Category: Southeast report

From Chris Njoku, Owerri

There was a heavy shootout between gunmen and security operatives in Okigwe town in Imo State on Saturday.

Eyewitnesses said there was pandemonium in the town as people scampered for safety during the clash that lasted for several hours.

According to him, “The town was virtually deserted as residents reportedly fled to different directions. No casualty was recorded but shops and parks were set on fire.

“There was a shootout between some gunmen and security operatives in the morning hours, some parks were burnt, people were running helter-skaters,” he further revealed.

Pressed further, the witness said the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway was blocked at the Limca junction axis of the dual carriage way, thus forcing vehicular traffic to divert through Ubahu/Okpara Road/Ogii route before linking up to the expressway towards Umualumoke/Ezinnachi axis.

Besides, vehicles plying the expressway took different routes to connect to various locations of their destination while those coming from Umuahia end were also struggling to detour from the highway to stay out of trouble.

Another source confirmed to our correspondent that the arrival of the military reinforced the security of the area, particularly at Ihube axis which has since gained notoriety as a den of criminals.

However, all efforts to reach out to the Police Spokesman in the state CSP Michael Abattam were futile as he did not pick up his phone calls, ditto for the Army spokesman, Joseph Atuga.

THE people of Akpa-Edem, Ozzi-Edem and Okutu communities in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State have told Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who is the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for Enugu North Senatorial District in the 2023 general election not to bother coming to their areas to campaign.

They said that Governor Ugwuanyi’s administration has been fair to them in terms of distribution of democratic dividends as well as political appointments in spite of the state’s lean resources and the nation’s economic challenges.

Speaking when a delegation of Akpa/Ozzi Edem Ward paid Governor Ugwuanyi a solidarity visit at the Government House, Enugu, Chief Silas Ifeanyi (BabaEdem), said the people of the two communities are delighted at the ongoing construction of their connecting road, the Ozzi-Akpa Edem Road, which leads to Abuja through Ida in Kogi State.

Ifeanyi stressed that the people of the communities are excited because “we have never seen this kind of development before,” adding that “many old people in my community have never seen this kind of development before especially those from Amagu which is bounded by Uzo-Uwani, Okpuje and Kogi State.”

While declaring their support for Governor Ugwuanyi, as well as other candidates of the PDP, Ifeanyi said: “Since 1999, we have been supporting PDP massively. We don’t have opposition in our place. From here (Government House, Enugu) you are going to Abuja to represent us. We will vote you in and support you firmly.

“The only reason you should come to our communities now is to inspect the road project under construction. Otherwise, you don’t need to come to campaign in our communities.

“We are going to have a ceremony in our place and we will dedicate it to you in order to let the world know that we are very happy. We have seen your good works in our town and we have nothing to offer you than appreciation. So, we have a clean heart towards you and we will support you till the end of time.”

•As NAF urges officers to remain apolitical

GOVERNOR Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has called for more support for nation’s military and other security agents by Nigerians as a way of encouraging them to be more committed to the duty of securing lives and property.

Ugwuanyi made the call in Enugu weekend at a ceremony to mark the Base Socio-Cultural Activities (BASA), an age long military tradition conducted annually to mark the end of activities for the year, 2022.

The governor, who was represented at the occasion by the Secretary to Enugu State Government, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, emphasised the need for Nigerians to appreciate the effort of the military in combating insurgency.

He commended them for their commitment, dedication and discipline which had been their hallmark in the fight against insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminalities in Nigeria

According to the governor, the nation’s military ha d displayed an uncommon loyalty, resilience, bravery and patriotism in ensuring peace in the country, adding that their gallantry would continue to be a source of inspiration for the country.

Ugwuanyi said, “As we celebrate Nigeria’s culture in this relaxed ambience, let us not forget the inestimable contribution of our Armed Forces in upholding the national integrity of this great nation.

“Today our troops are involved in several internal security operations around the country. I must commend them for their commitment, dedication and discipline which have been their hallmark in the fight against insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminalities in Nigeria,” Ugwuanyi said.

The Air Officer Commanding, Ground Training Command, GTC, Enugu, Ibikunle Daramola stated that one of the major milestones Nigerian Air Force recorded was the successful training of 164 officers and 2,916 airmen/airwomen from January to December 2022.

A mysterious fire has burnt two kids of same parents aged 6 and 3 to death in Udo Imuk street, Eket local government area of Akwa Ibom State.

The sad incident which occurred at about 7:00pm on Friday 30 December, 2022 caused a lot of panic and grief among residents of the area and beyond.

The Nation gathered that the kids were locked inside their one room apartment by both parents who went out to get something expecting to return home shortly.

The neighbours said they had no idea that the kids were inside the room when they noticed the fire had razed down the room.

The cause of the inferno could not be ascertained at press time, even though newsmen, who visited the scene on yesterday morning, gathered that there was no light source such as electrical connections, no candle or gas cylinder on.

According to Prince Ekpo from Nsit Ubium Local Government, the affected tenant occupying single room and living with the wife and the two kids, while narrating the incidence said, “I left the phone in the room to give light in the room for the children hoping to return soon after the injection, my wife earlier went out to buy something.”

“I came back and saw people crowded and discovered my two children were burnt dead and we don’t know the source of the fire.”

Also the landlords; owners of the building, Bright and Godwin Peter Udo Imuk, speaking to newsmen reported not to know the source of the outbreak. “We didn’t notice when the fire started, we only heard an explosive sound and while going to check, fire had gutted the room and spread to our rooms and parlour, we tried to remove our properties, but serious damages had been done already.

“We called people to come and help us to quench the fire and I told my brother that children were inside the room and before we went for their rescue the children were roasted dead, our properties damaged.”

From the reports, the fire had already raged the room, burning to death the kids before the explosion was heard, but the source of the fire remains unknown. The fire incident affected adjoining rooms, destroyed properties and opened the roof.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of a Cameroon based magazine, Naija Diaspora Magazine, Ismaila Adegbola, has shed more light on why Cameroonians trooped out in thousands to give singer Kizz Daniel a resounding reception in Douala, Cameroon recently.

The well-attended show, according to Adegbola, was a big success.

Kizz recently hit his first 100 million views on YouTube with his song ‘Buga,’ which is the rave of the moment in Cameroon at the moment, following his outstanding performance at the Omnisports Stadium in Douala.

Adegbola was part of the media committee that graced the performance of Kizz Daniel in Cameroon.

“Seeing Nigeria artist performing in Cameroon is always something I always want as a person, my good working relationship with Nigeria Missions here is fantastic, whenever anybody wants to bring any artist to Cameroon, they always recommend me as a contact, and whenever Nigeria artist comes to perform here, they are always welcome with good hospitality.  That is why I have a good relationship with Davido, Yemi Alade, and Kizz Daniel who performed recently,” said Adegbola.

He continued: “When Kizz Daniel arrived, I was so happy the way Cameroonians welcomed him passionately, the love and emotion were fantastic. There are many plans to bring Nigerian artists and Cameroonian artists to collaborate. As brothers, we have a lot to share together as well as to learn from both ends. What we don’t have in Nigeria, we can have here in Cameroon. One thing we enjoyed here in Cameroon is peace of mind. I always say that Cameroon is one of the best places you can stay and enjoy your life. What the Cameroon government wants from you is to respect law and order.”

 Adegbola is a Nigerian publisher and founder of the ND Group, a multidimensional business solutions provider based in Douala, with a well-established Cameroonian and Nigerian client base.

He is one of the recipients of the Nigerian Diplomatic and Consular Missions Distinguished Achievement Award 2021 for his outstanding contributions to the promotion of Nigerians in the diaspora, and he has won the NISU Annual Outstanding Achievement Award 2019 / 2020 in recognition of his selfless efforts in the promotion of the image of Nigeria and Nigerians abroad.

The Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, has donated food items, clothes and cash to wives of officers of 143 Battalion, Abia State.

Onyejocha, who is representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency of Abia State, pledged support for wives of military personnel, who lost their lives protecting Abia people against armed men.

The lawmaker, who was received by the Commanding Officer 143 Battalion, Ovim Isiukwuato, Lt.-Col. Timothy Okundaye, hailed the efforts of officers of the battalion for keeping the community safe.

In a statement by her media office yesterday, she said: “I thank the squadron for what they have done so far to promote peace even in the face of challenges of insecurity.

“Please keep doing your job. We want to ply our roads without insecurity. Thank you for all you have been doing.”

Addressing the women, who turned out in large numbers to welcome her, Onyejeocha said her visit was not the first and would not be the last. 

She assured them of making a case for widows of officers, who died fighting to protect the country to have special protection under the government.

The women thanked the lawmaker for the gifts and commended her for finding time to see them despite her tight schedule.

Amalgamated Afemai Forum (AAF), has unveiled a 350-man Oduma Protection Squad (OPS), to curb the rate of banditry and kidnapping.

Speaking at the unveiling in Auchi, Edo State, the Chairman, Dr. Muhammed Lecky, urged indigenes and residents of the zone to support the initiative.

He said security was everyone’s business, irrespective of status or class, noting that for those yet to respond to their pleas for support, they would not give up on them or anyone for that matter.

“We need more from everyone, low or mighty, as we are bound by a common destiny. We just need to believe more in ourselves so that we can succeed against all odds,” Lecky said.

He said insecurity in Afemailand was peculiar because being a transit area from East, West, North and Middle Belt made it difficult to rise to the challenges concurrently from multiple fronts, without adequate resources.

Read Also: IPOB blames ex-governors, Ebubeagu for insecurity

He said OPS had risen to the challenge despite poor funding.

AAF was conceived by concerned Afemai indigenes at home and in the diaspora as a panacea for recurrent cases of banditry and kidnap by herdsmen in Edo North Senatorial Zone comprising six local governments.

Lecky said with the 350 OPS gallant men, the forum had created a Rapid Response Unit (RRU) comprising 40 gallant men charged with the responsibility of responding to distress and emergency calls and incidents across Afemailand.

The Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Dr. Samson Omosotomhe, said: “A secure Afenmai is our collective responsibility. As an institution, we are committed to this goal.”

He added that the convocation of the summit underscored the seriousness with which security issues must be handled. Omosotomhe said: “This year’s summit is important because it took into account security challenges being faced not only in Afemailand, but also across Edo State and Nigeria as a whole.

“OPS is by this token, set to help combat the upsurge of increased armed robbery, kidnapping and other crimes across Afenmai, which will be done in collaboration with other stakeholders such as the police and other security agencies.”

•Pays hospital bills •27-year old Nigerian wins Miss Africa Calabar 2022

Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade yesterday visited Navy Reference Hospital, Calabar to sympathise with victims of the Bikers parade accident, which occurred on Tuesday.

Besides going to the hospital, the governor also visited Bogobiri, the scene of the accident, to commiserate with the Hausa/Fulani community led by Seriki Garuba Lawan.

Most of the victims were Hausa/Fulani residents.

Prof. Ayade described the incident as a sad one that would never be allowed to happen again.

He hailed the hospital management “for responding promptly even when the government was yet to make a deposit.”

According to him, “we are here at the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital Calabar to show government’s concern to victims of the Bikers’ parade car accident. We are here to take the bills and show compassion.”

Miss Precious Okoye, a 27-year-old graduate of Botany from the University of Lagos, has emerged as the winner of the sixth edition of Miss Africa Calabar 2022.

The event, held at the International Conference Centre in Calabar, Cross River State on Tuesday night, lasted till the early hours of yesterday.

Miss Okoye, who represented Nigeria at the competition that had 17 contestants representing countries in Africa, became the first Nigerian to win the crown, which goes with a cash prize and a new Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). 

The first runner-up is Miss Melissa Mintah representing Ghana and the second runner-up is Albertina Haimbala representing Namibia.

A non-governmental organisation (NGO), League of Queens International Empowerment, has appealed to school heads to allow the planting of trees on their premises, to mitigate the negative effects of climate change in Akwa Ibom State.

The coordinator of the group, Mrs. Idongesit Alexander, at a news conference, said it was embarking on the planting of 2,000 trees in schools across the three senatorial districts.

She urged head teachers and principals of public primary and secondary schools to stop demanding financial gratification before NGOs were allowed to plant trees on school premises.

Alexander said the NGO embarked on tree planting because of negative effects of climate change caused by gas flaring, oil spillages and environmental pollution, adding that women were the most affected.

“Besides the livelihood and ecological effects of oil and gas extraction, women also suffer health challenges such as the poisonous effect of gas flaring, which has been routine in communities such as Ibeno for the past 62 years, on account of the activities of ExxonMobil.

“This has contributed to increasing rate of irregular menstruation among young women and early menopause; implying that there are fertility complications for women as well.

“The recent flooding in Nigeria has affected a greater part of Niger Delta. Submerging large portion of agricultural land under water and displacing over a million people is an indication that there is need to adopt measures with urgency to address the causes of climate crisis.

“As follow-up to this project activities, League of Queens has begun planting of trees in primary schools in Akwa Ibom State. The target is to plant 2,000 economic trees within the next 12 months,” she said.

Alexander said three climate change groups had been inaugurated in the state to lead the tree planting campaigns in their localities as well as carry out the advocacy for waste disposal and recycling.

An international civil society organisation, Solidaridad, has urged stakeholders in the oil palm production to build human capacity in the sector.

The Programme Manager, Mr. Kenechukwu Onukwube, gave the advice in Uyo during a meeting on “validation of sustainable management plan”, organised for stakeholders drawn from Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Kogi and Enugu states. 

He reiterated that the importance of increased human resources, especially among the younger generation in the sector, could not be overemphasised, as it would contribute to improved oil palm farming and production.

Onukwube said: “For this particular meeting, we are focusing on oil palm sector. If we really want to have economic benefit from oil palm, we can increase the percentage in the next few years. That is planning.

“Our research has shown that the population of those who are still involved in the oil palm sector is dwindling. So there is the need for you the stakeholders to look at strategy to increase the human resources to move the oil palm production in the country upwards.

“This applies to all the states in the country. If more young people are migrating from oil palm farming to other areas of human endeavours, who will do this? This is a serious challenge.”

He said the aim of the meeting was to see that oil palm stakeholders were truly able to manage the oil palm landscape effectively, and whether it was possible to achieve it.