Author: GANUX

 

The Edo State Chapter of People Democratic Party on Thursday said the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku is a staunch APC loyalist, describing his Tuesday defection to the All Progressives Congress as comical.

 

Agbebaku, alongside two other PDP lawmakers, Sunny Ifada (Esan Central Constituency) and Yekini Idaiye (Akoko Edo I Constituency), formally defected to the APC, boosting the party’s strength in the 24-member assembly to 18 seats, while the PDP now holds just six.

 

The defection event also saw several PDP stalwarts and grassroots leaders cross over to the ruling party.

 

They included councillors from 17 local government areas, former Deputy Speaker Roland Asoro, former House Majority Leader, Nosa Nosayaba, and former PDP State Secretary, Gabriel Oloruntoba.

 

However, reacting to the Edo PDP Caretaker Committee, in a statement by its chairman, Tony Aziegbemi said Tuesday’s stage-managed fanfare in Benin City was not news; it was merely the official coronation of what had become a public secret

 

The statement read, “The Edo State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party finds it laughable, indeed, comical, that the All Progressives Congress would roll out the drums to celebrate what it calls the “defection” of Hon. Blessing Agbebaku, Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, when in truth, Agbebaku has long operated as a covert APC loyalist.

 

“Tuesday’s stage-managed fanfare in Benin City was not news; it was merely the official coronation of what had become a public secret.

 

“For months, Agbebaku has served the interests of the APC in both conduct and allegiance. What played out was nothing more than a desperate spectacle, designed to impress the President and APC national leadership, an illusion worthy of a David Copperfield performance.

 

“Let it be remembered that under Agbebaku’s leadership, and in collaboration with Monday Okpebholo and the Edo APC, duly elected local government council chairmen, overwhelmingly PDP members, were illegally suspended.

 

“Despite the expiration of that unconstitutional suspension, Agbebaku refused to reinstate them, acting with clear partisan bias. If ever there was evidence of his real political affiliation, this was it.”

Aziegbemi said Agbebaku’s formal alignment with the APC is a textbook case of political opportunism, motivated not by ideology or conviction, but by personal ambition and self-preservation, noting that the PDP remain unbothered as men who stand for nothing will always fall for anything.

 

He added, “Even more laughable is the APC’s claim that 17 council chairmen have defected to their party. This is pure fiction.

 

“We challenge the APC to name a single duly elected PDP chairman who has defected.

 

“The truth is that what they parade are political appointees and stooges illegally imposed on the councils, Okpebholo’s loyal hirelings, not the people’s elected representatives.

“We dare Okpebholo to release the names of the council chairmen that defected.

 

“The recent development, which he described as a “charade” is part of a broader strategy by the APC to create a false narrative of political dominance in Edo State, but the people there are politically astute and cannot be deceived by such theatrics.”

 

Aziegbemi urged the people of Edo to endure this holocaust period, for joy is coming, adding that the PDP remains focused, undeterred, and unwavering in its commitment to justice.

 

He said the party is pursuing all legal avenues to reclaim its stolen mandate from the brazenly manipulated September 2024 governorship election.

 

He called on members and supporters of the PDP to remain resolute, stay focused, united, and strong urging them not be distracted by the desperation of those who put personal gain above public good.

 

President Bola Tinubu has been conferred with the chieftaincy title of ‘Dike si mba Anambra’ by all the royal fathers from the 179 communities of Anambra State.

 

Tinubu was conferred with the title by the Chairman of Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Chidubem Iweka (Ogalagidi, Eze Iweka III), at the Dr Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, on Thursday.

 

The President was in Anambra on a one-day working visit to commission some “legacy” projects completed by the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo’s administration.

 

Igwe Iweka, while conferring the chieftaincy title on the President, said, “This is a title from all the royal fathers in the 179 communities of Anambra State. The title is called ‘Dike si mba Anambra’, meaning ‘warrior from the Diaspora’, and it is in recognition of your good works across the country.

 

“We welcome you to Anambra, and we salute you for honouring our invitation. Your efforts in governance are positively impacting every nook and cranny of the country.

“With your efforts, we have seen critical infrastructure such as key roads that connect the Second Niger Bridge as well as other projects in our communities. May God continue to offer you more wisdom to steer the ship of governance.”

 

Tinubu, in his acceptance, thanked the traditional rulers for the chieftaincy title, saying, “Our diversity must lead to prosperity; we must work together to lead Nigeria. We must commit ourselves for the development of the country.

 

“I feel deeply honoured by the conferment of a chieftaincy title by the royal fathers of this state. Today is not only historic, but one which I will forever treasure for the rest of my life.”

 

Among the dignitaries at the event were the National Security Adviser, Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu; Ogun State governor, Chief Dapo Abiodun; Imo State governor, Hope Uzodimma; Abia State governor, Alex Otti; Enugu State governor, Peter Mbah; and Minister of Works, Dave Umahi.

 

The President commissioned the New State Government House, Governor’s Lodge, Solution Fun City, Emeka Anyaoku Institute for International Studies and Diplomacy, and At UNIZIK, Awka, among others.

 

The Defence Headquarters has attributed the recent spate of violent attacks on communities in Benue, Plateau, and other parts of the country to foreign herders who have infiltrated Nigeria through porous borders.

 

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Markus Kangye, said the identities and languages of the assailants have helped security forces confirm that many of the attackers are not Nigerians.

 

He said, “Well , when you hear them talk in some instances , you will be able to decipher whether these people are from here or not. For instance, if I speak Hausa and my brother from the South East speaks Hausa, you’ll know that this Hausa is a borrowed one and Hausa language like any other language has different versions and intonations.

 

” If somebody from Sokoto for instance speaks Hausa and my friend from Katsina speaks Hausa you’ll notice some differences.

 

“The Hausa language we speak in Nigeria is different from that of Mali, Central Africa Republic and Ghana. ”

 

He added that apart from their language, their hair also showed they are not Nigerians.

 

“So when we arrest these herders and terrorists from the way they speak, it is clear and even from their hair, you will tell you that they are not from Nigeria.

 

“I think the only community in Nigeria that has hair similar to the Shuwa in the Sahel region is probably the Shuwa Arabs in Borno State but they don’t even have the same”, he said.

 

Kangye’s remarks come amid growing concerns over recurring attacks by armed herders on farming communities, which have left hundreds dead and thousands displaced in recent months. Many of the victims are now taking refuge in Internally Displaced Persons camps.

 

The Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, had earlier stated that foreign herders were exploiting the ECOWAS protocol on free movement to cross borders and unleash terror on local communities.

 

Kangye noted that while some Nigerian herders also get into conflict with farmers, the most violent incidents are largely driven by infiltrators.

He said, “One will also admit that many of those terrorising our people are foreigners even though some of them are also Nigerians.

 

“There are some herders that are Nigerians that also get involved in the process of rearing their cows then they encroach into these farms and then before you know it conflict ensued between the farmers and the farmers, and these are the issues we are trying to solve

 

“But know that most of the violence and incessant killings you are hearing in some parts of this country are perpetrated by mostly those that find their way into the country through our porous borders. ”

He called for stronger inter-agency collaboration to monitor Nigeria’s borders and ensure that all entrants are accounted for.

 

Highlighting the military operational success, Kangye announced the arrest of a notorious gunrunner and kidnapping kingpin, Buhari Umar, who has been terrorizing communities in Gombe, Bauchi, Plateau, and Kaduna States.

 

He said troops also apprehended a five-man kidnapping syndicate in Lafia Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

 

The suspects were identified as Hassan Mohammed, Saleh Sani, Idi Yusuf, Adamu Danmai, and Hassan Bello.

 

The military, according to Kangye, also neutralised scores of terrorists, including a wanted leader identified as Nkwachi Eze, also known as Onowu, who had been coordinating multiple attacks and kidnappings across the South East.

 

In April, he said troops rescued 173 kidnapped victims, while over 204 terrorists and their family members surrendered to Nigerian forces.

 

“A total of 430 suspected oil thieves and other criminals were also arrested. In operations targeting economic sabotage, troops of Operation DELTA SAFE foiled oil theft valued at over N1.93 billion in just one week.

 

“Items recovered included over 1 million litres of stolen crude oil, hundreds of thousands of litres of illegally refined petroleum products, and the destruction of 95 illegal refining sites, ” he added.

 

Bauchi State Government has signed a financial agreement for the implementation of the Value Chain Programme in the state.

 

According to a press release issued on Thursday by the Special Assistant on Media, Bauchi Deputy Governor’s Office, Muslim Lawal, the $158 million Value Chain project is designed to be implemented in Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi states.

 

He said while signing the agreement at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Deputy Governor, Auwal Jatau reaffirmed the state’s government commitment to the successful implementation of the programme.

 

He explained that the programme is a transformative initiative aimed at bolstering agricultural productivity and economic resilience across the benefiting states.

 

Jatau noted, “The Value Chain Programme is a strategic partnership that aligns with the vision of Governor Bala Mohammed’s administration of harnessing Bauchi State’s vast agricultural potential to drive industrial growth, create employment opportunities, and enhance the livelihoods of the citizens.

 

“This momentous occasion marks a significant stride in our collective journey towards achieving sustainable development, food security, and economic empowerment for our people.

“Under the leadership of our amiable Governor, the Bauchi State Government has developed a comprehensive agricultural development plan that leverages our land assets to unlock the state’s industrial potential.

 

“In this regard, Bauchi State has achieved certification as a food export processing zone, underscoring our commitment to enhancing agricultural productivity and positioning ourselves as a key player in the regional and global agricultural markets.”

 

Jatau assured that the government of Bauchi State is fully committed to providing a conducive environment for the implementation of the new Value Chain Programme, and will continue to prioritise policies and initiatives that support agricultural development, ease of doing business, and private sector investment.

 

He emphasised “Our administration has demonstrated strong commitment and willingness by participating in the World Bank’s first performance-for-result programme known as the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms , and we will build upon this foundation to ensure the effective implementation of this programme.”

 

Jatau conclude by appreciating all the partners, stakeholders, and development agencies for their unwavering support and collaboration with Bauchi state, paving the way for a prosperous and sustainable future.

 

The project is co-funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the French Development Agency, and the Federal Government of Nigeria.

 

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has issued a formal letter of sanction to Kenya Airways following multiple violations of consumer protection regulations involving three passengers, including Gloria Omisore.

 

The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, made this announcement on his official X account on Wednesday night.

 

“According to the NCAA, the sanctions stem from the airline’s failure to uphold several key obligations, including the NCAA has sent a letter of sanction to the operator, Kenya Airways, over the cases of Gloria Omisore and two other passengers.

 

“The penalties are for consumer protection-related infractions including right to care, failure to provide full disclosure of terms of carriage, failure to respond to the Authority’s request, failure to process refund and compensation, and lost baggage.”

 

The letter sent outlines both financial penalties and specific remedial actions.

 

“In addition to the fine in line with the NCAA Regulations 2023, the airline has seven days to pay the refunds and compensation of 1000 special drawing rights to the affected passengers,” the NCAA made it clear that non-compliance will lead to more severe consequences.

 

“Failure to comply with the letter will attract stiffer penalties for the airline,” the authority warned.

Recall that in February 2025, the NCAA initiated enforcement actions against Kenya Airways following a widely publicized incident involving Nigerian passenger Gloria Omisore.

 

The controversy began when Omisore was flown from Lagos to Nairobi without the necessary France transit visa for her onward journey to Manchester.

 

This oversight led to her being stranded in Nairobi for a 17-hour layover, followed by an additional 10-hour wait.

 

During this period, Omisore, who was experiencing a medical condition, requested care but was reportedly met with inadequate assistance from the airline staff.

 

The NCAA noted that the airline issued a misleading statement about the incident, which the regulatory body rejected.

 

Achimugu said that the determination was for the airline to update its initial statement to reflect the facts of the case and noted that there has been no compliance.

 

The United States of America’s National Transportation Safety Board has linked the unfortunate helicopter crash that killed the former Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, Herbert Wigwe, alongside his family, to ‘pilot’s spatial disorientation.’

 

The NTSB report further indicted the helicopter company, accusing it of “inadequate oversight of its safety management processes.”

 

This was contained in the NTSB final report unraveling the reasons for the helicopter crash in February 2024.

 

A preliminary report earlier showed that the helicopter, registered as N130CZ, crashed while operating under visual flight rules in what ultimately became instrument meteorological conditions, requiring different flight protocols and instrumentation.

According to the report, investigators determined the “probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot’s decision to continue the visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the pilot’s spatial disorientation and loss of control.”

 

The crash, which occurred near the California-Nevada border on February 9, 2024, claimed the lives of all six people on board, including Wigwe, his wife Doreen, their son Chizi, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former Group Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc.

 

The US accident investigators further reveal that the helicopter company failed to ensure pilots properly completed flight risk analyses, recorded maintenance issues, and followed required regulations before departure.

“The pilot likely experienced spatial disorientation while maneuvering the helicopter in IMC [instrument meteorological conditions], which led to his loss of helicopter control and the resulting collision with terrain,” the report stated.

 

Significantly, the investigation showed that the helicopter’s radar altimeter was non-functional prior to the fatal flight.

 

The report detailed that during an earlier flight, the pilot had texted the maintenance director about an issue with this critical instrument.

 

“A company mechanic performed some troubleshooting on the radar altimeter; however, he was unable to rectify the issue, and the radar altimeter remained non-functional.

 

“The mechanic reported that the pilot and the DOM [director of maintenance] were aware that the radar altimeter was not functioning, yet they departed at 1822 on the positioning flight to pick up the passengers,” the report noted.

 

The investigation further found that after arriving to collect the charter passengers, the pilot and flight follower exchanged messages but “did not discuss the status of the radar altimeter or weather conditions.”

 

President Bola Tinubu has arrived at the Chinua Achebe International Airport, Umueri, Anambra State, for an official visit to the state.

 

On the President’s entourage was the special adviser on security, Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu, among others.

 

The Nigerian leader arrived on board the Nigerian Air Force Airbus at about 12:17 pm, wearing the Akwete Igbo fabric with a red cap to match, and headed straight to the podium where the national anthem was sung.

 

Present to receive the president at the airport were the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo; his Deputy, Onyekachukwu Ibezim; members of the House of Assembly; top dignitaries from the state, among others.

 

Tinubu, after receiving some gun salutes from personnel of the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force, entered into an official car waiting for him with Soludo, where he is being taken to where he is expected to commence the business of his visit.

The president is expected to commission some “legacy” projects completed by the Soludo administration.

 

Among the projects to be commissioned by the president are the New State Government House, Solution Fun City, the New Governor’s Lodge, built for the first time in 34 years, and the revamped House of Assembly, among others.

 

According to a statement by the special adviser to the state governor on political matters, Dr Alex Obiogbolu, on Thursday, Tinubu, during the official working visit, is expected to host a high-level town hall meeting between the president and key stakeholders in the state at the newly refurbished Dr Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka.

 

Obiogbolu had reportedly warned party members not to wear party uniforms at the venue.

 

At the moment, everywhere is wearing a new look in Awka, the state capital, in anticipation of the arrival of the president.

 

 

With a population of 23.6 million sheep and 5.3 million people, there are about 4.5 sheep for each New Zealander, the statistic showed.

 

According to the statistics, that’s down from 22 sheep per person in 1982, when farming sheep for meat and wool was New Zealand’s biggest earner.

 

Now, years of falling wool prices prompted by a global shift to synthetic fibers have led farmers to change what they do with their land, the sector’s biggest lobby group said.

 

The lobby group added that, however, humans were gradually trying to catch up with the sheep.

The vast number of sheep in New Zealand relative to the country’s scant human population has long been the subject of jokes aimed at New Zealanders abroad.

 

The country is one of a handful in the world that’s still home to more sheep than people, but humans are catching up, according to new figures released Tuesday.

 

More than 120 endangered vultures died after eating an elephant carcass poisoned by suspected poachers in South Africa in one of the single largest such spikes in the region, wildlife officials said Thursday.

 

Another 84 vultures were evacuated by road and helicopter for treatment and monitoring after the poisoning in the Kruger National Park early this week, the park and Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) said in a statement.

 

“The scale of the tragedy is staggering: 123 vultures were found dead at the scene,” the statement said.

 

The dead birds of prey included white-backed vultures, Cape vultures and a lappet-faced vulture, which are all listed as endangered or critically endangered species.

 

Poachers had laced the elephant carcass with highly toxic agrochemical pesticides in a method increasingly being used to target species such as vultures and lions, whose body parts are in demand for traditional medicine, the statement said.

 

It was the biggest single such poisoning since 2019, when more than 500 endangered vultures died in Botswana after eating elephants whose carcasses were poisoned by poachers, EWT birds of prey programme manager Gareth Tate told AFP.

Poachers who use poison either lace a dead animal with a toxin or snare one to use as bait, he said.

 

“We have seen a massive spike in poaching for lion parts, for which sometimes vultures are the unintended victims,” Tate said.

 

In some cases, birds of prey are “maliciously targeted” by poachers because they are natural sentinels and can give away the location of the poaching of other animals, he said.

 

The member representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State in the House of Representatives, Amobi Ogah, has dismissed his purported suspension from the Labour Party, insisting his loyalty to Governor Alex Otti remains unwavering.

 

The Julius Abure-led Labour Party faction recently suspended Otti and all LP lawmakers in the House of Representatives.

 

Ogah told NAN on Thursday in Abuja that the indefinite suspension from Abure’s faction had no weight and as such would not affect his loyalty to his state governor, Otti.

 

He reiterated his determination to remain focused on his legislative duties and unshaken in his political conviction.

 

“The suspension is a joke taken too far and a distraction sponsored by elements threatened by the new face of leadership in Abia State.

 

“I want to make it clear; the so-called suspension means absolutely nothing to me.

“I have the mandate of the people, and my commitment to Gov. Otti and his transformational agenda in Abia remains unshakable,” Ogah said.

 

He reaffirmed his confidence in the governor’s leadership, adding that Otti has brought hope, accountability and progress to Abia.

 

Otti said, “Gov. Alex Otti is the best thing that has happened to our state in decades. I am with him full time.

 

“Nobody can bully us out of this progressive movement. No amount of intimidation can stop the will of the people.”

 

The lawmaker called on his constituents to remain calm and focused, assuring them of his commitment to his mission of delivering effective representation to the people of Isuikwuato and Umunneochi.

 

NAN