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  The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has demanded justice and a fair hearing for Farida Isiak, a 23-year-old journalist with Nagarta Radio in Kaduna State, following her reported arrest, detention and sentencing to four years' imprisonment over a Facebook post criticising the police. The Union, in a press statement issued on Thursday, October 22, expressed concern over the circumstances surrounding Isiak's ordeal, warning that the case raises serious questions about freedom of expression, personal liberty, due process and the protection of journalists from possible intimidation. According to reports, the incident stemmed from a dispute involving ₦100 change from a charcoal sale between Isiak's mother and a neighbour. Her mother was reportedly arrested, while her father was also detained after going to the police station to secure her bail. Isiak subsequently presented herself at the police station but was allegedly accused of defaming the police in a Facebook post conce...

Edo State-born billionaire and philanthropist, Dr. Leemon Ikpea, has donated a 62-bed ultramodern hospital to his Idumu-Iyase, Ewatto community of Esan South-East Local Government Area of Edo State. The hospital, which was commissioned on Monday by Governor Monday Okpebholo and the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, the donor said, was to cater to the healthcare delivery service of Ewatto people and its environs. Dr. Ikpea, who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Agbonjagwe Leemon Ikpea Foundation (ALI), said the 62-bed medical centre was equipped with modern facilities to provide healthcare services to the people, just as it would serve as an annex to the Irrua Specialist Hospital. Noting that the facility belonged to the community and should be treated as a collective asset, Ikpea stressed that its protection would ensure its continued availability for healthcare delivery. He therefore appealed to the community leaders, reside...

 TUESDAY FLAT OUT By Suyi Ayodele (Published in the Nigerian Tribune on Tuesday, October 20, 2026) https://tribuneonlineng.com/how-do-i-tell-the-president-he-lied/   An old man stole a chicken and was caught by the village youths. They took him, with the bird inside his bag, before the council of elders. The thief stepped forward, opened his bag and greeted his fellow elders. “Fathers of our land, use the eyes of elders to look inside this bag. Is there any chicken here?” One after another, the elders peered inside. Each saw what the youths had seen; each declared that there was no chicken. Between their eyes and their mouths, the bird had flown away. The above fable underscores the Black Race ethos of ultimate respect for the elderly irrespective of how outlandish the elder behaves. The Yoruba ethnic group incorporates the unwritten code in one of its value systems, where it cautions that the initiate must not reveal the cult secrets to the uninitiated (Awo kò gbudò ti o...

BY EBEN ENASCO In a colourful ceremony in Benin on Thursday, Nigeria's First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, inaugurated 50 Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, buses and launched a N1 billion economic empowerment programme for 5,000 beneficiaries in Edo State. Oluremi Tinubu, who performed both ceremonies, said the initiatives of Governor Monday Okpebholo demonstrated his love for the people and would improve transportation, strengthen small businesses and create opportunities for women, youths and vulnerable groups. "I am glad to be in Edo today after quite a long time for the commissioning of 50 compressed natural gas buses for the benefit of the people," she said, commending the state government for what she described as important steps toward improving livelihoods. Commendable on paper, no doubt. Those perceived as the fools, the just, the right thinking, politicians, artisans were all in attendance, perhaps waiting for an after thought But the question Edo citizens are asking...

BY EBEN ENASCO  Howbeit, we pretend not to see the deplorable state of the Ovia River Bridge, the bodies of our innocent loved ones may soon become victims of this open death trap on the Benin-Ovia-Lagos Expressway. Vehicular movement is grounded for hours, with hopes fading by the tick of the clock, as no road user is sure if they will arrive safely. Yet, the same political actors are saddled with the responsibility of guaranteeing the safety of citizens, I mean those elected years ago as leaders, have failed to provide that comfort. And still, they seek another four years in office without justifying even the safety of our movements. Some "nothing by nature" NBN, elements sing their praises, force their pen to promote them after cashing out into individuals pockets. These nothing by nature praise singers also have loved ones, but look away when people knock and seek why road users have been made to suffer, yet pay tax. They fail to understand that It does not ask for your p...

NBA Women Forum (NBAWF), Edo State Chapter, in collaboration with St. Augustine Medical Center, Bisam Care Foundation, and the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Edo State Chapter, took to the streets of Benin City on Saturday, October 17, 2026, for a health walk to raise public awareness on cancer prevention, early detection, and management. The sensitization walk, themed "WALK. CHECK. LIVE. PINK STEPS, STRONG WOMEN* flagged off at 7:00 a.m. from the front of the High Court and NBA House, proceeded through major streets of the city, with a brief stopover at the NUJ Press Centre, before culminating at the iconic King's Square (Ring Road). Leading the rally were Mrs. Bridget Imuetinyanosa Iguodala, Edo State Lead of NBAWF; Dr. Michael Osahumen Orhue, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist; and Comrade Habiba Aniekan Sam, Chairperson of NAWOJ, Edo State Chapter. In her address, Mrs. Iguodala highlighted that cancer has continued to ravage both women and men in ...

The Edo State Consumer Protection Committee has approved a proposed sensitisation programme aimed at addressing unfair contract terms and no-refund practices in the state's business sector. The approval followed a visit by the Head of Princely Solicitors & Arbitrators, Mariam Erakhoba Ilavbare, a Notary Public, to the Committee's office on Friday. During the visit, Ilavbare solicited the Committee's partnership in organising a sensitisation programme to address unfair contractual practices and no-refund policies affecting consumers in Edo State. She explained that the programme would bring together stakeholders from the business and private sectors to deliberate on practical strategies for tackling unfair contract terms and no-refund practices, with a view to promoting fair business transactions and protecting consumers' rights. In response, the Chairman of the Edo State Consumer Protection Committee, Mr. Iyamu Osaro Culture, alongside some principal officers, gave ...

The Edo State Consumer Protection Committee has seized suspected fake and expired drinks from a shop on Lawani Street, in the New Benin area of Benin City, as part of its ongoing statewide enforcement campaign against unsafe products. The enforcement operation, conducted on Thursday, October 15, 2026, was led by the Committee’s management team under the chairmanship of Mr. Iyamu Osaro Culture, following an intelligence report on the shop. According to the Committee, investigations conducted during the operation revealed that some of the drinks found in the shop were expired, while others were identified as fake. The Chairman subsequently seized the affected products and warned the vendor against the sale of fake and expired goods, stressing the need for traders to prioritise consumer safety and comply with relevant regulations. Meanwhile, the Committee disclosed that its Edo North Coordinator, Mr. Eshesimua Sunday Charles, and Edo Central Coordinator, Mr. Audu Solomon, had also been co...

Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Thursday inaugurated 50 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses and launched a N1 billion economic empowerment programme for 5,000 beneficiaries in Edo State. The initiatives, introduced by the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo, are aimed at improving public transportation, strengthening small businesses and expanding economic opportunities for residents, particularly women, youths and vulnerable groups. Speaking during the inauguration in Benin City, the First Lady commended the Edo State Government for the initiatives, describing them as evidence of the governor’s commitment to the welfare and economic advancement of the people. She expressed delight at returning to Edo State for the commissioning of the buses, noting that the initiative would benefit residents through improved transportation services. “I am glad to be in Edo today after quite a long time for the commissioning of 50 compressed natural gas buses for the benefit of ...

Benin City — The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Oredo Federal Constituency in the 2027 general election, Dr Paddy Iyamu, has pledged to replace campaign materials belonging to his political opponent, Hon. Frank Omosigho of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), reportedly destroyed by unknown persons. Iyamu, a former Edo State Commissioner for Education, condemned the act, describing it as unnecessary and unacceptable in a democratic society where political differences should be resolved through peaceful competition. He made the pledge on Wednesday during a meeting with members of OTUEDO N’OGBENBE (Benin Journalists Forum) in Benin City, where he called on politicians and their supporters to embrace tolerance and issue-based campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections. The APC candidate stressed that political rivalry should not degenerate into hostility or the destruction of campaign materials belonging to opponents, insisting that voters must be allowed to freely choose thei...

By Osariemen Idiaghe  The Edo State Consumer Protection Committee has approved a partnership with the Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria (AMMBAN), Edo State Chapter, to address the alleged exploitation of consumers by merchant operators and promote fair business practices across the state. The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Iyamu Osaro Culture, gave the approval on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, during a meeting with the Programme Director of AMMBAN, Edo State Chapter, Mr. Charles Imonina. Speaking during the meeting, Imonina solicited the Committee's collaboration in curbing the excesses of merchant operators and addressing practices that negatively affect consumers in Edo State. Responding, Osaro Culture welcomed the AMMBAN delegation and assured the association of the Committee's support in promoting consumer protection and ensuring fairness in business transactions. However, he expressed concern over complaints about exorbitant charges allegedly imposed on c...

 TUESDAY FLAT OUT By Suyi Ayodele (Published in the Nigerian Tribune on Tuesday, October 13, 2026)  https://tribuneonlineng.com/our-coastal-road-has-lost-its-coast/ A road “starting somewhere and ending nowhere!” That was how Lasisi Olagunju, Nigerian Tribune columnist, described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway when it was launched in March 2024. Now, the government itself has clothed the columnist in the costume of a clairvoyant. What its praise singers dismissed as the cynicism of a troublesome pen is returning as an admission from the minister supervising the project. David Umahi, who said, a few days ago, that the highway would leave the coast after Ogun State, turn inland towards Edo State and link up with the East-West Road. The road has changed direction; the warning has found its mark. In his April 29, 2024 column, titled “Sending Ooni to Tinubu”, Olagunju questioned the wisdom of the ₦15.6 trillion, 700-kilometre undertaking. Two years and ...

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has issued a stern warning to cultists, declaring that nobody, including his own son, would be spared if found engaging in cult-related activities. The governor gave the warning on Monday in Benin City during a mass renunciation ceremony organised by the Edo State Special Security Squad (EDSSS), where over 500 members of various cult groups publicly renounced their membership and were granted amnesty by the state government. Addressing the repentant cultists, Okpebholo commended them for abandoning the practice, describing their decision as a bold step towards saving their lives, restoring peace to their families and contributing to a safer Edo State. “You have chosen the right path. You have chosen to save your life. You have also chosen to remove tears from your family’s eyes,” he said. The governor reaffirmed his administration’s determination to tackle insecurity without fear or favour, stressing that protecting the lives of Edo residen...

 Monday Lines By Lasisi Olagunju  (Published in the Nigerian Tribune on Monday, 12 October, 2026). The voice of Northern Nigeria, Daily Trust newspaper, reported on Wednesday last week that more than 1,000 Islamic clerics met in Kano and warned Muslims against re-electing President Bola Tinubu next year unless his administration changed its economic policies. They cited hardship, unemployment, killings and kidnappings and blamed everything on the Lion of Bourdillon. The northern call, the newspaper said, was contained in a communique issued after a national conference on “An Assessment of the State of the Nation under President Tinubu and the 2027 General Elections,” held in Kano on the Sunday before yesterday. “Are the clerics real, not some anonymous persons?” I asked my friend at Daily Trust. “Read our story. They are prominent clerics. And dons,” he replied. I went back and read the story to the end. And there they were. Among those who reportedly presented papers at the c...