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Enugu Govt partners FG to relocate Correctional Centre

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Government of Enugu State has commended the Federal Government for approving the relocation of the Enugu Correctional Centre located at the GRA, saying it is ready to partner with the central government to actualise it soonest.

The assurances were given by the governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, when he received members of the House of Representatives Committee on Reformatory Institutions in his office at the Government House, Enugu, on Wednesday.

He told the team led by the Committee Chairman, Hon. Chinedu Ogah that the state government had always advocated for the relocation of the facility, which was built in 1915, from the city centre to a more suitable location.

“It is highly commendable that the Federal Government has sanctioned the relocation of Enugu Correctional Center. This is something we have been advocating for. So, I think you have a real partner in the state government, as we have a coincidence of objective. So, we are going to anxiously be waiting to hear from you on how you want us to engage.

“We already have a survey, which we have done and we are more than happy to share the survey of the new location with you and we will take you to that location to see for yourselves,” Mbah stated.

Mbah called for the automation of the justice dispensing system to reduce the congestion of the correctional centres, highlighting the efforts of his administration to automate the justice system.

“On our part, we are not going to relent in the intervention we have made in the entire justice reform system.

“We have now fully automated our court processes and the idea is to ensure that there is speedy dispensation of justice because we also realised that a lot of the inmates we have in the correctional centres are those who are awaiting trial.

“If we can ensure speedy dispensation of justice, then we would also have to adjust these congested correctional centres significantly.

“That is essentially what we are doing with this automation of not just court processes, but also even the court proceedings.

“That is why I said full automation because even the longhand is no longer required in our courts because we now have verbatim reporters. This is a process we had started a year ago.

“We are happy it is now coming to a conclusion stage,” Mbah concluded.

In his remarks, Hon. Ogah commended Governor Mbah on improved security of lives and property in the state, stressing that “people can now drive through Enugu State at any time of the day without any fear.”

He added that the state government’s investment in security technology and effort of the correctional officers and security had ensured there was no jailbreak in Enugu State, and lauded the development strides of the governor, which he said were providing jobs, boosting economic development, and diminishing crimes.

The Committee welcomed the governor’s proactive approach to relocating the correctional centre through the provision of the proposed new site and also sought the support of the government in the area of vehicles for the conveyance of inmates to and fro trial sessions.

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Senate Questions Nomination Of Non-Indigene As Rivers Electoral Commission Chair

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Odey, a native of Cross River State, came under scrutiny from the panel, chaired by Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, over his non-indigene status.

The Senate Adhoc Committee on the Emergency Rule in Rivers State has commenced the screening of nominees for the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), with a major point of contention emerging over the nomination of Michael Odey as the chairman of the electoral body.

Odey, a native of Cross River State, came under scrutiny from the panel, chaired by Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, over his non-indigene status, particularly as he hails from the same state as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Ibok Ekwe Ibas.

While defending his eligibility, Odey said his nomination does not contravene any provisions of the RSIEC enabling law.

“With utmost respect, I have gone through the RSIEC’s enabling law, and there is nothing that precludes the appointment of anybody outside the state as chairman of the electoral management body,” he said.

However, Senator Bamidele expressed reservations, noting that even if the law is silent on the matter, the implications of appointing someone from outside the state must be carefully considered.

He said, “We are also in possession of the law, so make it available to the committee because in my opinion, the Independent National Electoral Commission is about the Federal Republic of Nigeria. When we say State Independent Electoral Commission, it is about that state.”

The Senate Leader added that the nomination raises fundamental concerns about public perception and legal precedent.

“This is not a matter we are just going to gloss over. It has to be something we can defend. Even if the law does not prohibit such an appointment, we must ensure it is not repugnant to public conscience,” the lawmaker said.

He said the committee would re-examine the eligibility criteria under the RSIEC law to determine if such an appointment could serve as a viable precedent for the future.

Other nominees screened for membership of the commission included Lezaasi Lenee Torbira, Arthur Nwafor, Godfrey Mbudiogha, Joyce Akaniwor, Olive A. Bruce, and Chidi Halliday.

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Benue govt declares public holiday ahead of Tinubu’s visit

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The Benue State Government has declared Wednesday, June 18, 2025, a public holiday to mark the official visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the state.

Ekwutosblog reports that Tinubu had announced that he would cut short his schedule to visit Benue State over the recent attacks on the state.

In a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Serumun Deborah Aber, the President is expected in the state on a one-day condolence visit to commiserate with the government and people of Benue over the recent spate of violent attacks that have led to numerous deaths.

 

The government stated that the holiday is intended to give citizens the opportunity to receive the president warmly but clarified that the directive excludes workers in essential services, including medical personnel, security agencies, and banking institutions.

“Residents across the state are encouraged to come out in large numbers to welcome the President and his delegation during what has been described as a significant and symbolic visit,” the statement added.

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Natasha: Akpabio’s aide petitions IGP over alleged hacking of account, defamation

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Former Delta State Commissioner and Special Adviser on Communications/Strategy to the President of the Senate, Mr. Kenny Okolugbo, has formally petitioned the Inspector General of Police, calling for an urgent investigation into what he described as a coordinated cyberattack and defamation campaign targeted at destroying his credibility and misleading the public.

In the petition, Okolugbo alleged that his verified social media account on X was hacked and used to publish damaging statements falsely attributed to him.

The fabricated content, he claims, was then amplified by three popular social media influencers, Tunde Ednut (@mazitundeednut), Rufai Oseni (@ruffydfire), and Adeola Fayehun (@adeolafayehun), who, according to him, embellished the post with additional falsehoods, including allegations of phone cloning, voice manipulation, and fictitious meetings in London.

“These allegations are not only untrue but impossible based on verified evidence,” he wrote.

“Most disturbing is that the fabricated post was simultaneously circulated and embellished by these influencers using identical language and coordinated timing, pointing to a syndicated disinformation campaign,” he added.

Okolugbo alleged that the campaign was orchestrated to lend undue credibility to allegations made by Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan.

He emphasized that the false narratives promoted online were not contained in the original hacked post, showing that it was indeed orchestrated, suggesting deliberate malice and manipulation aimed at tarnishing his public image.

As part of his plea to the Nigeria Police Force, Okolugbo requested the following actions:

“A full-scale investigation into the hacking and impersonation of his verified social media account, citing violations under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015;

“Identification and prosecution of individuals responsible for the forgery, defamation, and spread of malicious content;

“Preservation of all relevant digital evidence from social media platforms and third-party service providers for forensic analysis.”

He noted that the matter was of significant public interest and personal concern, urging the Police Force to act “swiftly and decisively.”

Okolugbo also disclosed that he had enclosed his travel documents showing he has not visited London or anywhere outside Nigeria as alleged this year 2025 and the last time he was in London was 5th November 2024 and had no meetings in London, printouts of the alleged defamatory and manipulated posts to support his claims and provide context for investigators.

The Nigeria Police Force is yet to issue a formal response to the petition as of the time of this report.

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