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Nigerian Police On IGP’s Orders Arrest Whistleblower Akuwudike Who Exposed N2.5million Smear Campaign Against Senator Natasha

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In the interview, Akuwudike also alleged that Senate President Godswill Akpabio was the political and financial sponsor behind Duru’s smear campaign against the senator.

 

Journalist and media activist, Maazi Obinna Oparaku Akuwudike, has been arrested by officers of the Nigeria Police Force under the orders of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

Akuwudike, who recently granted a viral interview to Adeola Fayehun on her YouTube channel, was arrested in the early hours of Thursday around 3am in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

 

His lawyer confirmed the development to SaharaReporters during a telephone conversation, saying: “He was arrested in the early hours of today. Here in Owerri.”

The arrest appears to be linked to the journalist’s explosive revelations in which he exposed how he was allegedly paid ₦2.5million by one Sandra Duru, popularly known as “Prof Mgbeke,” to produce defamatory content targeting Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

 

In the interview, Akuwudike also alleged that Senate President Godswill Akpabio was the political and financial sponsor behind Duru’s smear campaign against the senator.

 

“I received money for producing videos but grew concerned after noticing inconsistencies in Duru’s public statements,” Akuwudike said.

 

He explained that he was initially hired for a media production assignment but decided to withdraw after realising the agenda was malicious and unfounded.

 

According to him, the turning point came after hearing some of Duru’s controversial statements during a livestream.

 

“After that livestream and other things I began to uncover, I knew I had to come clean. Everything she said about Natasha was fabricated lies,” he said.

 

Meanwhile, SaharaReporters had reported that the Nigerian government is set to call Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, and four others as witnesses in a high-profile criminal case against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

This development follows the Nigerian government’s decision to file criminal charges against the Kogi-born senator over her televised allegation that Akpabio and Bello plotted to assassinate her.

 

According to court documents exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters, the case was filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, with the Federal Republic of Nigeria listed as the complainant and Senator Natasha as the sole defendant.

The government is accusing the senator of criminal defamation under Section 391 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, an offence punishable under Section 392 of the same law.

The charges are linked to an interview the senator granted on Channels Television’s programme, Politics Today, on April 3, 2025, where she openly accused Akpabio and Bello of plotting her assassination.

 

She had also alleged that the Senate President orchestrated the withdrawal of her security detail to expose her to danger.

 

“I do stand by what I said. In respect to the meeting or discussion Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night to eliminate me,” she said during the live interview.

 

A court document seen by SaharaReporters lists six individuals the government intends to call as witnesses to support the charges.

Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio is listed as a nominal complainant and is expected to testify on what he knows about the case. His address is listed as No. 13 TY Danjuma Street, Asokoro.

 

Yahaya Adoza Bello, also named as a nominal complainant, is to testify similarly. His address is No. 9 Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4.

 

Senator Ekpenyong Asuquo, who was alleged by Natasha to have driven Bello to the Hilton Hotel for the alleged plot meeting, is listed as a witness with an address at the Senate Building, National Assembly Complex.

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Boat mishap: Agatu LG chairman condoles with family of five drowned siblings in Benue

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Chairman of Agatu Local Government Area and Deputy ALGON Chairman in Benue State, James Melvin Ejeh, has expressed deep sympathy to the Obagaji community and the family of Mr. Moses Baba, who lost five children in a tragic boat accident on Sunday evening.

Ekwutosblog  recalls that the tragic incident occurred when Mr. Baba and his five children were returning home from their farm in Obagaji.

Their boat, reportedly overloaded, capsized midstream, throwing all six occupants into the river.

 

While Mr. Baba narrowly survived, all five of his children drowned before help could reach them.

In a press statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Amb. Obochi Solomon, the chairman described the incident as “unfortunate, heart-wrenching, and painful.”

He expressed profound grief over the loss and commended local volunteers for their efforts in the rescue and recovery operations.

Ejeh prayed for God to console the bereaved family and give them the strength to bear the irreparable loss, while also urging residents to adhere to safety measures when using waterways to prevent future tragedies.

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BREAKING: Fire guts Rivers government secretariat

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Fire has razed a section of the Rivers State Government secretariat situated in Port Harcourt.

The Cable reports that the cause of the fire has not been ascertained.

According to the report, the fire affected the section, which houses the Rivers State Pension Board.

The development comes a few weeks after President Bola Tinubu recalled the suspended Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara and members of the State House of Assembly.

Recall that Tinubu had declared state of emergency in the oil rich Niger Delta state on March 18, 2025.

Details to follow…..

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Our deputy travel editor was almost stranded after a nine-hour flight delay – and issues warning

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After a nine-hour flight delay, the Daily Mail's deputy travel editor Hayley Minn (pictured in Malaga) has shared a major airport warning to travellers

After a nine-hour flight delay, the Daily Mail’s deputy travel editor has shared a major airport warning to travellers.

Hayley Minn was almost stranded in Malaga as a result – and is keen to make sure holidaymakers don’t fall into the trap themselves.

Hayley was due to take a 5pm flight EZY8072 from Malaga to Gatwick Airport on Sunday, October 5.

But when she was told her flight was delayed by nine hours – from 5pm to 2.45am – she decided to leave the airport and check in to a hotel for a few hours and then come back.

Hayley said: ‘But when I came back, my boarding pass didn’t work and security knew nothing about what I was saying, telling me my flight wasn’t leaving until 4pm later that day, and there was no one on the easyJet desk.

‘They wouldn’t let me through for almost 30 mins and I almost missed my flight. I ended up finding someone who could check and she got high security to let me through.’

Hayley’s warning is that travellers should not leave the airport in these circumstances.

Upon arriving at the airport, ‘we all went through as normal,’ Hayley said, ‘but suddenly we were told there was a problem with the plane and we needed to wait a bit longer, I’d say we were waiting for 40 minutes.’

After a nine-hour flight delay, the Daily Mail’s deputy travel editor Hayley Minn (pictured in Malaga) has shared a major airport warning to travellers

Hayley was due to take a 5pm flight EZY8072 from Malaga to Gatwick Airport on Sunday, October 5

After that, passengers on her flight were taken out of the flight corridor, and back outside the gate, and made to wait for another 20 minutes.

But then they were informed the flight was cancelled ‘because there was a technical problem with the aircraft’.

‘Loads of people immediately started rebooking onto new flights, just hoping that easyJet would give them money.

‘But I was unable to do so because the other flights were all selling out and there weren’t any with just hand luggage left – which I had. And it was so expensive and I wasn’t sure if I’d get the money back.

‘Suddenly, they told us it wasn’t actually cancelled, just delayed until 2.45am.’

Hayley said someone near to her had the idea to book into a hotel nearby.

Hayley added: ‘So I did that, found a £60 Travelodge hotel a 10-minute drive away and I left the airport, went back through passport control and to the hotel.’

She set an alarm to leave Travelodge Malaga Airport in time for her flight, and got back to the airport at 12.45am.

Hayley was almost stranded in Malaga as a result – and is keen to make sure holidaymakers don’t fall into the trap themselves

 

‘I left way too much time – I thought,’ Hayley said. ‘But when I went to scan my boarding pass it didn’t work – because I’d already used it.

‘There’s obviously security there, so I called them over, and luckily, I can speak a bit of Spanish.

‘They had no record of my flight being delayed – I think because we weren’t meant to leave and come back with the same boarding pass. They had no information about this, and when I showed them my flight number, they could only see a flight for 4pm.

‘So they kept telling me my flight was delayed even more – until 4pm on Monday. I started crying, as I was so stressed and tired.’

Staff told Hayley to go to the easyJet desk, and an easyJet staff member, on the 24/7 chat app, told her she needed to speak to the ground staff for help.

But no one was there at 1am.

However, she did manage to find someone in the end,

‘I went back to security and begged, “let me in, let me in, I need to get on this plane.” I was stressing so much, thinking I wasn’t even going to get on the plane at this rate.’

Hayley’s warning is that travellers should not leave the airport in these circumstances

 

They sent Hayley over to another staff member who called through to easyJet to check, and got confirmation the flight was leaving at 2.45am.

‘I got really high security – I think staff security – to let me in and it was fine.

‘I got through around 1.15am eventually, and I was really stressed.

‘My warning is if your flight is delayed, don’t leave the airport. Only leave the airport if it’s cancelled so the airline has to provide you with a new boarding pass if you don’t want that stress.

‘On the flip side, I didn’t get any sleep but I got a nice meal and a bed for a bit and rest, whereas a lot of people – 72 in total – didn’t take the flight in the end and got on other flights.’

She said that 130 people did get on the flight and when she got back to the gate, everyone had been sleeping across chairs, uncomfortably, in the airport, while she had been at the hotel.

In a statement to the Daily Mail, easyJet said: ‘We are sorry that flight EZY8072 from Malaga to London Gatwick on 5 October was delayed due to an aircraft technical issue.

‘We arranged for a replacement aircraft to operate the flight and provided customers with regular updates and refreshment vouchers via our flight tracker, as well as information on options to rebook to alternative flights or request a refund.

‘We are looking into the communication and support from our ground handling provider at Malaga airport, as this is not the level of service we expect for our customers, and we are sorry for any confusion this caused.’

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