Tag: Bayelsa

$35m Bayelsa Refinery’s Probe: Lagos oil magnate, Akindele shuns EFCC invitation, travels abroad

Aminu Imam
Bayelsa Refinery's Probe

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigation of the alleged misappropriation of the $35 million (about N56bn) meant for the Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited (AIRPL), in Bayelsa State, may have been stalled, owing to the failure of one of the principal suspect in the alleged scam, Dr. Akindele Akintoye, to honour the anti-corruption agency’s invitation. According to sources close to the EFCC, rather than honour the invitation, Akindele sent a lawyer and traveled abroad. In May, this year, a former member of the House of Representatives, Israel…

Read More

Bayelsa: JTF uncovers 50 illegal refineries

Aminu Imam
Bayelsa crude theft

The Joint Task Force, (JTF), code-named: ‘Operation Delta Safe‘, has uncovered over 50 illegal crude oil refining sites in the Biseni area of Yenagoa local government area of Bayelsa State. JTF Commander, John Okeke, who led the operation yesterday, said illegal refining of stolen crude oil was taking place in each of the sites. Okeke said he had earlier warned oil thieves in the area to desist from illegal refining of crude oil or relocate to other areas. Although no arrests were made, but he urged public-spirited persons in the…

Read More

IReV: No result upload glitches for Bayelsa, Imo, Kogi polls – INEC assures voters

Aminu Imam

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reassured voters that there wont be glitches with the upload of results on the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) for the Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi polls. The INEC Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, who made this known during a television programme on Friday, said: We have been using the IReV for all governorship elections, but it (2023) was the first time we deployed it for the general election setting. Well, we had a glitch for some hours, and we fixed it. But I can…

Read More

INEC makes U-turn; says results of Bayelsa, Kogi, Imo guber elections will be transmitted electronically

Aminu Imam

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that the results of the November 11 governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States will be transmitted electronically. Recall that the Bayelsa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Ofiong Efanga, recently, at a press conference, said that the commission would adopt a manual mode of transmission of the governorship election results.  However, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, during the monitoring of the mock election in Lokoja, Kogi State, said whatever the Bayelsa REC must be disregarded. He said: The method is as…

Read More

Bayelsa Guber Poll: Court okays Sylva to run

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir

Bayelsa poll: Court dismisses APC aspirants suit seeking Sylvas disqualification A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, dismissed a suit seeking the disqualification of Timipre Sylva from contesting the November 11 Bayelsa governorship poll. Delivering judgment, Justice Inyang Ekwo, held that the plaintiff, Mrs Ogbomade Johnson failed to prove the case upon preponderance of evidence as required by law. Justice Ekwo said that Johnson failed to prove her case that the All Progressives Congress (APC) did not conduct valid governorship primary election from which Sylva emerged as the partys…

Read More

Bayelsa Guber: Group cautions stakeholders to abide by INEC rules/regulations

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir

The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) has called on stakeholders in the Nov. 11 governorship election in Bayelsa to play the game according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rules and regulations. The group said it will resist any form of bloodshed before, during and after the poll; therefore, everyone should play the game accordingly.  Rising from its Executive Council meeting, the IYC also appealed to the federal and state governments to prioritise lasting solutions to flood disasters in the Niger Delta region. The council, in a communiqu issued on…

Read More

2023: Atiku promises to unify divided Nigeria,implement restructuring, address insecurity

Aminu Imam

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar has promised to unify a divided Nigeria, revamp the economy and address insecurity. The former vice-president, who made the promises at the presidential campaign rally of PDP on Monday, at the Oxbow Lake Pavilion, in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, in continuation of his presidential campaign, was welcomed by a mammoth crowd at the Ox-Bow Lake Pavilion. He also promised that his government will focus on restructuring the country, and assured the people of Bayelsa State and…

Read More

Auditors uncover massive payroll fraud in Presidential Amnesty Propgramme Committee

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir

The Strategic Communication Committee (SCC) of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) on Sunday stated that external and internal auditors recently uncovered a massive payroll fraud in PAP. The SCC Chairman, an ex-agitator, Mr Nature Kieghe, said at a news conference in Yenagoa that the discovery showed an individual was receiving stipends of 33 persons through fraudulent means. He said about 513 persons were linked to multiple payments, insisting that the new management of PAP was poised to reposition the scheme for optimum performance. Kieghe said following the development, the Interim…

Read More

Police command inaugurates Bayelsa anti-cultism squad

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir

Bayelsa Police Command has inaugurated an Anti-cultism Squad in its bid to contain the resurgence of cult-related activities and clashes in the state. The is made known in a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO) of the Bayelsa Police Command, SP Asinmi Butswat. It said that the squad had since begun aggressive crack down on cultists and violent criminals. According to the statement, so far, 32 cultists have been arrested and upon conclusion of investigation will be charged to court under the Bayelsa State Anti-Cultism law. Consequently,…

Read More

Bayelsa: Kidnappers of SSGs mother demand N500m, N200m for nightclub owner

Aminu Imam

The abductors of the 80-year-old Madam Betinah Benson, mother of the Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government (SSG), Konbowei Benson have contacted the family and reportedly demanded N500million ransom in order to set her free. It was also gathered that the kidnappers of Tari Ajanami, a bank cashier, who owns a popular nightclub in Yenagoa, have also contacted his family and reportedly demanded N200million ransom for his freedom. While the octogenarian was whisked away on July 20 from her residence at the Old Assembly Quarters in Yenagoa, Ajanami, said to…

Read More