THE  lion king of Asaba,HRM Prof Epiphany Azinge, SAN,Asagba of Asaba, has vowed to ensure a crackdown on drug peddlers who he said have infested the Cable Point area of the State capital in the next one week. He reiterated his determination to restore the lost glory of Cable-Point which he said, was rooted in history as once a centre of attraction where notable elites resided.

Speaking at a reception held in his honour by the various communities resident in Cable Point, Azinge noted that “for us coming to Cable Point is to reconnect with our history and or past. For us to abandon Cable Point is to abandon a rich part of our history.

“So, we have resolved that it is in our collective interest not to abandon Cable Point but to make sure that we build Cable Point.”

The Asagba expressed worry that the area was now almost a theatre of conflict, saying “if there is any escalation of violence that will ensue in Asaba, it is likely to erupt from Cable Point.

“We are here to forestall any eventuality to make sure that it doesn’t happen and the only way that it will not happen is for you people to take responsibility, to know how to confront some of these emergencies and to take the bull by the horn early in the day.

“We are here because, Cable Point, from the intelligence available to us, is more or less a drug-infested area. Most of the drugs peddled in Asaba that filter into the other parts of Asaba, have their roots here in Cable Point and that is why we are saying enough is enough.

“We are only going to give one week’s notice to all those people involved before we start raiding all those places. We know why we are here, we are here for a mission and the mission is to send this message to all the people residing on Cable Point that yes, Asaba is peaceful, but we don’t want any conflagration or breach of peace that will start from Cable-Point.

“So we want to thank you for this reception. But for me, it is not the quality of the reception thatis important. What is important to me is that there is a restoration of the quality of the cable point we are used to by the time we leave here.

The Asagba of Asaba, Obi Epiphany Azinge, has commended the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, for its achievements in the past 25 years.

Obi Azinge spoke when the Chairman of the NDDC Governing Board, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, led a delegation of the Commission’s Board and Management to pay a courtesy visit to him in his palace in Asaba, Delta State.

The NDDC delegation included the Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku; the Executive Director of Finance and Administration, Alabo Boma Iyaye; the Executive Director of Corporate Services, Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde; and other Directors of the Commission.

The royal father commended the NDDC for its intervention in several sectors across the Niger Delta region. He expressed delight with the foreign postgraduate scholarship programme, which had helped many Niger Delta youths upgrade their knowledge.

He also acknowledged the contributions of the NDDC Chairman, whom he said had served the Delta State Government in different capacities. He noted that Ebie served meritoriously as Delta State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education and later, Secretary to the State Government.

Obi Azinge called on the NDDC to extend its intervention to some critical areas in Asaba, noting that the town had been contending with floods for many years.

He also appealed to the NDDC to assist in the construction of projects that would benefit the people in his domain.

The monarch thanked the NDDC for selecting Asaba as the venue for some of the activities marking its 25th anniversary, such as a press conference and the movie premiere.

Speaking earlier. The NDDC Chairman, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, congratulated the Asagba on his coronation as the Asagba of Asaba. He expressed optimism that his reign would bring good tidings to Asaba, which serves as both a kingdom and the capital of Delta State.

He stated that the NDDC had come of age and was now a big brother to the new development agencies in Nigeria’s geo-political zones.

Ebie said that as part of the silver jubilee celebration, the Commission was going around the nine states of the Niger Delta. “We are in Asaba to hold a World Press conference and movie premiere because the town is fast becoming the Nollywood capital of Nigeria.”

Seledi Thompson-Wakama

Director, Corporate Affairs

A suspect, Chiemerie Obika Elobisi, from Umueri village, Ogbunike, Oyi LGA, is on the run for murdering a pregnant nurse whom he lured to his house under false pretenses, claiming that he needed medical treatment. However, he killed and mutilated the nurse.
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‎Following the incident, the Anambra police launched a manhunt with information from the residents of Umueri village. A 24-year-old woman, Somtochukwu Nwafor, the girlfriend of the prime suspect, was arrested for her alleged involvement in the murder of the nurse.
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‎Somtochukwu confessed that she was called by Chiemerie to come clean the bloodstains, and thereafter, some of the victim’s body parts were removed, and the body was deposited in a septic tank.
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‎Further interrogation from Somtochukwu revealed that the mutilated body parts were sold to different native doctors. This led to a manhunt by the State Criminal Investigation Department, which, in the early hours of July 29, 2025, burst into the shrine of a native doctor, Nwafor Chibunna Ofornwatadile, from Itima Amawa Village, Ogbunike, where human body parts were found in a polyethylene bag.
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‎The State Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, condemning the act, has promised not to leave any stone unturned until the prime suspect and others who received the body parts are hunted down.

The Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty, Asagba Prof Epiphany Azinge, SAN, OON, has vowed that the ongoing fight against crime and criminality in the capital city of Asaba will be sustained.

The monarch, who was responding to remarks by the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-Haq Oloyode, who visited him in his palace, noted that moral decadence amongst present day primary and secondary school students had assumed a worrisome dimension.

He said the development had taken a toll on the reading culture, as most of the pupils and students engaged in cultism and drug addiction at the expense of their studies, thereby leaving them with the option to cheat in order to pass their examinations.

The Asagba remarked that more worrisome was the infiltration of cultism into primary schools, disclosing that he had visited some schools in the community to address the students on the need to shun social vices and focus on their studies, while the Asaba Anti-Cult Unit was working hard to bring the menace under control.

His Royal Majesty added that drug peddling and addiction were also being fought frontally, revealing that drug outlets in the community were recently raided by security operatives and arrests made, even in the face of a fight back.

Asagba Prof Azinge told the JAMB helmsman that the get – rich – quick syndrome had forced some youths into cybercrime and rituals for money, which made him to ban the activities of Eze Nwanyi one month after ascending the throne.

The First Class traditional ruler commended Prof. Oloyode for his intimidating profile and achievements, noting that his administrative ingenuity had helped to restore sanity, stability and integrity to JAMB.

The JAMB Chief Executive Officer had told the Asagba that he was in Asaba for the 2025 Annual Public Service Lecture of the University of Ibadan Alumni Association, and decided to seize the opportunity to pay him homage and respect.

Prof Oloyode praised Asagba Prof Azinge’s leadership qualities, congratulated the people of Asaba on his emergence as their king and expressed confidence that he would use his wealth to experience, connections and exposure to elevate Asaba, Delta State and Nigeria in general.

He used the opportunity to solicit the monarch’s support for the fight against examination malpractice, fueled by students’ desperation to pass their examinations at all cost, insisting that the notion that one must not fail needed to be corrected.

By: Ike Philip Abiagom

Greatness is a property for which no man can receive credit too soon; it must be possessed long before it is acknowledged. ”When one of the world’s greatest thinkers, Ralph Waldo Emerson handed down the above words of wisdom, those he had in mind were certainly the likes of Special Assistance to the Governor on Youth Moblisation for Ward 8,in Oshimili North LGA, Chief Austin Ndinwa (Okemili Igbuzor)! .

Indeed, to those who know him up close and personal, Chief Austin Ndinwa is an enigma: humble, self-effacing,industrious, practical, efficient by nature, diligent, always thinking about things he needs to accomplish or how to get ahead on his next assignment, a complete Leo,if you care to assess him by his Zodiac sign. But in plain terms, he is a case of a man who set out to always make a difference wherever he found himself. Not the kind of difference other men pursue to grandstand, but the type that impacts humanity and makes life easier for people. And of this, his track record is unassailable. A look back at his trajectory gives a chronicle of exemplary service to his community and a profile of pure patriotism from an individual.

Okemili is one of those very few good men;a true philanthropist, an accomplished businessman,An Iconic Figure, An International Businessman, A leader, A promoter of Peace in whom I am well pleased ,a man of valour, the bringer of rain.In the gallery of great leaders and great men, he is without doubt, a rare masterpiece. Anyone who encounters him would love to associate with him for his candour, courage and forthrightness. As a human being, his humility and modesty is second to none. As an Businessman, he is sound and engaging.

Okemili is a man of immense mettle and a completely detribalized human being with a profound depth of character, whose humility, devoid of discrimination, embraces all and sundry, he soars like an eagle and exudes reverence and integrity. A pragmatic leader full of benevolence, he gives hope to the hopeless, Job to the jobless and welfare and succor to the poor and needy. To everyone who crosses his path, he is a light. He is a friend to all, a role model to the young, a helper to many and a visionary man bubbling with the ideals of entrenching a united, peaceful, harmonious vision for his community and the world. Honest, Transparent, Dependable, uncomplicated and full of wisdom, Okemili can change you effortlessly, with his word.

Brother, though even the sun will one day run out of fuel, our love for you shall last forever. we thank God each and every day for giving us a brother like you. On your birthday, we want to thank you for being the best brother anyone could ever hope for.You are such a great role model for every brother in the world because you are so loving, caring, protective, and supportive. Happy Birthday!

Therefore today let me on behalf of the Grassroots Publishers online and Newsbreeze Magazine join the rest of my beloved Ibusa kingdom in Oshimili North Local government Area of Deltans and Nigerians at large to Celebrate a true brother.
Happy birthday to the regent, Okemili Igbuzo,a great lover of our tradition.

Nwannem!!!