Metro
Kogi govt decries Bomb Blast In Okehi, says no casualty recorded
By Ishaq Dan-Imam, Lokoja
The Kogi State Government has denounced bomb explosion which affected a section of the Okehi Local Government Secretariat Complex, as it had charged security agencies to expose those behind the attack.
According to the state government, preliminary findings have shown that no casualty was recorded as a result of the proactive measures anchored on the state’s iron-cast security architecture.
The Commissioner for Information and Communications in the state, Kingsley Fanwo, in a statement on Tuesday said Government was on top of the situation and had immediately put in place further measures to keep the people safe before, during and after the elections.
“This is our responsibility to all Kogites irrespective of their political affiliations. Those behind this would be fished out and severely dealt with to serve as a deterrent to others in their league,” the state government said.
Fanwo called on residents of Okehi Local Government Area and indeed the entire Kogi Central Senatorial District to remain calm, while urging parents to properly guide their wards against being used as political thugs in the forthcoming elections.
“Government will be unsparingly decisive in dealing with issues of political thuggery before, during and after the elections,” he stressed.
The statement added that, “The Kogi State Government condemns in the strongest of terms, the attack in Okehi Local Government Area that affected a section of the Okehi Local Government Secretariat Complex. It is an act of cowardice that will continue to fail in the attempt by enemies of the people to compromise the peace and security we enjoy in Kogi State.
“We wish to call on residents of Okehi Local Government Area and indeed the entire Kogi Central Senatorial District to remain calm as Government is on top of the situation and further measures have been immediately deployed to keep them safe before, during and after the elections. This is our responsibility to all Kogites irrespective of their political affiliations. Those behind this will be fished out and severely dealt with to serve as a deterrent to others in their league.
“Preliminary findings have shown that no casualty was recorded as a result of the proactive measures anchored on our iron-cast security architecture. Security agencies have been charged to unravel the masterminds of the attack and we assure our people that those behind such a dastardly act will not be spared from justice.
“We call on parents to properly guide their wards against being used as political thugs in the forthcoming elections as Government will be unsparingly decisive in dealing with issues of political thuggery before, during and after the elections.
“We urge the people of Okehi and the entire Kogi Central to go about their normal businesses as Government has put machineries in place to guarantee their security. Kogi will continue to be the safest state in Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, kogi state of office of independent national Electoral Commission INEC has dismissed an online news report that its office in Okehi local government area was bombed on Monday night as it described the speculation as ‘Fake News’ by internet newsmongers.
INEC Resident electoral Commissioner in the state, Dr. Hale Gabriel Longpet, told newsmen in the state capital, Lokoja, that the reported explosion did not take place at the Commissioner’s office in Okehi local government area, but the explosion occurred at the local government Secretariat, close to the INEC office in the area.
Metro
Deji Adeyanju fires back at Wike over Comments, Labels Him a “Bully and a Coward”
Human rights activist and lawyer Deji Adeyanju has issued a scathing response to comments made against him by Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister and former Rivers State governor. Wike had recently accused Adeyanju of being jobless, noting that the activist once sought his support in a bid to become the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national publicity secretary.
During a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, Adeyanju didn’t hold back, describing Wike as “a bully and a coward.”
He went on to criticize Wike’s character and political approach, saying, “Wike has never worked anywhere in his life. He is a serial betrayer. The only difference between Wike and Portable is that Portable does not betray people who have helped him.”
Adeyanju praised Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara for his recent actions against Wike, saying, “I commend Governor Fubara for dealing decisively with him. That’s how to deal with tyrants. Wike is nothing without politics.”
He further expressed his concerns over Wike’s influence, stating, “The reason why he is making so much noise and constituting a nuisance all over the place is because of our political patrimony that he loots. Clowns and charlatans like Nyesom Wike will open their mouths and criticize true activists.”
Adeyanju also highlighted the importance of citizens participating in politics, saying, “Wike wants everyone to leave politics to rogues like him. His idea of nation-building is where people like him control everything. All citizens of conscience should get involved in politics.”
The back-and-forth between Adeyanju and Wike highlights ongoing tensions within Nigerian political circles and has sparked discussions about the role of activists and the nature of leadership in the country.
Metro
Late COAS Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja Laid to Rest in Abuja Amid Tears, Tributes
***Emotional Farewell as Nigeria Mourns a Dedicated Military Leader
Amid deep sorrow and heartfelt tributes, the late Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, was laid to rest on Friday at the National Cemetery in Abuja.
His burial concluded two days of solemn funeral rites that began in Lagos, marking the end of an impactful military career.
The casket bearing Lagbaja, draped in Nigeria’s green and white, arrived at the cemetery around 3 pm following a funeral service at the National Christian Centre in Abuja.
His body was lowered into the earth at 4:41 pm after a ceremony lasting over two hours.
The event was attended by numerous dignitaries, including President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Acting Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa, Defence Minister Abubakar Badaru, and other high-ranking officials.
President Tinubu, paying tribute, called Lagbaja’s appointment one of his most significant decisions and announced a posthumous national honor of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) for the late COAS. He urged the military not to lose hope: “Please, do not let death defeat us, and as Commander-in-Chief, I renew my pledge that the country will always support you and your families.”
General Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff, echoed this sentiment, calling Lagbaja’s passing a call to strengthen the military’s resolve.
“Let us ensure his sacrifice continues to guide us as we defend this nation. We are resolved to defeat all enemies of the state, whether within or outside,” he stated.
Acting COAS Oluyede expressed personal gratitude for Lagbaja’s mentorship, sharing that he had nominated him for a national honor even while facing illness.
Lagbaja’s funeral rites began with a service of songs at the Army Headquarters Garrison Parade Ground, Mogadishu Cantonment, on Thursday, following the arrival of his body at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport from Lagos.
Lt. General Lagbaja, born on February 28, 1968, served as Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff for over a year, having been appointed by President Tinubu in June 2023. He passed away on November 5 after a brief illness, leaving a legacy of dedication and patriotism.
Metro
Group Raises Alarm Over Lagos Task Force’s Invasion of Ex-Minister’s Lekki Property
A civil society group, Good Governance Alliance – Nigeria (GGA-N), has condemned the Lagos State government following an alleged invasion of former Transportation Minister Admiral Festus Porbeni’s Lekki property by state officials on Friday morning.
They called for immediate action against alleged breach of court order on Admiral Festus Porbeni’s property.
According to the group, the invasion is in direct violation of a Federal High Court order and sets a dangerous precedent for lawlessness.
In a statement issued by GGA-N representative Nathaniel Obasi, the group reported that officials from the Lagos State Special Task Force forcefully entered Admiral Porbeni’s property at Wole Olateju Crescent around 7:30 am, accompanied by heavily-armed mobile policemen.
Obasi noted that the task force allegedly beat, arrested, and detained several individuals on the premises, placing them in a police vehicle known as ‘Black Maria.’
The statement emphasized that this raid contradicts a Federal High Court injunction prohibiting any disruption at the property and disregards a recent Supreme Court ruling granting federal control over inland waterways and adjacent lands within 100 meters.
Despite Porbeni’s possession of a Federal Certificate of Occupancy, the Lagos State Task Force allegedly threatened to bulldoze structures on the property, sparking concerns over escalating conflicts between state and federal jurisdiction.
GGA-N therefore urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Inspector-General of Police, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and federal agencies overseeing waterways to intervene, asserting that the Lagos State government’s actions could lead to “lawlessness and chaos.”
According to him, the disputed property was previously invaded in 2021.
Obasi claimed that at about 7:30am this Friday, officials from the Lagos State Special Task Force, illegally forced their way into Admiral Porbeni’s property at Wole Olateju Crescent, Lekki, despite the Federal High Court order, which barred any agent from entering the premises or harassing any person at the premises.
It added the Lagos State Special Task Force accompanied by heavily-armed mobile policemen, beat up, arrested and threw staff and other people met on the property into a police vehicle called ‘Black Maria’, which they brought “for the illegal raid”.
“The officials who cordoned off the area are now threatening to bulldoze all structures on the property, in brazen breach of the Federal High Court order (FHC/L/CS/1384/21).
“The actions of the Task Force is also in disregard of the landmark ruling of the Supreme Court in January which affirmed the federal government’s exclusive control of the country’s inland waterways and all lands within 100 meters of all declared federal waterways in Nigeria.
“The question is despite Admiral Porbeni being in possession of a Federal Certificate of Occupancy (CofO), how is the Lagos State Government allowed to flout not only an injunction from the Federal High Court but also a ruling from the Supreme Court?
“The Lagos state government’s brazen disobedience of court orders is a recipe for lawlessness and chaos. We draw the urgent attention of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Inspector General of Police, the Governor of Lagos State and relevant federal government agencies in charge of federal waterways in the country to the illegal raid and occupation by the Lagos State Special Task Force,” Obasi stated
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