Shettima speech at book launch not linked to Fubara suspension – Presidency - Newstrends
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Shettima speech at book launch not linked to Fubara suspension – Presidency

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Vice-President Kashim Shettima
Vice-President Kashim Shettima

Shettima speech at book launch not linked to Fubara suspension – Presidency

The Presidency has dismissed reports suggesting that Vice President Kashim Shettima’s comments at a recent book launch were aimed at President Bola Tinubu’s handling of the political crisis in Rivers State, particularly the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

In a statement released on Friday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, described the interpretation of Shettima’s remarks as a “gross misrepresentation” and “reckless endangerment of national cohesion.”

The Vice President had made the remarks on Thursday at the public presentation of OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block, authored by former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN, at the Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.

Nkwocha clarified that Shettima was reflecting on his tenure as Governor of Borno State during the Goodluck Jonathan administration and the reported attempts to remove him amid the Boko Haram insurgency.

“Some news outlets have irresponsibly twisted the Vice President’s account of how the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan floated the idea of removing him from office… during the most intense and critical phase of insurgency in the North East,” Nkwocha said.

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Certain media platforms had interpreted the Vice President’s reflection as a veiled jab at President Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State — a move that led to Governor Fubara’s suspension.

However, Nkwocha firmly denied any such link, stating, “President Tinubu did not remove Governor Fubara from office. The constitutional action taken was suspension, and not outright removal.

“It was part of the measures implemented… in response to the grave circumstances surrounding the polity in Rivers State at the time,” he explained.

Nkwocha emphasized that Shettima’s speech was a historical reflection and a tribute to Adoke’s career, not a commentary on current political dynamics. “His remarks were historical references… and constituted nothing more than an intellectual discourse on Nigeria’s constitutional evolution,” he said.

Defending the legality of the President’s actions, Nkwocha said Tinubu’s intervention followed due constitutional process under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution due to security concerns and political instability in Rivers.

“President Tinubu followed the constitutional process with honest precision. The President’s proclamation properly invoked Section 305(2), which was subsequently ratified by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in the National Assembly,” he stated.

He called on the media and political commentators to refrain from misinterpreting or politicising Shettima’s remarks, urging for responsible reporting.

“Vice President Shettima stands shoulder to shoulder with President Tinubu in implementing these difficult but indispensable actions to safeguard our democracy,” Nkwocha added.

Shettima speech at book launch not linked to Fubara suspension – Presidency

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Four-Storey Building Collapses in Enugu, Workers Trapped Inside

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An early-morning building collapse in Enugu has left one person dead and four others injured after a four-storey structure under construction suddenly gave way in the Independence Layout area of the state.

 

The incident occurred around 6 a.m. on Sunday on Ogbalu Street, where workers were reportedly sleeping inside the construction site when the building collapsed.

Four workers were pulled from the debris alive and taken to the Enugu State Teaching Hospital for medical treatment.

Enugu collapsed building

Authorities said six people had been sleeping at the site before the incident, but one of them had reportedly stepped out shortly before the structure came down. The body of another victim was recovered from the rubble.

 

The rescue operation has drawn the involvement of several emergency and security agencies, including the National Emergency Management Agency, Nigerian Red Cross Society, State Emergency Management Agency, Enugu State Capital Territory Development Authority and the Police.

Officials are still working at the scene to determine whether anyone else may be trapped beneath the debris.

The cause of the collapse remains unknown as of the time of reporting.

The incident has also renewed questions about compliance with construction standards, site safety and the effectiveness of regulatory monitoring in Enugu.

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Adeleke Orders Arrests After Associate Ajagungbade Is Reportedly Killed in Ife

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Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has directed security agencies to arrest anyone found to have been involved in the reported killing of his associate, Olamilekan Ajagungbade, popularly known as Emir Ajagungbade.

Ajagungbade was reportedly shot dead in Ile-Ife on Sunday amid a dispute connected to the leadership of a motor park.

Reacting to the incident, Adeleke ordered Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Zungura to take immediate action against those responsible. The directive was disclosed by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed.

The governor also ordered rival groups involved in the park dispute to leave the motor parks while security agencies work to restore calm.

There will be no sacred cows as all culprits will be brought to book” Adeleke said, while urging residents to remain calm.

As part of his response, the governor announced plans to bring back the Park Management System across the state, saying an Executive Order would soon be issued to provide the legal backing for the arrangement.

The renewed system is expected to regulate the operation of motor parks and garages and address disputes over their management.

Ajagungbade was described in the report as a close associate of the governor and a member of the Accord Party.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting and the identities of those responsible had not been fully disclosed at the time of reporting.

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Police Arrest Two in Delta, Recover Guns, Daggers and Battle Axe

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Two suspects are in police custody in Delta State following separate raids that resulted in the recovery of firearms, ammunition and other items, the state police command has said.

The latest operation involved the arrest of Chukwuka Nzete, also known as “Ododo”, in Isupe Community, Ndokwa West Local Government Area.

Police said Nzete was suspected of dealing in illegal firearms and alleged that he ran a shrine used to fortify suspected criminal elements.

Items recovered during a search of his residence included a pump-action gun, four dagger knives, a battle axe and pots containing substances suspected to be charms.

The command said detectives were investigating to establish the extent of Nzete’s activities and whether he had links with other criminal groups.

A separate operation also led to the arrest of Joel Iwomi, 36, in Umuebu, Obiaruku.

According to the police, Iwomi resisted attempts by operatives of the Command Anti-Cult Unit to enter his residence before officers eventually gained access and conducted a search.

The search allegedly produced a pump-action gun and 18 live cartridges.

Both suspects have been taken into custody while investigations continue.

The Delta State Commissioner of Police, Samuel E. Erale, said the command would continue efforts to keep illicit firearms away from criminal elements and prevent weapons capable of threatening public safety from circulating in the state.

He urged residents to cooperate with security agencies by reporting suspicious movements, illegal firearms and other criminal activities.

The police said information supplied by members of the public would be handled confidentially.

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