Awajis George News

By: Awajis Josiah-Chijindu  Infrastructure and education took centre stage on Friday as Governor Siminalayi Fubara, presented a ₦1.854 trillion Appropriation Bill for the 2026 fiscal year to the Rivers State House of Assembly, earmarking ₦533.32 billion for infrastructure and ₦315 billion for education. The proposal, christened "Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development," seeks legislative approval for ₦1,854,248,734,475.76, representing a 24.49 per cent increase over the adjusted 2025 budget.  The governor said the spending plan is designed to accelerate economic growth, strengthen human capital development, improve public service delivery and sustain fiscal stability across the state. Presenting the budget estimates before lawmakers, Fubara said the appropriation bill reflects his administration's determination to consolidate developmental gains despite political and economic challenges, while laying a solid foundation for sustainable growth. "It is my pleasu...

By: Awajis Josiah-Chijindu  The Nigeria Inspector-General of Police,IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu at the Fifth United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit (UNCOPS 2026), has said that technological innovation is no longer optional but an operational necessity in modern policing. Disu made the assertion while speaking at the Fifth United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit (UNCOPS 2026), held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from July 7 to 8, 2026. Speaking during a session at the summit, Disu said that, as Inspector General of Police of the Nigeria Police Force serving a population of over 230 million people, he understood the challenges of navigating the rapid digital transformation of law enforcement. "For us, innovation is no longer a choice; it is an operational necessity. Criminal networks now exploit artificial intelligence, encrypted communications, and cyber-enabled fraud to operate across borders with high sophistication," he said. He noted that the growing sophistic...

By: Awajis Josiah-Chijindu  The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed arresting a man in his mid 30 for allegedly stabbing his father, Captain David Nwoke, a retired pilot, to death at Oro Ekpo Estate, Ada George, in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the State. Spokesperson of the state Command, ASP Blessing Agabe, confirmed the incident. ASP Agabe while confirming that the suspect is in their custody, noted that Investigations have commenced with a view to ensuring that justice is served. Meanwhile, A resident of the estate, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said residents received a distress call from the estate's security personnel at about 10 a.m last Saturday morning, informing them that one of the landlords had allegedly been killed by his son. He said, "On Saturday morning, at about 10 a.m., we received a distress call from the security personnel at the estate gate that one of our landlords had been killed by his son. We rushed to the s...

  By: Awajis Josiah-Chijindu  Nigeria's criminal justice system continues to grapple with persistent challenges that undermine public confidence in the rule of law.  Delayed investigations, congested court dockets, prolonged trials and weak prosecution have combined to create a justice process that many citizens perceive as slow, inefficient and, at times, inaccessible.  While reforms such as the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) have sought to address these concerns, effective implementation remains the greatest hurdle. This reality underscores the urgent need for stronger collaboration between the Nigeria Police Force and the Judiciary. The recent courtesy visit by the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, therefore, deserves attention beyond its ceremonial value.  It represents an important opportunity for two critical institutions of the justice system to reaffi...

By: Awajis Josiah-Chijindu  The Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD) has collaborated with Rivers State Agencies and Civil Society Organizations in a bid to actualize a State Framework to strengthen the implementation of The Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law in Rivers State. CEHRD partnered with Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Women Affairs and Ministry of Health. Others are: Rivers State Response Team Against Violence Against Women and Girls, Gender And Development Action (GADA) and Centre for Basic Rights, Accountability and Protection. Through the partnership, CEHRD Advocacy Project Advisory Network (CAPAN), will be led by Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation. The aim of CAPAN is to produce a Framework which will become Standard of Operation guiding the roles of all stakeholders working on Gender Based Violence (GBV) in the State. Centre for Environment, Human...

By Lanre Olagunju Leadership is often most visible from a distance. It is associated with command centres, operational briefings and intelligence reports. But every so often, leadership leaves the office and walks into the field. When the Commissioner of Police for the Federal Capital Territory, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, joined a joint security operation into the Paze-Byazhin forests on the outskirts of Abuja to dismantle kidnappers' hideouts, he did more than supervise another police operation.  He demonstrated a style of leadership that placed the commander alongside those expected to carry out the assignment. The operation dismantled kidnappers' camps, led to arrests, rescued victims and disrupted criminal enclaves. Yet its greatest significance lay beyond the arrests.  It demonstrated that visible leadership can be a force multiplier, inspiring confidence and reinforcing the idea that policing is a shared mission rather than a delegated responsibility. Success has a way of...