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JUST-IN: Police Nab Niger Delta Congress President After Calls for Protest Against Emergency Rule
The Niger Delta Congress (NDC) president, Nubari Saatah has been nabbed for calling for a protest against Emergency Rule.
In a statement issued by the group on Sunday, they condemned the state of emergency and the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy and the state legislature. NDC is a socio-political group established in Port Harcourt in 2019 to help promote the political and economic autonomy of the Niger Delta region.
It was learnt that the police arrested Saatah on Tuesday evening and were holding him at the Octopus division in Diobu, Port Harcourt.
The NDC statement reads in part, “By suspending two branches of government and imposing a military caretaker, the federal government has made it clear that political rivalries can supersede democratic principles. We demand that President Tinubu immediately reverse this decision, reinstate Governor Fubara and the elected assembly, and commit to dialogue over diktat. To this end, we call on our people to take to the streets in a peaceful protest against indirect and undemocratic rule in Rivers State.”
While confirming the arrest to FIJ on Wednesday, the NDC’s national spokesperson said he got a call from Rivers State Police on Tuesday, asking him to report to the division in Port Harcourt. This was after he had received a letter from the State Intelligence Department in Lagos, inviting him to appear at the SID office in Ikeja on or before 11:00 am on Tuesday.
“I told them that I was not in Rivers State but in Lagos. I also told them that the president was in Rivers. The reason for the invite was a statement on Sunday and a radio interview aired on Monday calling for a protest against this state of emergency in the state,” Ogboru disclosed.
“I told the police officer that there was no need for me to attend the invite in Lagos since I was planning to be in Rivers, and he said it was fine. It was this morning that I got to know that the president had been apprehended and was still in detention.
“Because the NDC is a peaceful organisation, we were even ready to honour their invitation and dialogue with them.”
Ogboru also disclosed that the national president was arrested alongside another NDC member, who was later released that same day. The arrest was made by operatives of the Octopus Squad, a unit of the police force.
He said he still spoke with Saatah on Tuesday morning, only for the police to arrest him by evening. He said none of them have been able to reach the president since his arrest.
“What the police are doing is unconstitutional. We were very clear that the protest would be peaceful, so I don’t know why the police are doing this,” Ogboru said.
“After learning of the arrest, I called the police officer who called me earlier. He said he was not aware of any arrest. It was later that we got to know that the Octopus Squad of the police arrested him.”
Amayie King, the founding chairman of the congress, also told FIJ that the police used another member who was arrested to get the detained national president.
“He is like a PA to the president. The police felt that if they got to him, they would definitely get to the president. He was released immediately after they arrested the president,” King said.
King, who is also the coordinator of the Throw it Back (TIB) movement, a community of human rights defenders, said Saatah was arrested around 5:30 pm.
“I spoke with the commissioner of police this morning, and he said it’s just an invitation. He claimed that they wanted to talk to the president. They are just trying to shut down people’s voices by all means,” King told FIJ.
Gists9ja understands that if the police force does not release the NDC president by the end of Wednesday, the protest they are trying to avert in Rivers could happen.
Grace Iringe-Koko, the police spokesperson in Rivers, could not be reached for comments. When FIJ dialled her number around 11:20 am on Wednesday, a lady who identified as her personal assistant told our reporter that she was in a meeting.
“You are speaking with her PA. She is in a meeting. You may need to drop a message for her,” said the lady.
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FCT minister Wike hosts Ambassadors, High Commissioners designate in his official residence(Video)
The Federal Capital Territory FCT minister Nyesom Wike is presently hosting Ambassadors and High Commissioners designate in Abuja official residence.
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned Bauchi State Accountant General, Sirajo Muhammad Jaja, and an unlicensed Bureau de Change operator, Aliyu Abubakar of Jasfad Resources Enterprises, before Justice O. A. Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The duo were re-arraigned on Tuesday, 28 April 2026, on an amended five-count charge bordering on the conversion of public funds belonging to the Bauchi State Government and money laundering to the tune of N1,635,270,350.9k (One billion, six hundred and thirty-five million, two hundred and seventy thousand, three hundred and fifty naira, nine kobo).
DAILY POST reports that they were earlier arraigned on April 7, 2025, with Jaja as the first defendant, while Abubakar was the second.
However, in the amended charge, marked FHC/ABJCR/101/2025, dated January 5, 2026, and filed on the same date, Abubakar, trading under the name of Jasfad Resources Enterprises, became the first defendant and Jaja the second.
Early in the proceedings, prosecution counsel, Abba Muhammed, SAN, informed the court that the prosecution had filed a second amended charge and prayed the court for the defendants to take their plea.
Count two of the charge reads, “That you Aliyu Abubakar (trading under the name and style of “Jasfad Resources Enterprises,” a purported Bureau de Change operator), Sirajo Muhammad Jaja (Accountant General of
Bauchi State), Abubakar Muhammad Hafiz (at large), between 29 October, 2024 and 31st December, 2024 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did commit an offence to wit: money laundering by converting the sum of One Billion, Two Hundred and Ninety Million, One hundred and Fifty four thousand, Three hundred and Thirty seven Naira, Two kobo (N1, 290,154,337.2) of public funds, belonging to Bauchi State Government which you transferred from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury Account, domiciled in United Bank for Africa with account number 1018819396 into the bank account of Jasfad Resources Enterprise domiciled in United Bank for Africa with account number 1023444660 and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(b) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
Count three reads; “That you Aliyu Abubakar (trading under the name and style of “Jasfad Resources Enterprises,” a purported Bureau de Change operator), Sirajo Muhammad Jaja (Accountant General of Bauchi State), Abubakar Muhammad Hafiz (at large), Ari Manga (at large), and Muhammad Aminu Bose (at large), between 3rd January, 2025 and 14th March 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did commit an offence to wit: money laundering by converting the sum of Four hundred and twenty-six million, One hundred and sixteen Thousand, Thirteen Naira, Seven kobo (N426, 116,013.7) of the public funds, belonging to Bauchi State Government which you transferred from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury Account, domiciled in the United Bank for Africa with account number 1018819396 into bank account of Jasfad Enterprise, domiciled in United Bank for Africa with account number 1023444660 and thereby, committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(b) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
They pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, following which counsel to the first and second defendants, Gordy Uche, SAN, and Chris Uche, SAN, respectively, applied for the defendants to continue to enjoy the bail earlier granted by the court, which was not opposed by the prosecution counsel.
The first defendant’s counsel further moved a motion challenging the competence of the charge and asked the judge to strike out counts two, three, four and five for allegedly being a duplicity of action and to save the defendants from suffering double jeopardy.
This found support from counsel to the second defendant, Chris Uche, SAN, while it faced opposition from the prosecution counsel.
The court, however, reserved a ruling on the contention until the end of trial, citing Section 395 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
In continuation of the trial, the prosecution called its first witness, Prosecution Witness One (PW1), Abimbola Williams, a compliance officer with the United Bank for Africa (UBA) with 20 years’ experience.
She informed the court that the bank, in February 2025, received a request from the EFCC for details of some of its clients.
“The request asked for the bank statements of Jaspa Resources account, Bauchi State Sub-treasury account and the documents were printed and copies given to EFCC,” she said.
The banker, who said that the documents were certified by her, tendered them through the prosecution, and they were admitted in evidence by the court and marked as exhibits.
Although the defence lawyers raised an objection, they said their objection would be expounded in their written addresses.
Further in her testimony, PW1 narrated to the court how money running into multi-million naira, belonging to Bauchi State, was allegedly moved from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury Account number: 1018819396 to Jasfad Resources Enterprises account number: 1023444660, domiciled in UBA.
She told the court that on October 29, 2024, there was a debit transfer from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury Account to Jasfad Resources to the tune of N13,144,500. Also that “On October 29, 2024, we have a debit transfer of 1N7,196,300. On October 30, 2024 there were two debit transfers from Bauchi Sub-treasury account to Jasfad Resources Enterprise, first for N50 million and the second for N7, 321,000,” he said.
The witness further disclosed that there were 18 other instances, on different dates within the period, when transfers were made from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury Account to Jasfad Resources.
Following the conclusion of PW1’s evidence-in-chief, Justice Egwuatu adjourned the matter until 12 May for continuation of trial.
Security operatives have foiled a bandit attack on a community watch and hunters’ base in Sukunkumi village, Kankia Local Government Area of Katsina State.
Security sources said the incident occurred around 7:30 pm on March 26, when about 15 heavily armed bandits on motorcycles attempted to overrun the facility.
According to counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama, the sources said security teams quickly moved to the area and engaged the attackers in a gun duel, forcing them to flee into nearby bushes.
The sources added that three motorcycles were recovered at the scene, including two that had earlier been taken from hunters during the clash.
They further stated that a Community Watch member, Yusuf Ibrahim, 30, sustained a gunshot wound to his left leg and was taken to General Hospital Kankia for treatment.
The sources also said patrols and clearance operations have been stepped up in the area to track down the fleeing suspects and prevent further attacks.
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