Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has described Senate President Godswill Akpabio as corrupt.

Atiku accused Akpabio of being a corrupt leader with a history of abusing women.

The former Vice President made this remark in response to the sexual harassment allegations against Akpabio and the National Assembly’s approval of President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

In an interview with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie of Untold Stories, Atiku said: “Not only is he corrupt, but he is also in the habit of abusing women.

“I was not surprised that the state of emergency passed in the National Assembly because I know that the leadership is corrupt, and I have no apologies for saying that. They could do anything.

“The Senate President has been known for such behavior even when he was a governor.”

Recently, Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Akpabio of sexual harassment.

Natasha claimed that the Senate President victimized her and denied her certain privileges for rejecting his sexual advances.

Amid these allegations, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State due to the political crisis between Governor Sim Fubara and his predecessor, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

The crisis between the two escalated to the state House of Assembly.

Despite a Supreme Court ruling, tensions persisted, with Martins Amaewhule preventing Fubara from accessing the complex to present the 2025 budget.

The ongoing crisis led Tinubu to suspend Fubara for six months, declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, and appoint a sole administrator.

Following this declaration, the National Assembly approved the president’s proclamation.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State has accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of engaging in an abuse of court process.

The party in a statement on Thursday by its Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi accused Governor Adeleke of treating with disdain the judgement of the appellate court which reinstated the elected APC local government council chairmen and councillors on February 10, 2025.

The party revealed that it was aware that Governor Adeleke was behind the court suits instituted by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, local government officials elected during the February 22, local government elections.

The Osun APC also stated that it was morally and legally offensive that the National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, Osun State chapter, could get entangled in an ostensibly partisan political matter.

It accused the union of swaying to the whims and caprices of the allegedly illegally elected council chairmen and councillors who were not known to the law of the land by virtue of the Court of Appeal judgement of February 10, 2025.

According to report the PDP elected local council officials had on Wednesday approached an Osun State High Court sitting in Ikirun on the resolution of the ongoing logjam created by the occupation of the various council secretariats by the local government officials produced by the administration of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola in 2022.

Also, it was gathered that the Osun State chapter of National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, has equally instituted a lawsuit in the Osun State High Court sitting in Ilesa over the forceful invasion and illegal occupation of the local government secretariats by the APC local government chairmen and councillors of elected during the Oyetola led administration in Osun State.

The decision by Osun NULGE it was gathered is in pursuant to the importance of maintaining law and order aimed at particularly insulating their members from harm, which could brew up at any time while performing their official duties as local government employees,

The Osun APC statement reads, “If Governor Adeleke and his cohorts think that they can thwart the judgement of a superior court by a lower court through the back door, they will still remain perpetual jokers of the century.

“The latest unpopular judicial journey of Governor Adeleke and his cohorts is an indication that they have lost the chance of exhibiting to the whole world that they have what it takes to govern the state effectively.

“One does not need to be a legal mind to know that if truly Governor Adeleke has a substantive cause of action, the suitable arena for him to go would have been the Supreme Court for redress over the landmark Court of Appeal judgement that reinstated the APC local government council chairmen and councillors.

“The fact is that he is shopping for a compromising judicial officer, that has been the reason why the case that had been adjudicated over by the Court of Appeal is being reintroduced to the lower court through the back door, which is a classic example of an abuse of court process.

“Those who are thinking for Governor Adeleke are quite aware that the litigations are dead on arrival but are merely designed to keep the Peoples Democratic Party PDP members together and waste the precious time of the court and subsequently constituting a clog in the wheel of progress of the smooth running of the local government administration by the reinstated APC council chairmen and councillors.

“What evidence do we need again to state and conclude that the litigation by the NULGE was the handiwork of the Adeleke-led administration as it was his state commissioner for information, Kolapo Alimi, that rolled out the aspect of the story concerning the NULGE today?

“We want to state unequivocally that we are unperturbed with the development as there are men and women of honour and integrity in the state judiciary who could not be infected by the glaring misnomer which has become the hallmark of Governor Adeleke’s administration.

“The reinstated local government chairmen and councillors have come to stay and the earlier Governor Adeleke learns how to co-govern with them, the better it would be for him as they were elected the same way the governor was elected.”

The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the arrest of Ihsanatu Shaaibu and one other unnamed suspect for physically abusing her five-year-old stepdaughter.

This was made known in a statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, and shared on X.com on Thursday.

According to Adejobi, the arrest took place earlier on Thursday, and investigations are now underway to ensure justice is served.

The statement read, “CHILD ABUSE: In relation to the viral video where a woman identified as Ihsanatu Shaaibu physically abused and caused grievous injuries to her stepdaughter, a five-year-old.

“The suspects have been arrested today, Thursday 9th Jan 2025, and will be prosecuted as soon as investigations are concluded. We will keep you abreast of the proceedings.”

Recall that a teacher, Stella Nwadigo, was arrested and arrainged for physically assaulting a three-year-old pupil at Christ-Mitots International School in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.

Nwadigo was apprehended after a video surfaced online showing her repeatedly slapping a young child, Abayomi Micheal.

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The management of Christ-Mitots International School in Isawo, Ikorodu, Lagos State, has suspended one of its teachers, Stella Nwadigo who was accused of mistreating and physically abusing a three-year-old boy, Abayomi Micheal.

A video shared on X Wednesday by a tweep identified as Oyindamola tweeting as #dammiedammie35, captured the teacher slapping the child.

However, the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency on Wednesday confirmed the teacher’s arrest.

“We appreciate everyone who brought the disturbing incident of a teacher who was recorded physically abusing a 3-year-old boy to our attention.

“We are pleased to inform the public that the teacher in question has been arrested by Owutu FSU, and an investigation has commenced in earnest,” the statement read, among others

On Thursday, the school management announced Nwadigo’s suspension while, describing development as a “troubling incident,” saying the teacher’s act is “contrary” to the school’s values and principles, The Cable reports.

“We are aware of a deeply troubling incident involving one of our teachers and a student, which has been circulating on social media,” the school’s statement reads in part.

“The video shows a teacher engaging in the physical discipline of a student in a manner that is completely unacceptable and contrary to the values and principles of our school. As an institution deeply committed to fostering a culture of respect, care, and dignity, we are horrified by this incident and wish to make unequivocally clear that such actions will not be tolerated.

“In response, the teacher involved has been suspended indefinitely while a thorough investigation is conducted. This immediate and decisive action reflects our zero-tolerance policy towards misconduct and our obligation to safeguard the safety and well-being of every child under our care.

“We extend our sincerest apologies to the student and their family. We have reached out to them personally to express our regret, after cur support, and ensure that their needs are fully addressed during this time.”

The management pledged its commitment to “ensure that such behaviour is never repeated. As such, we will be organising mandatory training sessions for teachers to reinforce child protection protocols, emphasise positive disciplinary practices and cultivate greater sensitivity in interactions with students.

“Additionally, we have introduced a confidential whistle-blowing system to encourage the prompt reporting of inappropriate behaviour.

“We ask for the public’s patience and understanding as we work to address this matter responsibly and comprehensively.”

The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency has confirmed the arrest of a teacher following a viral video showing the suspect allegedly physically abusing a three-year-old boy at a school in Ikorodu.

The announcement was made in a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.

The video, shared by Oyindamola, who identifies as #dammiedammie35, captured a female teacher slapping the child’s face.

The video was captioned, “Footage from Christ-Mitots School in Ikorodu, a teacher named Stella Nwadigo was witnessed mistreating and physically abusing a three-year-old boy, Abayomi Micheal.

The footage has raised serious concerns about the safety and well-being of our little ones in school.”

Reacting to the incident, the Lagos DSVA issued a statement expressing gratitude to those who brought the video to their attention.

The statement reads, “We appreciate everyone who brought the disturbing incident of a teacher who was recorded physically abusing a 3-year-old boy to our attention.

“We are pleased to inform the public that the teacher in question has been arrested by Owutu FSU, and an investigation has commenced in earnest.

The agency reiterated the state government’s commitment to protecting children, emphasizing that schools must be safe and nurturing spaces.

The statement added, “Indeed, institutions of learning should be safe, warm, and protective environments for all children in their care. The State Government remains committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of every child by enforcing strict regulations, holding offenders accountable, and working with stakeholders to promote a zero-tolerance policy for abuse in any form.

“If you have any additional information about this case or similar incidents, please do not hesitate to reach out to us via our toll-free hotline: 08000 333 333 or send a direct message on our social media platforms.”

Click the link below to watch the video:

https://x.com/MobilePunch/status/1877007653005672652?t=EniJrt6I6qcsyV5B-PvK1Q&s=19