Author: bibncollar

The abductors of Rev. Fr. John Ubaechu, the Parish Priest of Holy Family Catholic Church, Izombe, Imo State, have demanded a ransom of N20 million for his release. Fr. Ubaechu was kidnapped on Sunday evening in Ejemekwuru while traveling to attend the annual retreat of priests of the Owerri Catholic Archdiocese. His abduction was confirmed in a statement on Monday by the Owerri Catholic Archdiocesan Chancellor and Secretary, Rev. Fr. Patrick Mbarah. A church source, speaking anonymously to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, revealed that the kidnappers initially demanded N50 million before reducing their demand. However, there…

Suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has publicly apologized to former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, following a heated confrontation between Ezekwesili and Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi during a Senate Ethics Committee hearing. The clash erupted while Ezekwesili was defending Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, whom she accused of sexual harassment. As Ezekwesili spoke, Nwaebonyi, appearing as a witness for Akpabio, repeatedly interrupted her. Frustrated, Ezekwesili snapped, saying, “Please, will you shut up?” This remark provoked an angry reaction from Nwaebonyi, who retorted, “You’re a fool. What do you mean? Why are you talking to me like that? I…

The Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of bias for failing to dismiss a petition seeking her recall, despite its procedural deficiencies. INEC, in a statement signed by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, confirmed receiving the petition, which allegedly contains signatures from over half of the 474,554 registered voters in the district. However, the commission noted that the petition lacked key details, including the contact addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of the petitioners—requirements under the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024. In a…

Supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State have vandalized the party’s secretariat in protest against the alleged imposition of candidates for the upcoming November 1 local government elections. The demonstration, which began peacefully on Tuesday, quickly escalated into violence as aggrieved party members pulled down the APC and Nigerian flags and destroyed property within the secretariat. In a viral video, the protesters were heard chanting, “We are not doing!” as they stormed the party office. Sources revealed that the council chairman, Iliyasu Zakari, narrowly escaped as the protesters rejected his bid for…

Five suspected kidnappers have died following a gunfight with operatives of the CP Special Assignment Team (CP SAT) in Delta State, while three others have been arrested. The suspects sustained gunshot wounds during the confrontation and later died in the hospital while receiving treatment. According to the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, the operation was part of an intelligence-led crackdown on kidnapping and related crimes in Ughelli North LGA and surrounding areas. He revealed that on March 21, 2025, at around 11:00 p.m., police operatives, acting on credible intelligence, tracked and arrested a suspected kidnapping kingpin,…

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that he has no regrets over not being chosen as Atiku Abubakar’s running mate in the 2023 presidential election and vowed to ensure Atiku’s continued failure in future elections. Wike, speaking through his media aide, Lere Olayinka, was responding to Atiku’s recent remarks in an interview with Adesina Giwa-Osagie. Atiku had stated that he had “no regrets” about overlooking Wike in favor of former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa. The rivalry between the two politicians dates back to the 2022 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries. After losing the…

Former presidential spokesman Reuben Abati has described remarks made by ex-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar against Senate President Godswill Akpabio as defamatory. Atiku, in an interview with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie of Untold Stories, accused Akpabio of corruption and a history of abusing women. He claimed the Senate President had a long-standing reputation for misconduct, saying: “Not only is he corrupt, but he is also in the habit of abusing women. I was not surprised that the state of emergency passed in the National Assembly because I know that the leadership is corrupt, and I have no apologies for…

Former Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili, has shed light on her confrontation with Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi during a Senate committee hearing on sexual harassment allegations leveled against Senate President Godswill Akpabio by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Tuesday, Ezekwesili revealed that the hearing was filled with procedural delays that seemed designed to frustrate the petitioner’s efforts. She stated that while the committee insisted on strict adherence to Senate rules, making it difficult for Akpoti-Uduaghan to present her case, Nwebonyi dismissed the proceedings, claiming that the petitioner and her team were not serious about giving…

Troops of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) have arrested two suspects linked to the murder of Rev. Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu, a Catholic priest of the Kafanchan Diocese in Kaduna State. In a statement issued on Wednesday in Jos, OPSH Media Officer, Major Samson Zhakom, confirmed the arrests, stating that the suspects were apprehended during a raid in the Warsa-Piti community of Lere Local Government Area. Fr. Okechukwu was abducted from his residence in Tachira, Kaura LGA, on March 4 at about 9:15 p.m. His lifeless body was discovered the following day, March 5. According to Zhakom, the primary suspect, a 33-year-old…

Renowned Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, has condemned the persistent wave of abductions in Nigeria, likening them to the resurgence of slavery across Africa. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) during the 2025 International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, Soyinka referenced the 2014 mass kidnapping of nearly 300 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State, by Boko Haram as a glaring example of modern enslavement. “Slave markets thrive all over the African continent,” Soyinka lamented, addressing an audience that included UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UNGA President Philemon Yang. According to the 90-year-old…