According to Nivo News, the Edo State Commissioner for Education, Paddy Iyamu, has announced that all 38 students of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, who were arrested during last weekend’s protest, will be released.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Wednesday, Iyamu confirmed that some students were released on Tuesday, with the remainder set to be freed on Wednesday. He explained that the state government had been working tirelessly overnight to ensure the students’ release.

The Commissioner noted that the protest, which resulted in property damage, was orchestrated by unscrupulous individuals from outside Edo State. He emphasized that the government remains committed to peace and unity, urging that demonstrations should be conducted in an orderly manner. Iyamu recalled that during a peaceful protest on May 13, 2025, students were received by Governor Monday Okpebholo, highlighting the importance of following due process during demonstrations.

He added that following the restoration of order in Ekpoma, academic activities have been approved to resume. “We have released the communiqué this morning. Students are to return to school on Monday. Normalcy has been restored, and security agencies are actively ensuring peace is maintained,” Iyamu said.

According to Nivo News, Nigerian celebrity entrepreneur Okechukwu Pascal, popularly known as Cubana ChiefPriest, has described politicians who criticise Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, as malicious, vowing that such figures will be rejected by voters in the 2027 general elections.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

ChiefPriest made the remarks while reacting to criticisms from Nollywood actress Doris Ogala and former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, who had alleged that Governor Otti was merely rehabilitating old roads instead of constructing new ones.

In a strongly worded post shared on his Instagram page, the businessman accused unnamed politicians of resorting to what he termed “empty praise” of President Bola Tinubu as a strategy to shield themselves from accountability over alleged corruption. He argued that Governor Otti, alongside Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, stands out as one of the few leaders in the South-East delivering tangible development rather than recycled promises.

Drawing from personal experience, ChiefPriest said the level of infrastructural growth currently visible in Abia and Imo States was unprecedented, stressing that the progress witnessed in recent years surpassed anything he had seen growing up in Aba. He dismissed other political actors in the region as unserious, accusing them of making noise without delivering meaningful results.

The celebrity businessman further declared that Governor Otti and Governor Uzodimma represent the genuine leadership forces in the South-East, insisting that the electorate would no longer tolerate what he described as deception and underperformance. He warned that politicians who continue to attack Governor Otti would face political rejection at the polls in 2027.

ChiefPriest also praised Governor Uzodimma’s influence and leadership within the region, describing him as a stabilising force whose role has been instrumental in sustaining political cooperation and progress in the South-East. He concluded by expressing confidence that the region was on an upward trajectory under the current crop of leadership.

According to Nivo News, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe (SAN), has urged the Rivers State Command of the Nigeria Police Force to either promptly charge Pastor Tombari Joseph Gbeneol to court or release him without further delay, following his continued detention over an alleged plot to assassinate the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Pastor Gbeneol, a Port Harcourt-based cleric, was reportedly taken into custody after a leaked telephone conversation surfaced online, allegedly linking him and a former Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, to a plan involving the recruitment of foreign nationals to carry out an attack on the former Rivers governor. The viral audio triggered widespread reactions and prompted police intervention, leading to the pastor’s arrest and detention.

Reacting to the development, Osigwe expressed deep concern over what he described as a violation of constitutional provisions, noting that the prolonged detention of the cleric without formal charges raises serious questions about adherence to the rule of law. In a statement personally signed by him, the NBA president said reports of Gbeneol’s arrest and his continued detention for nearly two weeks without arraignment strike at the heart of the fundamental rights guaranteed under Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.

While acknowledging the duty of law enforcement agencies to safeguard national security and protect public officials, Osigwe stressed that such responsibilities must always be exercised within the confines of the Constitution. He emphasized that security concerns do not override constitutional safeguards, nor do they justify indefinite detention without due process.

The NBA president reiterated that the Constitution guarantees personal liberty and clearly outlines procedures for arrest and detention, including the requirement that any suspect be informed of the allegations against them and brought before a competent court within the time prescribed by law. He maintained that detention beyond these limits, without a valid court order or formal charge, remains unlawful regardless of the gravity of the allegation.

Osigwe further noted that the NBA is particularly troubled by reports indicating that Pastor Gbeneol has remained in custody for an extended period without being charged, stressing that allegations, no matter how serious, remain unproven until tested in open court. He warned against allowing investigative delays, media narratives or executive actions to erode the presumption of innocence, which he described as a cornerstone of the criminal justice system.

He called on the Nigeria Police Force to act strictly in line with the law by either charging the pastor before a court of competent jurisdiction or releasing him immediately if investigations fail to establish sufficient grounds for prosecution. Osigwe cautioned that continued detention without judicial oversight undermines public confidence in law enforcement institutions.

The NBA also urged that investigations into the matter be conducted professionally and transparently, without unlawful detention or coercive tactics, adding that the same constitutional standards must apply to all individuals involved. He warned against the criminal justice system being weaponised or allegations of political or security nature being used to justify actions that erode fundamental rights.