Author: bibncollar

Councillors from Ideato North and Ideato South in Imo State convened an unusual joint sitting on the still-unopened Orashi Bridge last week and adopted three motions, including one that would bar former governor Rochas Okorocha from coming within five kilometres of the crossing. The gathering took place at Umuchima on the Orlu–Akokwa federal highway, where the new bridge links Imo and Anambra. Officials sat under canopies with plastic tables and chairs while construction work continued around them. Speakers of both local government legislatures presided; a clerk recorded the proceedings. A councillor from Ideato South introduced the motions. The first called…

Imo State has assured the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of its readiness to support efforts against money laundering, particularly in the non-profit sector. Secretary to the State Government Chief Cosmas Iwu made the commitment in Owerri while receiving an EFCC delegation on behalf of Governor Hope Uzodimma. The team, led by Mrs. Korede Abdul-Aziz, was in the state for the 2026 Non-Profit Organisation Risk Assessment Field Exercise. The main session took place at the Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Convention Centre, with a prior courtesy call at the Cabinet Office. Iwu said the state government stands ready to assist federal agencies…

Residents of Nkaramuche in the Ihiagwa community of Owerri West, Imo State, have welcomed the start of continuous electricity supply through the Orashi power project, thanking Governor Hope Uzodinma for the development. Indigenes, traders, small-business owners, and the management, staff and students of Shekinah British International School described the restored power as a major boost to daily life and local economic activity. They praised the governor as a responsive leader and pledged ongoing support for further projects that improve conditions across Imo State. Community members also credited Dr Obinna George-Smart Unegbu, managing director of the school and known locally as…

A senior Peoples Democratic Party figure has argued that President Bola Tinubu is better placed to win the 2027 presidential election than he was in 2023, pointing to the president’s record in office and his success in drawing opposition politicians into his orbit. Lere Olayinka made the claim in an interview on TVC Breakfast on Monday. He said Tinubu’s combination of governance results and political outreach had turned the next contest into what he described as a “one-way election.” “The reason this election of 2027 will be a one-way election is because of the performance of the president in terms…

A Nigerian human rights organisation has formally complained to the Anambra State Commissioner of Police about the alleged arrest and detention of a woman by officers of the Rapid Response Squad in Awkuzu. The group says the woman was held for four days in connection with a police search for her brother, who is wanted over a murder allegation, and was released only after a large sum of money was paid. In a letter dated 5 September and signed by its executive director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) stated that Ms Nwosu Chikamso Jennifer…

Nigeria’s competition and consumer regulator has begun examining Uber’s sudden shutdown in the country, with attention on whether customers were left with unused or unfinished rides and other paid services. Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) chief executive Tunji Bello told Bloomberg on Sunday that the agency is reviewing how the company left the market. “We are looking into the manner of their exit, particularly in respect of unfulfilled services to the customers,” he said. Uber said on September 2 that it was ending operations in Nigeria and Uganda that same day. The company described the move as the…

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate the failure to account for N33.75 billion in cash transfers meant for vulnerable Nigerians and to recover the money if it was diverted. Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and chairman of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond, issued the demand in a statement on Sunday. It followed the Auditor-General for the Federation’s 2024 annual report on non-compliance and internal control weaknesses in federal ministries, departments and agencies. Auditor-General Shaakaa Kanyitor Chira raised concerns that the Federal Government could not provide enough evidence…

The Independent National Electoral Commission has cautioned politicians and parties that the use of abusive, intemperate or threatening language during campaigns for the 2027 general elections can attract fines of up to ₦10 million and prison sentences of up to 12 months under the Electoral Act 2026. Adedayo Oketola, Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, told Vanguard in a telephone interview on Sunday that campaign speech crosses into illegal intimidation once it moves beyond legitimate policy debate into coercion, hate speech or threats of harm. He pointed to Section 96 of the Electoral Act 2026, which…

_Says alleged defamation will be answered in court, not with “handcuffs, detention cells and criminal prosecution”_ Owerri-based legal practitioner and Principal Solicitor of Credo Legal, Chinedu Agu, Esq., has issued a formal 72-hour pre-action notice to the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Imo State on Electronic and Creative Media, Mr. Ambrose Nwaogwugwu, demanding the immediate withdrawal of what Agu describes as a false and defamatory publication against him. In the strongly worded notice dated 5 September 2026, Agu demanded the deletion of the publication, an unreserved public apology and retraction with comparable prominence, as well as a written…

Sierra Leone’s First Lady Fatima Maada Bio is set to urge the United Nations General Assembly to designate November 27 as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage. The proposal draws on her own experience of narrowly avoiding an arranged marriage at around age 10. Bio plans to present a draft resolution in New York calling for the permanent observance. The date is not currently marked on the UN calendar. Supporters argue a dedicated day would help maintain focus and drive action against a practice that still affects millions of girls worldwide. The initiative builds…