The Edo State Police Command, working in concert with the Nigerian Army and local vigilante groups, have rescued a family of four and three additional individuals abducted by armed men suspected to be kidnappers.
The victims were seized on Saturday, November 1, 2025, from farms located in the Ikeken Forest area of Ewohimi, Esan South-East Local Government Area, part of Edo’s central senatorial district.
The announcement came from ASP Eno Ikoedem, deputy spokesman for the Edo State Police Command, via a statement issued on Saturday in Benin City. She confirmed that the rescued victims — all unharmed — have since been united with their families.
The operation was triggered by a report from Enoch Omozokpia of Ikeken, Ewohimi, detailing that his 65-year-old father, Mr. William Omozokpia, and six others had been abducted from their farm in the Ikeken Forest by armed men.
In response, security forces mobilized a coordinated response, storming the forest in a carefully planned assault designed to neutralize the threat and recover the hostages. According to Ikoedem, the combined team conducted an intensive bush search that forced the abductors to abandon their captives and retreat into the surrounding vegetation.
The names released by the command identify the abducted as: William Akhabue, Innocent Ebarekor, Rachel Ebarekor, Efuah Ebarekor, Winner Ebarekor (minor), William Omozokpia, and Lucky Igiese, also known as Bulala. The Edo State Police Commissioner, Monday Agbonika, lauded the bravery and professionalism demonstrated by the police officers, soldiers, and vigilantes involved in the operation.
Commissioner Agbonika reaffirmed the police’s steadfast commitment to safeguarding residents, noting that efforts to track down the fleeing suspects would continue until all perpetrators are brought to justice. The command also reinforced a public appeal for vigilance, urging citizens to report any suspicious activity or persons to the nearest police station or via emergency lines.
As investigations continue, authorities are urging communities to remain calm while remaining vigilant, highlighting the importance of swift, coordinated responses in apprehending criminals and securing rural and farming zones, where residents rely on safety and stability to sustain livelihoods.
HOM
The Trump challenge and a call for patriotic voices
By Tunde Rahman
In an age when the lines between truth and falsehood are getting increasingly blurred, I was nonplussed when President Trump labelled Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern on October 31. My incredulity was heightened given that his action stemmed from unproven allegations of genocide against Christians. Was it another deepfake facilitated through AI or simply a case of mistaken identity?
I was of the view that President Trump might have actually meant another country, and not Nigeria. He had, after all, adopted a similar approach in December 2020, which proved quite unsuccessful.
President Biden, who succeeded him in office, rightly removed the designation barely a year later, in November 2021, convinced, as most had been, that Trump’s action was based on unverified allegations.
The US President has since doubled down on the labelling, threatening to take military action against Nigeria’s Islamists and terrorists. My scepticism derived from the premise that the facts on the ground, indeed the Nigerian situation, do not align with what can be termed a Christian genocide or genocide of any sort, as exemplified in the recent Israeli massacre of Palestinian people, including children.
It is thus not surprising that top Nigerian government functionaries – from Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggah and Minister of Information and National Orientation Idris Mohammed, as well as most commentators – have already debunked the claim of Christian genocide or wholly Christian killings in Nigeria. The country may still be having some security issues to contend with; however, they argue that there are no targeted killings of Christians, let alone a Christian genocide.
Indeed, a recent investigative report by the BBC Global Disinformation Unit has picked holes in the threadbare claims of a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria. In very stark details, the report highlights how the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) and allied Igbo ethnic advocacy and pro-Biafra groups circulated inflated figures and unverified narratives.
Titled “Are Christians Being Persecuted in Nigeria as Trump Claims?” the report was authored by Olaronke Alo and Chiamaka Enendu of the BBC Global Disinformation Unit, along with a Lagos-based journalist, Ijeoma Ndukwe.
The writers examined the origins and veracity of claims that over 125,000 Christians had been killed and 19,000 churches burned down in Nigeria since 2009.
Apparently driven by some ulterior motive, when contacted by the BBC, Intersociety, which first disseminated the allegation of Christian killings, failed to provide enumerated data or verifiable sources to substantiate its claims and demonstrate the integrity of the figures and their conclusions. Instead, the organisation accused the BBC of being politically compromised. Unfortunately, these unreliable data cobbled by Intersociety were the exact figures cited by the Conservative Media in the US, and prominent politicians like Senator Ted Cruz and Congressman Riley Moore. Sadly, these same figures were what President Trump relied upon in his designation of Nigeria as a CPC.
The point is: there is no Christian persecution or mass killings in Nigeria. There are no state-sanctioned killings of Christians. The state does not condone it, as Nigeria has no state religion. President Bola Tinubu is a moderate Muslim who allows religious freedom in his household. He is not a religious fundamentalist. A man who so liberally allows religious freedom in his household cannot conceivably turn around and disallow the same in the larger society.
Beyond that, however, and that piece of good journalism and useful revelation by the BBC, which laid bare the claim of Nigerian Christian genocide, the CPC labelling nonetheless offers a useful cautionary tale in crisis management. And this is why the government’s response to the challenge has been subtle and restrained. It is indeed the right thing to do, given the threat that it represents – albeit for the wrong reason.
It may sound paradoxical, but the best way to prove that an argument proceeds from a false premise is by continually pointing out the falsehood therefrom. It’s truly heart-warming that the government has continued to navigate the present critical situation carefully, handling the matter diplomatically and laying out the facts and proper position of things to President Trump, the US Conservative Media, the evangelicals and politicians. That way, they can see their mistake and make informed decisions.
The ongoing momentum of the reforms undertaken by President Tinubu, which has engendered economic recovery, a slowdown in inflation, naira stability, and the gradual return of investors, must be maintained and carefully nurtured so that no development endangers it. The government must continue to stay on course. Remarkably, despite some fluctuations in the naira exchange rate over the past few days, the global investor confidence in the growing positive prospects of the Nigerian economy has remained on the rise. This is evident in the oversubscription of the country’s $2.3 billion eurobond last week.
Reacting to the development, last Thursday, during the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja, as he inaugurated two new ministers appointed to fill the cabinet vacancies, President Tinubu disclosed that the Federal Government was engaging diplomatically with the world on the issue.
“The most important thing is the fact that despite the political headwinds and the fear of our people, we will continue to engage with partners. The success of the $2.3 billion eurobond, which investors oversubscribed by 400%, is the most reassuring. So, the task ahead is immense; we are engaging the world diplomatically, and we assure all of you that we will defeat terrorism in this country.”
With the recent rejig of the nation’s military and security apparatus, following the appointment of new service chiefs and a reshuffle within the intelligence circle, the battle against terrorism, banditry, and violent crimes will be reinvigorated. President Tinubu implored Nigerians not to succumb to despair, assuring that the government would defeat every form of terrorism and secure every part of the country.
“Do we have problems? Yes. Are we challenged by terrorism? Yes. But we will defeat terrorism. We will overcome the CPC designation. Nigeria is one happy family, and we shall spare no effort until we eliminate all criminals from our society. We want our friends to help us as we step up our fight against terrorism, and we will eliminate it,” he said.
What the nation requires now are patriotic voices. Our leaders must stand up to be counted, while politicians, too, must drop their divisive togas and don the patriotic cap in defence of the country. The present challenge is neither about Nigerian Christians nor about the war against terrorists. There are clearly some other underlying motives. The US President cannot possibly love Nigeria more than the people of Nigeria. Former Kano State governor and National Leader of the Nigeria National Peoples Party, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and former Foreign Affairs Minister and ex-Jigawa State governor, who is also a top chieftain of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Sule Lamido, have seen through this unfair designation and have led the way in this direction.
More Nigerian leaders need to speak up as statesmen. By presenting the facts to President Trump and the international community in a convincing and non-adversarial manner, we must demonstrate that we are not a disgraced people and that Nigeria is by no means a “disgraced country.”
In all of this, though, we mustn’t fail to note the befuddling silence in the typically voluble quarters of our political space. So, it is fitting to ask: Where are former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his former deputy and defeated PDP 2023 presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who is preparing for another presidential run in 2027, at this critical moment?
Saudi-bound wanted drug lord arrested as NDLEA raids his clandestine colos lab in Lagos
By Ebinum Samuel
Dismantles laboratory, recovers 148.3kg Colorado, precursors; nabs 73-yr-old grandpa, 70-yr-old grandma in Edo, Bayelsa
A wanted drug lord 40-year-old Yussuf Abayomi Azeez has been arrested by operatives of a special operations unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos while on his way to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, a holy pilgrimage, after months of intelligence and surveillance on him and his criminal drug activities.
The drug kingpin had been arrested and charged for drug offences in the United Kingdom but jumped bail and escaped to Nigeria. Soon after settling down in Lagos, he set up a massive clandestine laboratory in the Lekki area of the state for the production of Colorado, a deadly synthetic cannabis and other illicit substances.
At about 6:30am on Thursday 6th November 2025, Yussuf walked into the waiting hands of NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport while attempting to board his flight to Saudi Arabia for Umrah. He was swiftly driven to his 17 Vincent Eku street, Ogombo, Lekki, clandestine laboratory which has been under surveillance for a while. At the time of his arrest, Yussuf was found in company of another suspect, 43-year-old Abideen Kekere-Ekun.
Inside the massive building, operatives from the Agency’s Directorate of Forensic and Chemical Monitoring were able to dismantle all installed laboratory equipment, precursor chemicals and already produced illicit substances including Colorado, all weighing 148.3 kilograms.
At the Sifax bonded terminal in Okota, Lagos, NDLEA operatives in conjunction with men of Customs Service and other security agencies on Friday 7th November discovered 105.5kg Molly, a designers drug and 500grams of methamphetamine during a joint examination of
a shipment.
In Niger state, NDLEA operatives on Thursday 6th November intercepted Ibrahim Mohammed, 35, in a Volvo truck marked GRZ 872 XA along Kainji-Wawa road while conveying 87,000 pills of tramadol and 72kg of skunk, a strain of cannabis.
Not less than 34,520 capsules of tramadol were found concealed in different compartments
of a Toyota Corolla car marked GAN 102 AR intercepted along Zaki-Biam – Wukari road on Monday 3rd November while the driver Aliyu Samaila, 25, was arrested. The opioids were loaded from Onitsha, Anambra State, and heading to Cameroon. In another operation in Taraba, NDLEA officers on Thursday 6th November arrested a suspect Felix Tanko Chinedu, 28, with 15,020 capsules of tramadol at Kasuwabera ATC in Ardo Kola LGA.
In Kogi state, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Okene/Lokoja highway on Wednesday 5th November intercepted a consignment of 7.600kg Loud, a strong strain of cannabis. A follow-up operation in Abuja led to the arrest of the owner, Chukwunonso Anieze, 40, while no fewer than 175,000 pills of opioids were recovered from another consignment at the location same day.
Three suspects: Olayide Oyidiran, 39; Abdulsalam Abdulsalam, 28; and Opeyemi Tijjani, 39, were on Wednesday 5th November nabbed at Abuja/Kaduna tollgate with 769kg skunk
being conveyed in a truck marked TRE 897 BE, coming from Lagos en route Owo, Ondo state and heading to Kano.
A 73-year-old grandpa James Ugbedo was on Friday 7th November arrested in a cannabis plantation at Igbeshi forest, Imiakebo, Etsako East LGA, Edo state where 1,459.75kg skunk was destroyed and 5.6kg of same substance evacuated, while 70-year-old grandma Mrs. Comfort Odudu was nabbed at Onopa, Yenagoa, Bayelsa state with 5kg skunk on Tuesday 4th November.
With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA sensitization lecture to students and staff of Transfiguration Seminary Secondary School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; Day Secondary School, Sabonkasuwa Kontagora, Niger state; Immanuel College High School (Snr), Ibadan, Oyo State; Government Girls Secondary School, Ilelah, Sokoto; Government Day Secondary School, Namtari, Adamawa and NURTW leaders and members in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi state, among others.
While commending the officers and men of SOP, DFCM, Tincan, Edo, Taraba, Kaduna, Kogi, Niger and Bayelsa Commands for the various successful operations, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.
“The dismantling of yet another clandestine laboratory for the production of Colorado and other dangerous synthetic substances and the arrest of the kingpin behind it in Lekki, coming barely a week after similar actions were taken against another cartel in Ajao estate Lagos shows that these are no doubt the first in the series of what will be many strikes against merchants of death who prey on the weak in our communities. Let it be known to those still hiding in the dark that the NDLEA supported by our local and international law enforcement partners will continue to hunt them and bring them to justice”, Marwa added.
ANAMBRA GUBER ELECTION; PSC COMMENDS POLICE PERFORMANCE, says POLL LARGELY FREE AND FAIR
By Ebinum Samuel
The Police Service Commission has commended the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force for its effective and efficient deployment of Officers and Men for the off cycle Anambra state Governorship election which held today, Saturday November 8th 2025. The Commission said the performance of the Police was above average and has largely given legitimacy to the election which it considered peaceful.
Commission Staff Monitors in Anambra State reported that Police Conduct during the election was professional and orderly.
Bar. Taiwo Lakanu, retired Deputy Inspector General of Police and leader of the PSC team commended the Police for an efficient and effective election operation in Anambra state. He commended the Inspector General of Police, Dr. Olukayode Egbetokun for ensuring that his Officers and Men deployed for the election were properly equipped to provide the required environment for a free and fair election.
DIG Lakanu who visited some Polling Units in the state, noted that he met an atmosphere of peace and tranquility, adding that Anambrarians voted without fear. ‘I didn’t see ballot snatching in the places I visited and I was impressed with the orderliness in the voting centres.
He said the Commission will continue to support efforts to sustain and improve Police performance at elections so as to help depeen democracy in Nigeria.
Ferdinand Ekpe, mni, Director, Department of Police Discipline in the Commission and who led the PSC team to monitor Police conduct in Anambra North zone said there was effective collaboration between the Police, the lead Agency in internal security and other security Agencies in the zone. His team visited three wards and five Polling Units in Onitsha North Local Government Area; seven wards, ten Polling Units in Onitsha South Local Government; two wards, three Polling Units in Ogbaru Local Government and four wards and six Polling Units in Oyi Local Government.
In Anambra Central Senatorial Zone, the PSC team leader, George Muruako, Deputy Director Department of Police Investigation also reported effective collaboration between the Police and other security Agencies. He noted that the Police were courteous and were able to ensure orderliness around the voting area.
The team covered Agu Awka ward
And visited Aroma junction Polling unit, 1 and 2, Esther Obiakor Estate, Ministry of Lands Polling Unit, Nwakpadolu Polling unit. They also covered Anaocha Local Government and visited Agulu Ezigbo Units 1 and 2, Azunano Units 1 and 2 and noted that there were an average of 3 to 5 Police men in the Polling Units supported by officers from sister Agencies such as NSCDC.
The Commission also monitored the conduct of Police men at Anambra South Senatorial zone and was led by Mrs Justina Okurubonye, a Deputy Director in the Department of Police Investigation.
The team visited five of the seven Local governments of the zone. They visited Orumba North (8units), Ihiala (8units), Ekwusigo (7units) and Nnewi North(10units).
The team reported that the Police were professional and had name tags on them.
Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, (TETFUND), Arc Sonny Togo Echono, (left), receives the Comptroller-General of Federal Fire Services, (FFS), Mr Samuel Olumode Adeyemi, who visited the TETFUND Headquarters, Abuja, recently
By Tunde Olusunle
5 drug kingpins bag 21 years imprisonment over Gabon, Australia-bond cocaine, opioids
By Ebinum Samuel
Forfeit cash, luxury vehicles to Federal Government
Five members of some international organized criminal groups (IOCG) recently arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in connection with the seizure of 68.9 kilograms cocaine and tramadol at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos have been sentenced to combined 21 years imprisonment.
The trio of Olasupo Michael Oladimeji; Muaezee Ademola Ogunbiyi; and Sola Adegoke who are leaders of one of the cartels were arrested following the seizure of 17.9 kilograms of cocaine concealed in textile materials and local charms going to Sydney, Australia at the export shed of the MMIA Lagos on 26th August 2025. In the course of investigation, 20.5 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis, were recovered from Ogunbiyi’s home in Lekki and a black Range Rover SUV marked RBC 459 EJ found in Adegoke’s residence in Ikeja GRA.
They were subsequently arraigned on five counts in charge number FHC/L/925C/2025 before Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos on 30th October 2025. The accused persons later pleaded guilty to the charges against each of them.
Delivering his judgement on 31st October, Justice Kakaki sentenced each of them to five years imprisonment without the option of fine, bringing the total number of years in jail for the three of them to 15 years. The court further ordered that the Range Rover SUV and a Toyota Venza Car seized from the convicts in the course of the investigation be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Similarly, two kingpins of another syndicate: Obunike Joseph Obichukwu and Uzorchukwu Godspower Chukwurah were arrested by NDLEA operatives following the seizure of 2.60kg cocaine and 27.90kg tramadol concealed in motor spare parts being taken to Gabon through the Lagos airport on 19th July 2025. At the end of investigation, the duo were charged and arraigned before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court Lagos on six counts in charge number FHC/L/980C. Upon their arraignment on Tuesday 4th November, they both pleaded guilty and after a review of the facts of the case, the two defendants were convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment or payment of a fine of N2million each in lieu of jail while the N4m paid by Obunike to bribe NDLEA officers was ordered forfeited to the Federal Government.
ANAMBRA CALM AND PEACEFUL AS POLICE SHOWS CAPACITY FOR SATURDAY’S GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION, LAKANU LEADS PSC STAFF MONITORS INTO
By Ebinum Samuel
Anambra state is visibly calm and peaceful as the count down to Saturday’s Governorship election in the state begins. Police Officers detailed to police the state during the election seems to have virtually taken over the state and ensuring a climate of security/safety.
The dividends of the two day visit of the Inspector-General of Police IGP Olukayode Egbetokun to the state where he held several interactive sessions with stakeholders seems to be bearing the required dividends . This, is, according to the Police Service Commission through its spokesmsn, Ikechukwu Ani.
Meanwhile, Bar. Taiwo Lakanu, fdc, retired Deputy Inspector General of Police and Chairman of the Commission’s Standing Committee on Police Matters is leading a strong PSC staff delegation of Monitors into the State to ensure that the Police, the lead Agency in internal security which includes elections are motivated to perform optimally.
The Commission has also released telephone hotlines for Anambrarians and other Nigerians to call to report on the conduct of Police Officers on electoral duties.
The Commission delegation is in Anambra state as part of its constitutional mandate to support and ensure that elections, the bedrock of the nation’s democracy is sustained and strengthened.
The PSC hotlines, are;
Anambra Central
1. 08064696711
2. 08035909482
3. 08039398301
Anambra south;
1.08034741057
2. 08033497350
3. 08033830073
Anambra North;
1. 08033145592
2. 08037505436
3. 08037416438
Situation Room
1. 08033145592
2.O8055480701
3.08033345362
4.08185241907
5.08064696711
DIG Lakanu said the Commission will continue to support the Police to ensure that elections are free and fair and that both the electorate and electoral materials are protected and also ensuring a conducive voting environment.
Already the Commissioner of Police posted to over see the election, CP Abayomi Shogunle, PhD, fsi has since arrived the state and designed a strategic operational manual to ensure a peaceful, credible and transparent electoral process in the state.
DIG Ben Okolo, DIG Force Intelligence is expected to lead the Police team during the election.
Senator Natasha Uduaghan: An icon of selfless leadership
By Ayo Oyoze Baje
Quote:
“I am honoured by the trust you have placed in me, and I am here today to reaffirm my commitment to delivering a future that reflects our shared hopes and aspirations.
-Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan ( while commissioning some constituency projects to mark her second year as a senator representing Kogi State Central Senatorial District )
My dear respected reader, faithful fan and concerned Nigerian, let us begin with this apt quote on leadership by the two-time Prime Minister of Britain and acclaimed novelist, Benjamin Disraeli which aptly states that: “I must follow the people. Am I not their leader?” That should be food-for-thought, is it not? Of course,it is. Given the guiding credos in line with the dictates of democracy governance is all about meeting the largely accepted dreams, desires and aspirations of the led majority of people. It is not about self-aggrandizement, satisfying one’s gargantuan greed and crass corruption in high places, as fuelled by the chest-beating and self-righteous political helmsmen and yet want to be feared and worshipped! Not at all. But to God our Creator be all the glory for blessing the good people of Kogi Central Senatorial District, and indeed Nigeria with the exception to that nauseating rule.
She is none other than the bold, brilliant, wave-making and people -loving Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing that District at the Red Chamber. The news headlines of her recent, epoch-making feat with the commissioning of some Constituency Projects.
In precise terms, the life-changing projects featured the unveiling of a 50,000-litre capacity solar-powered water reticulation system in Ganaja and solar-powered smart streetlights in Adogo, both located in Ajaokuta Local Government Area. Others included a 20,000-litre capacity borehole in Okene Local Government Area, as well as another 50,000-litre solar-powered water reticulation project in Okaito, Okehi Local Government Area, and others in Adavi Local Government
Area.
in addition, was the commissioning of smart streetlights in Obangede and Eika communities both located in Okehi LGA, as well as in Kuroko community. Other communities that benefited from the Constituency Projects include Ajaokuta village, Nagazi, Oro Layout, Ebogogo, Adogo, Ebiya, Ogaminana, Geregu, Elete,Iruvusechi, and Eika Ohizenyi..Not left out are the 40 solar-powered water projects that have been successfully executed across different communities in Kogi Central Senatorial District. There were the smart markets, a primary healthcare centre, schools, and other landmark constituency developments. And going beyond infrastructural development the senator has also empowered constituents with electric vehicles, cereal grinding machines and other essential equipment designed to promote sustainable livelihoods through small and medium scale enterprises across the District. All these outstanding achievements have triggered the pertinent questions.
For instance, people are asking how she was able to put all these relevant equipment and empowerment tools in place with the funds available to her compared to others who are yet to make the desired impact on the economic and Human Development index,HDI of their constituents? For instance, how do you juxtapose these with that of lawmakers openly distributing bread, rice, noodles, ropes, and wheelbarrows to their constituents, mostly during their campaigns for votes and bragging about such on social media?Does she receive more funds than her colleagues, or has she gone ahead to add more funds from her personal resources?
That reminds one of the wise saying that as a leader: “You manage things; you lead people” as .rightly stated by Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper. But there is more to Senator Uduaghan’s landmark projects than some people care to take note of. It should be noted that this is the second edition of her unveiling projects across the senatorial district.
It would be recalled that
she inaugurated legacy projects to mark her first year in office over a year ago. The projects inaugurated included the 1 km road network at the Abdul Azeez Memorial College,AAAMCO, Okene.
The road network was inaugurated by Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Abba Moro, supported by Senate Chip Whip Sen. Tahir Monguno. Other projects inaugurated were remodelled nine blocks of classrooms, four boarding houses, and 5,000 digital learning devices in the same college. The anniversary also included the inauguration of the reconstructed Ihima Police Station, and the distribution of empowerment materials to the needy members of the society.
The Deputy Senate President, represented by Sen. Ladan, described Akpoti-Uduaghan’s first year in office as very effective and praised her efforts to significantly impact her constituents. On his part, Sen. Monguno emphasised the importance of education in a country’s development and commended Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan’s initiative to digitalise learning in Kogi Central.
Indeed, as Warren Bennis echoed “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality”and that Senator Natasha has epitomized. Said she, during her first year anniversary event,
“When I took on this responsibility, my vision was clear: to create a senatorial district of our dreams, where every child has the opportunity to learn and every young person has access to meaningful employment. To walk the talk on that she has
deployed 5,000 digital learning devices to public primary and secondary schools across Kogi Central, assisted the Universal Basic Education Learning Resource Centre to train teachers and programme the devices with the Nigerian educational curriculum. She has also assisted in constructing a brand-new model primary and secondary school in Osara and facilitated a centre for artificial intelligence and robotics at the Federal College of Education in Okene.
Added to these are the establishment of an automotive mechatronics workshop and cottage automobile workshop at the Technical College in Oboroke. Going forward, the scholarship scheme through the Natasha Foundation that has supported the tuition of 353 vulnerable indigenous students in tertiary institutions nationwide. She has worked tirelessly to attract employment opportunities for various graduates and facilitate capacity-building training and empowerment programs for thousands of beneficiaries from the District.
The facilitating fact that some of her great achievements were recorded while she was on suspension due to the Akpoti-Akpabio saga shows her clear understanding of achieving success in life as a hurdle race. In spite of the cheers and jeers of the spectators Natasha kept scaling over all the hurdles of hate, threats and intimidation from her unrelenting traducers. She was focused fully on the finishing line. As Harold Johnson,the late publisher of ‘Ebony Magazine’ rightly noted: “The greater the obstacles you overcome in life, the greater the glory you achieve.
Of great and enduring significance is that she loves to give freely to the needy members of the society. She is therefore, “protected from the enemies” as enshrined in the Biblical Book of Psalm 41 verses 1-2.
Love or hate Natasha, she has come to redefine the crude concept of the Nigerian variant of democracy where might – is – right to that of giving a listening ear to the needs, the aspirations and cries of the people the leaders claim to serve. All the projects were not only based on her sustained interaction, engagement and the rich and robust discourse she had with her constituents but equally spread across the five local governments of the Central Senatorial District.
As Max DePree clearly stated: “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.” That aligns with the root linking of democracy as it was with the Ancient Greece back in 500 BC when the led majority got fed up with both oligarchy and aristocracy.and changed the narrative to government of the people by the people and for the people. That is not rocket science.
In response to her sterling performance Dr. Tom Ohikere, a former Commissioner of Information in the state who hails from Okene LGA has this to say: “Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is an effective and efficient parliamentarian with unprecedented and verifiable achievements since the last two years in the Red Chamber”. While Zekeri Saidu Bala from Ero in Ajaokuta LGA praised her projects and requested for more for his people, Nasiru Onubaiye from Okehi LGA stated that:”She is first amongst her colleagues. Her legacy projects are unique and the best.To Senator Natasha Akpoti- Uduaghan, we wish you all the best in the years to come.
Genocide Claim: US Lawmakers Blast Trump, Describe Threats Against Nigeria as Reckless
Two members of the United States Congress have criticised President Donald Trump over his recent threat to cut off aid and launch military action against Nigeria, describing the remarks as “irresponsible and reckless.”
Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Rep. Sara Jacobs, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Africa, said the comments were a misrepresentation of Nigeria’s complex security situation.
In a joint statement on Monday, the lawmakers faulted the Trump administration’s decision to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged persecution of Christians.
“The Trump administration’s designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern ignores the complex reality of violence there,” the statement read.
They explained that most clashes between farmers and herders in Nigeria are driven by resource scarcity and land competition, not religion alone.
“Terrorist groups have targeted both Christians and Muslims, particularly in the northern region, where violent attacks by criminal gangs commonly referred to as bandits persist,” the lawmakers said.
They acknowledged efforts by President Bola Tinubu to promote interfaith harmony and address insecurity, noting that “all Nigerians deserve protection.”
Meeks and Jacobs also condemned Trump’s remarks threatening to “defend Christians” through possible military intervention, describing it as a reckless overreach.
“It is incredibly irresponsible for President Trump to threaten military action. Providing security support is one thing; threatening intervention is another matter entirely. Such rhetoric risks embroiling the United States in another needless war,” they said.
On Trump’s warning to cut off assistance to Nigeria, the lawmakers argued that such action would jeopardise critical humanitarian and development programmes.
“Trump’s aid cuts have blocked much-needed emergency nutrition and livelihoods training, the very types of programmes essential to stopping the spread of insurgency,” the statement added
Great Loss As Son of Redeemed Church Founder Dies Suddenly
Pastor Ifeoluwa Akindayomi, the last born of the founder of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pa Josiah Akindayomi has died. He was 62 years old.
He died on Sunday November 2..
His death came about 45 years after that of his father and 7 months after the transition of his elder brother, Pastor Kolade Akindayomi, who died on May 4 this year.
A close family friend of the late Ifeoluwa Akindayomi told Church Times that his death was shocking and too sudden.
‘Nobody would have thought he would die barely 24 hours after he was chairman of a wedding ceremony.
with his business and the bit he could do in God’s vineyard.” .said Akinyemi
He noted that his greatest strength was being able to keep his friends and his love for people.. ‘He had a good human relations and was doing quite well. The last time I saw him was during the convention of the RCCG. His house was home to many peopley who came for the convention. I am really devastated to hear of his death.’ said Akinyemi.
Recalling their days together at Molusi College, Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State, Akinyemi said, ‘He was a perfect gentle man. He picks his words and was generally pleasant. There was no air around him.. he was just like any other student.
“He did not go about bragging. As a pastor he truly loved God. He would not fight for anything. One would have thought he would have risen to a very high position in the church. But I guess he must have decided by himself to keep low and not agitate for anything.I am personally going to miss him.”
(Church Times Nigeria)
This is so sad and it’s a huge loss to the redeemed Christian church of God.
He was planning to relocate to Canada,given a PR ( permanent resident) but death denied him the opportunity of reuniting with his family.
The General Overseer, Pastor E.A Adeboye has not issued any statement as at the time of filling this report.