A human rights activist, Comrade Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho, has called on the Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, to “ensure that justice is served in the shocking murder of 13-year-old Miss Favour ‘F’, a student of Delta Secondary School, Warri”.

This was contained in a signed statement he issued, copies of which were made available to journalists in Warri on Sunday.

TheNigerian Metro gathered that Favour’s life was cut short tragically when she was allegedly raped and stabbed to death by suspected ritualists or miscreants.

Her body was reportedly found in an uncompleted building on Erhirhowevrhe Street, off Ejemudarho, in Okumagba Layout, Warri, with visible injuries.

The incident was said to have occurred after Miss Favour attended her school’s inter-house sports competition, where she went missing before the event concluded.

Her worried parents searched fruitlessly for her, but her body was unfortunately found later, a development which sparked widespread outrage and calls for justice.

Aghogho, in his statement, called on the police for “immediate action” emphasising “the need for swift justice and accountability in this heinous crime.”

The activist highlighted the severe implications for individuals, families, communities, and society as a whole.

“The brutal murder violates human rights, betrays trust, and erodes social values”, Aghogho stated.

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“This capital raise will empower the group to strengthen its position in the market, invest in innovation, and drive sustainable growth in FirstBank, its flagship subsidiary.

“We extend our profound appreciation to the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Securities and Exchange Commission for their support in ensuring the integrity of the process and that of the capital market. We are excited about the opportunities ahead and remain committed to optimising value for our shareholders.”

The Chairman of First HoldCo Plc, Mr Femi Otedola, added, “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all our shareholders and all stakeholders involved in this successful Rights Issue offer. The strong participation is a clear indication of the collective belief in FirstHoldCo and its bright future. We deeply appreciate the continued support and partnership, which enables us to embark on this next phase of growth.

“We also wish to acknowledge our regulators, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Securities and Exchange Commission, for their guidance and support throughout the process, ensuring that all procedures were transparent and in full compliance with the applicable regulations. In line with the overwhelming support and approval granted by the shareholders at the 12th Annual General Meeting of the company on November 14, 2024, the second phase of the raising of up to N350bn will commence in earnest. We further solicit the support of all stakeholders in this regard.”

The oversubscription of the rights issue underscores strong investor confidence and reinforces momentum ahead of the upcoming private placement. With this initiative, FirstHoldCo aims to bolster its financial capacity, enhance its competitive positioning, and further solidify its leadership within the Nigerian financial sector.

First HoldCo Plc is a financial holding company and one of the largest financial services organisations in Africa. It is a diversified and leading financial services group offering a broad range of products and services through its subsidiaries across commercial banking, asset management, capital markets, trusteeship and insurance broking to millions of customers.

The former National Secretary of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Sani Abdulahi Shinkafi, has blown hot, saying that he has been in politics before most governors joined politics in Zamfara State.

Shinkafi said that he joined politics in 1992, stressing that some powerful figures in politics have been sabotaging his efforts to form a government at the state level so that he could reposition the state’s economy.

He stated this while addressing his supporters during the inauguration of his Wambam Democratic Front at his residence in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital, noting that politics is a game of numbers.

“I am still a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC. The Wambam Democratic Front is only to bring my supporters together,” he added.

“Let me tell you, the present Governor, Dauda Lawal, is not a politician, and he has never claimed to be one.

“He became the state governor due to the persistent internal crisis in the state chapter of APC. Allah gave him victory because the APC leaders could not address their teething issues.”

“In 2027, we will ensure that there will be no anointed candidate in the party in the state. The era is gone when some people would sit down in Abuja and decide people’s fate for them.”

The three-time governorship candidate of APGA advised his followers to ensure that they register as legitimate voters, as voter registration by INEC will commence in June 2025.

Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) and its chairman, Barr. Hashim Abioye have filed a lawsuit against the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun and the state’s Commissioner of Police for alleged breach of fundamental rights.

In suit no: FHC/Os/CS/41/2025 filed at the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, on behalf of all OSSIEC workers and its ad-hoc staff, the commission sued the defendants for breach and continuing breach of their fundamental rights, illegal arrest and detention, unlawful sealing of the Commission’s premises, as well as threat of further arrest and detention and illegal seizure of properties belonging to OSSIEC.

The Commission and its chairman are also demanding the sum of N2 billion as damages against the defendants, amongst other reliefs.

They are seeking an order directing the defendants to vacate and unseal the plaintiffs’ office premises and immediate release of all staff of the commission arrested for doing their lawful duty.

The plaintiffs also seek an order restraining the defendants from arresting detaining or doing anything capable of hindering the fundamental human rights to liberty, private life and property as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Recall that the OSSIEC headquarters was sealed off by the police a day before the Saturday, February 22, 2025 local government elections in the state which prevented the Commission’s staff from performing their lawful duty.

An Anambra State-based journalist and correspondent of THISDAY Newspaper in Anambra State, Mr David-Chyddy Eleke, has raised the alarm over the alleged threat to his life by an Ebonyi State-born US citizen, Mr Ikechukwu Nkumeh.

Eleke also appealed to the commissioner of police in Ebonyi State, CP Anthonia Uche-Anya to restrain operatives of anti-kidnapping squad and SWAT from lending themselves as agents of suppression and abuse of human rights in the hands of Mr Nkumeh and his brother, Friday Nkumeh, with whom they have been tormenting the journalist and other members of his family for their refusal to surrender a portion of their family land to them.

The journalist, in a press statement he signed and made available to his colleagues in Awka, Anambra State yesterday, stated that the Nkumehs have since early December 2024 been using operatives of anti-kidnapping squad and SWAT in Abakiliki to hound, arrest and illegally detain members of his family.

He said “I hail from Oshiri in Ebonyi State, Mr Ikechukwu and his brother Friday are our neighbours in my village. Both claim to be US citizens, but the biggest torment my family has received is ever knowing them.

“Since their return from the US last year, they have been grabbing lands belonging to their neighbours in the village. They have become terror to everyone around, and I can tell you that many young people from my kindred no longer sleep in their homes because the Nkumehs have been using police to kidnap them in the dead of the night. This has been going on since after he made a petition to the anti-kidnapping squad, claiming that they wanted to kidnap him.”

The journalist continued that about three of his relatives are currently in prison and police detention facility and that he is still making many more petitions, implicating everyone in his family and sponsoring the police to pick them up.

“I now seem to be his next target, simply because I told him pointedly that the land on which he built a structure was ours.

“He has made a fresh petition against me, and I’m not sure what the allegations are, but the police have been calling to invite me, and I know that the plot is to lure me to Abakaliki so they can arrest and illegally detain me.

“In saner places, the Nkumehs would have been a blessing to us as our neighbours, but they have turned themselves into a thorn in our flesh.

“They have been spending heavily on the police, arresting and slamming our brothers with frivolous charges, just so they remand them in prison.

“Will Ikechukwu or Friday Nkumeh do this in the US, where human rights are copiously observed? They just came back and have seen how the power of money can help them subjugate us.

“We are calling on the Commissioner of police in Ebonyi, who we know is a refined officer to kindly use her good office to end this human rights violation. We have already filed a suit in a court of competent jurisdiction, so that the ownership of the piece of land in question can be determined. He should desist from using the police to arrest us, he should also release about three of our brothers who are still in detention. We are peace loving people, else we would have brought down the structure on our land, without involving the court,” the journalist said.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, on Sunday said that former Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, lacked the moral right to challenge politicians who had defected to the ruling party.

According to report, of late, politicians—especially from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Labour Party—have been defecting to the ruling party. This development prompted Tambuwal to state that no politician with a conscience would join APC, except those driven by “stomach infrastructure.”

However, in a statement issued on Sunday, the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Felix Morka, argued that such a statement should not have come from Tambuwal, whom he described as a renowned serial defector.

Morka noted: “There is profound wisdom in the saying that people who live in glass houses should not throw stones. That wisdom has clearly eluded Tambuwal, a notorious and vainglorious party defector.

“His comments more aptly describe his own convoluted record of defections—from the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) to the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) in 2007, then back to the ANPP, before moving to the PDP, defecting in 2014 to the APC, and finally crawling back to the PDP, ignominiously, in 2018.

“By his own assertions, Tambuwal’s frequent defections were in pursuit of ‘stomach infrastructure’—purely self-serving and devoid of conscience.”

The APC spokesperson stressed that, contrary to Tambuwal’s claims, members of PDP were joining APC to align themselves with President Bola Tinubu’s bold economic reform agenda, amid growing and undeniable signs of a resurgent Nigeria.

The Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) under the leadership of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has called for the protection of Muslims’ constitutional rights to Shari’a adjudication in Nigeria.

JNI Secretary-General, Prof. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, in a statement on Sunday, asserted that the demand for Shari’a adjudication in civil matters was not a call for conflict, but a demand for constitutional justice.

JNI was reacting to the recent uproar over the establishment of Shari’a arbitration panels in some States in South-West Nigeria.

The statement said the undue resistance, inflammatory rhetoric, and outright distortion of facts by certain groups opposing Shari’a arbitration panels in the South-West were “deeply concerning and least expected from a people that claim to be tolerant.”

JNI reiterated its commitment to working with stakeholders, including state governments, religious leaders, and traditional institutions to ensure that the rights of Nigerian Muslims were upheld and respected.

The statement read in parts, “The Right to Shari’a Adjudication is Constitutional: We wish to categorically state that the right of Muslims to seek adjudication of personal and civil matters under Islamic law is not a privilege, but a constitutional right. The 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) guarantees the religious freedoms of all citizens, including Muslims.Specifically, Sections 38 and 275-279 provides for the establishment and operation of Shari’a courts for civil matters where applicable.

“These panels do not infringe on the rights of non-Muslims but merely offer a voluntary alternative dispute resolution mechanism for Muslims who choose to settle personal matters—such as marriage, inheritance, and family disputes—according to Islamic law. For the discerning mind, Islam has very interesting and enriching inheritance codes that have remained inalienable to Muslims life. It is, therefore, mischievous and deceptive to suggest that these panels aim to “impose” Shari’a on non-Muslims”

JNI added, “The panels are strictly for Muslims, adjudicating only cases where both parties consent—a practice that exists in various pluralistic societies worldwide.”

“The selective opposition to Shari’a courts in some parts of Nigeria is a dangerous precedent that could further alienate the Muslim community and breed unnecessary acrimony, which government at all levels should avoid. The guaranteed protection of Muslims’ rights to religious adjudication as enshrined in the Constitution should be allowed within the ambit of law and order. We therefore urge State governments in the South-west to respect the freedom of religion by allowing willing Muslims to have access to Shari’a panels for civil matters,” the statement noted.

The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has charged the newly recruited police constable to abhor all forms of lawlessness, human rights abuse, and unprofessional conduct and use their authority to protect citizens, enforce laws, and apprehend criminals.

IGP told the constable, “Throughout your career, demonstrate boldness, responsibility, discipline, and loyalty to the Force, while remaining calm and composed in the face of adversity. As you progress, uphold the values of patriotism and dedication to service”.

IGP Egbetokun was speaking in Bauchi on the occasion of passing out parade of 10, 000 police constables nationwide in four premier colleges and 12 police training schools across the nation.
He reminded them that the uniform they wear and their office are symbols of trust and responsibility, never to be exploited for intimidation, harassment, or perversion of justice.

Represented by the Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, CP Auwal Musa Mohammed, in Bauchi for the passing out parade of 212 constables for the Bauchi and Gombe zone of the training, the IGP tasked the constables with striving to be perceived as a friend and partner to the public.

“I must charge all the graduating Constables to note that the responsibility of policing requires the highest level of professionalism and integrity, adhering strictly to the rule of law and established procedures.”

IGP explained that the role of the  police officer demands empathy and compassion towards the civilian population, particularly the vulnerable, while maintaining firmness and fairness in all interactions.

The chairman of the Police Service Commission, DIG Hamisu Argungu (Retired), had earlier said that the commission is vested with the powers to appoint, which includes recruitment, enlistment, promotion, posting, dismissal, and exercise disciplinary control over members of the Nigeria Police, except the Inspector General of Police, among other powers.

He assured them that the commission would continue to support them and ensure that their career progression would be predictable and within the requirements of established rules and regulations.

Represented by the director procurement office of the commission Ahmed Aliyu said, “I believe that you are aware of the Constitutional Mandate of the Commission, which is provided in Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria(as amended).”

Argungu charged them to reciprocate the government’s good gesture and strive to work in partnership with other security agencies to eliminate or reduce the security challenges currently bedevilling the nation

He explained that the commission would closely monitor their activities  and will not hesitate to sanction anyone who deviates from the time-tested established Police rules of engagement, while it will also commend and recognise gallantry and commitment to duty.

The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun has charged the newly recruited police constables to abhor all forms of lawlessness, human rights abuse, and unprofessional conduct.

Instead, the police boss encouraged the new officers to utilise their authority to protect citizens, enforce laws, and apprehend criminals.

The IGP told the constables, “Throughout your career, demonstrate boldness, responsibility, discipline, and loyalty to the Force, while remaining calm and composed in the face of adversity. As you progress, uphold the values of patriotism and dedication to service”.

Egbetokun gave the charge on Thursday while speaking in Bauchi at the nationwide passing out parade of 10, 000 police constables held simultaneously in four premier colleges and 12 police training schools across the nation.

He reminded them that the uniform they wear and the office are symbols of trust and responsibility, never to be exploited for intimidation, harassment, or perversion of justice.

Represented by the Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, CP Auwal Mohammed where the parade was held for 212 constables for the Bauchi and Gombe zone of the training, the IGP tasked the constable to strive to be perceived as friends and partners to the public, inspiring hope and confidence in the security apparatus.

“I must charge all the graduating Constables to note that the responsibility of policing requires the highest level of professionalism and integrity, adhering strictly to the rule of law and established procedures.”

The IGP explained that the role of the police officer demands empathy and compassion towards the civilian population, particularly the vulnerable, while maintaining firmness and fairness in all interactions.

For his part, Chairman of the Police Service Commission, DIG Hamisu Argungu (retired) earlier assured that the commission will continue to support them and ensured that their career progression will be predictable and within the requirements of established rules and regulations.

Argungu, represented by the Director, Procurement Office of the Commission, Ahmed Aliyu charged them to reciprocate the government’s good gesture and strive to work in partnership with other security agencies to eliminate or reduce the security challenges currently confronting the nation

He explained that the commission will closely monitor their activities, and will not hesitate to sanction anyone who deviates from the time-tested established Police rules of engagement, while it will also commend and recognise gallantry and commitment to duty.