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Tag: Port Harcourt

  • EFCC arrests fake pastor over alleged N1.8bn contract scam

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has arrested a “pastor’’ over an alleged contract scam of N1.8 billion.

    The spokesman of the commission, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, identified the suspect as James Ezekiel.

    Ezekiel, according to the commission’s spokesman, claimed to be the presiding pastor of One Touch Power Ministry, Agudama, Epie in Bayelsa.

    He said the suspect was arrested by operatives at the Port-Harcourt Zonal Office of the commission.

    Uwujaren said the suspect allegedly defrauded an unsuspecting victim of N1.3 million by deceiving him to enlist as one of the “financiers’’ of a spurious N1.8 billion contract.

    He added: “Ezekiel claimed to have won a contract for the roofing of a church cathedral belonging to the Salvation Ministries in Port Harcourt, Rivers.

    “He reportedly put the contract sum at N1.8 billion and showed a contract award letter to his victim.

    “He also wooed his victim to collaborate with him as one of the “financiers” of the contract.

    “Ezekiel promised the victim mouth-watering interests on his investment’’.

    Trouble started for the suspect when the victim demanded repayment of his money with interests, which he couldn’t pay immediately.

    Uwujaren said investigations showed that the suspect delayed making the payment by deceiving him that he had been paid N800 million as mobilisation fee for the contract.

    He said Ezekiel lied that he could not access the funds because his company’s account had been frozen by the EFCC.

    Read Also: Court to Buhari: Order EFCC, others to release report on budget padding

    Uwujaren said the suspect also contrived a fake EFCC’s e-mail message notifying him of the freezing of the account.

    He said that the victim suspected foul play and petitioned the commission to help him reclaim his money.

    “Further investigations showed that the Salvation Ministries did not award any contract to Ezekiel and no transfer of N800 million was made into his company’s account.

    “Besides, the e-mail address he ascribed to the EFCC does not belong to the commission.

    “The suspect allegedly initiated the scam to fraudulently obtain money from the petitioner and other unsuspecting members of the public.

    “The suspect is in the custody of the EFCC and will be charged to court soon,’’ Uwujaren said.

    EFCC had on May 23, arrested another ‘fake’ pastor, ThankGod Udechukwu, in Lagos for allegedly duping a member of his church millions of naira

  • Black Wednesday in Aba as residents accuse army of killings

    “We didn’t kill him”, says Army

    It was indeed a black Wednesday for residents of Chigbu Street off Uratta junction by Port Harcourt road in Aba South local government area of Abia State as a boy in his late twenties simply identified as Nnamdi was allegedly killed by yet-to-be identified soldiers.

    Nnamdi, an indigene of Mbano in Imo State according to some of the residents was said to have been killed by a stray bullet from the soldiers said to be on patrol in the area during the Wednesday sit-at-home protest by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in remembrance of their fallen heroes.

    The soldiers, it was learnt were chasing after some hoodlums believed to have wanted to take advantage of the sit-at-home to cause unrest in the commercial city as they were said to be harassing innocent passersby and motorists.

    The residents claimed that the soldiers after killing Nnmadi who they said to be in his late twenties dragged his body away and deposited it at a yet-to-be identified location.

    A resident of Chigbu Street who claimed to have witnessed the incident in a Press conference said “early this morning, some boys were like stopping vehicles asking them to go back. To me, they are more of touts and rough guys.

    Read Also: Court sentences ex-Taraba governor to 28 years imprisonment

    “Suddenly we started hearing gunshots and men on army uniform with their hilux van parked around Onyike were the ones shooting and coming down to Uratta Junction.

    “On getting here, we all were watching from our house when their bullet hit a boy called Nnamdi from Chigbu Street. When they saw he was down, they started shouting at everyone to run and sit at home.

    “Before you know it, they dragged the dead guy towards their van. We got the pictures, but we took it from afar. They later came back to harass people in the street which made most of the boys to run away.”

    Our reporter couldn’t reach the army spokesman in the state for comments, but senior army personnel in the command who spoke anonymously with our reporter denied the involvement of the military in the death of Nnamdi.

    According to the source, “Our troops at Asa General Area got information that there is a shootout along Port Harcourt road of Aba South LGA. When the troops moved to ascertain the situation, on reaching there, a group of boys suspected to be hoodlums on seeing the soldiers took off and abandoned the body of the deceased.

    “The body of the deceased was recovered and handed over to the police for identification.”

  • P/Harcourt Disco donates books, bags to students

    The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) says it has donated about 1,000 bags, books and learning materials to pupils and students in four states.

    PHED’s Chief People Officer, Mobolaji Ajani, said this in a statement issued by the company’s Manager of Corporate Communications, John Onyi, in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.

    Ajani said that PHED was passionate to contribute to education advancement in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers states.

    “As a mark of our support for children’s education, PHED deemed it fit to donate over 1,000 bags with associated writing materials such as pencils, biro, crayons and rulers.

    “This gesture may not seem much, but we are assuring of our desire to support education across the four states of our operations.

    “The company, as part of its Social Corporate Responsibility, will continue to engage in other projects that will improve the socio-economic growth of the region,” he said.

    The official said the donation was presented to school children in local government areas of Eleme (Rivers), Abak (Akwa Ibom), Sagbama (Bayelsa) and Akamkpa (Cross River).

  • Phyno’s statue erected in Port-Harcourt

    Nigerian Igbo rapper Phyno has had his statue erected at Eleme, Port Harcourt.

    The rapper who uploaded the picture on his Instagram page has been getting congratulatory messages from fans, who believed such should have been done a long time ago.

    A fan, queen_dalyne, wrote, “Rochas should have done this since.”

    Chibuzor Nelson Azubuike was born and raised in Enugu State, though he is a native of Anambra State.

    The artiste developed an interest for music production during his secondary school days where he learnt to play the drums and piano. He studied Public Administration at the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, started rapping in 2010 and relocated to Lagos to continue his music career.

  • NLC, Reps condemns attack on court in Port Harcourt

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and House of Representatives have condemned the attack by hoodlums on the court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.

    NLC President Ayuba Wabba, in a statement  yesterday in Abuja, said the attack represented the primitive instincts of the hoodlums and the desperation of their promoters.

    “But beyond this, an attack on the court, any court for that matter, constitutes a violation of the sanctity of the judiciary and an invitation to anarchy.

    “In light of the fact that the court is the last hope of the common man, no explanation is good enough for this level of primitive violence,‘’ he said.

    The House of Representatives, following a motion by Betty Apiafi (Rivers-PDP), urged security agencies to fish out those behind the attack.

    Apiafi expressed concern about the invasion of an arm of government, noting that it is to an assault and contempt of the judiciary.

    She described the violence carried out by hoodlums allegedly aided by some security operatives, as an infringement on the Constitution.

    Apiafi said the incident led to the destruction of equipment and furniture, and ransacking of court buildings.

    She noted that if nothing is done about it, the country’s democracy could be affected.

    The lawmaker urged the House to constitute an ad hoc committee to investigate the matter to forestall fa recurrence.

    The motion was adopted by members when it was put to a voice vote by Deputy Speaker Yussuff Lasun.

     

     

     

  • CJN condemns attack on courts in Port-Harcourt 

    The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen has condemned last Friday’s reported attack on courts and judicial workers in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.

    Onnoghen warned that such attach on the Judiciary was not only a signed on grave moral depravity among political actors, but a major threat to the nation’s democracy.

    The CJN however assured that the Judiciary will not succumb to intimidation and was determined, more than ever before, to dispense justice with the required speed, particularly political matters.

    Onnghen, in a statement issued Monday by his spokesman, Awassam Bassey, praised security agencies for preventing a major break down of law and order.

    The CJN said, from report, the Port-Harcourt attack was aimed at stopping the court from sitting and delivering a ruling in an intra-party dispute of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in respect of the Local Government congresses of the party in the state.

    The CJN, who noted with concern that this magnitude of violence could be visited on the Judiciary during a Ward/Local Government intra-party primary election, wondered what the situation would be during the forthcoming general elections in 2019.

    Part of the statement reads: “This latest act of intimidation of the judiciary and the unwarranted violence against a peaceful institution of an arm of government is quite disturbing.

    “More importantly, such show of shame ought not to be encouraged by right thinking members of the Nigerian public.

    f the enemies of our peace and democracy succeed or get away with what occurred at the High Court in Port-Harcourt, it would be a source of encouragement to them to do same to the court of Appeal, and ultimately, the Supreme Court of Nigeria, whenever any one of them perceives that a judgment may be delivered against any of them or the interests they represent.

    “The Judiciary remains the last hope of man, and our judges and judicial officers are called upon to remain true to their oath of office.

    “They must remain focused, resolute, and courageous, regardless of the effort at intimidating them.

    “The Nigerian public is urged to continue to have faith in the Judiciary of the nation.

    “Any person with a legitimate complaint against another person, organisation or institution is advised to employ the civilised and legal mode of redress as contained and guaranteed by our Constitution.

    “Whoever is dissatisfied with the outcome of decisions of our courts of law has the right of appeal as constitutionally guaranteed. The Judiciary will never fail in its duties.

    “Violence, the type visited on the Judiciary of Rivers State is alien to any civilised society and therefore condemnable.”

    Read Also: Stop leaking judgments, CJN tells court workers

     

  • Court stops Rivers APC LG congress

    A High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has stopped the All People Congress (APC) Local Government Congress earlier scheduled for May 12.

    Justice Chiwendu Nwaogu gave the ruling in Port Harcourt on Friday after the Police quelled a riot by unknown persons within the court premises.

    The riot led to a temporary closure of the State’s Judiciary Complex and the brutalization of some journalists, litigants and lawyers by thugs around the court premises.

    Sen. Magnus Abbe (APC), representing Rivers South East Senatorial District in the senate, had filed a Motion on Notice to stop the congress.

    The motion followed a controversial ward congress on May 5 in the state.

    The riot in the court complex was an attempt to stop the court session.

    However, the police responded by shooting sporadically into the air to disperse the rioters alleged to to be supporters of a faction of APC in Rivers.

    Many glass doors, windows and cars’ windscreens were smashed in the court premises by the rioters who were alleged to have earlier locked all entrances to the court to stop the court from sitting.

    Eyewitnesses told our reporters that the padlocks were later destroyed to allow judicial workers into the premises.

    Justice Chiwendu Nwaogu later sat to grant an order restraining the APC in the state from holding its local government congress scheduled for Saturday.

    He also adjourned until June 26 for hearing.

    Meanwhile, about 50 armed policemen have been deployed to maintain peace in the complex.

    Mr. Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and spokesman for the command, confirmed the incident.

    He also told our reporters that police personnel were on the field collecting detailed information on the incident.

    “Our men are still on field collecting information about the incident,” he said.

  • Amaechi ought to ensure level playing field for all aspirants in Rivers – Abe

    Senator Magnus Abe (Rivers Southeast) has stated that the Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, who is the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State and the Southsouth zone, ought to ensure a level playing field for all aspirants in the state.

    Abe, a governorship aspirant on APC’s platform, also noted that his disagreement with Amaechi, a former Rivers governor, was political.

    The former Secretary to the Rivers State Government in Amaechi’s administration (Abe), yesterday in an online statement by his spokesperson, Parry Benson, stressed that the transportation minister earlier publicly declared that he (Amaechi) would not support his (Abe’s) governorship aspiration.

    The senator said: “I am amused by some of these allegations and stories doing the rounds. For the records, the disagreement between me and the minister (Amaechi) is political. He is the leader of the party, but he has said publicly, on several occasions, that he can never support me.

    “That means the entire country knows that he cannot pretend to be neutral or an unbiased umpire in any matter in which my interest and the interests of those interested in me are concerned. Yet, as the leader, it is his responsibility to provide a level playing field for us all.”

    Abe, an ex-Rivers Commissioner for Information, also insisted that the people that converged on the APC’s state secretariat on Forces Avenue, old Government Reservation Area (GRA), Port Harcourt last Friday were not thugs, but members and supporters of the party.

    He said: “The people he (Amaechi) referred to as thugs and hoodlums were the same people that were his heroes yesterday. They were the people we used to block the Rivers State Judiciary (in Port Harcourt) when his government was threatened. They were the people that slept for many days outside the Rivers State House of Assembly to protect his government.

    Read Also: Nigeria needs N16.56tr for its rail projects — Amaechi

    “A lot of them were members of Save Rivers Movement who risked their lives and gave their all to birth the APC in this state. He knows a lot of them by name, but today they are thugs and hoodlums, because he is now the oppressor.

    “We are politicians. Tomorrow, when we need voters, who will these people now branded as thugs be? People paid for forms, they had their tellers and no one was telling them what was going on. They besieged the state secretariat for explanations.

    “Rather than the leader (Amaechi) to come and address the people, they brought armed policemen to open fire on innocent party men and women. The attack led to the pandemonium at the secretariat.

    “The people were there (at Rivers APC secretariat in Port Harcourt last Friday) from morning and there was no violence, until the policemen came and opened fire on APC members who were totally peaceful. Who authorised the shooting and why?”

    The transportation minister, while speaking with reporters in Port Harcourt after the protest, directly accused Abe of mobilising thugs to APC’s Rivers secretariat to vandalise, loot and destroy valuable property, because the senator did not want internal democracy through congresses/elections, while opting for undemocratic consensus candidature.

  • Rivers APC’s stalwart confirmed dead

    A stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC ), Ferdinand Ovundah, who was one of the five occupants of the black Toyota Hilux van of Rivers State Secretary of the  (APC ), Chief Emeka Beke, that a big tree fell on Thursday, is dead.

    Ovundah, who hailed from Ogbakiri in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers state, had spinal cord injury from the accident and passed on yesterday in a private hospital in Port Harcourt.

    Rivers Publicity Secretary of APC, Chief Chris Finebone, Friday evening, confirmed the death of Ovundah, describing it as very pathetic and so unfortunate.

    Beke, who sat in the front passenger’s seat of the van, and the other occupants, including a policeman, were around 10 a.m. on Thursday, on their way to the Rivers secretariat of the main opposition party (APC) on Forces Avenue, old Government Reservation Area (GRA), Port Harcourt, through the road by the residence of a former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, and the Port Harcourt Club, when the big tree fell and damaged the vehicle.

    Rivers secretary of APC, his driver and others were injured and they were quickly rushed by passersby and sympathisers to the nearby Rivers state government-owned Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital (BMSH) in the Rivers state capital, from where they were quickly moved to better-equipped private hospitals, off Aba Road in Port Harcourt and in Eleme, Rivers state (names withheld), where they received treatment.

    Beke was on Friday afternoon at the Rivers secretariat of APC with swollen face, while thanking God for the narrow escape, but expressed sadness over the death of Ovundah.

    Thursday’s heavy rain in Port Harcourt and its environs, accompanied by windstorm, was responsible for the sudden fall of the tree.

  • Rivers APC uncovers plot by Wike, other PDP members to destabilize Ward Congress

    The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) states that it has uncovered a plot by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, other members of his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and their collaborators to destabilize today’s ward congress of the APC, asking Wike to address his bad governance.

    It noted that the PDP plotters were colluding with some members of APC to cause confusion, declaring that they would fail.

    Rivers APC, through its Chairman, Chief Davies Ikanya, yesterday in Port Harcourt, expressed optimism that the ward, local government and state congresses of the party would be peaceful.

    Wike earlier asked all APC members in Rivers to work towards a peaceful and successful congress, devoid of rancour, while urging them to be law-abiding and maintain the peace in the Niger Delta state.

    Rivers governor asked all hoteliers in the state not to allow their hotels to be used to foment  trouble, as was the case during the party’s last congress, when Novotel Hotel on Ken Saro-Wiwa (formerly Stadium) Road, Port Harcourt was allegedly negatively used by some persons, leading to the misconception across the country that Rivers state was in crisis.

    Wike, while speaking on Friday at the Government House, Port Harcourt, during a courtesy visit by retired military and para-military officers of Ogoni extraction, claimed that the illegal use of operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (F-SARS) and military personnel to cause rancour ahead of today’s ward congress of the APC in the state had vindicated him.

    He noted that the series of statements released by APC stakeholders on the illegal activities of F-SARS personnel, ahead of today’s congress should draw the attention of all well-meaning lovers of democracy, alleging that if security agencies could be negatively used during a party congress, Nigerians should expect electoral mischief, masterminded by security agencies in 2019.

    Rivers governor said: “In an ordinary party congress, over a platoon of soldiers and more than 200 F-SARS personnel have been handed over to one man (apparently referring to Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, a former Rivers governor). The operatives are to protect just one man, while other people are left without protection.”

    Wike also claimed that conflicts during elections were usually generated by overzealous security agents, detailed to manipulate the process, assuring that his administration would continue to invest in the promotion of security of lives and property across Rivers state.

    The main opposition party in Rivers, however, said: “Information unearthed by the APC confirms that the group that will destabilise today’s ward congress of our party, collected a huge sum of money from Rivers governor, with the sole purpose of discrediting the congresses through wild allegations against leaders of the party, especially the leader of the party in Rivers State and the Southsouth zone, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transportation, and Rivers Chairman of APC, Chief (Dr.) Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, among others.

    “Details of the plan seem to have been rolled out already, as the group has gone on air to accuse the transportation minister of hijacking materials for the congresses, an accusation that exposes the ignorance of the group and makes absolutely no sense at all.

    “Whereas, the APC is working hard to fully expose the full dimension of the plot and the evil people that are hell-bent on destabilizing our party’s congresses. We urge party faithful and the general public to ignore the well-known antics of Wike, other PDP members and their collaborators within and outside the APC, who have sold their souls for blood money. We are re-assuring all APC members of strict adherence to the guidelines of the party’s congresses and not to be distracted by anyone or group, under any guise.”

    Rivers APC also stated that members of the party and the general public must refuse to be deceived by the agents of doom working for Wike, who, according to the main opposition party, were to employ diverse means to destabilize the APC, in fulfillment of the agreement between them and their sponsors.

    While also speaking, the Rivers Publicity Secretary of APC, Chief Chris Finebone, declared that the party found it disgustingly hypocritical for Wike, who could not ensure good governance in the state, to extend a piece of advice on peaceful conduct of congresses to the APC, while the dust generated by massive violence and mayhem that characterized the recent PDP local government primaries across Rivers was yet to settle.

    Fine bone said: “We believe that the unsolicited advice by Rivers governor is a script from his dubious and irresponsible politics to divert attention from the massive criticism of the unbridled violence, killings and destruction of property during the PDP primaries by well-meaning Rivers people and Nigerians.

    “It would have been far more important if Wike had preached peaceful primaries to his party men and women. It would have been quite needful if the Rivers governor walked the talk by not planting the seed of imposition, discord and deceit in his party, which eventually led to the kind of unprecedented violence that marred PDP’s primaries. That surely would have been a more practical means of preaching peaceful congresses.

    “APC believes that Wike is jittery that at the end of its congresses, peace-loving Rivers people will have the opportunity to compare the activities of PDP and APC. The Rivers governor fears that people of the state will so easily confirm that PDP members are the people responsible for the political violence in Rivers State, against the peaceful disposition of the APC members. It is this fear that has propelled Wike to embark on offering his tainted advice. We say to him, physician, heal thyself.”

    Rivers publicity secretary of the APC also urged right-thinking Nigerians to ignore Wike’s allegations against soldiers, F-SARS personnel and Amaechi, describing the Rivers governor as a drowning man, who definitely needed help, having been unsure of his re-election and vice-presidential ambition in 2019, in spite of producing the National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, an indigene of Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers state.