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Forgiveness is Divine: Senator Akpabio as a Grace Carrier*
By Ken Harries Esq
There’s a trend in Nigeria where accusations are louder than the coin box, and everyone scrambles to the high ground of moral outrage. Yet, here comes Senator Godswill Akpabio, the President of the 10th Senate, going against the trend like a devoted monk who has decided that the usual script of lawsuits, vendettas, and endless bitterness won’t augur well.
In our clime, these spectacles are enough to fill a library. This stands out like the script for one of the best sellers.
A wild and unsubstantiated allegation of murder and organ harvesting levied on Akpabio, which occasioned investigations, courtrooms, and quite unexpectedly, forgiveness.
In a land where politicians hold on to grudges tighter than their lust for power, Akpabio chose grace. Amazing! Could this be a sign that even in our polarised landscape, truth and reconciliation might yet have a fighting chance?
● The weird allegation
Scandal usually starts small and balloons into monstrous dimensions that devour reputations and leave a foul stench on the victim.
In this case, it was the telephone conversation between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and a US-based activist – Sandra Duru that leaked – naturally, because what good is a juicy gist if it stays private?
The claims were as shocking as they were grave: that Akpabio and his wife had a hand in the 2021 murder of Iniobong Umoren, a young job-seeker from Akwa Ibom State. Not just murder, but with the twisted tale that Umoren’s organs were harvested to treat the wife’s illness.
One marvels at how such tales gain legs in Nigerian politics. It is as if we have all signed up for a perpetual drama series, complete with villains, victims, and plot twists. These were accusations that could ruin lives, hurled into the public space without a shred of evidence.
In a country where political rivals sharpen knives at every turn, this one went deep, painting Senator Akpabio as some sort of macabre mastermind.
● The Facts of the matter
On April 2, 2025, Sandra Duru wrote a formal petition to the Inspector General of Police, demanding investigation into the leaked conversation between her and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The petition was assigned to the Police Monitoring Unit. The investigation took the police team to Akwa Ibom State for a thorough assignment. They pored over certified court records, the post-mortem report, and also interviewed the family members of the late Iniobong Umoren who had witnessed the autopsy. What emerged was a picture as clear as day, though not what the accusers were expecting.
Back in April 2021, the youthful Iniobong Umoren met a tragic end at the hands of Uduak Frank Akpan, who lured her with a fake job offer, sexually assaulted, and murdered her. Akpan was tried in the Akwa Ibom State High Court, convicted, and sentenced to death.
- Any post-mortem?
It was confirmed no organs were missing; everything was intact, as attested to by Umoren’s sister – Ifiok Umoren, who stood there during medical procedure. “No organs were removed,” Ifiok Umoren said plainly, putting paid to the offensive rumour. - Any link to Akpabio? None whatsoever. Something must have plucked from the imagination of the purveyor of this indiscretion – who is a known content creator and also given to mischief and lawlessness. The Akwa Ibom State Director of Public Prosecution – Mr Friday Johnson Itim, laid it out: the crime was a lone wolf act, no connections to high places. The allegation was “false and without any iota of truth,” as the police report declared.
- Any deepfakes?
The forensic audio analysis contrary to Senator Natasha’s denial, confirmed the recording was the real voice communication between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Sandra Duru who were both brought together by one Ina Okopi Agu, not AI generated or deepfake. So, there you have it: a baseless storm in a teacup, debunked by cold and hard facts. One cannot help but wonder why such fictions take root so easily in our soil. Is it the thrill of taking down a highly-placed individual? Or is it a national pastime to murmur and spread rumours without demanding evidence?
● The legal aftermath
With the truth laid bare, the legal wheels began to turn in earnest. On March 29, 2025, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation slammed charges of criminal defamation on Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, zeroing in on that organ-harvesting imputation. Akpabio, no stranger to the rough and tumble of politics, initially went on the offensive, filing many defamation suits against various individuals, including the aforementioned Senator. One could hardly blame him; in the arena of high stakes politics, you fight fire with fire or risk getting scorched.
Regardless, the tale twists away from the predictable. Instead of dragging this out into an endless courtroom saga, Akpabio paused. As discerning readers know, many of these courtroom battles often end in mutual exhaustion, with no winners save the lawyers. Yet Akpabio’s move hinted at something deeper, a willingness to step back from the brink.
● A gesture of Forgiveness or Foolishness?
And then came the pivotal moment, as if scripted by a higher power of providence. It was during the New Year Mass at Sacred Heart Parish in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, early in January 2026. The priest preached on forgiveness, that age-old virtue we all nod at but seldom practice.
The Senate President later reflected that the sermon felt aimed straight at him, a divine nudge in the ribs. “It was as if the priest was speaking directly to me,” he said, realising the weight of carrying grudges into a new year.
Inspired by faith, Senator Godswill Akpabio directed his legal team to withdraw all pending lawsuits in every court. No fanfare, no conditions; just a clean slate. The notice of discontinuance was filed, and on January 15, 2026, the Federal Capital Territory High Court struck out the charges against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
In Nigerian politics, where forgiveness is as common as snow in the Sahara, this was nothing short of extraordinary. One must show respect to whom it is due. It is so easy to talk about grace, but to actually demonstrate it? That is the trademark of legends.
A Word to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan
As we celebrate this uncommon act of grace, a word of caution becomes necessary for the beneficiary thereof. Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan would do well to recognise that she has been shown a level of magnanimity rarely seen in our clime. She now stands at a crossroad where the path she chooses will define not just her immediate political future but her legacy. To continue to travel on this ignominious path with tar brush and theatrical indignation, having been handed an exit from a well-deserved legal ordeal, would be the height of political folly. The public is watching; history is recording. The wise course now is to accept the olive branch, reflect deeply on the gravity of her invidious umbrage and conduct herself with the maturity that her office demands. Grace, after all, is not a licence to repeat old mistakes but an invitation to embrace a new, better and purposeful path.
● Public reaction
The public, like a jubilation in a rapture, responded with a wave of overwhelming support for Senator Akpabio. A coalition of civil society groups under the aegis of Human Rights Africa led the applause, hailing and praising Akpabio’s act as an “exemplary display of maturity, tolerance and magnanimity.” They were never wrong; in a time of division, this gesture spoke volumes about the Senate President’s demonstrated commitment to the ideals of our social democracy, the rule of law, peaceful co-existent, national cohesion and institutional integrity.
● The enduring lessons
How did such a baseless allegation gain such massive traction? Sandra Duru still calls for accountability, insisting the matter is not buried. Fair play to her; voices like that keep the powerful on their toes. But for Akpabio, the chapter is closed, with a focus on forgiveness over vengeance.
- The wider implications
In an age of instant judgements and viral claims, Akpabio’s actions demonstrate leadership that rises above the fray. It is a lesson in how truth prevails, grace bridges divides, and reconciliation can heal what division tears apart.
Those who have studied the growth of other nations understand that to get things done in this country, a touch of radical idealism is needed.
- Akpabio’s path of grace?
That is idealism in action, pursued not with ruthlessness but with the softened heart of a grace carrier and a man who knows his priest is a human vessel bearing a divine message.
As we murmur and grumble our way forward, we should all pause and reflect. In Nigeria, where nice guys often finish last, Senate President Godswill Akpabio shows that grace doesn’t mean weakness. Forgiveness doesn’t mean foolishness. It means strength. And in our polarised landscape, that is an honourable path, a path worth following. To forgive is never foolishness but it is divine.
Ken Harries Esq is an Abuja based development communication specialist
Uncategorized
NDLEA intercepts N3.4bn Loud, opioids, arrests fake police officer, mechanic-drug dealer
By Nick Ibe
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted over 1.3 million pills of tramadol and other opioids as well as 6,000 kilograms of potent strains of cannabis with a combined street value of more than N3.4 billion in a string of major operational breakthroughs across Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo and FCT.
According to Femi Babafemi, Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja on Sunday, 20th September 2026, one of the line up of successful operations was the interception of 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis with a gross weight of 603.75 kilograms, valued at One Billion Eight Hundred and Eleven Million Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N1,811,250,000).
Recorded success also, according to the NDLEA spokesman, was the arrest of a trafficker who impersonates as a senior police officer to evade checkpoints while ferrying drugs across state lines.
The 49-year-old fake police officer, Innocent Ekpe, was arrested on Wednesday 16th September 2026 by NDLEA operatives along the Benin-Onitsha expressway in Asaba, Delta state with 292.48 kilograms of skunk hidden in his silver Toyota Sienna bus. Investigation established that Ekpe had long paraded himself as Godwin Emeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, using a forged ID card to escape scrutiny at checkpoints while transporting illicit consignments. An accomplice, 39-year-old Nduka Joseph, was arrested along with him.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence stormed a location on Agbor Road, Benin City, where they arrested 45-year-old Matthew Ossai, who used his auto-repair workshop as a front for storing illicit drugs. Officers recovered 48 kilograms of Canadian Loud and 152 grams of methamphetamine, along with a metal box used to store the illicit substances.
At the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos, a 40-foot container shipped from Montreal, Canada, and arrived on 12th September was placed under intensive monitoring by NDLEA operatives based on processed intelligence. The shipment was eventually subjected to a full joint physical examination with Customs and other security agencies on Wednesday 16th September. The search uncovered 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 603.75 kilograms, concealed inside 31 black jumbo bags loaded within two Toyota Sienna vehicles in the container.
In Niger State, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway at Chachi, Tafa LGA, on Tuesday 15th September arrested three young suspects: Bashir Usman (20), Abubakar Nuhu (18) and Abdulrahman Abdulwahab (18) with two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles and a magazine, a locally made pistol with magazine, and nine rounds of 9mm ammunition concealed in a black travel bag.
Two suspects: Aminu Isyaku (23) and Jamilu Habibu (25) were on Friday 18th September arrested by NDLEA officers along Abaji-Abuja highway. Over 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets/capsules, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and Exol tablets concealed in eight sacks en route from Onitsha, Anambra state to Mararaba, Nasarawa state, were recovered from them.
In Lagos, a suspect Onyeka Ofor was arrested on Friday 18th September at his residence in Aguda, Surulere with 48,900 pills of tramadol 225mg , while seven cartons of cannabis sativa weighing 59kg were intercepted at a logistics company with a suspect Luke Ugokwe taken into custody. In another operation in Lagos, Ibrahim Hudu (43) was arrested at Apongbo with 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas on Thursday 17th September.
A total of 154,480 capsules of tramadol were recovered from two suspects: Sabi’u Umar (27) and Hassana Muhammad (19) who were arrested at Barunde area and Gombe main market respectively in Gombe state on Friday 18th September.
A suspect Ifesinachi Godwin (25) was arrested along the Owerri-Onitsha road, Imo state with 43.85kg of skunk on Friday 18th September, while four suspects: Blessing Effiong, Saviour Peter, David Friday Sunday and Ability Peter Sunday, were nabbed during raid and destruction of 5,000 kilograms of skunk on a two-hectare cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu forest, Ondo state on Tuesday 15th September. No less than 48kg of dry and fresh cannabis was recovered from the location for the prosecution of the suspects.
With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of St. Ferdinand School, Ogbomoso, Oyo; Unizik Secondary School, Awka, Anambra; Scholars Nursery and Primary School, Epe, Lagos, and Government Technical Training School, Jalingo, Taraba state, while the Delta Ports Command of NDLEA paid a WADA advocacy visit to His Royal Majesty, King Couple Mackson Oromoni Mobene III, Pere Ama-Okosu of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, Delta state, among others.
While commending the officers and men of Lagos, Tincan, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo and FCT Commands for their professionalism and intelligence-driven approach to the various successful operations, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the current balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.
General News
Sharran Srivatsaa: Faced 39 Rejections, Dropped out of Stanford … led a company valued $1.2 billion
At 17, Sharran Srivatsaa arrived in the US from India on a tennis scholarship, alone and uncertain about what came next. The path that followed was anything but linear.
His story challenges the idea that success follows a straight line or a fixed timetable.
Sharran Srivatsaa’s journey: from tennis courts to a $1.2 billion valuation
Srivatsaa’s early years in the US were shaped by discipline and rejection. Tennis helped fund his education and instilled resilience. Finance did not come easily.
He has spoken publicly about being turned down repeatedly before eventually securing roles at major investment banks, including Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse. Those early setbacks, he says, taught him persistence rather than entitlement.
Despite earning admission to Stanford, Srivatsaa decided to leave academia and build a company instead. The move was unconventional and carried significant risk. It also set the tone for a career defined by calculated leaps rather than safe progression. His early ventures provided hands-on operating experience, including a successful exit in his early twenties.
He later made his biggest impact in real estate. As CEO of Teles Properties, he helped grow the firm’s annual sales volume from roughly $300 million to about $3.4 billion over a five-year period. The brokerage was eventually acquired by Douglas Elliman, marking one of the most notable growth stories in the US residential real estate sector.
His next chapter came at The Real Brokerage, commonly known as Real. As President, Srivatsaa played a central role in the company’s rapid expansion. During his tenure, the agent network grew sharply and the publicly listed firm reached a market valuation of around $1.2 billion at its peak. The period cemented his reputation as a scale-focused operator rather than a one-time founder.
In 2025, Srivatsaa joined Acquisition.com, the firm founded by Alex Hormozi and Leila Hormozi. As President and Managing Partner, he now works closely with founders running eight- and nine-figure businesses. His focus is less on ideation and more on systems, leadership, and repeatable growth.
“I’m in my forties and still figuring things out,” he has said, adding, “That’s not failure. That’s progress.”
Why his story resonates now
Srivatsaa frequently speaks to younger professionals who feel behind by their mid-twenties. His message is direct. Careers are rarely linear. First paths are not final paths. Early failures do not define long-term outcomes.
“The only real mistake,” he often argues, “is settling too soon.”
In an era obsessed with early success, Sharran Srivatsaa’s journey offers a quieter truth: Reinvention is not a weakness. It is a skill.
Uncategorized
Alago Be Prepared: The Fulani You Use Against Tiv Today, Surely, Will Soon Be Your Albatross
By Engr Fabian Aboh Ortindi
I have come across certain comments in the ongoing discussion bothering on the tenacity and lordship over the entity called Kadarko. These comments are disturbing and seem to be a total deviation from the subject of discussion.
When you engage some of my Alago neighbors intellectually, you get nothing from them but hatred, revenge, and bitterness.
They hate the Tiv people of Nasarawa State because they are desperate for vengeance. Sometimes, out of bitterness, they speak as though they are speaking for the Idoma people of Benue State. You hear statements like:
“If you want to be treated fairly, ask your brothers in Benue State to make the Idoma people governor of the state.”
This does not sound logical. The Idoma people of Benue are there fighting their own cause. They are more than capable of doing so. Why would anyone want to take revenge on their behalf in another state?
You also hear statements like:
“Your people have driven all the Alago people out of Amele, in Benue state, so you cannot enjoy anything in Nasarawa State.”
If you are not cowards, and Amele truly belongs to you, as you claim, there would be no need to run away. You would stay and defend it. The way the Tiv are refusing to leave Nasarawa state.
The Tiv people of Nasarawa
state belong here and God has a reason for keeping them in a state different from where their kins dominate in Benue. There is nowhere they can run to. So you will be wasting your time expecting them to return to Benue simply because you ran away from your fight in Amele. They will stay and fight back.
The hatred and bitterness in them has pushed them into employing their last and only source of strength, which seems to be the employment of the services of Fulani bandits to terrorise the Tiv people and send them out of their homes and farms. But you know that the fulanis do not fight for free.
The question is: How many of the lands they have helped you grab have actually been given to you? They are also interested in the land. Very soon, they will be interested in the leadership position of the chiefdom. And you know what? The Tiv will not be there to fight on your side. War is expensive and expansive. You may not continue to have the finances and energy to prosecute this evil agenda.
Bitterness and jealousy only become a heavy burden to those who carry them. The truth is : Tiv will not leave Nasarawa state or Kadarko, and violence cannot solve this. So if you like, keep being bitter and jealous. Keep hating. It is your cross to carry.
There is no possibility of the Tiv leaving Nasarawa State for you. And it is impossible to kill all the Tiv people. So you can see that your dream will never come to fruition.
Let us choose a better path: peace, justice, and fairness for all. All these are priceless as compared to hatred, bitterness, violence and vengeance.
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