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land Crisis In Idumuje-Ugboko Community : Ned Nwoko’s false assassination Plot

Published

4 years ago

January 28, 2021

…Why He Is After Gabriel Ogbechie Rainoil ChairmanBusinessman-cum-politician, Prince Ned Nwoko of Idumuje-Ugboko community in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, who reliable sources say has continued to pull the strings of false stories, has alleged that another prominent son of the community who is the chairman of Rainoil, Chief Gabriel Ogbechie, is sponsoring a plot to assassinate him.

This, however, was found not to be true.

According to a petition he wrote to the office of the Commissioner of Police, Abuja, Ogbechie was mentioned as sponsor of the plan to kill him by two suspects in Kuje Prison. He alleged in the petition that his wife, Regina Daniels, was told by one Wale Jana that he (Jana) was informed about the plot by an inmate who overheard the suspects discussing how to assassinate him.

Part of Ned’s petition reads:

“I was reliably informed by my wife, Regina Daniels, who was also informed by one Mr. Wale Jana, that the suspects who were arrested and remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre in connection with the murder case in my village, are plotting to cause me harm and possibly kill me._

_From the information made available to me, the evil plot is being sponsored by one Chief Gabriel Ogbechie, the chairman of Rainoil. I came to this conclusion because, according to the report sent to my wife by Wale Jana, an inmate in the same room with the suspects at the correctional facility who pretended to be sleeping heard them plotting to harm me by conspiring with others outside the prison yard. From what he heard, the sponsor of the planned attack owns a filling station and is in the business of oil and gas and hails from the community around. As far as I know, the only person that fits that description is one Chief Gabriel Ogbechie…”_

Meanwhile, if it were not for the involvement of the police, the nakedness of Ned Nwoko’s false assassination theory would have gained public acceptance.

Based on Ned’s petition, Chief Gabriel Ogbechie and other people were reportedly invited by the police for questioning, including Ogbechie’s lawyer. The case got to the office of the Inspector-General of Police who then put together an investigative team to probe the allegation. In the course of investigation, Ned was asked to present the said Wale Jana who he said in his petition overheard the suspects plotting to kill him, but Ned changed the story. He was said to have told the police that the person who actually heard the suspects planning to kill him was not Jana but one Ossy Boise. When he was asked to present the Boise, Ned said the guy was dead. Then the police reportedly asked him to tell them how the Boise died, where he died, what killed him and where the autopsy report is, to which Ned could not make available any proof. Consequently, the case was dismissed by the police.

It was after his plot hit the rocks that, we gathered, Ned Nwoko decided on an escapee method by pushing the story to the public domain. In his public narrative, Ned claimed that the Boise that died was actually poisoned and that Gabriel Ogbechie was behind his killing so that Boise wouldn’t be able to testify against him (Ogbechie) in the case.

Logically, Ned Nwoko’s narratives were clear falsehoods, based on two premises. The first premise is that, in the petition that he wrote alleging a plot to kill him, Ned mentioned one Mr. Wale Jana as the person who informed his wife someone overheard the suspects discussing the plot. When Ned was asked to present the Wale Jana, he changed the story. Ned said that it was not Jana but one Boise. The second premise is that, when the two community youths were arrested, they were arrested and detained for murder. When they were taken to court, the judge said that they should be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre pending the conclusion of investigation. But Kuje Correctional Centre was overcrowded and because of the coronavirus protocols, the two suspects were remanded at Suleja Correctional Centre. In other words, Ned was not aware that the suspects he claimed were overheard plotting his assassination in Kuje Correctional Centre were indeed being detained in Suleja Correctional Centre.

Therefore, sources said, it is clear as crystal that it was false narrative that Ned pushed to the public place and these revelations have verified the fact that, indeed, there was no plan by anyone to kill Ned Nwoko; it is just a plot to malign Chief Gabriel Ogbechie. Sources also confirmed that the assassination theory, including ceaseless media attacks, is actually part of face-saving efforts to get back at Chief Gabriel Ogbechie, who he perceives as supporting those he (Ned) is being oppressed in a community land tussle that dates back to twenty years.

According to insiders, Ogbechie has been challenging Ned, in courteous manner, on his violation of the due process required to acquire a community land, asking of him to engage the leadership of the community properly in doing so. The land crisis involves Idumuje-Ugboko community from where both Ned and Ogbechie hails and all Chief Ogbechie has been doing is to bring peace back to Idumuje-Ugboko community and to compel Ned Nwoko to protect and preserve the throne and the family heritage and not drag the throne and, indeed, the Idumuje-Ugboko community to disrepute.

The problem began in Year 2000. Ned Nwoko had approached the late King of Idumuje-Ugboko, HRH Obi Albert Nwoko that he wanted to be allocated 33 hectares of land because he was bringing investors to the community to build a Cattle Ranch and Dairy Farm where the youths of the community would be employed. The late king excitedly allocated the 33 hectares of land to Ned as requested, for free, we learnt. However, instead of fulfilling his promise to bring investors to Idumuje-Ugboko, Ned only erected his personal mansion on a portion of the land and held on to the remaining part without any development.

Few years after that, Ned again approached the late king to request for another 100 hectares of land upon which he promised to build a sports university, the first of its kind in sub-Sahara Africa. But the king refused him, on the ground that the 33 hectares of land he was earlier given which he has failed to put to use for development as promised, was still causing crisis in the community. The king then asked him to first start the sports university on the remaining portion of 33 acres and more lands would be added if that was not enough for the university project. Sources said that Ned was not comfortable with the king’s suggestion. Hence, he reportedly kept pressure on the king on the matter and in the process, the king died on the 9th of February 2017.

The Idumuje-Ugboko’s kingship is hereditary; so, it is expected that when a king dies, one of his children would naturally take the throne. In that regard, the late king’s first son, Prince Chukwunomso Nwoko, was chosen to succeed his father and the necessary rites to that effect were undertaken. According to sources, Ned Nwoko soon approached the Prince and told him that his late father had already promised him a hundred hectares of land for the university project. But the Prince reportedly replied Ned that he was privy to the agreement he had with his late father, which was for him to first start the university project on the remaining part of the 33 hectares earlier allotted to him. The Prince told him that until he started the project on the first land, the palace could not give him another land. Ned didn’t like that, sources said, thus, he reportedly began working against the Prince’s candidacy to the throne.According to reliable sources, Ned got in touch with people relevant to events that would make the Prince to get his staff of office, applying pressures on them and eventually the Prince has not received the staff of office till date. A meeting was reportedly called by elders of the community to deliberate on the next line of action but, according to information, thugs suspected to be working for Ned Nwoko invaded the meeting place and disrupted the process. The meeting was then relocated to the palace. Again, we gathered, thugs stormed the palace, but the youths of the community rose to defend the palace and stop the thugs. Tension arose and it degenerated to a free-for-all.

Following the palace scuffle, we learned, Ned Nwoko wrote a petition to the police headquarters in Abuja that somebody, a certain Okada rider from Onicha-Ugbo, was killed in the palace and the community youths be held for murder. Subsequently, two of the community youths were reportedly arrested. In the course of the investigation, nobody was found to have died in the palace encounter. But based on Ned’s petition to the police, the arrested youths were taken to court and remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre pending the conclusion of the investigation. Few days after, and before the final funeral rites for HRH Albert Nwoko, Ned wrote another petition to the police against the Prince and president general of the Idumuje-Ugboko Development Union (UDU), Mr. Okey Ifejiokwu. Both the Prince and the community union president were arrested. That was when prominent personalities in the community decided to intervene. Pressure was, however, mounted on Ned by Ogbechie and elders of the community and the Prince was released, leaving Ifejiokwu in police net. The Rainoil chairman later got a lawyer for Ifejiokwu through whom he secured his release from custody. That was where the problem between Ned and Ogbechie actually started. Ned had assumed that Ogbechie was supporting people against him. Hence, the assassination plots.

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Things You Need to Know About Dr. Charles Akinola, the Newly Nominated Managing Director of SWDC

Published

9 hours ago

May 8, 2025

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….A Seasoned Public Policy Advisor and Development Strategist

Dr. Akinola has over 30 years of experience in public service, international development, and strategic governance, specializing in agricultural development, sustainable economic growth, and policy implementation across Nigeria and West Africa.

2. Holds Prestigious Academic Credentials from Global Institutions. He earned a Ph.D. in Agricultural Extension from the University of Ibadan and a master’s in public policy & administration from Harvard Kennedy School, where he was an Edward S. Mason Fellow.

He also studied at Cambridge, Cranfield, and MIT, gaining advanced expertise in cross-sector partnerships, enterprise development, and conflict resolution.

3. Instrumental in the Formation of the SWDC and the DAWN Commission

Long before his nomination, Dr. Akinola played a key role in founding the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission for regional integration. He was deeply involved in shaping the vision of the SWDC.

As Chairman of the Technical Committee under the Southwest Governors’ Forum, he led the review of the SWDC Bill and coordinated regional consensus on development priorities.

4. Former Chief of Staff in Both Federal and State Governments, He served as Chief of Staff to the Governor of Osun State (2018–2022) and later as Chief of Staff to the Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, His Excellency Adegboyega Oyetola (CON), while also acting as Senior Special Assistant on Marine and Blue Economy to President Tinubu.

These roles gave him frontline experience in both subnational and national policy execution.

5. A Leader in Community Engagement and Sustainable Development, Dr. Akinola has worked with major oil & gas companies, including WAPco, designing sustainable livelihood programs across Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea. His contributions helped establish the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoUs) as an industry benchmark for community development in the Niger Delta.

6. Active Global Policy Thought Leader.

He is a member of the Dean’s Council at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and was a Fellow at Harvard’s Weatherhead Centre for International Affairs. His thought leadership focuses on governance, economic innovation, and institutional reform.

7. Arts Collector

Dr. Akinola is a lover of the arts and culture, collects works of indigenous artists, such as Jimoh Buraimoh, Demas Nwoko, Tola Wewe, Nike Okundaye, among others.

*Career Highlights*

• Dr. Charles Akindiji Akinola is a Public Policy Advisor and Administrator whose work has traversed the agricultural and agribusiness, sustainable community economic development, international affairs, and development sectors, developing strategies that shape policy implementation.

• Dr. Akinola holds a Ph. D. in Agricultural Extension from the University of Ibadan, and a master’s degree in public policy & administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

• He also holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Cross-Sector Partnerships from the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK, and attended certificate courses in Enterprise Development and Management from Cranfield University, Cranfield UK, and in Negotiation, Mediation, and Dispute Resolution from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston, USA.

• Until recently, Dr. Akinola was Senior Special Assistant to the President on Marine & Blue Economy and concurrently, Chief of Staff to the Honourable Minister.

• He served as the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Osun State between 2018 and 2022. During his tenure, he supported the Governor in developing and implementing policy objectives and strategic and operational plans of the administration.

• As Chief of Staff, the Southwest Governors Forum appointed Dr. Akinola as the Chairman of the Technical Committee to review the South-West Development Commission (SWDC) Bill and aggregated the position of the six Southwest States towards a joint memorandum to the Governors and subsequently to the National Assembly.

• He has worked with major oil & gas companies within and outside Nigeria including the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) / West Africa Gas Pipeline Company (WAPco) covering Nigeria, Republic du Benin, Togo, and Ghana by designing and implementing programs that addressed issues of Sustainable Development and Livelihoods in the Niger Delta and West Africa region.

• He advised and collaborated with International Oil companies in the development of the New Community Engagement Strategy, premised on the Participatory Regional Development Model (2005), guided by the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoUs). The model was adopted as the industry standard in Community engagement and development by the joint ventures of the National Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the Oil companies in the Niger Delta.

• In previous roles, Dr. Akinola was the Director General of the Office of Economic Development and Partnerships (OEDP) between 2011 and 2018. The OEDP was the strategic Think Tank, Policy Advisory, and Implementation agency domiciled in the Office of the Governor. Dr. Akinola played a central role in the activities leading to the establishment of the Development Agenda of Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission.

• He was Chairman of the Osun State Planning Commission between 2011-2014 and in this capacity collaborated with leading development partners to deliver sustainable development in the State.

• Dr. Akinola was the Founder and Executive Director of Enterprise for Development International (EfDI) between 1999 and 2009. In this role, he coordinated EfDI’s varied consultancy assignments in community economic development in Nigeria, including the expansion of EfDI’s portfolio of development activities in the Niger Delta and the strengthening of local institutions.

• Between 2001 and 2005, Dr. Akinola was the National Coordinator of the Sustainable Tree Crop Program (STCP), a multi-agency, public-private sector effort to facilitate the improvement of smallholder agricultural systems based on tree crops in West Africa with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Chocolate Industry Worldwide.

• Between 1993 and 1998, Dr. Akinola was the Nigeria Country Director of TechnoServe, a US-based international development organisation that worked in 17 countries in Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.

• He taught at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria from 1984 until 1989 and was on the training and research faculty of the Pan African Institute for Development (PAID) in Buea, Cameroon 1990.

• Dr. Akinola was an Edward S. Mason Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and, subsequently, a Fellow at the Harvard Weatherhead Centre for International Affairs (WCFIA). His work focused on Innovation for Economic Development and Governance between 2009 and 2011.

• He is currently a member of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Dean’s Council.

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Update : Four executive bills, Senate passes two remaining tax reform bills

Published

9 hours ago

May 8, 2025

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The Senate has passed the final two of the four major tax reform bills, completing clause-by-clause consideration as it aims to modernise Nigeria’s tax administration framework.

During Wednesday’s plenary, lawmakers began deliberation on the reports of the four executive-sponsored tax bills, successfully passing two and deferring the remaining two to Thursday.

However, all four have now been approved.

The bills include the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, and the Nigeria Tax Bill.

“These four executive bills seek to transform and modernise the tax system in Nigeria,” the Senate stated during the session.

The following passage, a conference committee has been constituted to harmonise the versions with the House of Representatives. Once aligned, the bills will be forwarded to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his assent.

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Update: Reps Set Up Panel to Probe CBN and DISCOs Over N200 Billion Metering Programme Loan

Published

19 hours ago

May 8, 2025

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The House of Representatives has launched an investigation into the disbursement and utilisation of the N200 billion Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) loan allocated for the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) to Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs).

This was disclosed by the Chairman of the House Committee on Public Assets, Rep. Uchenna Okonkwo, in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

He confirmed that a 19-member sub-committee had been inaugurated to probe the matter thoroughly.

The NMMP, initiated in 2020, was designed to provide free electricity meters to Nigerian consumers through the Licensed Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs).

The programme was a joint initiative of the CBN, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), and other stakeholders in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI). It aimed to eliminate estimated billing, improve transparency in energy usage, and enhance customer satisfaction.

NMMP expected to be launched in three phases
The rep said that the programme was to be implemented in three phases to ensure the reduction of collection losses and improve market remittances in the industry.

“Under the pilot phase of the programme’s implementation, CBN commenced with the sum of N59.280 billion for procurement and installation of one million meters in 2020 at an interest rate of 9 per cent after a two year moratorium.

“Preliminary research on the NMMP has shown that instead of the pronounced amount of N59.280 billion naira for the phase 0, what was released was N55.4 billion for procurement and installation of 962,832 meters instead of one million meters pronounced by CBN,” he noted.

Furthermore, concerns have been raised regarding repayment. The committee noted discrepancies in the repayment of the funds by the DISCOs.

According to Okonkwo, “Research has also shown that what the eleven Electricity Distribution Companies who received the loan have paid back to CBN as refund for the N54.4 billion they received in 2020 without mentioning the 9 per cent interest on the loan.”

The lawmaker added that the subsequent phases of the programme, which were expected to significantly expand metering across the country, have stalled. Phase 1, which was to be funded by the CBN and Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) for 1.5 million meters, and Phase 2, expected to be financed by the World Bank for four million meters, have yet to take off.

He said that the House, exercising its constitutional powers under Sections 88(1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, resolved to investigate the matter with a view to safeguarding public interest.

The sub-committee is expected to scrutinise all aspects of the NMMP funding, from disbursement and meter procurement to distribution and repayment mechanisms.

The 19-member committee comprises Rep. Obed Shehu, Rep. Ali Shettima, Rep. Abel Fuah, Rep. Salisu Koko, Rep. Ahmed Munir, Rep. Sani Umar Bala, Rep. Gbefwi Jonathan, Rep. Abdulmaleek Danga, Rep. Chinedu Obika, and Rep. Okunlola Lanre.

Other members include Rep. Abass Adekunle, Rep. Akinosi Akanni, Rep. Obuzor Victor, Rep. Peter Akpanke, Rep. Ngozi Lawrence, Rep. Ogah Amobi Godwin, and Rep. Ikeagwuonu Onyinye, among others.

The NMMP was expected to be a game-changer in Nigeria’s power sector by reducing estimated billing, enhancing energy accountability, and restoring consumer trust.

However, the current revelations point to implementation failures and possible mismanagement of public funds.

Analysts believe that the outcome of the House probe could lead to reforms in electricity metering policy and strengthen regulatory oversight of loan disbursements to DISCOs.

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