Metro

Family Demands Justice As APC Mob Kills Senate President’s Aide In A/Ibom

Published

2 years ago

January 29, 2024

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From Lateef Taiwo

Grief has enveloped the distraught family of the 37 – years -Old Youths’ Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District (Akwa Ibom North-West), who was severely brutalized and his mangled body abducted by APC thugs over allegation that he was planning to divert the Christmas and New Year gifts of cash and rice donated to the youths’ wing of the party on January 19.

The family of the Youths’Leader, who also doubles as one of the Special Assistants, SAs, to the Senate President, Chief Godswill Akpabio, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, demanding justice, following severe attack unleashed on him by hoodlums alleged to be sponsored by some of the party leaders, who accused him of diverting Christmas/New Year gifts meant for the youth wing of the party in the zone.

Our Correspondent gathered that the Senate President’s Aide, who hails from Nto Okon village in Ukanafun Local Government Area, came under a spontaneous mob action soon after the disbursement of the largesse including millions of bags of rice and cash for onward distribution across the 10 LGAs of the Senatorial District.

The APC Publicity Secretary, Barr. OtoAbasi Udo, who confirmed the incident, said he was “mercilessly beaten,” but could not ascertain the whereabouts of himself or his remains in the last nine days after the sad incident.

According to the parents, he was brutally attacked and his lifeless body dragged into the car and taken to unknown destination since January 19, 2024. “I demand to see my son dead or alive so I can burry him,” his shed father, Obong Ime Udooworen, a retired Police chief and former Chairman of Ukanafun LGA, lamented.

Addressing a press conference on behalf of the family, Surv. Akanimo Udom, said every efforts to to get redress on the matter have been futile, forcing the parents to petition the IGP through the state Police Command headquarters led by the outgoing Commissioner of Police (CP), Olatoye Durosinmi, who has recently been elevated to the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Zone 6, Calabar, Cross River state.

He said: “From information available to us, the attack was targeted at stopping him (Ubokobong), from publicly reporting the matter to the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, at the APC gathering in Ikot Ekpene.

“By successfully carrying the devilish act, the misguided youths had succeeded in stopping the Senate President from having a feedback on how goodies meant for the people of the Senatorial District were distributed.

“Ubokobong Ime Udoworen, is a hater of injustice and corruption. He dislikes unfairness and inequity with passion. On that fateful day, he had protested through his Facebook page that “the items and money meant for the Youths’ Directorate of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District were diverted to the cartel men who also called themselves the political leaders of their various LGAs.”

“He specifically mentioned Mr Emmanuel Amama, the Special Assistant to the Senate President on Youths Matters, and that he made the diversion of the “gift items and money meant for the youth Directorate to his cartel men who have been the problem of APC in Akwa Ibom State.”

“It was not a coincidence of any kind that the said Emmanuel Amama, and other leaders of the APC, were at the very spot that Ubokobong was attacked.
It is worrisome that a youth leader of a political party that controls the Federal Government of Nigeria was attacked in public, yet the leadership of the party from national to ward level have never bothered to make a comment.

“It is worrisome that at a gathering attended by party stalwarts, including the Senate President and other top political office holders at the national level, was where one of their fellow party faithful and a staunch loyalist of Senator Godswill Akpabio, was attacked like a criminal for daring to make open those infract acting the party’s good deeds.

“It is even more worrying that seven days after the sad incident, as I am speaking with you now, our beloved Ubokobong Ime Udoworen, has not been found. Gentlemen of the Press, please we urge you to use your respective medium to tell the world that Ubokobong Ime Udoworen belongs to a family and a community of humans.

“Since the three levels of government in Nigeria have failed in their primary function of providing security to a Nigerian compatriot, we cannot, and we will never disown our beloved Ubokobong Ime Udoworen, whether alive or dead.

“As a matter of emphasis, we demand that the organizer of the event and all the security organisations, including the Nigeria Police Force, should produce Ubokobong Ime Udoworen within 24 hours.

“On this note, we want President Bola Tinubu to take the lead. Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State and the Chairman of Ikot Ekpene LGA, who also have a constitutional duty to queue behind the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in releasing Ubokobong Ime Udoworen to us. All that we are asking for is, give us our beloved Ubokobong Ime Udoworen, dead or alive.”

Metro

Groups condemn sponsored protests, media attacks against ex-NNPCL boss Kyari

Published

6 months ago

April 25, 2025

Our Reporter

Coalition Of Civil Society Organisations In Nigeria (COCSON) and Bloggers and Vloggers, Content Creators Association (BAVCCA) have warned against politically engineered protests against the immediate past Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Malam Mele Kyari, who “served the nation faithfully.”

In a statement jointly signed on Thursday by COCSON’s National Mobilisation Officer Comrade Tabuko Kennedy and BAVCCA’s Spokesperson Efe John Abayomi, the two groups urged President Bola Tinubu to overlook undue distraction from enemies of his administration while rejecting a calculated attempt to malign the person and office Kyari hitherto held concerning the $2 billion crude-for-loan deal.

COCSON and BAVCCA chided agents of mischief and fake news merchants over baseless media attacks on the former NNPCL GCEO while urging anyone with genuine proof of Kyari’s wrongdoing while in office to present it through proper legal channels and not through sponsored headlines and mob protests.

The groups maintained that Kyari has done everything a true patriotic and honest leader can do. In a very difficult economic crisis and Part of the solution to Nigeria’s foreign exchange challenge, a puzzle that nearly crumbled the economy.

The statement read in part:

“We will not sit back and watch a reformer be sacrificed on the altar of politics. We call on our progressive President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remain steadfast and not allow these desperate tactics to distract his government from the broader goal of sanitizing the petroleum sector.

“If anyone has genuine proof of wrongdoing, let them present it through proper legal channels — not through sponsored headlines and mob protests.

“Mele Kyari has done everything a true patriotic and honest leader can do. In a very difficult economic crisis, He stood for the greater good of all Nigerians instead of a few cabals. He has been Part of the solution to Nigeria’s foreign exchange challenge, a puzzle that nearly crumbled the economy.

“Let us be clear: this is not a scandal — it is a structured misrepresentation of a standard commercial transaction that predates this administration and has been carefully supervised under the regulatory and sovereign structures of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

THE TRUTH THEY WON’T TELL YOU:

“The $3.3 Billion Crude-Backed Loan Was a Sovereign Deal: This transaction, executed in collaboration with Afreximbank and backed by the Federal Government, was designed to stabilize Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves and provide a buffer against economic shocks — not to “mortgage Nigeria’s future” as ignorantly portrayed by politically motivated street protesters hired by ungrateful elements working against the progressive leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“Kyari Was Not Acting Alone: Every stage of the crude-for-loan framework was vetted by relevant agencies — including the Ministry of Finance, Debt Management Office, and the Attorney General’s Office. Kyari was executing national policy, not personal ambition.

“No Missing Crude, No Diversion of Funds: There is zero evidence of crude diversion, missing shipments, or financial misappropriation. All proceeds and repayment schedules are transparent, documented, and auditable. Anyone who has a valid case should first present proof of his claims instead of taking Nigerians’ collective sense of judgment for a ride.

“Kyari Has Been Nigeria’s Most Transparent NNPC Boss in Decades: Under Kyari’s leadership, NNPC was transitioned into a commercially-run, limited liability company. For the first time in NNPC’s history, its books are published, audited, and made public. That’s not corruption — that’s reform.

PRESIDENT TINUBU REPOSES TRUST IN MELE KYARI
“On January 8, 2025, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu commended the former NNPCL GCEO, Mallam Mele Kyari, on his 60th birthday, praising his service and integrity. In the President’s words, “Kyari is a shining example and embodiment of the ideals of the Renewed Hope Agenda. I commend his commitment to creating new opportunities and ensuring the growth and sustainability of Nigeria’s energy sector.” This statement, made soon after Kyari’s exit, makes it clear that his departure was not a dismissal but a smooth transition, with his legacy of reforms and achievements in the oil and gas sector fully recognized and appreciated at the highest level.

“The Protest Is Politically Engineered: We have credible information that certain vested interests, threatened by the sanitization of the oil sector, are sponsoring protests and media hysteria to derail reforms and force Kyari out.

“We stand with Mele Kyari. We stand for due process. We stand for national interest.”

Metro

KAM Holding GMD Felicitates Emir Of Ilorin On 85th Birthday

Published

6 months ago

April 21, 2025

milcah

Describes Emir As Harbinger Of Hope, Development

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Group Managing Director of
KAM Holding Ltd, Dr. Kamoru Yusuf, has felicitated the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari on the occasion of his 85th birthday.

Yusuf, in a congratulatory message, praised the Emir for being an harbinger of hope and development.

The business mogul expressed delight that the reign of Sulu-Gambari has brought unparalleled development to Ilorin Emirate and Kwara State as a whole.

Yusuf added: “It is heartening that Allah has preserved Your Highness for us to cover this mileage with truckload of accomplishments in all spheres of human endeavour.

“No doubt, Ilorin has grown to be a Cosmopolitan City during your reign, and this is an attestation to Your Highness’s pragmatic leadership. With the level of growth and development in Ilorin among its contemporaries, I am of implicit confidence that what has been achieved is just a precursor for more goodies in the offing.

“On behalf of my family, management and staff of KAM Holding Limited, I congratulate Your Highness and wish you longevity of life with sound health.”

Ends

Metro

Fire Destroys Newly Built Female Hostel at Sokoto State University

Published

6 months ago

March 27, 2025

milcah

A newly constructed female hostel at Sokoto State University was engulfed by fire on Tuesday, causing panic among students and staff.

The blaze, which started around 3:30 p.m., completely destroyed the building, which had been built to ease accommodation challenges. While the cause remains unknown, a student noted that those initially assigned to the hostel had already been relocated before the incident.

Confirming the fire, the Students’ Union President said firefighters arrived at the scene by 5:00 p.m. to combat the flames. However, authorities have yet to release an official statement on the cause or extent of the damage.