Category: South East

By Simon Utebor, Yenagoa

Bayelsa State Government has directed local governments to come up with a law prohibiting the movement of speedboats within the state’s waterways after 7pm without security permit.

The government has also directed the legislative councils in the eight local governments to enact bye-laws on the establishment of vigilance groups in the communities.

Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo spoke yesterday at the Government House, Yenagoa, at a meeting with monarchs from Southern Ijaw and Nembe local governments.

Ewhrudjakpo, who urged the traditional rulers to complement government’s efforts in securing the state, stressed the need for vigilance groups to be set up before the end of October.

He directed the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Development, Chief Thompson Amule, to inform the council chairmen to initiate bills for the bye-laws towards establishing vigilance groups in their areas.

Read Also: Diri: we’re working on development plan for Bayelsa

Ewhrudjakpo said community leaders should work with the police to screen members of the vigilance groups, based on their individual capacities and integrity.

The deputy governor, who stressed the need for more effective policing of the waterways, to stem the rising cases of piracy and other crimes, directed that bye-laws prohibiting travelling with speedboats on the rivers and creeks should be passed by the councils.

He said the measure would complement the efforts of security agencies to curb crime on the water routes.

Ewhrudjakpo advised youths to shun acts capable of truncating their future by turning a new leaf.

He noted that the government was determined to give traditional rulers a sense of belonging and restore their role as custodians of culture and peace through the Community Administration Bill to be sent to the House of Assembly.

On the complaint of lack of teachers in public schools in Southern Ijaw, Ewhrudjakpo directed the Director General of the Teachers’ Training Institute, Dr. Peremoboere Stella Ugolo, to review the distribution of teachers in the schools, to enable the government address the situation.

He also directed the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Gentle Emelah, to visit Community Secondary School, Okoroma, whose roof was blown away by rainstorm and make an assessment for necessary action.

The deputy governor said: “Any speedboat without security permit moving after 7pm is an enemy boat.”

The Ibenanaowei of Bomo clan, King Joshua Igbugburu, urged the royal fathers from Southern Ijaw to ensure that security remains a priority in their domains and prevail on the people to maintain peace.

The paramount ruler of Okoroma clan in Nembe Local Government, King Bethran Douglas, demanded a JTF post and police presence in the area, to check criminals’ activities.

He said the face-off between Okoroma and the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), over the broken power plant, was a potential threat to peace in the area, and appealed to the government not to relent in its efforts to resolve the issue.

The Commissioner for Police, Mr. Echeng E. Echeng, and the Commander of 16th Brigade, Brig.-Gen. Oluwarotimi Awolo, appealed for cooperation from the people in the fight against crime.

They identified hostilities from communities as one of the challenges facing military officers on patrol duty along the creeks and marine routes, which made their job tasking.

By Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt

Crisis is brewing in Etche Local Government of Rivers State, following attacks on a female councillor and the Leader of the legislature, Mrs. Cynthia Nwala, by suspected thugs.

The hoodlums, who were said to be acting on the orders of the council Chairman, Obinna Anyanwu, reportedly beat up the lawmaker, tore her dress and snatched the assembly’s mace from her.

The incident occurred on Monday after the assembly finished its sitting.

The chief security officer (CSO) of the council was accused of leading the miscreants that attacked Nwala, whose car was also smashed in the process.

A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Her sin, according to them, is that she took the mace of the assembly with her, before the gate to the council was locked and she was allegedly beaten up by the CSO and their cohort. It is barbaric that a woman will be stripped naked.”

Read Also; Suspected kidnappers held at ransom collection point

The victim, Nwala, alleged that she was attacked by the CSO of the council, adding that the legislative assembly’s mace was also taken away by her attackers.

But the Chairman of the council, Obinna Anyanwu, denied that the CSO, Prince Chinedu Onyeche, attacked the female lawmaker.

He said his CSO only intervened with others to resolve the crisis brewing among the lawmakers.

The chairman, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Robinson Oluor, explained that disagreement emanated between the lawmakers and that the leader attempted to move away with the assembly’s mace before she was intercepted by some people.

The statement said: “For the record, Dr. Obinna Anyanwu never directed his Chief Security Officer to harass, intimidate or assault any serving councillor of Etche Legislative Assembly.

“The chief security officer to the council chairman is not a member of Etche Legislative Assembly and will never be part of the internal issues of the Etche Legislative Assembly.

“It is also important to clearly state that the chief security officer to the council chairman never attacked or harassed the leader of the house; as he is not one of the councillors and the Etche Local Government leadership has respect for the Etche Legislative Assembly.”

“The information made available to the Etche Local Government Council has it that the Leader of the House, Hon. Cynthia Nwala, with the assistance of a team of armed policemen and over 20 armed thugs she hired made a forceful attempt to take the ‘mace’ which is a legislative property and by administrative procedure is meant to be under the custody of the ‘sergeant-at-arms’.

“Some members of Etche Legislative Assembly, who intercepted their house leader with the ‘mace’, alerted the chief security officer, who quickly intervened and restored sanity between Cynthia Nwala and her fellow councillors.”

By Nwanosike Onu, Awka

Following the spate of killings in recent time in Nnewi by gunmen, court cases have been suspended.

Most of the cases in high courts have been adjourned till November ending.

The Nation gathered yesterday that the judges failed to attend court sessions because of insecurity.

Some of the lawyers, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said everyone was afraid of his or her life, including the judges.

Read Also: ‘No court stopped judgment execution on Ikeja Saddle Club’

It was learnt that the lawyers, who came to the courts, were there to pick dates for their cases.

One of the lawyers said: “You can see what is happening now, there are no security operatives on the court premises and the judges don’t have security guards either.

“Considering the recent killings in the area, nobody will like to risk his or her life. I don’t blame the judges for not sitting,” the lawyer said.

On Sunday, two persons were killed, while another was injured in Nnewi when about 20 gunmen invaded the town.

They attacked the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Department of State Service (DSS) and Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital (NAUTH).

By Emma Elekwa, Onitsha

Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has apologised to the former President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, for attacking him, following alleged comments on killings in the Southeast.

IPOB had accused the ex-Ohanaeze boss of linking the group to series of killings in the region, describing the comments as fallacious and ridiculous.

Nwodo had also denied making such utterances, insisting that he had deliberately refused to grant any media interview after serving out his terms as leader of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation.

Read Also: Northern groups knock IPOB over sit-at-home order

But IPOB in a statement yesterday by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, retracted the attacks on Nwodo, saying they were erroneously attributed.

“We wish to apologise to Chief John Nnia Nwodo for erroneously attributing the garbage from Okwesilieze Nwodo to him. This erroneous mix up was unintended and is hereby retracted,” it said.

The pro-Biafran group warned against linking it with the insecurity in the Southeast, particularly in Anambra and Imo states, maintaining that it had no hand in the ugly trend.

By Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

Commuters were on Tuesday stranded in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, following the decision of the state of government to seal off motor parks in the capital.

Some of the parks shut included those belonging to Peace Mass Transit, GUO Mass Transit, Romchi Mass Transit, Onitsha South Mass Transit and other transport companies.

The government, through the Ministry of Capital City Development, said it sealed off the mass transits because of the refusal of the transport companies to move to the general motor parks designated by the government.

Read Also; Irate youths protest killing of three by truck in Ebonyi

Some of the commuters expressed concern about the action.

Mr. Christian Igwe, a commuter travelling to Abuja, said the decision had left commuters stranded.

The Commissioner for Capital City Development, Onyekachi Nwebonyi, said the government shut the parks following the refusal of the transport companies to move to the central park designated by the government for them.

He said the government wrote to the transport companies six months ago to relocate to the general park designated for them, but efforts to relocate them failed.

Nwebonyi said the intention of the government was to reclaim the original master plan of the capital city, adding that there was no going back on the relocation of the parks.

By Bassey Anthony, Uyo

Fishermen at Ibaka community in Mbo Local Government of Akwa Ibom State yesterday protested incessant kidnaps by suspected pirates.

They also complained that their outboard engines and boats had been stolen by the hoodlums, thereby crippling their source of livelihood.

The protest followed abduction of four fishermen (three Ghanaians and one Nigerian), last Thursday by suspected pirates on Ibaka waters, near Forward Operating Base (FOB) Nigerian Navy.

It was, however, learnt that the victims were released on Sunday after their captors collected N3.5million ransom.

Peeved about the situation, hundreds of fishermen, including youths, women and children, carried placards and trooped to the entrance leading to the FOB, Nigerian Navy.

They expressed disappointment that the Navy, Marine Police and the state government had not done enough to secure Ibaka waters, to enable them operate.

Read Also; Irate youths protest killing of three by truck in Ebonyi

Some of the placards read: ‘Fishermen lives Matter’, ‘We are tired of paying ransom’, Federal Government give us security, enough is enough’, ‘Federal Government, Navy stop sea piracy now’ and ‘End to Kidnapping Now’.

Addressing reporters during the protest, the Chairman of Fishermen Multipurpose Cooperative, Chief Effiong Etim Numah, lamented the plight of fishermen in the hands of pirates.

He said: “We are protesting, based on what we have encountered in the past, after reports and petitions to the government, which have fallen on deaf ears.

“To mention a few, only this year, we members of the Fishermen Multipurpose Cooperative have lost 23 outboard engines to pirates. They have abducted 10 of our fishermen, demanding huge amount as ransom.

“We have explained and notified security agencies. It was only last month that the Forward Operating Base Nigerian Navy had a general patrol for only one week. That patrol helped us to enjoy a little peace on the water. After that one week, this thing continued.

“On a daily basis, pirates kidnap and seize our boats. We are here to let the world know that we are dying. We are common fishermen and this is our only means of livelihood. We are not farmers or traders.

“Because of sea piracy, the economy of Akwa Ibom State is suffering. In the first kidnap, the pirates demanded N46million before our colleagues were released. We petitioned the Department of State Security (DSS) on the incident.

“Between last week and this week, they have kidnapped seven of our fishermen and demanded N3.6million ransom. It was just yesterday that they were released after we paid the ransom.”

The Youth President of Ibaka community, Victor Otobo, said it was unfortunate that the pirates had graduated from stealing of outboard engines to kidnapping for ransom.

He said if the situation was not brought under control by security agencies, the fishermen might be forced to vacate Ibaka waters and relocate to safer places to carry out their occupation.

By Simon Utebor, Yenagoa

Bayelsa State Government has condemned some schools for flouting government’s directives on resumption date.

Education Commissioner Dr. Gentle Emelah said on Monday that it had come to the notice of the government that some private schools had resumed academic activities, against government’s stipulated date of November 2021.

He said the adjustment of the academic calendar was necessitated by the persistent perennial flood experienced recently.

Read Also; UNIJOS to resume on October 11

Emelah said: “Due to perennial flooding experienced in the state, government has adjusted the academic calendar to prevent children from going to school during the flood period, for safety and to resume in November, which is the beginning of regular dry season.

“Government is, however, monitoring the flood situation and may announce resumption of schools before next month, should there be any need to do so. But for now, all schools are advised to remain closed.”

He directed schools that had resumed to shut down and advised them to wait for further directive from the government, as the ministry would not hesitate to sanction any erring school.