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Benue Authorities Call For The Review And Full Implementation Of VAPP And ACJL Laws In Benue State To Ensure Justice For SGBV Survivors
Benue Authorities Call For The Review And Full Implementation Of VAPP And ACJL Laws In Benue State To Ensure Justice For SGBV Survivors....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The Benue State government has received an appeal to reconsider and fully enforce the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law (VAPP) and the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) within the state. This request aims to facilitate justice for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
Irene Awunah-Ikyegh, the national president of the League of Women Voters in Nigeria (NILOWV), made this plea during a one-day awareness and sensitization meeting with media professionals in Makurdi. The focus of the gathering was to emphasize the importance of implementing ACJL and VAPP laws in response to the increasing incidents of SGBVs.
Awunah-Ikyegh also urged the state government to revive the Benue State Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), which would provide first aid treatment and counseling for abuse survivors within a four-hour window.
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She highlighted the media’s role as a societal watchdog and mirror, emphasizing its potential to draw attention from relevant stakeholders for the review and implementation of these laws. Such action, she argued, would expedite justice for survivors of various forms of assault.
Awunah-Ikyegh noted that recent records indicate that Benue State ranks second in the country for SGBVs and child molestation, tarnishing the state’s image. She stressed that it is through media exposure of perpetrators that potential wrongdoers will be deterred from committing such heinous acts.
Solumtochukwu Ozobulu, a senior legal officer from Lawyers Alert, suggested the establishment of a family court as a means of expediting justice for SGBV survivors.
Barrister Joseph Gbagyo, the secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Benue State chapter, highlighted the prevalence of sexual harassment among girl children, urging the media to collaborate in the fight against SGBVs. He emphasized the importance of media messages that encourage all stakeholders to review and enforce VAPP and ACJL in the state to combat assaults, sexual harassment, child molestation, and related offenses.
Comrade Elizabeth Achagh, the state chairman of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, pledged the media’s support in ensuring thorough investigations and reporting of SGBV cases. She also called on journalists to follow these cases until the perpetrators are brought to justice as a deterrent to others.
Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has approved the immediate dissolution of state boards, commissions, and parastatals, alongside terminating the appointments of several political aides.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
According to an official statement released on Sunday by the Special Adviser on Media to the Governor, Yinka Oyebode, the termination affects all Special Assistants (SAs), Senior Special Assistants (SSAs), and Technical Assistants (TAs).
The statement clarified that the move is part of a gradual transition as the administration winds down its first term ahead of Governor Oyebanji’s second-term inauguration on October 16, 2026.
Key Exemptions
The governor outlined specific offices, governing bodies, and officials exempted from the directive:
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Statutory Commissions: Members and chairmen of the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC), Civil Service Commission, Judicial Service Commission, and House of Assembly Service Commission remain in office.
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Tertiary Institutions: The governing councils of all state-owned higher institutions are unaffected.
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Selected Agency Leadership: The chairmen of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Teaching Service Commission, and Local Government Service Commission retain their positions, though their board members have been relieved of duty.
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Senior Executive Aides: Directors-General and Technical Advisors to the Governor remain in their respective roles.
Governor Oyebanji commended the outgoing appointees for their dedication, hard work, and valuable contributions toward the progress of Ekiti State during his first tenure.
Former Governor of Cross River State and 2027 Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate, Donald Duke, has stated that petrol in Nigeria can sell between ₦200 and ₦300 per litre without government subsidies if fuel prices are pegged to local production costs rather than international market rates.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Speaking in an interview with Vanguard, Duke explained that true subsidy occurs when a product is bought at a high price and sold to consumers below cost. He argued that since crude oil is Nigeria’s collective resource, domestic fuel pricing should reflect what it costs to extract, refine, and distribute the oil locally.
Key Highlights of Donald Duke’s Strategy:
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Production Cost vs. Market Price: Duke noted that while crude oil sells internationally for $70 to $80 per barrel, Nigeria’s local production cost does not exceed $40 per barrel. Out of the ~1.7 million barrels produced daily, Nigeria requires only about 300,000 barrels for local consumption.
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Byproduct Amortization: A single barrel yields seven refined products. Duke proposed that five of those byproducts (such as aviation fuel and kerosene) be sold at commercial international rates, using those revenues to offset the refining costs of petrol and diesel.
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Domestic Pricing Formula: He advocated supplying petrol and diesel to Nigerians at actual production cost plus a modest 5% to 10% margin to cover distribution.
Under this model, Duke asserted, the federal government could completely eliminate subsidy payments while dramatically reducing pump prices for citizens.
Dr. Echuseh Audu, Executive Secretary of the Taraba State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), is facing renewed scrutiny following financial disclosures linking her and a related business, Katuka’s Kitchen, to transfers totaling ₦49.44 million.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The developments follow earlier, unproven social media allegations that SEMA diverted over 10,000 bags of rice and 1,000 cartons of groundnut oil intended for internally displaced persons (IDPs). Dr. Audu has strongly denied the diversion claims and voluntarily presented herself to security agencies—including the Police, DSS, NSCDC, and the Ministry of Justice—demanding a full investigation.
Key Financial Inflows & Controversial LPRES Transfer
Financial records obtained by SaharaReporters detail multiple transfers across accounts associated with Audu and Katuka’s Kitchen:
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World Bank Project Transfer: On October 28, 2025, the Taraba State Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (LPRES) Draw Down Account transferred ₦12,190,726.80 to Katuka’s Kitchen. The same amount was later returned to the LPRES account. Insiders questioned the propriety of a government project conducting business with a public official’s associated entity, though records do not specify if the transaction was a contract payment, reimbursement, or error.
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Inflows Breakdown (Totaling ₦49.44 Million):
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₦15M: Transferred from an account under Audu Echuseh Echuseh at UBA (May 10, 2024).
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₦7M: Transferred from Katuka’s Kitchen’s Fidelity Bank account (August 16, 2024).
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₦5.25M: Received from Sunday Stephen via Globus Bank (January 30, 2026).
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₦5M: Received from Callistus Obiejezie (February 25, 2026).
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₦5M: Transferred from a UBA account under Audu Echuseh (Date unspecified).
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₦44 Million Hospital Payments
The records also highlight three transactions totaling ₦44 million paid to GTBank accounts belonging to Nizamiye Hospital in Abuja (₦15M on Feb 20, 2026; ₦14M on Feb 26, 2026; and an undated ₦15M payment). Sources close to Audu clarified that these funds were utilized to cover medical expenses for a young girl who subsequently passed away.
Questions Over Business Ownership & Corporate Filings
While sources close to the SEMA Chief claim she formally resigned her role with Katuka’s Kitchen at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), reports indicate her Bank Verification Number (BVN) remains tied to the business’s active accounts across Access Bank, Globus Bank, and Fidelity Bank.
SEMA Maintains Stance on Integrity
TSEMA reiterated its commitment to transparency, noting that over 50,000 emergency victims have benefited from state relief distribution. Dr. Audu had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.
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