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Protest hits Enugu over detention of LP lawmaker-elect

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Some residents of Enugu on Monday stormed the International Conference Centre, venue of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference, to protest the continued incarceration of a lawmaker-elect, Barr Bright Ngene.

The Labour Party lawmaker-elect is the winner of Enugu South Urban 1 House of Assembly seat.

An Enugu South Magistrate’s Court, presided over by E. D. Onwu, on July 28, 2024 sentenced Ngene to seven years’ imprisonment over alleged community development fund scandal.

But at the NBA conference venue, the protesters, who described themselves as constituents and friends of Ngene chanted freedom songs and displayed placards with inscriptions: “NBA Please Save Our Democracy”, “Enugu State Judiciary Must be Independent from Executive”, “Oppression is injustice, free Barr Bright Ngene”, “NBA, It’s Bright Ngene today. It could be any Lawyer Tomorrow”, “Injustice to one Lawyer is injustice to all Lawyers”,among others.

The protesters said they decided to embark on the peaceful protest as a last resort to call the attention of the NBA members to the plight of their colleague, Barr Ngene, who they alleged was wrongly convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment by an Enugu State Magistrate’s Court.

Addressing journalists, spokesperson of the protesters, Mr. Benedict Kachukwu said, “As you can see, we are here, these are friends of Barr Bright Ngene, who was unjustly incarcerated.

“We are here to register our peaceful protest to tell the world what has been happening in Enugu state for the past one year and since the 28th of July 2024, Hon Bright Emeka Ngene that won the House of Assembly seat Enugu South Urban has been unjustly incarcerated.

“Charges that were put on him were baseless, judicial process was not followed and in less than two weeks judgement was dispensed. And the man has been in detention since then till now.

“Efforts to get the matter to the High Court has proved abortive because somehow judges are now recusing themselves from the case. The Chief Judge has refused to assign the case to a new judge.

“So ever since then till now this man, Hon Bright Ngene has been in detention for no just cause. All because he won an election, an election he won on a free ground where the people of Enugu South Urban 1 have given him their mandate freely.

“Somehow he has reaffirmed the decision of the mandate of the people on the 16th of August 2025 where he won overwhelmingly again even from detention.”

Kachukwu said they were at the NBA conference venue to plead with the NBA to look into the matter so that judicial process will be followed.

He made it clear that they were not afraid of going through the judicial process, noting that they had consistently asked the Chief Judge to assign the case no matter what could be the outcome of the judgement.

“But up till now we have not seen, we have not heard and the case has been in comatose at the State High Court.

“Several judges have recused themselves. I can recall on 11th of March 2025 one of the judges called for the judgement from the Magistrate Court, but on the day of the sitting, he now said that he was recusing himself from the case.

“And ever since then till now, the case has not been assigned to any judge. That means the man has been languishing in jail for nothing.

“We have written to every organ of NBA as we speak, but there has not been any kind of response from them. As I speak to you Barr Ubani Monday is aware of this case and he is here; Femi Falana, he just drove in, he is aware of this case, he is here. Top SANs are aware of this case and they are here.

“So we have done all we could do, we decided to resort to coming here to beg. We are not here to fight, we are not here to quarrel, we are here to beg, please let this man be freed so that he can go and represent the people that voted him in the House of Assembly,” he said.

Many observers believe that Barr Ngene’s ordeal is political and in connection with the House of Assembly seat.

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PRESIDENT TINUBU CONGRATULATES SENATOR IFEANYI ARARUME ON HIS BIRTHDAY

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President Bola Tinubu felicitates Senator Ifeanyi Godwin Ararume, astute politician and accomplished businessman, on his birthday, December 16.

Senator Ararume’s odyssey in politics began in the late 1980s, when he served as the State Treasurer of the Liberal Convention in old Imo State. He later joined the National Finance Committee of the defunct National Republican Convention.

He represented Imo North in the 9th National Assembly. He was first elected in May 1999 and re-elected in April 2003. He also served on several committees and held other official roles.

President Tinubu commends the former senator for his years of service to the nation and contributions to its peace, unity, and progress.

The President describes Senator Ararume as a resolute and shrewd politician, highlighting his courageous and remarkable political journey through the years.

President Tinubu wishes Senator Ararume a happy 67th birthday and prays that God Almighty will grant him more years of good health and strength.

 

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Daddy Freeze hosts actress Doris Ogala as she opens up on alleged relationship with Pastor Chris Okafor

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Daddy Freeze went live with Nollywood actress Doris Ogala as she shared her side of the ongoing controversy involving Pastor Chris Okafor, whom she claims she dated for years before things fell apart.

According to Doris, her relationship with Pastor Chris began in 2017, long before the public drama. She said they met by chance in Abuja and that he told her he was divorced at the time. She also claimed she didn’t even know he was a pastor when they first connected.

Doris said their relationship quickly became serious. She alleged that Pastor Chris introduced her to his parents, invited her to his village in Anambra State, and treated the relationship like a real commitment. She described their bond as emotional, physical, and deeply personal, insisting it was genuine love, not a casual affair.

She further claimed that while Pastor Chris preached publicly, he was privately very dependent on her, calling her often, sharing personal struggles, and even relying on her for medical prescriptions through her doctor.

Addressing why she later married another man, Doris said family pressure played a major role. She explained that her eventual husband was someone from her past who resurfaced during a vulnerable period after her father’s death. Despite not being in love, she said her family pushed her into the marriage.

Doris admitted that while her marriage was ongoing, she remained emotionally connected to Pastor Chris. She openly acknowledged engaging in phone intimacy with him during that period but maintained that there was no physical sexual relationship between them while she was married.

She described her marriage as abusive and toxic, alleging repeated physical violence and emotional distress. According to her, Pastor Chris remained her emotional support during that time, which is why communication between them never completely stopped.

Doris also claimed she has evidence to back up her story, including chats and videos, which she says Pastor Chris later shared with his lawyers.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSUdp3OjZll/?igsh=OTR2MjZlOG1rbWQy

 

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Alleged N2.2bn fraud: Ngige to remain in Kuje Prison till December 18

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Justice Maryam Aliyu Hassan of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting at Gwarimpa in Abuja has ordered that former Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige, be kept at Kuje prison till December 18.

Ngige will be on remand till the date when his bail application would be decided by the court.

Justice Hassan issued the order on Monday shortly after taking arguments for and against the bail request of the former governor of Anambra State.

Ngige’s lawyer, Patrick Ikwueto, SAN, pleaded with the judge to admit the former minister to bail, mainly on health ground.

He submitted that the former minister would not jump bail or interfere with witnesses if admitted to bail.

However, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, represented by Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, vehemently opposed the bail request, insisting that Ngige was a flight risk.

Tahir told the judge that Ngige was granted administrative bail by the EFCC and allowed to travel abroad for medical care but never reported back to the Commission.

Besides, he said that the international passport released to Ngige; to facilitate the abroad trip was never returned till today.

The senior lawyer argued that it was when Ngige was re-arrested that he came up with a purported claim that he lost his passport.

He insisted that the claim of passport loss was an afterthought and should not be believed by the court.

After the submissions, Justice Hassan fixed December 18 to deliver ruling in the bail request.

Ngige was last Friday slammed with an eight-count charge bordering on corrupt practices.

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