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Guber Polls: EFCC Arrests Over 65 Persons for Alleged Voter Inducement No fewer than 65 persons were arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Saturday March 18, 2023 across the 28 states where Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections were conducted, for alleged voter inducement. Twenty of the suspects were arrested by operatives from the Ilorin Zonal Command while 13 suspects were nabbed by operatives on election monitoring duty at the Kaduna Zonal Command. The teams monitoring the polls in the Port Harcourt Zone arrested a total of 12 people for various offences bordering on inducing voters with money to vote their preferred candidates, while the Uyo Zonal Command made 4 arrests in Calabar. The remaining suspects were arrested in Gombe, Sokoto , kebbi and Niger states. Those arrested in Kaduna consist of 10 males and 3 females. They were apprehended by operatives working on intelligence or chanced upon them during the monitoring exercise. A suspect ...

Today I went to my polling unit to perform my civic duty...APC thugs  followed me to my polling booth insisting I vote APC, of course I refused and voted my preferred candidate after much struggle to tear my ballot paper, Infront of the already bought over security men and INECstaffs. Afterwards my clothes were torn and I got beaten up, I'm alive and well, Thank God They threatened to kill me when they see me in town, well na God get all man life and we all die at some points, but while I live, nobody will bully me into supporting evil  I will fight with the last drop of my blood! Credit: Uzodinma Lucy. More photos below. 

INEC Postpones Gov, Assembly Elections In 10 Lagos Polling Units The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has postponed Saturday’s governorship and state assembly elections in 10 polling units in the Victoria Garden City (VGC) around the Lekki area of the state. INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Segun Agbaje made the announcement when he addressed reporters at the VGC. According to him, corps members deployed as ad hoc staff on Saturday were hesitant to enter the VGC estate as they alleged that they were held hostage in the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections. Agbaje said the commission’s ad hoc staff set up voting materials in front of the estate on Saturday but the estate residents claimed that hoodlums might disrupt the process, so they did not feel secure and could not cast their votes. He said the situation was difficult for security agents to contain hence he and his team had to come to the area.  

Why I will never return to Dubai — Nigerian caregiver 18 March 2023  A caregiver, native of Imo State and former employee of Al Ain Centre for Rehabilitation and Care, Abu Dhabi, Patience Davidson, speaks on why she was jailed in the United Arab Emirates and her prison experience Can you narrate what led to your imprisonment? I had four kids (four, 11, 12 and 19-year-old) from Saudi Arabia under my care at Al Ain. I was their caregiver; I was more or less a mother to them. It was the 11-year-old that got injured. This was not the first time he got injured; whenever he is hyper, he doesn’t talk or express himself. He will rather resort to crying. That particular day, after preparing the kids for our usual outing, I went to the restroom with one of them who was epileptic. I usually took him everywhere because he needs attention all the time, and I didn’t spend up to 30 minutes as they claimed. While I was in the restroom, my colleague who was with them started saying in Sudanese ‘Pat...

  Amotekun Arrests Hoodlum With Gun In Osun The operatives of Osun Amotekun Corps have arrested a 35 yr old man, Tunde Abidoye with a single barrel gun in Ile Ogbo, Ayedire Local Government of Osun State. He was arrested on Friday following a complaint lodged at Ayedire’s command on the activities of Abidoye unleashing terror attacks on residents of the town and destroying their properties. Operatives of Amotekun swung into action instantly and got him arrested. Confirming the arrest, the Osun Amotekun Corps Commander, Brig. Gen. Bashir Adewinmbi said the suspected hoodlum was arrested by the operatives for terrorizing the residents of Ileogbo and its environment. According to him “The suspected hoodlum was arrested on Friday after a complaint was lodged at Ayedire local government command that the suspect was unleashing terror assaults on the innocent people of ileogbo and also destroying their properties and our men swung into action shortly after the complaint was made and the c...

Lagos guber election: Rhodes-Vivour loses polling unit to Sanwo-Olu The Labour Party governorship candidate in Lagos state, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has lost his polling unit to the incumbent governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress. Results collated by INEC staff, Rhodes-Vivour polled 18 votes while Sanwo-Olu won with 29 votes.PDP's Olajide Adeniran popularly known as Jandor, polled two votes. In the House of Assembly election at the polling unit, the APC polled 34, LP 15, while PDP polled one vote.  

SOLDIERS 'BEAT' SERVING LAWMAKER ON ELECTION EVE IN BENUE 18th March, 2023   A serving House of Representative member representing Buruku Federal Constituency, Kpam Sokpo, was Friday night alledgely beaten at Old Barn Resort, Gboko by soldiers suspected to be of 401 Special Forces, Makurdi. Though it is not yet clear why he may have been beaten, sources alleged there was rumour that he was accused of planning to rig election. However, Hon Sokpo, debunked the allegations and said the soldiers stormed the Hotel where he was lodging around 2AM and started beating him even after he identified himself as a serving lawmaker. He said one of the soldiers used his gun to hit him on the head. According to him, the soldiers descended mercilessly on him causing serious injuries. “The soldiers came to the Old Barn Resort Hotel where I was lodging around 2AM this morning with three trucks. “I explained to them that I am a House of Reps. members, but they rather descended heavily on me, with...

EFCC Operatives Attacked, Injured By Alleged Vote Buyers in Kaduna Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on election monitoring duty in Kaduna State today, March 18, 2023 came under attack at School Road, Unguwan Rimi Kaduna while attempting to arrest a suspected vote buyer. The team, working on intelligence on the alleged activities of one Kabiru Musa who was seen in an  amateur video allegedly inducing eligible voters by using his phone to transfer money into their accounts as they cast their votes, had mobilized to the scene to arrest the suspect. However, immediately he was accosted by the operatives, Musa became unruly and screamed to attract the attention of his syndicate members, who descended on the operatives, using all manner of weapons that left some of them injured. It took great restraints for the operatives to ignore the unprovoked attack but insisted on arresting the suspect. As the team drove away with the suspect, their vehicle was pelte...

At the beginning, people said I was useless — Chief Imo, actor 18 March 2023 Nollywood actor, Longinus Anyaechiechukwu Anokwute popularly known as Chief Imo, is having the last laugh. When he started acting, even his wife doubted and discouraged him. Today, the actor is in high demand, as he’s the toast of producers. In this interview, Chief Imo opened up on his journey to stardom. Here are excerpts: Genesis Longinus Anyaechiechukwu Anokwute, popularly known as Chief Imo. I started acting when I was in primary school and it extended to secondary school. Each time I came out to talk, people would start laughing. Gradually, I started building it up. After my WAEC, I joined the Actors Guild of Nigeria. That was in 2000. Challenges When I started, even my wife became discouraged when she saw how things were going. At a time, I began to get frustrated especially when I saw that nothing was coming out from the work, and that no help was coming from anywhere. One day, I was rehearsing a drama...

Vote Buying: EFCC Intercepts Bales of Fabric in Sokoto, Makes Arrest in Port Harcourt, Kebbi, Kaduna, Ekiti, Calabar Operatives of the Economic and Financial Commission, EFCC, monitoring the ongoing governorship and state houses of assembly elections have intercepted bales of fabric meant for voter inducement and arrested a number of persons suspected to be involved in vote buying. Thirty five (35) bales of fabric allegedly belonging to a principal officer of the Sokoto State House of Assembly was intercepted by the team of operatives on election monitoring assignment in Sokoto. The items have been moved to the Sokoto Zonal Command of the Commission pending the conclusion of the investigation. In nearby Kebbi state, precisely Argungu local government area, the EFCC team on election monitoring duties also intercepted a suspect with a vehicle fully loaded with fabrics and other items suspected earmarked for voter inducement. The suspect was handed to the Police Area Command at Argungu, f...

Soludo marks One year in office at New Aguleri Catholic Diocese ...As Catholic Bishops Warn INEC, Police Others Over Manipulations. By Uzo Ugwunze Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has marked his one year in office in the presence of  God  and in the company  of no fewer than 43 Bishops and 3 Cardinals who came for the Canonical Erection of the Catholic Diocese of Aguleri and Installation of the Pioneer Bishop, Most Rev. Dennis Isizor. Also, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that all results are uploaded into its portal in real time to ensure a credible fair and peaceful process as the country holds Governorship and House of Assembly elections, March 18, 2023. The Nigerian Police and other  security agents were chided for their failure to guarantee security of voters and the electoral officers during the Presidential and National Assembly elections contending that they should not a...

Anambra State Government Installs barricades at Awka Main Market By Chinelo Ajulufo The Anambra State Government through the office of Awka Capital Territory Development Authority (ACTDA) has commenced the installation of wire mesh barricades at Awka Main Market. Addressing the news men, the ACTDA Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Ossy Onuko said that the installation of the barricades have become necessary due to the constant disturbing gridlocks on the axis and also for beautification. He further said that the wire mesh is installed to put a check on the series of dangers faced by pedestrians and traders who are forced to inch closer to the road and become exposed to vehicular accident. "I am optimistic that these barricades will provide a lasting solution to the gridlocks that have constantly bedeviled this market over time. Mr Onuko reiterated his commitment toward ensuring that Awka Capital Territory attains the level of a befitting Capital, calling on Ndi Ana...

Soludo felicitates with West African Examination Council at 71 By Obiageli Nwankwo The Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Soludo felicitates with the West African Examination Council (WAEC) as it marks its 71st Anniversary. Mr. Governor represented by the Commissioner for Education, Prof.Ngozi Chuma -Udeh at the event which took place at WAEC, Awka Headquarters, Nise said that WAEC has been a household name, a tradition handed down from generation to generation, adding that it has been 70 decades of excellence on the part of WAEC. According to him,WAEC is a laudable initiative put in place to move academics in West Africa forward and the organization has never failed in this drive. "I want to thank WAEC, for holding forte these years and for dishing out human capitals into the five member countries which are involved in WAEC. "I want to thank  the Head of the Nigeria National Office of the West African Examination Council,  Mr. Patrick Ehidiamen for his stellar administ...

As usual, Thugs invade Oshodi polling units in Lagos, disperse voters Thugs in large numbers have invaded Adejare Polling Unit in Ilasa, Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Area of Lagos State to disperse voters who were waiting for officials and ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission to begin voting for the ongoing governorship and state assembly election. According to an eyewitness, Arome Solomon, INEC officials were nowhere to be found as of 10:12 am, and this left many people stranded until the thugs in the adjoining street invaded the polling unit with daggers and other sharp objects to disperse them. “Policemen are also not present. The people have all run away and are not willing to return,” he added. Another eyewitness who craved anonymity and doubles as a party agent at Polling Unit 052, Olusoji Street, off Afariogun, Oshodi said there was no police presence at the voting venue. .  

GUBER ELECTION: DON'T CHANGE RULES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GAME, GOV. ORTOM WARNS INEC 18th March, 2023 Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that this time around, it should not change the rules in the middle of the governorship and houses of assembly elections. He also hoped that INEC has taken correction and would not allow what transpired during the presidential and national assembly elections to repeat itself. Ortom who disclosed this while speaking with newsmen shortly after voting in the election on Saturday hailed the peaceful process as well as the turnout for the election. The Governor who insisted that the results be transmitted immediately, warned that the result of the election should not be doctored. He said, “The turnout is very impressive. Its just around 9am and more people are coming. Our people are more sensitized and they are here to protect their votes until it is transmitted. “As you can see, there is...

JUST IN: Operatives of @ndlea_nigeria on election duty stop and search, just intercepted four party agents with hundreds of money credit cards,  to buy votes at Ibara housing estate, Ogun state. Each card contains 10k and activated to cash with a code. @MB Marwa has directed they be handed over to the police after proper documentation. More photos below.