took over, it could have been an easy way to negotiate with them and they would have handed over their guns. But it was still there till today.”

Jonathan noted that the inability of Buhari to eradicate Boko Haram terrorists showed that the crisis was more complex than often portrayed.

News

Edo: Pandemonium As NDLEA Operatives Chase Escaping Driver With Shooting

Published

6 hours ago

October 3, 2025

Editor

There was pandemonium at Oka Market, Upper Sakponba Road, Benin City, Friday, as operatives of the State Command of Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) shot sporadically in chase of an escaping driver.

In the course of the commotion, traders and residents took to their heels, probably to avoid being hit by stray bullets, while others were confused, not sure of what caused the sporadic gunshots.

The sporadic gunshots which lasted more than five minutes at the gate of the NDLEA Head Office, by Oka Market, followed a hot chase of an articulated vehicle driver who was said to have brushed their (NDLEA) vehicle.

The driver, who reportedly brushed the NDLEA vehicle refused to stop for negation, which prompted officers at the scene to alert their colleagues who waited at the alert.

According to eyewitnesses, as the escaping articulated driver approached the NDLEA office, officers who were said to have been alerted by their colleagues pursuing the trailer began to shoot.

Seven of the tyres of the trailer were deflated by bullets of the NDLEA operatives yet the driver refused to stop.

The officers continued to shoot while pursuing him, until he was caught.

A source said that the driver brushed their vehicle on the way, and that every effort by the officers to stop him so they could settle the matter proved abortive; hence the gunshots and deflation of the tires.

“It was a simple thing; they jammed our men, but the officers tried to stop him so that they could settle, but the driver refused to stop. That is why the men have been shooting to stop him. Even after bursting about seven tires, he was still running, but we caught him and they are bringing him back to our office,” he concluded.

Calls and messages sent to the commander, Edo State NDLEA Command, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, were not responded to as at when filing this.

News

JUST IN: Court Bars Police From Enforcing Tinted Glass Regulation

Published

8 hours ago

October 3, 2025

Editor

The Federal High Court sitting in Warri has issued an order directing the Nigeria Police Force and the Inspector-General of Police to maintain the status quo in the ongoing case concerning the controversial tinted glass permit.

The case, Suit No. FHC/WR/CS/103/2025: John Aikpokpo-Martins v. Inspector-General of Police & Nigeria Police Force, came up for hearing today.

Delivering the interim order, the Court directed the police authorities to respect judicial processes pending further proceedings in the matter.

Confirming the development, Kunle Edun, SAN, who led the legal team, noted that the directive is a major step in ensuring that the rule of law is upheld while the substantive issues in the case are being determined.

Details of the ruling and the next adjourned date are expected shortly.

Further updates coming soon…