News & Announcements

Chief Raymond Dokpesi, the founder of DAAR Communications Limited and owner of AIT Radio and Television, has been freed by British police.

Dokpesi was detained yesterday at London’s Heathrow Airport. According to media reports, Dokpesi was held up by immigration on Sunday following a flight from Frankfurt that touched down in the UK.

Dokpesi travelled via Frankfurt from Abuja on a Lufthansa airlines flight, but the management of AIT claimed in a statement on Monday: “Dokpesi was invited off the plane before other passengers had disembarked.

“Dokpesi was delayed at the airport for some hours before his passport was stamped and he was cleared by British Immigration officials for entry into the country.

“His visit to the United Kingdom is not unconnected to the invitation of the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar by the British government to share perspectives on issues around the 2023 presidential elections.

“The media founder is the Deputy Director-General, Technical & Systems of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council.

“Chief Dokpesi wishes to thank all for their outpour of love, prayers and support following the news of the incident and to reassure that he is hale and hearty.”

Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu emphasized Thursday that Nigeria’s future leader must originate from the south of the country in order to ensure equality and fairness.

In Akure, Akeredolu stated that “there is a need to rotate the Presidency for equality and fairness” if Nigeria is to survive.

He spoke at a service to mark the 2023 Armed Forces Remembrance Day observance at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Region 22, Akure.

The commemoration, according to the governor, was intended to reinvigorate interest in the plight of the relatives, dependents, and families of Nigerians who lost their lives in conflicts and peacekeeping missions around the world.

He stated: “I am equally mindful of the fact that several security challenges have claimed the lives of many of our great officers and soldiers.

“Indeed, the selfless services of our men in this noble profession, to ensuring national cohesion and global peace cannot be quantified. 

“The annual Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebration is, therefore, to honour our departed war heroes and veterans and appreciate those still alive, particularly those that had suffered various deprivations in the cause of their duties and operations.

“I wish to reiterate that the annual celebration will not be complete without creating an avenue for us to thank God for how far he had led us as a nation and as a state.

“This solemn service is equally an opportunity to commit the dependants of the departed heroes and those amongst them that are still alive, into God’s hands.

However, Akeredolu recently sanctioned N533,948 million for the payment of WASSCE exam fees for pupils enrolled in public schools throughout the state.

This “followed a memo given to the governor by the State Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology and signed by the Commissioner for Education, Femi Agagu,” according to a statement from the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olatunde.

Yesterday, veterans of the military in the state of Ekiti pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to protect them from hunger and hardship.

The veterans claimed that several of their fellow combatants from the Nigerian Civil War, which lasted from 1967 to 1970 and lasted for at least 10 years, were still working without being paid.

Alhaji Bello Oseni, the secretary of the veterans in the state of Ekiti, said as follows in a statement:

“The situation of our men is very terrible, some are sick and cannot even afford to feed themselves.

“Some cannot afford a meal per day; some with health challenges don’t have money to maintain their health challenges such as blindness, stroke and others homeless.”

 “On November 17, 2022, N134.7 billion was approved by President Buhari’s administration to pay the pensions of Military Veterans who fought in the Nigeria Civil War and won to take of themselves and their families.

“However, since the money was approved by President Buhari, the money is yet to be paid to us.

“We humbly appeal to our President and those in charge to pay the veterans and put a smile on us as we commemorate the 2023 armed forces Remembrance Day this year.”

According to media sources, Kenyan police have detained additional suspects in the murder of LGBTQ activist Edwin Chiloba, whose mangled body was discovered on a roadside put into a metal trunk.

Following the brutal murder of Chiloba in western Kenya’s Rift Valley, rights activists have demanded increased protection for LGBTQ people.

On Friday, police announced that they had detained a freelance photographer who was allegedly a longstanding friend of the 25-year-old victim, a prominent member of Kenya’s LGBTQ community and a model and fashion designer.

According to media reports stating police officials, three further individuals were seized on Saturday for their alleged involvement in disposing of his remains.

Chiloba’s body, which was apparently dropped from a moving automobile, was found some 40 kilometers (25 miles) outside the Rift Valley town of Eldoret.

The family was preparing for a burial on Saturday, according to The Star newspaper, although a post-mortem would be performed on Monday.

Last week, an unnamed Eldoret-based police officer reported to the media “He died a painful death,  “They must have tortured him and then gouged out his eye. It appears he was strangled.”

Volker Turk, the UN human rights chief, expressed on Saturday his “shock” at Chiloba’s passing.

“Standing in solidarity with LGBTQ!+ activists around the world. Urgent need to redouble efforts for their protection,” he said on Twitter.

Solomon Ayele Dersso, the human rights commissioner for the African Union, echoed his demand in a statement he released on Saturday condemning Chiloba’s murder and asserting that it appeared to be “a product of hate.”

Dersso pleaded on Kenya to launch a “open, exhaustive, and swift inquiry” into the killing and apprehend those involved.

In addition, he urged Kenya and the other AU members to take action to guarantee that “all vulnerable members of society, including those who are or are perceived to be different from the mainstream members of society, including on account of their sexual or gender identity, are guaranteed to live a life free from the threat of violent attacks.”

Chiloba’s execution, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, came after the unsolved murders of numerous other activists for the rights of sexual minorities, including Sheila Lumumba, Erica Chandra, and Joash Mosoti.

“The continued targeting of those perceived to be different is worrying,” the state-run but independent rights watchdog said.

“The National Police Service should step up efforts to ensure Kenyans feel safe, and are not arbitrarily attacked or targeted for their perceived beliefs or associations,” he added.

No human life is worth less than another’s, according to Amnesty International, which demanded “speedy investigations into (Chiloba’s) barbaric murder.”

In the Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State, some unidentified gunmen are said to have abducted an unspecified number of individuals from a train station.

According to reports that arrived on Sunday morning, the victims were waiting to board a train for Warri in Delta State when the attackers rushed the station and started firing randomly.

According to the story, security personnel had been stationed near some bushes in order to free the hostages and apprehend the eluded perpetrators.

Although it is yet unknown if there were any casualties, the information accessible to newsmen indicated that travelers had been shot.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Edo, Chidi Nwabuzor, confirmed the incident in a statement and went on to explain that the AK-47-wielding kidnappers broke into the train station on Saturday night and started shooting into the air before kidnapping their intended victims.

The statement read “This is to inform the gentlemen of the press that today, 7th of January, 2023, at about 1600hrs, men armed with AK 47 riffles attacked the train station at Igueben, Edo State and kidnapped an unspecified number of passengers who were waiting to board the train to Warri.

“The kidnappers who shot sporadically into the air before kidnapping some passengers left some persons with bullet wounds. The Area Commander Irrua, DPO Igueben Division, and men have visited the crime scene with members of the Edo State Security Network, local vigilantes, and hunters to protect the lives and property of the remaining passengers.” 

Most Reverend Father Peter Nworie Chukwu, the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki, has declined an award from the Ebonyi State Government, saying that he prefers governor Umahi to facilitate a speedy trial and the dismissal of the murder and other charges against his priest rather than recognition.

The priest, who has only been in office for a short time, expressed surprise at being named a Commander of the Ebonyi Hall of Fame and suggested to governor Umahi that Bishop Michael Okoro, who he stated served long and meritoriously, be given the honor instead.

This was stated in the bishop’s response to Governor Umahi’s letter from December 12, 2022, in which he personally informed the bishop of the state government’s intention to bestow upon him the title of Commander and induct him into the Ebonyi Hall of Fame in recognition of his distinguished service to Ebonyi State and humanity.

His Lordship replied acknowledging receipt of the letter but expressing astonishment at the nomination and declining the honor.

His words: “I am pleasantly surprised that I was selected for such an honour by your government”. Your Excellency, he continued: “I wish to respectfully decline this award. I am barely one year in office. I am still struggling to fit into the high demand of the ecclesiastic office of bishop. 

“Your Excellency, I wish to respectfully decline this award. I am barely one year in office. I am still struggling to fit into the high demand of the ecclesiastic office of bishop. So, I feel that I have not achieved much to deserve an award. If I may suggest, I would rather wish that this award be bestowed on my predecessor, Most Rev. Michael Nnachi Okoro for his long and meritorious service to God and humanity.

He continued “Rather than give me an award, I would prefer you set in motion, actions that would facilitate the termination of murder and sundry charges against my priest, Rev. Father Timoty  Ngwuta”.

Since his arrest in December 2021, when he was detained, released after 12 days, and then re-arrested, a development that has continued to elicit comments both inside and outside the nation, Father Ngwuta, a priest at Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Umuhali, has been on trial for alleged murder. He attempted to intervene in the release of his friend’s car, a doctor, which was parked at a police station in the state.

The Kogi State Government has questioned Dr. Ado Ibrahim, the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, for his reluctance to extend a warm greeting to President Muhammadu Buhari during the President’s visit to the state on December 29, 2022.

The traditional chief, according to the state government, was unfaithful and disrespectful to the positions of President Buhari and Governor Bello. Ibrahim also demonstrated a premeditated demeanor and acts that may “disrepute” Kogi State and Ebira land, the administration stated.

In the Kogi Central Senatorial District, where the governor is also from, the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, who is the Vice President of the Kogi State Council of Chiefs, is the supreme ruler of the entire Egbira population.

Governor Bello’s new Ohinoyi palace, one of the projects President Buhari was in the state to dedicate, was among them.

The action of Ohinoyi portends “severe danger to the security of the state and laying poor precedent for Traditional Institution of the State,” according to the letter of inquiry dated January 5, 2023 and addressed to the monarch.

The letter signed by the Director of Chieftaincy Affairs, Enimola Eniola, on behalf of the Kogi State Commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs, read:

“It has been observed with serious concern that you have exhibited deliberate attitude and actions capable of bringing Kogi State and Ebira land in particular to grave disrepute. These actions are quite unbecoming of a revered Royal Father of your status.

“Specifically, you were aware through many fora of the glorious visit of Mr. President and Commander-in-Chief of Nigerian Armed Forces, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari to Okene on 29th December, 2022 to commission landmark projects executed by our dear Governor, His Excellency, Alh. Yahaya Bello.

“In a flagrant disregard to the persons and high offices of the President and the Governor, you bluntly refused to come out and receive the President at the designated venue rightly approved by the Executive Governor of the State.

“It might interest you to note that official courtesy demands that when a personality of a President occupying the highest office in the land is visiting or even passing through the State, the Governor and top Public Officers including topmost Traditional Rulers are expected to receive him as a mark of respect for him and the Office he occupies.

“It is on record that in time past, Topmost Traditional Rulers including the President, Kogi State Council of Chiefs do receive the Governor of the State on his return from critical missions undertaken on behalf of the State. But, you have chosen to disdain the office of the Executive Governor, and this time, you did it with effrontery before the number one citizen of Nigeria.

“This action of yours is an act of insubordination and disloyalty to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Executive Governor of Kogi State, and the entire Ebira nation as a whole. It portends grave danger to the security of the State and laying bad precedence for Traditional Institution of the State.

“In view of the above, I have been directed to request you to forward a written explanation within 48 hours why disciplinary action should not be taken against you for these acts of insubordination and disloyalty. Oral explanations may be required from you when a panel is set up to study your case.

“It is expected that you will accord priority to the content of this letter, Your Royal Majesty,” the state government stated.

Iran hanged two men on Saturday for the murder of a paramilitary force member during historic riots brought on by the death of a young woman while in detention.

The most recent hangings bring the total number of executions since the statewide demonstrations began in mid-September and escalated into demands for the overthrow of Iran’s clerical rule to four.

In December, two individuals were executed, resulting in widespread anger and fresh Western sanctions against Iran

“Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini, the principal offenders of the crime that resulted in Ruhollah Ajamian’s martyrdom, were hung this morning,” according to judicial news source Mizan Online.

According to the prosecution, the 27-year-old militiaman was killed while naked by a group of people who had been paying respects to Hadis Najafi, a dead protester.

The two men’s lives are being spared despite a campaign by international rights organizations against the killings. The father of Karami had also pleaded with the court not to execute his son.

The director of the Oslo-based organization Iran Human Rights (IHR), Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, claimed that both men “were subjected to torture and sentenced after sham trials…without the minimal norms for due process.”

After the most recent executions, he demanded more international action along with other campaigners.

Amiry-Moghaddam recommended “new and tougher sanctions against individuals and entities” specifically on Twitter.

In response to the surge of protests that started after Mahsa Amini, 22, died while being held in detention in September, authorities have detained thousands of people.

The morality police allegedly defied the tight dress rules for women under the regime when they detained the Iranian Kurdish woman.

Professor Wale Adeniran, the leader of the Yoruba Self-Determination Struggle, also known as Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide, has resigned from the organization due to accusations of fraud.

According to reports, Adeniran said in a brief video on Saturday that he stepped aside to allow a careful examination into the fraud claim made against him.

“I want to use this medium to step aside as Chairman of Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide, as member of Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide,” Prof. Adeniran said.

“I step down as the participant in the Yoruba Nation struggle so as to allow for unfettered investigations of all these allegations.

“Because in all developed parts of the world, what they normally do is that, if there is an allegation against public office holder, he or she will step aside to allow thorough investigation, that’s what I’m doing right now.

“I thank you all, and whatever comes out after the investigation should be made public.

“There shouldn’t be secret there. They should publicise the outcome of the investigation because all Yoruba must know the truth about the fraud allegation involving the struggle. Thank you,” he added.

In connection with the suspected abduction of a six-year-old girl in her mother’s car at an Akure grocery store, the police in Ondo State have detained a suspect.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ondo State Command, SP Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, made this declaration in a statement made accessible to newsmen in Akure on Saturday.

She claimed that on December 21, 2022, at 9.00 p.m., the mother of the kidnapped girl reported a case of kidnapping to the police station.

According to the PPRO, the complainant claimed that the suspect had taken her daughter Nwasi Chukwu-Ezedima from her Toyota Corolla when she was shopping for the family in Lafe Area, Akure.

The suspect, who allegedly wanted N50 million from the family as ransom, was reportedly apprehended on December 31, 2022 at a POS stand while attempting to withdraw some of the money, according to Odunlami-Omisanya.

The police spokesperson stated, “During interrogation, the suspect confessed to the commission of the offence, while the victim was rescued unhurt.

“The suspect will soon be arraigned in court.”