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African Interest  reports that the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has concluded plans to commence the trial of the former governor of River State, Dr. Peter Odili over alleged charges of corruption and abuse of office. (more…)

Rivers State Governor Godwin Akpabio is worried over the renewed incidences of kidnapping in the state, and in a fit of anger has issued curses against individuals that continue to indulge in the criminal act in the state

A new law which prescribes life imprisonment without an option of fine for kidnapping offences has been signed into law by Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi

Kidnapping of foreigners and high income has become a thriving business in Nigeria’s Niger Delta, and estimates indicate that up to 300 people were kidnapped in 2008 alone

The usual targets are foreigners, and middle or working-class Nigerians

The “Rivers State Kidnap Prohibition Law No. 3 of 2009 ” stipulates that “anybody caught in the act upon conviction shall be sentenced to life imprisonment without any option of fine”.

According to him “by signing the law prohibiting kidnapping, the state government would immediately begin the implementation”, henceforth, anybody caught kidnapping will face the consequences of the law”.

Amaechi said the passage of the bill and subsequent signing into law would empower the state government the more in governance, stating, “The implication therefore is that when one person is set as an example, others would learn a lesson

 Rivers state Governor, Rotimi Ameachi has pledged to make River states crime free, vowing to either prosecute and flush our criminals from the oil rich state.

“We are determined to flush out criminals out of Rivers state, either they are prosecuted or they leave out state”, said Amaechi while receiving the report of the Rivers State Truth and Reconciliation Commission, in Port Harcourt

Earlier while presenting the report, Chairman of the Rivers State Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Justice Kayode Esho, said his commission received over 200 memoranda and “was able to reconcile 15 communities who before the existence of the commission were at daggers drawn”

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Governor Rotimi Amaechi

 Chairman of the Rivers State Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Justice Kayode Esho, has identified ‘greed’ as the main cause of the Niger Delta crises, while the remote causes is demand for self actualisation by citizens of the Niger delta states: ‘citizens of Niger delta before now started by not recognising themselves as Nigerians during the colonial period”

The Rivers State Truth and Reconciliation Commission, was inaugurated on November 29, 2007, by Governor Amaechi barely one month after being sworn into office to find lasting solutions to the spate of violence and militancy that had pervaded the state. Also, the commission was mandated to reconcile warring communities, individuals especially politicians in order to restore lasting peace to the violence wracked state

Presenting a 572 page report of the Rivers State Truth and Reconciliation Commission to a crowded hall of stakeholders at Governors House in Port Harcourt, Justice Kayode Esho also listed several immediate causes of the crises:

“The immediate cause is Politics, that was unfortunately turned into business by the politicians- the politicians became immortal enemies of themselves, there was also the issue of economy that citizens regarded as unfair distribution of wealth, there was pollution in the land and sea caused by oil spillage militating against fishermen and making farming anachronistic, there were crime committed through elimination of political opponents and these crimes were never investigated by the authorities, there were communal clashes and insurgents were employed to devastate homes, lastly, chiefs believed they could rule with impunity and referred themselves as Majesties and His Royal Majesties”

Prominent persons that testified before the panel include Governor Amaechi, former Governor Peter Odili, and former transport minister in the Obasanjo administration, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, militants leaders and Inye Harry, son of slain All Nigeria Peoples Party stalwart, Chief Marshal Harry, who was felled by assassins bullets.