The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ABA

  • Properties destroyed as fire gut shops in Aba

    Properties destroyed as fire gut shops in Aba

    Traders and sympathizers at New Market in Aba, Abia State Line 49, Lagos zone could not hold back their tears as a mysterious fire gutted 14 shops and destroyed goods worth millions of cash in the inferno.

    Our correspondent who visited the scene of the inferno on Thursday reports that the traders claimed that they couldn’t save a pin from the inferno they said started when they had all gone home after their day’s business.

    While the affected traders were seen picking and packing out charred goods from their shops, others who could not hold back their emotions were seen being consoled by sympathizers at the scene.

    Some of the traders who spoke anonymously demanded that the security men on duty should be questioned. This is as some of them claimed that the inferno was sponsored.

    They wondered how the area that doesn’t have electricity supply over decades or have anyone that sells restaurant got burnt over a night. They also queried the inability of the security men on duty in the area to raise alarm when they spotted an unusual fire or smoke in a place that doesn’t even sell any inflammable material.

    One of the traders, Mr. Ifeanyi Ogbonna who was still struggling with his emotion but however, summoned courage to speak to our reporter at the scene said that he lost about N2.5m while a neighbour who sells provision lost goods worth about N8m.

    According to him, men of the Abia State Fire Service came to attend to the fire, but left when they ran out of water.

    He said that the fire was later quenched by sympathizers who used water from a nearby borehole operator to attack and stopped the fire from engulfing other shops in the zone.

    He appealed to the governor of the state, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and other well-meaning Nigerians to come to their aid as they cannot bear the pain and weight of the loss alone.

    Okezie Uche, Head Aba Fire Service said that the cause of the fire could not be ascertained at the time of filing the report, but however stated that it could have been unconnected to the change in temperature.

    Uche advised chairmen of various lines in the market and other markets in Aba and its environs to make sure that they have materials that would enable them to quench fire at the early stage before it goes out of hand.

  • Lawyer escapes from kidnappers in Aba

    Lawyer escapes from kidnappers in Aba

    An Aba-based lawyer, identified as Reginald, miraculously escaped unhurt from kidnappers at the weekend.

    Reginald, who is also the choir master of St. Dominic’s Catholic Church, Federal Housing Estate, Ogbor Hill, was abducted as he returned home after choir practice.

    Four gunmen surrounded his car and ordered him into their own vehicle before taking off.

    He was said to have begged his captors not to blindfold him, and so they bundled him into trunk.

    As they headed for their hideout, Reginald opened the trunk from inside and held it until the driver slowed down; he jumped down without his kidnappers’ knowledge.

    He then ran to safety until he got to a village about 1am and after explaining his ordeal, the villagers took him in.

    He was said to have reunited with his family and recuperating at an undisclosed hospital.

    Police spokesman Geoffrey Ogbonna was yet to react to the story as at last night.

  • 12year-old gets N2m bail over role in trafficking of stepbrothers

    12year-old gets N2m bail over role in trafficking of stepbrothers

    A minor, 12year-old Miss Chiamaka Chinweolu and a native of Abala in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State has been slammed with N2million bail by the State Chief Judge Hon. Justice Theresa Uzokwe over her role in the kidnapping and trafficking of her stepbrothers.

    Uzokwe making the pronouncement at the Aba Prisons when she was at the facility to perform a statutory jail delivery activity also said that Miss Chinweolu’s surety with a verifiable address would deposit a like sum and a passport.

    The CJ who urged the Department for Public Prosecution (DPP) to ensure that nothing truncates the trial of Chinweolu and other suspects after information got to her that the family was planning out of court settlement over a matter she described as an act of wickedness by people that were supposed to be protecting their half brothers.

    She, however, directed that the minor be kept at the Port Harcourt Reformative Home until the bail condition was met since there wasn’t any facility of such in Abia State to keep her.

    The Nation learnt that Chinweolu’s brother identified as Chibuike who is also a minor got a similar bail condition at the Umuahia Prisons when the Abia CJ had gone to the facility to perform a similar function.

    The investigation by our reporter reveals that around the second quarter of 2017, Chinweolu’s elder sister identified as Queen Friday (who is in prison custody) and Chibuike purportedly kidnapped and sold their step-brothers within the age brackets of 2 and 3years respectively to unknown persons.

    Information has it that one of the children (3years) was miraculously found while wandering around Omoba in Isiala Ngwa, while the younger brother is still missing at the time of filing this report.

    Chiamaka who cried throughout the jail delivery exercise denied having knowledge that her elder sister was planning to sell their step-brothers.

    Hon. Uzokwe who at the jail delivery also granted N500, 000 bail to two other 17year-olds; Wisdom Onyekachukwu and Prince Uchenna and their sureties in like sums respectively equally granted N500, 000 bail to one Afoke Osuku, 16years old caught stealing cell phones during the burial of Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu’s mother-in-law.

    Osuku and other members of his syndicate who escaped arrest were said to have come from Delta State to carry out their act at the burial.

  • Abia: Teenage IPOB member regains freedom

    Abia: Teenage IPOB member regains freedom

    Luck on Tuesday smiled at one Emmanuel John, a 17year old who was arrested during the army-IPOB face off as the Abia CJ ordered his immediate release from detention.

    Counsel to the accused, Barr. Charles Onuchukwu in his address before the court had informed the CJ that his client is an underage who was unlawfully arrested by the police during the face-off between the military and IPOB in the state, even as Onuchukwu insisted that his client wasn’t a member of the proscribed group.

    The CJ after listening to the address of John’s counsel and a counter-argument from the O.C Legal who objected to the positions of the defence counsel ruled that the teen is underage and that from available records, no case has been instituted against the accused in any competent court and that he was unlawfully detained.

    She, therefore, ordered the immediate release of the inmate from the Aba prisons.

    Recall that the Federal Government of Nigeria has proscribed IPOB and labelled it a terrorist organization. The government of the United States of America later said it does not see the group as a terrorist organisation.

    The President of US, Donald Trump, had said although the US is strongly in support of a peaceful resolution of the internal crisis in Nigeria, however, under the United States’ laws, IPOB does not fit in as a terrorist organisation.

  • Ikpeazu gives condition for re-election in 2019

    Ikpeazu gives condition for re-election in 2019

    Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, says he would only seek re-election in 2019, after successful completion of projects initiated by his administration across the state.

    Ikpeazu disclosed this while speaking in a political programme “Osinachi”, at the Broadcasting Corporation of Abia monitored in Aba on Friday.

    “There are a few things which I am saying if we are able to finish by the grace of God, in the future I would think that we can answer the call to seek for re-election in 2019,’’ he said.

    He named some of the ongoing projects as the construction of Ifeobara basin, the reconstruction of Arochukwu road, the Osisioma interchange as well as the revival of the School of Nursing in Aba.

    Read also: Abia makes N1.3b from Made-in-Aba campaign, says Ikpeazu

    Ikpeazu said that since leadership is linked to achievements in office, he can be sure of matching any other candidate after completing the projects.

    He said that government had so far invested about N325 million towards upgrading facilities at the Enyimba Stadium with a view to making it “world class’’.

    Ikpeazu said two billion naira had been released to Setraco Construction Company for the reconstruction of the Aba-Port Harcourt road, adding that his administration had also done well in promoting made-in-Abia goods by patronising the products.

    He said that his administration had also recorded successes in its agricultural projects especially in Aba which was aimed at improving the life of the people.

    NAN

  • Mixed grill in Lagos, Abuja, Ilorin, Makurdi, Aba

    Mixed grill in Lagos, Abuja, Ilorin, Makurdi, Aba

    The petrol availability across the country yesterday recorded a mixed grill.

    In Lagos, petrol supply eased off in most filling stations. People bought petrol freely in many areas of the metropolis.

    At the NNPC station in Omole on Ojodu road among other areas, queues were short. However, many independent and major marketers did not sell products.

    At the Mobil Filling station in Agidingbi, some vehicles remained parked in front of the station yet petrol was not being sold.

    The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) sealed off some stations in Lagos

    In Kaduna, the petrol situation was critical.

    Our correspondent Abdulgafar Alabelewe, who queued up at the Mobil Filling Station on Waff Road, Muhammadu Buhari Way at 11am could not get petrol to buy many hours after. There were over 100 vehicles in front of his car as at 9pm.

    In Ibadan, the queue was yesterday easing off. There were many stations with petrol and less pressure although it was being sold at above N145 per litre

    In Abuja,  the situation remained critical yesterday. All the petrol stations along Kubwa expressway, Airport Road and inside the city centre had kilometres-long queues of motorists waiting to buy petrol

    The NNPC petrol station along Airport Road by Sabon Lugbe did not dispense fuel throughout yesterday because its supply of fuel had not arrived. Others that sold along the Airport Road axis had at least two rows of vehicles queuing to buy fuel with the usual undisciplined crowd breaching the orderliness to petrol stations through the exit gates.

    Inside the city centre, the story was not different as long queues of vehicles besieged the filling stations.

    In Aba, Independent oil marketers started lifting petrol from the Osisioma Depot yesterday.

    Seventeen trucks billed for Imo, Abia loaded PMS and headed for their destinations

    Marketers were yesterday still selling between N245-N250 per litre.

    Some of the marketers who pleaded anonymity said they were selling at the old price because they had the old stock in their tanks.

    In Ilorin, there was no improvement in the situation yesterday. Many filing stations were yet to begin dispensing fuel as they remained under lock and key.

    Only the NNPC mega station and retail outlet along Asa Dam road, are in the last three days were attending to motorists. Bovas Filing Stations along Fate and Offa Garage Roads were also selling products. Queues were long in all these places.

    Transportation fares within and outside the metropolis were increased.

    Prices of  commuting within the metropolis have skyrocketed. A drop per taxi cab which used to be between N60 and N70 is now between N100 and N150.

    Black marketers were having a field day. Five litres now sell between N18000 and N2200 in the Ilorin township.

    The scarcity is acute in Benue State and a litre of petrol is being sold at N260 per litre at petrol stations in Makurdi, the state capital.

    In Gboko town a litre is sold at N280 a litre at the pump

    Most motorists spend long hours at NNPC mega station located on Makurdi- Enugu road in search of the product .

    In Port Harcout, the fuel situation eased off yesterday. People bought petrol without much problems. While the NNPC stations sold at normal price, many independent stations sold for prices above N200 per litre.

    In Warri, Delta State, most fuel stations were without product yesterday.

    The Matrix Energy’s fuel stations, which are the only ones still with steady supply selling at N143 per litre, the scanty number of other stations, which manage to sell at irregular intervals do so at exorbitant rates. At any other station or black markets, a litre of PMS is sold for between N250, N300.

    To buy at the stations that are available, customers stay on endless queues all round the clock.

  • Customers beseech banks, ATMs, markets in Aba, Umuahia

    Customers beseech banks, ATMs, markets in Aba, Umuahia

    Customers of various commercial and financial institutions in Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia State on Friday trooped out in their numbers to perform one commercial transaction or the other.

    Our reporter who visited various banks in Aba and Umuahia, the state capital on Friday reports that a lot of people came to their banks to pay in and to also make withdrawals ahead of the Christmas celebration and Monday and Tuesday’s public holiday announced by the federal government.

    Automated Teller Machines (ATM) in Aba, Umuahia and their environs also witnessed huge queue as many who could not enter into the bank waited for several hours before they could succeed as those who could not wait for their turn to reach left angrily to return at night or early hours of Saturday when the crowd would have gone down.

    Some of the customers including Mr. Ginikanwa Chiawolamoke told our reporter that he was at the bank to carry business transaction which he was supposed to perform on Monday.

    According to Chiawolamoke, “I came to pay money into the account of my customer who will deliver goods to me by next week. So, in order to avoid disappointment from him, I decided to pay in the money today because banks will not be working on Monday and Tuesday and this is the season of the kind of business that I am doing. If I didn’t pay in the money today, another person will do that and the goods will be supplied to the person”.

    A staff of one of the commercial banks along Aba-Owerri road, Aba said that they are used to the rush and stated that they were doing all they could to ensure that their customers leave the bank satisfactorily.

    She added that efforts have equally been concluded to ensure that there would be cash in their ATMs for customers to withdraw.

  • Gunmen kill woman in Aba after resisting kidnap

    Gunmen kill woman in Aba after resisting kidnap

    A woman who was simply identified as Mrs. Ifeyinwa Morah has reportedly been shot dead by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers in Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia State.

    The Nation learnt that the incident happened in front of the residential quarters of late Morah, an indigene of Abatete, Idemili Local Government Area of Anambra State at about 7pm on Wednesday.

    Sources around the area told our reporter that the woman was coming home from her husband’s gas plant along Aba-Umuahia-Enugu Expressway when some men wielding guns ordered her out of her car.

    It was learnt that the gunmen who were already waiting for late Mrs. Morah ordered her to enter her car in an attempt to drive off with her, but she resisted them.

    A security source who pleaded anonymity told our reporter that the gunmen angered by late Morah’s resistance to be taken away, shot her and later drove away with the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) she was driving.

    The source said that efforts were on to track down the gunmen as they have launched a manhunt on the hoodlums.

    The family of the victim, until the time of this report is yet to be contacted for comments. But a source close to the family disclosed that the woman died few minutes after she was shot as a result of the blood she lost.

    The source stated that the woman was planning to travel to the village this weekend and had just gone to the market some days before the unfortunate incident to shop few things that she would would be travelling home with the family.

    However, residents of Aba and its environs have called on the State Commissioner of Police, the 14Brigade Commander and Heads of various security agencies in the state to brace up to insecurity that is raising its ugly heads in the state in recent times.

    They lamented the increase in kidnapping of persons and rate of armed robbery incidents within the city center and its environs especially within the festive period, stressing that the situation could deteriorate if not being checked and nipped in the bud by the respective security agencies.

  • Nigeria Customs seizes contraband worth N93m

    Nigeria Customs seizes contraband worth N93m

    The Compliance Team of the Nigeria Customs Service ( NCS ) said it has seized contraband with Duty Paid Value ( DPV ) of N93.7 million in the course of its operations.

    The Coordinator of the Compliance Team, Ahmed Azarema, made this known while displaying the seized contraband to news men in Owerri on Tuesday at the Imo/Abia Command of the service.

    Azarema said the compliance team, attached to the office of the Comptroller-General of Customs, confiscated 1,028bags of 20 kg foreign rice with a DPV of N8.22 million concealed with motor spare parts.

    He said 1,258 bags of 50kg of foreign rice with a DPV of N74.8 million and 111 bales of second hand clothing with a DPV of N10.65 million was also seized by the team.

    Read also: Customs destroys smuggled goods

    He said all the items were seized along Aba/Umuahia/Port Harcourt axis adding that two suspects were arrested in connection with the seized goods.

    Azarema observed that because of the Yuletide season, smugglers are more desperate and always want to skim their way through but would always fail because of the dedication and ingenuity of the customs personnel.

    He, therefore, charged Nigerians against ferrying contraband in and across the country, but to engage in legitimate businesses to avoid their goods being confiscated.

    According to the compliance team coordinator, locally produced rice is more nutritious, better and cheaper than foreign rice which are preserved with chemicals.

    He said that patronising locally made goods would help boost the country’s foreign exchange and provide jobs to the teeming unemployed youths in the country.

    Azarema also urged Nigerians to desist from buying foreign rice to encourage the local producers.

    NAN

  • NAFDAC confiscates over N5m products in Abia

    NAFDAC confiscates over N5m products in Abia

    The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control ( NAFDAC ) Abia State office, confiscated food and drug products worth over N5 million between October and December 4 in Abia.

    The NAFDAC Coordinator for Abia State Office, Mr Olisa Okeke, disclosed this in Aba on Tuesday.

    He said that the confiscated products include: beverages, food stuffs and drugs which were being sold without NAFDAC’s permission at night.

    He said that the agency had also sanctioned seven shops selling provisions in Aba and Umuahia because of the status of the goods they were selling to unsuspecting residents.

    The coordinator said that most of the shops were selling expired products to the public at night.

    Read also: NAFDAC take steps to ease cost of registering products

    He said that the Abia NAFDAC Office Surveillance Team got information from residents which resulted in the bursting of the sales of the expired and unregistered products in Aba and Umuahia.

    Okeke said that some unscrupulous business men were bringing into the state unregistered and expired products to making quick money during the impending Christmas period and warned residents to be watchful.

    “We have noticed that activities are heightening this Christmas season and NAFDAC has started feeling the heat.

    “You know that during this period, unscrupulous businessmen like to bring into the state all kinds of goods and products including unregistered, substandard and spurious products and those whose expiry dates had been altered.

    “This might be on the increase so we are alerting our citizens, especially those in Abia , to be watchful to ensure they are not taken unawares.

    “On our part, we have increased our surveillance to check the incidence of infiltration of harmful products into the state.

    “Residents, however, owe the agency a duty to volunteer information that could help investigation and bursting of perpetrators of these evils to save lives,” he said.

    NAN