A wave of anger swept through Edo State on Wednesday as hundreds of protesters, including members of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), women’s groups, and concerned citizens, took to the streets in a fiery demonstration against the six-month suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Chanting slogans and brandishing placards, the enraged crowd marched through major landmarks, including the Edo State House of Assembly, Government House, and the secretariat of the State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

They condemned what they described as a blatant act of injustice, misogyny, and an attempt to silence the senator after she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment.

Addressing the gathering, Grace Ese Obakina, who read from a petition directed to the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, the Governor, and the NUJ, decried the suspension as an assault on justice and workplace safety.

She argued that the National Assembly’s decision to punish Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan without first addressing her allegations was nothing short of a cover-up.

“We stand against this disgraceful act of intimidation,” Obakina declared. “Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petition accused the Senate President of sexual harassment, yet instead of conducting an impartial investigation, they suspended her for six months under the guise of breaching Senate rules. This is not just an injustice to her but an attack on every woman in Nigeria.”

The protesters demanded an independent probe into the senator’s claims, vowing not to relent until justice was served.

“Sexual harassment and misogyny cannot be swept under the rug. We demand transparency and accountability. The days of silencing women who dare to speak out are over!” Obakina thundered.

At the Government House, the Deputy Chief of Staff, Dr. Pius Alile, who received the protesters on behalf of Governor Godwin Obaseki, assured them that their grievances would not be ignored.

“The governor is a strong advocate for gender equality. Your concerns have been noted, and appropriate action will be taken,” he promised.

Similarly, at the State House of Assembly, the Speaker’s media aide, Ivy Adodo-Ebojiele, vowed that the matter would not be buried.

“The issue of Natasha is one issue too many,” she said. “The Speaker and the Assembly will ensure that justice is served. This will not be swept under the carpet.”

With emotions running high and pressure mounting, all eyes are now on the authorities to see if they will take a stand for justice—or allow another voice to be silenced in the corridors of power.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has arraigned an Assistant Superintendent of Immigration with the Nigerian Immigration Service, Abubakar Aseku for allegedly receiving salaries from two additional government agencies while still employed by the NIS.

Aseku was brought before Justice Binta Dogonyaro of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Apo, Abuja, on Tuesday, facing a nine-count charge bordering on abuse of office and corruption.

In a statement on Wednesday, by the ICPC’s spokesman, Demola Bakare, the NIS officer allegedly received N4.2m in salaries from the Nasarawa State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in 2015 while serving as a school teacher despite being an active officer of the NIS.

Bakare also said Aseku was accused of illegally drawing N13.4m in salaries from the Department of Petroleum Resources between 2018 and 2019 while still under the employment of the Immigration Service.

Bakare added that as a Pay Officer with the NIS, Aseku allegedly facilitated the payment of N4.7m in salaries to seven individuals who were neither employees of the NIS nor on its payroll.

One of the charges contained in the statement read in part, “That you, Abubakar Mohammed Aseku, between October 2018 and October 2019, in Abuja, while serving as an Assistant Superintendent Immigration Officer, used your position to confer corrupt advantage upon yourself by receiving a total sum of N13,400,889.90 in salaries from the Department of Petroleum Resources, while concurrently employed by the Nigerian Immigration Service, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”

Bakare said Aseku pleaded not guilty to all charges.

He said his counsel, Basil Hemba, urged the court to uphold the bail conditions previously granted by another FCT High Court in Maitama.

Bakare said Justice Dogonyaro agreed to maintain the existing bail terms and adjourned the case to April 29, 2025, for further hearing.

The Nigerian Correctional Service, on Wednesday, said that the number of prisoners on death row had risen from 3,590 in September 2024 to 3,688 in March 2025.

This represents a 2.73 per cent increase or addition of 98 prisoners within six months.

The Acting Controller-General of NCoS, Mr Sylvester Nwakuche, gave the figure when he appeared for screening before the Senate Committee on Interior, chaired by Sen. Adams Oshiomhole.

The NCoS also sought strategic collaboration with the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services; Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to speed up the wheel of justice in the country.

Nwakuche said that the major challenge facing the correctional service in the country was that of inmates currently awaiting trials.

“That is our major headache we are trying to address on a daily basis,” he said.

The acting comptroller-general pledged to collaborate with other security agencies more strategically to ensure that the issues of awaiting trial inmates were permanently resolved to decongest the country’s prisons.

“This is very important for any establishment to forge ahead. An establishment like correctional centres cannot do anything without collaboration.

“We are the recipient of the products of all the prosecuting agencies,” the acting comptroller-general said.

In his remarks, Chairman, Senate Committee on Interior, Sen. Adams Oshiomhole, said the committee would submit its report based on the performance of the Acting Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service

NAN