Edo State
Edo election: Court annuls Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Gani Audu’s APC candidacy
An Edo State High Court sitting in Benin, has nullified the candidacy of the Deputy Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the September 19, 2020 governorship election in the State, Mr. Gani Audu. The court presided over by Justice Courage Ogbebor, by extension, also nullified the candidacy of the party’s governorship candidate for the election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu. Audu is a former member of the State House of Assembly. The Plaintiff, Sunday Kadiri, from Ogbona ward, in Etsako West Local Government Area of the State, had asked the court to disqualify Audu from participating in the election on account of having given false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to aid his qualification for the election. Kadiri further prayed the ...
Court orders Governor Obaseki to open defence in ‘certificate forgery’ case
The All Progressives Congress, APC, on Monday, closed the forgery case it instituted against Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, after it called a total of six witnesses and tendered 17 Exhibits. Lead counsel to the APC, Chief Akin Olujimi, SAN, announced decision of the party to rest its case, shortly after the court discharged the sixth witness, PW-6, Dr. Mikano Asekome, who is an Associate Professor in Banking and Finance Department at Benson Idahosa University, Benin city, Edo state. The PW-6 told the court that he was on December 23, 2020, summoned to appear as witness in the matter. The witness went ahead and tendered in evidence, the original copy of his certificate in Agricultural-Economics, which the University of Ibadan awarded to him on July 31, 1978. Under cross-examination, ...
Edo election: Comrade Shaibu warns Adams Oshiomhole not to subvert the people’s will
Edo State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu has urged a former Governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, not to subvert the will of the people and to jettison the plan to overturn the victory of Governor Godwin Obaseki at the September 2020 governorship election through the Judiciary. Shaibu during an empowerment programme for Afemai Youths in Ogbona and Jattu respectively at the weekend reaffirmed confidence in the judiciary and President Muhammadu Buhari to protect the nation’s democracy and the collective will of Edo people. The Deputy Governor said that Oshiomhole was instrumental to the Supreme Court victory of Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State and alleged he is ready to do the same to upturn the popular victory of Obaseki in Edo State. He said, “The Nigeria Jud...
Edo Head of Service regains freedom from kidnappers
Mr Anthony Okungbowa, Edo state Head of Service (HoS), who was abducted on Saturday evening along Oza Road, in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of the state, has regained his freedom. The HoS was released by his abductors on Monday night according to a family source, who pleaded anonymity. The source said that Okungbowa was set free after payment of an undisclosed amount as ransom demanded by his kidnappers and that the HoS was hale and hearty since his release. The family source disclosed that the ransom was paid through a collaboration between the family and the State government. “We just want to thank God that our brother has been set free and in good health condition,” said the source. The source, however, lamented that the Police orderly attached to the HoS, who was shot during the pr...
Airtel begins initiative to feed 5,000 displaced persons
Airtel Nigeria has announced the commencement of the 2020 edition of its annual ‘5 Days of Love’ Yuletide initiative with a focus on providing palliative packs to 5,000 persons across five Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in the country. Speaking during a virtual press conference to announce the initiative, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya, said despite the pandemic and a difficult year, Airtel would continue its long standing tradition of celebrating and empowering the vulnerable and underprivileged during Yuletide. “Our resolve to Nigeria and Nigerians is unshakeable. Despite a difficult year, we are committed to making lives better for many Nigerians and we will not rest on our laurels as we will continue to create opportun...
Edo APC writes off former chairman’s defection claims
Edo state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday described claims by a former charman of the party, Anselm Ojezua that he was leaving the party with 150,000 members as spurious and unfounded. A statement yesterday by the State Assistant Publicity Secretary of the APC, Ofure Osehobor, said Ojezua had long left the party but that he was not popular enough to gather such a number of supporters being claimed. He said “This is deliberate falsehood because Edo people know that this man has no such followership. Moreover he left the party long before now. What is sad is that instead of staying quietly in his new party, he has chosen to embarrass himself with these claims. “Here is a man who has lost political relevance, in all its ramifications but decided to lurk around by hold...
Gunmen kidnap Edo councillor
Unknown gunmen in the early hours of Wednesday abducted Israel Inyanabor, a councillor representing Ewohimi Ward One in Esan South-East Local Government Area of Edo State. Inyanabor’s kidnap happened along Ewatto-Ubiaja-Okhuesan Road near Ena River in Esan South-East LGA of the state. The kidnap of the councillor has reportedly created tension in the community following an earlier abduction of a teacher and his wife, simply identified as Mr and Mrs Aluola, by suspected bandits along the same Ewatto-Ubiaja-Okhuesan Road on Monday. It was learnt that the abductors of the couple are asking for N15 million as ransom from the family before they would be released. A resident of Ewohimi, Festus Ehigiator, disclosed that the scene of the latest kidnap incident was the same spot where the teacher a...
Bible Society appoints new CEO-designate
The Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN) on has announced the appointment of Pastor Samuel Sanusi as its new General Secretary/ Chief Executive Officer-Designate. BSN Manager, Media and Public Relations, Mr Benjamin Mordi, disclosed in a statement on Saturday in Lagos. Newsmen report that Bible Society of Nigeria is a not-for-profit interdenominational Christian organisation. It translates the Bible into local languages, publishes, distributes, raises funds for the Bible work and organises life-transforming programmes. So far, it has translated the full Bible into 26 Nigerian Languages, while translation revision is on-going in 10 Nigerian Languages. According to him, Sanusi will be taking over from the incumbent General Secretary/CEO, Dr Dare Ajiboye, who will be retiring in June 2021. He said ...
‘Many killed’ as cult groups clash in Benin
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Edo governor presents N153.4 billion 2021 budget
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State on Tuesday presented a budget of N153.4 billion for 2021 to the state House of Assembly for approval. Presenting the budget christened ‘MEGA Budget ‘, Obaseki said that it was made up of N94.8 billion recurrent expenditure and N58.6 billion capital expenditure. “Mr Speaker, you will note that the recurrent component is larger than the capital. It is to help us deal with the social and economic consequences of COVID-19. “The total receipts of N153 billion expected for 2021 comprise of N71 billion from the federation account and N36 billion Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). “We also expect N9.8 billion from aids and grants; most of them have already been finalised. We expect to raise N15.3 billion as loan and 13.8 billion as capital development fund rec...
Gunmen kidnap Edo deputy governor’s brother
A younger brother of the Deputy Governor of Edo State identified as Frederick Shaibu has been kidnapped by gunmen while taking his kids to school in Irhiri, Benin. As of the time of filing this report, it was gathered that the kidnappers are yet to make contact with the family. A family source told newsmen that the incident happened on Monday. The source said, “They attacked him and took him away. It happened in the Aruogba area, Irhiri around 07 am when he was driving his children to school. The children were left by the gunmen who took their father away. But the incident has been reported to security agencies, they have not made any contact with the family. “It is believed that the kidnappers came through the Ogba River because people who witnessed the incident said they went through the...
AFCONQ: No fans for Super Eagles, Sierra Leone clash – ministry
The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 have advised the Edo State Government and the Nigeria Football Federation against allowing fans into the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, during the 2021 AFCON qualifier between the Super Eagles and Sierra Leone on November 13. This is coming after the Edo State Government announced that the gates would be thrown open for fans to watch the game at the refurbished Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium. The ministry said admitting fans into the match venue would amount to a breach of the COVID-19 protocols. In a letter addressed to the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, the ministry stated that the game “will not have any audience and no gathering”. The letter read in part, “The ministry wishes to brin...
