Author: Candid Reporters

By Iroabuchi James Chikezie “When political loyalty becomes stronger than the truth, even the facts standing before us can become invisible.” Professor Nnamdi Nwaeze is an academic whose intellectual standing I respect. But respect does not mean silence, and admiration does not mean that one should surrender the right to ask difficult questions. As we approach the 2027 general elections, I believe Professor Nwaeze owes Abians and indeed himself, the duty to distinguish between objective intellectual criticism and partisan political opposition. Professor, you have every right to criticise Governor Alex Otti. You have every right to support another political party…

A mother of one of the freed members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha expressway last Thursday, says N6 million was paid to secure the release of her son. She spoke in an interview on Wednesday, where she said the abductors initially demanded N50 million for each victim before eventually settling for N6 million for her son. In her words: “Initially, they asked us to pay N50 million per head. We asked whether the amount was for all of them, but they insisted that no, it was for each person. Later, we started begging them…

The former Minister of State, Mines and Steel Development and President of Master Energy Group, Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, has expressed deep sorrow over the tragic death of Abia/Ibeku-born Squadron Leader Ahamefule Aham Man-Ugwueje, one of the pilots of the Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft, NAF 931, which crashed in Igbokoda, Ondo State, on Monday, October 5, 2026. Dr. Uche Ogah described the tragic incident and the loss of Squadron Leader Man-Ugwueje and other military personnel aboard the aircraft as painful, devastating and deeply heartbreaking, noting that their deaths have brought immense sorrow to his families, colleagues, friends, loved ones,…

The Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Josh Amupitan has said that the commission’s staff have been removed from the civil service payment structure to allow the commission to operate under a separate electoral and salary structure. Amupitan spoke on Tuesday at a press conference and national stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja where he also added that INEC staff are the least paid in Nigeria. He said the commission had taken “radical steps” to improve the welfare of its personnel by removing them from the civil service salary structure. He noted the move was part of efforts to address gaps…

Following the plane crash in Ondo State on Monday, the Nigerian Air Force has released the names of 25 people killed in the aircraft crash. The victims of the incidence in Igbokoda community comprised five crew members and 20 passengers aboard the aircraft, the NAF said in a statement issued by its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame. According to the statement, the aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when it crashed in Igbokoda. The Air Force said search-and-rescue operations were activated immediately after the accident, with relevant authorities and emergency agencies…

THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN OF EXCELLENCE Being the Text of an Address by Governor Alex C. Otti, OFR, at the 2026 Teachers Day Celebration in Umuahia on Monday, October 5, 2026 Protocol 5 Over the last 3 budget cycles, we have demonstrated that quality education remains the number one development priority of the administration. By consistently allocating one-fifth of our annual budgetary outlay to the sector, we are making a direct and clear statement of intent for the future of our society. In the new Abia, education will always come first and the order of priority is defined: teachers’ welfare, motivated…

Governor Alex Otti of Abia state has approved the sum of one billion naira special allowances to Abia teachers for the month of October. Governor Otti gave the approval on Monday during his Teacher’s Day speech delivered at the Umuahia, Abia state. In his words: “As part of our commitment to the welfare of Abia teachers, I have given approval for the payment of N1b special allowance to our hardworking teachers this October. This amount which shall be shared equally will be termed “Teachers’ Appreciation Allowance” and would be paid from today”. In the governor’s speech titled Through The Mountain…

Dr. Godswill Agu Egbe has been unveiled as the Abia All Progressives Congress,(APC) Deputy Governorship candidate for the 2027 election in the state.‎Chief Eric Opah, the Governorship candidate of the Abia APC led the unveiling held at the party’s Secretariat in Umuahia on Monday. ‎During the unveilin, Chief Opah said the selection of his running mate followed due diligence and wide consultations in line with party constitutional guidelines.‎‎Chief Opah explained that for two weeks, after the nomination came to him as candidate, he took the initiative to work closely with Dr. Egbe to examine his character and compatibility. Opah disclosed…

32 Passengers have been confirmed feared dead after a military aircraft crashed in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje LGA of Ondo state. The Nigerian air force said the plane was an ATR-42 that had been travelling to Lagos on a routine flight. Rescue teams have been deployed to the crash site.  In a statement issued by the minster of aviation and  aerospace development , Festus Keyamo, on Monday.  The plane crashed on Monday morning in a swampy area opposite the naval base in Igbokoda, causing panic among residents of the coastal community. The Ondo state police command confirmed the incident, saying details…

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo has come under criticism over statement that Nigerians are lucky and should rejoice that the petrol pump price per litre still hovers between N1,400 and N1,500. The statement has continued to attract public condemnation and criticism in Nigeria’s media space. BACKGROUND: Okpebholo had earlier compared petrol prices in Nigeria with those in the United Kingdom, arguing that at N1,500 per litre, Nigerians were enjoying because a litre of fuel costs more than N3,000 in the UK after conversion. He made the comments recently while speaking at the “Operation Rescue Benin-Asaba Road” event in Edo. He…