Author: oduduwanews

A former Manager with the Zenith Bank Plc, Dr. Osadebe Osakwe has dragged the publisher of Sahara Reporters Mr. Omoyele Sowore and the Sahara Reporters Media group to a Lagos High Court seeking the sum of N250 million each as damages from the defendants for alleged defamation of character.

Dr. Osadebe who is also the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of North China Construction Nigeria in his statement of claim, alleged that the defendants in their online news media, website and blog on 17th May 2016, published the offensive material captioned “Zenith Bank Manager uses Armed thugs to take land from indigenes”.

The publication went further to say “A crisis is reportedly brewing between Igbodo Community in the Ika North East and Onicha-ugbo community in Aniocha North Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta state following alleged criminal activities coordinated by a Manager of Zenith Bank Plc, Osadebe Osakwe. Dr. Osakwe, an indigene of Onicha-Ugbo community and a Manager of Zenith Bank Plc has allegedly been using armed thugs to seize land from residents of Igbodo community.

“Sahara Reporters reliably gathered that Dr. Osakwe who has used the confiscated land to established a farm called “Adagat” Agricultural Ventures Limited” has continuously boasted that the Minister for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu and his brother, a Senior Police Officer are solidly behind his land-grabbing from the people of Igbodo community for the purpose of starting a World Bank farming project…”.

The Plaintiff, who also alleged that the defendants in another publication on 19th April, 2018 titled: “Scandal: Gov. Okowa, Sister, SSG and Others Embroiled in N13.6bn Secretariat Complex Fraud.” The defendants in the publication on their website stated that: “Delta state Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, his sister, Ivana Shenton, Secretary to the State Government, (SSG), Festus Ovie Agas, Commissioner for Special Duties, Government House, Asaba, Henry Sakpra, a former Zenith Bank Manager, Osadebe Osakwe and others have been indicted in a N13.6 billion fraud scandals related to a new secretariat complex being built by the state and information available to this website indicated that the governor, awarded the contract for the new central secretariat complex to North China Construction Company Nigeria Limited (NCCG) which allegedly has the governor’s Sister, Ivana Shenton and former Zenith Bank Manager, Osadebe Osakwe as frontiers.’

“Checks by Sahara Reporters revealed that North China Construction Nigeria Limited was registered two years before the emergence of Okowa as a governor with Corporate Affairs Commission registration number, RC 1113315, and is being managed by Osadebe Osakwe, the former Zenith Bank manager who is also a strong ally of the Delta governor… It was alleged Osakwe spent a fortune in making sure Okowa emerged governor of Delta state in 2015 general elections. It described the contract as ‘a conduit pipe being used by Governor Okowa to drain the state’s treasury ahead of his second term bid….”

Dr. Osadebe said the defendants have caused to be made and published several publication against him through their online media to reduce his estimation before the average right thinking members of the society.

He said the publications of the defendants have clearly and deliberately represented to the whole world that he is a stooge, corrupt, fraudster, a killer, a cheat, a dubious fellow of questionable character, a thief, lacking in integrity and an enemy of the people of Delta State of Nigeria, the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the International Community altogether, and these imputations are in no doubt defamatory against any standards worldwide.

Briefing journalists, Dr. Osadebe’s lawyer, Barr. Patrick Odozi stated in his word “I know that the said unverified and unsubstantiated publications which was put in an international online news media and published worldwide, is completely false and fabricated, and I strongly emphasize that in all the said publications the defendants defamed the character and image of my client on the internet which has been published and read and still being read till date by different people within Nigeria and abroad who have now come to see my client as a brute, corrupt and a debased fellow,” The lawyer asserted.

Some unidentified persons suspected to be hoodlums have beaten up the publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday.

The former presidential candidate was roughed up having been denied entry into the court premises to observe the trial of embattled Indigenous Peoples of Biafra leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

The Nation reports that Sowore was slapped and punched by the 20 unkempt looking individuals right in from of the security agents who allowed the assault until onlookers raised alarm.

The publication added that the hoodlums left the scene left without being apprehended by the security agents.

Irked by the ignorance of the security operative, the members of the public then chased the hoodlums to apprehend them as the security operatives looked on.

The security operatives were said to have eventually intervened after the situation got rowdy.

Before the incident, Sowore said: “A courtroom is not complete except people are there to witness proceedings. I want to sit right in front of the judge and witness it all.

“They have assured us that Kanu will get justice. He is my friend and I should be here. But the security agencies are still not allowing me in.”

Aare Gani Adams, Aareonaka­kanfo of Yorubaland, has said religious bigotry would not help Nigeria to move forward and reclaim her glory.

Adams, whoholdstheposition of an apostle in the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, called on Nigerians to embrace religious tolerance and refuse to see one religionassuperiortotheother.

He said it would be helpful if Nigerians see their different religions as potent tools in ad­vancing the nation, stressing that neglect of the promotion of indigenous culture and reverence of deities, includ­ing Olukun, can be linked to stunted economic growth in the country.
The convener of the annual Olokun Festival made the ob­servations on Wednesday in Lagos at the special prayers for Nigeria in commemoration of the 2021 edition of the festival, adding that the pandemic pre­vented the event from holding last year.

Adams, who played host to leaders of the Christian, Mus­lim and traditional religions, led praise and prayer sessions, noted that the place of prayer cannot be overemphasized, es­pecially in combating the kill­ings, banditry, insecurity, fall in naira value, rising cost of living and other challenges Nigerians are presently faced with.

While addressing the Yoru­ba, he called on them to pro­mote their culture. He, however, alleged that a particular tradi­tional leader in the region has taken it upon himself to spite Yoruba deities and culture.

According to Adams, the traditional leader’s conduct was appalling as it contradict­ed the Yoruba tradition.

Meanwhile, Dr. Philip Abio­dun, in his closing remarks, ap­preciated the religious leaders and participants, while praying that the tide would turn in fa­vour of Nigeria.

Oyo State government, on Wednesday, has announced its renewed plans to bring back some of the mendicants who have left the provided Akinyele Resettlement Centre back into the facility.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Alhaja Omolabake Kafilat Olayiwola, stated this during an assessment visit to the facility, saying that the state government is willing to accede to some other urgent requests made by the destitute.

She appealed to philanthropic residents to patronize beggars, destitute urchins at the Akinyele resettlement, saying this is the best way to treat the destitute.

She explained that adequate care has been given to the evacuees at the new facility, which, according to her, is more habitable and conducive.

She said: “Firstly, I want to appreciate the effort of the governor concerning what he has done here. We even have some people in other states who have acknowledged the fact that the good things happening here are not being experienced in their own states. So, it is a great privilege.

“Concerning those among the destitute leaving this settlement the state government has provided for them, we have interviewed them and they told us that it is because those who give them food no longer come inside the settlement. So, they had to be going outside to get the food from those people. They said if the people will be coming inside to give them food, they won’t have any cause to go outside of this environment.

“In view of this, I want to urge some of our people who give them food to always try and come into the main resettlement centre because this is the best way to treat the destitute. We should stop giving them stuffs outside.

“In any case, I have assured that some of the requests they have made will be tabled before His Excellency, who we know is very kind and I believe the requests will be granted. Also, we will take every necessary step to ensure that those that go outside are returned and remain inside.

“Another good development about this is, we are making provision for food for them and they don’t complain about that. I have walked round this resettlement and I have seen that the state government has really done well for the destitute. I commend the government for the infrastructure put in place for them and I believe many more things will come for them.”

While speaking with newsmen on behalf of the Commissioner, the permanent Secretary, Mrs Christiana Abosede expressed satisfaction on the state of the resettlement centre, stressing that the state government would continue to take good care of the Residents, in as much they stay in the designated camp.

She maintained that efforts are on top gear to recapture those that have absconded the camp to continue their begging business in some major streets of Ibadan.

“We bless the name of the Lord, thus far. God has helped us and Oyo State Government has been trying to see to the welfare of the destitute that have been evacuated and resettled at this centre.

“As you can see, they are doing well as regards medical care. The Ministry of Health has been up to the task and they have been feeding well. They took rice and fish in the morning, Eba and okro soup this afternoon. So far, so good, the Honourable Commissioner, the new commissioner for the Ministry in the person of Alhaja Khafilat Omolabake Olayiwola, has deemed it fit, as part of her familiarisation tour to visit the people here, and to assure them of government continuous support of the centre.

“That is why she is here and she is here too to listen just to get some feelers from them so that when she meets with His Excellency, she will be able to deliver some of their requests.
“Some of the destitute that were evacuated, we all see that some of them have strayed back to the street and effort of the ministry is to ensure that all of them are captured in.

“Even as part of the interview conducted with the seven elders that they have here, they complained a lot. They said they never liked the way some of them went back to the street and that they wanted Government to bring them back here.

“So, we are going to continue the evacuation exercises which we will be doing together. They have been feeding well as far as the Ministry in charge is concerned,” She said.

In their reactions, destitute, beggars met on the ground appreciated Governor Makinde led administration for providing basic needs for them within the camp,

They however charged the state government to maintain its stand and dislodge those beggars that are floating other colonies in major streets of Ibadan.