News
Ojobo Town on Fire Over Community Leadership Elections.
Tension is brewing in Ojobo community in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State as two persons have been feared dead, four others seriously injured and three houses set ablaze in a violence that emanated from the Community Amayanabo (Highness) election.
The incident was reported to have occured at about 3:23pm on Thursday afternoon when supporters of the two Amayanabo (Highness) contestants in the community clashed with both sides taking up weapons against one another.
A source who pleaded anonymity said two persons had been killed, four persons were seriously injured and three houses were burnt down in the ensuring fracas.
He said, “residents in the community have scampered for safety as supporters of the two contestants lock-horns in deadly battle.
According him, the military men who were invited could not withstand the pressure from the rioting youths, hence they reportedly fled the community.
The source added, “we are still running in the forest, two persons have been killed, and four persons have been injured. The boys chased out the military men that were invited to intervene”.
“One of the contestants of the highness position was declared winner, others opposed it. They immediately attack each other and it is very bloody now in the community”.
Another source who also reportedly pleaded annonimity narrated, “ln this election, the Oyateigha-3 quarter has decided to give the two delegates to the Angulu, Keke, Odogo and the Young families. One of the supporters (name withheld) collected so much money from a sponsor of one of the candidates in other to make himself a delegate against the wish of the entire quarters.
“After the postponement of the elections on Sunday as a result of the death that was recorded in the community which was also masterminded by the group of persons causing trouble.
“This morning I was told that there are foreign machineries imported into the community by (name withheld). Sincerely, I laughed at it because I felt it was a joke from the pit of hell. The reason I am giving this background story is to make us understand fully what is happening.
“While the election was going on, they only needed to communicate the resolution of the compound to the Eleco chairman, that they have already written a communique to the Electoral Body through the chairman informing him to effect the position of the quarter as zoned.
“It was while they were returning from the election scene that the sponsor of one of the candidates (name withheld) ordered the machineries to open fire on them.
“I was told that Adidas sustained injury on the chest region, Natty Angulu is lifeless, Ondukakpo Magada also sustained injury and about 3 people on critical conditions.
“All these are happening in the open glare before the Ojobo people. So let us get the facts straight before making conclusions irrespective of the group you support.
“The election has not been conducted yet when Puma Amadi supporters declared him winner.
Along the line, Ebibowei supporters also declared their candidate winner. This was the beginning of the riot in the community”, our source narrated.
It is not clear if the security agencies have visited the scene and put situations under control as at press time.
By Favour Bibaikefie
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially debunked claims spreading across social media platforms that its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has been dismissed by President Bola Tinubu. A widely circulated message on WhatsApp falsely alleged that Prof. Yakubu had been replaced by Prof. Bashiru Olamilekan.
Reacting to the rumors in a statement to Vanguard, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, firmly denied the claims. “Please, disregard. It is not true,” he stated.
Prof. Yakubu, currently serving the final months of his second term, is expected to step down later this year. The procedure for selecting a new chairman involves several stages: the President nominates a candidate, who is then profiled by the Department of State Services (DSS). The nominee must then be reviewed by the National Council of State before the name is submitted to the Senate for confirmation.
At this time, no official declaration has been made regarding any successor to Prof. Yakubu.
News
She Defied all Roadblocks: Prof. Jimoh Slams Security Clampdown on Senator Natasha’s Homecoming
By Favour Bibaikefie
Lagos, Nigeria – A senior academic has strongly criticized the heavy-handed security measures that paralyzed an entire senatorial district in Kogi Central during Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recent homecoming.
Speaking during an interview with Channels Television, Prof. Jide Jimoh, Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies at Lagos State University (LASU), condemned the security clampdown, which saw major roads across the area barricaded by operatives in what appeared to be an attempt to prevent Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s visit.
“How can you shut down literally a whole local government senatorial district just because somebody is trying to visit?” Prof. Jimoh questioned, expressing concern about the implications of the action for democratic engagement in the region.
Despite the heightened security and road closures, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan outmaneuvered the obstruction by arriving via helicopter — a move that took both her supporters and opponents by surprise.
Prof. Jimoh commended the senator’s tactical ingenuity. “In terms of strategic planning, she was ahead of her adversaries,” he said. “I never expected that she would come in on a helicopter, having seen that the whole roads leading to where she was supposed to go had been barricaded by security agencies. In terms of strategy, she was quite ahead of her adversaries.”
The LASU dean emphasized that the incident raises significant concerns about political freedom and the state of democracy in Kogi State. He described Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s bold decision as a powerful statement against forces attempting to suppress her political outreach and reaffirmed the need for fairness in political processes.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s helicopter arrival not only circumvented the blockade but also reignited public discourse on the misuse of state security resources and the importance of safeguarding democratic rights.
News
Peretengboro Blasts Lokpobiri Over Rivers Crisis Remarks, Accuses Him of Siding with His Stomach and Insulting Ijaw Nation Further
By Divine Perezide
Warri, Nigeria — April 5, 2025: Prominent Ijaw Youth Leader and CEO of IduwiniVoice, Prince (Dr.) Peretengboro KlintinBibaikefie, has condemned the recent comments made by the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) National President, Jonathan Lokpobiri, over the political crisis in Rivers State, describing his remarks as “reckless, disappointing, and a betrayal of Ijaw interests.”
In a statement released to press men in Warri, Dr. Peretengboro accused Lokpobiri of unfairly and shamefully blaming the Ijaw people for the state of emergency declared in Rivers State, while carefully avoiding any criticism of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, who is clearly the center of the crisis.
“Jonathan Lokpobiri is towing the same shameful path with the very weak President Bola Tinubu who either has zero knowledge of the mind games Wike’s camp has played throughout the said crisis or is the real orchestra of the entire imbroglio — exonerating Wike in the face of glaring complicity, just to protect his brother, the Minister of State for Petroleum,” Peretengboro said. “If his role as an Ijaw leader conflicts with his stomach, then he should do the honourable thing and resign. Better still, keep quiet, and allow the spokesman to speak for Ijaw people. But no, he needed to show to Wike on who’s side he stands”
The video of Lokpobiri’s controversial remarks, which has gone viral across social media platforms, shows him lambasting the Ijaw people over the situation in Rivers State. However, the IYC President made no mention of Wike’s role in the political instability and carefully crafted plot by Wike and Tinubu to remove Gov. Fubara, using the emergency declaration — a silence that has drawn sharp criticism from several Ijaw stakeholders.
Peretengboro insisted that Lokpobiri should have allowed the IYC National Spokesman to address such sensitive matters on behalf of the Council rather than acting in a way that undermines the unity and dignity of the Ijaw nation, even in the glirring face of suppression by someone from a lesser minority.
“The speech was infamous and unrepresentative of the true position of Ijaw youths. All well-meaning Ijaws must rise up and condemn this disgraceful display by Lokpobiri,” he said.
He further called on the Ijaw National Congress (INC) to urgently summon Lokpobiri and call him to order, stating that his actions threaten to erode the credibility of the IYC and diminish its capacity to defend Ijaw interests.
“We all understand the dicy fix, Mr. Jonathan finds himself in this whole situation. He has been very passive since the beginning of the crisis in Rivers State because of that, but the IYC is not a personal platform. It is a collective voice of all Ijaw people with a history of struggle. Lokpobiri has failed in his leadership by letting his stomach control his brain instead of letting the IYC do its job, and the INC must act swiftly,” he concluded.
The IduwiniVoice, which also monitored the viral video, reports that discontent is growing among Ijaw communities, with many demanding a retraction of Lokpobiri’s statement and a formal apology to the Ijaw nation, and others demanding outright impeachment of the IYC President.