Category Nigeria News

Alleged Defamation: Bello Petitions IGP, Demands Natasha’s Arrest

Former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) over alleged defamatory statements made against him by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central District.

In the petition signed by his lawyer, N. A. Abubakar, to the IGP on Wednesday, Bello called on the police to invite Akpoti-Uduaghan to substantiate her allegations against him with credible evidence.

“Where she fails to do so, cause her to be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the law for criminal defamation, inciting public disturbance, and spreading false information injurious to public peace”, the lawyer wrote.

The former governor also wrote to Akpoti-Uduaghan, through his lawyer, R. O. Balogun, demanding retraction and public apology over the alleged defamatory statements made against him or face legal consequences.

The former Kogi governor claimed the female lawmaker during a homecoming event on April 1, 2025, in the Okehi Local Government Area of the state “maliciously” defamed him and levelled assassination allegations against him.

READ ALSO: Botched Petition To Recall Senator Natasha Laughable, Should Have A Place In GWR – PDP Chieftain

Bello said the said actions of the female senator contravened Section 24 (1) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015.

“By accusing our client of plotting an assassination and naming him as a co-conspirator in a purported murder plot (with an attempt to disguise the killing as mob or ethnic violence), Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan has:

” Gravely damaged our client’s reputation by portraying him as a violent and vengeful political actor and misled the public and tried to incite ethnic and political distrust, especially among clans of Ebiraland in particular and the people of Kogi Central in general.

Alleged Defamation: Bello Petitions IGP, Demands Natasha’s Arrest

Former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) over alleged defamatory statements made against him by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central District.

In the petition signed by his lawyer, N.A. Abubakar, to the IGP on Wednesday, Bello called on the police to invite Akpoti-Uduaghan to substantiate her allegations against him with credible evidence.

“Where she fails to do so, cause her to be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the law for criminal defamation, inciting public disturbance, and spreading false information injurious to public peace,” the lawyer wrote.

The former governor also wrote to Akpoti-Uduaghan, through his lawyer, R.O. Balogun, demanding retraction and public apology over the alleged defamatory statements made against him or face legal consequences.

The former Kogi governor claimed the female lawmaker during a homecoming event on April 1, 2025, in the Okehi Local Government Area of the state “maliciously” defamed him and levelled assassination allegations against him.

READ ALSO: Botched Petition To Recall Senator Natasha Laughable, Should Have A Place In GWR – PDP Chieftain

Bello said the said actions of the female senator contravened Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015.

“By accusing our client of plotting an assassination and naming him as a co-conspirator in a purported murder plot (with an attempt to disguise the killing as mob or ethnic violence), Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan has:

“Gravely damaged our client’s reputation by portraying him as a violent and vengeful political actor and misled the public and tried to incite ethnic and political distrust, especially among clans of Ebiraland in particular and the people of Kogi Central in general.

Reps Committee Summons Rivers Administrator Ibas 

The Ad-Hoc Committee of the House of Representatives on Rivers State has summoned the Sole Administrator of the state, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.).

The committee directed Ibas to appear before it for a “comprehensive interactive session” on Thursday, April 17, 2025, at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.

According to a statement by Reps spokesman, Akin Rotimi, the session would provide a platform for members of the committee to deliberate on preliminary reports and developments emerging from Rivers State since the sole administrator assumed office.

The Chairman of the Committee and House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, said, “This engagement is necessary to ascertain the true state of affairs in Rivers State and ensure that the House remains properly guided in the discharge of its oversight responsibilities in the public interest.”

Osun
A file photo of members of the House of Reps. Photo: X@HouseNGR

The committee said a formal letter of invitation had been sent and acknowledged by the retired naval chief.

On March 18, 2025, President Bola Tinubu imposed an emergency rule on oil-rich Rivers State and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all the members of the House of Assembly for six months.

READ ALSO: Again, Women Protest Against Emergency Rule In Rivers

The president immediately nominated Ibas as administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state for the first six months.

The president relied on Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution to make the proclamation. The section interprets a state of emergency as a situation of national danger, disaster, or terrorist attacks in which a government suspends normal constitutional procedures to regain control.

In about 48 hours, the National Assembly ratified the president’s emergency rule decision despite stiff opposition to the move.

The suspension of Fubara and other democratically elected representatives was expressly rejected and condemned by many eminent Nigerians, legal luminaries, and groups including a former vice president, Atiku Abubakar; the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, and a former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.

Others are the founder of Stanbic IBTC bank, Atedo Peterside; a former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai; a senior advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana; the LP, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Nigerian Bar Association, and the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), among others.

Reps Committee Summons Rivers Administrator Ibas 

The Ad-Hoc Committee of the House of Representatives on Rivers State has summoned the Sole Administrator of the state, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.).

The committee directed Ibas to appear before it for a “comprehensive interactive session” on Thursday, April 17, 2025, at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.

According to a statement by Reps spokesman, Akin Rotimi, the session would provide a platform for members of the committee to deliberate on preliminary reports and developments emerging from Rivers State since the sole administrator assumed office.

The Chairman of the Committee and House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, said, “This engagement is necessary to ascertain the true state of affairs in Rivers State and ensure that the House remains properly guided in the discharge of its oversight responsibilities in the public interest.”

Osun
A file photo of members of the House of Reps. Photo: X@HouseNGR

The committee said a formal letter of invitation had been sent and acknowledged by the retired naval chief.

On March 18, 2025, President Bola Tinubu imposed an emergency rule on oil-rich Rivers State and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all the members of the House of Assembly for six months.

READ ALSO: Again, Women Protest Against Emergency Rule In Rivers

The president immediately nominated Ibas as administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state for the first six months.

The president relied on Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution to make the proclamation. The section interprets a state of emergency as a situation of national danger, disaster, or terrorist attacks in which a government suspends normal constitutional procedures to regain control.

In about 48 hours, the National Assembly ratified the president’s emergency rule decision despite stiff opposition to the move.

The suspension of Fubara and other democratically elected representatives was expressly rejected and condemned by many eminent Nigerians, legal luminaries, and groups including a former vice president, Atiku Abubakar; the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, and a former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.

Others are the founder of Stanbic IBTC bank, Atedo Peterside; a former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai; a senior advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana; the LP, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Nigerian Bar Association, and the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), among others.

15 Million Nigerians at Risk of Flood Disasters in 2025 – VP Shettima

According to Vice President Kashim Shettima, at least 15 million Nigerians are in danger of floods in 2025.

He made this known on Wednesday at the start of an one-day workshop in Abuja on the Anticipatory Action Framework for Nigeria.

Shettima emphasized the need for cooperation between government departments, both at state and federal levels, to prevent flooding and other natural disasters in the nation, in contrast to the reactive approach used in the past.

Shettima argued that a military solution to the Plateau, North-East, crisis cannot ever be found, citing the need for a non-kinetic strategy to address security issues in these areas.

The Vice President expressed sympathy for the affected families as well as condemning recent attacks in Plateau state.

Nigeria loses 5% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a result of floods, which has a significant economic impact.

However, President Bola Tinubu has approved N15 billion for emergency measures to lessen the flooding’s effects.

Persecondnews recalls that tens of thousands of people were forced to flee into the streets by devastating floods in Northeastern Nigeria in November 2024, causing them to submerge completely into residential areas.

In Borno State, 200 000 people were displaced, and at least 30 people died. One million of those were affected.

Experts noted that Maiduguri is experiencing its worst flood in 30 years, which only adds to the region’s humanitarian crisis.

Tinubu Inaugurates National Census Committee, Gives Three-Week Deadline For Report

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday inaugurated a high-level committee on the forthcoming national population and housing census.

Disclosing this in a statement, presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said the committee will submit an interim report within three weeks.

The President said the census is crucial for national development, accurate planning, and effective decision-making in healthcare, education, security, and economic planning.

Nigeria’s last census was in 2006, nearly two decades ago. It recorded a population of 140,431,790, with 71,345,488 males and 69,086,302 females.

READ ALSO: Again, Women Protest Against Emergency Rule In Rivers

“President Tinubu stressed the pivotal role of a technology-driven process in ensuring credible and verifiable results and the need for collaboration among all relevant agencies and stakeholders,” the statement read.

He underscored the critical financing factor in the exercise, urging the members to look at domestic and even international resources.

“Work with all relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning. This ministry has to take charge of this because you cannot budget if you do not know how many we are.

“We expect you will touch on the technology area because the census must be technology-driven. Things have changed since the last time that we conducted this exercise. The enumeration has to be technology-driven with biometrics and digitalisation,” he said.

Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila represented the President at the event held at the State House in Abuja,

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, who chairs the Presidential Committee on Population and Housing Census, assured the President that the committee will deliver its report within the three-week deadline.

The minister recalled President Tinubu’s advice to ministers during their retreat in 2003, urging them to think creatively and work with the resources available, even under harsh economic conditions.

Bagudu noted that despite global economic challenges, Nigeria is making steady progress under President Tinubu’s leadership, citing improved foreign exchange stability and a positive growth trajectory.

He said the committee will recommend practical solutions, including strategies for mobilising domestic and international resources to fund the census.

The Minister of Information, Muhammed Idris, also a committee member, emphasised that accurate data is critical for planning across all sectors and that a credible census is the foundation for such data.

The National Population Commission (NPC) Chairman, Nasir Isa Kwarra, who will also serve as the committee Secretary, said the commission has already begun preparations for the national population and housing census in collaboration with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and other relevant stakeholders.

According to him, the focus has been on identifying key requirements and laying the groundwork necessary for the President to make an informed decision on the actual conduct of the census.

Kwarra assured Nigerians that the National Population Commission remains committed to ensuring a credible, technology-driven enumeration that will support effective national planning and development.