society
MAUREEN AND SOWORE A DISGRACE TO JOURNALISM
Published
4 years agoon

MAUREEN AND SOWORE A DISGRACE TO JOURNALISM
I had always been a huge fan of your work but for some time now, a lot has changed. After seeing this statement credited to Omoyele Sowore of Sahara Reporters and published in a rag-tag online tabloid belonging to Maureen Badejo’s GIO Tv as reported on April 3, 2021, by one Isaac Obasi coupled with the fact that I haven’t gotten over your expulsion from the ACC, I suddenly realized that the young man has lost it.
I would ordinarily have ignored this as another silly rant by a washed-out gutter journalist seeking attention and relevance from every quarter but for certain dangerous misinformation touted by him in his quoted comments, I decided to respond.
I am an investigative journalist who has followed up series of Sowore’s attacks on MFM and its General Overseer Dr. D. K. Olukoya, spanning back since 2002/2003 when we read that a group of reporters gate-crashed MFM Cross-over service and without prior accreditation, walked straight towards the pulpit and started filming when Dr. Olukoya had already mounted the pulpit for the sermon of the day.
From that report, we could remember that it was the trying period of the country when terrorists were going about bombing churches. Hence, uniformed and plain-clothed security agents were detailed to guard and protect such gatherings.
It was told that in that write-up that the Security personnel on duty that day perceived the advancement of unknown men with gadgets walking towards the pulpit when preaching was ongoing and moved to stop their further advancement and redirected them to the area reserved for accredited journalists. But, as we read a certain young man amongst them, took offense and this happened to be Sowore Omoleye.
It was said that he took offense because his self-conceited larger-than-life image had been insulted. And after a few days, I can still remember reading about some high-polluting fiction about being detained by the Church at an alleged detention center and all manner of defamatory statements published by his media organization.
Since then, all I read about his publications about MFM and Dr. Olukoya has been filth, to the extent that he claimed that Olukoya offered him money for his political campaign in one of his many YouTube videos, which is obviously a standard lie.
In 2018, I read about a fallout between these two parties where MFM and Dr. Olukoya seemed to have been tired of tolerating Sowore’s verbal diarrhea and commenced a libel suit against him in the High Court of Justice, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State in Suit No.HU/250/2018 Upon being served with the processes, we gathered that he published further defamation and earned another Suit No. H/U312/2018 in the same judiciary.
Upon being served with processes in the second suit, he granted an interview in which, like Maureen, he lambasted the Judiciary of Akwa Ibom State and poured more filth on MFM and Dr. Olukoya thus a third Libel suit No. HU/15/2019 was filed against him.
Through our investigation, we realized that after employing the same tactics of denying service as Maureen Badejo attempted to employ in the suit under discussion, he retained the services of Barr. Inibehe Effiong whose colleague in Uyo “happened” to be in court on the date MFM lawyers were to move a motion for judgment in default of appearance and defense.
It is said that Processes in the suits had been served on Sowore and received at the premises of the Media Hub at 13A, Isaac John Street, Ikeja GRA which also housed Sahara Reporters Media Foundation, an NGO of which he is the primary Trustee, yet Sowore, through his lawyers denied service and having any ties to that address.
We gathered, through our investigation that He removed his name and photograph as Founder & Chief Executive from the website of Media Hub and substituted It with one Lakeisha Landrum, erstwhile Vice President, Global Partnerships.
Information we got stated that Ime Asanga Esq., Lawyer to MFM and Dr. Olukoya in those cases perceived that the issue of service was going to be used as a talisman to defeat the prompt hearing of the substantive cases on their merits, so he filed a Notice of Discontinuance in each of those cases and same were each struck out.
IN ESSENCE, MFM AND DR. OLUKOYA WITHDREW THE CASES FROM COURT NOT THAT THEY WERE DISMISSED.
It was further told to us that the withdrawal of the cases was a strategy to re-file the three cases as one mega suit AFTER DISCOVERING SOWORE’S UNDISPUTED ADDRESS IN NIGERIA.
THAT MEGA SUIT ENCOMPASSING THE CLAIMS IN THE THREE WITHDRAWN CASES WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN FILED ON 15TH NOVEMBER 2019 AS SUIT NO. HU/349/2019.
At that period, Sowore was being incarcerated at the Department of State Services, Abuja.
it was told that the lawyer for MFM and Dr. Olukoya filed and was granted the leave of court to serve him either at the Department of State Services, Aso Drive, Abuja, or at his undisputed address at No. 1 Mosafejo Street, Kiribo, Ondo State of Nigeria being the address he supplied to the Corporate Affairs Commission when he was registering Sahara Reporters Media Foundation.
A bailiff of the High Court of Akwa Ibom State was already in Abuja to serve the processes on Sowore at the D.S.S office BUT DR. Olukoya INSTRUCTED THAT SERVICE SHOULD NOT BE AFFECTED SO AS NOT TO ADD TO HIS TRAVAILS AT THAT TIME. Perhaps the matter would have ended there but now that Sowore has by his utterances awoken it, IT IS SAID THAT HE WILL SOON BE SERVED ORIGINATING PROCESSES.
We further probed this matter and realized that the case in Nigeria has no connection with the case he is facing in the United States. The entities in the United States that he defamed could not have joined in the suit in Nigeria hence the Suit in the United States.
Sowore is also quoted in the report to have said “It is so sad how poor people’s tithes and offerings are used to protect the reputation of a man who tells you to pray when your stomach is assaulted with hunger!..” well this statement is rather vague.
If you do proper investigation before releasing statements you will always get your facts rights, the facts are there for anybody who cares to confirm. Dr. Olukoya is a scientist and a prolific and accomplished author and a minister of God, with books selling worldwide.
He earns and/or receives nothing from the coffers of the Church rather he spends from his publications’ royalties on the needs of the Church; the man has his integrity and reputation to protect. I can tell you this because I have followed up on this matter from the inception of Maureen’s unfounded allegations.
In that statement published on GIOTV blog, it also red and I quote “A case in which the defendant in the case was never even served the summons and here is Punch celebrating injustice against a blogger…shame!.” Oga Sowore you messed up big time on this one, there is video evidence of Maureen Badejo claiming she was duly served all letters and was aware of the hearings but ignored or rather treated them with levity. This you can find online and I wonder why almighty Sowore didn’t do his research.
Sowore has lavished invectives on the Judgment of the High Court of Ogun state against Maureen Badejo insinuating that Dr. Olukoya obtained it from an Ogun State Judge without due process.
Any intelligent person who lays claim to journalism ought properly to investigate the registry of the Court to speak with knowledge and authority.
A cursory search at the High Court Registry at Abeokuta would have revealed to him that DHL posted proofs of Delivery which clearly shows that Maureen Badejo personally signed for and received ALL the court processes and Hearing Notices, without exception.
The discerning public will do well to read the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division in Suit No. CA/L/923/2013: Debola Nejo (Maureen’s mother) V. Access Bank Plc; Niracon Engineering Nigeria Ltd; Mrs. Maureen Omorinola Badejo; Engr. Niran Badejo (Maureen’s estranged husband) it is reported in Law Pavilion Electronic Law Report as (2019) LPELR-47960 particularly pages 27 and 28 of the electronic report and discover that Maureen’s attribute as an artful dodger of court proceedings has received judicial notice by the Courts.
All these are however fish wives’ tales. The judgment has already been registered in the Queens Bench Division of the High Court in England and Maureen has been given 28 days to show cause why it should not be enforced against her. At least a window of opportunity has again been afforded her to prove that it is DHL, not her who is lying on the issue of service.
Sowore also poured muck on us journalists when he said that Dr. Olukoya funds Nigerian newspapers to make people feel he won a case. As a man thinketh so is he. It takes only a twisted mind steeped in brown-envelope quack journalism to make such a sweeping statement because he uses his own poor standards to measure others.
Sowore, wake up, and smell the coffee. You have lost every modicum of credibility and respect you may have had at the inception of your career you were once our star but not anymore.
Everyone now knows you for what you are…an egocentric, rent-seeking rabble-rouser, hungry for relevance and recognition. Nobody takes you seriously anymore, maybe the Babalawo Association of Nigeria.
Only the likes of Maureen and her minions would still describe you as “Foremost rights activist, pro-democracy campaigner” but that as well is gone! Remember the humiliation and rejection you suffered when you showed up to join the #ENDSARS campaign? That is your reality.
Sowore and Maureen Badejo are birds of a feather. They like to beat the worn-out drum, that MFM and Dr. Olukoya are running from jurisdiction to jurisdiction to commence the same case. The end of those cases will always bear out who is fooling who. MAUREEN GOT HERS, LET’S WAIT AND SEE WHAT COMES WITH YOURS
Femi Oyewale
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Sahara weekly online is published by First Sahara weekly international. contact saharaweekly@yahoo.com

society
Defending Itsekiri Heritage: A Call for Justice in Warri’s Electoral Delineation
Published
13 hours agoon
May 6, 2025
Defending Itsekiri Heritage: A Call for Justice in Warri’s Electoral Delineation
Introduction
The Itsekiri people, indigenous to the Warri region of Delta State, Nigeria, have a rich history and cultural heritage that dates back centuries. Their ancestral lands, encompassing Warri North, Warri South and Warri South-West Local Government Areas (LGAs), have been the epicenter of their socio-political and economic activities. However, recent actions by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) concerning ward delineation in these areas have raised significant concerns about the marginalization of the Itsekiri people and the potential erosion of their historical rights.
Historical Context of Itsekiri Land Ownership
The Kingdom of Warri, established in 1480, stands as a testament to the longstanding presence and sovereignty of the Itsekiri people in the region. Historical records and maps, including the 1922 colonial map of Nigeria, clearly depict the Itsekiri territory as distinct and well-defined, nestled between the Ijaw and Urhobo ethnic groups. This demarcation underscores the recognition of Itsekiri lands during colonial times, affirming their territorial claims.
Furthermore, historical accounts, such as those by European travelers in the 19th century, highlight the geographical boundaries of the Itsekiri. For instance, a traveler in 1864 noted, “At Warri, we were within one day’s row of the Sobo people,” indicating that the Urhobo (referred to as Sobo) were not originally situated within Warri but were neighbors to the Itsekiri.
INEC’s Controversial Ward Delineation
In April 2025, INEC released a new ward delineation report for the Warri Federal Constituency, which includes Warri North, Warri South and Warri South-West LGAs. The report proposed a reduction of wards in Itsekiri-dominated areas while increasing those in Ijaw and Urhobo regions. Specifically, the Itsekiri wards in Warri North were reduced from six to four, whereas the Ijaw wards increased from four to ten.
This reconfiguration has been met with strong opposition from the Itsekiri community, who view it as a deliberate attempt to marginalize them politically. The Itsekiri National Development Initiative (INDI) has petitioned INEC, labeling the delineation as biased and lacking transparency. They argue that such actions not only undermine their political representation but also threaten their cultural and historical identity.
Implications of the Delineation
The reduction of Itsekiri wards has far-reaching implications:
Political Marginalization: Fewer wards translate to reduced political representation, limiting the Itsekiri’s influence in local governance and decision-making processes.
Cultural Erosion: Diminished political presence can lead to the neglect of Itsekiri cultural heritage, traditions and language in policy formulations and implementations.
Economic Disadvantage: Political underrepresentation may result in fewer developmental projects and resource allocations to Itsekiri communities, exacerbating economic disparities.
Calls for Justice and Equity
The Itsekiri community’s outcry is not merely about political representation but about preserving their identity and rights. They demand that INEC revisits the delineation exercise, ensuring that it reflects the true demographic and historical realities of the region. As one community leader aptly stated, “We cannot allow our ancestral lands and rights to be eroded under the guise of administrative adjustments.”
Final Word: A Stand for Justice and Indigenous Rights
The struggle of the Itsekiri people is not a cry for favoritism but a demand for justice rooted in historical fact, equity, and democratic fairness. No nation thrives when its founding ethnic nationalities are silenced or politically diminished. The deliberate attempt to redraw boundaries at the expense of the Itsekiri, custodians of the original Warri territory is a betrayal not only of their people but of Nigeria’s constitutional promise of fairness to all.
INEC must retrace its steps and correct this injustice before it festers into deeper ethnic tensions. As Thomas Jefferson warned, “When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty.” The Itsekiri are not begging for mercy; they are asserting their constitutional and ancestral rights.
Let the three Warris – Warri North, Warri South, and Warri South-West be preserved as Itsekiri territory, as history, maps and facts clearly affirm. Let not political manipulation replace justice. Let Nigeria not trample on the dignity of a people who built one of West Africa’s oldest and most organized kingdoms.
Written and Compiled by George Omagbemi Sylvester
For further insights into the Itsekiri community’s stance and protests regarding the INEC’s ward delineation, you may find the following video informative: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbjD_-1YnG0
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society
One-Term Presidency (OTP) or National Collapse: 2027 Is Nigeria’s Point of No Return
Published
15 hours agoon
May 6, 2025
One-Term Presidency (OTP) or National Collapse: 2027 Is Nigeria’s Point of No Return
By George Omagbemi Sylvester
Fellow Nigerians, we stand at the edge of an abyss. The betrayal we witnessed in the 2023 elections was not just a POLITICAL DISAPPOINTMENT; it was an assault on our COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE, our DEMOCRACY and our NATION’S VERY SOUL. The man currently parading himself as President is not a reflection of the people’s will, he is the result of rigged ballot boxes, technical deceit, judicial compromise and institutional decay.
This is not leadership. It is an imposition. A fraud cemented by the fraudulent declaration of INEC and wrapped in the filthy robes of judicial endorsement. The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, followed by the Supreme Court, failed to uphold justice. What they delivered was not a verdict, it was a betrayal. Nigerians watched as their mandate was stolen, sanitized by legal acrobatics and handed to a candidate who neither earned it nor deserved it.
2027: Our Final Battle for the Soul of the Nation
The 2027 elections will be more than a democratic exercise, they will be the battle for the nation’s survival. We must UNITE not later, but now. Not when it’s convenient, but when it’s necessary. And it is necessary today. The only acceptable and dignified outcome in 2027 must be a rejection of this illegitimate administration. Nigeria must not reward mediocrity, corruption or electoral robbery with a second term.
This man must go. Not because we hate him, but because we love this country more than any man’s ambition.
Comedian and activist Mr. Macaroni captured the public’s frustration best when he said, “If our leaders love us the way they love power, Nigeria would have been paradise.”
Indeed, the current administration has shown more enthusiasm for clinging to power than for addressing the suffering of ordinary citizens. Food prices have doubled, the naira is in free fall and insecurity remains a national plague. Nigerians are slaughtered on highways, students are kidnapped in classrooms and young people flee in droves in search of greener pastures; anywhere but here.
A Government of Absence and Excuses
President Tinubu’s tenure so far has been defined by foreign travel and domestic silence. Rather than face the fire at home, he runs to the comfort of global stages, touting economic reforms that bring nothing but pain to the masses. Fuel subsidies were removed without a clear plan, plunging transportation and living costs into chaos. Foreign investors are still hesitant, inflation is out of control and unemployment worsens daily.
Human rights advocate Omoyele Sowore noted, “What we are experiencing is not reform, it is economic warfare on the poor.”
How long shall Nigerians endure this?
If the architects of this crisis return in 2027, then we must admit to ourselves that we are complicit in our own destruction.
Judicial Infamy: The System Is Rotten
It is no longer enough to whisper about judicial compromise, we must confront it. The Nigerian judiciary, once a beacon of fairness, has become a marketplace where justice is priced and purchased. The Supreme Court’s role in affirming the outcome of the 2023 election will be remembered as one of the darkest chapters in our legal history.
Our judges have allowed themselves to become tools in the hands of those who despise democracy. The courts are now graveyards where electoral hopes are buried, not resurrected.
Journalist David Hundeyin wrote bluntly, “What INEC did was sabotage. What the courts did was sacrilege.”
The OPPOSITION Must Wake Up
To the POLITICAL OPPOSITION: Nigeria does not need your PRESS CONFERENCES; we need your STRATEGY. We need your SACRIFICE. We need your UNITY. The era of individual ambition must give way to collective survival. A united front is the only force that can stop another four years of economic carnage, corruption and shame.
No more petty rivalries. No more egos. If you cannot unite to save this country, step aside and let others lead the charge.
The People’s Role: From Victims to Warriors
Nigerians must stop waiting for saviors. We are the ones we have been waiting for. Every citizen must become an electoral warrior in 2027 armed with a voter’s card, with CIVIC AWARENESS and with courage. From market women to university students, from artisans to bankers, we must all be ready to fight for our future.
As comedian Basketmouth recently quipped, “The only thing that runs smoothly in Nigeria is corruption.”
Let us change that. Let us make INTEGRITY run smoother. Let us make DEMOCRACY function again.
Steps to Victory in 2027
Mass Voter Mobilization: Register. Re-register. Mobilize friends and families. We must vote like our lives depend on it and truly they do.
Election Protection Units: Volunteer networks must be formed to monitor polling units, report violence and prevent tampering.
Media and Messaging: A strong narrative must be built nationwide that one-term is enough for a government that delivered nothing but hardship.
Diaspora Voting: Push for legal and constitutional reforms to allow Nigerians abroad who contribute over $20 billion annually to the economy to have a voice.
Judicial Reforms: Campaign for accountability within the judiciary. Corrupt judges must be named, shamed and removed.
We Owe This to Future Generations
We must act because we owe our unborn children a better country. We owe them an inheritance that isn’t defined by despair and disappointment. If we don’t rise, they will spit on our memory. They will curse us for our cowardice. And they will be right.
Comedian AY said in one of his recent shows, “We’re not even asking for paradise, just a country that works like normal. Is that too much to ask?”
Apparently, for this administration, it is.
But for the rest of us, it is not only reasonable, it is non-negotiable.
Final Word: Never Again
Bola Ahmed Tinubu must not be re-elected. The mandate was stolen, the system was hijacked, and the people were ignored. One term is already a tragedy. A second term would be national suicide.
We cannot afford to hand this country over to tyranny, corruption and incompetence again. We cannot afford to be remembered as the generation that watched Nigeria burn and did nothing.
2027 is the line in the sand.
Let the slogan be clear, powerful and unforgettable:
“One-Term n Never Again!”
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society
“Silencing the Truth”: Sowore Slams EFCC Over VeryDarkMan Arrest, Alleges Abuse of Power and Corruption Cover-Up
Published
16 hours agoon
May 6, 2025
“Silencing the Truth”: Sowore Slams EFCC Over VeryDarkMan Arrest, Alleges Abuse of Power and Corruption Cover-Up
Abuja, Nigeria – Human rights activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of using its power to silence outspoken social media critic, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM).
In a strongly worded statement released via his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Sowore described VDM’s arrest and continued detention as “unlawful” and part of a broader plot to intimidate critics of the anti-graft agency.
“It has been established that the @officialEFCC unlawfully arrested and detained Martins Vincent Otse aka VDM, as a means to silence him for accusing the agency and its leaders of corruption and malfeasance,” Sowore wrote.
The popular activist was arrested last Friday in Wuse, Abuja, allegedly after visiting a GTBank branch with his mother to resolve complaints about suspicious debits. The arrest, carried out by a joint force including EFCC operatives, DSS, and Nigeria Police, triggered public outrage and a trending online campaign under the hashtag #FreeVDM.
Sowore claimed the arrest was a deliberate tactic to suppress dissent, especially in light of VDM’s bold accusations against the EFCC and its leadership in recent weeks.
“The @officialEFCC is currently exploring legal avenues to charge him in court, possibly tomorrow, in an attempt to legitimize their actions,” he added.
He further questioned the legality of the EFCC’s actions, arguing that the agency lacks jurisdiction over cases involving defamation, libel, or cybercrime, which are civil, not criminal matters under Nigerian law.
“It is essential to state unequivocally that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission @officialEFCC does not possess the authority to prosecute individuals for criminal defamation, criminal libel, or cybercrime,” Sowore said, adding that “the EFCC must release VDM immediately.”
The EFCC has yet to issue an official statement on the specific allegations or the basis of VDM’s detention. Meanwhile, human rights groups and civil liberty advocates have joined the chorus of voices calling for due process, transparency, and the activist’s unconditional release.
As pressure mounts, questions continue to swirl about whether the EFCC’s actions are a genuine pursuit of justice or a weaponization of law enforcement against dissenters.
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