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Tinubu Grants Notorious Kidnapper Who Abducted Mike Ozekhome In 2013 Presidential Pardon

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Ezigbe was among the 175 persons who recently received a presidential pardon and other forms of clemency following the approval of the national council of state.

President Bola Tinubu has been granted presidential amnesty to Kelvin Oniarah Ezigbe, a convicted kidnapper who abducted Mike Ozekhome, senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), in 2013.

He was among those whose jail term was reduced under the presidential pardon announced by President Bola Tinubu.

Ezigbe was among the 175 persons who recently received a presidential pardon and other forms of clemency following the approval of the national council of state.

Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said in a statement on Saturday that the 20-year prison term of Ezigbe was reduced to 13 years “for showing remorsefulness and attending the National Open University”.

Before his arrest in 2013, Ezigbe was a notorious criminal who terrorised Delta state and its environs, especially the people of Kokori in Ethiope east LGA.
He had executed high-profile kidnappings like the abduction of Ozekhome alongside his driver on August 23, 2013, at the Ehor stretch of the Benin-Auchi highway, Edo state.

Four police officers who responded to Ozekhome’s abduction were ambushed and killed by Ezigbe’s team.

His gang was reportedly responsible for the abduction of Hope Eghagha, a former commissioner of higher education in Delta, in September 2012 while driving from Warri to Asaba.

Eghagha’s police orderly was killed during the attack.

His men also killed two prison officials in Delta while in a vehicle with some arrested members of the gang.

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In September 2013, a combined team of army and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested Ezigbe and five of his gang members in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital.

Ezigbe, who described himself as a freedom fighter, was arrested one week after he issued an ultimatum to the federal and state governments to develop Kokori, an oil-rich community in Delta state.

In June 2024, Ezigbe was arraigned alongside some members of his gang for “conspiracy to commit terrorist acts, kidnapping of persons, inciting persons to commit acts of terrorism, recruitment and abetting escape”.

During the trial at the federal high court in Abuja, Ozekhome told the court that he was held hostage for three weeks and was only released after he paid a N40 million ransom.

In October 2023, Binta Nyako, the trial judge, convicted Ezigbe and Frank Azuekor, a member of the gang, for the charges preferred against them.

Nyako sentenced Ezigbe and Azuekor to 20 years’ imprisonment each. The prison term was to start on the date of their arrest in 2013.

 

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Build Nigeria from grassroots, not just Abuja, Lagos – Ex-presidential candidate

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Adewole Adebayo, leader of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, and its presidential flagbearer in the 2023 general election, has stressed that Nigeria’s long-term progress lies in nurturing safe, productive and self-sustaining communities at the grassroots.

Adebayo spoke in Numan, Adamawa State, at a reception organised in his honour following the conferment of a traditional title on him by the Bachama kingdom.

While addressing traditional rulers, community leaders and residents, he described the Bachama people as a vital component of the Nigerian project, noting that the destiny of the nation is inseparable from the wellbeing of its local communities.

“The development of this land is the development of Nigeria because Nigeria is not just an idea; it is the land and the people,” he said.

He portrayed Numan and its environs as a rich heritage placed in the care of its people, urging citizens to take collective responsibility for nurturing the land, ensuring fair access to resources and raising families in conditions of safety and dignity.

The SDP leader also raised concerns about what he termed the over-centralisation of governance, arguing that efforts to drive national development primarily from Lagos in the past and later from Abuja have yielded limited success.

“The only time Nigeria will truly work is when we build it from the communities,” he said, adding that the true measure of national strength should be seen in the safety of homes, the quality of education and the freedom of young people to grow without fear.

According to him, meaningful development must allow families to farm, rear livestock, educate their children and participate actively in the economy within their local environments.

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Drawing parallels with countries such as the United States, Germany and Russia, Adebayo said enduring national success is built by citizens who flourish in their towns and villages, supported by access to electricity, water, security and economic opportunities.

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FG spent billions on Conference Centre but primary schools remain shut in FCT – Peter Obi

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The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has expressed displeasure at the lingering strike by primary schools teachers in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

In a post on his official X handle, Obi said it is worrisome that the government spent billions of naira to renovate the International Conference Centre while primary schools in the nation’s capital remain on strike.

According to him, education is a cornerstone of national development.

He lamented that countless children remain out of school and those in school cannot attend because of insecurity or teachers’ strikes.

“This is particularly tragic in Abuja, the seat of government, where schools remain shuttered.

“This is the same Abuja where billions were squandered on renovating a conference centre for the president and Bus Terminals.

“One must question whether our leaders genuinely appreciate the vital role of education,” he wrote.

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Officers behind foiled coup knew consequences of their action – Defense Minister

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Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa, rtd, says military officers arrested over the foiled coup knew the consequences of their action and are ready to face the wrath.

Musa said this when he appeared on TRT World, a Turkish broadcaster, stating that the accused persons would receive a fair trial, with access to legal counsel of their choice.

According to him, families of the alleged coup plotters would be looked after by the government.

“They must have made up their minds when they decided to do this and must have considered their families.

“But even at that, the government is ensuring that their families are treated fairly.

“Their family members are not left alone. The government is making sure that their wives and children are looked after.

“The perpetrators already know the repercussion of their action, and I’m sure they are ready to face the wrath,” he said.

It was recalls that the 16 implicated officers, including a Brigadier-General and Colonel, were arrested in October 2025 by the defence headquarters, DHQ.

The DHQ, on January 26, finally confirmed that there was a plot to oust President Bola Tinubu.

According to the military, the plot uncovered in late September 2025 through joint intelligence from the army, Department of State Services, DSS, and Defence Intelligence Agency, DIA, allegedly involved plans to assassinate Tinubu, Vice-President Kashim Shettima, and other top government figures, as well as arrest senior military leaders.

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