The Rivers State House of Assembly has issued a notice accusing Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, of alleged misconduct.

A total of twenty-six members of the assembly made these allegations against Fubara in a notice submitted to Speaker Martin Amaewhule on Monday.

According to the lawmakers, their actions are based on “Section 188 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and other existing laws.”

They accused Fubara of various offenses, including unconstitutional and reckless spending of public funds, hindering the Assembly’s activities, and appointing individuals to government positions without undergoing the required screening and confirmation.

Additional allegations include withholding salaries, allowances, and funds designated for the Rivers State House of Assembly, as well as blocking the salary of Clerk Emeka Amadi.

The lawmakers also accused Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu of “conniving and supporting the illegal appointment of persons to government positions without the required screening and confirmation.”

After receiving the notice, Amaewhule forwarded it to Fubara, stating that the allegations had been brought forward by “not less than one-third (1/3) of the membership of the Rivers State House of Assembly.”

He then urged the governor to respond to the allegations, citing Section 188(3) of the Constitution, which states, “Within 14 days of the presentation of the notice to the Speaker of the House of Assembly (whether or not any statement made by the holder of the office in reply to the allegation contained in the notice), the House of Assembly shall resolve by motion, without any debate, whether or not the allegation shall be investigated.”

Amaewhule further advised the governor to take appropriate action and extended his “esteemed regards.”

The Federal High Court in Lagos has instructed Oba Otudeko to appear before the court and enter a plea in response to the charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The directive was issued on Monday by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke.

The EFCC had previously filed a 13-count charge against Otudeko and three others over an alleged N30 billion loan fraud.

During the proceedings, the judge ruled that Otudeko must take his plea before the court could address an application contesting its jurisdiction in the matter.

The case has been adjourned to May 8.

More to come…

The United Kingdom’s Home Office has instructed some Nigerian nurses under investigation for alleged examination fraud to leave the country.

According to Nursing Times, the nurses, whose appeals are still pending, have had their UK visas revoked. Reports indicate that the Home Office has sent them letters ordering them to leave the country starting next week.

The deportation order follows an investigation by the UK’s Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) into suspected malpractice at Yunnik Technologies Test Centre in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The NMC launched the probe after detecting “anomalous data” in its system. The investigation, which began in 2023, was prompted by unusual data patterns found in the computer-based test (CBT) for foreign nurses seeking UK registration.

The CBT is a crucial part of the UK’s nursing qualification process and is typically taken in applicants’ home countries.

Following the investigation, the NMC reported that 48 registered nurses and 669 applicants may have obtained their test results fraudulently at the Yunnik centre. As a result, the NMC declared all test results issued by the centre invalid.

The NMC stated that each affected individual would have their case assessed by an independent panel to determine if they were involved in fraud.

In February 2025, around 50 of the affected individuals sent a pre-action protocol letter to the NMC, alleging that their hearings were “deliberately” delayed.

They also urged the NMC to collaborate with the Home Office to allow them to remain in the UK while their appeals are under review.