From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr. Dennis Otuaro, has said that President Bola Tinubu is happy with the significant achievements recorded by the agency in the Niger Delta in about two years.

He spoke at the flag-off of the fourth batch of the two-day “Leadership, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Mediation Training for PAP Stakeholders” organised by the agency in collaboration with the Alumni Association of the National Defence College (AANDEC) at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja, on Monday.

The PAP had in July and August 2025 successfully conducted a similar capacity-building workshop for three batches of its stakeholders at the same military facility.

Otuaro, who said the President is delighted with the agency’s expanded scholarship scheme, inclusive stakeholder engagement, and peacebuilding process in the Niger Delta, urged stakeholders to maintain their position as key players in the region’s peace and development.

According to him, Tinubu is supportive of the programme because of his strong desire for the region to enjoy sustainable peace, stability and development.

He reiterated that the workshop is a vital component of the PAP’s peace process with all stakeholders as important partners in the peace initiative.

He stressed that the participants are not only partners for peace, but also the President’s peace ambassadors.

The PAP boss also applauded the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for his strategic support to strengthen the programme’s initiatives and enable it to achieve the intended objectives for the people of the region.

While declaring the workshop open, Otuaro said, “His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu is very happy with what we have achieved so far in one year and nine months. As stakeholders, you should continue to be key players in the peace and development of the Niger Delta, which His Excellency has been very supportive of and desirous of.

“The objective behind this training is to ensure that all of us are partners in every peace effort in the Niger Delta. This initiative is also to give you a sense of belonging.

“When we organised this workshop in July and August this year, we assured stakeholders that more people would also participate in the training. We don’t want to do the PAP’s work alone. It is a process of putting our heads together to ensure that the region is peaceful and united. When we are united, Mr. President will do more for the region.

“We must also realise that peace starts from our communities; you all are leaders in your own rights. I know and acknowledge the support that the Office has received since we came on board. This leadership workshop is part of our peacebuilding process and is designed to ensure that peace is sustained in our region.

“Since we came on board, we have redirected the Programme towards our people and for the next generation. We have achieved a lot. This 2025-2026 academic session, we have sent 4,500 students, our future leaders, on scholarships to universities within Nigeria. We are doing this to invest in the future of our region.”

Otuaro said that his leadership would not be distracted by the smear campaign of some anti-Niger Delta elements who were angry that the programme had been taken to the people of the region, saying “nobody will hold the region to ransom.”

He further urged stakeholders not to be manipulated by political merchants, but to massively support President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid because of his clear agenda for the region.

Otuaro enjoined the stakeholders to participate actively in the workshop and utilise the lessons they would gain to strengthen peace and development in their communities and the Niger Delta in general.

He also expressed appreciation to the management of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, resource persons, and the President of AANDEC, Rear Admiral Ndidi Agholor (retd.), for partnering with the PAP to deepen the peace process in the region.

From Sylvia Udegbunam, Enugu

The Enugu State Police Command has sustained its onslaught against criminal activities during the Yuletide season with the arrest of a male armed robbery suspect and the recovery of an imitation firearm and ammunition.

The suspect, one Oshim Lambert Chimuanya (male, aged 28), was arrested on 13th December 2025 at about 11:30 p.

m. while attempting to rob members of the public around Agric Bank Bus Stop, Independence Layout, Enugu, following a prompt response to a distress call by operatives of the Command attached to the Independence Layout Police Division.

In a statement sent by the Police public relations officer Enugu State command  Daniel Ndukwe stated that Upon arrival at the scene, the operatives apprehended the suspect in the act of robbing an unsuspecting young man and recovered from him one revolver imitation (toy) pistol loaded with eight toy bullets.

The suspect is currently in custody and will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations.

The Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, has charged operatives of the Command to sustain the momentum and continue to make Enugu State uninhabitable for unrepentant criminals during the festive season and beyond. He further enjoins citizens to continue to cooperate with the Police by providing timely and credible information that will aid crime prevention and detection.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Monday, said it intercepted 457kg of skunk marijuana, during an intelligence-led raid in Uroe community, Owan East Local Government Area of Edo.

The agency also said that it arrested a suspected trafficker linked with the restricted narcotics.

The Edo Commander of the NDLEA, Dr Mitchell Ofoyeju, disclosed this in Benin, at a media briefing, on the recent achievement of the command.

He said that the operation which was carried out on Dec. 9, led to the arrest of the 44-year-old suspect, at an illegal warehouse allegedly used for drug storage.

Ofoyeju disclosed that operatives of the command recovered 15 bags of marijuana weighing 457kg, alongside a sack containing 4kg of marijuana seeds.

He described the seizure as a major blow to drug trafficking networks in the state.

“The operation reflects our unwavering commitment to the eradication of drug trafficking in Edo State,” he said.

He added that the quantity seized posed a serious threat to public health and safety.

Besides, the NDLEA boss warned that traffickers will find no safe haven in the state, as the agency will continue to track, arrest and prosecute offenders in line with the NDLEA Act.

He said that investigations were ongoing, while the suspect and seized drugs had been taken into custody as part of efforts to dismantle a wider trafficking network.

Meanwhile, the suspect, who spoke while in custody, attributed his alleged involvement in the drug trade to economic hardship, adding that family responsibilities pushed him into the act.