₦airaland Forum

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has restored its National Identification Number (NIN) verification services across the country following the successful completion of system maintenance.

In a statement released on Friday and made available to Vanguard, the Commission announced that all previously disrupted services have now resumed.

“NIMC wishes to inform the general public that the recent technical maintenance has been completed and all services have been restored,” the statement read.

The Commission advised Nigerians seeking to enroll for NIN to visit its official website to locate the nearest enrollment centers. It also encouraged users to access the self-service portal for data modifications such as name changes.

Furthermore, NIMC urged the public to download the NIMC NameAuth app (oath.app) from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store to verify and authenticate their NINs.

The Commission expressed appreciation for the public’s patience and understanding during the temporary disruption in service.

It will be recalled that banks, telecom operators, and various government agencies relying on NIN verification had experienced service delays and disruptions over the past week, which affected their operations.

A police inspector, Afolabi Adeola, was reportedly killed after he was hit by a truck at a checkpoint along the Abeokuta–Sagamu Motorway in Ogun State.

Our correspondent learnt on Wednesday that the incident occurred on Sunday, around 12:30 p.m. near the Judiciary Complex checkpoint in Abeokuta.

The truck, said to have been loaded with 900 bags of cement, was reportedly approaching the checkpoint at top speed when the incident occurred.

Before ramming into the officer, the truck was said to have also rammed into another truck that had stopped at the checkpoint in compliance with police traffic control.

The impact from the crash was said to have fatally injured Inspector Adeola, who was on official duty at the checkpoint.

He was rushed to a hospital in Lagos, where he died on Monday shortly after undergoing an X-ray.

According to a report by a security analyst, Zagazola Makama, on his X (Twitter), officers from the traffic unit visited the scene, documented the crash, and recovered both vehicles to the station for further investigation.

The suspects involved are expected to be arraigned in court on Wednesday, July 3.

When contacted, the Ogun State Police Command spokesperson, CSP Omolola Odutola, told PUNCH Metro to wait for a press release.

“Please wait for the official press release,” she said.

As of the time this report was filed, Odutola had yet to share any statement on the incident as promised.

A High Court sitting in Asaba, the capital of Delta State, on Wednesday, ordered the state Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda, a judicial official, Mrs. Mordi Juliana and four others to pay a film decorator N30m as damages for infringing on his rights.

The court also ordered all the respondents to write an apology letter to Ananweude, and restrained them (the respondents) from further arresting, detaining, and or violating his fundamental rights over the said breach of contract.

The order was made following an application for fundamental human rights enforcement to the court by Mr Tobechukwu Cyril Ananweude through his lawyers A.F.Brideba.

In a suit No: DTHC/ASB/FR/48/2024, between Tobechukwu Cyril Ananweude as applicant and Mr Udaya Chidebere, Mrs Mordi Juliana, the Commissioner of Police, Delta State, CSP Rex Enwelikwu, SP Ruth Essang and Inspector Ifeyinwa Uwakina as the respondents.

The applicant had alleged in his claims that he was unlawfully arrested by the “A” Division Police, Asaba on April 16-17, 2024 and also on May 4 – 6, 2024, without explanation.

According to the applicant, on January 21, 2024, he was contracted by Chidiebere (1st respondent) to undertake the interior and exterior decoration of a property in Asaba, for a total cost of N10.3m.

“Mr Udaya paid deposits of N8,000,000, while the project underwent several design adjustments, but he delayed in payments and became uncooperative, issuing threats and involving law enforcement against me.

“I was arrested and detained by the 5th and 6th respondents under the directives of the 1st, 2nd and 4th respondents and coerced into signing an agreement under duress before my release.”

The applicant maintained that despite not receiving the full project payment and suffering reputational and financial harm, he made significant progress on the project using personal funds, even after being detained.

He also accused the 2nd respondent, an employee of the Chief Magistrates’ Court 1, Asaba, of using her influence to manipulate police action, thereby violating his rights to liberty, dignity, and fair hearing.

But, counsel for the 1st and 2nd respondents, I. U. Uchechukwu, counter-affidavit stated that the 1st respondent entered a contractual agreement with the applicant in February 2024 to furnish his production house in Asaba for N10.3m, and paid the applicant N6m upfront, with the understanding that the balance would be paid upon completion of the job within a specified period.

The 1st respondent, however, said that the applicant failed to deliver the work on time after total payment of N8m.

The 2nd respondent, Mrs. Mordi Juliana, via her counsel, deposed in her counter-affidavit that the applicant’s allegations against her were false, malicious, and unfounded..

In their counter-affidavit, counsel for 3rd to 6th respondents (police personnel), Mrs. G.O.Okwegbe, disputed the applicant’s claims of unlawful arrest and detention, saying that they acted on the criminal complaint lodged against the applicant.

In his judgement, Justice Onome Marshal-Umukoro said, “The N30m damages were awarded jointly and severally against all the respondents in favour of the applicant because his arrest over a breach of contract complaint is unconstitutional, unlawful, illegal, null and void.”

Speaking after the judgment, the applicant’s counsel, A. F. Brideba, on Thursday, described the judgment as a well-deserved judgement.

“It is a well-considered judgement. It’s very fair, considered judgement. It is intended with evidence before the court.

“The judgment will serve as a deterrent to others who are in the habit of abusing people’s fundamental rights,” he said.

Tragedy struck Friday afternoon on the failed Calabar-Itu federal highway as 17 persons were crushed to death in a fatal crash involving a containerized trailer and a commercial bus.

Eyewitnesses told newsmen that the accident occurred when a 40-foot trailer veered off its lane, crushing a 16-seater bus travelling from Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, to Calabar.

The eyewitness, identified simply as Emmanuel, said the trailer landed directly on the bus, killing all 17 occupants, 16 passengers and the driver, on the spot.

“There were no survivors. The trailer completely smashed the bus. It was a horrific scene,” Emmanuel recounted.

He blamed the accident on the deplorable condition of the Calabar-Itu highway, which he said has been undergoing repairs for more than 15 years without any meaningful progress.

As of the time of filing this report, the corpses of the victims had been evacuated to an undisclosed mortuary by community youths and concerned individuals.

Efforts to reach officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the police in Calabar for comments were unsuccessful, as neither agency was willing to speak on the incident.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it has arraigned the Chief bailiff of High Court of Justice, Gombe Usman Zakari before Justice Haruna .H. Kereng of the Gombe State High Court 3, Gombe, Gombe State.

He was taken before the court on July 2 ,2025, on a one- count charge bordering on fraudulent conversion by the Gombe Zonal Directorate of the EFCC.

According to the EFCC, Usman Zakari was October, 2023 entrusted with the auctioning of property subject of judgment enforcement in suit No. GM/329M/2023 which was auctioned in the sum of N14,000,000.00 while he was chief Bailiff of the High Court of Justice, Gombe State.

Parts of the statement reads, “On settling of the judgment debtor in favour of the judgment creditor (Ahmed Umaru) in the sum of N4,180,000.00 (Four Million, One Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira) and thereafter dishonestly converted the sum of N9,820,000.00 (Nine Million, Eight Hundred and Twenty Thousand Naira) being the remaining balance from the auction which was meant to be remitted to the judgment debtor and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 308 and Section 309 of the Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria respectively”

However, Zakari was quick to plead not guilty, which prompted the prosecuting counsel, M. O. Tijani to ask for a trial date and to remand the defendant in Gombe Correctional Centre.

In his argument, counsel to the defendant, Yusuf A.Aliyu, moved a motion for bail of his client.

Justice Kereng, having listened to both counsels, granted the defendant bail on self recognisance being a staff of the court and adjourned the case to July 30, 2025, for trial.

Maxymilliano:
The State is overdue for a state of emergency declaration

Tjra:
Anything can happen in an all-out fight.

The teeth na collateral damage. The injured might even be the aggressor.

What we need to know is what caused the fight?

Outrage as P’Harcourt realtor strips female birthday celebrants naked at nightclub

Two young women have narrated what could be summed up as a life-scarring ordeal after allegedly being assaulted by a popular Port Harcourt-based realtor, Maduba Okechi Christian, and his security details at a nightclub in the Rivers State capital.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that what was meant to be a night of carefree fun turned into a horror scene when they were allegedly beaten to a pulp, stripped naked, and one was left bleeding profusely from the head after the said Maduba reportedly smashed a bottle on her head.

The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Thursday at Blacbox nightclub, has generated outrage on social media after the ladies shared videos narrating their ordeal.

‘He assaulted us for refusing love advances’

They accused Maduba, the Chief Executive Officer of Ceemore Group of Companies, a real estate firm, and a Mobile Police officer attached to him, of assaulting them after one of them allegedly declined the realtor’s advances.

The ladies lamented that the attack left them with broken heads, broken teeth, and other bodily injuries.

Saturday PUNCH gathered that one of the ladies, Thonia Okoye, had made reservations at the club after paying the sum of N200,000 to celebrate her birthday with friends.

It was further gathered that the incident was reported at the Olu Obasanjo Divisional Police Station in Port Harcourt.

Narrating her ordeal in a video posted on TikTok, Okoye said the suspect had approached them at their reserved table and asked if he could join them, but they refused.

She added that Maduba flared up when he noticed one of the ladies making a video while dancing and ordered her to stop.

Dragged. stripped naked

Okoye accused Maduba of dragging her down the stairs, where she was stripped naked and beaten to a stupor.

“All of a sudden, this certain man called Ceemore Maduba came to sit at our reserved seat, and my friend was making a video. He hit my friend’s phone, saying she was not meant to make a video, and he started threatening us.

“This man and his friends started breaking bottles. They injured my friend; they broke her head, and she was bleeding profusely.

“They broke the teeth of my other friend. They pushed me downstairs, stripped me naked, and beat me mercilessly as if I had stolen something, all because this man came with a Mopol and bodyguards. This is not the first time he would be doing this. We’ve had a lot of people come out to speak against him, that this is the same thing he has done to them at that same Blacbox,” Okoye said.

He smashed a bottle on my head’

Also narrating her ordeal in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, Juliet Obasi said she had travelled from Owerri, Imo State, to Port Harcourt to celebrate with her friend alongside five other ladies.

She alleged that the realtor smashed a bottle on her head during the altercation and even attempted to stab her.

According to her, she was left bleeding profusely and had to be rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.

Club management’s failure to act

She further accused the nightclub’s management and security personnel of complacency, claiming that they stood by and failed to intervene as the attack unfolded.

Obasi said the altercation escalated after the man accused one of her friends of recording him, which she denied, insisting she was only making a selfie video. Despite their complaints to the club’s management and security, nothing was done.

“I kept asking the waitress to call the manager to intervene because this was a reserved table, but shockingly, the waitress was more interested in greeting him respectfully. That was when I realised he must be an important person at the club.

“He took a bottle from our table and smashed it on my head. I didn’t even know I was bleeding until people started shouting, ‘You’re bleeding!’ I had to touch my head to confirm. The worst part is that the club’s security and management did nothing,” she alleged.

Another lost tooth

According to Obasi, as she was being rushed out, the man also attacked another girl in their group, breaking her tooth, while the celebrant was physically assaulted, stripped, and beaten by the man and his friends.

“The only mistake we made was going to that club. The only reason we reserved a table was because we knew how the club usually is. If we hadn’t reserved a table, they would have tagged us as prostitutes.

“We paid for our drinks and stayed in our space. This man saw that there were no guys with us, and that’s why he did what he did. Now they are saying he is a big man and nothing will happen to him.

“I’m traumatised. Going out as a lady in this country feels like a crime. I have lost money, jewellery, and even my friend’s clothes were torn. I didn’t know something like this could happen to me,” she said, adding that they would demand CCTV footage from the club as part of efforts to seek justice.

Outrage

Meanwhile, Nigerians on social media have expressed outrage over the incident, calling for the arrest and prosecution of the suspect.

A Facebook user, Dede Oputamuno Gilbert, said, “This is really sad, and I expect the management of Blackbox to do something about this and take it up. Lessons have to be learnt. Not every girl you see in the club is an OS (a term used for prostitutes). Some young girls have so much money they have made from their legitimate businesses, and they also ball in the club. It is not only insulting but demeaning to see every lady as a dependant, and this should change.”

Another user, Gift Douglas, said, “The CEO of Ceemore should be brought to book immediately. He is bragging that they can’t do him anything. What a world. He thinks every girl is a prostitute like him.”

“Sisters, don’t take this matter for granted. Justice must prevail. Don’t be afraid; report to the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command. I believe he will not take this matter for granted,” Oluchi Pamela said.

Vida Ogbonna said, “This is so uncalled for. Wickedness of the highest order! So, young girls cannot have fun with their own money without harassment from the opposite sex? The man should pay for damages and should face the law.”

Rivers police spokesperson silent

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, did not respond to phone calls and messages as of the time of filing this report.

But in a post on X, the police command disclosed that both the club manager and the suspect had been invited for questioning.

“Regarding the lady that was assaulted in the club, the DPO (Divisional Police Officer) within that jurisdiction has expedited action by inviting the hotel manager and the alleged suspect to his office for immediate investigation. I would also like to use this medium to invite the victims involved,” the post read.

Reacting in a video posted on TikTok, the owner of the club, Greatcool Ejekwu, popularly known as “Datfairboy,” condemned the incident, describing it as unfortunate and unacceptable.

“The incident at Blackbox is a very sad and pathetic one. No human being has the right to inflict physical injury on anybody, especially when nobody posed any threat. I have already filed a petition with the security agencies to report the incident,” he said.

Meanwhile, efforts to reach the owner of the club were unsuccessful, as calls made to the number displayed on the Instagram account were not answered.

Also, attempts to get the reaction of the accused realtor were unsuccessful, as messages sent to his verified Facebook account were not replied to as of the time of filing this report. Attempts to reach him through other known contacts also proved abortive.

Tragedy struck Yelewata on Friday night as suspected armed herdsmen launched a deadly attack around 10:00 pm, leaving several people dead and many others injured.

According to early reports received around 4:00 am Saturday, at least 16 individuals sustained varying degrees of injuries in the assault.

The exact number of fatalities is yet to be confirmed, as authorities continue to gather information from the scene.

In response to a distress call, operatives of the Nigerian Army and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) moved to the area but were ambushed in Daudu while en route.

The ambush resulted in the tragic death of two soldiers and one Civil Defence officer.

“These brave men paid the ultimate price in service to our people. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” a community source stated, mourning the fallen security operatives.

Survivors of the attack are currently receiving treatment at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) in Makurdi. Medical personnel have made an urgent appeal for blood donations to save the lives of the injured.

Citizens and humanitarian organizations have been urged to provide immediate support to the victims, especially through blood donations and medical assistance.

“My heartfelt condolences go to the families of the victims, especially our fallen heroes in uniform,” said a concerned resident, who also refrained from sharing graphic images from the scene out of respect for the victims and community standards.