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Nigerian Influencer’s Fatal Procedure: Clinic Says He Rejected Doctor’s Advice

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Nigerian Influencer’s Fatal Procedure: Clinic Says He Rejected Doctor’s Advice

A Bangkok cosmetic clinic has told Thai investigators that Nigerian content creator Igho “Tiny” Ubiribo elected to have a penis enlargement procedure in one session despite being advised by a doctor to have the treatment split into two sessions.

Ubiribo, a Nigerian influencer living in London, died on March 6, less than 24 hours after receiving hyaluronic acid injections at the Bangkok clinic, according to records from an inquest at Westminster Coroner’s Court previously obtained by PEOPLE.

At an inquest on August 21, post-mortem and toxicology results were reported to have connected his death to the hyaluronic acid injection and a pulmonary embolism. Ubiribo had developed chest pains and collapsed, several hours after the procedure, on March 5.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital for a CT scan, but lost consciousness before the test could be done. According to reports, medical personnel attempted CPR for 101 minutes before he was declared dead at 1.05am on March 6.
On September 7, Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health announced that it had launched an investigation into the clinic. Health Minister Pattana Phromphat ordered the Department of Health Service Support and the Food and Drug Administration to investigate what happened and whether the clinic complied with required medical standards, the ministry said.

Read Also: NDLEA, INTERPOL Secure Arrest of Wanted Suspect in Coordinated Operation

The clinic told investigators that Ubiribo had been receiving treatment there since 2024 and had undergone five penile enlargement injections, said Phuwadet Surakot, Director-General of the Department of Health Service Support.
Surakot said the clinic said a doctor had advised Ubiribo before the procedure on March 5 to split the treatment into two sessions, but he asked for the injections to be administered in a single session. The clinic also said he signed a consent form before each treatment and was given aftercare instructions.

The authorities will now look at the records of the clinic and other evidence before deciding if the case should be referred to the Medical Council. “We will collect all the facts and evidence to take action according to our authority and send the case to the Medical Council for a verdict on the professional standard of practice, to be fair to all parties,” the Ministry of Public Health said.

NDLEA, INTERPOL Secure Arrest of Wanted Suspect in Coordinated Operation

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NDLEA, INTERPOL Secure Arrest of Wanted Suspect in Coordinated Operation

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested and repatriated a 52-year-old fugitive, Festus Ibewuike (also known as Chidibest Ibewuike), over his alleged connection with a 49.70-kilogram heroin consignment seized at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, in 2024.

Ibewuike was arrested on September 2, 2026, at an airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic, after more than two years of efforts to apprehend him, the agency said, according to reports.

He was subsequently arrested and handed over to NDLEA operatives on September 4, upon collaboration with the Nigerian and Beninese bureaus of the International Criminal Police Organization, and brought back to Nigeria for prosecution.

NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, revealed this in a statement on Wednesday.

The case dates back to February, 2024 when NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport intercepted 49.70kg of heroin hidden inside cartons containing metal-cutting machines at the cargo terminal’s Import Shed.

The seizure was the largest single consignment of heroin recorded at the airport, the agency said.

The NDLEA said the discovery was made after a 12 days’ coordinated operation that led to the arrest of several alleged members of the trafficking network.

One of those arrested was Ibewuike’s wife, Confidence Ndidiamaka Ibewuike, who investigators claimed routinely received drug consignments with the code “ND” on behalf of her husband.

The agency said investigations into the alleged syndicate also led to the freezing of 107 bank accounts and forfeiture of properties belonging to the group.

Read Also: Ballon d’Or: Yamal Reacts to Dembélé’s Decision to Snub Him

The allegations against defendants who have not been convicted are still pending before the courts.

Some of the suspects were arraigned after the investigation before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, in Charge No. FHC/L/205C/2024.

The NDLEA said that three of the defendants, Adinnu Felix Chinedu, Osita Emmanuel Obinna and Uzochukwu Frankline have been convicted and sentenced.

Three others, Chidiebere Reginald Peter, Confidence Ndidiamaka Ibewuike and Igbokwuputa Onyinye Ireene, are still on trial, the agency said

Ibewuike, Osita Chidozie Cyril and a suspect only identified as Arinze were charged in absentia after they were not arrested at the time.

NDLEA said Ibewuike fled to Mozambique and ran a hotel business there while dodging Nigerian law enforcement.

Investigators also allege that he sometimes traveled between Mozambique and Nigeria via the neighboring Benin Republic.

The agency said intelligence on his movements ultimately led to his arrest in Cotonou on 2 September.

NDLEA said it later collaborated with INTERPOL authorities in Nigeria and Benin Republic to effect the transfer of custody as a team of its operatives traveled to Cotonou on September 4 to receive him.

The suspect, who changed his name from Chidibest Ibewuike to Festus Ibewuike, confirmed his identity during preliminary questioning after his return, the agency said.

The NDLEA said it transferred Ibewuike to its Central Exhibit Store in Ikoyi on Sept 5.

There, the agency said, he pointed out bags of heroin stamped with the “ND” marking that investigators had linked to him.

The NDLEA’s investigation includes these allegations which would be subjected to the judicial process.

The anti-narcotics agency further said its investigation revealed Ibewuike’s alleged connection with an earlier case involving seizure of 40.255kg of methamphetamine.

The case, Charge No. FHC/L/203C/2013, was heard before Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari of the Federal High Court, Lagos.

The NDLEA said the proceedings involved one Chidi Ihedioha, who was finally convicted in 2023.

The agency did not say in its Wednesday statement that Ibewuike himself was convicted in connection with that earlier case.

Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), described the arrest of Ibewuike as a major breakthrough in the agency’s bid to arrest wanted drug suspects.

Marwa said: “This arrest is a major breakthrough in our determination to track down and bring to justice every drug baron who thinks that fleeing Nigeria’s shores puts them beyond the reach of the law.

He warned other suspects who are wanted by the agency that leaving the country would not halt efforts to bring them before the courts.

He added, “As I have always promised, the long arm of the NDLEA will catch up with anybody engaged in this illicit trade, no matter how long it takes or how far they run.”

Referring to the latest case, Marwa said, “Festus Ibewuike ran for over two years, hiding under a change of name and a new life abroad, but today he is back in Nigeria to face the 49.70kg heroin seizure linked to his network.”

The arrest should serve as a warning to the other wanted suspects, he added, “The Agency will not relent until every one of you is brought to book.”

Marwa also commended the cooperation between the Nigerian and Benin authorities, particularly the INTERPOL National Central Bureaus of both countries, which resulted in the arrest and transfer of Ibewuike to Nigeria.

Ballon d’Or: Yamal Reacts to Dembélé’s Decision to Snub Him

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Ballon d’Or: Yamal Reacts to Dembélé’s Decision to Snub Him

Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal has reacted to Ousmane Dembélé leaving him out of his top three Ballon d’Or picks.

Yamal joked that Dembélé’s decision could have been influenced by his friendship with Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappé.

And on Wednesday football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano wrote on X: “Yamal, smiling: ‘He’s Kylian Mbappe’s friend, right?
The Spain international however insisted he does not hold any grudges against Dembélé and understands the Frenchman’s decision to select other players.

Read Also: Yahweh Group Demands Probe Into Sexual Abuse Allegations, Opposes Media Trial

I’m very happy with the season I had. I think every time we were against each other, I probably did something to turn them off me! And that’s normal,” said Yamal.
“I have a very good relationship with Ousmane and I understand that he wants to choose other players.
Yamal also had his faith in his own performances, saying his contribution during the course of the season was there for all to see.

“But I am very happy with what I delivered this year, and I am sure that everybody saw it, even if he did not,” he said.

Yamal’s remarks add a playful touch to the Ballon d’Or debate as he displays both confidence in his own season and respect for Dembélé despite not being included in the French star’s top three.

Yahweh Group Demands Probe Into Sexual Abuse Allegations, Opposes Media Trial

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Yahweh Group Demands Probe Into Sexual Abuse Allegations, Opposes Media Trial

The Congregation of Yahweh Lagos has denied allegations of sexual abuse, harassment, maltreatment and other forms of misconduct made against its leadership and members by some former members of the church.

The congregation, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Assembly, Apst. Yehudah Nnedu, called the allegations “false, malicious and unfounded,” adding that the issues raised by the former members should be properly investigated and not decided through social media publications.

The statement comes after an interview went viral on YouTube, Facebook, WhatsApp and other platforms in which four former members of the congregation – Diuto Okwuonu, Ugomma Okwuonu, Amara Okwuonu and Susana Okwuonu – along with their mother, Naomi Okwuonu, made allegations against the church, its General Overseer, members of her family and others in the congregation.
The church expressed concern at the circulation of the allegations when a petition on the matter was still under investigation by the Gender Unit of the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja.

It does not trivialize allegations of sexual misconduct, especially where a child is involved, but maintained that the seriousness of an allegation should not be taken as evidence of guilt, the congregation said.

“The Congregation of Yahweh categorically denies all allegations as false, malicious and unfounded,” the statement said.
The church denied that any of its leadership had ever sexually harassed, made sexual advances toward or beaten Diuto Okwuonu, who alleged attempted sexual harassment and beating.

“It called the allegation “false,” stating that no such incident had previously been reported either within the church or to law enforcement authorities prior to the recent media campaign.

The church described the claim as “grievous, incestuous and highly defamatory” in response to Ugomma Okwuonu’s allegation that she and two other sisters were sexually abused and “passed from one brother to another”.

The congregation insisted that no male member of the church had any sexual relationship with Ugomma, adding that Brother Emmanuel was betrothed only to Susana Okwuonu.

The story was also designed to damage Emmanuel’s marriage, faith and reputation, it said, while arguing its moral standards did not allow or institutionalize sexual misconduct.

The church’s General Overseer maltreated Amara Okwuonu and ended her university education in Ghana after her marriage was annulled the church’s congregation denied the claim.

It said the decision relating to her scholarship was not punitive but a collective decision of the family and institution based on available resources, concerns over academic conduct and moral standards, and conditions attached to the institutional support.

The church also denied allegations concerning Susana Okwuonu, who it identified as the former wife of Brother Emmanuel.

The congregation claimed Susana left her husband and child for over two years before returning to claim custody.

However, the church stressed the welfare and best interests of the child should always be paramount.

The congregation denied instructing Mrs Naomi Okwuonu to leave Union Bank as alleged.

It said her disengagement happened during a period when the bank was undertaking staff rationalization and downsizing, adding that decisions she subsequently made about her employment and pension benefits were personal decisions.

The congregation also accused the former members and their mother of engaging in what it called continuous “false commentaries, insults, name-calling and videos” against the church, its General Overseer and her family.

Read Also: Insecurity: Igbo Group Demands Immediate Arrest of Senator Buba

It alleged the activities had sparked tension in the community and stated that one of the former members had been seen around the family residence with some unidentified persons.

The church said the matter had been reported to the Festac Police Division and that it had preserved the alleged defamatory videos, publications and social media posts for possible legal proceedings.

The Congregation of Yahweh also pointed to what it described as years of assistance to the Okwuonu family.

The help reportedly extended to the family was free accommodation, feeding and basic needs, educational expenses, medical care and other welfare support.

It also alleged the church paid for a free pilgrimage or trip to Israel for the father of the family.

The congregation said the history of help was being excluded from the allegations being spread against it.

It said members were free to leave the church but argued that departure should not be the basis for what it called rewriting the history of the relationship between the family and the congregation.

The church said it had briefed its lawyers and was taking steps to protect the reputation and rights of its leaders and members.

It said it would consider taking appropriate civil and criminal legal action against persons responsible for what it called false publications, as well as facilitators, publishers or platforms who continued to pass on unverified allegations.

The congregation also asked all parties to preserve recordings, publications, social media posts and other materials related to the allegations, saying they could become relevant evidence.

Insecurity: Igbo Group Demands Immediate Arrest of Senator Buba

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Insecurity: Igbo Group Demands Immediate Arrest of Senator Buba

The Igbo Community Association of the Federal Capital Territory (ICA), the apex body of over 2.8 million Igbo residents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has condemned the continued failure of Nigeria’s security and investigative agencies to probe and where necessary prosecute the Senator representing Bauchi State in the National Assembly, Senator Shehu Buba.

In a statement signed by its President-General, Ikenna Ellis-Ezenekwe and Secretary General, Mazi Chinwoke Emmanuel Onah, the group said the alleged inaction by the security agencies was becoming increasingly difficult to explain. It said the silence was no longer looking like oversight but could be interpreted as protection and demanded to know why Nigerians were not being told why no decisive action was being taken. The International Crisis Group (ICG) said the Department of State Services (DSS) and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had been reportedly alerted to what it described as alleged security concerns surrounding Senator Buba and his purported associations with known and wanted terrorists.
The statement reads: “Multiple sources close to the Senator have alleged direct contact between him and confirmed terrorist suspects, including claims that such persons have had access to his residence and have received money from him.

“These are not vague rumors; they are specific, serious allegations of terrorism financing against a man entrusted with oversight of the nation’s security architecture. Each day that goes by without an investigation is a day the Nigerian state chooses convenience over the safety of its own people.”

The association also likened the alleged lack of action against Senator Buba to the treatment meted out to detained Indigenous People of Biafra
The group alleged that Kanu was arrested and prosecuted although, according to the group, there was no proof that he funded, armed or directed any attack on the country.

It argued that if the Nigerian state could act swiftly against Kanu, it should show the same commitment to investigate allegations against a serving senator.

Read Also: Flood Crisis: Illushi Residents Cry Out for Help as Waters Rise

“If the machinery of the Nigerian state can move with such speed and finality against Kanu on that record, it has no excuse for its paralysis in the face of more direct allegations against a sitting senator,” the statement said.

The group said Nigerians had a right to ask if justice was being delivered on the basis of evidence or ethnicity and political ties.

It called on President Tinubu to ensure that all Nigerians were treated equally before the law, describing the alleged disparity as a threat to national unity.

“This double standard insults the intelligence of every Nigerian and is a direct threat to the unity of the nation.

“President Tinubu cannot continue to preach one Nigeria while allowing a two-tier system of justice — one for the ordinary citizen and the politically inconvenient, another for the well connected — to fester under his watch,” it said.

The association demanded the immediate arrest and thorough investigation of Senator Buba by the DSS and other security agencies if there was enough grounds to do so.

It also demanded that the Tinubu administration be fully publicly accountable as to what action, if any, it had taken after the alleged alerts it reportedly received.

The group also called for the prosecution of the senator if an investigation proved the allegations against him, stressing that he should be made to face the law irrespective of his position.
“The same speed and severity applied to Nnamdi Kanu should be meted out to Senator Buba if the investigation proves these allegations true, and he should be made to answer for it behind the walls of a Nigerian correctional facility and not the chambers of the Senate,” the statement read.

Kano PPMV raises alarm over PCN pressure, threatens strike

Desmond Mgboh, Kano

The Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMV) in Kano State has threatened to embark on a warning strike if the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) does not stop what it described as undue pressure on its members.

Read Also: NAPTIP Partners NGO to Tackle Rising Human Trafficking

The Chairman of the association in the state, Aminu Hikima, revealed this in an interview with Dala FM Radio, saying industrial action could become the only option available to the association to draw attention to its grievances if the situation remained unresolved.

However, Hikima stressed that the association did not prefer to resort to a strike, saying its members would rather see the issues resolved through dialog and intervention by the relevant authorities.

He called on the PCN to revisit its strategy and cease actions that he said were putting undue pressure on patent medicine vendors across the state.

He said the association’s members were still willing to cooperate with regulatory authorities and abide by all lawful requirements governing their operations.

He urged the Pharmaceutical Council to ensure its regulatory activities did not disrupt the operations of legitimate medicine vendors, stressing that compliance with regulations should be achieved without harassment.

Hikima also called on the Kano State Government to intervene in the dispute urgently to avoid the situation escalating into an industrial action.

“The government intervention was necessary to bring the two parties together, address the grievances and find a lasting solution to the issues,” he said.

The PPMV chairman warned that any disruption of the activities of medicine vendors could have dire consequences for residents who rely on them for access to medicines, especially in communities where they are a major source of pharmaceutical products.

He called on the state government to give the matter priority, warning that an escalation of the dispute could impact access to medicines throughout the state.

Hikima reiterated the association’s commitment to working with the government and regulatory authorities to ensure that medicine related businesses are run within the law.

He, however, said that while members were ready to comply with legitimate regulatory requirements, their interests and businesses must also be protected from what the association considered undue pressure.

Flood Crisis: Illushi Residents Cry Out for Help as Waters Rise

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Flood Crisis: Illushi Residents Cry Out for Help as Waters Rise

Residents of Illushi in Esan South East Local Government, Edo State have cried out for help to relocate to safer place following the overflowing River Niger bank.

They said more than three-quarter of the community had been submerged into River Niger, noting that they listened to forecast that this year’s flood would be severe.
Traditional ruler of the community, Christopher Ike Ikebodi, in an interview urged the federal and state governments to provide a safe place for residents to relocate when flood water rises.
“We can’t help ourselves. We rely on the government because we were told that floods will overtake everyplace.

“We are begging for help. The illusion is nearly gone. Three-quarter of the community is washed away. We are pleading government to assist us. “We will be in trouble when the River Niger overflows its bank, the traditional ruler said.

The Edo State was named as one of 11 states to experience flood this year with early warnings to residents in flood prone areas to relocate.

NAPTIP Partners NGO to Tackle Rising Human Trafficking

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NAPTIP Partners NGO to Tackle Rising Human Trafficking

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Next2None Support Initiative, a non-governmental organization, have begun efforts to get the major global luxury fashion houses, including Gucci, Balenciaga, Versace and Hugo Boss, to join a pioneering international campaign against human trafficking.

The initiative, “Threads of Resilience: Fashion for Freedom,” unites global fashion, international film and elite sports for a major social-impact movement to prevent human trafficking, empower at-risk youth and restore dignity to survivors.
Director-General of Next2None Support Initiative, Mr Ndukwe Sam Obu, made the disclosure in a statement describing the initiative as Africa’s first international fashion-for-social-impact mega campaign against human trafficking. The development came after the formal signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NAPTIP and Next2None Support Initiative on August 27, 2026.

The MoU was signed by the Director-General, NAPTIP, Binta Lami Adamu Bello and the Director, Legal and Prosecution Department, Mrs Ijeoma Amugo, on behalf of NAPTIP, while the Director-General of Next2None Support Initiative, Mr Sam Obu, popularly known as Chucky, and Mr Frank Nwala signed for the NGO.

Obu said the initiative will run for eight years from 2026 to 2034, with an initial target of reaching 6,000 youths annually across Nigeria. The program will progressively train about 1,000 participants in each of the six geopolitical zones of the country with activities running throughout the year culminating in an annual flagship Global Fashion for Freedom event in Abuja, he said.
The initiative will be piloted globally in the second quarter of 2027.

Obu said the changing face of human trafficking made it imperative for stakeholders to adopt innovative approaches to prevention and rehabilitation.

He said traffickers are increasingly exploiting digital platforms, including social media, fake job offers, bogus migration schemes and online relationships to lure and ensnare vulnerable persons.

“Human trafficking is no longer simply a law enforcement problem, it is a crisis of poverty, unemployment and lack of opportunity.

“‘Threads of Resilience’ addresses this by not just rescuing. “We are building a sustainable, Nigerian-led international movement that leverages creativity, sports and education to create pathways to freedom and economic dignity,” he said.

The comprehensive program will be anchored on three transformative pillars, the first of which is Prevention — Stopping the Cycle, the statement said.

Under the pillar, the organizers will tap into cultural platforms and touchpoints that young people consume on a daily basis, including fashion campaigns, school programs, digital advocacy and community outreach to highlight trafficking risks and promote online safety.

The program will also provide physical and digital training in vocational fields such as fashion design, textile production, leather-making and garment care, while integrating modern digital and entrepreneurship skills including e-commerce, financial literacy and branding.

The organizers say the aim was to give young people sustainable livelihood opportunities and reduce their vulnerability to trafficking and exploitation.
A further part of the program will focus on the rehabilitation and reintegration of survivors of trafficking, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and returnees.

According to the statement, the initiative will create confidential and respectful reintegration systems that include vocational rehabilitation, mentorship, and mental health and psychosocial support.

Threads of Resilience campaign is seeking partnerships with global fashion icons, institutions and industry leaders to strengthen its international dimension.

Organizers said fashion would be used as a vehicle for human rights advocacy, with emerging designers and trafficking survivors expected to showcase collections carrying messages of healing, resilience and freedom.

As part of the initiative, Next2None and NAPTIP are seeking active engagements and collaborations with leading global luxury fashion brands including Gucci, Balenciaga, Versace and Hugo Boss.

The campaign will also leverage the Nigerian film industry and international cinema to enhance public awareness.

Read Also: 2027: Anosike Tells Otti to Prepare to Leave Office, Promises Abia Comeback

The project, in collaboration with Nollywood and international filmmakers, will produce anti-trafficking movies, documentaries and awareness skits, as well as offer practical film-production training for young people.

Organizers also want to use grassroots sports to reach and empower young people.

The statement said the campaign would build on existing talent-hunt frameworks while pursuing strategic alliances with global sporting organizations including FIFA for football initiatives, the International Handball Federation (IHF) for handball tournaments and the National Basketball Association (NBA) for elite athlete ambassadors and sports clinics targeted at vulnerable youths.

According to the MoU, NAPTIP is expected to provide governmental leadership and technical expertise, including facilitating collaboration with relevant Nigerian government institutions and United Nations agencies.

Based on the implementation experience of the Next2None Support Initiative, the project also has a monitoring, evaluation and learning framework to track key outcomes such as employment rates, survivor rehabilitation and funds mobilized.

As the implementation roadmap moves into the next phase, the organization said it was stepping up diplomatic outreach and stakeholder mobilization to secure international and local backing for the campaign.

The Media Office of Next2None Support Initiative therefore appealed to corporate organizations, international development agencies, grant-making institutions, foundations, philanthropists, brand ambassadors, volunteers and foreign missions to support the initiative.

“We welcome corporate organizations, international development grants, foundations, philanthropists, brand ambassadors, volunteers and foreign missions to join us in this.

“Together we can use creativity to educate, skills to empower and partnerships to rebuild lives,” the statement said.

2027: Anosike Tells Otti to Prepare to Leave Office, Promises Abia Comeback

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2027: Anosike Tells Otti to Prepare to Leave Office, Promises Abia Comeback

The battle for Abia Government House intensified yesterday as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Dr. Kelechi Anosike, issued a quit notice on Governor Alex Otti, stating that his party had started a movement to reclaim the state in the 2027 election.

Anosike, who spoke at the inauguration of the management team of his Campaign Council in Umuahia, also moved to tackle one of the biggest issues that could dog the PDP throughout the campaign – its 24 unbroken years in power before Otti and the Labor Party swept it out of Government House in 2023.

Instead of shying away from the party’s past, the governorship candidate sought to turn the issue against his opponents, arguing that many of the political actors blamed for the PDP’s years in government had since migrated to Labor Party, All Progressives Congress (APC) and other parties.
“When they tell you PDP killed Abia for 24 years, tell them those actors are no more in PDP. “They are in Labor, APC, ADC, NDC,” said Anosike.

“This is a new PDP. Same party, new mindset, new focus, new direction,” he added.

His declaration has raised what is likely to become one of the major faultlines of the Abia governorship contest: whether the PDP can convince voters that it has sufficiently reinvented itself four years after its rejection at the polls and whether Otti can persuade the electorate that his administration has delivered enough change to deserve another mandate.
Anosike said the inauguration was not just about putting a campaign organization in place, but the formal commencement of a movement to take power from the Otti administration.

“For me, we have embarked on a journey. And the journey is to take back the soul and future of our state. “A crusade to wipe out lies and swindles in our state,” he proclaimed.

“It’s not just the inauguration of the campaign council. This is more like starting a movement. A movement that believes in ‘Abia First, People Always.’”

Anosike said that despite the sharp attack on the government, the coming contest would be fought on ideas rather than insults and personal attacks. His campaign would challenge the incumbent administration on bread and butter issues including hunger, unemployment, industrialization and opportunities for young people, he said.

“We’re not giving them the usual campaign promises or rhetorics. “We are going into specifics, that if before now, you no dey get food to eat, when Anosike come, you get more than enough to eat.

“If our youth have no opportunities, when Anosike comes, there will be opportunities everyplace, because we will establish, at least, three industries in a year. It can be done.”

He charged members of the campaign council to take what he called the party’s message of welfarism to “every local government, every village, every community and every ward.”

Empire Kanu, former Nigerian Ambassador to Argentina and Chairman of the campaign council, escalated the attack on Otti’s government, declaring that the Labor Party is merely a temporary occupant of Abia Government House.

“PDP is not a new party. Abia is PDP, PDP is Abia State. “Labour is just holding the position temporarily,” said Kanu.

“We knew what happened in 2023, and that mistake is never going to happen again. This young man Dr. Anosike is a very serious candidate. “Very, very ready,” he said.

Kanu said the Otti administration and the ruling party are on “very, very shaky ground,” contending that the PDP’s grassroots structure will be pivotal in the election.

“I don’t see how you can run without a strong party structure,” he said.

He therefore identified the wards as the battle ground and tasked the campaign officials to deliver their areas.

“You know where we usually get our votes from? It’s at the level of the ward. So that is where we are to work. When you deliver in the ward, we have won. You have been appointed to deliver all the wards in this state to PDP. We want no excuse at all. By His grace, we are going to Government House.”

The PDP also confessed that its own failings played a part in its loss of power in 2023. Chief Obinna Nwachukwu, Director-General of the Campaign Council, said the party had learnt from the mistakes of the last election and would approach the 2027 contest differently.

We know why we lost the election because we were not intentional in the last election. “This time, we’re going to be committed, and intentional,” Nwachukwu said.

He made no bones about the party’s determination to regain power, saying its members were suffering from a “hunger for power” after three years outside Government House.

PDP people have been eating and in the last three years we are all hungry. hunger for power, not hunger for food. “We want to come back to power,” he said.

“Try us. You will be shocked if this is the same Abia State of yore.”

The battle that is emerging, therefore, gives both camps contrasting records to defend. Anosike must convince voters that the PDP seeking power in 2027 is different from the party that governed Abia for 24 years, while Otti will face the electorate as an incumbent required to defend his administration’s record after four years in office.

The Campaign Council Management Team has Kanu as the Chairman, Nwachukwu as the Director-General and Ukpai Ukairo as the Secretary.

Also present at the inauguration which held at the Anosike Campaign Office on Aba Road, Umuahia, were the Abia PDP chairman and deputy governorship candidate, Elder Amah, where PDP flags were presented to the team members.

Nigeria Assures ECOWAS of Support for Standby Force

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Nigeria Assures ECOWAS of Support for Standby Force

Nigeria: Chief of Defense Staff Reaffirms Commitment of Armed Forces of Nigeria to ECOWAS Standby Force, Regional Peace and Security Initiatives.

General Oluyede gave the commitment when the Chief of Staff of the ECOWAS Standby Force, Brigadier General Sheik Sulaiman Massaquoi visited the Chief of Defense Staff on a courtesy call in Abuja, Nigeria.

The Chief of Defense Staff on behalf of the Armed Forces of Nigeria promised to donate an 18-seater bus to the ECOWAS Standby Force to enhance their administrative, logistical and operational activities as a testament to Nigeria’s continued commitment and support.

The visit presented an opportunity to enhance cooperation and coordination between the Armed Forces of Nigeria and the ECOWAS Standby Force, especially in support of regional peace and security objectives.

Read Also:NELFUND: Senate Seeks to Reduce Financial Barriers for Nigerian Students

Earlier, the Chief of Staff of the ECOWAS Standby Force, Brigadier General Sheik Sulaiman Massaquoi, commended the Chief of Defense Staff for receiving the delegation and conveyed the gratitude of ECOWAS for Nigeria’s continued leadership, commitment and support toward regional peace and security.

The Chief of Staff of the ECOWAS Standby Force also requested the continued support of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, especially to hasten the rapid support to the ECOWAS Standby Force and the setting up and operationalization of the ECOWAS Counter-Terrorism Brigade.

The Chief of Staff of the ECOWAS Standby Force was accompanied by staff officers of the ESF Core Task Force Headquarters and of the Peace Support Operations Division (PSOD) of the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) of the ECOWAS Commission.

NELFUND: Senate Seeks to Reduce Financial Barriers for Nigerian Students

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NELFUND: Senate Seeks to Reduce Financial Barriers for Nigerian Students

The Nigerian Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund has commenced a sensitisation programme on the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) for students and stakeholders in the North-West geopolitical zone.

The programme, held at Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University, Katsina, is part of the committee’s oversight activities and efforts to raise awareness about the Nigerian Government’s student loan scheme.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Muntari Dandutse, said the delegation was in Katsina to conduct oversight visits to tertiary institutions and sensitise students and other stakeholders on how to access and benefit from NELFUND.

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Senator Dandutse said the committee would continue to collaborate with the seven states in the North-West to promote educational development and expand access to education financing opportunities for Nigerian students.

He said the initiative was also aimed at supporting the Nigerian Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the education sector by widening access to tertiary education and reducing financial barriers confronting students and their families.

Speaking at the event, Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Radda, said the state government had continued to sensitise students on available educational support programmes through the Special Assistant to the Governor on Student Matters, the Katsina State Scholarship Board and the Katsina Students’ Week programme.

Governor Radda described NELFUND as an important Government initiative capable of expanding access to higher education and reducing the financial burden on students and parents, particularly those from less privileged backgrounds.

He said his administration had doubled scholarship allowances and invested billions of naira in scholarship programmes over the past three years.

The governor added that the state had also sponsored foreign scholarships in fields including Medicine and Surgery, Artificial Intelligence and Biotechnology for indigenes of Katsina State.

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