PINK REPUBLIC/ MY BLOG IS A STORY MARATHON.

PRESS RELEASE 2023 GENERAL ELECTIONS:  IGP ORDERS RESTRICTION OF MOVEMENT ON ELECTION DAY, REAFFIRMS BAN ON VIP AIDES, ESCORTS, STATE SECURITY OUTFITS PARTICIPATION Urges Citizens to be Law Abiding, Assures of Unhindered Exercise of Electoral Franchise  Consequent to the first part of the 2023 General Elections – the Presidential and National Assembly Elections – scheduled to hold on Saturday 25th February 2023 across all States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, psc(+), NPM, NEAPS, fdc, CFR, has ordered a restriction of all forms of vehicular movement on roads, waterways, and other forms of transportation, from 12 am to 6 pm on election day with the exception of those on essential services such as INEC Officials, Electoral Observers, Ambulances responding to medical emergencies, firefighters, etc.  The order which is part of measures emplaced to ensure a safe, secure, and conducive environmen...

EFCC lays ambush for vote buyers, deploys operatives across country 22 February 2023  EFCC Deploys Officers for Election Monitoring Duties, Releases Incident Reporting Hotlines As part of efforts to ensure the integrity of the February 25, 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has deployed officers of the Commission to the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, to monitor the polls. The Executive Chairman of the Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa charged the operatives to be conscious of the interest of the nation and to exhibit a high sense of professionalism in the discharge of their duties. “You are out on a national assignment and I expect you to conduct yourselves responsibly in line with our core values of professionalism, integrity and courage. You have a responsibility to ensure that this election is devoid of financial malpractices, especially inducement of voters. The attention of the worl...

At the signing of the Peace Accord by 18 presidential candidates today in Abuja, INEC Chairman, Prof. M. Yakubu said: 📍INEC is ready for the 2023 General        election, committed to credible polls 📍Votes will count 📍 Candidates, Parties are assured of       INEC’s neutrality 2023 Elections: Presidential Candidates Sign Peace Pact Three Days To Poll 22 February 2023  The presidential candidates of 18 political parties are expected to sign a pact towards a peaceful election this Saturday. Several of them converged on Abuja on Wednesday for the landmark event. Some of the presidential candidates present include Bola Tinubu (APC); Peter Obi (LP), Atiku Abubakar (PDP), Rabiu Kwankwaso (NNPP), and Dan Nwanyanwu (ZLP). Unlike elections prior to 2015 when the the National Peace Committee came into existence, presidential candidates for the the 2023 polls are made to sign the Peace Accord twice. The first one was signed in September last yea...

El-Rufai Offers Free Transportation, Basic Health Services To Kaduna Residents The Kaduna State Government on Tuesday announced one week free transportation and basic health services to ease the hardship being encountered by residents of the state due to the current cash crunch. A statement by Muyiwa Adekeye, special adviser to the Governor Nasir El-Rufai on Media and Communication, said the decision was taken at the end of the State Security Council meeting in Kaduna. He however said the free transport services would only be along designated routes in Kaduna, Kafanchan and Zaria. “This will be done in partnership with the transport unions, who will provide the buses and tricycles.” Mr Adekeye also said all state government owned health facilities will offer free routine care for common illnesses like malaria and typhoid. “It will be in addition to the free care for pregnant women and children younger than five years that has been government policy since 2015. “Prescriptions will be gi...

 2023 Election: It’s Criminal To Use Phones At Polling Units – INEC 22 February 2023  The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned voters against using their mobile phones at the polling booths during Saturday’s election. The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ogun state, Niyi Ijalaye, gave the warning in Abeokuta, on Wednesday, while addressing journalists shortly after a meeting with heads of security agencies ahead of the Saturday’s election. Ijalaye said voters would not be allowed to make calls or take pictures with their phones when they are casting their votes. He said, “We have been strategising and re-strategising on way forward to ensure that elections in Ogun will be devoid of rancor or violence of any sort whatsoever. That is what we have been doing and we want to seize this opportunity to appeal to the good people of Ogun state, the gateway state to endeavor to just come out peacefully on Saturday and exercise their franchise, their civic ...

 PRESIDENT BUHARI HAILS CACOVID FOR DONATING 350 SECURITY VEHICLES, THOUSANDS OF VESTS, SAYS HE FEELS HONORED TO LEAD NIGERIA AT SUCH A TIME President Muhammadu Buhari says the support his government has received from the private sector in addressing social ills is enough to make him the ''envy of many presidents of the world.'' The President spoke on Wednesday in Abuja at the commissioning and handover of security equipment valued at over 12 billion to the military and Nigeria Police Force. The items were donated by the Coalition of Private Sector Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) - a group of eminent Nigerian industrialists, including Aliko Dangote and Herbert Wigwe, who had also pooled N40 billion to combat COVID-19 in the country. ''Ladies and gentlemen. Today is indeed a very happy day for all Nigerians, and I can happily say that I am the envy of many Presidents in the world. ''I am exceedingly honoured to be the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Ar...

NUJ Condemns Attack On Atlantic TV, Wish FM Stations ...*Says It's An Attempt To Muzzle Media*  22nd February, 2023 The Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has condemned Tuesday's attack on Atlantic Television and Wish FM stations in Port Harcourt, where equipment and facilities worth millions of Naira were destroyed. The Union, in a statement by its chairman and secretary, Stanley Job Stanley and Ike Wigodo respectively, expressed shock over the attack,  describing it as "barbaric, shameful, cowardly, irresponsible and retrogressive". The Council said the bombing and gun shots that occurred at the premises of the media house are attempts to muzzle the media by the enemies of democracy.  NUJ said, "Never in the history of Rivers State have we witnessed such barbaric act. It's a dangerous precedent in the State and obviously an attempt to gag the Press. We condemn it in strong terms and also call on well meaning Nigerians to denounce...

EFCC Docks Man for Alleged N950m Fraud In Lagos The Lagos Zonal Command of the EFCC, on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, arraigned one Alhaji Usman Abubakar alongside Young Alhaji Foundation before Justice Mojisola Dada  of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos on a five-count charge  allegedly bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and stealing to the tune of N950 million fraud. One of the counts reads: "Alhaji Usman Abubakar, Young Alhaji Foundation and Dr. Abu Omer Fawzi (at large) sometime in September 2022, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to obtain the sum of N950, 000,000 from Ano Farms Limited under the false pretence that you had the Dollar equivalent of the said sum, which pretence you knew to be false."  

2023 GENERAL ELECTIONS: ANAMBRA STATE POLICE COMMAND RECEIVES FOR ELECTION DUTY THE NEWLY DEPLOYED AIG EBOKA FRIDAY TO ZONE 13 AND THREE COMMISSIONERS OF POLICE TO THE STATE _as Command releases Strategic Commanders number, control/situation room number, others_  Anambra State Police Command today 22/2/2023 receive the newly Deployed Assistant Inspector General of Police *AIG Eboka Friday psc, DSSRS* and three Commissioners of Police posted to Zone 13 headquarters, Ukpo and the Command respectively for election duty in the Zone and State. The Assistant Inspector-General of Police *AIG Eboka Friday psc, DSSRS* before his posting as the election supervisor of zone 13, comprising of Anambra and Enugu Command, was the AIG in charge of Zone 16. He shall supervise the three Commissioners of Police deployed to the three senatorial districts of the state including the Commissioner of Police Anambra State Police Command *CP Echeng Echeng* for the 2023 General Elections.  The Commission...

 Supreme Court Adjourns Naira Redesign Case Till March 3 The apex court also consolidated the suits instituted by over 12 state governments.  By Emmanuella Obaje-Daniels and Kayla Megwa The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned a case instituted by the state governments against the Federal Government challenging the implementation of the naira redesign. The apex court adjourned the case to March 3 for judgement. Earlier, the apex court consolidated the suits instituted by over 12 state governments. At the last hearing on February 15, seven states joined the three initial states as co-plaintiffs, while Edo and Bayelsa states joined the Federal Government as co-defendants. The court, however, refused to join Abia State in the suit on the ground that it came late with its originating summons. All efforts by Abia State Government to be joined in the suit, was turned down and was ordered to present its case at a later date. A motion for the consolidation was also argued by the Couns...

Nigerian Cross dresser and Social media Influencer, James Obialor, AKA  James Brown has gifted himself a house on his 24th birthday. James Brown Announced this on his Instagram page on Tuesday. He shared a video of the house with caption, "I GIFT 🎁 myself a HOME 🏡 for my 24th Yrs BirthdayThanks to y’all my DURLINGS for your love 💕 and Support @jamesbrown_empire. " Watch video and more photos below. 

POLICE ARREST 2 WITH LOCALLY MADE GUNS Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), in separate incidents in Lekki and Ojota, Lagos, arrested two suspects, 20-year-old Daniel Ojoh and 27-year-old Kudus Ahmed, with two locally made guns and charms. Upon receipt of credible information from the public, Daniel Ojoh was arrested at his workshop in Alagutan on Saturday, February 18, 2023, and a locally made gun with two live cartridges were recovered from him. Kudus Ahmed was arrested underneath Ojota Bridge at about 4:00 p.m on Sunday, February 19, 2023, after he was stopped on suspicion by RRS bike riders on patrol. A locally made gun and charms were recovered from his bag Both suspects are currently assisting the police in ongoing investigations. Commander RRS, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, while urging the officers to intensify patrol of the state, directed that the suspects be transferred to the Command Headquarters for further investigation and prosecution. SP BENJAMIN HUNDEYIN, anipr, mipr...

ELECTION: MARK, SUSWAM, MORO OTHERS PDP BIGWIGS PART WAYS WITH ORTOM OVER ATIKU, OBI CANDIDACIES 22nd February, 2023     Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom may have been left alone in his push for Peter Obi to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari. Ortom has since announced that he is backing the candidate of the Labour Party (LP) for Saturday’s presidential poll. Political giants in the state, including former Senate President, David Mark; Senators Gabriel Suswam and Abba Moro; ex-High Commissioner to Canada, and Ambassador to Mexico, Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher, and former House of Representatives member, Chile Igbawua are mobilising support for the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. Ortom, one of the five aggrieved PDP governors (G-5), had insisted that he would not support a Fulani to succeed Buhari. He said: “To hell with Atiku and anyone supporting him. They should go and tell him. You want me to be a slave for a Fulani. It’s better th...

MISSING BENUE VARSITY STUDENT REPORTEDLY FOUND DEAD 22nd February, 2023    A 300-level Mass Communication student of the Benue State University, Erekaa Naomi Dooshima, has been reportedly found dead a few days after she went missing. The student, also known as Affection, was reported missing three days ago and all efforts made to locate her whereabouts proved abortive. According to a post shared by Benue activist, Ukan Kurugh, a phone, ID card, and blood-stained clothes allegedly belonging to the student were found around Rahama clinic opposite Medical school in Makurdi on Tuesday, February 21.  In an update on Wednesday, February 22, Mr. Kurugh said her corpse has been found and is currently being exhumed by operatives of the Benue State Police Command.   

Court Orders Interim Forfeiture of 14 Properties Linked To Kogi State Govt, N400m Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, granted an interim forfeiture of 14 properties in Lagos, Abuja and the United Arab Emirates linked to the Kogi State Government. The Judge also ordered the preservation of the sum of N400,000,000.00 (Four Hundred Million Naira) recovered from one Aminu Falala, which “is reasonably suspected to have been derived from unlawful activity and intended to be used for the acquisition of Plot No. 1224 Bishop Oluwole Street, Victoria Island Lagos.” Justice Oweibo granted the order, following an ex parte application filed by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The application was supported by an affidavit deposed to by Adekunbi Mojibola, an investigating officer with the EFCC. Moving the application today, counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, stated that the pro...

Funny how the report didn't get to the public till today Thursday.  February 22, 2023 A popular Radio Station, Wish FM 99.5 and Atlantic Television Network in Ozuoba, in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State have been attacked by gunmen with explosive devices suspected to be dynamites amid sporadic gunshots. The incident, which occurred around 8:40pm, on Tuesday led to the destruction of some equipment and properties. The two media outfits are owned by a member of the House of Representatives, Chinyere Igwe, who is also an ardent supporter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. When contacted on Wednesday morning, Igwe confirmed the incident, saying, “What I am happy about is that no life was lost.” Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, is yet to confirm the incident. Watch videos below and More photos below.