Protesters yesterday stormed Akure, the Ondo State capital over abduction of nine surveyors at Owode Ilu-Abo in Akure South Local Government Area.

The surveyors who hail from Akure were at Owode Ilu-Abo for jobs when they were abducted.

Placards-carrying women stormed the streets of Akure and blocked the Oba Adesida Road.

A sister to one of the kidnapped victims, Comfort Afolabi, said the surveyors were abducted last week.

Afolabi said the kidnappers demanded N50mil;lion before they would begin negotiation for their release.

She said the kidnappers have placed the ransom at N100million before they would release their victims.

Kidnappings have been on the rise in Ondo State. Last week, a farmer and his manager were abducted while returning from the farm at Oba Ile.

Ondo Police Commissioner, Wilfred Afolabi, had admitted that the state Police Command lacked requisite logistics to tackle kidnappings and other criminals.

The Forum of Aggrieved Constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District has petitioned the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) over the alleged abuse of power and violation of the oath of office by three senators, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

In a petition addressed to the CCB Chairman, the group accused Akpabio, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, and Senator Neda Imasuen, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, of unlawfully suspending Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in defiance of a court order.

The petition obtained by SaharaReporters on Tuesday, states, “On 4th March, 2025, the Senator representing our Senatorial District, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan secured an interim order of injunction from the Federal High Court restraining the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Code of Conduct, Sen. Neda Imasuen from proceeding with the purported investigation against the Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.”

It further alleges that, “Despite being served with the said Court Order, Sen. Neda Imasuen disregarded the said Court Order claiming that the Court cannot interfere with the functions of the Senate knowing that, such is not correct in view of the provisions of Section 4(8) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.”

According to the petitioners, Imasuen’s committee hastily conducted the hearing on 5th March 2025 without the presence of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, despite initially inviting her for 11th March.

They claimed, “The Committee quickly sent a fresh invitation letter on the same 5th of March, 2025. Sen. Imasuen’s Ethics Committee hurriedly prepared a Report contrary to a valid Court order served on him and presented the same on the floor of the Senate on 6th March, 2025.”

The report recommended a six-month suspension for Akpoti-Uduaghan, a decision the petitioners insist violates Senate Rules.

“The Sen. Imasuen led Committee recommended that the said Senator be suspended for six months even when the Rules of the Senate prescribe only 14 Legislatives vide order 67(4) of the Senate Rules.”

During the Senate’s consideration of the report, Senate President Akpabio presided over its adoption, while Bamidele supported it despite being aware of the restraining court order.

The petition highlights, “Senator Opeyemi Bamidele who is the Senate leader urged the Senate to adopt the said Report even when he knew about the said restraining order of Court and the Rules of the Senate.”

The group argued that the suspension was a direct attack on the rights of Kogi Central constituents to representation in the Senate.

They asserted, “Their wilfully abusive actions are arbitrary and knowingly prejudicial to the right of Kogi Central Constituents of Kogi State to have their elected Senator represent their collective interests in the Senate.”

They demand that the CCB investigate and take appropriate action against the three senators, citing breaches of the Nigerian Constitution.

The petition concludes, “The above named Senators are therefore in deep contravention of paragraph 9 of the Fifth Schedule (part 1) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.”

The petitioners have urged the Bureau to act under its constitutional powers to address what they describe as a blatant violation of the rule of law.

A National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, slated March 17, 2025, to deliver ruling on a suit by over 400 police officers who were allegedly forcefully retired from the Nigeria Police Force, NPF.

The suit was filed by Courses 18, 19 and 20 (Force entrants) of the Police Academy.

The litigants brought the suit through eight of their representatives: ACP Chinedu Emengaha, ACP Victor Chilaka, ACP Egwu Otu, CSP Sylvester Ebosele, CSP Sunday Okuguni, CSP Asuquo Inyang, CSP Kalu Chikozie and CSP Adetu Omoteso.

They alleged that they were unlawfully retired from service, without recourse to the due process of the law, stressing that they have not attained the mandatory retirement age.

Defendants in the matter are the Police Service Commission, PSC; Inspector General of Police, IGP, and Force Secretary, Nigeria Police.

At the resumed proceeding in the matter, yesterday, counsel to the claimants, Chief Goddy Uche, SAN, decried that the suit was pending before the court when police authorities not only reduced the rank of some of the litigants, but retired them from service.
He noted that the 2nd and 3rd defendants failed to send any legal representation to the court for the proceeding.

However, Justice R. Haastrup told the claimants that the ruling which was initially fixed for the day, was not ready.

She asked the parties to return to the court on the next adjourned date, for the ruling.