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Pirates Demand N100million Ransom For Abducted WAEC Students, Passengers In Rivers State

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The brazen attack, which occurred in the Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, has left families in agony and communities in turmoil.

 

The captors of 13 passengers, including eight students en route to sit for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), who were abducted by pirates along the Port Harcourt, Bille waterways on May 6, 2025, are still missing are demanding a N100million ransom for their release.

The brazen attack, which occurred in the Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, has left families in agony and communities in turmoil.

The abductors hijacked two passenger boats during the incident, seizing all onboard, including the WASSCE-bound students.

 

In a statement on Friday, Dr. Osaki Miller, an indigene of Bille Kingdom and the immediate past Youth President of the community, confirmed that the abductors had contacted the victims’ families, demanding a ransom of N100 million.

 

“As we speak, the whereabouts of the victims is still unknown, and now we have been made to understand that the abductors are asking for N100m ransom,” Miller said during a press briefing in Port Harcourt.

 

He expressed grave concern over the safety and health conditions of the abductees, particularly the students, and decried the psychological toll the ordeal is having on their families.

 

“These are young students who were only on their way to write their exams. Their parents are traumatised, and no family in our community can raise such an outrageous amount. We are deeply worried. Time is ticking, and the authorities must act fast,” Miller added.

 

Dr. Miller urged the Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), to take decisive action to ensure the safe release of the captives.

 

“We have lodged complaints with various quarters, including the security agencies and the government. We even staged a protest to alert the authorities. But up till now, we have not heard anything. Whatever the case, we are calling on the State Sole Administrator to swing into action,” he said.

 

The former Chairman of Bille Community, Mr. Fibite Bibi, also weighed in on the matter, confirming that one of the victims, a uniformed security personnel, had been released by the kidnappers last Friday.

 

“They released a uniformed man who was kidnapped alongside the students last Friday. We don’t know whether ransom was paid. But right now, they are demanding N100m for the students and Bille residents that were abducted. Where will that money come from?” Bibi asked.

 

“We don’t have that kind of money. The security agencies should do what they are supposed to do and rescue these people. Nobody has that kind of money to give. They should please release the victims. The security agencies should please take the necessary action,” he pleaded.

 

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed that security efforts have been ramped up to rescue the victims and bring the perpetrators to justice.

 

“Efforts have been intensified to secure the release of the victims and to apprehend the perpetrators,” she said, assuring the public that the police were working in collaboration with other security agencies to address the situation.

Education

Nigerian Law School Student Reportedly Takes His Own Life Following Disqualification From Bar Final Exam In Yola

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Ayomiposi Ojajuni, a Nigerian Law School student, has passed away after reportedly being barred from taking the Bar Final examinations at the Yola Campus.

According to SaharaReporters, sources said that Ojajuni, a graduate of Olabisi Onabanjo University, became visibly distressed on Saturday morning, December 6, upon learning he had been barred from participating in the professional examination, which began that day.

He was later said to have ingested a harmful substance shortly after receiving the news.

It was further gathered that the decision to deny him access to the exam was taken as a disciplinary action, following multiple queries previously issued to him by the institution.

Ojajuni was rushed to the Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital, Yola, where he died on Sunday.

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Education

Borno Kids Stole The Show At NYSC Camp With Flawless March Past (Video)

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A group of primary school pupils from host communities in Borno State captivated participants at the NYSC orientation camp in Maiduguri with a precise and energetic marching display during the inter-platoon parade competition.

The viral footage shows four children marching confidently beside corps members, sparking loud cheers from onlookers who were visibly delighted by their coordination and enthusiasm.

The heartwarming moment quickly gained traction on social media, where users applauded the Army and the NYSC for creating an atmosphere of joy and normalcy in a region often defined by insecurity.

The children later received warm praise and encouragement from military officials and corps members at the camp, rounding off a memorable day marked by wide smiles and excitement.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DR4aCOMAh4d/?igsh=dnZtdHN1azZqcnJq

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Education

Teachers strike looms in Kwara over unmet demands

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A statewide industrial action by the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, looms in Kwara State as a result of unmet demands to the state government.

The national body of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) criticised the state government for what it described as continued failure to address long-standing welfare concerns affecting teachers across the state.

In a letter addressed to Governor Abdulraham Abdulrazaq, the union condemned the government’s refusal to implement the 27.5% Teachers Specific Allowance (TSA) and the National Harmonized Teachers Retirement Age Act, 2022.

The letter, dated November 13, 2025, and acknowledged by the Governor’s Office on November 17, was jointly signed by the NUT National President, Comrade Audu Titus Amba, and the Secretary-General, Dr Clinton Ikpitibo.

The NUT stated in the letter that several engagements with government officials between 2023 and 2025 did not yield any positive outcome.

The union expressed disappointment that while the government had approved consolidated salary structures for medical workers, nurses, and judiciary staff, the long-standing demands of teachers remained unaddressed.

It warned that the refusal to implement the 27.5% TSA for TRCN-certified teachers and 21% for non-TRCN-certified teachers had pushed teachers in the state “into a riotous mode,” noting that frustration within the system had reached breaking point.

The NUT also criticized the government’s failure to implement the National Harmonized Teachers Retirement Age Act, which extends teachers’ retirement age to 65 years or 40 years in service.

The letter added that over 25 states had already complied with the law, lamenting that Kwara State despite being led by the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, had failed to follow suit.

The union called on the governor to convene an emergency meeting before December 13, 2025, stressing that there was still room for peaceful resolution if the government acted promptly.

“We do hope that our interventionist approach is accepted, because to jaw-jaw will be better than to war-war,” the NUT said.

Copies of the letter were sent to the Acting Head of Service, the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, the State Controller of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, and the Kwara chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the NUT.

With tension rising among teachers, the union warned that failure to address the issues urgently, could trigger a fresh industrial action that may disrupt academic activities across the state.

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