Author: Tunde Akingbondere

On the morning of Wednesday, March 19, 2025, residents from various parts of Ondo State gathered to protest the rising insecurity and alarming rates of killings in the region. A viral video noticed by our correspondent shows frustrated citizens, predominantly farmers, expressing their grievances through a peaceful demonstration in front of the Governor’s office in Akure. The farmers voiced their concerns about the frequent killings in areas such as Ago Oyinbo, Ademekun, and Alhaji, attributing the violence to individuals suspected to be Fulani herdsmen. They emphasized their determination to dislodge these intruders, even if it meant losing access to beef.…

A lawyer, Liborous Oshomah has criticized the suspension of Siminalayi Fubara as Governor of Rivers State, saying such power is not in section 305 which the president cited as the source of his power. President Tinubu, in a nationwide broadcast, benched all elected officials in the state for a period of six months, and further appointed a retired former chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Ibok Ibas as sole administrator. It was Oshomah’s position that even Tinubu held the same position that a state of emergency anticipated on section 305 does not include the removal of Governor. He said the implication…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has deployed armed security operatives, including the Nigerian Army, to take control of the Rivers State Government House following his suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara. A video obtained by Citizen Rapporteur on Tuesday evening reveals how several military vans parked full of armed operatives head towards the Rivers State Government House in Port Harcourt. This became evident shortly after President Tinubu, during a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing political instability and security concerns. The decision, which has been met with fierce criticism, saw the immediate suspension of Governor…

I have just picked up my phone after breaking my fast to find multiple missed calls and countless messages about an alarming development: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reportedly declared a state of emergency in Rivers State. If this is true, then I must ask: Who advised the President to take this course of action? Whoever it is, they are certainly not a friend of his administration, nor do they have the best interests of Nigeria at heart. How could the President willingly walk into a raging inferno with his eyes wide open? No, no, no… this must be the…

Ibok Ette Ibas is originally from Nko, Cross River State, in South South Nigeria. He joined the Nigerian Defence Academy as a member of the 26 Regular Course on June 20, 1979, and was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant on January 1, 1983. His primary education began at Nko Primary School in 1966 and concluded at Big Qua Primary School in Calabar in 1971. He then attended the esteemed Hope Waddell Training Institute in Calabar from 1972 to 1976. From 1977 to 1979, he studied at the School of Basic Studies in Ogoja before entering the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1979.…

In the aftermath of the political crisis in Rivers State, Nigeria President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in the State, thereby suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the State House of Assembly for six months. The decision follows months of intense political crisis in the oil-rich state, which Tinubu said has paralyzed governance and threatened national stability. The President, in a nationwide broadcast, cited the ongoing political deadlock, security threats, and governance failures as the primary reasons for the drastic intervention. He announced the immediate appointment of…

The Senate has on Tuesday passed for second reading a Bill which aspires to make it mandatory for social media platforms in the country to own physical offices. The bill also pushes for the registration and regulation of bloggers in Nigeria. You will recall that this development is coming as a follow up to a first attempt by the Senate to regulate social media in the country. The first attempt in the ninth Senate could not withstand the wide criticisms and outcry by stakeholders who regarded it as an attempt to gag the media and a breach of Section 39…

Citizen Rapporteur, a rapidly growing media organization, is set to host two distinguished Nigerians, Professor Pat Utomi and Senator Babafemi Ojudu, this Wednesday. Professor Utomi, a U.S.-based political economy expert and former presidential candidate, will discuss the current state of the nation alongside Senator Ojudu, a former Senator for Ekiti Central and journalist. The interview is scheduled to take place from 6 PM to 7 PM on the Google Meet platform. Topics will include political realignments in Nigeria ahead of the 2027 elections, the living conditions of Nigerians, the legal disputes in Rivers, and more. A link to the meeting…

The Chairman of Akure South Local Government in Ondo State, Dr. Gbenga Fasua, has immortalised his predecessor and the former Secretary to the Ondo State government, Tayo Oluwaseye Oluwatuyi (Tuykana), by renaming the local government secrétariat’s office complex, formerly known as Ẹkun House, after him. While speaking at the ceremony put up in honour of the late SSG at the local government secretariat on Monday, Fasua described late Tuykana as a mentor and father figure who dedicated his life to the service of the state and the development of the land. He said, “During your time, you made milestone achievements…

The Rivers State House of Assembly appears to have kickstarted its impeachment move against Governor Siminalayi Fubara by serving him, his deputy with a notice of alleged misconduct. The notice obtained through Channels Television says the lawmakers claimed the action was in line with the Nigerian Constitution. “In compliance with Section 188 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and other extant laws, we the undersigned members of the Rivers State House of Assembly hereby forward to you a Notice of Gross Misconduct by the Deputy Governor of Rivers State in the performance of the…