EFCC Arraigns Alleged Female Internet Fraudster Suzan Vega Ochuko for 132,000 Euro Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday 7th of April, 2017 arraigned one Suzan Vega Ochuko before Justice P.I. Ajoku of the Federal High Court sitting in Benin, Edo State on a three count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence.

Ochuko and one Tony Uyimwen aka Alex Ethan (now at large) allegedly operating with a pseudo name Alex Ethan contacted one Mrs. Beatrice AUF DER MAUR from St. Gallen, Switzerland via Facebook and defrauded her of One Hundred and Thirty-Two Thousand Euro. 

Mrs Auf Der Maur was allegedly hoodwinked into a love relationship with the defendant who subsequently defrauded her of the said amount under the pretence of executing a non existing contract.

Tension As Army Receives Threats Over Arresting Powerful Ex-Militant Leader

An ex-militant leader, Aboy Francis Muturu, has been arrested by soldiers suspected to be from the 4th Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Benin, the Edo state capital. The former militant leader has been taken to an unknown destination and family members have been unable to communicate with him.

The militant leader, who is also known as General Aboy, was reportedly arrested in the presence of his breastfeeding wife in the early hours of Friday last week.

He was arrested at his residence in Bomadi Town of Delta state.

EDO GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION: INEC HOLDS STAKEHOLDERS FORUM TO SOLICIT SUPPORT FOR CVR EXERCISE

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Edo State, Sam Olumekun mni organised a one-day stakeholders forum on the forthcoming Continuous Voters Registration Exercise holding from 22nd – 26th June, 2016.

The occasion which took place at National Orientation Agency Hall, Benin City attracted Chairmen and Secretaries of 23 Registered Political Parties in the state, the Commissioner of Police and other members of Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), Civil Societies Organisations (SCO), Women Organisations. Others were Muslim and Christian Religious Groups such as FOMWAN, JDPC, CAN and PFN.

The gathering is to update participants on INEC’s programmes and activities put in place before the forthcoming Governorship election slated for September 10, 2016. The REC solicited the support of the participants and other stakeholders in achieving free, fair and credible Governorship Election come September 10, 2016. He said the Commission is committed to hitch-free, transparent CVR and through effective use of men and technology. He urged political parties to play by the rule and avoid foul and provocative languages during campaigns.

Former Osun Gov. Oyinlola heads APC peace panel for Edo state

Former Governor of Osun state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola was inaugurated today as the head of a five-man fact-finding and reconciliation committee of the All Progressives Congress for Edo state, where a feud in the state assembly is threatening to tear the party apart.

There is also the succession problem between Governor Adams Oshiomhole and his deputy for more than seven years, Pius Odubu.

The National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun performed the inauguration and asked the panel to look into immediate and remote problems affecting the party and stakeholders in Edo state.

2face Idibia to be conferred with honorary degree by Igbinedion University

The Nigerian popular Singer, 2face Idibia will on May 10th by conferred with a honorary degree by the management of Igbinedion University, Edo state. 

Tuface announced this on his Instagram page. He wrote

“Ladies and gentlemen! I’m plsd 2 let u know that I’m going 2 be Conferred with an honorary degree @ Igbinedion University on the 10th of may in okada. U are all invited.#Grateful #igbinedionuniversityThank u for the honour”.

Cardinal Onaiyekan escapes death in attack by herdsmen, Catholic Bishops send SOS to Buhari

Tragedy was averted late on Friday when Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, survived an attempt on his life by suspected herdsmen along Benin-Ekpoma road in Edo State. Cardinal Onaiyekan was attacked on his way from the 10 years anniversary celebration of the enthronement of Dr. Augustin Akubueze as a bishop and the 10 years anniversary celebration of the Diocese Uromi.

Recounting their ordeal, the driver to Onaiyekan, who simply identified himself as Segun blamed the attack on herdsmen. He said: “We left Benin for Uromi and at about 5:00 p.m. on the fateful day, I think very close to Ehor, I saw a big pothole and decided to slow down the vehicle. I would have passed the spot with speed but because the Cardinal was sleeping, I decided to slow down the vehicle so that he won’t wake up. Suddenly, I saw three men come out of the palm tree plantation by the roadside and started shooting at the vehicle. 

TRANSITION OF OBA OF BENIN A GREAT NATIONAL LOSS - PRESIDENT BUHARI

President Muhammadu Buhari has received with sadness and an immense feeling of great national loss, news of the passing away of the highly revered traditional ruler of Benin Kingdom, Omo n'Oba n'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa.


On behalf of the Federal Government, President Buhari extends sincere condolences to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, the people of Benin Kingdom and Edo State on the passage of the beloved monarch who had ruled over his people since his ascension to the throne in 1979.

The President extends special commiserations to Crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa and other members of the late Oba's immediate family.

President Buhari assures them of the fullest sympathy and solidarity of the Federal Government and all Nigerians as they mourn Oba Erediauwa who will always be remembered as one of the most outstanding traditional rulers of his era.

My Agenda for Edo State, by Odia Ofeimun

A Press Statement by ODIA OFEIMUN, an aspirant under the Labour Party, for the Governorship contest of Edo State in 2016


A realistic and knowledge-driven programme is the basis upon which I seek to be a candidate under the Labour Party in the 2016 Governorship Election in Edo State. I have no truck with manifestoes that deceive and confuse the electorate. What I offer is not a mere promise but a challenge to mobilize the human and material resources of our state in pursuit of a truly grand and marvellous future. I seek universal endorsement, across all the political parties in Edo state, because I believe that all good people will support a good candidate. Irrespective of political party alignment, every citizen and resident of Edo state deserves a society of true justice in which people are assured, and they know it, that they will always get their due.

MY STAND

My stand is that the people of Edo State have a great pre-colonial past whose particulars provide not just a grand philosophy, but a management science and a development model which we must pursue with every vigour. It offers a standard of self-assessment that is modern, civilized and propelled by a ready-hearted wish for transparency and excellence. Our task, as I see it, is to re-model Edo state upon the suasions of Ogun, the crown prince of the Edo, who reigned as King Ewuare in the 15th Century, with a picture of Great Benin based on a cult of the hand, that is, on labour power. We shall remake and remould the state on a grander more imaginative scale suited to the prospects of the 21st century.

REQUEST FOR CREATION OF OSE STATE FROM THE PRESENT ONDO, EDO AND KOGI STATES WITH HEADQUARTERS AT AKUNGBA-AKOKO BY TOLU BABALEYE

3rd July, 2014.

The Chairman,
Nigeria National Conference,
National Judicial Institute,
Airport Road,
Abuja-FCT.

Dear sir,

REQUEST FOR CREATION OF OSE STATE FROM THE PRESENT ONDO, EDO AND KOGI STATES WITH HEADQUARTERS AT AKUNGBA-AKOKO.

Sequel to the recommendation of National Confab that additional 18 States be created to bring the total number of state to 9 States per Geo-political zones and make it a total of 54 in Nigeria, I hereby on behalf of the present Ondo North People in Ondo State in conjunction with Akoko Edo People of Edo State and Okun People of Present day Kogi State request that we be created as a State to be known as Ose State with Akungba-Akoko as the State Capital of the new State.

As a keen follower of Confab deliberations, I am aware of the confab's decision that such State to be created must be viable or potentially viable economically, the people must have historical antecedent linking them together and the population must not be less than One Million People to be qualified for creation as a State.

Democracy in danger as Nigeria comes under creeping fascism by John Odigie-Oyegun

Being the text of a World Press Conference addressed by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Oyegun, in Lagos on Friday, June 20th 2014

Good morning gentlemen of the press.

I have called this World Press Conference today to alert Nigerians and our international friends of the grave threat posed to our democracy and indeed the very survival of our nation by an increasingly-tyrannical federal government.

Less than 48 hours after I released an open letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, warning him to halt the impunity in Ekiti and not to plunge Nigeria into a political crisis, the federal government has now overreached itself and turned Ekiti into a war zone, where constitutional guaranteed rights have been suspended.

The final electioneering campaign of our candidate in the Ekiti election, Gov. Kayode Fayemi, provided the perfect setting for the Jonathan-led administration to bare its fangs with a series of arbitrariness and unconstitutional acts that threaten the very fabric of our democracy.

John Oyegun, Ex-Edo Governor, emerges new APC Chairman

A former Governor of Edo state, John Oyegun, has emerged the new Chairman of the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC. The emergence of Mr. Oyegun, who will now succeed ex-Governor Bisi Akande, followed intense negotiations and horse trading among various contending forces in the party.

His nomination was subsequently ratified by APC delegates at the first National Convention of the party, holding at the Eagles Square, Abuja.

Mr. Oyegun’s candidature was promoted by a national leader of the party and former Governor of Lagos state, Bola Tinubu. Mr. Oyegun’s main challenger and former governor of Bayelsa state, Timipre Sylva, who was the candidate of choice for the governors elected under the banner of the party, reportedly stepped down for Mr. Oyegun earlier in the day.

Nigerian Military moves against Leadership Newspaper; soldiers seize consignment heading for North, South

In what appears a throwback to Nigeria’s dark days of military dictatorship, some soldiers who reportedly claimed they were acting on orders from above have confiscated today’s edition of Leadership Newspaper heading to the Northwest, Southeast and South-south regions of the country, an official of the paper has said.

Azubike Ishiekwene, managing director of the Leadership Group, said soldiers mounting a roadblock close to the tollgate along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway blocked the newspaper’s van heading to Kaduna and confiscated the entire consignment of the paper.

War against terrorism: Edo youth group backs Jonathan

BENIN — ESAN Youth Council, EYC, in Edo Central senatorial district of Edo State, has expressed its support for President Goodluck Jonathan in the war against terrorism in the country, urging him to consolidate his consultations with the relevant stakeholders with a view to finding a peaceful resolution to the security challenges facing the country.

EYC, in a statement at the end of its 2nd Annual Esan Youth Economic Summit, weekend in Ekpoma,   Esan West Local Government Area of the state, however, expressed regret over government‘s inadequate measures that characterised the rescue operations of the secondary school girls abducted in Chibok, Borno State.

The statement by its President, Mr Theophillus Irianan and others, urged the government at all levels to unite in the fight against the scourge.

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President Jonathan sacks chief of staff Mike Oghiadomhe

Abuja - Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has dismissed his chief of staff, three senior government sources confirmed this on Monday, extending a wave of government changes a year before elections.

Africa's second largest economy and biggest oil producer is advancing as an investment destination but political instability is a concern for investors, especially as wasteful government spending tends to spike ahead of elections.

Presidency spokesperson Reuben Abati told reporters that chief of staff Mike Oghiadomhe had resigned because he wanted to pursue political opportunities in the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP). Government sources said he was sacked.

Jonathan is facing a crisis within the PDP centred around his assumed intention to run for another term in the 2015 election. He has yet to say whether or not he will do so.

Five powerful state governors and dozens of lawmakers have defected to the recently formed coalition All Progressives Congress (APC), mostly politicians from the largely-Muslim north. Jonathan is a Christian from the southern oil region.

Analysts say Jonathan is still favourite to win a second term, if he runs, in a country where incumbents rarely lose.

Jonathan last month overhauled his military high command and appointed 12 new cabinet ministers, while the chair of the PDP resigned.

"He is removing divisive figures and asserting his authority by aligning the people he thinks will get him in the best shape for next year," a senior government source said.

"Election campaigning has already begun."

Jonathan has been accused, most recently by his former mentor and twice president Olusegun Obasanjo, of stuffing government posts with people from his southern region.

Oghiadomhe hails from Edo state in the south and analysts will be watching to see if Jonathan appoints a northern replacement as chief of staff to appease his detractors.

- Reuters