Ibok-Ete Ibas, sole administrator of Rivers, says he has fulfilled President Bola Tinubu’s directive by restoring “full democratic governance” to the state ahead of the expiration of emergency rule.

Speaking at the government house in Port Harcourt on Friday during the presentation of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) report on the recent local government elections, Ibas said the successful conduct of the polls marked the completion of his mandate.

“Mr. President’s mandate to me was clear: to stabilise the state, create an enabling environment for the re-establishment of its institutions, and return Rivers State back to full democratic governance,” Ibas said in a statement signed by Hector Igbikiowubo, his media aide.

“With the successful conduct and swearing-in of local government chairmen and their councils, I believe we have decisively achieved the mandate that we were given.”

On August 30, RSIEC conducted elections across the 23 LGAs of the state, with the All Progressives Congress (APC) winning 20 chairmanship seats, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured three.

Mike Odey, RSIEC chairman, said the report presented to Ibas contained a full account of the exercise, including challenges faced and recommendations for future improvements. He commended Rivers residents for their peaceful participation.

President Tinubu had declared emergency rule in Rivers on March 18 following a political crisis that saw the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all members of the state assembly.

Ibas, a retired naval chief, was appointed sole administrator to steer the state during the interim period. The emergency rule is expected to lapse on Thursday, September 18.

An Air Peace cabin crew member has rejected the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau’s (NSIB) report alleging drug use among the airline’s staff, describing it as defamatory and giving the bureau 72 hours to retract its claim or face legal action.

On September 11, NSIB alleged that an Air Peace pilot and co-pilot tested positive for alcohol, while a cabin crew member tested positive for THC, the active ingredient in cannabis, following a runway excursion incident at Port Harcourt airport on July 13.

Victory Maduneme, an Air Peace crew member, said the allegations are false and damaging to her career. Speaking on Arise News Night, she recounted how NSIB officials collected her samples but delayed the release of results for 10 days.

“I sent a copy of my result to you; everything was clear,” Maduneme said. “If NSIB has a smearing campaign against the airline, they should keep the innocent people away from this. In the next 72 hours, if NSIB does not retract what they’ve said against me, I think we should sue. This is pure defamation of character.”

David Bernard, a co-pilot on the same flight, also dismissed the report, insisting he does not consume alcohol or drugs. He questioned the credibility of the process, arguing that NSIB used hospitals not recognised by aviation authorities and relied on delayed blood and urine tests instead of standard breathalyser checks.

Air Peace has also denied NSIB’s claims, noting that the bureau has yet to officially communicate its investigation findings.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has revoked the operating licence of Oritsemeyin Rig and directed it to cease all operations upon the completion of its current well operations.

The notice is contained in a letter dated September 11, 2025, addressed to Selective Marine Services Limited (SMSL) and signed by the Commission Chief Executive, Engineer Gbenga Komolafe.

The NUPRC said in a statement on Friday 12 September, 2025 that the decision followed a thorough review of the circumstances surrounding the drilling of UDIBE-2 wellbore during which a kick was recorded, resulting in several Non-Productive Time (NPT) with consequential cost and a forced well sidetrack.

A kick on an oil rig is the unwanted flow of formation fluids (oil, gas, or water) into the wellbore due to a temporary pressure imbalance, where the pressure inside the wellbore becomes lower than the formation pressure. This phenomenon, if left unmanaged, can lead to a potentially catastrophic uncontrolled release of fluids called a blowout.

Subsequently, the NUPRC in accordance with Section 97 of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, issued a formal notice of culpability via a letter dated June 5, 2025 with a timeline of 21 days followed by a reminder dated July 9, 2025 to ensure an amicable resolution which was not achieved even beyond the stipulated time.

“Consequent upon the forgoing and pursuant to the relevant powers conferred on the commission under the extant Petroleum Industry Act 2021, the annual licence to operate granted to Selective Marine Services Limited for the Oritsemeyin Rig is hereby revoked,” the commission stated.

The upstream regulator also disqualified the Oritsemeyin Rig from all renewal protocols in strict compliance with the applicable provisions of the law forthwith.

The NUPRC noted that this action is in line with the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021 which empowers the commission to ensure compliance with good oilfield and international best industry practices, operational safety and optimization as well as promote technical excellence and preserve commercial and environmental sustainability.