A former police officer in Edo State, Inspector Edith Uduma, has threatened to kill herself and her children following her dismissal from the police force after she exposed an alleged rape incident involving a colleague.

She accused the state police command of unjustly dismissing her, saying the public had not also heard her side of the story.

Uduma’s dismissal came after a viral video that she captured in October showed one Sergeant Abraham, another officer, in a compromising position with a 17-year-old girl at the police station in the South Ibie area of Edo State.

The officer was seen hurriedly wearing his trousers and querying why Edith was making a video recording. The girl was seen lying on a chair in the room in the course of this.

It was learnt from the police that both officers were later dismissed following an orderly room trial.

The Edo State Police Command, in a statement released in November by its Public Relations Officer, Moses Yamu, alleged that Uduma conspired with her husband, Inspector Ibrahim Mohammed, to extort N1m from Abraham to cover up the incident. When Abraham reportedly offered N45,000 instead, the video was leaked online, the police claimed.

The command said, “That, contrary to reports from certain quarters, the said female police officer, AP/no 228719 Insp. Edith Uduma, was the Charge Room Officer on October 7, 2024, the night F/No. 504694 Sgt Abraham allegedly raped a female suspect in the station.

“The female officer, instead of reporting the incident to the Divisional Police Officer or the Incident Duty Officer as the case may be, for disciplinary actions to be initiated against the erring officer, took advantage of the situation to enrich herself by calling her husband, AP No. 228652 Insp. Ibrahim Mohammed, whom she conspired with to unlawfully demand the sum of N1m from the sergeant to assist him in concealing the matter.

“Following these events, an orderly room trial was initiated against all the officers, which led to the dismissal of Sgt. Abraham and Insp Edith Uduma.”

Uduma’s husband was also demoted to the rank of Sergeant.

However, Uduma denied the allegations in an interview with PUNCH Metro on Saturday, insisting she never extorted money and that she was not given a fair hearing. She alleged that her dismissal was orchestrated because she lacked influential connections.

Uduma who threatened to kill herself if she didn’t get justice said, “What the Edo Command is saying is not what happened. They know I have no rank or support to fight back,” Uduma said.

She further revealed that the Force Headquarters in Abuja was still investigating the matter only for the Edo command to hurriedly dismiss her.

“I want justice. My dismissal is unjust,” she said tearfully.

She said her husband who was also sanctioned had no connection to the matter.

“He (my husband) used to bring something for me to eat. He brought food that time to the station.

“If Nigerians refuse to listen to me – because my husband has been in detention, and they have been looking for me to arrest me, to charge me to court – if Nigeria refuses to listen to me, I will just poison all my children and myself. I will die. Because I’m just stranded like this,” she said, noting she had been in hiding and had not seen her children in a long time due to the incident.

She alleged that the DPO at the station prompted her to ask Sergeant Ibrahim for the N1m for negotiation when the sergeant reportedly disappeared after the incident, noting that this was to lure the suspect to show up.

According to her, she is surprised how the DPO and other officers allegedly turned the matter against her.

“If the police force can do this to a police officer, how much more to the innocent and civilians?”

The spokesperson for the Edo command, Moses Yamu, has not responded to calls and a text message put across to him on Sunday.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the then Divisional Police Officer of the station at the time the incident occurred, SP Lilian Osemwegie, has now retired.

A call was put across to a number said to be hers but a woman who responded after a question from our respondent, said, “Wrong number, wrong number.” PUNCH Metro cannot immediately verify if the former DPO was the one on the call, but a police source insisted it was her number.

In a statement made available to our correspondent on Friday, a human rights group, Take It Back Movement, petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, over what it described as the unjust dismissal of the female police officer and reduction in rank of her husband for reporting the alleged rape case.

The petition titled, “Petition For Review and Reinstatement, Unjust Dismissal From Nigeria Police Force” was released by the TIB Abuja branch and signed by the Federal Capital Teriitory Coordinator of the group, Robert Ande.

“We humbly submit this petition to seek your intervention in the gross injustice perpetrated against Mrs Edith Uduma and her husband (Mohamed Ibrahim) with Force No.: AP/NO 228652 by the Edo State Police Command.

“Her dismissal from the Nigeria Police Force and the deduction of the rank of her husband from (Inspector to CPL) was unjust, and we request a thorough review of her case,” the petition read in part.

“Instead of commending her actions, she was dismissed, and her husband, Inspector Ibrahim Muhammad, was arrested and detained,” the group added, adding that the command’s action was capable of “hindering investigations and protecting the perpetrator of the rape.”

A former Chief of Staff to Ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, has urged the federal government under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu to adjust policies that are not working in the interest of the people.

According to Gambari, some other countries did not go through as much hardship as Nigerians are experiencing at the moment before riots broke out gainst the government.

He warned that the federal government of Nigeria must not wait until there’s a revolution in the land before adjusting policies of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that are not favourable to the people.

The diplomat argued that the institutions are partners of the country and should not ultimately determine how things are run.

“Ultimately, what’s the value of the policies that the people do not support?”

“The IMF and the World Bank are partners and this is our country. Therefore, if there is a policy they are advocating or they advised, and we find that it is not working, we should have the freedom to adjust it because our primary responsibility and of the government is to the people of this country,” the elder statesman said on the Sunday edition of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television.

Gambari said the Nigerian government is lucky because citizens of the country do not make much demands.

He added that it is the responsibility of every government to take the destiny of the people in its hands.

“We’ve been very lucky because Nigerians don’t demand very much. That’s why they go about their business. That’s why it has never been a pressure.

“There are countries like Sudan where the price of bread rose by 20% and there were riots, and a governor was overthrown. But in Nigeria, the people adjust but there may be a breaking point. We don’t want to wait till a revolution takes over before (we take action),” he said.

The diplomat noted that as much as Nigeria is part of the international community, the IMF and World Bank are not responsible for the day-to-day operations of the government, noting that managing the economy is the responsibility of the leaders.

He said, “Having worked in the United Nations for 13 years, and served my country at the United Nations for 10 years, I am saying that the leadership of every country has to take their destiny into their hands.

“Yes, we are part of the international community. Yes, we are part of the IMF and World Bank because we are part of the international system, but we must be able to adjust the advice of the IMF to our own needs. Our primary responsibility is to Nigeria. We are not responsible and we will not be held responsible for what the IMF does.

“Yes, we value them. They are development partners but this is our country. It is the only country we have. Nigeria is the only country we can call our own and we have to salvage it together.”

“Any president of Nigeria must make security number one because there can be no development without peace…The contribution every president can make to Nigeria is to secure this country. And then promote the framework to release the energy of our people so that they can master their affairs in terms of economy.”

Naija News reports Gambari spoke against the background of the fuel subsidy removal and floating of the naira, which were implemented by the Tinubu government and the attendant increase in living costs in the country.

The Presidency has rejected claims by the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, that President Bola Tinubu is an accidental leader, insisting that the president was well-prepared for the position.

Reacting to Bishop Kukah’s remarks, the Presidency described Tinubu as a reformer whose leadership is already impacting various sectors of the country.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in his reaction, said, “He (Tinubu) is not an accidental leader, he is doing his best to ensure that we have a turn around in this country.

“Does he look like one at all? What I am saying is that, the man is not an accidental leader, he was prepared for this office. He even said it himself that he prepared for it and that he is doing his best to ensure that this country is lifted higher than he met it, he is doing his best.

“Because he prepared himself for the office, he is doing a lot of reform, he is touching every area and he is trying to make sure that this country is being turn-around.

“For those who said that the President is an accidental leader, that is the reason he is struggling.

“Tinubu has shown that he is a reformer and reforms are not done in quick fixes, it takes time for you to turn things around and he is doing it.

“He is doing reforms and he is the first to acknowledge that people will be affected and he is doing everything possible to ensure that those who are affected are also helped so that they will not be left behind.

“He is reforming a lot of things in Nigeria, you are talking about taxation, you are talking about the oil sector, so many reforms the man is carrying out.”

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has urged Nigerian youths to desist from the use and abuse of psychoactive drugs.

He noted that the usage adds no value to life, but instead causes immense destruction.

The politician stated this during the second edition of the Fly Above The High anti-drug campaign conference in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

He urged youths to employ restraint, while highlighting the growing problem of drug abuse in Nigeria and West Africa.

Reflecting on his tenure as Chairman of the West African Drug Commission under the Kofi Annan Foundation, he expressed alarm at the region’s transformation from a transit hub for drugs to a center of consumption.

“But to our dismay, displeasure, and pain, at the end of the exercise, we found out that West Africa has equally been a centre for drug consumption in a very bad way. That was more than 10 years ago, so the situation has since gone worse. And whatever applies to West Africa applies to all other parts of Africa,” he said.

The former president also shared a personal anecdote about an early attempt to take up smoking, which led to severe coughing and deterred him from continuing.

“If I had persisted, I could have become addicted. Once you get involved, it is difficult to get out,” he said, warning the gathering of youths, students, mental health specialists, and policymakers.

“There’s nothing drug can do for you except destruction,” Obasanjo declared, urging those already addicted to seek help while cautioning society against stigmatizing them

The Minister of Finance, Wale Edun has disclosed that Nigeria has saved $20 billion from petrol subsidy removal and market-based pricing of the foreign exchange rate.

He made the disclosure at a ceremony recently held to mark the first 100 days in office of Esther Walso-Jack, head of civil service of the federation, in Abuja.

“An amount of five per cent of GDP is what those two subsidies were costing when there was a subsidy on PMS; when there was petroleum product generally for a long time and when there was a subsidy of foreign exchange. Between them, they were costing five percent of GDP.

“If you say GDP was on average, let’s say $400 billion. We all know what five percent of that is $20 billion of funds that could be going into infrastructure, health, social services, education,” he said.

Edun said these flows now return into the government’s coffers for further deployment to the aforementioned sectors.

“The real change that has happened with the measures of Mr. President is that nobody can wake up and their target for the day or for the week or the month or the year is to get access to cheap funding, cheap funding exchange from central bank, which they can now flip.

“And overnight, they become wealthy from no value added for doing virtually nothing, except you know the right people. Similarly, they can no longer try and be part of a new peak market and very inefficient petrol subsidy regime as a way of making money overnight,” Edun added.

TD Jakes, bishop of The Potter’s House, a megachurch in the United States, suffered a health scare after delivering a sermon on Sunday. 

As Jakes rounded off his sermon with a prayer, social media videos showed how his movements slowed.

“The meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, oh Lord,” Jakes prayed amid laboured breaths.

“My strength and my redeemer, let them go in peace,” he added with his head bowed while slowly lowering the microphone.

Soon afterwards, the bishop’s head began to bob back and forth as his body jerked awkwardly.

Church officials ran towards him to prevent an imminent collapse.

In a statement on Facebook, The Potter’s House said the renowned pastor and author received immediate medical attention and is currently in stable condition.

“The entire Potter’s House family is grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers, and support from the community. Thank you for your understanding and continued prayers,” the statement added.

The church did not share if Jakes was hospitalised following the incident or what may have caused it.

Renowned Nigerian comedian and actor, Okechukwu Anthony Onyegbule, popularly known asOkey Bakassi, has argued that polygamy is a more suitable form of marriage for Africans, claiming that monogamy is failing in the region.

Bakassi shared his views during a conversation on the Honest Bunch Podcast, where he expressed that many couples in monogamous marriages are merely pretending to be happy.

He said, “Forget all the lip services that we pay to polygamy here. I still think that polygamy is the best form of marriage for Africa. Monogamy is not working.

“We are pretending. Now, what’s the difference between polygamy and monogamy? Polygamy says you can marry two people at the same time. Monogamy says you cannot marry them at the same time, you have to let one go. What if you don’t want to let one go?”

Similarly, Nollywood veteran Stephen Alajemba, better known as Uwaezuoke, has controversially claimed that having less than three wives is sinful.

He warned that men with one or two wives face risks, including being poisoned by their spouses.

In an interview with Ugwumba TV, Alajemba explained, “It’s a sin to marry one or two wives. But if you marry three or four, you will be free from sin. If you marry one wife your life is at risk. The safety of the director is in the hands of the security. If you marry two wives, they will conspire to poison you.

“But if you marry three or more wives, they will all be on their own and you will only be providing for them. You will be taking turns with their meals and bedrooms.”

A former Chief of Staff to Ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, has advocated for further decentralization of power between the federal and state governments.

The diplomat argued that the concentration of power with the federal government is too much, adding that the current situation is a result of prolonged years of military rule.

According to him, with the democratic dispensation in full swing, there is a need to consider matters that are on the exclusive and concurrent lists so state governments can assume greater responsibilities and local governments can also be strengthened.

Naija News reports he made the submission while speaking as a guest on the Sunday edition of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, on Channels Television.

The elder statesman said, “We have to decentralise power. The power of the central government is become so much. We have to find a way of decentralisation; it’s not necessarily by creating 50 more states or 200 more local governments but those things that could be done competently like education, agriculture, and others, let the state take charge.

“It’s not by accident that power has become so concentrated at the centre; it is the prolonged military rule. They (heads of state) nominate governors and so on. But now, we are in a democracy, and I sincerely believe that we have to take a second look at that so that matters that don’t need to be on the exclusive or concurrent lists are not there.

“We must strengthen local government authorities. The local government autonomy is a good step but it is not just about money because if you don’t strengthen the capacities of the local governments and also the process as to which people become chairmen of local governments, you can throw money there, and it goes down the drain.”

The diplomat said the progress and development of Africa relies on Nigeria, and the country must, therefore, pull its weight accordingly.

“The future of Africa depends on Nigeria. Because according to the United Nations, Nigeria will become the most populous country in the world by 2050, we are already the not populous in Africa.

“It’s not late. The country, by God’s grace, is going to survive because I believe that the Almighty has a purpose for putting that much number of people in this place, and to an extent, we cannot be ignored in the world,” he said.

The Senate has stated that President Bola Tinubu will likely president the 2025 budget this week.

According to the Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu ( APC, Ekiti South), the Finance Committee will meet with the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies on Monday.

He said, “The President would likely present the 2025 budget this week or in earnest.

“The Senate Committee on Finance is already working on the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and would be meeting with the MDAs tomorrow (Monday).

“The MDAs are expected to defend their 2024 expenditure and also project their 2025 budget.”

Tinubu submitted the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper for 2025–2027 to both the Senate and the House of Representatives last Tuesday.

Akpabio directed the Senate Committee on Finance, National Planning, and Economic Affairs to consider the MTEF/FSP documents and report within one week.

Key parameters in the MTEF/FSP include a $75 oil price benchmark per barrel, daily oil production of 2.06 million barrels, an exchange rate of N1,400 to $1, and a targeted GDP growth rate of 6.4%.

These figures form the basis for consideration and approval of the proposed N47.9tn 2025 budget.

Our correspondent also observed that there is work ongoing in the chamber to fix some minor issues ahead of the President’s visit.

Former Edo State, Godwin Obaseki has knocked Governor Monday Okpebholo decision to probe his (Obaseki) administration, saying it is a diversionary tactic to mask his incompetence and unpreparedness for office.

Recall that Okpebholo had approved the formation of a 14-member State Assets Verification Committee to investigate the administration of his predecessor.

The committee is tasked with verifying the state’s assets and liabilities under the previous administration.

But reacting in a statement to Naija News on Sunday, Obaseki’s Media Aide, Crusoe Osagie, said his principal ran Edo’s most transparent government.

He stated that the barrage of empty probes by Okpebholo is a smoke screen to mask his incompetence and unpreparedness for office.

According to Obaseki’s aide, Okpebholo is devoid of ideas and lacks a clear vision to drive development in the State, noting that the Edo governor is resorting to cheap political theatrics and using a circus of meaningless probes to distract from his glaring incompetence and lack of direction.

The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to a laughable and utterly ridiculous statement by the Monday Okpebholo’s administration setting up a 14-member State Assets Verification Committee to probe the administration of his predecessor, His Excellency, Godwin Obaseki, who is globally acclaimed to have run one of the most transparent, accountable and prudent government’s in the history of Nigeria.

“This is another in the list of the barrage of meaningless probes which the governor and his directionless government is embarking on since they got into Dennis Osadebey Avenue through the back door. From probing civil servants’ employment to probing Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), and probing vehicles and other assets of government, among others, the governor-select has continued to show that he is bereft of ideas and lacks a clear vision for the development of the State and has therefore resorted to these charades of empty probes to buy time and distract from his incompetence and unpreparedness for office.

“His plan is to treat Edo people like an undiscerning mob that you can distract with a show like the duel of gladiators in the Ancient Roman Colosseum. But Okpebholo will soon learn that he is the governor with the hardest job in Nigeria because the Edo people of Edo State are wise and can hardly be fooled. His diversionary probes may succeed in deceiving people in some States in Nigeria but certainly not those in Edo State.

“He should stop his futile and failed attempt to fool the people of Edo State who have already seen him for who he truly is: a politician out of his depth who has become a tool in the hands of his many godfathers who are thirsty for vendetta, having for long been denied access to the people’s patrimony by the immediate past government of His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.

“It is on record that the Obaseki administration achieved an unprecedented level of transparency in governance, laying a solid foundation for fiscal discipline, which was why it was able to accomplish the numerous milestones recorded across various sectors of the State, including the economy, education, agriculture, infrastructure, among others. Under Obaseki’s watch, the State developed its first asset register, containing all the government’s assets, which has since been handed over to the new government.”

He added: “So, we know what their plans are with the diversionary probes. It is just a smokescreen to mask the governor-select’s incompetence and unpreparedness for office, having come into power through a stolen mandate.

“We want to advise Okpebholo to focus on governance and improving the lives of Edo people rather than waste state resources masking his incompetence in meaningless probes. Edo people are watching and his short-span government which lasts until the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) reclaims its mandate duly given to it by Edo voters will be judged not by the noise it makes but by the impact it delivers.”