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Police stalling Abure’s forgery trial after AGF’s recommendation – LP  

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Afam Ogene, member of the House of Representing, representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency of Anambra State, in feeling upbeat with the recent recommendation by the Attorney General of the Federation for the prosecution of Julius Abure, who led the Labour Party (LP) to the 2023 presidential election as National Chairman, saying it was a clear vindication.

Abure, who is still laying claims to the office despite the counter claims that his tenure had since elapsed is facing alleged crimes, including criminal conspiracy, perjury, and forgery.

Ogene, part of the group in the party insisting that he must give way, especially with the recent judgement of the Supreme Court, interpreted as confirming the expiration of his tenure said, referred to the AGF’s recommendation to the Nigeria Police on March 7, 2025, to commence trial, via a letter from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPC) to the Inspector General of  Police, (IGP).

Ogene, who noted move was substantiated by investigations, citing the letter signed by MB Abubakar, the DPP, added that both the police and the AGF’s office, found merit in the petition, leading to the recommendation for prosecution.

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The letter from the AGF’s office read: “Following a careful review of the case file, we found that:

* Based on the “brief” from your office, there is a prima facie evidence against the suspects, namely Julius Abure, Farouk Umar Ibrahim, Nkwegu Edward Okereke and Ojukwu Clement, to support the offences of the criminal conspiracy, forgery, using as genuine a false document, giving false evidence and false declaration contrary to sections 97, 362 & 363, 364, 156 & 158, and 164 of the Penal Code respectively.

*According to the detailed findings of the investigation report, Mr. Splendour Oko Eze, a registered member of the Labour Party (LP), participated in and won the gubernatorial primaries for Ebonyi held on the 9th of June 2022, in accordance with the Electoral Act 2022.

*Subsequent to the aforementioned primaries, Mr. Splendour Oko Eze’s name was submitted to and published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as the Labour Party Governorship candidate for Ebonyi State in the 2023 elections.

*On the 3rd of August 2022, Mr. Julius Abure (National Chairman of the LP) submitted a notice of withdrawal and substitution of candidate form EC 11B and EC9 respectively to INEC, thereby replacing Mr. Splendour as the candidate of LP.

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*The investigation report indicates that the withdrawal letter attributed to Mr. Splendour Oko Eze and the signature on the LP membership card, which were used by the suspects to substitute Mr. Splendour’s nomination, were forged.

*A forensic analysis comparing Mr. Splendour Oko Eze’s verified signature with the disputed signatures on the purported letter of withdrawal and membership card indicate that the signatures do not match.

*Although the suspects deny forging the letter of withdrawal and membership card, investigation indicates they had the most significant motive to commit the act. Additionally, it is reasonable to infer that the forged documents were obtained by the suspects, considering that they did not deny utilizing these same documents in replacing Mr. Splendour Oko Eze’s name via the INEC forms EC 11B and EC9, thereby establishing intent and overt acts in furtherance of a criminal design.

*It was further established that the affidavit used in supporting the notice of withdrawal was not deposed to by Mr. Splendour Oko Eze. Consequently, I am directed to transmit the case file back to the Nigeria Police Force for prosecution…”

Ogene, who, lamented what he saw as apparent foot-dragging by police, despite the position of the AGF, said: “This lethargic disposition appears to be in tandem with the handling of the matter since it was instituted over three years ago. In fact, in a March 9, 2023 investigation report authored by Assistant Commissioner of Police, Junaid Bukar, the Police rued the fact that some of the suspects have vehemently refused to report in order to exercise their right to fair hearing, despite writing them four different letters.”

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Eze, who had accused Abure, and his accomplices of criminally substituting his name at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), after he lawfully won the governorship primary election in Ebonyi State, detailed how they forged his signature and party registration card to support a purported affidavit claiming his withdrawal from the race.

Stressing that the development vindicated his stance that Abure’s leadership of the party was marred by corruption and unfair manipulation of internal election processes for selfish reasons, called IG to ensure that the suspects are brought to justice, to serve as a deterrent to other political leaders with similar intentions that undermine democracy.

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Nafiu Gombe: Yes, I have sponsors! *I can’t fight ADC big men alone!

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Nafiu Bala Gombe, the man on whose behalf the African Democratic Congress (ADC), is currently in a prostrate state, has admitted to getting outside help in prosecuting his legal matters against the David Mark camp.

Recall that Mark, former Senate President and Rauf Aregbesola were, last week, derecognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and had their names struck out based on the case filed by Gombe on September 2, 2025.

The commission had relied on the pronouncement of the Court of Appeal, which ordered parties in the case to maintain status quo ante bellum, which it interpreted to mean that it should not deal with either side.

Against the backdrop of the dust the matter had raised across the country, the embattled ADC leadership, had accused the former Deputy Chairman of being sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to play the spoiler role to enable President Bola Tinubu have no challenge in the 2027 presidential election.

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Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman of the Mark camp, had last week, stated this much when he wondered how Gombe, who on his own could not afford an ordinary lawyer, going by his financial status, would now be hiring more than three Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) to represent him, which would probably run into tens of millions of naira.

Reacting on Tuesday, Gombe admitted getting outside help, but added that such assistance was not coming from government quarters or the APC, but from public-spirited individuals and Nigerians averse to the injustice being meted out to him.

Abimuku Monday, spokesman to Gombe, who spoke during an appearance on Morning Briefs, a breakfast programme on Channels Television, on Tuesday, told his host: “Before now, they were saying these people are big weights and we’re light weights. Now, we’re suddenly being seen as human beings. Earlier, we were seen as nobodies – as boys who don’t have capacity to challenge this in court.

“They say Nafiu Bala does not even have money to pursue his case. You see, that’s how they reduce people by their own estimation. They don’t find out who people. They have forgotten that for you to seek legal actions, there are so many ways to go about it.

“It is either you use your own money or your personal relationship with people. Does it mean that somebody in politics cannot have his own friends or cannot have lawyers as his friend or cannot have other members of the society as his friends.

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“These are not members of the APC. They don’t belong to any party. They’re citizens of this country, who mean well for Nigeria. Nobody is scuttling the coalition. The fact remains that if you have a challenge, people will rally around you knowing it’s a good cause you’re fighting. People will rally around you to give you the necessary support that you need. They even called my principal a small boy.”

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Woman returns N1million discovered in purchased items to owner  

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Serah Luca, a Christian woman, has returned N1 million she unknowingly took along with goods purchased from a trader at Terminus market in Jos, Plateau state capital.

Luca, a petty trader, reportedly said she made the purchase on Friday and only discovered the hidden cash after getting home.

She said her decision to return the money was driven by fear of God and her belief that she could not keep what did not belong to her, especially knowing the hardship that comes with losing money in business.

“I am a petty businesswoman. I know what it means to suffer loss. If I put that kind of money into my business, I believe God would punish me,” Daily Trust quoted her as saying.

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The trader, Abubakar Dola, who deals in polythene bags at Terminus market, expressed surprise at the woman’s honesty, noting that he had no idea where the money went after mistakenly placing it inside the bag she bought.

Dola said he had planned to transfer the cash through a point of sales (POS) operator but became worried when he could not see the polythene bag where the money was kept.

“I mistakenly included it in what she bought. I didn’t realise until days later, and I had already given up hope. For her to return it after three days is remarkable. I pray Allah rewards her and gives us more people like her.”

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Strait of Hormuz: Comply now or you’ll be history – Trump warns Iran

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“The entire country could be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night,” were the words with which US President Donald Trump, flashed the redlight signal over what could be the fate of Iran in the coming hours, after a month-old war, which saw leaders of the Islamic nation, all but totally obliterated.

The POTUS, who on Saturday, gave Iran 48 hours to to open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic approaches, or comply or risk facing “hell,” later threatened that the US would blow up Iran’s power plants and bridges if Tehran failed to adhere to his warning.

However, in his latest threat on Monday, Trump told reporters that Iran had until Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET (1 am WAT) to make a deal, adding: “We have a plan, because of the power of our military, where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business – burning, exploding and never to be used again, I mean complete demolition – by 12 o’clock. And it’ll happen over a period of four hours if we want it to. We don’t want that to happen.”

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